building a classic physique

BUILDING A CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
Naturally Achieving a Lean, Functional, Aesthetic Body
Jared Zimmerer
Building a Classic Physique: Naturally Achieving a Lean, Functional, Aesthetic Body
Jared Zimmerer
Copyright © 2014 by Jared Zimmerer
All Rights Reserved
Cover Design: Rozann Lee
Interior Design: Edmund Mitchell
All rights reserved. This book was self-published by the authors Jared Zimmerer. No part of this book
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Published in the United States
About Building a Classic Physique
The human body is capable of attaining a physique that is beautiful and functional. The mainstream
bodybuilding culture doesn’t provide a lens for that which is natural and obtainable without the use of
drugs. What the ancients perceived as a peak of physical perfection was what the physical culture used
to hold as the vision.
It seems that the classic physique must experience a jolt of interest in order to come back to the
forefront. But how is this done? What methods did the great classic physiques use? Well, I have used a
mixture of my own methods along with those who have observed them in the past.
With ‘Building a Classic Physique’ I share what worked for me in my desire to hit the bodybuilding stage
with confidence.
About Jared Zimmerer
Jared Zimmerer is an all-natural competitive bodybuilder, author and speaker. He obtained a Bachelor’s
Degree in Kinesiology from the University of North Texas. He’s published two books:
The Ten Commandments of Lifting Weights: Recommendations to the Devout Body Builder
Man Up! Becoming the New Catholic Renaissance Man
Jared’s articles, videos and other content can be found at JaredZimmerer.com. Jared also blogs for Fr.
Robert Barron at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.
Jared works as the Director of Catechesis and Evangelization at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in
Grapevine, Texas and lives in North Texas with his wife Jessica, and their four children.
Table of
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is a ‘Classic Physique’?
Resistance Training
Cardiovascular Training
Diet and Nutrition
Rest
Avoiding the Traps
The Mindset of the Classic Physique Builder
Resources
What is a
Classic
Physique?
“We should try not only to build a balanced life, but a balanced
physique.” – Steve Reeves
In 1947 a man by the name of Steve Reeves won the AAU Mr. America
title with the idea in mind that the ‘classic physique’ is where a
bodybuilder would find true success. He had a tight waist (only 29
inches at a height of 6’1!), a v-taper back and nearly perfect symmetry
and proportion. He hailed upon the ancient Greeks and Romans who
saw the pursuit of a toned, balanced physique as a means of
attainment of something greater than themselves. In today’s
bodybuilding world this idea seems to have been tossed aside if not
altogether lost for the sake of more and more size. What once was a
display of the beauty of the human body has now gone full circle into a
world of sideshow monsters. There were many factors that caused this
change, many of which I will not go into, but one in particular stand out
to me, which is, the ideals of God-given beauty have been ignored.
Where the Athenians of ancient Greece might say, ‘The best is the
embodiment of the good’, the artists of today echo the words of
Voltaire in his statement: “The best is the enemy of the good”.
Classic Physique
VS.
Today’s Mr. Olympia
The ‘classic physique’ is less about the attainment of massive amounts
of muscle and more building the musculature to a person’s specific
body type in order to create a balanced, well-rounded, beautiful body
in the sense of the ancient Greek and Roman artists as well as the
sense of many artists of the middle ages. The classic physique is one
that portrays the beauty and strength of the human form without the
necessity of going beyond. While the classic physique is indeed
developed in its musculature, the muscle is not the only point. Each of
us have our own bone structure, muscle bellies, strengths and
weaknesses all stemming from genetics and environment. What the
classic physique is capable of producing is a beautiful body according
to the individuality of each person. In this way it expresses their dignity
and celebrates the uniqueness of the grand mosaic that is mankind.
One major goal of any classic physique builder is to attain a
musculature that is functional, a physique that allows the individual to
perform other tasks all the much better. So in growing the strength
and athleticism within the person, the ability to do manual labor, as
well as the vocational needs of each person, are then performed all the
more efficient and effective. The classic physique steers clear of any
extremes. Many of the bodies you see today live within the extreme.
Extremely low body fat, extremely overdeveloped musculature,
extremely unhealthy manners of gaining the ‘perfect body’. However
the classic physique uses the natural means of healthy living, healthy
eating and healthy training in order to proportionate a body in
symmetry and balance.
The classic physique is a result of healthy living. When a person eats
right, exercises accordingly, rests well, and stays away from harmful
activities, the body finds its natural proportions and the practitioner
can then work these practices into the means to try and reach the
ideal. While physical perfection is indeed the ideal, this ideal is not
something to be reached by way of ‘cheating’ the body’s natural
system. Rather, the purpose of building a classic physique is to both
appreciate and build the body into an effective tool for use in other
circumstances. For instance, Steve Reeves used to work on a ranch in
between competitions and movies. Reg Park was a business man aside
from competing. The physiques they obtained did not deter from a
normal life, instead they increased their capacity to perform the
needed activity of everyday life.
Something that must be considered when comparing the classic
physique with the physiques that we see today is the intent of the
artist, and indeed bodybuilders are a fine mixture of athlete and artist.
An indelible evidence of the intent can be seen in the specific poses
used by each. The classic physique posing indicates awe-inspiring, near
transcendental movements and pauses. Whereas much of the posing
we see on the monstrous physiques of today are more shock and awe
technique. So, if the intent of the bodybuilder is to shock, then pushing
past the natural abilities of the human body is simply bound to occur.
The more and more common distended gut, overgrown upper thighs,
and bulbous nature of the muscles we see today are a result of the
desire to reach beyond humanity. Rather, the classic physique aims to
display the human body at its best and most natural capability.
Aesthetic, natural beauty and increased functionality are the goals at
the bull’s-eye of the classic physique.
The bodies we see on the main stages of bodybuilding, or even many
on the magazines, are contestably impressive, however they are
impressive due to their extremism, not because of their beauty. Steve
Reeves used a system of measurement based upon the ancient
sculptors of Greece to determine a person’s desired size and
proportion. This system is based on your genetically given bone
structure and body type. By measuring certain parts of the body and
taking into account your height, you can reach the goal of the
proportionate body.
If you Google ‘Steve Reeves Grecian Ideal’, an article on
bodybuilding.com will show up as a result entitled, ‘Know Your
Measurements For Bodybuilding Success’. In this article there is a
fantastic calculator in which you input your wrist size and it gives you
the ideal measurements. Now, height and build must be considered
but I feel this sort of measuring tool is an excellent source for an
objective viewpoint into the Grecian Ideal goal. According to this
measurement, and applying the natural principles of bodybuilding, I
nearly perfected my measurements at 6’4. I came into the competition
at 219 lbs., a little light for my height but my proportions were well in
range of the ideal.
Wrist 7.5 inches
Chest
Waist
Hips
Biceps
Forearm
Thigh
Calves
Neck
Classic Physique
Ideal
49 inches
34 inches
42 inches
18 inches
14 inches
26 inches
17 inches
18 inches
My Actual Results
49 inches
35 inches
43 inches
17.5 inches
14 inches
26 inches
16 inches
18 inches
Below is a graph made by Reeves as the ideal weight for the
differing heights. As you can see, I came into the competition a
little light.
Height
5'5"
5'6"
5'7"
5'8"
5'9"
5'10"
5'11"
Weight
160lbs
165lbs
170lbs
175lbs
180lbs
185lbs
190lbs
6'0"
6'1"
6'2"
6'3"
6'4"
6'5"
200lbs
210lbs
220lbs
230lbs
240lbs
250lbs
As you can see, the physique I was able to attain is not that of the
monstrous we see today, rather it became balanced, proportional and
functional. I was able to achieve just under a 9% body fat in a healthy,
realistic approach. I still ate good food, I continued eating
carbohydrates right up to the contest and did not go through any
extreme routine or practice to drop water weight. I didn’t higher any
training coach, posing coach, diet coach or the like. I lifted alone in my
garage with minimal equipment which includes an Olympic bench,
right around 500 lbs. in weights, a pull-up bar, a kettlebell, a treadmill,
and huge tire I dubbed with the name Crux. Most often my children
would be running around and playing while I exercised, (a few times I
had to stop in between sets and change a diaper). My goal was never to
reach the expectations of the fitness and bodybuilding world; instead it
was and is to be the best that my physique offers. Within about a year
and a half I went from 275 to 219 by eating right and working hard.
Combine these ideals and necessities with a ‘can do’ attitude and I was
able to hit the bodybuilding stage with confidence. I think one of the
most attractive qualities of the classic physique is that it is presented as
an attainable and broad ranging possibility. You don’t need thousands
of dollars to spend on supplements or steroids, though I do have a few
favorite supplements I will give in the section on nutrition. You simply
use the natural capabilities of the human form to create something
amazing.
Now, in the next chapter I will offer what has worked for me and what
has been proven to work through the annals of time.
Resistance
Training
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow” –
Anonymous
The goal of resistance training is to work the muscle hard enough so
that while healing it might repair itself larger and stronger than before.
This comes from a combination of safe, proper form and performing
the exercise at intensity levels high enough to cause near failure in the
muscle. Most often this is referred to as High Intensity Training, or HIT
for short. The basic idea of HIT is to perform one set, all out to failure,
in order to break down enough muscle for a growth during the repair
process. I’ve adhered most of my training to HIT principles, however, I
use pretty much all free weights, so in order to stay with the principles
yet keep myself away from injury I use warm up sets.
What I always recommend is two warm up sets for any particular lift
and then one working set, where you push yourself hard enough to fail
or come to near failure on the last rep. There are a few different
models to use as far as full body or breaking down each workout by
body part.
Full body routines can be used by either beginners or veterans. The
most important aspect of this type of routine is to be able to recognize
when your body has over trained or is having difficulty healing between
routines.
Remember always use proper form! There are many helpful YouTube
videos both on my channel as well as others to help guide you in proper
performance of each lift.
Full Body
Routine
Three days per week:
Day 1:
Warm Up Sets Working Set
Military Press
2 x 12
1x8
Bench Press
2 x 12
1x8
Incline Bicep Dumbbell
2 x 12
1x8
Curls
Lying Triceps Extensions 2 x 12
1x8
Pull Ups
2 x 12
1x8
Parallel Squats
2 x 12
1x8
Standing Calf Raises
2 x 25
1 x 30
Deadlifts
2 x 12
1x8
Crunches
2 x 25
1 x 50
Short bout of High Intensity Interval Cardio (See
Cardiovascular Training for Options)
Day 2: Rest or light cardio (long walk or stationary bike)
Day 3:
Upright Rows
Barbell Curls
Close Grip Bench
Press
Bent Over Barbell
Rows
Front Squat
Glute Ham Raise
Seated Calf Raise
Hanging Leg
Raises
Warm Up Sets
2 x 12
2 x 12
2 x 12
Working Set
1x8
1x8
1x8
2 x 12
1x8
2 x 12
2 x 12
2 x 25
2 x 25
1x8
1x8
1 x 25
1 x 25
Day 4: Rest or Light Cardio
Day 5:
Warm Up Set
Working Set
Dumbbell
2 x 12
1x8
Shoulder Fly
Dumbbell Flat
2 x 12
1x8
Chest Fly
Concentration
2 x 12
1x8
Curls
Parallel Bar Dips
2 x 12
1x8
Dumbbell
2 x 12
1x8
Pullovers
Dumbbell Lunges
2 x 12
1x8
Standing Calf
2 x 25
1 x 30
Raises
Deadlifts
2 x 12
1x8
Decline Sit-ups
2 x 20
1 x 30
Short bout of High Intensity Interval Cardio (See
Cardiovascular Training for Options)
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest
Supersets to
Glory
The next option breaks down the workouts by body part, effectively
training each main muscle group once a week, except for the calves
and abs. Each of the routines are still based on two warm up sets and
one hard, all out, working set, aiming to reach failure on the last
repetition. This schedule uses what are called Supersets, which
respectively mean that from one exercise to the next there is no rest.
Typically, after each of these routines I will add a 20 minute bout of
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Day 1: Shoulders and
Chest
Military Press
(superset with) Bent
over dumbbell fly
Upright Rows
Bench Press
(superset with)
Dumbbell Flat Bench Fly
Warm Up Sets Working Set
2 x 12
2 x 15
1x8
1 x 10
2 x 12
2 x 12
2 x 12
1 x 10
1x8
1 x 10
Incline Dumbbell Press
2 x 12
1x8
HIIT – 20 minutes on the Treadmill and Tire Flipping
Day 2: Biceps, Triceps
and Abs
Barbell Curls (superset
with) Parallel Dips
Incline Dumbbell Curls
(superset with) Incline
Triceps Extensions
Concentration Curls
(superset with) Incline
Triceps Extensions
Hanging Leg Raises
Crunches
Warm Up Sets Working Set
2 x 12
2 x 20
2 x 12
2 x 15
1x8
1 till failure
1x8
1 x 10
2 x 12
2 x 15
1 x 10
1 x 10
2 x 25
2 x 30
1 x 25
1 x 30
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Legs and Calves
Parallel Barbell Squats
Front Squat (superset
with) Dumbbell Lunges
Warm Up Sets
3 x 12
2 x 12
2 x 20
Working Set
1x8
1 x 10
1 x 10
Standing Calf Raises
2 x 25
1 x 25
Day 5: Back, Forearms
and Abs
Deadlift
Bent Over Barbell Rows
(superset with)
Dumbbell Pullovers
Warm Up Sets
Working Set
2 x 12
2 x 12
2 x 12
1x8
1x8
1 x 10
Pull Ups
2 x 12
Seated Dumbbell
2 x 25
Forearm Curls
Decline Sit-Ups
2 x 20
Wheel Rollouts
2 x 10
HIIT – Work with Kettlebell and Burpees
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Rest
1 till failure
1 x 25
1 x 25
1 x 10
Prepping for a
Show
Here is my schedule I used 4 weeks out from my competition. At this
time I was dropping water weight in a healthy way and trying to
decrease body fat. At times the lifts would change just a bit, but the
general ideal is laid out here:
Sunday: 1 hour on the treadmill at a steady pace.
Monday: Chest and
Back
5 a.m.
Deadlift
Dumbbell Rows
Pull Ups
Bench Press
Parallel Dips
Incline Dumbbell Press
Push Ups
7 p.m.
1 hour on the treadmill
Sit-ups
Hanging Leg Raises
Warm Up Sets
Working Set
2 x 15
2 x 15
2 x 15
2 x 15
2 x 15
2 x 15
2 x 20
1x8
1x8
1 x 15
1x8
1 till failure
1 x 12
1 till failure
2 x 25
2 x 20
1 x 25
1 x 20
Tuesday: Shoulders and Warm Up Sets Working Set
HIIT
5 a.m.
Military Press
2 x 15
1x8
Dumbbell Side Laterals 2 x 15
1 x 12
Barbell Front Raise
2 x 15
1 x 12
Bent over Dumbbell Fly 2 x 15
1 x 12
HIIT – Treadmill for 30 minutes, 2 minutes walking
pace, 1.5 minutes sprint uphill
Wednesday: Biceps and Warm Up Sets Working Set
Triceps
5 a.m.
1 hour steady pace on
treadmill
Crunches
4 x 25
Six-inches lying leg
4 x 60 sec.
raises
7 p.m.
Barbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
(each arm)
Dumbbell Hammer
Curls
(each arm)
Triceps Close Grip
Bench
2 x 15
2 x 15
1x8
1 x 10
2 x 15
1 x 10
2 x 15
1x8
Parallel Dips
Triceps Dumbbell
Extension
2 x 15
2 x 15
Thursday: Legs
5 a.m.
Warm Up Sets
Parallel Squats
2 x 15
Leg Extensions
2 x 15
Dumbbell Lunges
2 x 15
Straight Leg Deadlift
2 x 15
Standing Calf Raises
2 x 25
Seated Calf Raises
2 x 25
7 p.m.
1 hour steady pace on treadmill
1 till failure
1 x 10
Working Set
1x8
1 x 12
1 x 12
1 x 12
1 x 30
1 x 30
Friday: REST
Saturday:
5 a.m.
Warm Up Sets
1 hour steady pace on treadmill
Decline Bench Sit Ups 3 x25
Standing Calf Raises
3 x 25
Working Set
Cardiovascular
Training
"Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must
do." — Bruce Lee
In terms of cardiovascular training, or cardio for short, what must be
remembered is that cardio is meant to help the heart and lungs and in
that way allow the body to burn more fat and calories. Cardio cannot
replace weight lifting. Cardio is meant to supplement and support the
work done with the iron. If you perform too much cardio you might run
the risk of decreasing your ability to build that hard earned muscle.
However, there are a few cardio practices that can effectively achieve
the desired result of supporting muscle mass. While there are plenty
more options these are the routines I used with my limited equipment
available.
1st Option (Best): High Intensity Interval Training
Examples:
Treadmill – Combine time intervals of 2 minutes walking and 1:30
minutes of sprinting up an incline for at least 20 minutes but no
more than 40.
Kettlebell Work- A fast paced combination of swings and onearm jerk and press. Again, 20 -30 minutes max.
Burpees – This exercise is one of the most effective with
absolutely no need for equipment or weights. My favorite routine
is 30 burpees, wait 60 sec., and repeat 5 times.
Tire Flipping – Flip the tire for as many repetitions as possible,
repeat 5 times.
2nd Option (Good): Low Intensity Cardio
Examples:
Treadmill: One hour of low intensity power walking first thing in
the morning. I always suggest eating a small amount of
carbohydrates right before.
Jumping Rope: Skip rope for 60 seconds, wait 60 sec., repeat up
to 10 times.
3rd Option (Bad):
Examples:
Long distance running – unless you’re training for a marathon,
there is no need to run long distances
Diet and
Nutrition
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a
habit. - Aristotle
The goal of any fitness and health practitioner is roughly 85%
dependent on how well that person can adhere to a diet plan. During
my time preparing for competition I found it very difficult to count
calories. The basic idea of weight loss is less calories in, more calories
burnt. It takes a deficiency of approximately 3,500 calories to lose one
pound. So, over an extended amount of time, say one month, if you
were to cut back 500 calories a day for a month keeping everything
else steady, you should lose roughly 4-5 lbs. While this makes perfect
sense and is decently easy to achieve, I found it much easier to count
what are called macronutrients. Macronutrients, or macros for short,
are the three main areas of intake in a diet. These are proteins,
carbohydrates and fats.
Steve Reeves promoted a diet consisting of 60% carbs, 20% protein,
and 20% (healthy) fats. I personally found that my diet worked best
looks more like 50% protein, 30% carbs, 20% (healthy) fats. This can
get overly technical if you allow it to but I have found that once you
figure out the proper amount of each and what works best with your
body, it can become easy to figure out without weighing foods and
spending hours journaling everything bite you eat. A basic rule of
thumb that I used was: 1.5 grams of protein per body pound, .85
carbohydrates per body pound, and no more than 50 grams of fat, per
day. This would change as I felt my body reacting certain ways. For
example, if I was tired and was unable to achieve a pump in the
muscles while lifting, I would take the next day to have an extremely
high (good) carb day. Nearly 400 grams of carbs coming from sources
like oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pancakes, and bananas.
Here is a typical day in my diet:
Breakfast:
1 cup of oatmeal
1 banana
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
8 egg whites and 3 whole eggs
2 cups of black coffee
Snack:
1 chicken breast
Bowl of Salad or Broccoli
Lunch:
Steak or turkey breast
1 cup of brown rice
Snack:
Protein shake or Protein Bar (low in carbs)
Apple
1 cup of black coffee
Dinner:
Salmon, Tuna or Chicken
Cooked vegetables
(If sore from a workout or planning an early morning workout) –
Whole Wheat Pasta
Before bed:
Casein Protein Shake or Large Bowl of Fat-Free Cottage Cheese
1 cup of decaf tea (green, black, chamomile, and the like)
As you can see, I eat a pretty basic meal plan. If I ever became hungry
and a huge glass of water couldn’t satiate my hunger I would eat
oatmeal. The main rule of thumb is to find those foods that are
healthy, not processed with the label ‘healthy’, ‘low fat’, etc., and work
a meal plan that you can enjoy. Always take preference of whole,
natural foods over any processed or premade meals.
Important considerations:
1. Too much of a thing can be a bad thing. Work variety into your
diet and try new vegetables, fruits and sources of lean protein.
2. I am not anti-caffeine. I aim to base my need around time of
day and workout schedule.
3. WATER IS A MUST! I aim to drink at least one gallon per day
and would near 2 once I started training twice a day. However, do
not start off this high. Allow your body to adhere and evolve to
this point. Start off with at least 8 glasses of water per day.
4. One of the easiest ways for me to cut back when trying to cut
bodyfat was to take away one of the meals I would eat. This cuts
back on calories without the need of counting them. Reg Park
and Steve Reeves only ate three meals a day.
Supplements
He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors
- Chinese Proverb
One of the most misunderstood aspects of bodybuilding is the
role of supplements. These are supposed to be just what they are: a
supplementation to a perfect diet. Adding a fat burner or creatine to
your diet without proper nutrition from natural foods will never allow
the body to achieve long lasting results. Below are a few of the
supplements I take and recommend to those who have already been
lifting weights for over 6 months.
-
-
Multivitamin
Glucosamine Chondroitin – Joint supplement
Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s)
Creatine Monohydrate – 5 grams per day for 4 weeks and then off
for 2 weeks. (cycling creatine has helped me keep water weight
down)
Whey Protein – right after a workout
Casein Protein- right before bed.
L-Arginine (an amino acid for healthy blood flow)
D-Aspartic Acid (an amino acid for healthy testosterone)
Other than that I only used caffeine for a ‘fat burner’. Every now and
then I drink a pre-workout supplement if I am unable to drink coffee or
if I just needed the extra boost.
Rest
Sleep, rest of things, O pleasing Deity, Peace of the soul, which cares dost
crucify, Weary bodies, refresh and mollify - Ovid
One of the most over looked aspects of fitness and health is rest.
Without rest and relaxation the body will just continue to break down
as will the mind and spirit. Rest must be just as intentional as the
weight and cardio routines. I always aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep
per night and on my rest days to be very deliberate on relaxing
physically. A few reasons as to why this is so important are as follows:
1. Restore Glycogen Stores
o When you work out, you deplete the glycogen stores within
your body. This is the main source that your muscles will
feed on to replenish themselves. Rest allows the body to
restore these sources to healthy levels and keep you from
losing that hard earned muscle.
2. Repair the broken down muscles
o When you lift heavy weights at a high intensity, you are in
essence tearing the muscle fibers so that when they grow
back, they come in bigger and stronger. Without rest the
repairing process will not occur enough to reach your
potential.
3. Minimize fatigue and overuse
o Hitting the weights at high intensity on a regular basis can
be very taxing on the mind and spirit as well as the body.
You must rest in order to avoid the possibility of extreme
fatigue in each of these areas.
4. Avoid burnout
o Anyone who has stuck with a long-term plan has experience
at some point the onslaught of burnout. This comes from
not allowing yourself enough leisure and rest time and can
be just as harmful as a bad diet.
Avoiding the
Traps
Top 7 Fitness Myths
Anything is better than lies and deceit - Leo Tolstoy
1. Carbs are the enemy
o Carbs are not the enemy! They just need to be properly
used.
2. If I work out more I’ll get results faster
o There is no need to over work yourself. Classic Physique
building is a lifestyle and a marathon, not a sprint to the
finish
3. I know I can look like Mr. Olympia naturally
o I am sorry to crush your dreams but, the physiques you see
on the stage are a result of pharmaceuticals. Unless you
have super human genetics, you will not look like those
guys.
4. Your weight is the end all, be all
o Don’t allow the scale to rule your life. Instead, use a mirror
to judge improvement. Weight can be a fickle thing.
5. Spot reduction
o There is no such thing as spot reduction. 1 million crunches
will not get you abs if you lack on diet, training and rest.
6. Cardio is the only way to lose weight
o While cardio does indeed have its place, it has been shown
the weight lifting is actually more effective at overall weight
reduction.
7. High reps are the only way to get toned
o The only way to get toned is to build muscle. It doesn’t
matter how many reps you do if there isn’t a solid
foundation of muscle.
The Mindset of
the Classic
Physique
Builder
“If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of
life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” –
Marcus Cicero
A characteristic of the true classic physique builder is a mind for higher
things. This is a major help when it comes time to denying ourselves
the usual treats of life. There is a mentality that must become part of
who you are if you want to be successful in your fitness and health
endeavors. This attitude must be more than just a resolve to better
ourselves, while this still has its own place, of course. Rather, what
must be remembered in our constant day in and day out lifestyle is that
we are aiming to reach something beyond ourselves.
The first step toward change is a decision to be the person you
want to be. Desire to change is great; however it too has its place. We
must strive to become examples of discipline and this can only occur if
we prepare our minds to deal with the difficulty of living in stark
opposition against a culture that increasingly is becoming unhealthier
with each generation. Be equipped to choose the more difficult option
on a regular basis. Be fortified and confident that what you are doing
and striving to achieve is what is best for you.
By building a mindset toward the classic form, you will inspire others to
do the same. Live in the here and now by daily achieving your short
term goals. Once that is part of your life, your long term goals will
sneak up on you like a dream. Without the prior mindset shift, you will
not last. Remember, what you are doing is creating an entire lifestyle.
There is no finish line. There is no conclusion. You are in this for the
long haul. Only the bold and brave will climb this mountain and those
who take the first step will be able and willing to change. Accept the
fact that this is going to take hard work. Use the struggle as your
motivation.
Resources
Building the Classic Physique: The Natural Way by Steve
Reeves
Brother Iron, Sister Steel: A Bodybuilder's Book by Dave
Draper
High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way by Mike
Mentzer
The New High Intensity Training: The Best Muscle-Building
System You've Never Tried by Dr. Ellington Darden
Men's Health Natural Bodybuilding Bible: A Complete 24-Week
Program For Sculpting Muscles That Show
Strength Training Anatomy, 3rd Editionby Frederic Delavier
The Encyclopedia of Underground Strength and Conditioning
How to Get Stronger and Tougher--In the Gym and in Life-Using the Training Secrets of the Athletic Elite by Zach EvenEsh