— Leave a Comment

Lifting weights for aesthetics and strength

Strength, aesthetics, and overall improvement of quality of life.

That’s what a lot of gym goers are seeking.

The benefits of strength has been explored many times, but I’ll just say that it feels good to stronger.

He looks alright

He looks alright

We are going to talk about aesthetics. This is a complicated subject because everyone has these perceptions:

  • What do I think about my body?
  • What do I think that other people think about my body?
  • What do people actually think about my body?

What are the characteristics of an aesthetic physique?

It’s well known that men would prefer to have greater mass overall, whereas women say they would rather be attracted to a man with a slimmer more athletic physique. My overarching theme here is that first and foremost you should lift weights for whatever reasons you want to, and pursue goals relentlessly.

This, however, is a topic about aesthetics, so if you are interested read on.

Aesthetic physiques typically:

  • Fit, athletic, good muscle tone
  • Balanced, symmetrical
  • Move with ease, flexible yet strong, poise of a Greek God.
  • Healthy skin tone (from fruits/vegetables and sun exposure)
  • Look as if they are able to perform functionally (mass monsters need not apply)

So it seems like aesthetics are the underlying factors of physical attractiveness. It’s about looks, yet it’s about what it looks like that aesthetic person is capable of. It’s about what it looks like that person has in terms of personality traits and confidence.

If you had the body of a Greek God, wouldn’t you find confidence in those accomplishments.

How to Train for Aesthetics

Now I could tell you to squat, deadlift, and bench press and then see what happens. Some people will turn out great, while others will have obvious weak points that detract from their physique. In other words, everyone is built differently and requires unique modifications to their training based on limb length, torso size, prior injuries, etc.

And yet, I will still tell you to Deadlift, Squat, and Bench Press because this will help to build AND measure your overall strength. Some people hardly deadlift, except to see where their strength levels are at.

The major lifts are the foundation, then from there on all you have to do is hit the muscles from different angles and rep ranges. WITH INTENSITY.

Beast mode should definitely be activated during those crucial moments.

Natural vs unnatural

For people who choose to not use steroids/AAS, the gains will come differently and the training will be different as well. Just don’t expect to look big and shredded like the people in the magazines unless you’re willing to use the same chemicals they do.

A very famous strongman from the old days

Overall, I’d say that general population appreciates a natural physique in terms of aesthetics. There is more value to the strength because it is unassisted.

Eat clean, train hard, and sleep well.

Then do it consistently.

Physical Fitness by Dre
— Leave a Comment

Why Bodyweight Training is Essential for Fitness

Bodyweight exercise has existed before any other kind.

Whether humans were running along the fertile ground near rivers or performing feats of strength as ritual, the ability to have control over one’s body is more human than any other training.

These guys didn’t wake up one day and do a handstand… no — they trained for it.

Rediscover the benefits of bodyweight exercise

  • Exercise in a natural range of motion
  • Metabolic boosts, calorie burning
  • Improved recovery capacity and less stress on the central nervous system
  • Typically supports joint health and muscles which stabilize the joint
  • Lean muscle tone

Why don’t more people do bodyweight training?

Even though there are many subcultures of fitness which are entirely dedicated to bodyweight training, the truth is that most people have a failure to appreciate the difficulty of bodyweight exercises.

The Planche is a static hold requiring tension throughout the entire body. This is an advanced position requiring many months of progression and exercises as well as a lean physique with low body fat.

The result, however, is an incredibly fit individual. This is just an example of how bodyweight exercises can increase in difficulty by changing the levers of the exercise. What was once a push up position now supports the entire body in the air.

The cons of bodyweight exercise

Gaining the strength, skill, coordination to perform advanced variations is difficult enough. Moreover, most people simply don’t have the physique (at this point in time) to be able to perform advanced exercises.

So most people are forced to begin with simple variations on bodyweight exercises and they feel very humbled by how much trouble they have. Instead of doing bodyweight exercises, many gym-goers go off and use implements such as dumbbells and machines. People with large body mass or people with significant excess body fat will have difficulty performing bodyweight exercises.

“Older” guys can do it too. Jack Lalane showing his fingertip push up skills.

On the flip side, people with very LOW body mass (skinny people) may have more trouble building muscle mass from bodyweight exercises alone because their bodies are not forced to move as much weight. For example, if a 130 pound guy does 20 chin ups, versus a 200 pound guy who does 15 chin ups — who do you think will have bigger arms and back as a result of chin up practice? Most likely the larger guy.

Embrace the challenge

This man realized the benefits of bodyweight training in association with weighted implement training.

The more I learn about the human body, the more I realize that bodyweight exercises should be foundational and not supplemental. The joint health benefits alone are significant enough, and then you should also remember the coordination and functional benefits as well.

Physical Fitness by Dre
— 1 Comment

Learning from Bodybuilding, Success, and the Zyzz

Ripped, muscular bodies.

How many boys have dreamed big? Like Superheo big. Thanks to human nature and cultural media, we have become overexposed to ideals of perfection.

“I bench press 2,000 pounds”

The perfect body is so very alluring. The look is beauty with strength, a sort of gentle confidence that exudes power over the situation. Of course, the personality is the foundation for all exterior vessels of humanity.

Zyzz was willing to try anything once

While many guys find comfort in video games and DVDs, Zyzz pushed beyond himself. Despite his devil-may-care attitude, he inspired many young men in Australia, North America, and worldwide.

Zyzz (Before) Body type: Scrawny. Interests: World of Warcraft and seeking lulz

Enough is enough.

Think about the last time you reached a breaking point.

It’s the same thing with fitness. Actually, it’s the same as it relates to EVERY type of modification to the body. You realize that it’s worth the effort or money to do something today — now.

The Aesthetic ideal… Zyzz?

If you asked any guy in the world if he could wake up tomorrow and have that body…

Zyzz gained fame for his philosophy of aesthetics over mass.

Zyzz personified what most people thought to be the ideal physique.

The downfall of Zyzz

No one is invincible to the forces of nature. When the body composition changes drastically, the body is pressured to seek homeostasis. So if you are constantly on fire, building muscle or downing drugs, you will realize that the exterior isn’t always the best marker of health.

Zyzz was inspirational, no doubt. Sure, he was young and reckless, but he was passionate. You could feel it, you wanted him to call you a, “s*ck c*nt,” which became an Australian battle-cry to motivate yourself to train harder and eat better! To be known as a, “s*ck c*nt,” was to be known as the type of person who would get up, move heavy objects, and maintain a healthy appetite for food. It was motivational for young men in the stage of defining their masculinity.

After a few too many laboratory produced cocktails, Zyzz passed away in a fatal Thai steam room. Later reports mentioned an undiagnosed heart condition, but made no comment as to whether the anabolic steroids played a role in his death. R.I.P. sir, you will remain a key figure in the society of aesthetic bodybuilding.

Video contains mature language.

What lessons to learn from Zyzz?

The first is passion and execution. You must get the fire in your system, then go out and perform through progressively more challenging physical activities.

Secondly is that to promote effectively, it helps to get out there. He understood that his body was a major attraction to be inspired by, proud of, or any other type of attraction a person may feel. Being ripped out of your mind will definitely separate you from the pack.

Lastly is the finalé of Zyzz. He perished due to his ride high lifestyle. His body was seeking homeostasis and all it was receiving was more stimulation. As a result, the body will eventually go numb.

The inspiration lives on…

I take this valuable lesson for Zyzz. Be whoever you want to be and don’t be afraid to do it. You can make changes in your own life and in the life of others by being inspired.

Zyzz made an incredible change.

As for the natural vs anabolic steroids discussion, I will leave that for another post. This blog post is just one more dedication to the shortened life of Zyzz.

Blog & Personality Celebrity's & Weight Loss