Is it Hard to Achieve a Bodybuilder-like Physique?
Jul 17, 2024 mindpumpAchieving a bodybuilder-like physique can be a challenging task, depending on what your definition and goal is. If you are trying to look like anyone on the IFBB Pro, or Olympia stage, then we’re having an entirely different discussion altogether.
I think the first thing to establish if that’s the case is genetics, and steroids. I don’t want to diminish the hard work these guys put in to get where they are. They are busting their asses in the gym. I recently watched a video where Chris Bumstead talked about how genetics puts them all at the same playing field. It’s what small tweaks they then make alongside that that separate how they place. So hard work (which we’ll get into) is a factor. But from a pure aesthetic standpoint, I think it’s worth mentioning what’s realistic.
A bodybuilder with great genetics and ZERO steroid use, believe it or not, will still look better than a lifter on steroids with bad genetics. We aren’t just talking size here. The fullness of their muscle bellies, the symmetry of their muscles to each other (think nice V taper), and the height and bone structure that allows them to put on that size in the first place. One thing I’ve always been taught is to measure your wrist and ankles. If you don’t have a thick bone structure, then you most likely don’t have a massive frame to pack on lots of muscle. That isn’t to say you can’t create an incredible physique, but it helps to set expectations.
For example, I am 5’10, my arms and wrists aren’t more than 8-9 inches in circumference. I’ve been lifting for over 15 years. If I wanted to stay at around 9-10% body fat, I can’t really get past 180lbs. When I bulk, I can get up to 190 and still be within 15%, but any more and I’d pack on fat. The guys on stage are COMFORTABLY cruising at 200+ without even trying. I was just not built to be massive. Having said that, I have people tell me all the time that when I cut down, I look like I weigh 190 because I’ve put in years to maximize my physique and bring the best shape I can.
Consistency
So now let’s get into what creates the best possible physique. It requires consistency. Let’s remember, I have put 15+ years into lifting. I’ve optimized my protein intake, food timing, and follow a proper workout regimen that allows for progressive overload. I’ve used all the intensity techniques, and workout splits as experiments to see what my body responds best to. After doing all that, I can tell you consistency is what has allowed me to look the way I do. You will put on 80-90% of your genetic potential within the first 5-8 years of consistent, optimized programming like mentioned above. You may spend the rest of your training career chasing that last 10%.
Training and Nutrition
So, what does that training look like? I highly encourage experimenting with it all. I’d love to give you the one size fits all answer, but if you are familiar with our MAPS programs, you’ll see that each program is very different from each other and that’s on purpose. At the end of the day, as with all things in life, individual response matters. I find I do best on a push/pull split or a full body 5-day split. As I start to chase that last 10% of my genetic potential, I find I need more volume than I needed starting out to elicit gains.
When you are just starting out, the beauty of it is you will respond to anything because the stimulus is so fresh and your potential is so great. A 3-day, full body approach will get you there. It makes sure you are constantly sending the muscle building signal to your ENTIRE body to grow (whereas a body part split makes you wait 7 days before you send that muscle growing signal to a body part again). You want the minimal effective dose to elicit the most amount of change. There is no reason to do more if you are seeing change. You can’t SPEED up results. Sure, intensity techniques like drop sets, or increasing set volume can help, but sticking to the basics are what will get you there quicker. That is focusing on compound lifts and spending time alternating between low, moderate and higher rep ranges.
If you are really trying to optimize your progress in the gym, nutrition plays a far more important factor. Make sure you are getting 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight so you are providing enough fuel to allow for muscle growth. Get enough carbs and fats to fuel your body and put your calories into a surplus. Being in a surplus is KEY. If you are at maintenance or in a deficit, you may find it’s harder to see growth. Your gym sessions are when you break muscle tissue down. Your eating is when you are building it back up. Without enough tools to repair, how can we expect to grow? Watch any of Chris Bumstead’s videos and you will see how meticulous he is about, not even just with protein intake, but his digestion and gut health, as well as his sleep. It literally becomes a full-time job to look that good.
Mental Hurdle
Along your muscle building journey, you will inevitably hit a plateau. That is totally expected. That is why I encourage experimentation with different training programs. We can’t expect to do one training program for our entire careers (even if it is “the best”) and expect to grow year after year. Eventually we become desensitized to that stimulus and need to change things up. It can become mentally taxing to go seemingly weeks where you don’t see any changes. That’s okay. Look at the bigger picture. The farther you go in your journey, the less it’s about what’s happening week to week, but year to year. Are you improving your lifts year to year? Then you are progressing. That’s what it comes down to when you hit the advanced level because you are so close to your genetic ceiling.
Risks
The other thing to keep in mind is the risk of this constant, extreme dieting and training. I’ve definitely had my waves of bad body dysmorphia, that even when I was looking lean and great, I felt like I looked like a twig when comparing myself to others. Try your best not to fall into this trap. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself from the year before. These pro bodybuilders also have the mental hurdles of getting into competition shape (less than 5% body fat) where their metabolisms are going through stress, as well as their bodies. Manage this carefully.
