A common misconception among new gym goers is ‘Lifting weights is going to make me big and bulky‘.
Along the same lines are statements like:
- I don’t want to get too big
- I put on muscle really easily
- I don’t want to look muscle bound
Ok, so spoiler alert – no one ever got big by accident.
Training at the gym and eating healthy will most likely lead to an increase in lean muscle mass and a reduction in body fat over the long term, but it won’t leave you looking like a bodybuilder, powerlifter or professional cross fit competitor.
Why do athletes look the way they do?
To understand why these athletes look the way they do, while you can train like a demon for 5 days a week but are guaranteed to not look like them, we need to understand what it is they’re actually doing.
1. Intent – Bodybuilders, cross fitters, powerlifters and strongmen are all training with the express intent to be great in their respective fields. This means that every workout, meal and supplement is geared towards them getting as big, strong, fast and powerful as possible.
2. Nutrition – in order to support the frame and workload required to be one of these athletes, you’ll need to eat like them. A lot of these competitors will consume anywhere from 3000-7000 calories per day. For reference, the recommendation for the average female in Australia is anywhere from 1800-2000 calories per day.
3. Training program – your training program would need to reflect that of an athlete. Think something designed by a coach in your respective field, 4-6 training sessions per week, along with targeted recovery sessions. Disclaimer* Brooke Ence’s training program is probably a little more intense than the one you’re currently following.
4. Supplementation – In addition to training with intent, eating a significant caloric surplus and having a specialised coach, you’ll also need to invest in over the counter, and in the vast majority of cases, pharmaceutical grade supplements. This may be shocking to some, but a lot of people that look superhuman look that way because they’ve (in addition to working insanely hard) have had the help of pharmaceutical grade testosterone, peptides and/or growth hormone.
So, if you’re not eating like a powerlifter, training like an athlete or taking performance enhancing drugs like a bodybuilder, you’re not going to look like someone who is. Simple.
