A new age struggle has arose, and that is the eternal argument of which training style is the best, crossfit/functional fitness or traditional bodybuilding workouts. The one side always hates on the other and like all good arguments both sides have some legitimate points. I have experience doing both types of training and have an opinion or two on the subject.
Bodybuilding is the roots of the gym rat lifestyle and is probably the most common form or working out. Any type of training where you are using muscle isolation and focus on building and shaping your muscle into a specific look is considered bodybuilding. This is where the world gets people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Heath. The super dedicated are able to form massive amounts of muscle while cutting their body fat next to nothing. It is an incredible feat and is something that has to be respected because of the shear dedication it takes to achieve.
The main benefit of this style of training is the physical appearance that can come from proper training and diet. But it does have some cons, not a lot of life applicable movements are regularly done in this style of training. This can leave athletes being huge mounds of muscle with very little coordination or functional movement. For some they don’t care, but for lots of people this is not an ideal way to live life.
Crossfit takes an approach of high movement and olympic lifts that train the entire body and leave you gasping for air at the end of every workout. So many different movements and challenges are incorporated in workouts that requires you to have an incredible balance of strength, stamina and coordination. This is a great program for those looking to improve their overall fitness and health because workouts burn massive amounts of calories while toning and building muscle. There is also a great group mentality that comes with working out at a crossfit gym while surrounded by others by your side suffering along with you.
Now this sounds like it would clearly be the best option for overall health, which it is, but like anything else there are always drawbacks. Crossfit has a much higher injury rate than traditional lifting because it has people doing unique lifts that involve lots of movement and requires great form to do safely. A downside to the group training is it can push people to push past their safe limits because they are wanting to keep up or impress others in the class. Another downside to some is the type of muscle you can develop doing only this type of workouts. You get very strong and build thick muscle mass, however very few of the showman muscles are developed like in traditional bodybuilding.
Personally, I think a combination is needed for anybody looking to have their healthiest and best looking self. The crossfit is great for burning fat and building up your core muscles, where bodybuilding is ideal for toning muscles that are visually appealing like biceps, claves or deltoids. It is easy to get comfortable with one style and have difficulties transitioning between the tow but like anything else in life, the harder it is, the better it is for you.
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