physique page

[ms sage]

Hi all! I have been observing some of the before and after pics. There certainly are some amazing transformations. But I have noticed several of the people look rather emaciated, kind of like how long distance runners look. Gaunt, I guess. The arms appear to have no definition whatsoever.

As a personal trainer, this leads me to believe there is a lot more walking and sprinting going on as opposed to lifting heavy things. Not that I want to see big, bulging muscles, but I do think some definition looks fabulous. I would think grok and his lady would look a little more buff than emaciated due to their lifestyle.

Has anyone else noticed this? As a trainer I run folks through all kinds of upper body programs with great results (per what the client wants) . Myself, I am a total mesomorph body type and if I do much beyond pushups and pull ups I begin to get too big and bulky. I can easily punch out 20 pushups and am working on improving my pull ups. Love it makes me feel strong!

What is your upper body routine?

[Knifegill]

I'm boring. I can do a one-armed chin-up per arm after I've rested for a few days. Otherwise, I usually bang out a set of 20 pull-ups, and then subsequent sets that are usually something like 15, 10, 8, and a pitiful, but SLOW REP 1 or 2 last rep. Pushups, I drop and do a set of thirty, keep walking, drop and do a second set of thirty, keep walking, and after the second set my numbers go down, slowly. I also swing on the rings like an orangutan. A lot. And do hand-over-hand horizontal pole movement, and whatever spontaneous movements occur to me. Plyometric dips are a favorite, basically just down, up and throw myself into the air at the top. Really works the lats.

I lift two dumbbells, 55 pounds each, symmetrically, squat to lift, stand straight, and do three or four reps, from neutral grip at the side to supinated at the top, slowly lower the weights, do some shrugs, maybe a farmer carry, squat to put them back down when my forearms are telling me I'm about to drop the darn things, repeat.

I bicycle a lot, and have been afraid to sprint since reading about heart injuries.

[workinprogress]

Upper body, I do pullups and dips. Whole body, I do back squats.

[RichMahogany]

Hi all! I have been observing some of the before and after pics. There certainly are some amazing transformations. But I have noticed several of the people look rather emaciated, kind of like how long distance runners look. Gaunt, I guess. The arms appear to have no definition whatsoever.

As a personal trainer, this leads me to believe there is a lot more walking and sprinting going on as opposed to lifting heavy things. Not that I want to see big, bulging muscles, but I do think some definition looks fabulous. I would think grok and his lady would look a little more buff than emaciated due to their lifestyle.

Has anyone else noticed this? As a trainer I run folks through all kinds of upper body programs with great results (per what the client wants) . Myself, I am a total mesomorph body type and if I do much beyond pushups and pull ups I begin to get too big and bulky. I can easily punch out 20 pushups and am working on improving my pull ups. Love it makes me feel strong!

What is your upper body routine?

Can you give examples of people you think look "gaunt?" I haven't really felt that way, but I haven't spent too much time in the b&a's.

It's definitely a quicker process to take off fat than it is to add muscle mass. I'd posit that someone who was starting out very out of shape might have to go below their optimal weight and work back up. And that they might post their skinny photos because of the (rightful) sense of accomplishment they feel at having lost a lot of "bad" weight, even if they haven't achieved a modern ideal of fitness.

In other words, I would like to see your sources, but even if they show what you suggest, I don't think your assumptions (that they're doing more walking & sprinting than LHT) are reasonable.

[EvRevFit]

Walking and sprinting alone won't cause someone to look emaciated. In fact, walking isn't demanding enough to cause a muscle breakdown for fuel and sprinting actually stimulates growth hormone production. Some people don't lift weights, that's true...and as a fellow personal trainer I believe that most people would look better with about 10lbs more useful muscle mass...but it is a bit of an unfair judgement to assume these people "should" look a certain way. They may only be on the first steps of their journey. A lot of people start with just the diet, lose a lot of weight, then go on to start adding muscle. The purist form of this lifestyle requires a lot of changes, and not everyone is going to jump in head first...or ever immerse themselves completely. We are trying to get healthier first, and look better second (and who's to judge what 'looking better' means to someone else, anyway?).

[Owly]

Currently, pullups, chinups, pushups, and dips, mostly. I was doing Crossfit but had to take the summer off because I couldn't afford the fees. I need to do more handstands and such for pressing movements.

I don't think my arms look emaciated or definitionless at all. My most recent photo is a bit fuzzy because of the cellphone camera, but to me the muscle is still visible even unflexed.

I guess I'm not sure which photos you're referring to where people look emaciated?

[jfreaksho]

Can you give examples of people you think look "gaunt?" I haven't really felt that way, but I haven't spent too much time in the b&a's.

*snip*

In other words, I would like to see your sources, but even if they show what you suggest, I don't think your assumptions (that they're doing more walking & sprinting than LHT) are reasonable.

I feel like a lot of people have a distorted view of healthy, though I will admit I did get thinner than I wanted, and have been working hard to put on muscle. It's a bit of a tough transition for formerly overweight people to realize that they need to eat more. I didn't have much muscle under the chub, and I have to focus on eating a lot in order to add mass (in conjunction with heavy lifting, of course).

[Dirlot]

I don't focus on upper body, more of a whole body kinda guy.
Working through the upper levels of convict conditioning so lever pushups, uneven/towel pullups, handstand pushups, two and one arm hangs, pistol squats, leg raises etc. I also throw in some kettlebell and sandbag work.
Throw in some walking, biking, hiking, scrambling, sprinting and climbing I am good to go.

[Kingofturtles]

1. I think when most people try to follow the print, heavy lifting is the most common thing people ignore.

2. Did you say you were a personal trainer? But you can only do 20 pushups?

[Kingofturtles]

nvm. I see your a female. 20 pushups is excellent.