Bodybuilding: Strength Training Vs. Muscle Building

Polish competitor Szymon Kolecki competing in olympic weightlifting

Hey everyone, today I am going to discuss the difference about two general training plans for two different goals. These goals are strength training and muscle building. (Note that I will not be talking about unorthodox forms of training such as German volume training). Many people have the misconception that if you workout you will simply gain strength and muscle at the same time but this is most definitely false even though you can get small hints of the benefits of muscle building during some strength training programs or vice versa, it will not be as effective as it would be if you were doing a muscle gaining program.

What happens when you work out and what can it do for your muscles?

      In short, when you work out, as your muscles are pushed they develop tiny tears that then later need to be rebuilt by the body as you rest. The process is very similar to when you fracture a bone as the body rebuilds it and the bone calcifies and grows back larger and could also be stronger, the exact same could be applied to muscles as your body works to rebuild the muscle (provided that you eat more calories than you burn and have the nutrients to supply your body). Aside from this, the power output and other physical properties may be conditioned for your muscle as well. However, various ways to work your muscle will result in various outcomes from hypertrophy, muscular endurance, and the output of power in a quick burst (strength).

How many reps per set do you lift for muscle gains and how many do you lift for strength?

     There are many different training regimes for people for these two different goals but I am going to stick with the main two. Strength training (aside from the obvious increase in strength) an yield some great benefits such as fat loss, increased bone density, and general health. It is well known that most people who are going for increased strength train with sets that have low repetitions. These repetitions consist of lifts very close to your one rep max (About 85%) and usually consist of sets of 1-6 repetitions. On the other hand, although it is a debatable topic, muscle building generally consists of sets with more reps usually ranging from 8-12 to induce muscle hypertrophy.




      This sums up a common question about the two primary goals of weight lifting. Although these are general guidelines and an explanation of some of the process that the body undergoes, there are many different programs that are out there that may yield the results you're looking for as well and I would recommend that everybody looks into a few of them to figure out which programs fits you first. Although training plays the most important role, both of these goals (especially muscle building) require a very well rounded diet for most people consisting of all the nutrients you need. Without your diet on track, it will be almost impossible to reach and sustain the goals that most people desire. That sums up this article and remember to stay informed everybody!