Your Guide to Different Training Styles, Part 2
In the last article, you got a chance to learn a little bit about the first two options if you want to get more into lifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding. But what if neither of those really hit the spot for you? Not to worry. Here you’ll see three more options. Hopefully one of them will tickle your fancy and you’ll be well on your way to a new adventure.
My scrawny introduction to Crossfit. The kool-aid was so sweet for a while.
Crossfit. You probably know this one already. Crossfit was insanely popular a few years ago. The main goal for Crossfit is to be as well-rounded as possible. As a result, you’ll have a decent level of strength and flexibility, and getting tired won’t really be much of a thing. And if you love, love, love variety, then this is for you. You’ll be doing everything from gymnastic moves to powerlifting moves to throwing around medicine balls to Olympic lifts. For just being overall fit and versatile, this is your thing. Finally, it’s famous for having a community where people push themselves and each other. If you’re social, you’ll love it.
On the downside, the quality of the training varies wildly from gym to gym. The one up the street could be awful while the one across town could be amazing. Make sure you vet the place first. Which plays into the next part: injuries. Because of the hit or miss nature of the gyms, the misses tend to have high injury rates. People sometimes get thrown into workouts that they have no business doing and get hurt. They start doing lifts or moves that they have nowhere near enough coaching to do. And it’s not their fault, it’s the coach’s. Pair that with the community of people pushing each other and you can end up with more injuries than you’d ever want. Lastly, while you get all that lovely variety, it does come at a cost. You’ll be good at a lot of things, but you’ll be great at nothing. Kind of like how a decathlete is good at all ten events, but can barely beat a high school athlete in one of them.
Strongman. Oh, strongman, how I love you. Strongman is all about taking really heavy awkward objects found in everyday life (cars, kegs, stones, etc.) and either lifting them, carrying them, or throwing them. You’ve probably seen it late at night on TV. Big Nordic guys who have names with no vowels pulling planes. If you really love lifting heavy things, but also love variety, then this is where you belong. Unlike powerlifting, where every meet is the same three lifts in the same order, strongman has a ton of variety. You’ll get big and strong for sure. On top of that, the people in the community, though they look intimidating, are a bunch of teddy bears. And, honestly, who doesn’t think picking up cars is cool?
But it’s not all roses. Because of the awkward nature of a lot of the lifts, the injury rate is higher than powerlifting and bodybuilding. Granted, you can still avoid injury if you train smart, just like in Crossfit. Another downside is that gyms with the equipment you’d need are pretty sparse. You’ll have to do a bit of searching, but nothing insane. For those of you in New Jersey, Savage City Strength is an amazing choice. Also, expect a lot of people to start asking you to help them move furniture, citing your participation in the sport as a reason why you should help. I’ve found that asking for food in exchange more than balances it out, though.
Weightlifting. “But, Eric, you snarky yet brilliant wordsmith,” I hear you say, “I thought all of the things you’ve mentioned are lifting weights.” You’d be correct. All of the things are lifting weights, but here “weightlifting” refers to Olympic weightlifting, the style you see in the Olympics. In Olympic lifting, there are only two lifts, the snatch and the clean and jerk. And you thought powerlifting was low on variety. The goal is just like powerlifting in that whoever has the highest total wins.
Unlike powerlifting, Olympic lifting is actually about power. You’re training to move the biggest weights as fast as possible. Olympic lifters are literally the most powerful athletes on the planet. On top of that, because of how much technique is emphasized, the injury rate for it is lower than powerlifting, making it very safe. In addition, because of the nature of the two lifts, you’ll develop great flexibility.
Unfortunately, when it comes to variety, this is the worst of all. If you’re one of those people who absolutely loves repetition, this is great for you. If you love variety, best head off to strongman or Crossfit. Another downside is that it’s very technical. This means you’ll have to find a great coach if you want to get good. The learning curve can also be a little steep. Finally, if you want to reach a truly elite level, you’ll need a time machine so you can go pick the right parents and start training when you’re eight years old. But if you’re just looking to enjoy the sport, no advanced physics technology is required. Get yourself a good coach, find a bar and some plates, and you’re good to go.
And there you have it, three more styles you could try. I’ve personally dabbled in all and competed in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongman. All of them can be a lot of fun, especially when you have great people around. So get out there, find a community with some cool folks, and take a dive into something new. Maybe you’ll realize that bodybuilding isn’t for you. Or maybe you’ll fall in love with it. Maybe you’ll try powerlifting and realize, that while you love getting strong, you also want more variety. In that case, head over to strongman. No matter what you do, if you’re just looking to get better and spend time with great people, it’ll be worth it.
