Definition or Bulk

[Self]

It seems most in this forum follow a weight lifters workout plans, i may be completely wrong since i don't read every thread. But as a fighter/if a fighter do you intend to gain muscle mass? Which i've found is what people base how strong you are, i mean if someone's defined compared to if someone has bulk muscle- most seem to think the one with bulk muscle is ' harder '. This isn't my view at all, i'm sure the majority of you don't either. With this; Out and about there always seems to be people who want to prove their worth by needlessly trying to beat someone up, but won't if they look ' hard '. But then since people don't think people who's defined is ' hard ' and yet have fought fights and impressively won and got a reputation for themself may be targeted by those searching soley with a purpose to increase their ' respect ' by other peers. With this; I ask would you rather have muscle definition or bulk? For the purpose of simply avoiding fights because some people who's smart enough can see your strong. Would you rather be percieved as hard(which may also mean your tough) or be tough and not necessarily look it. I say this because my workouts seem to bring muscle bulk at a slow rate by immense definition, just because its based on fighting excercises.

Please do not say, kick the shit out of them whether you look hard or not. Because as we all know that causes un-wanted hassle but may be necesarry. Anyway i've babbled enough. Night.

[darkrelevance]

i think its just easier to not show off at all.
better to avoid fights if you can. "looking strong" doesnt guarantee you anything. theirs always going to be someone out there thats going to look at you and say i can take him.

[koto_ryu]

i think its just easier to not show off at all.
better to avoid fights if you can. "looking strong" doesnt guarantee you anything. theirs always going to be someone out there thats going to look at you and say i can take him.

Having a good bit of bulk will definitely help you out in some situations. The crackhead that might take a shot at the 150lb guy will definitely think a lot longer before he decides to mess with the 250lb guy.

[Flaco]

Having a good bit of bulk will definitely help you out in some situations. The crackhead that might take a shot at the 150lb guy will definitely think a lot longer before he decides to mess with the 250lb guy.

Unless Im that 150lbr standing across from him...

lol, I wish...

[bred]

...

I don't understand why a big guy can't be defined. Are you talking about how fat people are intimidating to skinny people? I don't understand. People of any muscle size can be ripped/defined. Please explain so that I can grasp the concept. In this forum people tend to base how strong people are on the number of "pistols", pushups, and pullups they can do. Even tho that is an example of endurance not strength. Anyways there are weight classes in spoort for a reason. Even if you are more skilled, faster, better, whatever if you are dwarfed and take a shot your body will not be able to absorb the blow very well, even if it is one bad shot, it will probably mess you up. It goes the other way too, if he is bigger than you he could absorb 15 of your shots and not blink just because the energy from your punch is diluted through his mass. Think like this if you hit a small rock with a hammer it will break but if you hit a large rock (these both being perfectly structurally sound rocks) nothing will happen. The force is diluted by the amount of mass.

[Self]

I think Koto Ryu knew what i was on about, but bred- i meant if you had the choice to be big or small but defined what would it be. Being big and defined is the pinnacle of fitness for image purposes and most likely fitness wise aswell. And it just so happens i am only 150 lbs, so i guess you could say i'm a small guy but am equally strong as some who's 200 lbs. Yet they're image would mean less people starting fights on them. I'm 15 and as you may know/remember alot of petty fights are started with people around my age more-so than those who's older so... Would you rather look hard or not? is the basic question. I'm sorry for my un-detailed way of conveying the scenario/question i am asking, perhaps now you may understand me?

Also- I've heard bulk muscle slows you down, i've found it true in most cases. But would you rather have the tools of bulk muscle or fast less muscley arms/legs ?

[koto_ryu]

Please explain so that I can grasp the concept. In this forum people tend to base how strong people are on the number of "pistols", pushups, and pullups they can do. Even tho that is an example of endurance not strength.

It all depends on how you do them, but pistols are a feat of strength more than endurance in my book. Anybody can drop down and do a decent pushup but you have to build up the muscles in your legs before you can do a clean butt-to-ground pistol. If you do 1000 pushups a day, thats strength endurance. If you don't do that many but each one is 30 seconds down and 30 seconds up, that's strength.

than you he could absorb 15 of your shots and not blink just because the energy from your punch is diluted through his mass.

Another good reason to pack on some muscle. As one of the old sayings goes: "A light-heavyweight's power punches hits like a heavyweight's jabs."

[koto_ryu]

Also- I've heard bulk muscle slows you down, i've found it true in most cases. But would you rather have the tools of bulk muscle or fast less muscley arms/legs ?

If you're talking bodybuilder bulk then yes. Some of those guys have thighs so large they rub together when they run. Many of them shave their heads before competitions because they can't reach the top of their heads to shampoo their hair.

As for functional strength, you can have a good bit of bulk and still be powerful. True strength is a combination of explosive power, strength, and muscular endurance.

[Broadsword2004]

Go tell a 200+ pound football linebacker he isn't fast,, then see if you can run away before he clobbers you

Remember, no amount of muscle should slow you down too much until you start getting into freakish proportions, like modern professional bodybuilders have. I mean, I respect those guys too, cuz it takes a lot of discipline to be a pro bodybuilder, but the amount of muscle you need for it just makes me wonder what is wrong with society is some areas.

That is why the natural bodybuilding movement has grown so popular lately.

But look at professional wrestlers (the staged-wrestling types); they are usually very, very heavily muscled, yet they perform acrobatics, full splits, and fight choreography.

[Broadsword2004]

Correction, no amount of muscle should slow you down too much provided you stretch it and work it, until you start getting into freakish proportions like Koto was describing.

[SamuraiGuy]

It doesnt matter how big or defined you are or what not as long as you have the strength or endurance that goes with those things. Your talking about teenagers.. not sure if you are one or not... but I know at my school people wouldnt think twice about taking me on (not that it happened cause im not a prick) but then when they found out I could bench 250, curl 120 (both hands) and run 10 Kilometeres without stopping, suddenly its "oh hed kick ur ass" "yeah right that kid will destroy me"... suddenly anyone who would have boxed me (kids would box with friends, and other kids for fun) wouldnt even think about it... ... shouldnt matter how you look as long as you can show em what you do... dont even brag about it.. show em and their minds will paint you up to be bigger/ stronger/ faster/ tougher/ better fighter then you actually are. Shocked a lot of people when the kicker ( Me) of the football team benched more then anyone else on the team... including the 300+ pound line men.... dont worry about looking intimidating, just show how much you can lift, all you gotta do.

That was a bit longer then i meant it to be... but worthwhile information i think. Later

[Broadsword2004]

Yeah, some people need to develop more muscle mass to develop strength, whereas others may get a lot stronger, but still not have too much muscle mass.

It all depends on genetics I guess.

[bred]

...

Where do you get that nonsense about saving their heads? LOL I have read all kinds of things about being muscle bound but never that. They save their heads so as not to distract from their physique, same as they shave their entire bodies. LOL The biggest guy in the WORLD (Ronnie Coleman) has no physical handicaps because of his size. You just wouldn't want to sit next to him on an airplane. I still don't know what anyone is talking about. At 150 you most likely are not near as strong as someone 200 ripped. Pistols start off as a strength excercise until you are doing them for high-reps in which case they turn into an endurance excercise. Just like how some people can't even do pushups at first. You have to consistantly increase resistance to benefit from an excercise in strength gains. Slow burns for 30 seconds or more are endurance excercises, specifically meant to recrute more fiber and aid in hypertrophy not strength, and aid in deteriation of joints. 1000 pushups is an endurance excercise. In your logic running and moving your legs back and forth a 1000 times is a strength endurance excercise. You are moving your body weight, just like a pushup; this is a correct statement in your formula. I like this quote "True strength is a combination of explosive power, strength, and muscular endurance." LOL What? True strength is ummmm strength and true endurance is, well, endurance and true explosiveness is hmmmm probably explosiveness.

[darkrelevance]

Having a good bit of bulk will definitely help you out in some situations. The crackhead that might take a shot at the 150lb guy will definitely think a lot longer before he decides to mess with the 250lb guy.

the crackhead is usually probably not thinking at all.

[Tom Yum]

It doesnt matter how big or defined you are or what not as long as you have the strength or endurance that goes with those things. Your talking about teenagers.. not sure if you are one or not... but I know at my school people wouldnt think twice about taking me on (not that it happened cause im not a prick) but then when they found out I could bench 250, curl 120 (both hands) and run 10 Kilometeres without stopping, suddenly its "oh hed kick ur ass" "yeah right that kid will destroy me"... suddenly anyone who would have boxed me (kids would box with friends, and other kids for fun) wouldnt even think about it... ... shouldnt matter how you look as long as you can show em what you do... dont even brag about it.. show em and their minds will paint you up to be bigger/ stronger/ faster/ tougher/ better fighter then you actually are. Shocked a lot of people when the kicker ( Me) of the football team benched more then anyone else on the team... including the 300+ pound line men.... dont worry about looking intimidating, just show how much you can lift, all you gotta do.

That was a bit longer then i meant it to be... but worthwhile information i think. Later

You remind me of myself a few years back. My strength bloomed earlier than most. I could max bench 205 my freshman year and eventually 275 near graduation time. I peaked at 295 when I was 19 and haven't done any maxing for many years. I know your situation, in HS I could outbench dudes who where natural 210 at a weight of 165.

People are gonna look at you and think you're scrawny and joke about you. Instead of trying to look hard, I'd roll with it and laugh with them. When they post your weightlifting totals in the locker room, let the results speak for themselves.