Bodybuilding V Crossfit

This is a post that I've been sat on for a long time, not knowing which side to take (if any)/worrying about anyone that I might offend with it. However I think that its time to share it - if it offends you and you don't agree with it, that's cool, not everyone will. Just my point of view on things.

I see a lot of bad-mouthing from both crossfitters and bodybuilders, proclaiming that their way of exercising is the best and sometimes the only way to exercise. There's always arguments over who is the more functional and flexible, who is the strongest, fittest, fastest etc. You can find various parody videos, and a lot of trolling between the two sides all over the internet. This post is just going to take a look at both sides, and then I'll give you my opinion on the two.

Bodybuilding

At a basic level, bodybuilding is the use of resistance exercises to develop muscle. It can be both a pastime or applied to a competitive level, both amateur and professional. Regardless of the purpose, you'll find many a serious bodybuilder in the gym 5/6 times a week. Commonly, these guys will isolate areas of muscle and work them all once a week. There will also be elements of cardio thrown in there for those dieting. A typical week for this approach could be:

• Monday - Chest
• Tuesday - Back
• Wednesday - Arms
• Thursday - Shoulders
• Friday - Legs

There will more than likely be one or two abdominal sessions thrown into the mix on certain days, or the individual could just choose to incorporate a sixth session that would incorporate abs, cardio and maybe some isolation training for minor muscles. I say that this approach is common, but there are various approaches to bodybuilding such as a push/pull split, SMOLOV, and DUP. For anyone who currently applies a 5/6 day split to their training, and is bored and interested in these approaches, they'll be explained in another post. There also seems to be a stigma attached to bodybuilding, that any bodybuilders with especially large muscle mass are on steroids. This can be attributed to the fact that many competitive bodybuilders over the years have been found to be steroid users. Unfortunately, many people stereotype bodybuilders as steroid taking idiots - which couldn't be further from the truth in my opinion. 

Crossfit

Compared to bodybuilding, Crossfit is a particularly recent phenomenon. It was developed by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai back in 2000. It combines factors found in gymnastics, weightlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, plyometrics and calisthenics to produce a very different kind of workout. The structure for a typical session is usually as follows - 

1. Strength element - This usually involves performing a major lift such as back squat, clean, snatch, press, deadlift, or variants thereof. Rep and set ranges can vary at different stages of strength cycles. 
2. WOD (Workout of the day). - This can involve anything. Usually its a high intensity series of exercises combining various elements designed to burn as many calories as possible for conditioning. 

Some crossfit workouts are relatively easy, some take 5-10 minutes and leave you lying flat on your back wondering what just happened, others are a 30-60 minute slog that take determination and willpower to complete. Unfortunately, many of the stereotypes for crossfit include the fact that many crossfitters choose reps over form. Basically it means that the exercises performed are quick and not done properly, which can cause injury. There have been a few instances in which crossfitters have sustained serious injuries from weightlifting and they have been widely publicised. 

My Opinion

Having had much experience with both bodybuilding and crossfit, I can honestly say that I don't believe that either of them are better than each other. I believe that they both have great merits and that all of the negativity that you hear from either side is to be taken with a pinch of salt. Crossfit promotes 'functional fitness' and chastises bodybuilding for not being as functional. However if you break down most of the movements used in either sport, they are largely the same. There are some differing movements but they're few and far between and I guarantee that you could find at least one bodybuilder that uses them. With regard to the functionality and mobility arguments, these can both be addressed with a good daily stretching and mobility routine - which is something that can be incorporated into either approach. 

With regard to the argument that crossfit is dangerous and that the lifts are sloppy and out of control - this is true if the athletes are left unsupervised and aren't taught how to do them properly, it can also be down to the athlete being too lazy to complete the lift properly due to the intensity of the workout. I trained at Crossfit Aberystwyth (an official affiliate gym) for around a year and the notion of crossfit being dangerous was quashed in my time there. The coaches watched everyone closely to ensure that firstly the lifts were being performed properly, secondly that the weight was right for the individual and their rep ranges, and lastly that the repetitions weren't rushed or sloppy. Their job is to progress you and to ensure your safety at all times, in many ways it is a lot safer than bodybuilding on your own, where you don't have anyone to watch your form or call you out when you're being unsafe. Yes injuries have happened in the sport of crossfit, but bodybuilding has its fair share of injuries too - they are both dangerous if not done properly. 

As for my approach, I try to combine what I deem to be the best elements of crossfit and bodybuilding. I currently follow a DUP style approach (more on that soon), and add in isolation work as in bodybuilding, but I'll also set aside workouts for olympic lifting and high intensity varied routines. This approach works for me and I've found that it compliments my goals well - I'm getting leaner, and gaining strength and definition due to it. As for the argument that one is better than the other for making progress and getting in to a better shape - they both depend on how much you put into them and what your personal ideas of a 'better shape' are. For example - take a typical Mr Olympia physique e.g. Phil Heath's physique. The man is a mountain, his muscles are well developed and symmetrical - the key points of being a successful Olympia candidate. Then let's look at Rich Froning Jr. - This man has been at the pinnacle of Crossfit for a while, he is fit, fast, agile, strong and has unbelievable stamina. He may not be as symmetrical or have as much muscle as Phil Heath, but his physique allows him to compete at the highest level of his sport - exactly the same as Phil. In a nutshell, how do you compare two sports when they're geared towards completely differing end products? If you have no preference towards your own end product, where is the harm in combining the two, as long as its done safely? 

 

Anyway, they're just my thoughts on the two. If you liked this post please feel free to share it with people and feedback is always welcome. You can post a comment below or find me on social media -

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Thanks for reading!

Alex