Dogmatichaos’s BodyBlog

So I have to kind of wonder what the consensus definition of bodybuilder is, and if I should have a profile on bodybuilding.com.

The thing is, I have no desire or plan to ever compete in a bodybuilding competition, that sort of thing just doesn’t interest me.  On a DVD I watched (it’s one of the free gifts you can get when you make a purchase in the bodybuilding.com store-arms I think) the trainer, bodybuilder, or whatever stated: "it’s not how much you can lift, it’s how much you LOOK like you can lift", which is nearly opposite of my plan.  Yes, I want to look good, but I don’t train to look good, I train to be in the best shape I can be in.  In the video, the guy obviously had a great set of lats, arms, chest, etc. etc. (and had obviously taken A LOT of steroids), but despite his looking much better than I, lifted very little, if any, more than I do.

For me, it’s not form over function, it’s definitely function first.  I train in ways that I think will make my body work in the best possible way-a side effect is that I’ve gotten bigger and slowly leaner.  In that sense, yes, I am attempting to "build my body", but as I said, not for aesthetic purposes.

So what does everyone think out there?  Can you be a bodybuilder if your goal is not to have the best looking body, but instead the best functioning one?

Well, you know that you’re doing something right when random people are asking you for advice, or just trying to copy your exercises.  The worst part is, people always seem disappointed when I give them straight answers-I think they assume I have some magic formula, unfortunately, my answers can usually be boiled down to, work hard, use good form, and stick to the good old basics.

The other day someone asked me how I got my tri’s so big, and I told him a couple of the exercises I use-and he immediately turned around and started doing the exercises wrong, so I called him on it, and he claimed that he wasn’t able to extend his arms all the way out, because he got "too big too fast."  Frankly, he wasn’t a very big guy.  Sounded to me like he just got too used to training in a limited range of motion, and wasn’t willing to sacrifice a little bit of ego and go lighter in order to train his muscles properly.  In my opinion, if you’re not strong without cheating and doing the exercise properly through the full range of motion, then you’re not really strong.

Supplements are always a fun issue too.  Once again, everyone seems to assume there’s some magic supplement out there that I’m taking, and if they too take it, they’ll gain 50lbs in no time at all.  Most newcomers I tell them just to stick with some protein and maybe some creatine, and then only if they’ve been training for at least a month or two.  If you’ve been training for 6 months or so, then you can start experimenting around, but I say why get dependant on taking handfuls of supplements.  Get your body used to working out naturally without any supplementation, and when you hit a wall like that, then maybe give something else a try.

Well, this is my first "bodyblog".  Whether or not anyone will read it, I really don’t care, I just felt it might be a good way to motivate myself, and keep on track.

 New Year equals new resolutions obviously, and while I am in great shape already (I’d say I’m in the top 95 percentile easily, I want to take it to that next step.  I have made a series of resolutions to that effect.

 1: Get my bodyfat below 6%.  Currently I’m reading between 8.5-9.5%, so realistically that’s only about 8-10lbs; however, two things are working against me.  One, my body is working REALLY hard into holding onto that last ten, and two, the one place my body still seems determined to store fat is in my belly.  So those coveted abs just ain’t happening.

2.  Get an eight pack.  The above lists the main problem, removing the fat that’s covering up my abs.  At the moment, my abs are ungodly strong, so musculature isn’t a problem…it’s just fat fat fat.

3.  Run a triatholon (sprint probably.)  This will do two things: one, get me to run a triathlon, which I’ve always wanted to do, and two, force me to not forgo cardio, as I don’t want to die come race day.  I’ve got a few possible ones in May & June which look quite doable….we shall see.

 Other than that, I’d like to overall improve my physical condition.  I’d like to keep my bodyweight around where it is right now, 230ish pounds, while gaining some "real world" strength.  That’s probably one of my biggest goals, to get an good-looking "athletic" physique, instead of having just a bunch of "gym muscles".