The bodybuilding craze raised the popularity of weight lifting and helped paved the way to strength and conditioning methodologies. Research coming from all over the world and published in scientific journals such as the NSCA or ACSM are just an example of how much information is available to sport and fitness professionals. Having said all lifting weights for the sake of aesthetic enhancement is the primary goal of bodybuilding. Bodybuilding is not about performance is about sculpting perfection. While there is nothing wrong with being a bodybuilder most people are not interested in being a 250 pound muscle bound Hulk. Just like athletes, most fitness enthusiasts want to look good and increase their performance. This performance may come in the increased ability to play different sports and the enhancement of one’s athletic qualities. This qualities include multidirectional change of speeds, core strengthening and stability, coordination of movement, improved flexibility in motion (mobility), improved reaction time and power, dynamic strength development, etc. How does all these translate: the human body is designed to move so why sculpted it like a statue if we already have a machine.So, the question is do you want to be a statue or a machine?
If your weight room routine looks like this you are training statue style:
-Monday: chest and biceps
-Tuesday: legs
-Wednesday: off-cardio
-Thursday: back and shoulders
-Friday: legs
This are a few examples of bodybuilding style exercises:
-Bicep curls
-Leg curls
-Military press from a seated position
-Calf raises
-Lateral deltoid raises

This is a typical bodybuilding routine, I am not going to get further into progressions and other details because that is another article. Athletic development instead calls for a variation of routines in ways that challenge the body to lift more weight, take shorted breaks, lift more weight in less time (power) and increase the complexity of movement. This last element is the main difference between the two.
Increasing the complexity of the exercise will train the body to work as a machine. The kinetic chain will get activated more rapidly and efficiently and more muscle fibers will be call into action. By increasing the complexity of movement we open a Pandora’s box of possibilities, now our workouts are not just about lifting more weight on a dumbbell curl but mixing a curl with a squat or a lunge. What about walking and alternating curls, or walking lunges with alternating curls?.
When we walk into the gym we can do the same routine and the same exercises over and over, trying to lift more and eventually we hit a plateau. If you are a bodybuilder and are training your body to be most perfect statue on stage then the solution lies in hitting the muscles from different angles to promote symmetry and stimulate growth. If the intention is to enhance aesthetics not to Arnold’s level but a Terrel Owens or Maria Sharapova level then we could also aspire to increase our performance. To compete in an organize sport or event is an option but to enhance the ability of your body to produce effecient movement can be the best gift you give yourself. Here are a few examples of exercises to try:

-Squat+curl, squat+press, squat+front raises, squat+shoulder shrugs.
-Deadlifts, hang pulls, hang cleans, hang lean to press.
-Snatches
-Walking lunges front, backwards, cross leg sideways, lunge with twists, with curls, with presses.
-Step ups with all of the above.
-Walking push ups (get in a push position and walk forward) do backwards and to each side.
-Pull ups: do them on different angles and different surfaces.Eg: the flat side a smith press, or using ropes.

In conclusion, here are the steps to training your body like a machine:

1. Learn to perform the basic exercises correctly. Don’t squat-curl if you can’t squat.
2.Begin a new complex motion using body weight or low weights.
3. Technique is crucial, if you are not sure that you are doing things correctly consult or hire a professional or ask someone with more experience.
4. Give yourself time to get better at different exercises, specially when performing complex exercises give your body time to develop neuromuscular connections.
5.Stay away from machines as much as possible.
6.Progress complex movements with higher weights, set and reps. Always be mindful of good technique.
7.Try to add a new exercise every two weeks. You can alternate routines, perform new workout routines and go back to old ones.
8. Give yourself time to recover: 24 hours for body parts targeted lightly and 48 to even 72 to body parts emphasized to a greater extend.
9.Try different strength developing tools such as ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, water containers, sand bags, cordz, etc.
9.Ultimately your routine will contain same old simpler exercises and some more complex ones. This will keep your training program more challenging and will allow you more properly train this amazing machine we call the human body.

Luis