Many guys just getting into bodybuilding or strength training often find themselves in a mad love affair with the bench press. I have witnessed many of my peers develop a sudden interest in being able to impress everyone (especially the other guys) with how much they bench. I will admit, at one point, I was obsessed with the bench press but I never compromised my other lifts due to this stubborn, lustful infatuation. Naturally, I didn’t have a choice as I was introduced to strength training as a result of being involved in athletics. Coach said “you WILL do rows and deadlifts or you will get the hell out of my facility!”
The main point I want to bring to your attention today is the importance of training the non-mirror muscles and in this part we will be discussing vanity. So many young guys develop this grandiose obsession with building a huge chest and a big bench that they often neglect their back, shoulders, traps and lower body altogether. There is a fundamental flaw in this approach to training. You can only go so long and get so strong before you run into a myriad of problems.
The number one reason guys in their late teens and early twenties begin training is to look great naked. Coming in at a close second, you have the guys who want to become as strong as humanly possible. A major way to display dominance is through being bigger and/or stronger than our peers. This is quite common for the male animal.
Building a Balanced Physique
What we fail to realize is that working the body parts we do not see will do wonders for our long term aesthetic development. I am sure many of you have seen the bench jockey who possesses a large chest and decent shoulders but is lacking everywhere else. His back has no shape, his traps are non-existent, his legs resemble toothpicks while his arms and shoulder girdle seem to be pulled forward somewhat. This is not what you would consider the balanced physique and if he were to step on a bodybuilding stage, he’d place last and probably be laughed at.
The goal of building a beautiful physique is to possess both balance and symmetry. There is only one way to do this and it begins by making smart exercise selections when constructing your training program. In short, you must balance your pushes and pulls. If you are doing 3 sets of horizontal pressing, balance that out with 3 sets of horizontal pulling. If you are doing 5 sets of leg extensions, balance it with 5 sets of glute-ham raises.
If you’ve a problem with designing your own programming, hire someone to do it for you. I have learned so much from handing my training over to other strength and fitness professionals. Nowadays I mainly do this to relieve myself of worrying about my own training. It’s easier to let someone else run the show for a while, especially while I am studying and doing the college thing.
Here are some workout examples to give you an idea of how to put the pieces together:
Upper/lower Split with a training frequency of 4x per week.
Upper(core) Day:
Bench 4×5
Rows 4×5
Incline DB Flyes 3×8-10
Chins 3×8-10
Font shoulder raises 2×10-12
Rear lateral raises 2×10-12
Followed by lots of prehab work to keep the shoulders healthy!
Lower(limb) Day:
Squat 4×5
RDL 3×8
Split squat 2×10-12
GHR 2×10-12
Bicep curls 2×8-10
Tricep extensions 2×8-10
Full body with a training frequency of 3x per week. 2 separate workouts alternating every other day.
A
Bench press 4×6-8
Rows 4×6-8
Squat 5×5
Leg curl 3×8
Abs 3×8
B
Military press 4×6-8
Weighted chins 4×6-8
Romanian Deadlift 5×5
Leg extension 3×8
Hyperextension 3×8
These are just examples of how you would balance out the loads with an equal amount of reps per body part. The only time you would ever do more reps/work for a certain muscle group is if you were doing a specialization cycle, which would only last 4-6 weeks before shifting emphasis to another muscle group. I will dedicate an entire article (series maybe) to specialization training.
Vanity – The Real Reason
Let’s be real – I wouldn’t have it any other way. I will admit it and many other folks can testify as well. We(a majority of us) train because we want to look great naked. If you ask any random dude in the gym about why he lifts, he’ll often say because he wants to look “healthy” or “in shape” but deep down, secretly he does it because he wants to look better than the next guy.
This is largely due to some societal pressures we are bombarded with daily. Walk into any department store to purchase some socks and undergarments and you will see the midsection of a fitness model that is in wonderful shape with a full row of abs on display.
Walk down the street and you see a bus go by with an ad of the latest reality show. You see two half nude people, both male and female in spectacular shape. These are the main reasons we’re pursuing this obsession to look great with our clothes on the floor.
Now, as I stated earlier, many guys train because they want to outdo the male next to him. Ask him what girls like on a man and they will usually respond with “big guns, a huge chest and ripped abs.” This is hardly the truth. While I believe girls are indeed attracted to those features, if you were to ask the women themselves, they’d state they are more interested in men’s glutes, backside and overall shape (and confidence, too) instead of having huge arms or a big chest. If I am wrong ladies, please correct me, seriously.
In short, we (men) are generally interested in outdoing each other in the weight room and in the aesthetic department. The same goes for girls. The stuff they believe guys are interested in is often mediocre to what we truly look for in women.
If you don’t believe me, just pick up a bodybuilding magazine for men. What features are on display? You see big chests, ripped abs and 20-inch arms. There are no shots of dudes asses or back (on the front cover at least). These are the features women seem to be more interested in, aesthetically speaking.
Pick up a magazine for women and read the ad copy. What do you see? What do you notice? It’s usually a bunch of stuff that guys could care less about, but women think this advice will increase their chances of landing a mate.
All the things we (both sexes) worry about are imposed and (often falsely) influenced by the same sex.
Okay, I’ve rambled on a bit, and this topic is definitely for different article completely. However, I am sure you get the point. We often train for vanity purposes and that is okay; it’s wonderful, actually. Just make sure you don’t fail to neglect the muscles you don’t see because they will even out and complete the ultimate aesthetic look you’re going for.
Next time I will cover the importance of training the non-mirror muscles from an injury prevention standpoint.
One more thing; I was working on an article on intermittent fasting and meal frequency when RogLaw let me know of his latest article he posted today. Check it out: Death to Cake!
True, I still see guys doing this. I knew a dude who used to go to they gym and be just so stuck on chest and biceps. I’d see him every other day, he may slip 2 sets of triceps or back and then back to endless sets of biceps. Some addiction.
Mark Martinez,
JC, I just discovered your blog – brief yet insightful entries, keep them coming!
The apparent paradox you describe here is easily resolved: Rather than attracting the other sex, male bodybuilders aim at intimidating their own sex.
This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective: a man sporting big guns and a barrel chest looks like a more dangerous opponent in a physical confrontation, raising his status in the male dominance hierarchy by several notches.
This may also be an advantage in matters of reproduction, as potential rivals will be scared off.
However, I can’t offer a convincing explanation why the beauty ideals promoted in women’s magazines are so different from what men desire. I have the feeling that it’s basically the same with women (i. e. that they are more interested in the reactions they get from other women than in attracting suitors), but I really can’t fathom the underlying mechanism.
That’s really great post. I am very much moved by the way you have projected. As an athlete we are always convicted by our old school of thoughts that more was better; that long, slow workouts were much more beneficial – for health and fitness – than short bursts of intense exertion. The more we have acquainted with this wild situation the worst we have faced our injury and sometimes it is difficult to cope with this situation. Thanks a lot as you have enlightened us a lot.
Tru dat man. Yeah nothing is WORSE than a ripped physique with absolutely no trap muscles. Have you seen this shit? Massive dudes with chest and arms and have no traps… they look like walking shipping containers with a mouth. Ridiculous. Anyways, this is a good topic bro… glad you covered it.
Hey JC,
just discovered your blog lookin around on lyle’s website.
great post! at our university, we only have ONE squat rack, and it’s empty half of the time. most of the kids are busy lining up near the arm/ab machines. I’ll have to admit after I started doing squats/DLs I felt alot better
I will continue to frequent your blog, keep it up
God, I loved this post! It drives me crazy to see the guys at the gym, especially younger ones, working either the chest or the biceps. Nothing on the bottom half in terms of legs & butt, no back, no triceps. OMG, I laugh to myself!
As for what women want, yes, I love to look at a well proportioned body that is not overkill BUT I really want a guy that loves me for who I am & will treat me right.. meaning I am always right!
I have been married for going on 27 years this October so my hubby is doing something right & no, he is not a weight/gym person!
awww how sweet.
Been married longer than I’ve been alive… So awesome! That is incredible!
OH NO, I am old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great post JC! It’s such an important message. You were lucky to have a great coach that recognized the importance of posterior chain development.
word. I am very lucky indeed.
Meh, you’re just sore about that injury you developed from Flat Bench.
But that’s still a pretty well-rounded (and typically neglected) perspective as usual.
LOL. I have you know I am back to flat benching again and am near previous greatness(not too impressive, tho).
JC, you are so right about this at least from a woman’s perspective. There’s nothing stranger-looking to us than a man with a huge chest, neck, and arms but with scrawny legs and no butt. It just appears obsessive, and to us that’s a red flag that the gym may be more important to you than other things. I think most girls would agree that *physical* sex appeal lies in a proportionate physique that looks strong and trim but not overly bulky or cut in any one place. That said, I know that your fitness goals are personal and that you do it for yourself, not the ladies. But women especially know how easy it is to get obsessed with a few body parts and lose sight of the big picture. Which is silly, because the strength we care most about is in your brain and your heart. Rippled abs look nice on a billboard, but in reality they have never, ever been something I seek in a boyfriend. I’d rather have a comfy place to rest my head after a crappy day at work!
Maureen,
thanks a lot for the commentary. It’s nice to have a reminder now and then that women aren’t as concerned with our appearance as we are! (goes both ways, I suppose)
Awesome article dude! I agree with the whole big chest/bench thing, I used to see this in high school all the time.
I also always see POOR form in the gym when it comes to benching. People are obsessed with putting massive amounts of weight on the bar without proper technique.
And, I would have to agree that it is more about overall physique, personality and confidence a girl wants. I still don’t understand why most guys think a big bench and a stupid ego attitude is going to get them the right girl.
Looking forward to the next part!