Bodybuilding IS Functional, Actually!
There’s a misconception that bodybuilding muscle isn’t “real muscle.” Granted, this opinion comes mainly from people who maybe secretly wish they had bigger biceps…
But there is also a line of reasoning here: that because bodybuilders aren’t as strong as powerlifters, their muscle is just “for show.”
There’s a few problems with that!
First: bodybuilders may not be as strong on the big lifts - but they may well have more strength when curling, or doing the lat pull down. Horses for courses.
But more to the point: nature doesn’t grow big muscle just for show! That would be wasteful. If there is an adaptation it must be for something.
The reason bodybuilders have big muscles is that their training slightly preferences strength endurance. Higher rep ranges and intensity techniques help them to keep pushing or pulling when other people would burn out.
This is actually extremely useful!
And, as long as they aren’t exclusively using isolation movements, they will be able to transfer some of this strength endurance to activities outside the gym.
This is a misconception about functional training overall. No one is saying that bodybuilding isn’t functional. Or that powerlifting isn’t functional. Or that running isn’t functional!
The problem is when you take ONE aspect of fitness to a fanatical extreme. And the problem is when you do that at the expense of ALL else.
Bodybuilding is functional and so is powerlifting. But if you never do any cardio. If you can’t touch your toes… Then you could stand to be a bit MORE functional.
It’s not about what you’re doing. It’s about what you’re not doing!
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