Because of films, magazines and the media, about 99% of people seem to think that weight training = bodybuilding. This is not true. Bodybuilding is only a small subsection of weight training.
Instead I want you to think of weight training as a car mechanics garage…
Sounds odd I know, but bare with me…people take their cars to a garage for a number of reasons:
- A simple tune up
- For their MOT
- For repair
- To improve everyday performance
- To improve racing performance
- To improve off road performance
- To change appearance slightly (simple paint job)
- To change appearance drastically (to totally pimp their ride)
Pimped Car
And bodybuilding can be thought of as “pimping your ride”. For both, the priority is on appearance and style while little to no thought goes into substance and performance.
You can’t fail to notice them and they certainly look impressive…but neither of them are necessarily much good at anything else.
But the point is, when you take your car to the garage, you don’t have to get tinted windows and a custom paint job installed.
And when you do resistance exercises, you don’t have to do sets of 8-12 and isolate your biceps/pecs/abs/glutes etc.
There are loads of different reasons why people might train with weights, including:
- To freshen up a stale workout
- For injury rehabilitation
- To be able to perform simple, everyday tasks
- To improve sporting/athletic ability
- To change their appearance slightly (giving a more “toned” appearance)
- To change their appearance drastically (to get huge and ripped)
Pimped Body
And for all these different reasons for weight training, you would train in different ways.
For an introduction to these different forms of weight training, take a look at my Introduction to Weight Training.
And don’t forget, if you live in and around Skipton, contact me for Professional Coaching and advice.