The Ideal Muscular Body, Part 1: Structure and Form
What are the ideal characteristics of a bodybuilder’s body?
People go into bodybuilding for different reasons. Some engage in
weightlifting exercises to lose weight and build muscle mass to improve their
looks.
Others engage in bodybuilding to strengthen weak muscles and joints, as in
the case of older males who are suffering from a lifetime of sedentary living.
And still some engage in the sport because they want to compete in amateur
and/or professional bodybuilding competitions.
If you’re interested in competing or if you’re simply interested in what the
industry considers the sterling characteristics of a strong and ideal
bodybuilder, you’re in luck!
Our current series will cover all of the essential traits to develop as you
proceed with your bodybuilding journey.
Note that many of these traits were derived from classical bodybuilders like
Arnold Schwarzenegger who were able to develop their fantastic physiques
without the information and pharmacological edge that young bodybuilders
have now.
What are these traits?
1. General Physical Structure
Classical bodybuilding champions the gradual development of the “Xframe.” The “X-frame” can be observed quite easily during professional
bodybuilding competitions.
Contestants have very wide shoulders, large guns, tapered muscular waists
and flaring hips. The narrowest point in the “X-frame” is always the waistline.
Though the waistline is narrow, the abdominal area is consistently built,
and this region leads to a wide and massive chest supporting equally
large shoulders.
The lower region of the bodybuilder is defined by massive, well-defined hips
and quads that are as wide and solidly built as the chest and shoulders. A
single double bicep pose should be able to show the “X-frame” in a well-built
bodybuilder.
2. Muscular Dimension and Form
Obviously, a professional bodybuilder will be evaluated and judged based on
the aesthetic merits of his physique. Like a sculpture, a professional
bodybuilder will be examined closely by the judges. It’s never enough to
simply have big muscles.
Mr. Olympia winners often have large muscles with high crests. A double
bicep post should show biceps that easily “peek out” from the rest of the
arm. The core muscles or the “six pack” should be symmetrical and there
should be as little distance as possible between the two columns of
abdominal muscle.
The lat muscles on the other hand should be positioned low with heavy
build. The wideness of the lat muscles will also be noted. Contrary to
common belief, your triceps shouldn’t be rounded and wide. They should
actually be narrow and more tapered, indicating muscle splitting and
excellent development.
The ideal shoulder can be quite difficult to attain. Amateur bodybuilders
often have a tough time measuring up to their professional counterparts
because it’s difficult to develop the shoulders to the point that it becomes a
“three-headed” shoulder with all regions emerging easily during a flex.
Professional bodybuilders typically press 200+ pounds to bring out the
extended musculature of the shoulders. It’s not an easy task, but if you have
what it takes to lift 200+ pounds later in your journey, you should be able to
achieve the “three-headed” shoulder form.
What about the legs?
Legwork is grueling for professional bodybuilders because they all aim to
produce extreme muscular prominence in their hips and calves. If you’ve tried
a heavy day on your legs, you know how painful it can be during the first few
months.
Human legs are designed for walking, climbing and running. Anything
beyond these three activities requires major re-engineering from within… But
the results are often fantastic and worth your time!
3. Muscle-Joint Ratio and Form
In a previous blog post we talked about the relationship between bone size
and muscle size. If you have big bones, it would also be easier for you to
develop large muscles. However, this genetic reality does not actually
conform to the ideal appearance of joints in competition.
What judges are often looking for is large muscles held together by narrowlooking joints. So if you have large joints to begin with, you will have to exert
extra effort to ensure that your muscles look larger compared to your joint
size.
Of course, shorter competitors would also have to work hard to ensure that
they have a good muscle-joint ratio. However, the struggle is less strenuous
because their joint sizes are smaller than their taller counterparts.
The obvious problem areas for many competitors are the shoulders, arms
and legs. There is no shortcut: you have to ensure that the muscles wrapped
around these joints are worked out thoroughly to gain sufficient size to dwarf
the supporting joints.