CrossFit Training Vs. Bodybuilding
When a person decides to work on their body, one of the most popular options are CrossFit training and Bodybuilding.
Both of these fitness regimes have a cult-like following of their own. For a beginner, it might be confusing to choose the best fitness program since both these programs serve different purposes.
In this article, you will find out everything you need to know about CrossFit training and Bodybuilding and how they differ from one another.
What is CrossFit training?
CrossFit training is a high-intensity training program that is not specific to building certain muscles. Rather, it helps a person remain fit and improve stamina and agility by introducing different workout routines every day.
CrossFit training became popular a few years back. Since then, many people have joined training programs.
The main reason for its quick rise to popularity is because CrossFit training uses active movements that are safe and are similar to the activities in our daily life. Also, CrossFit training can benefit anyone of any age group.
What are the pros and cons of CrossFit training?
Like every sport, there are both pros and cons in CrossFit training.
Some of the pros of CrossFit training are:
- It helps to improve cardiovascular endurance, stamina, agility, flexibility, coordination, strength, and speed with a single training program.
- It is suitable for everyone – both beginners and fitness enthusiasts.
- The workout is modified and different each day, bringing excitement and a different perspective to stay healthy.
- The workout is monitored by a trainer to make sure that the trainee completes the exercise without cheat reps.
Some of the cons of CrossFit training are:
- Since CrossFit training is a high-intensity workout program, there are higher chances of injury of hurting oneself.
- Most of the CrossFit training takes place in the box with a group of cross-fitters monitored by a judge. CrossFit training may not be very ideal if someone prefers working out alone or requires privacy.
- It does not help to gain muscles or enhance the body aesthetic.
What is Bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is a high-intensity resistance-training program that helps a person gain muscles and improve the aesthetic of the body.
Bodybuilders usually compete in various bodybuilding competitions, and their physical appearance is the main criteria during judgment.
Therefore, Bodybuilding focuses on specific muscles and helps to enhance the size of the muscles and reduce fat in the body.
Bodybuilding is also known as the art of body sculpting, and it gained notoriety when Arnold Schwarzenegger (one of the most notable figures of Bodybuilding) made his Hollywood debut!
What are the pros and cons of Bodybuilding?
Some of the pros of Bodybuilding are :
- Bodybuilding helps to increase the body muscles and sculpt the body.
- It helps to reduce fat count in the body.
- Since it is one of the most popular fitness sport, training gyms for Bodybuilding is readily available everywhere.
- The workout routine can be customized according to the amount of bulk required or the number of fats to shred.
Some of the cons of Bodybuilding are:
- It requires constant effort and perseverance to achieve the type of body needed.
- Strict diet and routine maintenance are not easy for everybody.
Comparison of CrossFit training and Bodybuilding
Diet
The diet of a cross fitter and a bodybuilder are entirely different. Bodybuilding focuses on losing fat and increasing body muscle, whey protein, and casein shakes are taken in vast quantities by a bodybuilder.
Every gram and calorie of their diet is calculated. However, for a CrossFitter, the diet mainly focuses on eating healthy and having a balanced diet. So it is not very nitpicky as long as the trainee is eating healthy.
Training
Training is the main component that sets CrossFit training and Bodybuilding apart. CrossFit training has WOD (Work out of the day), and this training includes various movements that primarily use the entire body.
So, it does not focus on a particular part of the body. However, for Bodybuilding, a set of exercises is repeated for various muscle groups since the main goal is to increase the muscle.
CrossFit training does not have any rest time between sets. However, for Bodybuilding, there is a rest time before moving on to working on other areas of the body.
Cardiovascular endurance
High-intensity interval training is considered the best method to improve cardio. CrossFit training focuses on improving the entire health, and during the WOD, it effectively improves cardiovascular endurance.
On the other hand, Bodybuilding does not do much to enhance cardiovascular endurance since the goal is to bulk and shed fat.
Both CrossFit training and Bodybuilding require a significant amount of time and dedication. It solely depends on the purpose of the athlete, whether to gain muscles by joining Bodybuilding or stay fit without bulking up by being a part of CrossFit training.
The time during exercise
During CrossFit training, a certain period is provided for trainees to complete the exercise. So, the athletes have to rush in order to complete the set number of reps.
On the contrary, Bodybuilding does not have to be rushed. The bodybuilders take their time to complete a set of exercises for the dedicated muscle.
Since both CrossFit training and Bodybuilding are two different sports that provide absolutely different results, it ultimately boils down to what a person wants.
CrossFit training is ideal if staying fit and improving stamina by exercising daily and having the freedom to choose the diet is the goal.
However, if the main goal is to strengthen or bulk up the muscles through a strict regime, including nutrition and exercise, then Bodybuilding is ideal.
Though CrossFit training can be taken up by beginners, it requires a lot of strength, and it works efficiently as an advanced workout.
So a bodybuilder shifting to CrossFit training will be able to blend quicker with the workout routines in comparison to a beginner at CrossFit training.
