Post: #26

(05-07-2012 06:05 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I have bodybuilder and male friends who get outright called out for their bodies.

I'm not at that level yet, though I'm towards it.

However, with my body, I basically never miss out on a close.

Mike, do you see any negative aspects of getting bigger in terms of your mma training?

Post: #27

For me it is way easier to get bulky. I naturally like to eat a lot , and I gain weight very easy if I want too. I need to try harder if I want to stay lean. I gain muscle easily but I also gain fat easily. The challenge for me is to balance both.

Recently I felt that I was doing better with the lean look , but I'm gradually returning to my bulky frame (heavy lifting + eating like a horse + whey protein again). The problem for me is that I'm not very tall so if I get lean and ripped I look and feel fragile.
It's so much better to feel that you can actually beat up another guy if you need too. For me this is crucial because from time to time I need to walk in dangerous areas in my city and I don't like to be the "easy target".

But when it comes to girls , I would say that on an average I had pulled more quality while on a soccer player lean phisique.

Tough choice.

Post: #28

My idea physique would be the Greek statue body:



I'm 5'8" and my plateau seems to be 187lbs. My current physique is neither fat nor thin, I'd describe myself as solid. I cannot seem to bulk to 190lbs. I'm sure I can if I start taking creatin and eating way more and trying to lift heavier but at a certain point the effort just doesn't feel worth it to me. They say to put on clean bulk, you have to eat in grams of protein 1.5x the number of pounds you are. That's just a lot of fucking protein to have to commit myself to eat. Not to mention the increased expense. I'm forcing my body to be bigger than it wants itself to be just for the sake of vanity. You have to find a comfortable balance.

Besides, I don't think I've personally met a single woman that says she likes huge dudes. The type of women that do are probably the same type that like bouncers, athletes and other bad boy types. They are probably sluttier too.

Post: #29

(05-07-2012 04:31 PM)HiFlo Wrote:  

(05-07-2012 04:27 PM)ElJefe Wrote:  Being big serves a real purpose. It actually intimidates the competition and I have a hunch girls dig it far more than they let on, especially the more feminine ones.

That said, being big is "easy" in my eyes. It doesn't involve much discomfort or the pushing of boundaries, I think it's mostly limited to how much you can grow. Being fit and lean requires more will-power and heart - a truer test of character in my book.

Now I'm getting lean via crossfit. I will continue to alternate lean-bulk phases until I hit 400lbs bench, 500lbs squat and 600lbs deadlift. Then I'll seek out new challenges.

That crossfit stuff leans u out quickly man! HIIT Circuits are the bomb & put me in a great mood in the morning.

It's a lot easier to be big than lean. I think especially that a lot of guys use the permanent bulking phase as a sort of excuse to eat a few too many carbs and drink a couple more beers than they should hahaha

It's a lot easier to be FAT (while lying to yourself that you're "big") than lean. It a lot harder to build muscle than lean out. Building solid muscle takes YEARS and even then most people at the gym don't know how or don't have what it takes (Pain tolerance and balls) to do it regardless. I love how some of you think you will accidentally stumble onto to having these huge body parts... LOL.

The really hard thing is to big BIG AND Lean, that's my goal.I'd ike to look like I workout in clothes (already do) and when I'm shirtless blow the 155 pound stringbean out of the water with my cuts- not there yet.

For me it's not all about vanity, I want power, strength and dominance as well - David Beckham in speedos doesn't matchup in that department.

Post: #30

Goal is on the bigger side. I want my body to look proportional. I have a 'barrel chest' naturally so I'll be on the side of bigness. Speakeasy's picture of the greek statue is a pretty good representation.

Post: #31

I was near 200 and hated how heavy I felt. Now I am down to 185 and feel much better. I need to stop being a wanker and stick to a solid abdominal routine though.

Post: #32

(05-07-2012 09:14 PM)rhodey Wrote:  It's a lot easier to be FAT (while lying to yourself that you're "big") than lean.

thats what i meant to say.

Like Fat Mac in Sunny in Philadelphia. hahahaha

Post: #33

This is a good thread, I agree with a lot of what's being said, I think Giovonny made a good point about genetics and your "natural frame" having a big impact on your size. I think I'm about the same height as Virgil Kent, but I don't know if I'll ever be as ripped as him.

Big Nilla is a beast, almost looks like Brock Lesnar, a guy like that is genetics or steroids to get that big, no discrediting any blood, sweat, and tears the guys put in.

My main issue is that certain muscle groups get big, while others lag majorly behind. My chest, back, and especially traps get huge, while my biceps, triceps, shoulders, and calves stay small, even though I can lift a lot of weight.

But, what is most annoying is the way my body type is, pretty much all the fat I have goes to my gut. I'm currently 182 pounds at 5 ft 10.5 in., I look pretty strong, but I don't have a completely flat stomache which concerns me when I'm wearing tight fitting v-necks.

I'm currently trying to "bulk" up so I know I'm going to have to sacrifice a little bit, with having a little gut, my ultimate goal is to be a lean, but ripped, and big 185 lbs. I've never had a six pack in my life and I'm convinced with my genetics It would be virtually impossible to achieve unless I want to become a cardio rat and not lift heavy, which I'll never do.

I love eating, but I'm having a hard time hitting my target on protein every day. It definitely gets expensive, but serious body builders are supposed to get a gram of protein for their target body weight, 185 grams of protein a day is a shit ton. Personally, I can't really get myself to drink more than one protein drink a day, if I'd have to guess I'd say I get around 120 grams of protein a day, so I'm typically eating a bunch of chicken, steak, fish, eggs, and drinking milk.

I'm surprised Roosh was 170 lbs at 6 ft. 2 in., that seems pretty damn thin to me, I'm sure he's super lean and cut, has no gut at all, so it's a look he can pull off, however I think at that height I'd want to be at least 180-190 with some size in the chest, shoulders, back, traps.

I'm also shocked that Roosh is able to live off $7 a day, industrial shithole must be cheap as fuck, and Roosh must be thrifty as fuck. Granted I eat out almost every meal and try to only hit restaurants/grocery stores that serve mostly local, natural, organic food, I'm probably averaging $35 a day on food. If I didn't eat so much and high protein, I could easily drop this, although I'm not factoring in protein shakes or snacks in that number.

I do agree that supplements make a big difference, I'm just now starting to understand. I am also one to keep things natural so all I take are multi-vitamin, fish oil, and magnesium oil. It seems from the chat around my gym, that most guys that are huge are on some form of supplement or another.

Post: #34

(05-07-2012 04:03 PM)Giovonny Wrote:  I think you need to look at your bodies natural design. Some of us get big easier then others, some of us stay lean easier then others. I suspect that Virgle has the genetics, bone structure, body type, etc. to get big and stay big. I suspect that Roosh has the body type and genetics to stay lean. If you are naturally a lean person, it can be tough to put on weight and keep it on. Genetics are a bitch and its hard to overcome them.

I disagree somewhat. I'm about as ectomorphic as Roosh, maybe more so - I have small wrists and 'polio calves.' I used to be ~130 at 6'1", was 145 before I started lifting, currently about 195, and still don't look big because a lot of that weight is in my legs.

Gaining weight can be challenging, but maintaining is considerably easier. If I stop bulking, I'll lose 5 lbs within a week or two and then my weight will level off. But, I do get hungrier.

Roosh said he didn't feel much effect going from 175 to 190. Part of it may be that a lot of that was leg/ass muscle. But I also think the returns to lifting depend on your starting and ending size - there isn't a constant pussy profit to hypertrophy ratio.

Eg, maybe going from skinny to average has a big effect, while going from average to above average has a small effect. And then going from above average to exceptional has a big effect again. Say, I'd love to gain 20 lbs of upper body muscle mass. I can't prove it, but I'm confident that the second 10 lbs would have a greater pussy profit than the first 10. I see it as sort of a 'winner take all' exponential phenomenon, where the more exceptional you are, the bigger the payoff.

The other thing is, a girl's perception of your size is 100% dependent on the men she runs with. Some girls will think I'm average, while others will think I'm somewhat big. I tend to do better with the latter.

Even if girls didn't reward men for greater size (and I think they do), if I *personally* believe that I'm better looking and more dominant with the added size, then I will be more dominant with women, which will obviously pay dividends.

Post: #35

This is what I look like....if you take away 10lbs of muscle and replace it with fat. Basically my ideal body. Somewhere in between being skinny and lean, and big a muscular. However, I've yet to find the dedication to look like this. It's one of those things that I would *like* to obtain, but don't want it enough to put in that much work. I train Jiu Jitsu 3-5x a week, don't lift weights, party, and don't watch my diet. When I train consistently with no gaps in my training I can stay in decent shape. If I did squats/deadlifts 2x a week and watched my diet a bit I'm sure I could get into very good shape fairly quickly. Maybe someday lol.

Post: #36

I'm 5'8 and very skinny. I can see my muscles come in and body change within a few weeks of working out, but it goes away real quick if I stop. I guess my ideal body type would be Henry Rollins. I've seen pictures of him in his late teens and early 20's and he was a scrawny kid. He looks huge in some pictures, but I've met him and he's my height with the skinny muscular look. You can definetly tell he works out but he's still a small dude. I dont care about a 6 pack, just as long as my belly is somewhat flat and upper chest/arms/shoulders are defined. So yeah, he's kind of an inspiration for me because he started out so small and managed to bulk up. You bigger guys don't know how lucky y'all are.

Post: #37

True.

Some people are hard-gainers, others do it more easily. I still think "bulking" is easier, because all it takes is heavy lifting and eating right, albeit more for some than others.

Technically you could get lean just by eating right. So perhaps the question big vs. lean is misleading. everyone has different starting points so hard for some could be easier for others. By lean, I assume you mean a killer cardiovascular conditioning. That's what I want.

I want to be big AND be able to swin 1 mile, then get up and run 8 miles. I aim to do a 3-mile run in 18minutes. Can I? It's going to be incredibly hard if I want to maintain or even improve my current strength. If that means I need to be super-lean, that'd be great. But if it means a 12% body-fat, I'm cool with that. Lean or big don't mean much to me. What I like is being strong, agile and fast. When I finally achieve those primary fitness goals, I will work to maintain them while gaining new skills.

I'm 5'10'' (average height here is 6') so I need to look much fiercer in order to earn points on the status hierachy.

Over the next 4 months I hope to drop 20lbs of blubber.

Post: #38

I naturally have an ectomorphic body type. As a result my body fat is low enough that I can get muscles and abs within two days of working our vigorously. But if I take a day off I'll lose them and become a twig again. Also, the biggest I can ever get is about the size of the guy on the right.

Post: #39

Lol I found roosh when he was on steroids. Thought you could keep this one quiet huh?

Post: #40

(05-08-2012 01:11 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  This is what I look like....if you take away 10lbs of muscle and replace it with fat. Basically my ideal body. Somewhere in between being skinny and lean, and big a muscular. However, I've yet to find the dedication to look like this. It's one of those things that I would *like* to obtain, but don't want it enough to put in that much work. I train Jiu Jitsu 3-5x a week, don't lift weights, party, and don't watch my diet. When I train consistently with no gaps in my training I can stay in decent shape. If I did squats/deadlifts 2x a week and watched my diet a bit I'm sure I could get into very good shape fairly quickly. Maybe someday lol.

Even just once a week mate. It's surprising how infrequently you can get away with lifting to grow.

You could do this:

Chinups
Squats
Bench press

once every 7-8 days, even up to 10 days gap, and in a few months you'd be carrying significantly more muscle, and def stronger. Going from no lifting to at least some, somwhat regularly makes a massive difference, in my experience. Espec if you're doing worthwhile lifts and aiming for progress each session.

Post: #41

Quote:I'm probably averaging $35 a day on food.

No matter where I am I can easily keep it under $20 a day, even Scandinavia. Then again I cook 90% of my meals.

Post: #42

(05-08-2012 07:46 AM)Cookie Wrote:  I naturally have an ectomorphic body type. Aas a result my body fat is low enough that I can get muscles and abs within two days of working our vigorously. But if I take a day off I'll lose them and become a twig again. Also, the biggest I can ever get is about the size of the guy on the right.

Are you serious? I can't imagine someone not being able to put on at least a little bit of weight and muscle if they're working out constantly. Losing everything in a day??? What the hell.

Post: #43

(05-08-2012 09:08 AM)RichieP Wrote:  Even just once a week mate. It's surprising how infrequently you can get away with lifting to grow.

You could do this:

Chinups
Squats
Bench press

once every 7-8 days, even up to 10 days gap, and in a few months you'd be carrying significantly more muscle, and def stronger. Going from no lifting to at least some, somwhat regularly makes a massive difference, in my experience. Espec if you're doing worthwhile lifts and aiming for progress each session.

Yeah, I should get my ass down there and do it. Here's a video of the "gym" I'll be going to when/if I do. 33 cents for a day pass and it will cost me about $2 round trip on a motorbike. Not a bad deal....if I don't pass out from heat stroke in this Bangkok weather hah.

Post: #44

The amount of what you eat goes with the amount of calories you spend . I eat more than when I was bulkier .
It's all go with your metabolism . The more is activated the more you will eat and the more you will burn fat .

Anyway go with the more lean shape . The ideal is a timothy bradley kind of shape . A good musculaire shape but lean .
A shape that you feel well and you can defend your self .
A shape that you don't just look in shape but, you actualy in shape .
A bulky shape,normally means you are slow and not endurant . You are tired just by taking the stairs .
A bulky shape not only your muscle mass grow but your ego too .
It create you a false assumption that you are strong .
And one day you meat a Jason Statham kind of guy and you will be mentaly and phisicly crushed.
On the esthetic aspect, it's a least good lookin shape as the MMa/boxing fit shape.
If you want to attract stripers and bikers maybe it would be an alternative .

Post: #45

why does nobody look at what the scientists have discovered that women find the most attractive? Its a shoulder to waist ratio of 1.6, in other words measure around your shoulders at the widest point, measure around the waist at the narrowest point....then divide shoulder measurement over waist measurement.....its proven men find others with this ratio more intimidating and women seek out these guys with this ratio for flings and one night stands....google it!

Post: #46

(05-08-2012 04:37 PM)madcaptravels Wrote:  why does nobody look at what the scientists have discovered that women find the most attractive? Its a shoulder to waist ratio of 1.6, in other words measure around your shoulders at the widest point, measure around the waist at the narrowest point....then divide shoulder measurement over waist measurement.....its proven men find others with this ratio more intimidating and women seek out these guys with this ratio for flings and one night stands....google it!

Meaning what? What if one cannot achieve that? It's better to be fit and strong towards one's body type instead of aiming for the impossible.

For those in here who are lean and small like Henry Rollins, just work on being really ripped. When you take off the shirt and rock the wife beater, lizards will be impressed.

For those who are heavy and bulky, again work to your body type. No point aiming for a body type that you cannot achieve.

Some lizards like bulky fit men. Some like ripped men. As long as you are fit, you've done your best.

Post: #47

(05-08-2012 04:37 PM)madcaptravels Wrote:  its proven men find others with this ratio more intimidating

lol fuck the ratio! If a guy was 7 foot and 350 pounds he's going to be intimitidating even if his ratio is terrible. His ratio could be 0.8 and people still wouldn't fuck with him.
Likewise if a guy is 5 foot tall and skinny but has your "perfect" 1.6 ratio I'm still gona laugh in his face if he tries to talk shit to me because I know I could knock his 100 pound ass out with a nice left hook.

Intimidation is all about size. (Attitude plays a big part also but I won't touch on that here)
Height, weight and build are the three factors. They all work in combination. If you have all three then people will be very hesitant to fuck with you, provided you know how to hold a mean face and walk like a man.

The ratio works for sex appeal, but not intimidation.

Post: #48

I always laugh when guys on here act like some tall, bigger guy is going to intimidate EVERYONE smaller than him. I've seen many giants get put in their place real fast when they see the smaller man isn't scared to box. Hell, i'd be more careful around the average sized guy than some 6'6 dude because I gurantee you that average man has been in more fights and has more heart. Ok back to the topic...

Post: #49

I want to be cut with a happy medium. Being massed up and bulky would be dope but I think that makes me look older than I need to. The pre-requisite for most brothers at 30 is to get yolked out of their minds. Strong and lean at let's say 6-8% body fat and I'll be happy.

Post: #50

I'd say lean. It's a more versatile look, easier to maintain and more healthy for you. If you have a six pack, good posture and are lean/cut you're good to go. Look at Usher...he isnt huge at all but chics go crazy when he takes off his shirt.