Always fancied trying your hand at powerlifting, but like the principles of bodybuilding? Then powerbuilding might just be the gym routine for you.

Powerbuilding is a hybrid training method combining low-rep, high-intensity sets for increasing strength, with high-rep, moderate-intensity sets for muscle growth. Blending the strength focus of powerlifting and the aesthetic goals of bodybuilding, it offers an efficient, comprehensive workout approach.

Centered around powerlifting’s ‘big three’ lifts—squat, deadlift, and bench press—powerbuilding emphasises progressive overload. It’s a time-effective way to build muscle, strength, and endurance, alongside sculpting your physique, while offering more variety than powerlifting and avoiding the failure-based training of bodybuilding, helping reduce the risk of injury from overtraining.

Differences Between Powerbuilding and Powerlifting

• Powerlifting focuses on maximising top-end strength with the squat rack and on the Bench Press Bench. Whilst powerbuilding follows similar principles and utilises these compound exercises, it aims to balance strength training and hypertrophy for physique improvements.

• Powerlifters may choose to compete, at varying levels, whereas powerbuilding does not yet have a dedicated competitive platform.

• Powerlifters who do compete need to follow a good diet, with the intention of making a weight category in mind. Powerbuilders will also follow a clean diet, with more of a physique focus in mind, similar to that of a bodybuilder.

• Workout variation is higher with powerbuilding; powerlifting tends to focus on squat, bench and deadlift, and accessory exercises are chosen around strengthening them. Powerbuilding can flex away from this, depending on the goal of the individual. So expect to see 30kg Dumbbells alongside the traditional barbell and plates.

• Rest time as a powerlifter is often longer than that of a powerbuilder, to allow for better recovery between big lifts.

• Powerbuilding incorporates training techniques such as supersets and time under tension to increase intensity, whereas powerlifters will typically follow a strict plan, performing one exercise at a time.

Differences Between Powerbuilding and Bodybuilding

• The key difference between powerbuilding and bodybuilding are the end goals; powerbuilding aims to build physique and strength, whereas bodybuilding competitions are judged purely on physique.

• Powerbuilding combines high-weight, low-rep and low-weight, high-rep sets to achieve the intended goals, whereas a bodybuilder will often focus on lower weights, higher reps, sometimes to failure. A pair of Cast Iron Dumbbells is a great choice when you want to change dumbbell weights quickly.

• Powerbuilders will often utilise compound exercises such as squats, presses and rows, whereas bodybuilders will frequently isolate one muscle at a time, focusing on eliminating muscle imbalances for a symmetrical build.

• Rest periods across both tend to be similar, often around 60 seconds, however when training with heavier weights in a powerbuilding capacity you may need to rest longer.

• You are more likely to find super sets and giant sets being completed in powerbuilding than bodybuilding, in order to increase intensity further and help achieve muscle growth.

• Diet is critical for bodybuilders to sculpt their body for a ‘ripped’ physique, this would not be possible without a good diet Powerbuilders will still often follow healthy principles, but with more freedom and a reduced intensity.

Sample Powerbuilding Workout

For heavier exercises, take 2-3 minutes rest if required. For all other exercises, aim for 60 sec. rest between sets.

• Squat (strength focus) – 5 sets of 3-5 reps.

• Bench press (strength focus) – 5 sets of 4-5 reps.

• Barbell RDLs (strength/hypertrophy focus) – 4 sets of 6-8 reps.

• Pull-ups (hypertrophy focus) - 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

• Dumbbell overhead press (hypertrophy focus) – 4 sets of 10 reps.

• Dumbbell split squat (hypertrophy focus) – 4 sets of 8-10 reps per leg.

Powerbuilding provides a scalable, varied and time effective way to improve your physique, build muscle and gain strength. Incorporating compound exercises, tools such as time under tension and super sets, as well as the big 3 lifts in the form of the squat, bench and deadlift, powerbuilding really does provide a great all-round training method.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout