Powerlifting and bodybuilding are competitive sports, but they are also lifestyles.
While both are rewarding and require dedication and love for the iron, they are quite different in their approach and goals.
- Powerlifting is about raw power, maximum strength, and lifting as heavy as possible. It focuses on three core lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift.
- On the other hand, bodybuilding is all about how you look, emphasizing hypertrophy, muscle definition, symmetry, and aesthetics.
In this article, we look at the key distinctions between powerlifting and bodybuilding, breaking down what makes each discipline unique and helping you decide which path aligns with your fitness goals.
What Is Powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a strength sport where the goal is to lift as much weight as possible in three specific exercises: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift.
People of all ages and sizes can get into powerlifting. It’s not just for big, muscular people—there are weight classes, so you compete against people who are similar in size to you. Also, it’s very accessible for beginners because you focus on just three lifts and can improve steadily as you practice.
Powerlifting competitions are held at local, national, and international levels. There are different categories based on gender, age, and body weight to make the competition fair.
You don’t even have to compete to be a powerlifter. While some people compete seriously at high levels, others powerlift just for fun and personal challenge. If you’re training with the goal of getting stronger in the three core lifts, you’re part of the powerlifting community, even if you don’t enter powerlifting competitions. Competitions are one aspect of the sport, but the dedication to improving the three core lifts is what truly defines a powerlifter.
Powerlifting Competition
In powerlifting, the competition is straightforward. You compete in the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift, in that order, and the lifter who lifts the heaviest weight wins.
Each competitor gets three attempts at each lift. The best (heaviest) successful lift from each exercise is recorded. At the end of the competition, the weights from the best squat, bench press, and deadlift are added together to get the competitor’s “total.” The person with the highest total in their weight class wins.
For a lift to be succesful, at least two of the three judges need to give a white light. That means you need at least two white lights (and you can have one red) for the lift to count. If you get two red lights (or three), the lift is considered a fail, regardless of how much weight you lifted.
Each lift has rules you must follow to make sure the lift counts. Here are some common reasons for a red light:
- Squat: Not reaching the proper depth, racking the bar before the head judge’s signal, or losing balance.
- Bench Press: Not pausing the bar on the chest, lifting your butt off the bench, or having uneven lockout of your arms.
- Deadlift: Not fully locking out at the top, hitching (jerky movement while lifting), or dropping the bar before the head judge gives the signal.
Powerlifting is different from Olympic weightlifting, which involves two different lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. It’s also not the same as bodybuilding, which is more about muscle size, symmetry, and definition rather than pure strength.
Powerlifting Training
Powerlifters train with a dedicated focus on getting stronger in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The goal is to lift as much weight as possible in each of these movements, so their training centers around building strength, improving technique, and increasing muscle size where needed.
Here’s a breakdown of how powerlifters typically train:
Focus on the Big Three
Powerlifters spend most of their training time on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. They often have multiple weekly training sessions to focus on these lifts. Each session might center around one of these lifts or include variations of them.
Heavy Weights
If you want to get strong, you must lift heavy.
Powerlifters typically perform most of their training at a high intensity, usually ranging from 70% to 85% of their one-rep max (1RM). That intensity allows you to build strength and power while managing fatigue.
However, powerlifters also incorporate training at even higher intensities (90%+ of 1RM) for lower reps and lower intensities (below 70% of 1RM) for technique work and muscle hypertrophy. The sweet spot, though, where they spend most of their time, is often in that 70–85% range—heavy enough to stimulate strength gains but manageable enough to allow for volume and consistent progress.
Periodization
Powerlifting training is usually organized in cycles or periods, known as periodization. That means the training is broken into different phases over time. The main goal is to optimize strength gains and peak performance for competitions.
Some common periodization models in powerlifting include:
- Linear periodization: This method gradually increases weight and decreases volume over time. It is popular among beginners and intermediate lifters because it has a straightforward structure and predictable progression.
- Block periodization: A more advanced training approach that divides the training cycle into distinct blocks, each focusing on specific adaptations. More advanced lifters often prefer block periodization as it allows for more nuanced manipulation of training variables and potentially faster progress in specific areas. However, it requires more planning and understanding of training principles to implement effectively.
- Undulating periodization: A training approach that varies weight and rep schemes more frequently, even within the same week. This method provides a wide range of stimuli to the body, potentially leading to better overall adaptations. Undulating periodization can be particularly effective for intermediate to advanced lifters who have developed a solid strength base and can handle the more frequent changes in training stimuli. It’s also popular among lifters who enjoy variety in their training.
Accessory Exercises
While the main focus is on the big three lifts, powerlifters also do accessory exercises to target specific muscles and improve overall strength. For example:
- Leg Press or Lunges: To help with squats.
- Overhead Press or Tricep Extensions: To boost the bench press.
- Rows or Pull-Ups: To strengthen the back for deadlifts.
- Good Mornings or Back Extensions For the posterior chain – benefits both squats and deadlifts.
These exercises help balance muscle development and address weak spots.
Progressive Overload
Like all strength athletes, powerlifters follow the principle of progressive overload, which means they gradually increase the weight they lift over time. The most basic way to practice progressive overload is to add more weight to the bar or do more reps. The idea is to always challenge the body to adapt and get stronger.
Technique and Form
Perfecting their unique technique is essential for powerlifters. They spend a lot of time refining their form to lift the most weight safely and efficiently. That can mean working on things like foot placement in the squat, bar path in the bench press, and back positioning in the deadlift.
Note that there is no one-size-fits-all perfect form for powerlifting. A powerlifting competition is not a competition in style and looks; one lifter’s optimal lifting technique might look very different from another.
Monitoring Progress
Powerlifters keep track of their progress through detailed training logs. They note the weights, reps, and sets they perform in each session to help them see their progress over time and make adjustments to their training as needed.
StrengthLog is the perfect workout log to help you track your powerlifting progress.
Peaking for Competition
In the weeks before a competition, powerlifters focus on “peaking,” which involves tapering their training to be fully rested and at their strongest on competition day. They gradually reduce their training volume while continuing to lift heavy, with the goal to step onto the powerlifting platform with fresh muscles and being at their best when it matters most.
What Is Bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is a sport and lifestyle focused on developing a muscular and well-defined physique through weight training, nutrition, and disciplined lifestyle habits. It’s like sculpting your body, but instead of using clay, you use weights and food to shape your muscles.
The main goal of bodybuilding is to increase muscle size and definition while reducing body fat to create the massive and lean look that bodybuilders are known for. However, bodybuilders don’t just add muscle mass willy-nilly. They want to create a balanced and symmetrical look. That means training all your muscles to make sure they develop evenly and working extra hard on any weak points.
Bodybuilding training does increase muscle strength, but being strong is not a primary goal of a bodybuilder.
Bodybuilding Training
Bodybuilders spend a lot of time in the gym lifting weights in order to achieve their goals. Bodybuilding training includes compound lifts like powerlifters do but also more isolation exercises for individual muscle groups.
Bodybuilders use higher rep ranges for multiple sets to challenge their muscles and make them grow. In addition, they utilize a training technique called mind-muscle connection, which involves consciously focusing on the working muscle during a set to enhance muscle activation and pump.
Bodybuilding Diet
However, bodybuilding is about more than lifting weights. What you eat is just as important.
Following a bodybuilding diet means eating a lot of protein, which is the building block of muscle, along with a balance of carbs and fats. Bodybuilders also pay close attention to their calorie intake, adjusting it depending on whether they want to gain muscle or lose fat.
Bodybuilding Competition
Bodybuilding as a sport has evolved over the years, with different categories emerging to celebrate various physique types. Today, there are divisions for classic physique, which emphasizes proportion and symmetry, and men’s physique, which focuses on a more attainable, beach-body look, in addition to traditional bodybuilding, where bigger muscles rule.
As a competition approaches, bodybuilders go through a “cutting” phase. Cutting means they reduce their calorie intake and often do more cardio to lose body fat. A low body fat percentage brings out the muscle definition and creates the lean appearance you see on stage.
While competitive bodybuilders pursue bodybuilding as a sport, participating in contests where they pose and display their physiques, others simply enjoy it as a way to improve their physical fitness and appearance. Anyone who uses strength training to develop their muscles can call themselves a bodybuilder.
Powerlifting vs. Bodybuilding: 10 Main Differences
Powerlifting and bodybuilding are similar in many ways. They are both competitive sports where you hoist heavy iron, but at the same time, they’re actually quite different in their goals and methods.
1. Primary Goal
While both powerlifting and bodybuilding involve resistance training, the goal of powerlifting differs significantly from that of bodybuilding.
- The main objective of powerlifting is to lift as much weight as possible in three specific lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Aesthetics matter little.
- The primary goal of bodybuilding is to develop muscle size, symmetry, and definition, sometimes judged in competitions but also for personal aesthetic purposes. How strong you are compared to other bodybuilders is irrelevant.
2. Competition Focus
Both powerlifting and bodybuilding are sports, but one is purely athletic in training and competition, while the other is athletic in training but more of an artistic presentation in competition.
- Powerlifting competitions focus on the maximum amount of weight lifted in a single rep for each of the three main lifts. No one cares how you look doing it as long as you follow the rulebook.
- In bodybuilding competitions, the athletes are judged based on physical appearance: muscle mass, definition, symmetry, and stage presentation. While posing can be physically challenging, especially at the end of a draining cutting diet, the maximum physical effort happens in the gym leading up to a show, not on stage.
3. Training Intensity
In strength training, when someone talks about intensity, they’re not talking about how hard the workout feels (though it might feel pretty intense); they’re specifically talking about how heavy the weight is relative to their max capacity.
Powerlifting training utilizes a higher intensity than bodybuilding training.
- Powerlifting training is centered around high-weight sets with relatively low reps (often 1–5) to build maximal strength.
- Bodybuilding training often involves higher reps (6–12 or even more) with moderate to heavy weights to stimulate muscle growth.
The lower rep range of powerlifting is okay for building muscle, and doing high reps like a bodybuilder makes you stronger, so there is a significant overlap between the two disciplines. However, for optimal strength or muscle gains, you must do most of your training according to your specific goals.
4. Exercise Variety
Both powerlifting and bodybuilding involve traditional strength training exercises, but powerlifting is much more focused on the competition lifts.
- In powerlifting, training focuses on the three main lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift, with accessory exercises to support these lifts.
- Bodybuilding training involves a wide variety of exercises to target all muscle groups from different angles for balanced muscle development, and there are no strict guidelines for which exercises you “must” do. That being said, the three powerlifting lifts are staples in bodybuilding, too, because they are super effective for building muscle as well as strength.
5. Diet and Nutrition
What and how much you eat can greatly affect your exercise performance and training results, regardless of sport. However, diet is even more essential for bodybuilders than almost all other athletes.
To get strong, you have to eat enough. Enough calories, protein, fat, and carbs to recover from your training and to adapt to the damands of lifting heavy weights.
- A powerlifting diet is geared towards maintaining or increasing strength, often with a higher calorie intake and less or no emphasis on maintaining low body fat.
- A bodybuilding diet, however, is meticulously planned to maximize muscle growth while keeping fat gain to a minimum or to reduce body fat while maintaining muscle mass, especially leading up to competitions.
Read more:
>> Nutrition for Strength Training – the Fun and Easy Way
6. Body Composition
Body composition refers to the proportion of fat and muscle in your body. It is more critical in bodybuilding than powerlifting.
Body composition does play a role in powerlifting, but it’s not the end-all-be-all that it might be in other sports like bodybuilding. In powerlifting, you focus on strength and performance, not aesthetics. That being said, body composition still matters for a few reasons.
Powerlifting is divided into weight classes, so your body composition can affect your competitiveness within your class. You can maximize your strength without unnecessarily increasing your body weight if you have more muscle and less fat. And more muscle mass and lower body fat improves your power-to-weight ratio, making you more efficient in moving heavy weights.
- That said, powerlifting is all about moving the most weight possible. Being ripped is not an advantage. Some lifters even find success with higher body fat percentages because it can add leverage or stability in certain lifts, mainly the squat and bench press.
- On the other hand, body composition is a huge deal in bodybuilding; pretty much the bread and butter of the sport. Unlike other sports where strength, agility, or endurance are the number one priorities, bodybuilding is all about how your muscles look and how much fat you carry.
7. Injury Risk
The common person might think that lifting heavy iron is dangerous for the muscles, joints, and back, but the truth is that the injury incidence in powerlifting and bodybuilding is low, even at elite levels.1 2
- However, the risk of injury is somewhat higher in powerlifting. The focus on maximal lifts increases the risk of joint and ligament injuries due to the high weights involved.
- In bodybuilding, the risk is more related to overuse injuries from high-volume training using less-than-optimal training techniques, though the lighter weights bodybuilders use may reduce acute injury risk.
8. Recovery and Rest
Rest periods between sets allow your muscles to recover and replenish ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy source needed for explosive power. Without sufficient rest, your muscles won’t be able to perform at their peak, which is important in both powerlifting and bodybuilding trainining.
Also, when you’re lifting near-maximal loads, technique is everything. Fatigue can lead to sloppy form, which not only makes the lift less effective but can also increase the risk of injury. Resting up helps you reset mentally and physically to maintain good form.
- Powerlifters rest longer to recover fully for their next heavy lift. It’s common for a powerlifter to rest between 3–5 minutes or even more, depending on how heavy the lift was. Some powerlifters rest 10 minutes between their heaviest lifts. When you’re squatting a small car, you need some serious downtime.
- Bodybuilders rest shorter to maintain muscle pump, generally between 1–3 minutes depending on whether they’ve just completed an isolation or compound exercise. If they’re chasing that sweet pump, they might even go as low as 30 seconds. During their short breaks, bodybuilders often stay focused on the muscle group they’re working on, even flexing or stretching to keep the blood flowing.
9. Mental Approach
If you want to succeed in powerlifting or bodybuilding, you can’t just go through the motions. You’ve got to bring a dedicated, disciplined, and determined mindset to the table—every single day. When you’re pushing through the last rep of a heavy set or sticking to a strict diet, your mental approach helps you push past plateaus and achieve your goals.
In addition, neither powerlifting nor bodybuilding delivers quick results. It takes years of dedicated effort to reach an elite level in either sport, so the mindset is all about playing the long game.
The goal-oriented mindset in powerlifting is very specific: lift the heaviest possible weight in a competitive setting. That requires a mental approach that values incremental progress, patience, and playing the long game regarding strength development. Success in powerlifting training is often measured by small PRs (personal records) and competing against one’s previous best.
Powerlifters often view food as fuel. Their relationship with food is pragmatic—getting enough calories and nutrients to support heavy lifting and recovery. Body image is secondary to performance; the focus is on what the body can do rather than how it looks.
Bodybuilders have a more subjective and visually oriented goal—building a physique that meets specific aesthetic criteria. Doing so requires a mindset equally focused on training, nutrition, and rest, with an often obsessive attention to detail.
Bodybuilders often engage in high-volume training with a focus on mind-muscle connection. The mental approach in bodybuilding is about enduring the pain of muscle burn, pushing through longer sets, and maintaining strict form to maximize muscle activation.
There’s also a tremendous focus on the mental discipline required for diet and conditioning, especially during the cutting phase before competitions. A bodybuilding diet requires a more restrictive and disciplined approach to eating. Also, bodybuilders are constantly assessing their physique and making adjustments to improve their appearance, which can be mentally taxing.
10. Training Split
Both powerlifters and bodybuilders spend a lot of time in the gym grunting and lifting big weights, but they’re playing two different games—one’s about how much they can lift, and the other’s about how good doing it makes them look.
- Powerlifters’ training revolves around the “big three” lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. They aim to maximize strength in these movements and often train the same lift multiple times per week to improve their technique and strength in that specific movement. Powerlifters often use periodization to peak strength for competitions, cycling through phases like hypertrophy, strength, and peaking.
- Bodybuilders training for maximal muscle hypertrophy often use more complex splits to target specific muscle groups on different days, like a “bro split” where each muscle group gets its own day (e.g., chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, etc.) or a Push/Pull/Legs routine, splitting days between pushing movements (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling movements (back, biceps), and legs. While many bodybuilders also use periodization, it’s more focused on consistent muscle growth or cutting, sometimes alternating between hypertrophy and strength phases but without the same focus on peaking performance as powerlifters.
Powerbuilding: Powerlifting Meets Bodybuilding
Powerbuilding is a hybrid training style that combines powerlifting and bodybuilding with the goal to develop both strength and muscle mass simultaneously.
- Powerbuilding usually incorporates the three main lifts from powerlifting—squat, bench press, and deadlift. You perform these compound movements with heavier weights and lower reps to build maximum strength.
- After the heavy lifting, powerbuilding workouts often include accessory work using additional exercises with higher reps to build muscle and improve muscular balance and symmetry.
- Powerbuilding balances the pursuit of functional strength with the aesthetic goals of bodybuilding. You’re not just lifting heavy to be strong; you’re also building your body to look good.
- Powerbuilding programs are often flexible, allowing you to adjust the focus based on your goals. You might have phases where you focus more on strength or more on hypertrophy, but both are always part of the equation.
So, if you want to lift big weights and look jacked at the same time, powerbuilding is like getting the best of both worlds: the strength of a powerlifter and the aesthetics of a bodybuilder. That being said, you’ll likely won’t reach the top of each sport unless you specialize your training.
The Best Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Programs
Now that you know the fundamental differences between powerlifting and bodybuilding, you need a training program that aligns with your goals.
Fortunately, the StrengthLog workout log app offers a plethora of highly effective programs. Whether you’re a beginner taking your first steps into the world of iron or an advanced lifter with years of experience, you’ll find the perfect program for your needs.
>> 10+ Powerlifting Programs to Increase Your Total
>> 15 Best Bodybuilding Programs: Beginner to Advanced
All beginner programs are always free, while some of the more advanced workout routines require a premium subscription to follow in-app. You can activate a free 14-day premium trial in the app to check out the additional features and programs.
Designed by experienced coaches, competitive powerlifters, and bodybuilding specialists and followed by thousands of users, our training programs will improve your powerlifting or bodybuilding prowess, regardless of your training experience or fitness level.
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