FWIW, and at the risk of sounding like a big creamy bowl of fruit cocktail, I don't think there's any better look for a guy than to be strong, lean and hairy. That just looks smart as fuck. As Buddy says you aren't on a stage for judges, what's appropriate or necessary for a pro bodybuilder isn't in real life.
Yeah but you're walking on the beach in summertime and the women dig it. The Sean Connery Bond hairy chest look is 60s mate! Get with the times brother. :kidcool:
A certain type of woman digs it. spose in the end like any totally subjective judgement its a matter of taste.
If you're a 16 yr old teenybopper, sure. I used to do tons of that crap when I was young, but it didn't actually improve strength. Ripped schmipped - I'm old, married, with a kid and a 50hr week job - I don't need to be prancing about all waxed, tweezed and tanned along the beach in a pink g-string trying to attract attention because I'm insecure.ointlaugh: Strength is the deal.
Lol it's actually "I'm a Dad and I don't need to be ripped". But I've got a daughter anyway so I'll need all that strength to throw punk teenage boys out the window.
Fortunately, my job is a bit shorter on time, but you've hit the nail on the head with the other stuff. Plus, I have a big property in the country, so I need to be strong and fit to do all the stuff I do, and with the kind of strength I build, endurance comes naturally. It's also about quality of life in general. Who wants to go through life being weak?
:: Getting ripped is the purpose of the gym. With that, strength comes naturally. But having strength as the end goal is silly. I mean..how much strength do you need? If a man can bench 200lbs he has enough strength to cope with any chores in his daily life. The average man can't get ripped without being able to bench 200lbs at least. What do I need to have HULK strengh for? That's what machinery and weaponry are for! ointlaugh:
It's all about looking good. That's why we cut our hair, shape our facial hair (or shave it off), purchase new clothes, shoes and all that other shit. When you're ripped you look good IN and OUT of clothes. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!
Training for strength is a excuse for those who don't have the genetics to look in great shape after they've spent weeks/months/years in the gym. Typical image of 'strongest man in the world' (probably with big house and a couple of kids) opcorn:
word. I bet this guy can take care of his many acres of land and chop some mean wood and build sheds and shit. Being strong without defintion is the excuse of guys that want to continue to drink beer frequently and eat all kindsa fatty shit without restraint.
It's kinda like a person with a talent for maths and a talent for languages arguing over which is better and what both of 'em should do. You just go with what you're naturally good at/enjoy and can achieve things you can have some pride in. It's meant to be fun!
Pretty much, Hut. If you enjoy what you're doing, keep at it. Some of the strongest people I knew as a kid were farmers and blue collar workers. They had jobs that required strength and endurance. Tweedle DD and Tweedle DM have a point as well: lots of powerlifters and superheavyweight lifting champions carry a lot of bodyfat, but the guys who have to fit into limited weightclasses are usually quite ripped because they are making weight for a particular division. Form follows function.
This is correct. Training to look good is as good/bad as training to be strong because you don't really need either of these. I could see more cases were looking good makes your life better, but if someone feels that being strong is somehow useful, then by all means. I try to combine them myself: I want to be able to bench press 220 lbs (100 kg) since having that much strength is helpful and also gives me confidence, also I want to be slim and ripped (and I am!)
I was push-pressing 225lbs over my head for reps today. While it is true that I don't need to go that heavy, I enjoy it. I want to push-press 315 over my head just to see what it looks like.
Bodily hair is actually a secondary sexual characteristic and an indicator of virility. Shaved chests look gay, if you're defined it'll still show through hair (and this is coming from a hairy parki guy).
I definitely feel my tendons creak when I do it, but I worked up to a set of 15 reps last year. I won't be doing anymore than 10 reps per set now though as it really squeezes the air out of my lungs when the bar reaches the bottom of the negative phase of the repetition, and I have really badly clogged sinuses and throat as the result of this "man flu" (*trademark Dark Magus*). I don't want to cough, choke, and then drop the bar.
Your logic is flawed, sly. The one that I'd land would be the only one I'd NEED to land. Meh, pretty decent handspeed, but my footspeed and body movement as a whole isn't much to brag about---I was never a fast runner. I used to do a lot of straight blasts when I did Kung Fu, so that helped develop handspeed. It's true what they say about chopping wood though. It adds at least 25% to your punch, and it is definitely better than hitting a tire with a sledgehammer to build punching power. I was horsing around with my uncle in the summer, but I hooked him to the body and broke one of his ribs. He doesn't want to spar with me anymore. ::