I may be wrong here, but since you mentioned NH, from what I've observed in natural bodybuilding, there seems to be more emphasis on overall health and being as healthy as one appears, and being able to perform a lot of the tasks mentioned. Granted my observations aren't on a large pool of people, but they seem to be much different then their Olympia aspiring drug using counterparts.
That's awesome actually and I'm sure he will be sure to make note of that point if he makes a response video haha. That said, it's still a huge minority in terms of representation within the industry as true natural bodybuilding is currently on life support (a point he concedes to I believe), which means that those ideologies are not currently being spread widely enough to be very impactful.
Yeah, just like he also said in one video, if you are interested in natural bodybuilding, you are probably watching mostly content put out by powerlifters, strongmen etc. Just because there is so little good bodybuilding content.
MMA training showed me how stiff my body was. Since then i started training martial arts and stretching along with strength training. Now I feel a lot healtier, my upperbody is actually stronger than before(legs are a bit weaker, but i'm ok with it right now) and I can call myself a real athlete and not some stiff guy , who's body is used to working only in a certain very small range of motion, while having a scarse endurance. Definitely recommend everyone to go beyond the borders of simple lifting.
Same, except for muay thai and boxing. When you get destroyed in sparring by guys 20lbs lighter, you realize having a large muscular body is not the end all be all
I started wrestling a year ago, I'm 22 so still young, but been strength training 6 years. My cardio, my muscular endurance, and my mobility/flexibility is light years ahead of where it was. Also, I can beat the shit out of my former self. It goes to show you that there certainly are more important things than trying to squat 500+ lbs
@@c.f9448 yeah, I practise muay thai and boxing too as a part of my mma training. Tbh, I'm doing stand up most of the time. In my experience, muscles help me being explosive and powerful, but it doesnt last long. Sometimes in my gym we do like 12 rounds of sparring and by the end of it I might get outstruck by guys who are 30 pounds lighter, although, I would dominate them in the beginning of the training. It sucks. Good examples of this are Romero,McGregor, Woodley. You start off strong and might lose the ability to fight later.
@@NexWalkthrough true. Strength is useful when paired with good conditioning. Being able to lift something heavy for 5 seconds looks cool but is pretty impractical in the real world
I honestly didn't give a rat's ass about what was going on in bodybuilding and social media fitness. But a couple of months ago my 12 year old son saw a mass monster BB and exclaimed how fit that guy was. Now I'm taking care to explain things a bit more to them. It's hard being a parent nowadays. There is too damn much to keep up with. Especially with how quickly kids can follow one trend one day and something completely different the next lol
Your son is lucky To have an informed parent to educate him. I had to learn primarily from trial and error and push myself because my dad didn’t know proper programming and he followed way too much bullshit bodybuilding bro crap in the past.
Its good you're setting things straight because no joke there are teenagers popping SARMs to try and get big and fucking themselves up in the process and we all know SARMs are as easy to buy as a pair of sneakers.
It's no shock that bodybuilding- a pursuit based solely and entirely on chasing an ideal of physical appearance- will almost inevitably lead to unhealthy psychological states. Well articulated sir.
Honestly needed this video as a skinny guy who's relatively strong and fast with decent conditioning. I've been overlooking all my progress over recent years due to my obsession with gaining size and eating poorly just to fit the calories in so I could gain some mass. I traded some of my performance potential in the name of gains just for the sake of gains, but I'm regretting it because I want to focus on health first, then performance, and leave aesthetics at the bottom of the list. To the average person, I look fit and like I lift, so it's only really been me holding myself back.
This video has certainly given me some things to think about. I am in two minds about bodybuilding when it comes to the issue of self-image; at one level, putting on some muscle mass genuinely made me feel better about myself and more confident about the way I look, but I've also noticed that this hyperfixation on creating the 'perfect body' can sometimes lead me to some dark places mentally, as you start focusing on your 'faults' and either 1) going to extremes to try and 'correct' them or 2) getting depressed that you can't fix them.
I am almost 40. My training from here on out is going to have a little focus on aestethics but mainly I want to focus more on overall athleticism, agility, mobility, longevity and body control. I want to improve my physical qualities to better my martial arts training but also have a good looking athletic and proportional body. I can still move well, do handstands, backflips, a few acrobatic moves, spining kicks etc. and I want to keep on doing that as long as possible.
I appreciate the way you define your terms. I generally think of my weight training as bodybuilding because I'm trying to focus on working the muscle as opposed to moving more weight. However, what I think of as bodybuilding is basically the same as what you define as fitness.
To add further onto the mental side of things Bodybuilding and overspecialization as a whole contribute to burnout and unenjoyment in your training. Often times bodybuilders will strive to aim for a "perfect image" and will go to more and more extreme lengths to reach that said image. This can include resorting to drugs, longer and longer training sessions, and extreme dieting. Engaging in this extreme will lead to greater self criticism and loathing and a decreasing enjoyment with training. This will also put them in danger of potential health consequences or will lead to them leaving bodybuilding altogether. Another is Orthorexia or eating obsession with a "healthy diet" Usually characterized by somebody avoiding certain foods because they are "unhealthy" Every single bodybuilder undergoes some degree of this. As they become more and more extreme chasing that perfect bodybuilding image, they will cut out more and more foods from their diet. This can lead to exclusion from social events, health consequences due to lack of nutrition, and of course burnout or relapse in the diet. Orthorexia stories reflect similarly to anorexia and bulimia. The last is body image issues. When a bodybuilder becomes more and more obsess with a perfect body, they will inevitably teach themselves how to hate themselves. They will be overly critical of how they look and will feel lower valued because of it. This can lead to a drop in confidence and a whole host of other issues mentally. They will be less likely to engage with others and may even become hostile and sensitive whenever talks about how they look are engaged. Great Video! I think this is a topic that needs more discussion especially with the rise of bodybuilding in current social media.
It’s unfortunate but it’s easier to sell “health bs” when your model has less than 10% body fat since we as a culture are essentially “fatphobic” as much as I hate to recruit such terminology lol. That’s also why people trip out over “fat” athletes who succeed in their fields, cause they truly don’t understand what fitness actually is or can be.
what's even more sad is that it should be. you look at the old school natural bodybuilders like steve reeves, eugene sandow and jack lalanne and they were the epitome of health. steroid users hijacked the sport of bodybuilding and disfigured it into something disgusting.
@@absolutewanker9384 that's part of it, but at the end of the day it's the bodybuilding organizations and segments of the audience that incentivized this. the people doing drugs and the like are not necessarily at fault, unfortunately it seems that there isn't much money in it for "healthy/fit" bodybuilding to be popular as a competition/sport. however with social media and everything, we still have the opportunity to enjoy access to a decent amount of natural body building amateurs and related fitness/training information so there's no problem in focusing on that, we have options and one day it might resurface as a natural fitness sport.
Bodybuilding is a really nice word. It summarizes any physical endeavor, be it lifting heavier weights, jumping higher, or gasing out less often; all of those are skills built within the only body you'll ever have. Sadly, drugs and controversy have given it an awful connotation. With that in mind, I consider general physical fitness to be more bodybuilding than mainstream bodybuilding itself, lol.
How I see it: Bodybuilding= Detailing and polishing up your beautiful looking car(body) just to look at it likely never leaving the garage Performancebuilding= testing on the track and upgrading the performance of your monstermachine of a car(body) for the possibility of a great fun race
Would Strongman and Powerlifting be muscle car drag racing - I can accelerate extremely fast in a straight line, just don't ask me to turn (that V8 sound though).
If you do anything to the extreme there is a higher mortality risk. As long as you acknowledge that risk to yourself and don't lie to others about the risk to make it more appealing than I have no issues. I think bodybuilders are physically impressive, but it isn't something I'll strive for... I'm just a novice lifter doing it to be healthy and live a longer, more fulfilling life.
I agree with everything you say here! I will say, given the legality issues surrounding steroids as well as their taboo nature in popular culture, you do end up with a lot of lying by omission within the fitness industry that does sell a falsehood to make it more appealing, just as a matter of course. So there is that. But in general, yes, I agree thst I don't care how other people choose to live their lives as long as they understand what they are doing then it's their prerogative. And voicing my opinions and what I believe to be the optimal path is mine ;)
this is an attitude more people need to have once you learn about bodybuilding you realize the vast majority of those who pass are ones that dont get there blood results tested, do wayyyy to high dosages of drugs and also have a health condition that they dont know about. this happend with shaun rhoden, dallas mcarver, luke sandoe, zyzz, rich piana etc the list goes on and on but people are so quick to go AWw StErOiDs CaUsEd IT
I hate the whole bodybuilding/ powerlifting focus from the lifting communities. Because most people want to build muscle and strength, but not to the goals of bodybuilders or powerlifters. I want to build more muscle but I don't necessarily care about the aesthetics of bodybuilding. I want to get strong but don't care to focus so much on getting my numbers up on the big 3. And those labels and communities could alienate people. I also feel like unless you're going to do shows you can't call yourself a bodybuilder, you're just a person who builds muscle to develop a look. Also, unless you're looking to do a meet you can't call yourself a powerlifter, you're just a person wanting to get strong.
For me bodybuilding is different in the regard that it's spirit (as in where it comes from) is more of an art than a sport. So just like any artist or musician will tell you that anyone can make art/music and that what makes a piece of art or a song aesthetic is somewhat relative, i think that anyone that trains to build muscle can call themselves a bodybuilder and the physique they aim to achieve doesn't have to adhere to any group of peoples notion of what aesthetics is.
@@MrShedom8 that's a great perspective. I'm an example of a guy who was heavily invested in his musical instruments, then I became obsessed with counting calories and following a bodybuilder style of life, kind of sucks as I've become really selfish but hopefully in time it will balance out and I'll find my love for music and time to spend with friends and family.
Im a 50 year old man. That has been lifting heavy ass weights for 30 odd years in the gym. Also I'm a builder by trade. So I've a lot of experience in lifting heavy ass shit all day and lifting heavy ass weights in the gym at least 3 nights a week. I'm virtually injury free as long as I take note of my recovery I'm ok. I've notice with body builder they are very injury prone. I don't see it so much with lads who are juice up and do some form of strength training. As long as they are not elite strength athletes pushing the limits they seem pretty much OK. And are useful men to have a round on the building site. While bodybuilder are pretty much usless. All show and no go. As soon as they try to do a days graft there injured in no time and jack it in for a easier life pumping light weights in the gym. This is only my experience from years of watching and taking note.
Dan John still practices Olympic lifting. I think the guy is in his 60’s. Younger guys should listen more to someone like Dan. Older guys who can still train have a ton of advice that will save you from potential injury and unhealthy body image obsession.
Dan John is awesome, and a wealth of knowledge! I'm so glad I found some of his information shortly after I got back into fitness at 49. Now at 55 I still look to his old articles for advice, and I'm still slowly progressing and getting more fit and athletic.
Being a natural bodybuilder seems healthier to me than aiming to be a high level athlete simply due to the stress on the joints. High impact vs slow and controlled. Supersets and walking take care of heart health and conditioning while bodybuilding imo, you can also add in other cardio methods. But if you’re not playing sports or moving furniture or refrigerators for a living, then why would you waste your time? It seems like people assume the natural bodybuilder is weak and out of shape compared to the power lifter or performance athlete. I have 100% of my stats in natural bodybuilding and recently had to put practical strength into practice by moving a home gym under a time constraint. I felt like I was in a mobile suit gundam with how strong my body was with all sorts movements while jogging back and forth between the delivery truck and going up flights of stairs. How much more effective would I have been if I trained for performance? I’m already a god compared to a non lifter in these scenarios. As you age, having a higher amount of contractile tissue while completely natural is going to promote a higher metabolism and essentially counter act the aging process that makes you lose muscle. The performance athlete is going to need medical attention like knee and hip replacements at some point, wouldn’t they? It just seems pointless and a worse trade off for health reasons if you are not spending your time in sports. The natural bodybuilders is already strong enough and athletic enough for practical applications. The drugs are what ruin the entire point of bodybuilding. It’s a very healthy and pure practice that will help you until the day you die. However, the same cannot be said by the performance athlete. Your joints are going to give out as you age. You can always do the slow and controlled bodybuilding lifts, though. It makes more sense to me as long as the drugs aren’t involved. There is also an artistic side to bodybuilding which I find beautiful and really a pursuit of a lifetime tbh. That doesn’t count with TrT or PEDs tho. That stuff is just completely sad and shows the insecurities and weakness in the mind imo. The mind has to grow with the body. Drug use is counteractive to the growth that matters most.
The only things that i find useful Is being strong from gym and probably learn muay Thai for self defense but thats all, that functional training bullshit Is useless for me, I dont compete and i would not hunt fucking Bears with a spear, i only care about looking good, being strong and at least, being capable from running 5 km
@@trujilloroldancarlosarturo4281 I did BJJ and some striking a long time ago, enough for basic self defense. I wouldn’t want to risk popping my elbow while punching someone’s face into another dimension tho, and then have to do tricep extensions with one arm for 3 months. I focus on the goal and that comes to mind when I need to de-escalate a physical confrontation. I think a double leg and controlling mount until the cops show up is my best bet at this point. Even then my knees are going to take a big hit for that. Maybe just looking big is enough to de-escalate and avoid the need for self defense. I’d rather risk nothing and conceal carry, though. Looking back on my BJJ training, I remember longing to put my full effort into bodybuilding and not being held back by the recovery that sport demanded.
@@DC-wo2yb I think the issue stems from the fact that mainstream natural bodybuilding is now just a sad variant of what drugs did to bodybuilding as a whole. The obsession for leanness, for example, makes absolutely no sense as a natural but is what's critiqued the most in terms of natural bodybuilding. It's a shame too, because bodybuilding can be extremely beneficial for exactly the reasons you stated for the vast majority of the population that just want to live a relatively comfortable and simple life with little to no desire to have to perform on a routine basis, but the individual has to do some self analysis on what "bodybuilding" means to them rather than ascribing to what a bunch of people tell them is ideal.
I agree. I would say that getting stronger is probably the most important thing one can do and muscle mass will of course have to be gained to continue to get stronger. I don't think permabulking or using bodybuilding protocols is a good way to do it though. There really isnt a too strong and you will never realize that until your strength is gone.
"Bodybuilding" is both an extreme "sport" and an addiction. Both those things don't lend themselves to balance, health, common sense, etc. It's unfortunate that drugs drive the fitness industry along with the unrealistic expectations and lies.
Are you talking about natural bodybuilders or PED users? The difference is significant. As long as you stay natty, the more muscle you grow, the higher your fitness level is. Building muscles to fullest capacity of the body naturally is very healthy,(especially if you know how to lift pain free) and requires high muscular endurance and work capacity. The true natural advanced bodybuilder which trains as hard and smart as possible have the work capacity comparable with intermediate cross fitter, because he needs to do everything in giant sets, even some high intensity stuff, of course only if he is against his workout to take 5 hours out of his day. PRO bodybuilders or even regular PED users sucks in every single aspect besides physical, and bodydysmorphia is mainly an issue of steroid users, smart natural lifter know that caring about something you can’t change or compete yourself to others is stupid and total waste of time and mental health. To train mainly for performance or not, it is subjective choice for everyone, both are good, for some people one of those goals may be better, for me generally building muscles on my body is the main goal, but I actually do some stuff primarily for strength and performance, for example armwrestling training for defeating my best friend and the strongest enemy, also I do think that jumping high and running fast is really cool, always liked the feeling of flying and speed, but in my case I don’t want to train for it primarily, for me getting faster and jumping higher only by gaining muscle at particular areas of the body is more cool. And this is the tendency I notice everywhere in my life, the more muscular I get, the more useful in life I get, the faster and longer I run, and the higher I jump. Performance at those movements is just a byproduct of me getting stronger at a certain lifts which I progressed on to put on muscle in the right place, so we are in reality the same, but vise versa ;) (love your performance achievements so much, very impressive and inspirational!)
@@georgefall2019 хаха, я знал что есть несколько русскоязычных смотрящих его, по моему информация и опыт которым он делиться не идёт ни в какое сравнение с русским фитнесс ютубом, где найти годные правдивые советы можно найти может только у линдовера и биомашины, ну и Виктор блуд иногда что то полезное говорит, но он по большей части развлекательным контентом заниматься, так что распространение видео NH на русском ютюбе думаю поможет многим, но пока я не занимаюсь активным переводом его видео или продвижением контента, просто перевожу по одному видео в неделю, когда уже придут каникулы буду более активным в этой сфере.
@@naturalhypertrophyru7041 да,NH на голову выше наших в плане контента, у нас в основном либо кринж фитнес контент,либо глупые советы по тренировкам от химиков. Продолжай,может поможет людям инфа.
I'll be honest, I hate bodybuilding as a 'sport' and never looked up to or wanted to look like any of them. Don't even care for the old school ones. Doesn't appeal to me.
I like a hybrid philosophy of strength, performance and hypertrophy; I'm shooting to get yoked and keep everything balanced out. My specialty is front squats, ohp, pull ups and dips with rear delt/rows and arm work for accessories to keep things balanced
Love the philosophy man, I've done aesthetics style training for a long time but having no objective goals made me not like training. Always considering SFR, such as doing seated OHP as opposed to standing OHP, made me feel like I was losing my athleticism. I'm going to train in your method for life now, I want to be the most athletic 90 year old not 30 year old haha
Obsession with aesthetics is unhealthy, but associating it with femininity isn't a good way to express that But I don't recall that video, so I'm not sure what the context of it was
I currently have a gym routine for improving strength, VO2 Max, and balance. My goal is 8 to 10 percent body fat percentage, high VO2 max, perfect balance, and hard muscles. I will be happy with 16-inch arms.
There are many valid points in this video. At the very least, if bodybuilding is your primary focus, you should at least engage in forms of cardio such as running, biking, swimming, martial arts, etc. The RPG character analogy is perfect. You can't max out one trait without sacrificing others.
I think for naturals this is a false delineation. I can't think of any natural strength focused athletes or bodybuilders that don't do both at different times of their career, or any who are completely inept physically (see vitruvian physiques rock climbing progression or Alex from alpha destinies running performance).
I think your video mainly applies to juiced up competing bodybuilders. A natural bodybuilder can train for general fitness and still specialize in building muscle size. Many of the most jacked natties I know are quite athletic as usual the most jacked naturals are guys that are quite gifted athletically.
True but most people don’t approach bodybuilding this way. Just so happens that if you get very strong you will also look good. Who would have thought ?
@@yoeyyoey8937 Not me, given how natural powerlifters and many strength athletes look. Clearly there is still a difference in the style of training for different goals.
@@vainbow4632 i think most of them look good but i guess depends what you mean by "good". obvi super heavy weight strength athletes tend to have higher body fat percentage than most would want. i would consider bodybuilding to be more of an artistic pursuit. technically strength sports are actually "athletic" and most athletes in general don't look anything like bodybuilders...which is why i go back to strength athletes cause they have the closest affinity, and as such it isn't surprising that there is kinda a strength to bodybuilding pipeline and vice versa
12:35 I train for size and strength but also conditioning matters to me. I think I’m not as “jack of all trades” as you are but these other things definitely matter
Y’all should look at how George Saint Pierres trained in his UFC days. Olympic Lifting, Gymnastics, Sprinting, Swimming, along with his Sport Specific Training. One of the most well rounded athletes ever.
Yes, bodybuilding has no performance goals. If you could push 1 button to get to maximum possible muscle mass and anesthetic, without ever moving 1 single dumbell, bodybuilders would just do that. If the mister Olympia body would be achievable by watching grass grow, that's what the bodybuilders would do. The fact that bodybuilders do physical exercise is only due to the fact that it is required.
I'm with you. I'm a swimming and rowing lover, also always going by bike anywhere. Weights are awesome and i'm very passionated with lifting, but i put those sports higher in my goals and use the resistance training to get stronger for them. And whenever i can't practice some activity, i have the others to stay happy and progressing. Bless you for your thoughts.
Good video. I agree that having "balanced stats" in terms of fitness is optimal in terms of long term health and functionality. But that doesn't mean that more specialized endeavours won't also be a net positive on your overall quality of life. Modern bodybuilding with the drug use and focus on getting the "shreds" while being bigger than a gorilla is certainly not a healthy endeavour physically or mentally. But to me that is not real bodybuilding, it's a distorted version of real bodybuilding caused by people taking steroids. Natural bodybuilding in the way that someone like Natural Hypertrophy represents it is not an unhealthy practice, and it will improve your physical fitness and health even if it's not in the most optimal way. The thing is, that it seems like most people are the kind to fall in love with one specific aspect of fitness and want to focus on pursuing it over others. And i don't think specializing like this is inherently a bad thing, just like people specialize in other aspects of life. As long as it's not an overall negative on your life i think it's honorable to pursue whatever goals you have.
Love the rpg analogies. What do you make of niche sports like Parkour? It isn't as efficient for health as running, swimming, or the like, but it is fun as hell. One of the principles that birthed Parkour was "be strong to be useful"
Being strong in and of itself is useful. Parkour is cool and fun and I don’t think it’s “inefficient” in terms of conditioning unless you’re trying to use it to carry over to something more stressful or intense, but that’s really most sports that don’t transfer as well as we’d think to other sports. (For example an elite endurance athlete will actually get gassed if they try boxing or wrestling for the first time, despite their cardio being technically good, but they don’t know how to use their body efficiently, and they haven’t metabolically conditioned the body parts and movements that are involved in the new sport). The only issue with parkour is that the extreme performance dimensions of that sport are negatively influenced by being too physically strong (because you are heavy from muscle mass), and parkour training in the extreme will also negatively impact strength training by limiting recovery. So it’s about finding the balance depending on what you think is more important, or getting what you think is important out of your endeavors rather. Which ofc might change over time for personal reasons.
The fact that bodybuilding doesn't have any performance-based goals is what led me to it. I guess it depends from person to person but I'm not a sportsman at heart, I am an artist in life and I see bodybuilding as an art form and as a way to shape my body in order for it to be a representation of my will. I can't bring myself to care about strenght, speed or sport-based goals. I love running and swimming because it frees my mind but I never chase numbers doing that, and I'm pretty sure that, despite the picture you paint in this video, I can outrun most skinny guys who don't train for it and I can carry and move heavy, cumbersome objects in real life situations and do so on a regular basis. That said, I don't care for bodybuilding in the competition sense, I don't think I'm ever going to compete even when I get in a good enough shape to do so, and I definitely have no interest in the PED side of things, so I guess I'm in the minority of this field.
It used to have a performance component, which is why the overhead press used to be so popular, because it was part of Olympic lifting back in the day, so it killed two birds with one stone. Also the “powerlifting” movements came from OG bodybuilding, since they were such effective and integral movements, bodybuilders liked to use it to compete with each other on overall strength since they were all ready using them to build their physiques.
@@yoeyyoey8937 it still does have a performance component in a sense, because being able to move more weight for more reps is what a natural bodybuilder should be aiming for to grow (most of the fluffy pump training that enhanced bodybuilders are known to promote is almost completely useless for naturals), but that is not the point of the practice so you don't end up chasing numbers just for the sake of it.
@@LoosegripGR it can, certainly, which is why so many great bb'ers used to powerlift or vice versa (and many kind of do both back and forth lol). i guess it's because "bodybuilding" has a lot of connotations, as you mentioned regarding pump/fluff work, and it's hard to tell exactly "what it is" in an objective way. one bb'er might be inclined to be lean at a low bodyweight while another natural bb'er might have higher bf% but also be much larger. bbing goals aren't always the same for everyone, but i guess that's part of the art and creativeness of it
@@yoeyyoey8937 yes, sometimes bodybuilding is hard to pinpoint because it's more about the result than the journey, and even then unless you're competing the result is subjective as well. Also when you see somebody's phisique, you can't tell if it was built using calisthenics, free weights, machines or other means, which can be either stimulating or lead to option paralysis depending on the person.
couldn't agree more. there is nothing like bodybuilding to get you in a healthy state of mind and body but once it gets to the extremes there are severe problems creeping up. for us naturals nothing to be really concerned with though unless you've got some out of this world genetics.
I'd say it has more to do with the bodybuilder than bodybuilding itself. And it depends on what type of bodybuilding you're covering: enhanced or natural. Good video nonetheless.
Bodybuilding IS functional. Don't confuse bodybuild-ERS (individuals) with bodybuild-ING (training style). Bodybuild-ING is a training style that basically means: -training close to failure (
Hey I definitely agree from my perspective in working with others on their fitness goals that performance outcomes seem to promote a healthier mindset. I will however posit that I have seen people take the performance outcomes to the extreme as you alluded to- where their total was all they cared about to the detriment of their own health. This is a case per case situation and the context for each person plays a massive role. I know people who really gravitated towards powerlifting not because they were excellent at it (although the results were nothing short of great) but rather because the aesthetic of powerlifting was comforting to them. In a world where chiseled physiques run rampant on social media, some people really embrace the identity of the “fluffy” powerlifter (there’s ZERO judgement here on anyones body composition. Anyone who lifts will have a reasonable body comp and idgaf what you look like) and in some ways this can promote equally unhealthy behaviors that include overeating, neglecting cardiorespiratory fitness and health, and perhaps even going down the specialization route that leads to issues down the road.
In my opinion as an intermediate lifter you can focus on strength and size without a problem. Spray a little cardio in it and that's it. You will be much fitter as an average person for sure.
I think that if u want to focus on everything, that's ok but be prepared to not be very good in any of these things But what u can do is just focus on the bases and for me that is focusing on building as much muscle as u can and also doing some cardio, might even be light cardio done for like 1 hour like 5x a weed
Cause a person that focus on these 2 things for like 5-10 years, if they want to specify in some sport or whatever, they will probably have a huge cariover
Interesting video. I understand that this is your viewpoint and that you're not enforcing this on anyone so I have no problem with this. I just want to give my opinion on this. 1) Bodybuilding can be an unhealthy sport depending on how obsessive you are. If you're focused on getting as big as you can or taking performance enhancing drugs or neglect cardio because it is detrimental to muscle building. However, it is also possible for bodybuilding to just be an aspect of your fitness. Like how Vitruvian Physique has rock climbing, I incorporate running and martial arts into my training which trains my cardio, which is lacking from bodybuilding. I am not obsessed with looking as big as I can, nor do I take PEDs nor do I neglect cardio. I don't think that's that unhealthy. My other activities take away from bodybuilding but I don't care, I'm fine with that since I don't need to look huge, I just want to be bigger than I am now. I'm building an unbalanced star RPG character. It has the highest stats in size, but it doesn't neglect strength and cardio. 2) I am into bodybuilding for the aesthetics, but it's also got me interested in strength. Without bodybuilding, I would've never been interested in growing my strength. Bodybuilding is vain but the world is vain and so am I. I can't help what I like.
I think general strength training is the way forward and I have changed my mind set over the last couple of years I train at least six days a week varying what I do each time, variations on exercises I’m focused on For example 2 days ago it was 10 sets of three on overhead press and high rep snatch grip hi pulls Plus week point training Today it was one rep max push press and three sets of three snatch grip high pull I’m very focused on box jumps at the moment and do them four times per week, two days with body weight trying to increase volume and height, two days waited On that note, do you sync box jumps should be counted as over all volume on legs or would it be classed more as GPP I’m not feeling it when going in the next day for heavy deadlifts/squats or even volume deadlifts or squats I do bicep, tricep, side deltoid, chest work but only 3/5 sets per workout and I alternate which one I do over three day periods The whole bodybuilding thing doing 20 sets for biceps in one workout is ridiculous I’ve seen more moss added to my biceps since I started doing chin ups and reverse grip pull downs four times a week for a couple of sets each time than I ever did training with that garbage approach
Hey Alec, what do you think about powerbuilding? Training with a focus on both strength building and hypertrophy. I've been drawn to that style of training and guys who advocate it, ie Jeff Nippard. Also, what do you think about combining weight training with martial arts or HIIT style group fitness classes? I've really enjoyed that in the past.
Lifting plus HIiT might be a bad idea because many types of HIit work outs interfere with strength and hypertrophic movements. With martial arts or something related is a good choice, since you are getting conditioning work that is fun and productive. “Power building” is a fancy term for strength and aesthetics training outside of powerlifting goals, I don’t think it’s something “real” or substantive, maybe more of a marketing term or like a meme that helps people understand what you’re doing (again I think this is mainly to distance oneself from the implications of powerlifting goals-1rm training). Strength training at the end of the day both produces hypertrophy and requires/is dependent on hypertrophy, so I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive if general strength training and conditioning is the goal. “Power building” might include low fatigue or non-interfering movements or emphasis on particular movements to achieve aesthetic goals with specific body parts and how they integrate into a good physique as a whole, while pure strength training might not care about small stuff as long as the overall goal is being approached. One example of that might be a power builder who trains calves every day even though calf hypertrophy has limited effects on strength performance. Or perhaps somebody who thinks their biceps look too big or too small for their desired appearance, who might then decide to train their biceps more or less, while a strength trainee might not care about small discrepancies in perceived proportions as long as it isn’t interfering with strength, etc.
Powerbuilding just means training like a powerlifter. If you look at powerlifting programs all of them have both low and high reps in their training. Powerlifters also do accessory exercises to gain muscle because they help them with big three. Do you really think that powerlifters do only big three and only low reps and nothing else? Do you even know how powerlifters train?
@@Mks25932 only if your goal is to powerlift. i think, as i discussed in the other comment, that powerbuilding is a marketable way of saying "strength training" without training 1RM attempts (which is the goal of powerlifting). it gets hairy for people cause PL obviously depends on strength training with a barbell
For a hybrid athlete wannabe, would you recommend training in a periodic manner (like a period for hypertrophy, one for strength, one for power, speed, endurance, etc) or try training all of them at the same time?
Period cycles of a certain phase is not a bad idea because you take time to actually learn to get good at whatever adaptation you're training for at the moment
That part when you talked about Liver King being cumbersome stuck out to me. What do you think is the easiest and most efficient way to get somewhat capable of moving well and being athletic?
Not “easy” but simple: get strong. How do you get strong in the most effective and efficient way possible? Use barbells to load natural body movements (overhead press, squat and deadlift) and progressively overload (add weight to the bar each work out). You can add chin ups and bench press later for more upper body strength emphasis.
@@yoeyyoey8937 That sounds exactly like what Rippetoe would say, and he's the epitome of cumbersome. Although being strong is certainly good, it has very little to do with moving well. You could be a static monster but have problems going up a flight of stairs. To move well, practice moving. Sprint. Jump. Throw things. Carry heavy weights from point A to point B. Work on flexibility/mobility too. As you get better at moving, getting stronger will sure help with stability and force production, but don't think that just press, squat, and deadlift alone will make you better at movement or athleticism.
@@republicjim120 i think they do, or at least they have for me. granted, i played a lot of sports growing up currently and am active and do yoga outside of lifting, so i suppose it depends on your "starting point". however, i feel that thus far lifting has given me the most marked and dramatic increase and performance in athletic activities and even everyday life kind of stuff. i was always "athletic" but after i started getting strong i noticed how much easier it was to do these kinds of things and with greater efficacy. even though i've gained quite a bit of weight, i also feel "lighter" all around. and training the squat, press and deadlift has taken care of back, knee and shoulder pain i've accumulated over the years, and improved my posture naturally without thinking about it. this is why i think it's a good vector for anyone trying to get into better movement habits and active lifestyles. it can help protect your body against injury from other endeavors as well. finally i'll say it's a good idea to start with for some people because it's very objective, so beginners can see their progress and results clearly and reliably, which can help some people stay motivated. it also has great effects on metabolism and fat loss, if that is part of the person's goals. having said that, if the beginner is somebody with no athletic experience whatsoever, then participating in some sports and learning other kinds of movement activities (swimming, bicycling, running, etc) can be a good way to prep someone and give them basic movement skills that can apply to everyday life, overall health, and later athletic accomplishment.
@@yoeyyoey8937 Thanks for the reasoned, detailed response. That makes more sense, and I agree for the most part. Fairly frequent deadlifting has been the single greatest factor for me in reducing pain and stiffness from years-old permanent back damage. The problem I see though is that many lifters focus ONLY on getting stronger and neglect those other aspects that you are already doing. Too many guys end up big and strong statically but could not move fluidly to save their lives. I took the OP to mean starting out without that athletic background and trying to avoid this pitfall of getting cumbersome. At one time I was very active and athletic, but then I got older and got an office job. After about a decade of that I decided to start training (at age 49), and I was shocked at how much I had lost in balance, agility, explosiveness, etc. Now at 55 I have more flexibility and mobility than I did in my 20s, and I can once again run, jump, throw, climb, and carry awkward objects. If I had focused solely on strength I would most certainly be quite a bit stronger than I am now (at least in conventional barbell lifts), but at the expense of all those other important attributes. At this stage of my life overall health and athleticism is more important to me than maximal strength, although a reasonable level of strength does indeed help with everything else. As I said, I realize now that we agree more than what I initially thought. Hopefully you see where I was coming from, and hopefully the discussion will be of some benefit to Burak Ali. 🙂
How much cardio specific training do you include in your training? It seems like you don't value cardiovascular endurance nearly as much as strength, power, and speed. Why is that? Edit: Not a judgment by the way, just an observation
I don’t really see why someone wouldn’t strength peak even if their primary motive is size/aesthetics because you can strength peak without sacrificing volume with the max effort conjugate method. Also don’t like this idea of size vs strength being vastly different when in reality they’re 90% intertwined. That’s why I prefer to just call it strength peaking
While I agree with point 1 and two simply from an objective as well as a subjective perspective, I have some criticism for point 3. I don't think that (natural) bodybuilding promotes body-dysmorphia; bodybuilding is rather the tool that such people choose to reach their goal (which is no wonder). Also, dealing with something is not equal to obsessing over it. For example, trying to eat a more healthy diet does not automatically promote eating-disorders (or promote them). Trying to eat the healthiest diet may do. Improving your physique does not lead to bodydismorphia, trying to reach the "perfect physique" (and having this as your one and only goal) may do (but here is also the question, if people with an all-or-nothing mindset are not just more prone to develop such disorders).
I agree with this video. Achilles made quick work of the bodybuilder-like Boagrius in the movie Troy. I’d rather be powerful yet graceful than over-hypertrophied and clunky.
There are some individuals having problematic with heart doing steroids and also hard once to calm anxiety and stuff leading to heart failurs ronnie coleman is alive jay is alive what about them ?
the "bodybuilding" you talk about in this video is not bodybuilding, its steroid assisted bodybuilding. There is no way a natural bodybuilder will get so big that it causes the joints to get damaged or not being able to perform certain tasks anymore. and its not like natural bodybuilders dont care about general fitness, I think the majority care alot, or else they would take drugs. I myself care equally about form and function of the body, thats why I train like a natural bodybuilder, because from what I have found the carryover to "real life strength" is very good (Im a part time lumberjack) while also maximizing size gains, which are already slow for a natty to begin with.
Even for "natural" bodybuilding I think that by virtue of the primary success metric being aesthetic versus performance based its never going to be particularly healthy and will always carry a high risk of body dysmorphia or other negative mental health effects. There's nothing wrong with caring about how you look but starving yourself down to 5% body fat, putting on a thong rubbing oil all over yourself and going up on stage so that people can microanalyze your body is just fucking weird. Definitely one of those things that if aliens ever land on earth they'd be like "wait, you guys do what?"
" I think that by virtue of the primary success metric being aesthetic versus performance based its never going to be particularly healthy" i could make the same argument against strength athletes. Getting fat so you can max out your bench press isn't exactly healthy either. In general being an elite athlete isn't healthy outside of the cardiovascular benefits no matter the sport
@@Spike00773 you're right but the issue is quite a lot of amateurs follow what the pros do for both bodybuilding and powerlifting, so what the other guy said about natural bodybuilding not being healthy is very relevant because people try to distinguish natural bodybuilding from untested like one is healthy when it clearly isn't. Powerlifters need the same wake-up call too, don't get me wrong.
@@111kino I would say that real natural bodybuilding is healthy. It won't maximize your fitness stats like alec talked about, but it's a generally healthy specialization
@@Spike00773 you mean personalized natural bodybuilding or just the bodybuilding shows with actual naturals? Because there's a massive difference as one can easily be made generalized while the other is horribly obsessed with leanness.
@@111kino Yes i mean personalized natural bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding contests that just imitate pro bodybuilding is as you said not healthy at all. But i don't think this is what natural bodybuilders should be doing. Trying to get unnaturally lean at the cost of your health is outright stupid
Most of this is only relevant if you are taking the copious amounts of drugs necessary to become so large that the size of your muscles actually becomes a problem. If you are natural you can use a more well -rounded approach to training and fitness and develop the same physique that you would otherwise develop if you only trained for bodybuilding. You simply won't get that big without drugs.
Colloquialism or colloquial language is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversation and other informal contexts.[1] Colloquialism is characterized by wide usage of interjections and other expressive devices; it makes use of non-specialist terminology, and has a rapidly changing lexicon. It can also be distinguished by its usage of formulations with incomplete logical and syntactic ordering.
The problem is that most people don't know that "body building" is. I guarantee you a lot of people think you're referring to any training for aesthetics. I don't think that bicep curls are inherently evil, and any working out of any kind will have you looking more aesthetic than fusing with your toilet seat, but I do believe that, natural or not, if you take your body fat under 5% you've been damaging your health for a while, and this is independent of how frequently you participate in it. That being said, if it's what you love, far be it from the guy who races motorcycles for fun to wag my finger and stop you. They being said, damaging my body isn't the result of success in my activity, and I also don't feel the need to justify my decision to do something dangerous, which a lot of bodybuilders love to do. You're hurting yourself. If it's what you love to do that's that it is, but don't sit here and use mental gymnastics to try and say otherwise.
Powerlifting at the higher levels isn’t drug free either. I think resistance training whether you choose to emphasize strength gains or bodybuilding, is good for your health in the long run. I think bodybuilding with an emphasis on being semi-lean, can be argued to be slightly healthier than being bear mode all the time and going only for strength PRs; but this is a very binary way of looking at it; tons of powerlifters have diet control and tons of bodybuilders have trash diets and lifestyles. I think everyone should be walking or running everyday too on top of whatever resistance training they do.
Its from a set I found on Amazon. Can't remember the brand, but they're legit! Just search for pulldown handles and you'll stumble across this type eventually.
I respect you but this one is a cold take. If you look only at natural bodybuilding from it's inception to it's current state in youtube fitness you will see that it was born from the diversification of training goals and it largely stayed that way. In fact if you think about it the bodybuilder is the one that is most free to do the activity he pleases, as he has little need to keep things in line with specificity, being able to borrow to a great extent from calisthenics, powerlifting, and yes even strongman and weightlifting if he is smart about it. Furthermore bodybuilding workouts don't incur as much fatigue as most other modes of training so if he wants to develop other abilities as side goals he is the most free to do so as the impact in his ability to grow muscle is minimal. The point about mobility is bad as well, as having tons of muscle doesn't impede in any way the development of mobility (you don't even have to leave his site to find the likes of jujimufu doing the splits with pro bodybuilding sized legs), also smart bodybuilders will normally employ full ROM exercises and develop size (and consequently strength) on small muscles most other trainers wouldn't, both things that actually IMPROVE mobility and general injury prevention. It has been shown that a lot of "bulletproofing" a joint can be done just trough hypertrophying the surrounding musculature alone. Most people have multiple goals anyways, i have seen a lot of bodybuilders train for running performance specially later on in their training journey (once you built muscle it hardly goes away so you can actually afford to branch out without much detriment to your primary goal contrary to per example a olympic weightlifter), and most other fitness things honestly can be treated as bucket list goals like being able to dunk, do the splits, do a backflip, run a mile in X amount of time and so on. The whole concept of training for fitness was born with bodybuilding, a "sport" invented by strongman with backgrounds in gymnastics and wrestling and farming looking to develop general physicality, hence Physical Culture, that later on came to be know as bodybuilding. Really the only attribute that bodybuilders will rarely develop is power, things like hang power olympic lifts are generally bad for hypertrophy, but even then there is a argument to be made for the place of high pulls, push presses, kettle-bell swings, box-jumps and the like in a bodybuilder's program. In conclusion while it is true that a bodybuilder doesn't need to develop much strength, mobility, speed, endurance and power to be big, he is probably the kind of lifter that is the most versatile with the attributes he can choose to develop. Personally i find it a fun challenge to choose exercises and programming practices that benefit hypertrophy and aid with performance in some other kind of fitness without the detriment of one or the other. You will notice that there is few things that you can do that absolutely have to be done only for bodybuilding's sake, specially as there is many ways to build muscle many times without a clear indication of which one is inherently superior. Hell i enjoyed writing this way too much so sorry for the long essay 😅.
All good my man! We can agree to disagree. I stand by what I said as it is largely based on what I have observed over the years where idealism and reality often (unfortunately) do not line up with each other by and large. Thanks for keeping it respectful and I hope you enjoyed the video and were able to get something out of it in spite of your philosophical disagreement of the premise!
@@EnkiriElite Thanks for the response bro 😊! I'm a long term fan of the channel and your opinion of bodybuilding is not really new to me so it's safe to say i enjoyed the video! It's good to have your point of view challenged and i thank you for doing a good job at that. I do think that most of your points apply to 99% of bodybuilding and the notion people have of it but that's why i thought it was important to try to differentiate sort of my view of what bodybuilding is from the mainstream.
No to mention it's full of toxic people though I detest that word. Go to any half arse bodybuilding gym and you'll find a bunch of passive aggressive people that never mentally or emotionally matured past the 10th grade
*NH enters the chat and then lowers his fists after seeing that you also hate the death cult side of bodybuilding*
I think we can all agree on hating that part of it!
Maxed: Traps and Arms
Minned: Calves and Cardio and Regrets
No ragrets bro
I may be wrong here, but since you mentioned NH, from what I've observed in natural bodybuilding, there seems to be more emphasis on overall health and being as healthy as one appears, and being able to perform a lot of the tasks mentioned. Granted my observations aren't on a large pool of people, but they seem to be much different then their Olympia aspiring drug using counterparts.
That's awesome actually and I'm sure he will be sure to make note of that point if he makes a response video haha. That said, it's still a huge minority in terms of representation within the industry as true natural bodybuilding is currently on life support (a point he concedes to I believe), which means that those ideologies are not currently being spread widely enough to be very impactful.
Yeah, just like he also said in one video, if you are interested in natural bodybuilding, you are probably watching mostly content put out by powerlifters, strongmen etc. Just because there is so little good bodybuilding content.
True, but it’s also true that bodybuilding has been tainted by drug users which is something we need to fix.
@@bennconner1195 someone can correct me if wrong, but I think this is actually the origins of bodybuilding. It's certainly not the reality of it now.
@kholeho botes I know that, I completely misread the comment I was responding too early this morning.
MMA training showed me how stiff my body was. Since then i started training martial arts and stretching along with strength training. Now I feel a lot healtier, my upperbody is actually stronger than before(legs are a bit weaker, but i'm ok with it right now) and I can call myself a real athlete and not some stiff guy , who's body is used to working only in a certain very small range of motion, while having a scarse endurance. Definitely recommend everyone to go beyond the borders of simple lifting.
Same, except for muay thai and boxing. When you get destroyed in sparring by guys 20lbs lighter, you realize having a large muscular body is not the end all be all
I started wrestling a year ago, I'm 22 so still young, but been strength training 6 years. My cardio, my muscular endurance, and my mobility/flexibility is light years ahead of where it was. Also, I can beat the shit out of my former self. It goes to show you that there certainly are more important things than trying to squat 500+ lbs
@@c.f9448 yeah, I practise muay thai and boxing too as a part of my mma training. Tbh, I'm doing stand up most of the time. In my experience, muscles help me being explosive and powerful, but it doesnt last long. Sometimes in my gym we do like 12 rounds of sparring and by the end of it I might get outstruck by guys who are 30 pounds lighter, although, I would dominate them in the beginning of the training. It sucks. Good examples of this are Romero,McGregor, Woodley. You start off strong and might lose the ability to fight later.
@@NexWalkthrough true. Strength is useful when paired with good conditioning. Being able to lift something heavy for 5 seconds looks cool but is pretty impractical in the real world
I honestly didn't give a rat's ass about what was going on in bodybuilding and social media fitness. But a couple of months ago my 12 year old son saw a mass monster BB and exclaimed how fit that guy was. Now I'm taking care to explain things a bit more to them.
It's hard being a parent nowadays. There is too damn much to keep up with. Especially with how quickly kids can follow one trend one day and something completely different the next lol
Your son is lucky
To have an informed parent to educate him. I had to learn primarily from trial and error and push myself because my dad didn’t know proper programming and he followed way too much bullshit bodybuilding bro crap in the past.
Hey at least you’re trying, think of all those who don’t.
Its good you're setting things straight because no joke there are teenagers popping SARMs to try and get big and fucking themselves up in the process and we all know SARMs are as easy to buy as a pair of sneakers.
Bunch of dead bodybuilders immediately followed by a smiling Alec. Sinister af.
Haha I did not do that on purpose
Lmaooo
LOL
@@EnkiriElite You're going to get another 10 comments about looking like a psycho killer for that one
It's no shock that bodybuilding- a pursuit based solely and entirely on chasing an ideal of physical appearance- will almost inevitably lead to unhealthy psychological states. Well articulated sir.
"HOW FRIGGIN DARE YOU!"
That'll never get old 😂
I hear a high pitch voice 😅
“ HOW DARE YOU!!!”
Honestly needed this video as a skinny guy who's relatively strong and fast with decent conditioning. I've been overlooking all my progress over recent years due to my obsession with gaining size and eating poorly just to fit the calories in so I could gain some mass. I traded some of my performance potential in the name of gains just for the sake of gains, but I'm regretting it because I want to focus on health first, then performance, and leave aesthetics at the bottom of the list.
To the average person, I look fit and like I lift, so it's only really been me holding myself back.
This is exactly why I don’t watch Greg Doucette anymore
This video has certainly given me some things to think about. I am in two minds about bodybuilding when it comes to the issue of self-image; at one level, putting on some muscle mass genuinely made me feel better about myself and more confident about the way I look, but I've also noticed that this hyperfixation on creating the 'perfect body' can sometimes lead me to some dark places mentally, as you start focusing on your 'faults' and either 1) going to extremes to try and 'correct' them or 2) getting depressed that you can't fix them.
I am almost 40. My training from here on out is going to have a little focus on aestethics but mainly I want to focus more on overall athleticism, agility, mobility, longevity and body control. I want to improve my physical qualities to better my martial arts training but also have a good looking athletic and proportional body. I can still move well, do handstands, backflips, a few acrobatic moves, spining kicks etc. and I want to keep on doing that as long as possible.
One starts lifting/calisthenics primarily for physical appearance. One continues it for longevity.
I appreciate the way you define your terms. I generally think of my weight training as bodybuilding because I'm trying to focus on working the muscle as opposed to moving more weight. However, what I think of as bodybuilding is basically the same as what you define as fitness.
I'm going to flip the script now and start doing a "why I like" series next. And bodybuilding will be first up! Glad you enjoyed the video man.
To add further onto the mental side of things
Bodybuilding and overspecialization as a whole contribute to burnout and unenjoyment in your training. Often times bodybuilders will strive to aim for a "perfect image" and will go to more and more extreme lengths to reach that said image. This can include resorting to drugs, longer and longer training sessions, and extreme dieting. Engaging in this extreme will lead to greater self criticism and loathing and a decreasing enjoyment with training. This will also put them in danger of potential health consequences or will lead to them leaving bodybuilding altogether.
Another is Orthorexia or eating obsession with a "healthy diet" Usually characterized by somebody avoiding certain foods because they are "unhealthy" Every single bodybuilder undergoes some degree of this. As they become more and more extreme chasing that perfect bodybuilding image, they will cut out more and more foods from their diet. This can lead to exclusion from social events, health consequences due to lack of nutrition, and of course burnout or relapse in the diet. Orthorexia stories reflect similarly to anorexia and bulimia.
The last is body image issues. When a bodybuilder becomes more and more obsess with a perfect body, they will inevitably teach themselves how to hate themselves. They will be overly critical of how they look and will feel lower valued because of it. This can lead to a drop in confidence and a whole host of other issues mentally. They will be less likely to engage with others and may even become hostile and sensitive whenever talks about how they look are engaged.
Great Video! I think this is a topic that needs more discussion especially with the rise of bodybuilding in current social media.
Well said
Practicing a combat sport makes you into a hybrid athlete
Looking at current fitness landscape, I think there’s an enormous difference between building up one’s body and bodybuilding. Performance first.
It's sad that bodybuilding is associated with health and fitness. This is a very motivational and inspiring video!
It’s unfortunate but it’s easier to sell “health bs” when your model has less than 10% body fat since we as a culture are essentially “fatphobic” as much as I hate to recruit such terminology lol. That’s also why people trip out over “fat” athletes who succeed in their fields, cause they truly don’t understand what fitness actually is or can be.
what's even more sad is that it should be. you look at the old school natural bodybuilders like steve reeves, eugene sandow and jack lalanne and they were the epitome of health. steroid users hijacked the sport of bodybuilding and disfigured it into something disgusting.
@@absolutewanker9384 that's part of it, but at the end of the day it's the bodybuilding organizations and segments of the audience that incentivized this. the people doing drugs and the like are not necessarily at fault, unfortunately it seems that there isn't much money in it for "healthy/fit" bodybuilding to be popular as a competition/sport. however with social media and everything, we still have the opportunity to enjoy access to a decent amount of natural body building amateurs and related fitness/training information so there's no problem in focusing on that, we have options and one day it might resurface as a natural fitness sport.
Bodybuilding is a really nice word. It summarizes any physical endeavor, be it lifting heavier weights, jumping higher, or gasing out less often; all of those are skills built within the only body you'll ever have. Sadly, drugs and controversy have given it an awful connotation. With that in mind, I consider general physical fitness to be more bodybuilding than mainstream bodybuilding itself, lol.
How I see it:
Bodybuilding= Detailing and polishing up your beautiful looking car(body) just to look at it likely never leaving the garage
Performancebuilding= testing on the track and upgrading the performance of your monstermachine of a car(body) for the possibility of a great fun race
Would Strongman and Powerlifting be muscle car drag racing - I can accelerate extremely fast in a straight line, just don't ask me to turn (that V8 sound though).
@Kyle Ray
I’m totally with you. Except I traded in some straight line power to upgrade to a more well rounded performance haha
If you do anything to the extreme there is a higher mortality risk. As long as you acknowledge that risk to yourself and don't lie to others about the risk to make it more appealing than I have no issues. I think bodybuilders are physically impressive, but it isn't something I'll strive for... I'm just a novice lifter doing it to be healthy and live a longer, more fulfilling life.
I agree with everything you say here! I will say, given the legality issues surrounding steroids as well as their taboo nature in popular culture, you do end up with a lot of lying by omission within the fitness industry that does sell a falsehood to make it more appealing, just as a matter of course. So there is that. But in general, yes, I agree thst I don't care how other people choose to live their lives as long as they understand what they are doing then it's their prerogative. And voicing my opinions and what I believe to be the optimal path is mine ;)
this is an attitude more people need to have once you learn about bodybuilding you realize the vast majority of those who pass are ones that dont get there blood results tested, do wayyyy to high dosages of drugs and also have a health condition that they dont know about. this happend with shaun rhoden, dallas mcarver, luke sandoe, zyzz, rich piana etc the list goes on and on but people are so quick to go AWw StErOiDs CaUsEd IT
I hate the whole bodybuilding/ powerlifting focus from the lifting communities. Because most people want to build muscle and strength, but not to the goals of bodybuilders or powerlifters. I want to build more muscle but I don't necessarily care about the aesthetics of bodybuilding. I want to get strong but don't care to focus so much on getting my numbers up on the big 3. And those labels and communities could alienate people.
I also feel like unless you're going to do shows you can't call yourself a bodybuilder, you're just a person who builds muscle to develop a look. Also, unless you're looking to do a meet you can't call yourself a powerlifter, you're just a person wanting to get strong.
Underated comment.
For me bodybuilding is different in the regard that it's spirit (as in where it comes from) is more of an art than a sport. So just like any artist or musician will tell you that anyone can make art/music and that what makes a piece of art or a song aesthetic is somewhat relative, i think that anyone that trains to build muscle can call themselves a bodybuilder and the physique they aim to achieve doesn't have to adhere to any group of peoples notion of what aesthetics is.
@@MrShedom8 that's a great perspective. I'm an example of a guy who was heavily invested in his musical instruments, then I became obsessed with counting calories and following a bodybuilder style of life, kind of sucks as I've become really selfish but hopefully in time it will balance out and I'll find my love for music and time to spend with friends and family.
Im a 50 year old man. That has been lifting heavy ass weights for 30 odd years in the gym. Also I'm a builder by trade. So I've a lot of experience in lifting heavy ass shit all day and lifting heavy ass weights in the gym at least 3 nights a week. I'm virtually injury free as long as I take note of my recovery I'm ok. I've notice with body builder they are very injury prone. I don't see it so much with lads who are juice up and do some form of strength training. As long as they are not elite strength athletes pushing the limits they seem pretty much OK. And are useful men to have a round on the building site. While bodybuilder are pretty much usless. All show and no go. As soon as they try to do a days graft there injured in no time and jack it in for a easier life pumping light weights in the gym.
This is only my experience from years of watching and taking note.
Thank you for your wisdom
Dan John still practices Olympic lifting. I think the guy is in his 60’s. Younger guys should listen more to someone like Dan. Older guys who can still train have a ton of advice that will save you from potential injury and unhealthy body image obsession.
Dan John is awesome, and a wealth of knowledge! I'm so glad I found some of his information shortly after I got back into fitness at 49. Now at 55 I still look to his old articles for advice, and I'm still slowly progressing and getting more fit and athletic.
Being a natural bodybuilder seems healthier to me than aiming to be a high level athlete simply due to the stress on the joints. High impact vs slow and controlled. Supersets and walking take care of heart health and conditioning while bodybuilding imo, you can also add in other cardio methods. But if you’re not playing sports or moving furniture or refrigerators for a living, then why would you waste your time? It seems like people assume the natural bodybuilder is weak and out of shape compared to the power lifter or performance athlete. I have 100% of my stats in natural bodybuilding and recently had to put practical strength into practice by moving a home gym under a time constraint. I felt like I was in a mobile suit gundam with how strong my body was with all sorts movements while jogging back and forth between the delivery truck and going up flights of stairs. How much more effective would I have been if I trained for performance? I’m already a god compared to a non lifter in these scenarios. As you age, having a higher amount of contractile tissue while completely natural is going to promote a higher metabolism and essentially counter act the aging process that makes you lose muscle. The performance athlete is going to need medical attention like knee and hip replacements at some point, wouldn’t they? It just seems pointless and a worse trade off for health reasons if you are not spending your time in sports. The natural bodybuilders is already strong enough and athletic enough for practical applications. The drugs are what ruin the entire point of bodybuilding. It’s a very healthy and pure practice that will help you until the day you die. However, the same cannot be said by the performance athlete. Your joints are going to give out as you age. You can always do the slow and controlled bodybuilding lifts, though. It makes more sense to me as long as the drugs aren’t involved.
There is also an artistic side to bodybuilding which I find beautiful and really a pursuit of a lifetime tbh. That doesn’t count with TrT or PEDs tho. That stuff is just completely sad and shows the insecurities and weakness in the mind imo. The mind has to grow with the body. Drug use is counteractive to the growth that matters most.
The only things that i find useful Is being strong from gym and probably learn muay Thai for self defense but thats all, that functional training bullshit Is useless for me, I dont compete and i would not hunt fucking Bears with a spear, i only care about looking good, being strong and at least, being capable from running 5 km
@@trujilloroldancarlosarturo4281 I did BJJ and some striking a long time ago, enough for basic self defense. I wouldn’t want to risk popping my elbow while punching someone’s face into another dimension tho, and then have to do tricep extensions with one arm for 3 months. I focus on the goal and that comes to mind when I need to de-escalate a physical confrontation. I think a double leg and controlling mount until the cops show up is my best bet at this point. Even then my knees are going to take a big hit for that. Maybe just looking big is enough to de-escalate and avoid the need for self defense. I’d rather risk nothing and conceal carry, though. Looking back on my BJJ training, I remember longing to put my full effort into bodybuilding and not being held back by the recovery that sport demanded.
@@DC-wo2yb I think the issue stems from the fact that mainstream natural bodybuilding is now just a sad variant of what drugs did to bodybuilding as a whole. The obsession for leanness, for example, makes absolutely no sense as a natural but is what's critiqued the most in terms of natural bodybuilding. It's a shame too, because bodybuilding can be extremely beneficial for exactly the reasons you stated for the vast majority of the population that just want to live a relatively comfortable and simple life with little to no desire to have to perform on a routine basis, but the individual has to do some self analysis on what "bodybuilding" means to them rather than ascribing to what a bunch of people tell them is ideal.
I agree. I would say that getting stronger is probably the most important thing one can do and muscle mass will of course have to be gained to continue to get stronger. I don't think permabulking or using bodybuilding protocols is a good way to do it though. There really isnt a too strong and you will never realize that until your strength is gone.
"Bodybuilding" is both an extreme "sport" and an addiction. Both those things don't lend themselves to balance, health, common sense, etc. It's unfortunate that drugs drive the fitness industry along with the unrealistic expectations and lies.
Are you talking about natural bodybuilders or PED users? The difference is significant. As long as you stay natty, the more muscle you grow, the higher your fitness level is. Building muscles to fullest capacity of the body naturally is very healthy,(especially if you know how to lift pain free) and requires high muscular endurance and work capacity. The true natural advanced bodybuilder which trains as hard and smart as possible have the work capacity comparable with intermediate cross fitter, because he needs to do everything in giant sets, even some high intensity stuff, of course only if he is against his workout to take 5 hours out of his day. PRO bodybuilders or even regular PED users sucks in every single aspect besides physical, and bodydysmorphia is mainly an issue of steroid users, smart natural lifter know that caring about something you can’t change or compete yourself to others is stupid and total waste of time and mental health. To train mainly for performance or not, it is subjective choice for everyone, both are good, for some people one of those goals may be better, for me generally building muscles on my body is the main goal, but I actually do some stuff primarily for strength and performance, for example armwrestling training for defeating my best friend and the strongest enemy, also I do think that jumping high and running fast is really cool, always liked the feeling of flying and speed, but in my case I don’t want to train for it primarily, for me getting faster and jumping higher only by gaining muscle at particular areas of the body is more cool. And this is the tendency I notice everywhere in my life, the more muscular I get, the more useful in life I get, the faster and longer I run, and the higher I jump. Performance at those movements is just a byproduct of me getting stronger at a certain lifts which I progressed on to put on muscle in the right place, so we are in reality the same, but vise versa ;) (love your performance achievements so much, very impressive and inspirational!)
Интересно,кто-то в России смотрит NH. Думал,я один такой
@@georgefall2019 хаха, я знал что есть несколько русскоязычных смотрящих его, по моему информация и опыт которым он делиться не идёт ни в какое сравнение с русским фитнесс ютубом, где найти годные правдивые советы можно найти может только у линдовера и биомашины, ну и Виктор блуд иногда что то полезное говорит, но он по большей части развлекательным контентом заниматься, так что распространение видео NH на русском ютюбе думаю поможет многим, но пока я не занимаюсь активным переводом его видео или продвижением контента, просто перевожу по одному видео в неделю, когда уже придут каникулы буду более активным в этой сфере.
@@naturalhypertrophyru7041 да,NH на голову выше наших в плане контента, у нас в основном либо кринж фитнес контент,либо глупые советы по тренировкам от химиков. Продолжай,может поможет людям инфа.
I'll be honest, I hate bodybuilding as a 'sport' and never looked up to or wanted to look like any of them. Don't even care for the old school ones. Doesn't appeal to me.
I like a hybrid philosophy of strength, performance and hypertrophy; I'm shooting to get yoked and keep everything balanced out. My specialty is front squats, ohp, pull ups and dips with rear delt/rows and arm work for accessories to keep things balanced
Power building + any endurance sport such as basketball, football etc is the best way for me.
Spot on about the narcissism. Being SELF-obsessed is unhealthy in any respect
Love the philosophy man, I've done aesthetics style training for a long time but having no objective goals made me not like training. Always considering SFR, such as doing seated OHP as opposed to standing OHP, made me feel like I was losing my athleticism. I'm going to train in your method for life now, I want to be the most athletic 90 year old not 30 year old haha
Still remember that "your obsession with aesthetics is a feminine trait" video, one of my favourites of yours.
Hahah awesome man.
lol what
@@EnkiriElite Did you see NH made a video addressing the concept of that?
Obsession with aesthetics is unhealthy, but associating it with femininity isn't a good way to express that
But I don't recall that video, so I'm not sure what the context of it was
@@whitefang9758 no
I currently have a gym routine for improving strength, VO2 Max, and balance. My goal is 8 to 10 percent body fat percentage, high VO2 max, perfect balance, and hard muscles. I will be happy with 16-inch arms.
There are many valid points in this video. At the very least, if bodybuilding is your primary focus, you should at least engage in forms of cardio such as running, biking, swimming, martial arts, etc.
The RPG character analogy is perfect. You can't max out one trait without sacrificing others.
I think for naturals this is a false delineation. I can't think of any natural strength focused athletes or bodybuilders that don't do both at different times of their career, or any who are completely inept physically (see vitruvian physiques rock climbing progression or Alex from alpha destinies running performance).
I think your video mainly applies to juiced up competing bodybuilders. A natural bodybuilder can train for general fitness and still specialize in building muscle size. Many of the most jacked natties I know are quite athletic as usual the most jacked naturals are guys that are quite gifted athletically.
True but most people don’t approach bodybuilding this way. Just so happens that if you get very strong you will also look good. Who would have thought ?
@@yoeyyoey8937 Not me, given how natural powerlifters and many strength athletes look. Clearly there is still a difference in the style of training for different goals.
@@vainbow4632 i think most of them look good but i guess depends what you mean by "good". obvi super heavy weight strength athletes tend to have higher body fat percentage than most would want. i would consider bodybuilding to be more of an artistic pursuit. technically strength sports are actually "athletic" and most athletes in general don't look anything like bodybuilders...which is why i go back to strength athletes cause they have the closest affinity, and as such it isn't surprising that there is kinda a strength to bodybuilding pipeline and vice versa
12:35 I train for size and strength but also conditioning matters to me. I think I’m not as “jack of all trades” as you are but these other things definitely matter
Greg Doucette is triggered!
Eh well, that doesn't take much
@@EnkiriElite mOsQuItO
Y’all should look at how George Saint Pierres trained in his UFC days. Olympic Lifting, Gymnastics, Sprinting, Swimming, along with his Sport Specific Training. One of the most well rounded athletes ever.
Isn’t he one of the greats too?
Nice vid. You should do the same thing but for powerlifting
That is on my list!
Yes, bodybuilding has no performance goals. If you could push 1 button to get to maximum possible muscle mass and anesthetic, without ever moving 1 single dumbell, bodybuilders would just do that.
If the mister Olympia body would be achievable by watching grass grow, that's what the bodybuilders would do. The fact that bodybuilders do physical exercise is only due to the fact that it is required.
Very good observation. And absolutely true.
I'm with you. I'm a swimming and rowing lover, also always going by bike anywhere. Weights are awesome and i'm very passionated with lifting, but i put those sports higher in my goals and use the resistance training to get stronger for them.
And whenever i can't practice some activity, i have the others to stay happy and progressing.
Bless you for your thoughts.
Inb4 2 hour long response from NH.
405 bench, 500 squat and a 600 deadlift. 275 OHP. At 185 lb.
Good video. I agree that having "balanced stats" in terms of fitness is optimal in terms of long term health and functionality. But that doesn't mean that more specialized endeavours won't also be a net positive on your overall quality of life. Modern bodybuilding with the drug use and focus on getting the "shreds" while being bigger than a gorilla is certainly not a healthy endeavour physically or mentally. But to me that is not real bodybuilding, it's a distorted version of real bodybuilding caused by people taking steroids. Natural bodybuilding in the way that someone like Natural Hypertrophy represents it is not an unhealthy practice, and it will improve your physical fitness and health even if it's not in the most optimal way.
The thing is, that it seems like most people are the kind to fall in love with one specific aspect of fitness and want to focus on pursuing it over others. And i don't think specializing like this is inherently a bad thing, just like people specialize in other aspects of life. As long as it's not an overall negative on your life i think it's honorable to pursue whatever goals you have.
Love the rpg analogies.
What do you make of niche sports like Parkour? It isn't as efficient for health as running, swimming, or the like, but it is fun as hell. One of the principles that birthed Parkour was "be strong to be useful"
Being strong in and of itself is useful. Parkour is cool and fun and I don’t think it’s “inefficient” in terms of conditioning unless you’re trying to use it to carry over to something more stressful or intense, but that’s really most sports that don’t transfer as well as we’d think to other sports. (For example an elite endurance athlete will actually get gassed if they try boxing or wrestling for the first time, despite their cardio being technically good, but they don’t know how to use their body efficiently, and they haven’t metabolically conditioned the body parts and movements that are involved in the new sport). The only issue with parkour is that the extreme performance dimensions of that sport are negatively influenced by being too physically strong (because you are heavy from muscle mass), and parkour training in the extreme will also negatively impact strength training by limiting recovery. So it’s about finding the balance depending on what you think is more important, or getting what you think is important out of your endeavors rather. Which ofc might change over time for personal reasons.
Like The Bugez told Juji once: "You got a lot of show muscle on you, but I don't know if you have a lot of go muscle"
bodybuilding is not a sport. it's a beauty pageant.
The fact that bodybuilding doesn't have any performance-based goals is what led me to it. I guess it depends from person to person but I'm not a sportsman at heart, I am an artist in life and I see bodybuilding as an art form and as a way to shape my body in order for it to be a representation of my will. I can't bring myself to care about strenght, speed or sport-based goals. I love running and swimming because it frees my mind but I never chase numbers doing that, and I'm pretty sure that, despite the picture you paint in this video, I can outrun most skinny guys who don't train for it and I can carry and move heavy, cumbersome objects in real life situations and do so on a regular basis.
That said, I don't care for bodybuilding in the competition sense, I don't think I'm ever going to compete even when I get in a good enough shape to do so, and I definitely have no interest in the PED side of things, so I guess I'm in the minority of this field.
It used to have a performance component, which is why the overhead press used to be so popular, because it was part of Olympic lifting back in the day, so it killed two birds with one stone. Also the “powerlifting” movements came from OG bodybuilding, since they were such effective and integral movements, bodybuilders liked to use it to compete with each other on overall strength since they were all ready using them to build their physiques.
@@yoeyyoey8937 it still does have a performance component in a sense, because being able to move more weight for more reps is what a natural bodybuilder should be aiming for to grow (most of the fluffy pump training that enhanced bodybuilders are known to promote is almost completely useless for naturals), but that is not the point of the practice so you don't end up chasing numbers just for the sake of it.
@@LoosegripGR it can, certainly, which is why so many great bb'ers used to powerlift or vice versa (and many kind of do both back and forth lol). i guess it's because "bodybuilding" has a lot of connotations, as you mentioned regarding pump/fluff work, and it's hard to tell exactly "what it is" in an objective way. one bb'er might be inclined to be lean at a low bodyweight while another natural bb'er might have higher bf% but also be much larger. bbing goals aren't always the same for everyone, but i guess that's part of the art and creativeness of it
@@yoeyyoey8937 yes, sometimes bodybuilding is hard to pinpoint because it's more about the result than the journey, and even then unless you're competing the result is subjective as well. Also when you see somebody's phisique, you can't tell if it was built using calisthenics, free weights, machines or other means, which can be either stimulating or lead to option paralysis depending on the person.
couldn't agree more. there is nothing like bodybuilding to get you in a healthy state of mind and body but once it gets to the extremes there are severe problems creeping up. for us naturals nothing to be really concerned with though unless you've got some out of this world genetics.
I'd say it has more to do with the bodybuilder than bodybuilding itself. And it depends on what type of bodybuilding you're covering: enhanced or natural. Good video nonetheless.
Bodybuilding IS functional. Don't confuse bodybuild-ERS (individuals) with bodybuild-ING (training style).
Bodybuild-ING is a training style that basically means:
-training close to failure (
Thx Alec for the videos as usual have a great week-end !
Gonna listen to this while I do my math exam practice problems
Hey I definitely agree from my perspective in working with others on their fitness goals that performance outcomes seem to promote a healthier mindset. I will however posit that I have seen people take the performance outcomes to the extreme as you alluded to- where their total was all they cared about to the detriment of their own health. This is a case per case situation and the context for each person plays a massive role. I know people who really gravitated towards powerlifting not because they were excellent at it (although the results were nothing short of great) but rather because the aesthetic of powerlifting was comforting to them. In a world where chiseled physiques run rampant on social media, some people really embrace the identity of the “fluffy” powerlifter (there’s ZERO judgement here on anyones body composition. Anyone who lifts will have a reasonable body comp and idgaf what you look like) and in some ways this can promote equally unhealthy behaviors that include overeating, neglecting cardiorespiratory fitness and health, and perhaps even going down the specialization route that leads to issues down the road.
In my opinion as an intermediate lifter you can focus on strength and size without a problem. Spray a little cardio in it and that's it. You will be much fitter as an average person for sure.
I think that if u want to focus on everything, that's ok but be prepared to not be very good in any of these things
But what u can do is just focus on the bases and for me that is focusing on building as much muscle as u can and also doing some cardio, might even be light cardio done for like 1 hour like 5x a weed
Cause a person that focus on these 2 things for like 5-10 years, if they want to specify in some sport or whatever, they will probably have a huge cariover
Interesting video. I understand that this is your viewpoint and that you're not enforcing this on anyone so I have no problem with this. I just want to give my opinion on this.
1) Bodybuilding can be an unhealthy sport depending on how obsessive you are. If you're focused on getting as big as you can or taking performance enhancing drugs or neglect cardio because it is detrimental to muscle building. However, it is also possible for bodybuilding to just be an aspect of your fitness. Like how Vitruvian Physique has rock climbing, I incorporate running and martial arts into my training which trains my cardio, which is lacking from bodybuilding. I am not obsessed with looking as big as I can, nor do I take PEDs nor do I neglect cardio. I don't think that's that unhealthy. My other activities take away from bodybuilding but I don't care, I'm fine with that since I don't need to look huge, I just want to be bigger than I am now. I'm building an unbalanced star RPG character. It has the highest stats in size, but it doesn't neglect strength and cardio.
2) I am into bodybuilding for the aesthetics, but it's also got me interested in strength. Without bodybuilding, I would've never been interested in growing my strength.
Bodybuilding is vain but the world is vain and so am I. I can't help what I like.
I think general strength training is the way forward and I have changed my mind set over the last couple of years
I train at least six days a week varying what I do each time, variations on exercises I’m focused on
For example 2 days ago it was 10 sets of three on overhead press and high rep snatch grip hi pulls Plus week point training
Today it was one rep max push press and three sets of three snatch grip high pull
I’m very focused on box jumps at the moment and do them four times per week, two days with body weight trying to increase volume and height, two days waited
On that note, do you sync box jumps should be counted as over all volume on legs or would it be classed more as GPP
I’m not feeling it when going in the next day for heavy deadlifts/squats or even volume deadlifts or squats
I do bicep, tricep, side deltoid, chest work but only 3/5 sets per workout and I alternate which one I do over three day periods
The whole bodybuilding thing doing 20 sets for biceps in one workout is ridiculous
I’ve seen more moss added to my biceps since I started doing chin ups and reverse grip pull downs four times a week for a couple of sets each time than I ever did training with that garbage approach
Hey Alec, what do you think about powerbuilding? Training with a focus on both strength building and hypertrophy. I've been drawn to that style of training and guys who advocate it, ie Jeff Nippard.
Also, what do you think about combining weight training with martial arts or HIIT style group fitness classes? I've really enjoyed that in the past.
Lifting plus HIiT might be a bad idea because many types of HIit work outs interfere with strength and hypertrophic movements. With martial arts or something related is a good choice, since you are getting conditioning work that is fun and productive. “Power building” is a fancy term for strength and aesthetics training outside of powerlifting goals, I don’t think it’s something “real” or substantive, maybe more of a marketing term or like a meme that helps people understand what you’re doing (again I think this is mainly to distance oneself from the implications of powerlifting goals-1rm training). Strength training at the end of the day both produces hypertrophy and requires/is dependent on hypertrophy, so I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive if general strength training and conditioning is the goal. “Power building” might include low fatigue or non-interfering movements or emphasis on particular movements to achieve aesthetic goals with specific body parts and how they integrate into a good physique as a whole, while pure strength training might not care about small stuff as long as the overall goal is being approached. One example of that might be a power builder who trains calves every day even though calf hypertrophy has limited effects on strength performance. Or perhaps somebody who thinks their biceps look too big or too small for their desired appearance, who might then decide to train their biceps more or less, while a strength trainee might not care about small discrepancies in perceived proportions as long as it isn’t interfering with strength, etc.
@@TheMaxik he is a “hybrid athlete” but yes this relies or is based on “power building” kind of concepts and goals.
Powerbuilding just means training like a powerlifter. If you look at powerlifting programs all of them have both low and high reps in their training. Powerlifters also do accessory exercises to gain muscle because they help them with big three. Do you really think that powerlifters do only big three and only low reps and nothing else? Do you even know how powerlifters train?
@@Mks25932 only if your goal is to powerlift. i think, as i discussed in the other comment, that powerbuilding is a marketable way of saying "strength training" without training 1RM attempts (which is the goal of powerlifting). it gets hairy for people cause PL obviously depends on strength training with a barbell
@@yoeyyoey8937 powerbuilding incorporates maxes
For a hybrid athlete wannabe, would you recommend training in a periodic manner (like a period for hypertrophy, one for strength, one for power, speed, endurance, etc) or try training all of them at the same time?
^^ been trying to find an answer for a while
Period cycles of a certain phase is not a bad idea because you take time to actually learn to get good at whatever adaptation you're training for at the moment
Periodic is better most probably
I work out for two reasons, I want to be healthy, and I want to be sexy
That part when you talked about Liver King being cumbersome stuck out to me. What do you think is the easiest and most efficient way to get somewhat capable of moving well and being athletic?
Not “easy” but simple: get strong. How do you get strong in the most effective and efficient way possible? Use barbells to load natural body movements (overhead press, squat and deadlift) and progressively overload (add weight to the bar each work out). You can add chin ups and bench press later for more upper body strength emphasis.
@@yoeyyoey8937 That sounds exactly like what Rippetoe would say, and he's the epitome of cumbersome. Although being strong is certainly good, it has very little to do with moving well. You could be a static monster but have problems going up a flight of stairs. To move well, practice moving. Sprint. Jump. Throw things. Carry heavy weights from point A to point B. Work on flexibility/mobility too. As you get better at moving, getting stronger will sure help with stability and force production, but don't think that just press, squat, and deadlift alone will make you better at movement or athleticism.
@@republicjim120 i think they do, or at least they have for me. granted, i played a lot of sports growing up currently and am active and do yoga outside of lifting, so i suppose it depends on your "starting point". however, i feel that thus far lifting has given me the most marked and dramatic increase and performance in athletic activities and even everyday life kind of stuff. i was always "athletic" but after i started getting strong i noticed how much easier it was to do these kinds of things and with greater efficacy. even though i've gained quite a bit of weight, i also feel "lighter" all around. and training the squat, press and deadlift has taken care of back, knee and shoulder pain i've accumulated over the years, and improved my posture naturally without thinking about it. this is why i think it's a good vector for anyone trying to get into better movement habits and active lifestyles. it can help protect your body against injury from other endeavors as well. finally i'll say it's a good idea to start with for some people because it's very objective, so beginners can see their progress and results clearly and reliably, which can help some people stay motivated. it also has great effects on metabolism and fat loss, if that is part of the person's goals.
having said that, if the beginner is somebody with no athletic experience whatsoever, then participating in some sports and learning other kinds of movement activities (swimming, bicycling, running, etc) can be a good way to prep someone and give them basic movement skills that can apply to everyday life, overall health, and later athletic accomplishment.
@@yoeyyoey8937 Thanks for the reasoned, detailed response. That makes more sense, and I agree for the most part. Fairly frequent deadlifting has been the single greatest factor for me in reducing pain and stiffness from years-old permanent back damage. The problem I see though is that many lifters focus ONLY on getting stronger and neglect those other aspects that you are already doing. Too many guys end up big and strong statically but could not move fluidly to save their lives. I took the OP to mean starting out without that athletic background and trying to avoid this pitfall of getting cumbersome.
At one time I was very active and athletic, but then I got older and got an office job. After about a decade of that I decided to start training (at age 49), and I was shocked at how much I had lost in balance, agility, explosiveness, etc. Now at 55 I have more flexibility and mobility than I did in my 20s, and I can once again run, jump, throw, climb, and carry awkward objects. If I had focused solely on strength I would most certainly be quite a bit stronger than I am now (at least in conventional barbell lifts), but at the expense of all those other important attributes. At this stage of my life overall health and athleticism is more important to me than maximal strength, although a reasonable level of strength does indeed help with everything else.
As I said, I realize now that we agree more than what I initially thought. Hopefully you see where I was coming from, and hopefully the discussion will be of some benefit to Burak Ali. 🙂
@@republicjim120 that's awesome, i hope it helps too! i'm curious, what else have you been training outside of lifting?
Just wondering what your opinion on the heavy dB snatch is I saw the Fijian rugby
S and C coach use them. They feel safer and easier than KBs.
I like them a lot actually. I go one arm when I do them.
How much cardio specific training do you include in your training? It seems like you don't value cardiovascular endurance nearly as much as strength, power, and speed. Why is that?
Edit: Not a judgment by the way, just an observation
I don’t really see why someone wouldn’t strength peak even if their primary motive is size/aesthetics because you can strength peak without sacrificing volume with the max effort conjugate method. Also don’t like this idea of size vs strength being vastly different when in reality they’re 90% intertwined. That’s why I prefer to just call it strength peaking
While I agree with point 1 and two simply from an objective as well as a subjective perspective, I have some criticism for point 3.
I don't think that (natural) bodybuilding promotes body-dysmorphia; bodybuilding is rather the tool that such people choose to reach their goal (which is no wonder). Also, dealing with something is not equal to obsessing over it. For example, trying to eat a more healthy diet does not automatically promote eating-disorders (or promote them). Trying to eat the healthiest diet may do. Improving your physique does not lead to bodydismorphia, trying to reach the "perfect physique" (and having this as your one and only goal) may do (but here is also the question, if people with an all-or-nothing mindset are not just more prone to develop such disorders).
What the hell, this video didn't appear in my notifications or in my subscriptions feed? Weird.
TH-cam has been suppressing my content for quite some time bro.
I can't bring myself to obsess over aesthetics, many other important works to do. On the other hand , I like strength and lifting.
I agree completely on this one, I was never really interested in body building. My goal is just to get really strong and lose weight you know lean up.
I agree with this video. Achilles made quick work of the bodybuilder-like Boagrius in the movie Troy. I’d rather be powerful yet graceful than over-hypertrophied and clunky.
When bodybuilding do it naturally and you will be very healthy. 👍
I can’t wait to have better knees so I can train to be athletic again
I absolutely hate when people say BB is a sport it is not at all and extremely unhealthy to have more muscle mass than your body can handle naturally.
Why I clicked this video (And YOU should too)
I could be pretty good at bodybuilding with my build and insertions but I trick and rock climb instead
There are some individuals having problematic with heart doing steroids and also hard once to calm anxiety and stuff leading to heart failurs ronnie coleman is alive jay is alive what about them ?
Whatever helps me mog the most people is the path I shall take sir
Bloatmaxxing it is then.
the "bodybuilding" you talk about in this video is not bodybuilding, its steroid assisted bodybuilding. There is no way a natural bodybuilder will get so big that it causes the joints to get damaged or not being able to perform certain tasks anymore. and its not like natural bodybuilders dont care about general fitness, I think the majority care alot, or else they would take drugs. I myself care equally about form and function of the body, thats why I train like a natural bodybuilder, because from what I have found the carryover to "real life strength" is very good (Im a part time lumberjack) while also maximizing size gains, which are already slow for a natty to begin with.
Even for "natural" bodybuilding I think that by virtue of the primary success metric being aesthetic versus performance based its never going to be particularly healthy and will always carry a high risk of body dysmorphia or other negative mental health effects. There's nothing wrong with caring about how you look but starving yourself down to 5% body fat, putting on a thong rubbing oil all over yourself and going up on stage so that people can microanalyze your body is just fucking weird. Definitely one of those things that if aliens ever land on earth they'd be like "wait, you guys do what?"
" I think that by virtue of the primary success metric being aesthetic versus performance based its never going to be particularly healthy" i could make the same argument against strength athletes. Getting fat so you can max out your bench press isn't exactly healthy either. In general being an elite athlete isn't healthy outside of the cardiovascular benefits no matter the sport
@@Spike00773 you're right but the issue is quite a lot of amateurs follow what the pros do for both bodybuilding and powerlifting, so what the other guy said about natural bodybuilding not being healthy is very relevant because people try to distinguish natural bodybuilding from untested like one is healthy when it clearly isn't. Powerlifters need the same wake-up call too, don't get me wrong.
@@111kino I would say that real natural bodybuilding is healthy. It won't maximize your fitness stats like alec talked about, but it's a generally healthy specialization
@@Spike00773 you mean personalized natural bodybuilding or just the bodybuilding shows with actual naturals? Because there's a massive difference as one can easily be made generalized while the other is horribly obsessed with leanness.
@@111kino Yes i mean personalized natural bodybuilding. Natural bodybuilding contests that just imitate pro bodybuilding is as you said not healthy at all. But i don't think this is what natural bodybuilders should be doing. Trying to get unnaturally lean at the cost of your health is outright stupid
What would you say to a bodybuilder who is really good at cardio?
That's he's probably not a very good bodybuilder.
Bodybuilding used to just mean one is in the gym and lifting weights a lot to get stronger and bigger.
Not anymore!
im RPG character
strength 7
perception 6
endurance 6
charisma 4
intellect 8
agility 8
luck 4
Bodybuild by all means, just don't blast steroids, or PEDs, or sarms.
imagine opening a door and pulling a bicep.
Most of this is only relevant if you are taking the copious amounts of drugs necessary to become so large that the size of your muscles actually becomes a problem. If you are natural you can use a more well -rounded approach to training and fitness and develop the same physique that you would otherwise develop if you only trained for bodybuilding. You simply won't get that big without drugs.
I largely agree with this sentiment.
I would add the issue of wasted time on things like isolated calves and delts training.
"as it's sole and solitary purpose is form" Isn't there this thing named grammar? Red thumb.
Colloquialism or colloquial language is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conversation and other informal contexts.[1] Colloquialism is characterized by wide usage of interjections and other expressive devices; it makes use of non-specialist terminology, and has a rapidly changing lexicon. It can also be distinguished by its usage of formulations with incomplete logical and syntactic ordering.
The problem is that most people don't know that "body building" is. I guarantee you a lot of people think you're referring to any training for aesthetics.
I don't think that bicep curls are inherently evil, and any working out of any kind will have you looking more aesthetic than fusing with your toilet seat, but I do believe that, natural or not, if you take your body fat under 5% you've been damaging your health for a while, and this is independent of how frequently you participate in it.
That being said, if it's what you love, far be it from the guy who races motorcycles for fun to wag my finger and stop you. They being said, damaging my body isn't the result of success in my activity, and I also don't feel the need to justify my decision to do something dangerous, which a lot of bodybuilders love to do.
You're hurting yourself. If it's what you love to do that's that it is, but don't sit here and use mental gymnastics to try and say otherwise.
Yeah I’m more of a power lifter bodybuilding has some issues.
Currently trying to run a one shot mage build.
Powerlifting at the higher levels isn’t drug free either. I think resistance training whether you choose to emphasize strength gains or bodybuilding, is good for your health in the long run. I think bodybuilding with an emphasis on being semi-lean, can be argued to be slightly healthier than being bear mode all the time and going only for strength PRs; but this is a very binary way of looking at it; tons of powerlifters have diet control and tons of bodybuilders have trash diets and lifestyles.
I think everyone should be walking or running everyday too on top of whatever resistance training they do.
where did you get the lat pulldown attachment at 6:00?
Its from a set I found on Amazon. Can't remember the brand, but they're legit! Just search for pulldown handles and you'll stumble across this type eventually.
Bodybuilding and performance or fitness doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive
I like your energy. HAHA it makes me feel giggly
Sounds like a good thing to me!
I respect you but this one is a cold take. If you look only at natural bodybuilding from it's inception to it's current state in youtube fitness you will see that it was born from the diversification of training goals and it largely stayed that way. In fact if you think about it the bodybuilder is the one that is most free to do the activity he pleases, as he has little need to keep things in line with specificity, being able to borrow to a great extent from calisthenics, powerlifting, and yes even strongman and weightlifting if he is smart about it. Furthermore bodybuilding workouts don't incur as much fatigue as most other modes of training so if he wants to develop other abilities as side goals he is the most free to do so as the impact in his ability to grow muscle is minimal.
The point about mobility is bad as well, as having tons of muscle doesn't impede in any way the development of mobility (you don't even have to leave his site to find the likes of jujimufu doing the splits with pro bodybuilding sized legs), also smart bodybuilders will normally employ full ROM exercises and develop size (and consequently strength) on small muscles most other trainers wouldn't, both things that actually IMPROVE mobility and general injury prevention. It has been shown that a lot of "bulletproofing" a joint can be done just trough hypertrophying the surrounding musculature alone.
Most people have multiple goals anyways, i have seen a lot of bodybuilders train for running performance specially later on in their training journey (once you built muscle it hardly goes away so you can actually afford to branch out without much detriment to your primary goal contrary to per example a olympic weightlifter), and most other fitness things honestly can be treated as bucket list goals like being able to dunk, do the splits, do a backflip, run a mile in X amount of time and so on.
The whole concept of training for fitness was born with bodybuilding, a "sport" invented by strongman with backgrounds in gymnastics and wrestling and farming looking to develop general physicality, hence Physical Culture, that later on came to be know as bodybuilding. Really the only attribute that bodybuilders will rarely develop is power, things like hang power olympic lifts are generally bad for hypertrophy, but even then there is a argument to be made for the place of high pulls, push presses, kettle-bell swings, box-jumps and the like in a bodybuilder's program.
In conclusion while it is true that a bodybuilder doesn't need to develop much strength, mobility, speed, endurance and power to be big, he is probably the kind of lifter that is the most versatile with the attributes he can choose to develop. Personally i find it a fun challenge to choose exercises and programming practices that benefit hypertrophy and aid with performance in some other kind of fitness without the detriment of one or the other. You will notice that there is few things that you can do that absolutely have to be done only for bodybuilding's sake, specially as there is many ways to build muscle many times without a clear indication of which one is inherently superior.
Hell i enjoyed writing this way too much so sorry for the long essay 😅.
All good my man! We can agree to disagree. I stand by what I said as it is largely based on what I have observed over the years where idealism and reality often (unfortunately) do not line up with each other by and large. Thanks for keeping it respectful and I hope you enjoyed the video and were able to get something out of it in spite of your philosophical disagreement of the premise!
@@EnkiriElite Thanks for the response bro 😊! I'm a long term fan of the channel and your opinion of bodybuilding is not really new to me so it's safe to say i enjoyed the video! It's good to have your point of view challenged and i thank you for doing a good job at that.
I do think that most of your points apply to 99% of bodybuilding and the notion people have of it but that's why i thought it was important to try to differentiate sort of my view of what bodybuilding is from the mainstream.
Natural bodybuilding is the way
No to mention it's full of toxic people though I detest that word. Go to any half arse bodybuilding gym and you'll find a bunch of passive aggressive people that never mentally or emotionally matured past the 10th grade
Great video!