SO CONFUSED!!! What is the difference?

amandavictoria80

Ok, I'm really confused now. I thought Strength Training and Weight Training were one int he same. Many web sites have made it seem this way.
But I keep getting told if I want to increase strength, stick to strength. But I assumed weight training is strength, WTH?

ishtar13

Let's see if we can clear up some confusion.

Resistance training means using some kind of weight/resistance.

Strength training and body building are both types of resistance training. Both will build strength but in different ways.

Strength training concentrates on getting strong. The whole point is to keep lifting heavier weights. To strength train, you look at 5 sets of 5 reps or 3 sets of 8 reps. This concentrates on compound lifts (like everyone keeps telling you: bench press, squats, overhead press, lunges, anything which uses at least two joints). This would be power lifters and Olympic lifters.

Bodybuilding concentrates on the shape of muscles and making them visible. For a beginner, there will be strength gains training this way. This usually has sets in the 10-12 rep range, and lots of isolation exercises (curls, tricep press, calf raise, anything that uses one joint and focuses primarily on one muscle group.) This is for body builders. However, even wanna be body builders would benefit from a basic beginning strength program.

So, what are your goals?

Figure out your goals, that will tell you what to do. Also, there are a ton of beginner programs out there for both kinds of resistance training, you shouldn't need to design your own.

New Rules of Lifting for Women, Stronglifts 5x5 and Starting Strength are good places to start.