The Muscle Building Michaelangelos

Written by Jeffrey on March 29, 2012 – 10:16 am -

Arnold Schwarzenegger once said that "A good bodybuilder has the same mind that a sculptor has." This is the perfect description of a what a bodybuilder is.  Albeit the means are different, bodybuilders are sculptors of sorts . Sculpting the body can be painstaking work , true, but there is an artistic side to all of the pumping, the sweat, and iron .

If you are trying to find out how to gain muscle fast and you're just getting started , don't just run into the gym and start lifting . A sculptor generally has a plan ( even if only an idea in their heads ) of what the final sculpture will be . Do the same thing before you get in the gym and start a lifting free-for-all . Go to the gym knowing what type of body you are striving for . Do you want to focus on bodyweight exercises like pushups to get a more naturally cut look ? Or should you do heavy, incline bench pressing to get the larger slabs of hypertrophied muscle that are characteristic of bodybuilder's chest ?

The Artist's Tools

Every great sculptor has a good set of tools at their disposal . A stone sculptor has a trusty hammer and chisel. A clay sculptor has wire end tools and scrapers.  A wood sculptor will have carving knives and gouges . In many respects, a bodybuilder is not different . What are a bodybuilder's/muscle building enthusiast's tools? Weights & Exercise, Diet, Cardio, and Rest . In reality these seem like extremely simple tools . But is a hammer and chisel all that complicated?  Not really.  In the hands of an master, a hammer and chisel can create masterpieces like Michaelangelo's David.  In the hands of the person, diet, exercise, cardio, and other fitness tools can produce fitness masterpieces like Frank Zane, Jack La Lane, etc. .

Weights & Exercise

Weights are the muscle-building sculptor's molding tool. Every exercise you do effects the way your muscles will ultimately look, and even how firm they are. How heavy you lift will determine how big your muscles will become. High repetitions with lower weight promote greater muscular definition. Other exercises, like yoga for example will help to elongate and stretch the muscles .

Diet

This is how you add clay to your canvas . It's a little more complicated than the way a sculptor adds clay, but there are similarities. Sure you can eat anything you want, and you will most definitely add "clay" to your physique . But if you're eating Cinnabons and ice cream sundaes to do it, let's just say you'll end up with "bad clay" in all the wrong places . A high protein diet, healthy carbs, vegetables, etc. , help to add slabs of "good clay," muscle, to your body.

Cardio

This is the muscle-builder's ultimate etching tool.   Do you want your muscles to show without flexing ? A consistent cardio program helps. Cardio will allow you to scrape away layers of fat to reveal layers of toned muscle underneath.  Cardio is also the tool that helps a fitness sculptor to answer those all too common questions "How Can I Lose Weight?" "How Can I Cut Bodyfat?"

Rest

This is a finishing tool that many people don't think about. Hard training is an important part of building a great body, rest is equally important Timing your rest periods, getting enough sleep, and giving your body time to recuperate , is how you allow the work that you've done to take effect .

Be a sculptor everyday you're in the gym; be a sculptor when you're not in the gym . The weights and training equipment become your tools, your body the canvas . How you use these tools, will make all the difference in the world. Why is it that some people can be members of a gym for years, go regularly, yet their "canvases" never really change all that much ? A large part of this artistry lies in the exercises you do, how you do them, the intensity with which you do the exercises , and the self-discipline you have to stick to you training and eating regimen. Strive to become as fit as you can. What have you got to lose?

Open your mind, learn as much as you can about the fitness tools available to you.  Learn more about the workout routines to build muscle the best cardio training for you, how have better overall fitness, etc..  Once you know about them, learn to use these tools like a pro.  Sharpen your muscle building tools...create your own masterpiece.

Mike Powell

 

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Subscribe to my RSS feed

Debt Solutions | Home Inspections | Online Deals And Offers