If we compare photos of famous powerlifters and bodybuilders, then the muscles of the latter look much more pumped up. Find out why bodybuilders are heavier, but significantly weaker than triathletes Compare photos of representatives of different strength sports, and you will immediately notice that the muscles of bodybuilders look more attractive. Most powerlifting representatives believe that the main thing for the muscles is the load. This is correct, but this statement is very simplistic.
There is also a widespread belief that increasing strength is the key to gaining mass. Of course, strength is directly related to the size of the fibers of muscle tissue, but there are many ways to increase strength without achieving muscle hypertrophy.
You can also achieve muscle growth without increasing strength. The most effective way to achieve this goal is to increase the number of non-contractile elements in muscle tissue. This can be achieved by increasing the number of various intracellular units such as glycogen or collagen. This phenomenon is called sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
This type of hypertrophy cannot affect strength indicators, since muscle strength depends on sarcomeres. Let's take a closer look at why bodybuilders are more than weightlifters and powerlifters.
Now we will not talk about the use of steroids, since all high-level athletes use them. The main differences lie in the training program.
Differences in training bodybuilders and powerlifters
Powerlifting training is primarily aimed at developing strength, and bodybuilders pay great attention to their appearance. For this reason, the approach to training among representatives of these sports disciplines is significantly different.
Number of repetitions
This is the first difference in training. For bodybuilders, the number of repetitions per set is in the range from 6 to 12, while powerlifters use low-rep training with the number of repetitions from 1 to 5. For this reason, the body responds appropriately to physical activity, which leads to varying degrees of muscle hypertrophy. …
High-repetition exercises allow you to develop more fibers of the first type, which are distinguished by high endurance. For this reason, a bodybuilder can do muscular work for a longer period of time.
In the course of scientific research, it was found that when working in the middle range of repetitions, protein synthesis is significantly accelerated and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is achieved faster. It is these factors that lead to muscle growth. In addition, bodybuilders, during their training, achieve an increase in glycogen stores, which also leads to an increase in the water content of the muscle tissues. It has been found that one gram of glycogen attracts about three grams of water. This promotes the growth of myofibrils. Note that the number of repetitions directly affects the volume of training. The bodybuilders' classes are an order of magnitude more voluminous in comparison with the powerlifters.
Isolation exercises
The bodybuilding training program includes a large number of single-joint exercises. In turn, in powerlifting, the main emphasis is on basic (multi-joint) exercises.
All large muscles, say, the quadriceps or lats of the back, include a huge number of fibers that have several points of attachment to the skeleton. They can be delineated and innervated by various nerves. As a result, when performing the exercise, the muscles simply cannot work evenly, and this leads to more stress on certain areas.
In order to fully use the fibers in the work, it is necessary to perform different exercises or change the load angle. Thanks to these techniques, it is possible to stimulate all tissue fibers and ensure their growth. Today, special simulators have been created that allow you to isolate a separate section of the muscles or even one bundle in order to load only it. This greatly enhances the activation of muscle growth factors.
The connection between muscles and the brain
Athletes often underestimate this indicator. But in the course of several experiments, it was found that during training, brain activity increases. If you concentrate on, say, the quadriceps during the exercise, then within a couple of months you will be able to use the quadriceps during the basic movements, excluding the auxiliary muscles from the work as much as possible.
For powerlifters, what matters is the maximum weight they can lift. To do this, you need to use as many muscles as possible in order to increase the effort. This suggests that the mechanics of movements are in the first place for the representatives of powerlifting, and not the mental activation of the target muscle.
Training intensity for bodybuilders and powerlifters
A large number of exercises are used in bodybuilding training programs. In addition, the lesson is often spontaneous and does not have a specific plan. This can help you achieve significant gains in muscle mass over the long term. Exercising regularly and avoiding a lot of injuries can help you gain weight. For powerlifters, strength is important and if he feels that a certain muscle is slightly stretched, but according to the plan it needs to be trained, then he will do so. Bodybuilders in a similar situation will rest this muscle so as not to provoke injury.
In general, it should be said that training sessions in bodybuilding and powerlifting differ quite significantly. In addition to the differences already voiced, bodybuilders take smaller pauses between sets. It is also more conducive to gaining mass than increasing strength.
For an informative overview of the main differences between bodybuilders and powerlifters, see here:
