All right, I know what you must be thinking when you read the word “bodybuilding”… But, hear me out. When incorporated correctly, natural bodybuilding can be very beneficial to your bod! You may have already seen it sneaking into our CrossFit mobility; and if you’re a Bootcamper, you have been putting in the bodybuilding work …
All right, I know what you must be thinking when you read the word “bodybuilding”…
But, hear me out. When incorporated correctly, natural bodybuilding can be very beneficial to your bod! You may have already seen it sneaking into our CrossFit mobility; and if you’re a Bootcamper, you have been putting in the bodybuilding work on the regular during this month’s cycle. The way we are utilizing bodybuilding exercises is for the benefit of their use as accessory movements and targeted strength builders, as opposed to the end game of spray tans and string bikinis. Because in the end, bodybuilding is simply weight-resistance training. CrossFit, Bootcamp, and Barbell all consist of weight training. Thus, they can all hang out together, I promise.
Mainly we are looking to keep you strong by maintaining your muscle mass and increasing your bone density. The inclusion of more bodybuilding-style programming is something I have wanted to specifically target at Bootcamp to balance out our intense cardio and endurance work. To stay fast, we need to stay strong, too. At Novem, we are incorporating isolated bodybuilding movements to complement the regular workouts by activating and strengthening smaller groups that we often neglect when we “CrossFit.”
But don’t just take my word for it! I’ve searched through NUMEROUS websites and read far too many articles to try and find some well written and genuinely informed pieces for your further study. Many did not make the cut! Be wary when Googling on your own: we do not condone steroid use…OBVIOUSLY.
Here are some links to check out:
“Long-Term Effects of Natural Bodybuilding” by LAURA NIEDZIOCHA (journalist with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from Temple University) on Livestrong.com
“Why Weight Training Is Ridiculously Good For You” by Markham Heid (quoting professors of Medicine as well as Exercise Science, and published journal studies) on Time.com
“The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and their Application to Resistance Training” by Brad J. Schoenfeld in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Okay, this a heavy article from a scientific journal but it does review a butt-load of literature about muscle hypertrophy (a.k.a. the growth and increase of the size of muscle cells) and draws conclusions from the research on how to maximize muscle growth, discussing bodybuilding and powerlifting.
Novem|Strong
Coach Rachel Redden
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