[Roark]

(11-05-2011 09:08 AM)November Wrote:  

I would say a 'hard' martial art (muay thai/boxing, etc.) in combination with lots of running.

I am about double the human being (in size and muscle mass) than the non-weightlifting Thai fighters are in Thailand. With the very exception of the best of the best, and at that point I assume they are doing a bit of weights.

And it's not hard to get that way. About 3 years of weightlifting properly and eating will get you close your genetic maximum potential. See Lyle McDonald's article on Genetic Potential on this.

The truth is, nutrition is what makes your physique. And if someone wants to either build or preserve muscle, then doing the sport that actually aims at building and preserving muscle directly is the most efficient means to do so. Most other sports focus on winning at a competition that has different parameters than "who looks the best" so they are therefore an inefficient option compared to bodybuilding.

[Kitsune]

(11-05-2011 09:16 AM)Chad Daring Wrote:  

I remember watching the Olympics once, I couldn't believe the shape the male gymnasts were in. They looked like they stepped out of 300. The level of strength they have is unreal as well.

+1 on that.

[Roark]

There is no point in taking the bodies of world class or Olympic level athletes in a particular sport and then assuming that sport will get you even a remotely similar body. The best gymnasts in the world trained full time, several hours per day since they were 4 years old, and there is no doubt they had the right genetics for their sport in order to rise that high (ever see a white 100 meter sprinter at the Olympics?). Plus most of the top level athletes lift, and they lift a whole lot, which contributes to their muscularity. Ever see a top level sprinter squat? They're usually putting up 400-500lbs. Not to mention the drugs they take which also aided in their muscularity.

I have a decent body from bodybuilding but when I do other sports intensely such as Muay Thai or BJJ I automatically lose muscle because it is just not sustainable with my genetics without drugs.

[UgSlayer]

I wrestled in high school and did BJJ after for about a year and a half. I quit for about 8 years and gained 45 pounds. Not all of it fat, of course. I probably put on 10 pounds of muscle over the years. I hadn't lifted in about 6 months, though. So I was soft. Two months ago, I started BJJ again 4 times a week twice a day, with running and lifting weights once or twice a week. I used to run every day, but with BJJ, I was starting to feel very fatigued from overtraining, so I cut it down to days that I do train BJJ. I lost almost 20 pounds in 2 months with a clean diet. I still want to lose at least 10 more pounds, and it seems possible. It's mostly due to my diet, though.

In the morning i eat greens and a couple spoonfuls of brown rice, and 3 or 4 egg whites with one yolk. I snack on a handful of nuts and fresh fruit. Then I go to jiu jitsu from 5:30 to about 9. It's two classes in a row and in between classes I have a mouthful of whey protein shake. After the second class i gulp down the rest. I drink about a gallon or two of water a day. When I get back home, I eat a salad and lean protein.

On the days that I lift, I eat a bit more beforehand, and sometimes eat dirty, like a slice of pizza or fried chicken an hour or two before lifting and always a couple mouthfuls of whey protein shake. Then finish the rest of my shake immediately after my workout. The gym I workout at is on a small hiking trail, outside.

This isn't set in stone. I'm not perfect, and of course I enjoy foods that aren't considered healthy from time to time. I just make sure it's in moderation. The diet is a huge part of the change in my body, but BJJ and exercise definitely keep me more disciplined when it comes to the kitchen.

[WanderingSoul]

The sport that gives you the best physique is going to be the sport that you are motivated enough, and have enough fun doing, to train 3-5x a week.

Swimming might give you a great physique, but I aint doin that shit because unless there is cocktails and girls around the pool, it isn't any fun for me. Jiu Jitsu I can do 3-5x a week and have a blast doing it, no problem.

[tallglassofmilk]

(05-25-2012 08:50 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

The sport that gives you the best physique is going to be the sport that you are motivated enough, and have enough fun doing, to train 3-5x a week.

Swimming might give you a great physique, but I aint doin that shit because unless there is cocktails and girls around the pool, it isn't any fun for me. Jiu Jitsu I can do 3-5x a week and have a blast doing it, no problem.

This is the right answer. Sure some may be "better" then others, but at the end of the day, if you go hard frequently, you'll get into good shape. The what you are doing matters, but a whole let less then doing it with high intensity, eating right and getting good sleep/rest.

Training is essentially stimulus causes adaptation. The adaptation requires rest and diet and is by far the more important part. Work hard enough to get a stimulus and you'll get better.

[The Fantasist]

(11-05-2011 10:28 PM)bface Wrote:  

Wing Chun as a fighting/self defense art is crap, sorry gonzoman
Great advertising though.

Agreed 100%

Any Wing Chun guys in the UFC?? Nope.

My cousin has trained in it for 25 years,has studied it under the best teachers in HK and Europe and he does not rate it half as much as BJJ or Muay Thai. For a start the WC punch is far inferior to a boxing punch since you can't generate power in the blow and hence they chain punch. It's bollocks. What WC does well is develop sensitivity in the forearms through Chi Sau but that means zilch when an 18 stone bouncer smashes you in the teeth with his forehead. If you want to fight you must train good stand up and good ground skills: Muay Thai + BJJ rapes Wing Chun. Also,ever seen a Wing Chun master??? They are just little Chinese men with pot bellies or dweebs like Samuel Kwok,the whole style is built on a mutual silence of it's members not testing their skills with each other for real because they know the style is shite.

If you want to study Chinese arts for self defence then try this out: join a class and when the teacher wants to demonstrate a move he will say 'throw a punch at me'. Smash him in the teeth immediately. See what happens. I joined a Wing Chun class and saw the students doing these slow motion punches at their teacher when asked. I waited my turn and the teacher said 'punch me' so I smacked him in the mouth and cut his lips up to fuck. He staggered back in shock and the class looked on in horror at me that I'd dared do that but fuck it,if someone wants me to hit them and sets themselves up as a 'master' charging money I'm going to test their shit. I left the class immediately afterwards and joined a boxing gym instead. Charlatans.