Athletic v/s Muscular, Which Type of Build to Go For?
Entering the gym all enthusiastic and ready to sweat like hell, but wait, the trainer just asked you “So, what kind of physique do you want?”. Well, this is one of the most confusing questions every gym noob comes across. The answer to this is quite straightforward and all you had to tell the guy is a future vision of yourself.
But before you start drooling over while dreaming a six-pack and all chiseled body or bulky build that could put Hulk to shame, let’s take down a few pointers to help you decide what would be best for you.
Know Your Body Type
Athletic build
The athlete’s need to have swift muscles that can help them perform movements that require maximum muscle strain with ease. Running a marathon without getting leg cramps or participating in a 100m dash, they all require your muscles to activate instantly and keep supporting you until the strenuous activity is finished.
While developing an athletic build, we don’t focus on the aesthetic part of the body but all we focus is on building strong muscle fiber, even if they don’t look that much aesthetic like in a bodybuilding program.
Muscular Build
Bodybuilders have to gear up and tear down their muscle fibers by applying excess pressure upon a specific set of muscle groups, so as to the muscle regrows and they ultimately bulk up. The training is quite hard but requires less intense action unlike the training for an athletic build.
The goal of heavyweight training workout is to ultimately shape different muscle groups in your body. They may not function as dynamically similar to an athlete and many times your muscle fiber might be injured from strenuous activities. But ultimately weight training, when performed under good supervision and for a longer period of time can provide a whole different level of strength.
How to achieve your desired body type
Getting all shaped up is not something one can achieve in one day but it takes hard work, dedication, and a strong mental attitude to keep on going even when you don’t want to.
There are certain parameters that define which kind of physique you will have and they should be determined at the very starting of your training program so as to have a clear goal.
Exercise
This is one major contributor to those six-packs or 16-inch biceps but the exercise is adjusted to which kind of body you aim for.
Bulky build requires you to break your muscle fiber with the use of heavyweights and grow more muscle over time. There are sets for specific parts of the body and focus is totally given on one muscle set at a time for maximum development.
High-intensity interval training and cardio can break your body’s limit up to a certain point where you are unable to use normal functions of your body with ease. The goal is to raise the bar of one’s flexibility, agility and to give the body a higher breakdown limit so that it can outperform under needed conditions.
There is a deposition of lean muscle mass but that is a byproduct from all the training and is not considered as a major achievement.
Diet
Diet is evidently more important than the physical training as we can only grow or spread up to a limited amount and that constitutes a very small percentage. We need to maintain a diet according to our goal otherwise it doesn’t matter if we can do our reps with the maximum weight, its all in vain.
Increasing calories and including protein-rich foods into your diet is the way you go when you need to bulk up. But it is a little difficult for vegetarians as we do need protein but in order to break down that protein, we need amino acids, which are present in abundant amounts in meat products and missing in plant products. Vegetarian bodybuilders have to include amass ingredients in their diet in order to meet their amino acid needs.
While we increase the amount of our diet when bulking up, we tend to go into a calories deficit when we need to cut down and get those shredded abs. The food that you eat is a major contributor to the weight loss program and is responsible for 80% of the results you see.
The metabolism is responsible for 60–80% of energy consumption and food digestion takes about 10%, which leaves a maximum of 30% for physical activity to kick in while shredding.
Supplements
Supplements are not required at the very start of your training program but it is essential for someone who is going to compete on some level. They can also be used by someone whose body is at the peak of its natural growth and supplement can help actually help see progress as it’s much needed.
While steroids, anabolics and external testone are not publically recommended by many but still bodybuilders take them and some may have positive results but there were cases when it turns out into horrific results.
One can surely grab a pack of whey protein as it helps with the muscle recovery and you can achieve results faster and your body remains perfectly fine with that, no matter whichever body type you’re going after.
Other factors
There are other small factors which affect your overall growth during the training period. The most prominent of them is sleep, which is necessary for someone in a training program. Your muscles repair during the time you sleep and it would be much beneficial if you have at least 8 hours of sleep time.
While sleeping is good but being a slob and lying down the entire day will have adverse effects on your growth. It slows the metabolism which is one of the most important things you need to keep in check.
Case Study: Usain Bolt V/S Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwagnner became Mr. Universe at the age of 20 and holds 3 Mr. Olympia titles, which is not something one can achieve easily. He started weight liftings at the age of 15 and with proper guidance and hard work mixed with a vision for his goal, he worked a body for himself that a man can only dream of.
While Schwagnner worked himself out with tons of weight there was someone who was just naturally working out through the day and he didn’t even know about that. Usain Bolt needs no introduction and he was that someone running up and down streets, which was once noticed by a local coach and he turned him into a mean machine running like a bullet train. He trains on the field and in the gym too but not to look good but to break the boundaries of his own existence.
Arnold would have been able to lift a truck with his bare hands at his peak but he won’t be seen running at the speed of someone like Bolt. One can train for only one type of goal and it’s better to know what you want to be at the very start.
What should be best for you?
So, we are back to the basic question again and you must have your answers by now if you were seeking one. It’s a hard journey whichever you go but its a redeeming one and if you can visualize the light at the end of this long tunnel, it will help you go through the hard ride for sure.
You have been provided with intellect from all the various sources and its totally up to you to decide which kind of physique you wanted and I believe that with that much knowledge, you’d be making an informed decision.
After all, it's obvious that you already have a visual image of yourself from the very starting and I just helped you to decide whether or not will it work for you.
