How To Lose Bulkiness In Your Physique

Friday, July 23, 2010

If you have been doing heavy resistance training for awhile now, and have noticed your muscles are starting to bust through your sleeves and your jeans are looking increasingly more emo (not a good thing), maybe it’s time to back it down a bit and lose some muscle. GASP! The bodybuilders at this point are going to hunt be down and punch me in the face if they find me, but for you guys and gals out there seeking the Hollywood Look, losing muscle can actually be a very very good thing.

First off let’s get this straight – creating a bodybuilder’s physique does indeed require dedication and I respect anyone willing to work their tail off to reach their goal, even if it is to build 22 inch arms and a 52 inch chest. However, I strongly advise against aiming in this direction, and since you’re reading this article, you probably agree with me, since the lean athletic physique is what I advocate here 100% and the above measurements do not follow this plan of direction. I know too many guys who have the right amount of muscle but continue aiming to add muscle and are now pushing the limits of becoming “overly muscular”  – which will end up harming their physique.

Hollywood Body VS bodybuilder body

The Hollywood Look VS getting massively huge

The picture above is a prime example of why you should be aiming to look more like Ronaldo on the left, than the huge (yes, I know he’s ripped also) guy on the right. If you’ve seen Cristiano Ronaldo’s physique, then you all know he fits the Hollywood Body mold perfectly – lean and ripped with low body fat and solid but not overly done amounts of muscle. Notice how he can still look slick in clothes? While the dude on the right has indeed worked his butt off and achieved a low body fat percentage, he has also taken it way too far! There’s no way he could ever look normal in clothes! If he were wearing that suit, well first off, good luck getting that tailored. Secondly, you wouldn’t be able to tell he was that muscular underneath a suit – in fact, he would probably look kind of fat even though he’s not, simply because normal people just don’t get THAT big. Look at his waist – yes, he has a six-pack, but his midsection represents more of a tree trunk than an Adonis-like physique.

If you saw the guy on the right in public with clothes on, he would just come off with a bad look, period. I’m sorry, but unless his shirt is off, there’s really nothing impressive about being that big. And even so, women would still probably cringe at the sight! Ladies do not want that type of body of a guy, so if you think adding tons of slabs of muscle to your frame will help you out in that regard, think again. Women want the look that Ronaldo presents so well. The classy GQ look triumphs over the massive look any day in attracting the opposite sex.

Besides all that, it’s incredibly hard to maintain huge amounts of muscle and puts a lot of stress on the body. You would have to revolve your day around eating and working out to even maintain that type of look. The body does not want to carry that much muscle, and it’s not healthy to do so! But if you achieve the lean look, you can maintain that type of body a lot easier and live a much healthier life. Not to mention, you’ll be able to move around freely… that huge guy on the right probably has to hire someone to wipe his butt with arms that massive!

Some guys and gals could use some extra muscle

Back to this subject matter, there are plenty of people who could benefit from adding 10 lbs of muscle or so. Remember, the Hollywood Look is lean not skinny. Carrying a good amount of muscle can actually support a healthier immune system, create lean muscle tissue for bone support, and is a necessity in creating the Hollywood Body. Adding muscle is fine, but bulking in excess to get there is not the route to take.

My experience tells me that if you’re gaining more than 1 pound a week, you’re probably putting on excess fat in an effort to grow muscle too quickly. Any know this, fat cells never disappear when you’re trying to lose body fat. They can only shrink, so it’s important to not create them in the first place. This is bad news for those aiming to get that ripped look. The key is to get lean and stay lean. Be patient when adding muscle, and forget about the whole bulking and cutting process which has become far too popular within the bodybuilding community. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.

Beckham is another soccer player with a great physique. Soccer and great physiques seem to go hand-in-hand. Coincidence or trend?

Tons of Calories + Lack of Activity = Over Development

Obtaining the Hollywood Body is much more respectable than being a good bodybuilder. Weight lifting and working out is a 1 hour commitment a day, but eating clean in good amounts is an all day every day affair. Think about it – bodybuilders purposely over consume foods in the off season, loaded with sugars and saturated fats to swell up their bodies and allow their bodies to expand for future muscle growth. If that bodybuilder were to use that energy and intensity in his/her workouts but ease up on the calories and perform more cardio, their body would tighten up and create a stunningly good look. You look how you eat, so if you are big, thick, & bulky, you are probably just overeating and being too sedentary.

If you don’t over-feed the muscle, it won’t overdevelop. If you’re currently too big and bulky, create the habit of eating less – learn to enjoy it. Your body will lose its puffiness. Retrain your body to get lean as hell, and forget about bulking up and getting big. You have to shift your mentality and your eating habits.

A good guideline: If you are strength training 3-4 days a week and doing a half hour of cardio 4-5 days a week, start out by eating around 13 calories per pound of body weight. Adjust accordingly, based on results. If you have a slower metabolism, it would be a good idea to start even lower, around 11-12 CLEAN calories per pound of body weight. To go from bulky to lean, like the guys in GQ, Mens Health, and what we talk about being The Hollywood Body, stop over-consuming calories and create the daily habit of being more active. Not just in the gym, but in general.

Intermittent fasting is also a great way to tone down on the bulk. By allowing your body to strategically go without food, you can shrink your stomach size and release toxins which store often in the fat cells. You can quickly reduce your waist size using this technique and program.

Put more focus into cardio than heavy weights

The overdevelopment of muscle comes 80% from over eating. Don’t be afraid to lift weights still. However, if you really need to lean out and lose puffiness and bulk, it would be a good idea to put more of your energy into cardio and less into the weight room. Atrophy can, for some, be a good thing. If you are lifting 4-5 times a week and doing cardio 3-4 times a week, try lifting 2-3 times a week and doing some form of cardio everyday. No, I don’t mean slaving away at the treadmill. Soccer is obviously a good idea since Ronaldo, Beckham, and soccer players in general tend to have the look we’re after here. For other ideas for “fun cardio” check out this post. Sure, weight lifting burns calories too, but you want to avoid creating a muscular pump for awhile, if shrinking muscular size is truly your goal.

Closing

On a final note, since I’ve given this post somewhat of a soccer or “anywhere-else-in-the-world-football” theme, here’s a pretty cool video of Beckham I found on YouTube with a great song to go with… ENJOY!

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Posted in Cardio and Aerobics, Fat Loss, Healthy Living, Nutrition

About the Author

Hey guys, this is Craig Avera and Cesar Flores. We run Hollywood Body Fitness - which is geared toward achieving a lean athletic A-List Physique!

  • http://RelativeStrengthAdvantage.com Yavor

    Killer article man! Unfortunately here soccer players are kind of douchebags lol. But they ARE lean and athletic.
    Yavor´s last [type] ..Push-up Strength Training- A Guide to Using the Hip Push-up for More Muscular Density and Definition

  • http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com Dave – Fitness Training Tips

    Craig,
    You really summed up what should be the main goal amongst exercisers…getting the Hollywood look. Us guys tend to think the bodybuilder look is a lot cooler than it really is…for me personally, I’m sure it’s because I grew up idolizing Arnold. While I’ve never been pumped up like that, I’ve found I feel a lot better exercising for the Hollywood look than when I did for the bodybuilding look. I always felt really slow/lethargic when I was trying to add too much bulk.
    Dave
    Dave – Fitness Training Tips´s last [type] ..Hollywood Workout- Are Celebrity Workouts and Diets Effective

  • http://www.fitnessbreakout.com Alykhan – Fitness Breakout

    Craig,

    Love the soccer references. By the way, I say trend, not coincidence. Then again, as a soccer player, I am biased. I agree that achieving the Hollywood look is way more impressive than achieving the bodybuilder look.

    Alykhan
    Alykhan – Fitness Breakout´s last [type] ..Is a Treadmill Desk in Your Future

  • http://www.zenmyfitness.com Raymond

    Cool topic! I think I’m looking to be inbetween the too if there is such a thing ( altought lean athletic is better than a body builder ..
    It now has got me thinking cause I noticed my back and forearms are getting way out of propotion compared to otherparts so I have to lose size from those parts so thanks for the reminder
    Raymond
    Raymond´s last [type] ..Avoid Dangerous Diets That Celebrities Love to Follow

  • Clement

    Hey Craig,

    I’ve just discovered your site and I must say, the content here is gold! Cardio is certainly important, no matter what others say. It helps to maintain a balanced physique. I myself do cardio on off-days as my legs are often tired after a lifting session.

    Also, the caloric intake point is very true as well.

    If you want to achieve that kind of Hollywood body, the best way to do it would be to implement some hybrid cardio in the form of supersets, circuits or complexes. These exercises maintain muscle mass while getting you ripped as hell!

    But then again, you have people like Taylor Lautner who often talk of stuffing their faces to gain mass. His body certainly has the results to show for it! To skinny and skinny-fat people who want fast results, I would think that radically stuffing yourself and lifting heavy with compound exercises 3-4 times a week with short 10min bursts of cardio at the end and then cutting back on an aggressive diet while maintaining the muscle and focusing on specific undesirable body parts after getting to a satisfactory size would get you faster results. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this!

  • http://hollywoodbodyfitness.com Craig Avera

    Yavor,
    Most of the soccer players in the states are pretty humble – but we’re a rare breed here!

    Dave,
    I totally agree – and yes, growing up with a different perspective on what was the “ideal look” I’m glad you’re able to change your outlook on the matter and go for the GQ look.

    I was also trying to get big for awhile, but got so sick of eating tons of calories and getting bulky impeded my ability to play soccer and other sports I actually enjoy. Now I just aim for leanness and it’s great!

    Alykhan,
    Trend for sure. Soccer players are almost always lean as you know. I’ve been playing 2-3 hours of pickup games about 4x a week and loving it!

    Raymond,
    Sometimes we just gotta take a minute and reassess I think and figure out which direction to go. Progress pics definitely help in that manner. And everyone is built different so that’s a HUGE factor as well.

    Post on Genetics and Fitness

    Clement,
    Glad you found me here, welcome aboard! I agree with your hybrid training workouts. Supersets and circuit training are my best friends in the gym now, especially that I’m not going for mass anymore, so I cut back on my rest periods and keep the heart pumping. Definitely beats the hell outta grinding on the treadmill in my book!

    Yeah, people who want to gain mass and yet stay lean would definitely be good candidates for your diet/training option there. Sounds like calorie cycling with a mix of “CYWT” with an emphasis of eating on the heavy lifting days a good option, if mass gains are your goal. Good stuff!

  • http://www.thefittestvegan.com Alejandro “The Fittest Vegan”

    Hey Craig, you did a good job explaining that. I do agree that the Hollywood look is more popular with the opposite sex but it also allows you to be more agile and able to play sports, run, swim, bike, etc. If you’re bulky you become very one dimensional and you wont be able to explore other exercising options which are great for you.

    I’m inspired to do that next summer and stay away from the gym and play sports instead.
    Alejandro “The Fittest Vegan”´s last [type] ..4 Tricks to Help You Lose Fat… Fast!

  • http://www.davidgowing.com David Gowing

    Excellent article. The soccer type physique is much more common here in Ireland as most kids grow up playing it. But the bodybuilder look is definitely becoming more common here, unfortunately. Like you said, it just doesn’t look normal, and more often than not there is a lot of flab along with the overdone muscle.

    Soccer is basically a really long interval training session. Short bursts of all out sprints, followed by periods of jogging, mixed with ducking, diving and dodging (sounds like something they said in “Dodgeball” lol). It’s the perfect recipe for an awesome physique.
    David Gowing´s last [type] ..4 Minute Workout Improves Fitness And Torches Fat

  • Nichole

    I have really enjoyed your site, very informative. As a woman I have ALWAYS said the body builder look is awful, sleek and lean looks healthy and very GQ. I am starting the Paleo diet to help treat fibromyalgia and wanting to change my exercise program at the same time, I enjoy working out and change is always great. Thanks again.

  • http://hollywoodbodyfitness.com Craig Avera

    Nichole,
    I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the posts and I really appreciate you stopping by :) I’m glad I could get a woman’s testimonial that the GQ look is king over the bulky bodybuilder look.

    See guys, listen up.. The lady has spoken!

    I definitely support your change toward Paleo and exercise, both should greatly benefit your cause. It takes a lifestyle change and I respect you doing so, I’m backing you 100%!

    Thanks again

  • Xavier

    Let me just say as a graduate in Physiology and Metabolism from UC Berkeley, Personal trainer, researcher in physiology I must say your arguments are without a doubt wrong.
    How can you say, “Intermittent fasting is also a great way to tone down on the bulk”?? that goes against every single lecture I learned in college and every single application when it comes to losing weight healthily. Why would you induce intermittent fasting considering it would only lead the body into alter glucagon and insulin regulation?
    As a scholar, soccer player, bodybuilder and foremost reseracher I must say, I cringe at the thought of your arguments. Most definitely ridiculous.

    P.S. Stop posting pictures of your ridiculous undeveloped abdominals…a guy starving in a 3rd world country could have them…so is that really the Hollywood look? how many movies have you been in?

  • Stijn

    The bodybuilders have found you.

  • http://hollywoodbodyfitness.com Craig Avera

    Xavier,
    Normally I would just ignore such a remark, but since I don’t take too keenly to be bashed on my own website, I will rebuttle.

    First off, your credentials though they may SOUND impressive, do not impress me. I’d trust a high school dropout who can walk the walk than someone who may seem qualified, but do you really have the body people here are looking for? If not, your argument is already mute.

    Ridiculous you say? Maintaining 4-7% bodyfat year round is so stroke of luck. There’s a process involved and intermittent fasting is a very effective way of staying lean. Your college professors didn’t tell you that, because politically, it may be leery. If you want to sit there and say I’m unhealthy because I do so, well – you’re wrong it’s that simple.

    Obviously you haven’t done your homework – Brad Pilon is the guru of IF and he’s a former pro bodybuilder and all around cool guy, neither of which you hit the mark I’m sure.

    Your argument is weak, and my readers I’m sure will agree. Hiding behind your computer screen, it’s easy to bash a guy with a 6-pack, but if it’s jealousy talking, then stop now.

    And 6 films in less than 9 months, just for the record books. Thanks bud.

  • http://n/a Javier

    I wonder if those college professors are lean? They usually aren’t.

    I come from a third world country and none of the starving guys I saw there have anything to do with either a GQ or bodybuilder’s look. So that was just a plain offensive attack.

    I smell bulky, not-getting-any type of dude commenting above.

    Watch out! my name is spelled with a “J”

    Javier ;)

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  • Brandon

    I agree with some of the article but can’t really bite into the whole thing. First off, not really into the whole “soccer physique”. It really is not that special and you probaly won’t be turning many heads at the beach with a “Beckham physique” unless you also possess the “Beckham face and wallet”. As a college guy none of the girls I know have looked at the school soccer team and commented on what a “hot body” they have. They do this with the sprinters and pole vaulters however who all possess much more muscle mass.

  • Brandon

    Second few people reach that level of muscularity and few bodybuilders train and eat the way mentioned. The training style more accurately describes wannabes use their bulking phase as an excuse to become a fat a**. Third; Xavier their is plenty of evidence supporting intermenient fasting. Although Pilon was never a bro bodybuilder as claimed.

  • Brandon

    Lastly I am very thankful that you wrote an article about the hollywood physique and did not plaster the article with pictures of Tua Tran, Greg Plitt, and other natty bodybuilders as examples of the slim physique. So many other authors writing similar posts don’t realize the stupidity of putting pictures of bodybuilders following bb splits as examples of the slim, toned physique and why people should not follow bb training styles. Although it is funny that you put Stan Mcquay as an example of repulsing females when Stan is actually pretty notorious in the fitness world for being a “player” to put it lightly. Anyways not bad overall put those few things were just bothering me.

  • http://hollywoodbodyfitness.com Craig Avera

    Brandon,
    I can see what you’re saying, and the Beckham wallet would definitely help the desirability level shoot up! But I remember reading an article in Men’s Health awhile ago and a few thousand girls voted on what sports physique they found most attractive, and soccer was king of the list. To each their own, though. Personally, female soccer players and volleyball players tend to have the best physique IMO. Thanks for the feedback mate!

  • Brandon

    Eh, I never trust those lists but then again I am going from my own personal observations. I started out with soccer and endurance sports but I got more female attention after moving towards fitness modeling and crossfit. Josef Rakvich was a soccer player who moved onto bodybuilding and noticed the same thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uu9jQo1MDk&feature=related
    We know got a interesting subculture of things such as zyzz and aesthetic crew that allows us too see how females react to different physiques. For the record I think best sport physiques belongs to sprinters, skill fb positions, gymnasts, crossfitters, and martial artists.

  • St Claire

    This is the perfect example of what is wrong with our society atm, men are slowly becomming more and more femmanine and it is extremely disturbing.

    Why would a MAN want to lose MUSCLE ? Men are designed to be POWERFUL. Lets face it soccer players and GQ models are pretty useless when anything serious takes place in life.

    I have good news you can be extremely lean and highly conditioned (fit) and have a high level of muscularity, a perfect exmaple is a UFC/MMA fighters body.

    Guys dont let society tell you what to be, dont let a magazine tell you what to look like, or women tell u what they prefer you are like – the best thing you can be is YOU, and you are designed to be a powerful and athletic creature that is what u should aspire to eat, train, and strive to be.

    Look at the natural size difference in the animal kingdom, mammals in particular , at the size difference between the female and the male. Yes the male is often hugely more developed and its completely natural so why are you going against your instinct trying to look like a little boy.

    Its mother natures way that you train to be strong, powerful, and fast because that is what a male is – the natural result of that is a musclar, lean , and hard body.

    BE PROUD TO BE BIG AND STRONG !!
    SAY NO EMO STYLE AND EGO MANIC FASHIONISTAS!

  • http://www.zyzzbodybuilding.com/ Zyzz

    You Mirin’ Brah? – Zyzz