- Joined
- Dec 18, 2013
- Messages
- 211
I realize those models represent the pinnacle of bodybuilding for world-class contest levels. However, I also believe the principles of getting into great shape only magnify from beginner to advanced, but they don't change. I just grabbed that picture quickly to try and illustrate the general contrast between building oneself into an attractive shape (that appeals to women) versus just massing all over the place (not knocking Marcus Ruhl at all, the guy on the right—just trying to illustrate the point of shaping). I think we all know the sort of guy who just keeps building his biceps without working on legs or core, or the guy who gets huge by doing a lot of conventional heavy lifting and just ends up with a big neck and bottle-shaped body—or never burns his fat, so you can't see the abs or good definition anywhere. Building an attractive male body is an art, but it's one that anyone can learn if you don't get yourself caught up with "rules" that aren't helping you.Big Daddy said:
As for Hollywood actors versus "normal" people, I thought this might make an inspiring comparison below.
Chris Evans on the left—John Barban on the right:
To my eye, both of these men have almost identical builds, yet one of them is a Hollywood actor who got in shape "fast," while the other has been working his way to that shape (and size) for years (in fact, Barban may even be a bit bigger than Evans, and he actually maintains that shape year round). As far as I know, neither of these guys have ever used steroids. All I'm really trying to say here is, the physique of either of those two gentlemen is very attainable—by "normal" guys. It may take a little longer or shorter, depending on one's starting point as well as unique strengths and weaknesses, but given time, it really can be done by anyone. I find it exciting to see just how much further I can continuously push my physique from regularly testing my limits, yet always at a pace that's appropriate for my current level.
As for accountability, I find it gets too complicated the way most people try to do it—counting all the numbers over and over again (with weights as well as calories—then usually getting frustrated if they couldn't lift as much one day as a previous workout or somehow didn't hit the "target" goal of calories perfectly). All that really matters in my opinion is that: one, you actually do your workout for the day; two, you push whatever energy you have to the absolute maximum with good form on every exercise; and lastly, you eat when you're hungry, control your portions, and stay clean for 80% of your calories (i.e. chicken breast, veggies, brown rice, etc.). Of course, there's also recovery: we have to get our rest. If I meet those general goals, I consider my accountability met. Then, I just make tweaks along the way based on how my progress pans out over time. For example, these days I want bigger shoulders, so I just add more shoulder exercises two-three times per week to my stock workout.
Here's a video with some theories about eating I find very interesting, and I think you will too:
How To Naturally Increase Testosterone - With John Romaniello
You shouldn't feel afraid to experiment. It's your body, after all, you only live once, and it's the only one you're going to get… no one on this planet is better qualified to tell you what works best for you than you.
I put faith that the men who design the programs I've tried (which is now three) put their lifetime of expertise and experience into the structure of these workouts. I think the base goal in executing any workout is always the same: pick weights to where you can do the rep count listed while bringing yourself as close to failure as possible, all while keeping with the rest times listed. That can actually take a lot trial and error to figure out (at least for me). The weights I will get the most out of for a given exercise all depend on the context of the entire workout, so any new workout I'm trying takes a lot of "feeler" sets before I can finally execute the whole routine to full effectiveness—but I think that's all part of the fun. The concept of mind-muscle connection is very, very important—focus on the quality of muscle contraction for each and every rep—that's much more important than going heavier. To that end, I don't hesitate to go with a little slower tempo, and I've also read that slower lifting produces more testosterone.
Again, I absolutely believe that living a lifestyle of health and fitness shouldn't feel like a prison sentence or an extra full-time job—it can and should feel natural and enjoyable! For those of you who have yet to get started, you'll know what I mean when you get that endorphin rush from a great cardio session, or that testosterone boost from a good lifting routine. Nothing makes you feel like more of a man—well, aside from depositing that manhood into your latest conquest. Build a bigger, better man, and you will conquer all the harder.
-M
P.S. Regarding what you said about not looking "big" with clothes on, remember Chase's fashion primer article?
Fashion for Men: The Primer on Looking Amazing
Since you're already cut around the abs, you may just want to wear smaller shirts. I've taken this to heart and wear very form-fitting clothes these days, which does a lot to accentuate my modest size—making me look bigger. Below is one of my favorite summertime shirts. I actually had this one tailored to further taper down the waist, so that it would bring out my V as much as possible:
