Weight lifting: Refers to the activity of lifting weights. In the sports world, the word weightlifting has a particular definition. It refers to the Olympic sport of Weightlifting. Two methods used for strength testing is the Snatch and Clean and the Jerk methods of lifting a barbell overhead. The only Olympic sport involving the use of weights is weighlifting. This is also referred to as Olympic-style lifting.
Weight Training: Weight training refers to any activity that involves the use of weights. The people who lift weights are referred to as "lifters". Training with weights is a means to enhance performance in other sports. Simply put, it is component of the entire training process. Bodybuilders, Powerlifters, and Weightlifters all use some sort of weight training as their primary training routine to achieve the bigger muscles and a stronger and more powerful body.
Resistance Training: Resistance training puts stress on the muscles, resulting in stronger muscles. Resistance training does not have to involve the use of weights, but rather any tool that resists the movement of the exerciser, such as machines, rubber bands and bodyweight. Many physical therapy exercises involve resistance training with body weight.
Strength training: Is just as the name suggests, as the primary aim of strength training is to incease strength. People who strength-train often want to increase muscle size also. Those who train will naturally gain strength as a result but strength training as a sport focuses mainly on increasing body's strength.
Powerlifting: Power lifting was conceived as a pure test of power and strength. The exercises consist of: squat, bench press and deadlifts. Powerlifters are remarkably strong because they focus on developing that capacity exclusively. In general, the strength of powerlifters is very similar to that of Olympic-style weightlifters because many of the routines and exercises are similar in nature. There are competition events for this sport in which lifters compete on measurable events, which are standardized worldwide. By far, no other athletes approach the strength and power of weightlifters and powerlifters, as the men and women who compete in these sports are totally dedicated to becoming the strongest athletes in the world.
Bodybuilding: Bodybuilding is a sport or activity in which the primary purpose is to develop the size of the skeletal muscles. Developing muscles proportionately and symmetrically are other focus areas for bodybuilders. They work on bringing definition and size to the muscle (getting cut and ripped). Competitions are platforms in which bodybuilders can showcase their muscle size and structure. Bodybuilders do tend to be very stong, but developing strength and power takes a backseat to the development of muscle size.
Although it seems each definition is different, in reality they overlap and compliment each other. In general, the resistance to the muscle helps increase muscle size. A bodybuilder who trains with the aim to increase muscle size, will naturally gain strength. Powerlifter's primary goal is to gain strength by lifting heavy weights, which will inherently increase their muscle size. An Olympic-style lifter will be training with the goal and focus on flexibility, quickness and power and will naturally gain muscle size as well. In all categories and trainings the increase in muscle size will occur. However it is the sport and athletes concentrated focus and specific goal training that will bring out their specialty area. The bottom line is that there are more similarities than differences in each category. Regardless of which category you see yourself in, you will most likely be combining exercises and routines from each category. Train hard and just bring it!
