Weight Training vs. Other Types of Training
Weight Training versus Strength Training
Strength training is an inclusive term for all types of exercise devoted towards increasing muscular strength and size (as opposed to muscular endurance, associated with aerobic exercise, or flexibility, associated with stretching exercise like yoga or pilates, though endurance and flexibility can improve as a byproduct of training). Weight training is one type of strength training, but the most common and is seen by all but specialists as synonymous with strength training. The difference between weight training and other types of strength training is how the opposition to muscular contraction is generated. Resistance training uses elastic or hydraulic (water) forces to oppose muscular contraction and isometric exercise uses structural or intramuscular forces (e.g. doorways or the body's own muscles).
Weight Training versus Resistence Training
Resistance training involves the use of elastic or hydraulic resistance to contraction rather than gravity. Weight training provides the majority of the resistance at the beginning, initiation joint angle of the movement, when the muscle must overcome the inertia of the weight's mass. After this point the overall resistance alters depending on the angle of the joint. In comparison, hydraulic resistance provides a fixed amount of resistance throughout the range of motion, depending on the speed of the movement. Elastic resistance provides the greatest resistance at the end of the motion, when the elastic element is stretched to the greatest extent.
Weight Training versus Isometric Training
Isometric exercise provides a fixed amount of resistance based on the force output of the muscle. This only strengthens the muscle at the specific joint angle at which the isometric exercise occurs. In comparison, weight training strengthens the muscle throughout the entire range of motion of the joint.
Weight Training and Bodybuilding
Although weight training is similar to bodybuilding, they have different objectives. Bodybuilders compete in bodybuilding competitions; they train to maximize their muscular size and develop extremely low levels of body fat. In contrast, most weight trainers train to improve their strength and anaerobic endurance while not giving special attention to reducing body fat below normal. Weight trainers tend to focus on compound exercises to build basic strength, whereas bodybuilders often use isolation exercises to visually separate their muscles, and to improve muscular symmetry.
However, the bodybuilding community has been the source of many of weight training's principles, techniques, vocabulary, and customs. Weight training does allow a tremendous flexibility in exercises and weights which can allow bodybuilders to target specific muscles and muscle groups, and attain specific goals.
This page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Weight Training"
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