Does weight training make you stronger?

The question might sound sorta stupid, but im dead serious. I had an argument with my dad about karate vs weight training. My dads argument is that karate builds internal muscle, muscle that is not visible physically but gives you lots of power and strength when you have it. He also says that all that body building does is give your body a better defenition and make you gain lean weight... i said no, thats impossible, because bodybuilders can lift lots of weight, therefore they are strong and have power.... his argument for that is that no bodybuilder or huge buff dude can even compare to the amount of core strength that a gymnast, pro dancer, or martial artist has... "try ahving a hardcore bodybuilder hold a 130 lb dancer above him like they do in ice skating or dancing he says". when you think about it, it sorta does make sense, but i wanna get some feedback from other people on this forum. what do you guys think? does bodybuilding/weight training really make you stronger??
 
yes it does make you stronger for slow twich fiber muscles and your fast twich fiber muscles (at the same time). If you want to work on your fast twich fiber muscles (performing faster for your sport, improve sprinting time, and such)...isometric training is the way to go. I read articles on this at athleticquickness.com very true. example - if you hold a dumbbell straight out in front of you in one hand and a rubberband in the other hand, which will hit the floor first? the rubberband or dumbbell? The answer is the rubberband. If you bend a rubberband back and let go, it will quickly fly across the room.

isometric training - fast twich fiber muscles only/flexibility

weightraining/polymetrics/cardio/sprint work - is all slow twich fiber/fast twich fiber muscles working together, which takes a lot longer to perform faster. Its good for endurance, strength, and such.

Both are very important. I cant wait til I get the book I ordered at athleticquickness.com to start training with isometric bands for soccer and becoming a faster runner and such. I just really hope what was said on that site is correct and I do improve with this isometric training. Everything seems correct. Great examples about rubberband/weights make me believe that the site is perfectly accurate.

for weightraining - all I do is circuit training. I am not about building hypertrophy (getting bulk and big muscle), so circuit training is the best. I felt like crap the other way, but with circuit training my muscles are happy. and plus I'm not in the weightroom as long, so circuit training rocks =)
 
Comparing a bodybuilder to an arialist is like comparing a tank to a sports car. They aren't built or meant for the same thing.

You're both also assuming that weight training=bodybuilding. It doesn't. But even if it did...

Bodybuilding is still going to get you strong. Martial artists and performers all have tons of technique behind their power. Neither are comparable.

If you're trying to decide who's more powerful, it depends. Can an ice skater squat 500 lbs? Can a bodybuilder execute an upside down crucifix? Can a bodybuilder perform well on a pommel horse? How do you define power? In the end, it goes no where. They are each supremely adapted to their own world. Trying to see if they can survive in eachother's world is a waste of time.
 
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It does not take a lot of strength to lift a 130 pound skater over your head. That "feat' is all about technique, the partner jumps and the lifter simply uses momentum to swing them overhead and then holding them in that position also takes very little raw strength because the joints are locked and they are supported by bone, not muscle.

And do you think that a 250+ pound weightlifter/bodybuilder who can military press over 300 pounds for reps and deadlift over 500 pounds for reps can't lift a 130 pound skater overhead? Remember olympic weightlifters, when tested, exhibit more explosive power than any other world class athlete (they beat the sprinters out of the blocks and vertical jump higher than an NBA star).

I agree martial artists generally possess a combination of mental toughness and technique that is impressive, but daily lifting weights in excess of twice your body weight also requires a degree of mental toughness and technique that the average person does not have. And a lot of bodybuilders are also martial artists and participate in or have participated in many other sports as well and possess a good degree of athletic abilities outside of moving heavy weights.
 
yes it does make you stronger for slow twich fiber muscles and your fast twich fiber muscles (at the same time). If you want to work on your fast twich fiber muscles (performing faster for your sport, improve sprinting time, and such)...isometric training is the way to go. I read articles on this at athleticquickness.com very true. example - if you hold a dumbbell straight out in front of you in one hand and a rubberband in the other hand, which will hit the floor first? the rubberband or dumbbell? The answer is the rubberband. If you bend a rubberband back and let go, it will quickly fly across the room.

isometric training - fast twich fiber muscles only/flexibility

weightraining/polymetrics/cardio/sprint work - is all slow twich fiber/fast twich fiber muscles working together, which takes a lot longer to perform faster. Its good for endurance, strength, and such.

Both are very important. I cant wait til I get the book I ordered at athleticquickness.com to start training with isometric bands for soccer and becoming a faster runner and such. I just really hope what was said on that site is correct and I do improve with this isometric training. Everything seems correct. Great examples about rubberband/weights make me believe that the site is perfectly accurate.

for weightraining - all I do is circuit training. I am not about building hypertrophy (getting bulk and big muscle), so circuit training is the best. I felt like crap the other way, but with circuit training my muscles are happy. and plus I'm not in the weightroom as long, so circuit training rocks =)

You said plyometrics are slow twitch? Those are fast-twitch.
 
Lol, not to mention that you have all kinds of other stuff going on when you're spinning around holding someone...angular momentum, anyone?
 
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