I’m not a bodybuilder!
I’m not a Crossfit athlete!
No matter how many times I try to tell people that I do not belong to a particular category of fitness, people still tend to categorize me!
“Oh but you’re a bodybuilder,” says a customer at my Dad’s store while we’re talking about nutrition. “You’re a CF (CrossFit) athlete,” writes my bodybuilder friend on AIM.
Why do we Categorize?
Human begins use categories as a way to store information. It’s a great way to organize information, but a dangerous way of living your life. If you call yourself a Crossfit athlete, or a Bodybuilder, you will forever be a part of a stereo type of training methodologies and will inadvertently disregard anything that does not fit into the Crossfit or Bodybuilding methodology.
I feel that there are certainly things that bodybuilders can learn from Crossfit athletes, and vice versa. Each method has a particular flaw, and the best way to fill in the gaps is to “reach across the aisle” and try something new.
I think people should follow some sort of hybrid of a variety of fitness programs. Use the following guide to create your own unique program:
High Intensity Training
- Crossfit, Heavy Duty, Tabata
- Pro: Exercise can be done in a short period of time.
- Pro: You can improve strength and mass dramatically (depending on program)
- Pro: Can drop fat and improve athletic conditioning dramatically (depending on program)
- Con: May not be suitable for beginners
- Con: Can easily lead to over training and fatigue if there is poor focus on diet
High Volume Training
- German Volume Training, The Russian Bear, Traditional Bodybuilding,
- Pro: Great for hypertrophy
- Pro: Simply program for beginners
- Con: Added size comes with minimal gains in strength
- Con: Workouts take a long time
Strength-Based Training
- Stronglift’s 5×5, Starting Strength, Westside Barbell
- Pro: Can put on size and strength extremely fast
- Pro: Can drop fat due to an increase in metabolic rate
- Con: Beginners need more time to learn movements
- Con: Workouts are boring
There you have it. Try each program out for a few months.
Then:
- Choose one program that you really like and know will stick for the rest of your life
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of that program
- Fill in the weaknesses of the program using principles from other programs.
- Now create your own website and brand your program!
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