The "strong" look vs. the "bodybuilding" look.....

[speed dawg]

It may be foolish to distinguish between the two, but I am seeing a distinction. I've noticed that all my life, even when I was heavily into weightlifting and at my strongest, I still was not as strong as some guys that were naturally strong or just had that "strong" look, ie big forearms, tall, wide shoulders, etc. Some of these guys never had to lift a single weight. Obviously these guys are some of the best athletes too.

Now, I understand that weightlifting and bodybuilding is not about physically trying to out-man anyone else. I know the effects. But honestly, I'm starting to question what the point is of heavy weight lifting. I think that heavy weights are basically only good for bodybuilding purposes, and maybe sport specific purposes. In real life, what do I really need to bust my ass over that stuff for? A moderately better body? A small raise in testosterone? I worked out diligently for years and all I got was a bunch of injuries. Honestly, the confidence that came from working out could be accomplished by doing some jogging/walking 3 times per week and doing some pushups and bodyweight squats. Maybe even getting a tan.

I've done no weight training for about 4 years now and my confidence is as high as ever. I've lost some size in my chest, shoulders and arms in the mirror, but so what? What is that little bit ever going to help me accomplish? It may be my body type that discourages me, in my prime I was 5'10", 190 lbs. and bench pressed 275 one rep max. So, that's pretty solid, but my chest looked nowhere near as impressive as other guys who maxed the same amount.

Squats? Eh, I don't really want my thighs to get huge. Deadlifts are a good exercise for me, as it somewhat equates to real life movements.

I guess what I'm ranting about, is that I can get the same benefits by eating healthy, do a LOT less stringent workout at home in 15 minutes per day, and doing some jogging when I get the chance. Why bust my hump at the gym? There are many other ways to work hard and accomplish things. For example, I am about to start studying karate.

I mean, the gym to me is just where we're trying to make up for having office jobs. Replace that with a little real life movement, and you're just fine. How many weight exercises mimic real life movements? Twisting and such? Schwartzeneggar seems to believe that the only way to "make your arms strong" is to lift weights.....I'm starting to disagree.

 

[NorwegianDJ]

Check out "The 4 Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss. It sounds like you're looking to apply the pareto principle to bodybuilding.

 

[goodfoot]

I don't get worried about comparing numbers with other guys. There's always going to be a stronger guy. I take pride in my own accomplishments.

 

[Nik TPT]

I agree with NorwegianDJ, you should really look into buying that book.

 

[DanZy]

I also love lifting, has done wonders for me. If you think that tiny bit of activity will have anywhere near the same effect as lifting, go ahead. Additionally if lifting for three years simply gave you injuries, you're obviously doing something wrong. Your form is obviously off etc.

 

[speed dawg]

The pareto principle is a very interesting concept. Maybe that's what I'm gunning for.....knocking out a simple fitness routine without the wasted time going back and forth, standing around in the gym, etc.

But I'm thinking more along the lines of that there's only one Jay Cutler (who actually makes alot of money off bodybuilding). OK, well there's a few who make significant money, but what about all the others why try and fail? I mean, I'm not chasing a ridiculous dream of playing in the NFL anymore when I know it's not possible. And if say, Cam Newton, wanted to be a bodybuilder, he'd put most of them to shame, even Ronnie Coleman.

As far as my own experiences, I feel like I just "out-grew" my body. I had gotten too strong for my bone structure or something, and did no flexibility routine, and started injuring myself. I had a shoulder injury that took years to correct, a herniated disc in my back that required surgery, and currently have a biceps strain and a pulled hamstring. All due to mistakes made when I was weight lifting. And for what? A bench press number? Slightly bigger arms?

In the end, I guess, it's whatever you enjoy doing. Maybe I'm having a hard time realizing that my days of lifting weights are very much over. I did enjoy it but it's time to move to other things that benefit my life more.

 

[DanZy]

I personally think that injury is inevitable for most people who regularly lift weights. If a person lifts weights long enough, he'll likely injure something.

But I still believe that weight training is worth the injuries, the hassles, the sacrifices.

Yes it's like any other sport, you'll occasionally get injured but not repeatedly. If you're getting injured repeatedly, you're doing something wrong.

I suffered a compressed disc from rugby 2 years ago, a scrum collapsed and I was at the bottom of the pile. Since then I've been in the gym strengthening my back, and the rest of my body of course, to prevent the injury from worsening. For about 6-9 months now I haven't felt any back pain whatsoever, even doing heavy squats and deads. Were I not to have gone to gym, I would have had complex surgery at the age of 17, by the time I'm in my 40's my back would be an absolute wreck etc. Without surgery this is an irreversible injury. However back surgery is so hit and miss, it's not worth the risk.
Lifting has saved my back, it's as simple as that.

 

[speed dawg]

I suffered a compressed disc from rugby 2 years ago, a scrum collapsed and I was at the bottom of the pile. Since then I've been in the gym strengthening my back, and the rest of my body of course, to prevent the injury from worsening. For about 6-9 months now I haven't felt any back pain whatsoever, even doing heavy squats and deads. Were I not to have gone to gym, I would have had complex surgery at the age of 17, by the time I'm in my 40's my back would be an absolute wreck etc. Without surgery this is an irreversible injury. However back surgery is so hit and miss, it's not worth the risk.
Lifting has saved my back, it's as simple as that.

Expound on this if you will. What is the nature of your back injury beyond a compressed disc? I had a herniated disc that broke me down, there was no weight lifting possible. I had to have it surgically fixed.

 

[zekko]

I lift weights myself but I do sometimes question the health benefits. There are two types of being "in shape". There's the pumped up muscular body, and there's the runner's type body.

When I was in my early 20s I was too skinny, but I had a lean, healthy body because I played a lot of sports, walked a lot, and was naturally physically active. Later on I got into lifting weights and started bulking up. But I have a feeling my skinny old "build for speed" body was probably actually more healthy than carrying around all this extra muscle/weight on my frame. So you may be right.

 

[Quiksilver]

Different strokes ...

 

[Colossus]

Whatever floats your boat man.

Personally I love lifting heavy. It's like therapy for me. I like the short bursts of near-maximal effort, the feeling after a long, hard lift, the confidence of being stronger than most guys, and the thrill of a PR.

I dont look particularly huge, but I dont look like a noodle either. If I take my shirt off there is clearly muscular development not achieved through push ups.

Sometimes it sucks and I just wanna go for a walk, lol. And I do, when I need it. But if I went for a walk every time I didnt feel like lifting heavy, I'd be an average-looking, average strength, sub-200 lb guy. Ok for some, but not for me.

 

[020204]

I lift weights myself but I do sometimes question the health benefits. There are two types of being "in shape". There's the pumped up muscular body, and there's the runner's type body.

When I was in my early 20s I was too skinny, but I had a lean, healthy body because I played a lot of sports, walked a lot, and was naturally physically active. Later on I got into lifting weights and started bulking up. But I have a feeling my skinny old "build for speed" body was probably actually more healthy than carrying around all this extra muscle/weight on my frame. So you may be right.

I sort of can relate except with the old. Not everyone strives to be muscular, I used to do a lot of cardio, spinning, running and cycling and kind of trained like a middle distance Triathlete. Recently having got more into doing weights my body feels more masculine and feel I am more tetesterone driven. Training for endurance probably depletes men of tetesterone. In saying that there are still a number of males in gyms who train this way ie cyclists, triathletes and runners and they probably are a similar number to the amount of males who weight train seriously.

 

[UniKKatiL]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfsTKfUT-RQ

Has done Calisthenics for 16 years. I've been doing this myself for a year and have seen big changes.

 

[AmIAFC]

I must respectfully disagree.

Weight training has done a lot for me: from the way I look to the way I think to the way other people look at and think of me. There's no question that it's made a positive impact on my life, and I wouldn't substitute it for anything.

In all honesty, I think I'd be behind bars or dead if it weren't for the gym. I have a lot of negative energy and pent-up stress due to work that only the hard weights (and not sex, and definitely not jogging) can completely mitigate. Lifting weights is as much as mental therapy as it is a physical routine.

Lastly, I don't know if you're trying to fool yourself with the 15-minute workout talk. If you think that small amount of time actually accomplishes something, then stay on it for a few weeks then hit the gym hard again and see what your own body says afterwards. You'll be sore and hurting for a reason, and like they said in the Corps, "Pain is only weakness leaving the body."

 

[020204]

The question is what exactly is the bodybuilder look. If one is training naturally, the first 6 months to a year is where the vast majority of gains are made in the gym. This varies from individual of course as some people maybe very skinny and need to bulk up a lot or very fat and need to sheed a lot of weight. I am assuming you have a descent body to start off, then that is what is generally the case. Sure you can get stronger over time but the initial gains are in the first 6 months. What false advertising and people peedling steroids try to tell you is very different. To many people the word bodybuilder means Arnold or the Rock, the reality is most bodybuilders have had to get fat first before they toned up, and until mags like Men's Health and Men's Fitness came along this has been what has been constantly promoted in the industry. I like the term Bodybuilderish as that describes someone who is aesthetic and lifts weights, that is how I would describe myself.