I remember seeing some photos of Dorian Yates during one of his bulking up phase.
He was massive.
In fact, massive is too small a word to describe Dorian Yates in those pictures.
A few months later at the Mr.
Olympia contest, he was cut, but much smaller (relatively speaking).
He must have dropped a good 40 to 50lbs in that time frame.
He, at the time epitomized bulking and then cutting up.
This was a very popular strategy for competitive bodybuilders back when I was into following all that.
I do not know if it still is, although, I suspect it is.
I bring this up because practices like this are so impractical for those of us looking to add a few pounds or looking to lead a stronger, healthier lifestyle.
So, I wanted to touch on this subject, but also give my take on a few popular misconceptions out there.
For those looking to gain serious weight, be it 10 or 40lbs of muscle, there are those who advocate getting big and then getting lean.
I suppose somewhere out there; there is some bodybuilder who starts his bulking routine at his 200lb weight and explodes to a monumental 320lbs of beef a few months later.
And in a brutal display of naked, self-discipline; slices and dices his body to an unbelievably lean, and mean (or ornery, actually), 208lbs a few months after that - all to gain 8lbs.
Okay, I stretch the truth just a bit.
But we are not competitive bodybuilders and we are not about abusing out bodies.
We are about exercising and dieting to build a solid, strong body for the long term.
That means a logical, progressively harder weightlifting program supported by clean, well-balanced diet.
Some, particularly women, shy away from weightlifting because they do not want big, bulky muscles; rather, they just want to be a "little" toned.
I do not know what that means.
I do not know what toned means.
As an aside, if getting big, bulky muscles were that easy, we would all be Dorian Yates.
Weightlifting will make you strong.
Dieting will make you lean.
I do not know what makes you tone.
For the longest time, I was told as a kid that if I got too big (never really an issue, being the original geek), then as soon as I stopped working out, all my muscles would turn to fat.
Wow, where did this one come from? Truth is when we are working out hard, we are also eating hard.
When we stop working out, some of us continue to eat hard.
And that is where the fat comes from.
The muscles also shrink.
So, when you stop training hard, adjust your diet downward to accommodate your new lifestyle, and voila, no fat.
It really is that simple.
As an aside, getting stronger, maybe bigger is not truly rocket science.
You train hard, eat well, and get plenty of rest.
And that is about it.
So, do not worry about getting too bulky or your muscles turning to fat at some point, and definitely pass on this insane bulking and cutting mentality.
Instead, adopt a logical, progressively more challenging workout program supported by a sensible, clean diet to gain weight smartly.
He was massive.
In fact, massive is too small a word to describe Dorian Yates in those pictures.
A few months later at the Mr.
Olympia contest, he was cut, but much smaller (relatively speaking).
He must have dropped a good 40 to 50lbs in that time frame.
He, at the time epitomized bulking and then cutting up.
This was a very popular strategy for competitive bodybuilders back when I was into following all that.
I do not know if it still is, although, I suspect it is.
I bring this up because practices like this are so impractical for those of us looking to add a few pounds or looking to lead a stronger, healthier lifestyle.
So, I wanted to touch on this subject, but also give my take on a few popular misconceptions out there.
For those looking to gain serious weight, be it 10 or 40lbs of muscle, there are those who advocate getting big and then getting lean.
I suppose somewhere out there; there is some bodybuilder who starts his bulking routine at his 200lb weight and explodes to a monumental 320lbs of beef a few months later.
And in a brutal display of naked, self-discipline; slices and dices his body to an unbelievably lean, and mean (or ornery, actually), 208lbs a few months after that - all to gain 8lbs.
Okay, I stretch the truth just a bit.
But we are not competitive bodybuilders and we are not about abusing out bodies.
We are about exercising and dieting to build a solid, strong body for the long term.
That means a logical, progressively harder weightlifting program supported by clean, well-balanced diet.
Some, particularly women, shy away from weightlifting because they do not want big, bulky muscles; rather, they just want to be a "little" toned.
I do not know what that means.
I do not know what toned means.
As an aside, if getting big, bulky muscles were that easy, we would all be Dorian Yates.
Weightlifting will make you strong.
Dieting will make you lean.
I do not know what makes you tone.
For the longest time, I was told as a kid that if I got too big (never really an issue, being the original geek), then as soon as I stopped working out, all my muscles would turn to fat.
Wow, where did this one come from? Truth is when we are working out hard, we are also eating hard.
When we stop working out, some of us continue to eat hard.
And that is where the fat comes from.
The muscles also shrink.
So, when you stop training hard, adjust your diet downward to accommodate your new lifestyle, and voila, no fat.
It really is that simple.
As an aside, getting stronger, maybe bigger is not truly rocket science.
You train hard, eat well, and get plenty of rest.
And that is about it.
So, do not worry about getting too bulky or your muscles turning to fat at some point, and definitely pass on this insane bulking and cutting mentality.
Instead, adopt a logical, progressively more challenging workout program supported by a sensible, clean diet to gain weight smartly.
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