While there definitely are a significant number of men - and a growing number of women, who covet the bodies that you see in the bodybuilding world, more often than not, most individuals tend to lean towards a more moderate look for what they’re trying to obtain, say something more like Matthew McConaughey or Jessica Alba.
They are toned, defined, and look like they’re in great shape. They don’t, however, have muscles rippling out left, right, and center. For many people, that’s simply not something they desire.
As such, it leads them to wonder what the best workout approach is for them.
Many of these individuals are under the impression that they should never follow a bodybuilding type of program because they’re gonna get huge - FAST.
Recently I had a reader send a question on this exact issue. He wasn’t overly muscular and wanted to add more mass to his frame, but was confused on which program would offer the best result for his goal.
Bodybuilding Versus Muscle Gaining Programs
The first thing you must realize is that bodybuilder’s - most of them anyway, were once normal looking guys. They didn’t have this volume of muscle mass; it’s something they had to work hard for over time.
Chances are good that they started working out, started gaining a decent amount of muscle, got to the stage of looking muscular, yet still streamlined (think Brad Pitt in Fight Club), but then decided they wanted to surpass this look and just kept on building muscle.
In order to surpass this stage, chances are they had to eat, and eat, and eat - and then eat some more.
The fact of the matter is that building that amount of muscle means massive eating. And once it is built, to maintain it requires, you guessed it, massive eating.
Most people are not eating nearly enough in their everyday diet to build or maintain this amount of muscle mass, so to get worried that lifting heavy like a bodybuilder is going to magically transform your body is really not practical.
Why Bodybuilding Principles Are Good
In fact, many of the principles that bodybuilders use are ideal for those looking to gain more muscle mass and create that muscular, yet lean body.
They lift hard - which is a necessity to add quality muscle.
They make sure they get enough rest - which is necessary for the repair process to take place and you to grow stronger.
They focus on core lifts - which helps to target as many muscle groups as possible.
They make sure they are taking in sufficient protein - which is necessary to provide the body with the raw materials needed for weight gain.
And the list goes on.
If you want to look muscular, my advice is to train in a similar manner to that of a bodybuilder, but, don’t take your diet to that extreme, and stop when you are satisfied with the amount of muscle mass you do have.
Sure, some bodybuilders at high levels do insane amounts of volume with their programs, but this is at the elite level.
Most, who are getting some of the best results, are only doing 4-6 different exercises per session, consisting of between 2-5 sets per exercise.
So, don’t be so quick to knock bodybuilding training if you don’t want to look like a bodybuilder.
Bodybuilding is more about what you eat, then how you train, if the truth be told.
Additionally, building that volume of muscle mass takes an insane amount of time, so you are always in control and can stop additional muscle growth whenever you feel necessary.
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