Does this type of physique need weight training? Or would bodyweight training accomplish it?

[dulcinee]

Asanee Suwan -- Beautiful Boxer (2003) Movie Pic 1

Asanee Suwan -- Beautiful Boxer (2003) Movie Pic 2

I'm quite anxious that if I'm not super careful, I could gain more mass than would be necessary for this physique. If that happens, I would be too big for that build (and there would be no going back -- i.e. I'd have no way to become 'less bulky').

What are your guys' recommendations on how I can achieve this build? (I'm 26, male, and currently have a lean martial arts physique. I'm hesitating to start lifting weights because I don't want to get bigger than the physique shown in the pics.)

 

[rileyargo]

@dulcinee worrying about becoming "too bulky" is kind of a meme in the fitness community. so long as you stay off gear this is not generally a problem that most regular people encounter.

 

[dulcinee]

@rileyargo Would it be better to stay with just body weight for this or to use smaller weights/bands at the gym? I’m still pretty worried about getting bigger than I want to get. Would be no going back once that happens

 

[rileyargo]

@dulcinee that's not really a problem unless you are an extreme outlier in terms of ability to pack on muscle and/or are on anabolic steroids, the chances of getting "too big" are really very small. don't be afraid to lift heavy! it's very very hard to get big

And actually its quite easy to backtrack if that ever did happen - it's not like you wouldn't notice it and all of a sudden you're 250 lbs and jacked AF lol. if you notice certain parts of your physique are looking bigger than you'd like- you simply reduce the volume (exercise choice, sets, reps or weight) that target that body part. there's no need to avoid lifting heavy or just stick to bands/bodyweight. In fact, you'll find yourself very challenged to keep employing progressive overload without eventually moving to weighted exercise, thereby limiting your total potential and eventually plateauing (potentially even short of your goal physique).

most skilled elite athletes use weights to some degree (even calisthenics) because you can only go so far with body weight or bands. your inspiration photo guy looks like a boxer, he 100% lifts moderate to heavy weight.

 

[dulcinee]

@rileyargo Wow, thanks for that great reply.

The “too big” thing, for me, is: Lean P90X result (pic on the right too big; pic on the left — pre-transformation — looks great) I don’t think this P90X user went any higher than moderate weights during his journey. Therefore, I just imagine that if I stick to moderate weights (like the boxer, you mentioned, probably used), I may end up looking like this P90X guy (who seems slightly bigger than the boxer — and I mean in the pic on the right) rather than the boxer (and the boxer is what I’d prefer!). Lol.

And I don’t imagine that progressive overload is necessary beyond once I’ve reached that boxer’s physique, right? I just figure progressive overloading until I can get to that build level, then plateauing from that point, forward, is not a bad thing (since I’d want to maintain the physique I’d attained by that point, rather than to grow even bigger than that boxer build).

Sorry to make you write a novel I appreciate it!

 

[lydia197200]

@dulcinee Totally doable bodyweight
This guy is mostly lean not really muscular

 

[dulcinee]

@lydia197200 I guess lean is the keyword. It just confuses me what lean actually is since a quick google search tells me that lean looks like this: Lean from P90X (I’m referring to the right pic, where the lean results are shown once he’s transformed.)

P90X is supposed to get you ‘lean’. But I surely don’t want to look as muscular as the guy in the P90X pic. I’m kind of just spinning my wheels now

 

[lydia197200]

@dulcinee Lean is low body fat. That’s all it means.

 

[dulcinee]

@lydia197200 Ah. Thanks