Alright so this might be a bit of an odd question, but I was wondering about this today and thought I’d see what you all thought.
Suppose a guy were to build a training program for someone with no intention of competing in powerlifting OR bodybuilding; in other words, just going for “don’t f**k with that guy” build. What exercises, reps, days, etc. would you use and how would structure the training week? Or would you simply use a system like 5/3/1? I think this is an interesting idea and it’d be cool to see everyone’s opinions.
not to be obtuse, but wouldn’t building a “don’t fuck with that guy” build just be bodybuilding? I suppose you could put a bit more emphasis on traps, shoulders, chest and arms, and not worry too much about being lean so you’re a big bulky guy with a chunky neck.
I guess a better way to word this would be what is your idea of a true “powerbuilding” (I know everyone hates that term) program? I’ve seen different ones from Josh Bryant and others, just wondering how some of you guys would do it IF you chose to do so.
Your original post framed the question in terms of appearance – “looking like a badass.” Without any performance benchmarks, it’s really just an issue of building muscle. I.e. bodybuilding, per what Yogi said.
As far as “powerbuilding,” I think many programs on this site would qualify, but yes 5/3/1 is a good candidate. Focusing on progression in the big lifts while incorporating hypertrophy-oriented assistance work is what I’d consider “powerbuilding.”
First, I hope this doesn’t devolve into the Coleman vs Lesnar thread as in who’s build would look more intimidating: Ronnie Coleman or Brock Lesnar etc etc etc.
IFBB pros generally have massive traps and necks (yokes) so are probably the most intimidating specimens to walk the earth, much more so than elite powerlifters and football players (at the same height of course so we can’t consider professional strongmen except Mariusz)
But I can’t say the same for the string bean crowd i.e. lifetime natural BBers. Ive seen lots of pencil necks on stage even at the national level. However, plenty natural powerlifters with near elite totals, or wrestlers generally have a yoke.
OP, do you actually WANT to be a badass (like Alpha or CT or Synergy) and accept where the physique chips fall or just want to look like say, Synergy or CT, while pursuing “quality muscle stimulation”?
[quote]Yogi wrote:
not to be obtuse, but wouldn’t building a “don’t fuck with that guy” build just be bodybuilding? I suppose you could put a bit more emphasis on traps, shoulders, chest and arms, and not worry too much about being lean so you’re a big bulky guy with a chunky neck.
But yeah, just sounds like bodybuilding to me.[/quote]
[quote]Depression Boy wrote:
First, I hope this doesn’t devolve into the Coleman vs Lesnar thread as in who’s build would look more intimidating: Ronnie Coleman or Brock Lesnar etc etc etc.
IFBB pros generally have massive traps and necks (yokes) so are probably the most intimidating specimens to walk the earth, much more so than elite powerlifters and football players (at the same height of course so we can’t consider professional strongmen except Mariusz)
But I can’t say the same for the string bean crowd i.e. lifetime natural BBers. Ive seen lots of pencil necks on stage even at the national level. However, plenty natural powerlifters with near elite totals, or wrestlers generally have a yoke.
OP, do you actually WANT to be a badass (like Alpha or CT or Synergy) and accept where the physique chips fall or just want to look like say, Synergy or CT, while pursuing “quality muscle stimulation”?
[quote]Yogi wrote:
not to be obtuse, but wouldn’t building a “don’t fuck with that guy” build just be bodybuilding? I suppose you could put a bit more emphasis on traps, shoulders, chest and arms, and not worry too much about being lean so you’re a big bulky guy with a chunky neck.
But yeah, just sounds like bodybuilding to me.[/quote][/quote]
If you just cared about looks, I agree with the ‘just bodybuild’ bit. If you also want to perform well, do a bunch of things. This article has a few good points…
Echoing DD, if you search CT’s stuff for “the power look”, you get some of that.
The snatch-grip high pull (SGHP) is probably the cornerstone lift.
If I were to design such a program, I’d probably build it around SGHPs, weighted dips, incline press, weighted chins, and mat/block/rack pulls a few inches under the knee with chains (shifts the emphasis to lockout strength in the hips and back), with some dedicated tricep and bicep work after the bigger lifts. And structure it in a “powerbuilding” fashion with both heavy and high rep work, whether they be in the same session, or alternating sessions, or alternating training blocks.
[quote]Ripsaw3689 wrote:
I, for one, would not fuck with this guy. [/quote]
To be fair, I wouldn’t fuck with this guy either. He’s like 80 pounds smaller, but a thick neck and cauliflower ears do give off a certain vibe and woe be unto those who ignore the warning.
As far as the badass look, definitely the “yoke” area (shoulders, upper back, traps, and neck) would be a priority. Plenty of routines have discussed building it - CT’s power look, McCallum’s progressive pulls back in the '60s, Wendler’s classic yoke article, etc.
But also, in terms of looking badass on first impression, I think forearms are underrated. You notice when a dude has significant forearms, and they generally don’t get that way by accident. Time and effort went into building big, strong forearms either with serious lifting or years and years of manual labor, or both.
I always believed that (and I’ve read this before) that a guy with a big back, traps, shoulders, tri’s and forearms just looked powerful. In terms of an actual program to follow, I read on Carter’s blog the other day where a guy just did his Strong-15 short cycle all year with lots of high volume assistance. One could use 5/3/1 or any other progression for the main lifts as well. This is similar to how I’m training now.
I also understand that none of this is new by any means, I was just curious if anyone else does something similar.
OP have you read Beyond Bodybuilding? I sound like a Pavel groupie lately, but he talks about exactly what you’re looking for multiple times. It’s a great resource.
