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| One day, a gym rat asked me this very question. When we talk about symmetry in bodybuilding we refer to the way that the body parts fit together--how balanced the physique appears. |
"DUH...symmetry...WHAT'S THAT?"
One day, a gym rat asked me this very question. When we talk about symmetry
in
bodybuilding we refer to the way that the body parts fit together--how
balanced the
physique appears. To get an idea of what a symmetrical bodybuilder looks
like, I suggest
that ya check out some of the photo galleries on the web site and look for
people like
Arnold, Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, Steve Reeves and Shawn Ray and Lee
Labrada.
From head to toe it is hard to find a weak point on their body. Wouldn't you
like to have
this? You can in fact help minimize your weak point by copious attention to
your training
habits. Read on.
 OK, lets face it, Thomas Jefferson was a little out of it. Right, now
what does political science have to do with bodybuilding?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."
This is a famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence but,
there is almost no equality in our physiques. Face it, if you could, you would alter
your DNA to obtain the ideal structure.
There are various structures out there. Some guys
like Nasser El Sonbaty, Markus Ruhl and many powerlifters are somewhat endo mesomorphic meaning that they tend to have large skeletal structures with a propensity to hold lots of muscle and be a little chubby too. Others are somewhat ectomorphic--skinny guys who look like tooth picks with hardly any fat and little muscle too.
Mesomorphs with ectomorphic shadings have the best of both worlds. A
guy like Flex Wheeler has light bones, a wide shoulder girdle, narrow waist and hips as
well and full muscle bellies. How can you train to look sumpin' like this?
SHOULDER Structure
Wide Shoulders look good no matter what. They are a sign of power and
beauty and
have been that way ever since the Greco-Roman era (there's that history
again). Shoulder development, especially by way of the lateral or side deltoid, can make you
look broad and wide no matter how narrow your collar bones are. Although it is mostly
genetics, you can target these muscle when you work out. The side lateral raise should become
you main shoulder movement.
FOR DELTS:
- Focus on getting in 5-7 sets of Side Lateral Raises in every shoulder
workout. Since these isolate only a small part of the shoulders, follow the laterals with a couple sets of overhead presses with a barbell, dumbbells or a machine using heavy weights
and low reps for 3 sets. Throw in a trap movement and you are set.
BACK WIDTH; READY FOR TAKE OFF
Wide Back musculature will also contribute significantly to the V-Taper
of your body.
In order to widen your lats, place emphasis on Wide Grip Chins (or if you
don't have the
strength to do chins do pull downs). Chins and Pull downs not only develop the
lats; they
also stretch the scapulae ( the bone structure of your shoulders).
PUT IN A GOOD 3-4 SETS OF WIDE GRIP CHINS AND BEFORE LONG PEOPLE WILL ASK YOU
IF THEY CAN USE YOUR BACK AS AN AIRPLANE.
THE HALF WAY POINT- The Abs
| Your midsection also has a profound effect on your symmetry. Not all of us
are blessed with narrow hips and a small waist, but since you are gonna prioritize your
V-Taper, you will have a head start. In addition don't do too much ab training with heavy
resistance as this could cause your muscles to grow at a rate faster than the back and
delts. Keeping your body fat low goes a long way with this too so go easy on the junk in the
off season! |
Mandy Blank
(c) Avidan |
BIG WHEELS KEEP ON TURNING-
THIGH SWEEP QUADS:
From plain old tires to 20 inch Lorenzo's
Carrot shaped leg development can really throw off your body's balance.
Legs are hard to train but good thigh sweep will help offset your waist. In order to target
the sweep of your quads, focus on getting in 3-4 sets of 6-15 reps heavy Leg Presses,
Squats or Hack Squats each workout and make sure you keep your form strict. Also do leg
extensions and focus on contracting hard each rep ! Also, put everything into your
Hamstring workouts since they make up almost half of the leg-- Do 1-2 variations of Leg
Curls and either Good Mornings or Stiff Legged Deadlifts 3 x 8-15 reps to get a stretch
and you will go from Hamster to huge honey baked hams in no time!
THE UPPER DEC PECS
We place a lot of importance on Flat Bench Presses but this is another thing
which messes up your symmetry. After all that flat benching you get droopy lower pecs that
sag. Ya need to start doing inclines ! Incline Presses should become your main basic
chest movement since the upper pecs will give your chest that round, completely
developed look. You can vary the angle from a 45 degree (which nails the upper pecs from
the neck bone to about 2 inches down) or a angle that is not as steep to focus on the upper
region right above the middle of your pecs or combine both. You can use a Barbell,
Dumbbells, a smith Machine and may other variations. Incline Barbell Presses 3-4 sets of 4-10
reps pyramiding the weight. and then follow these with some Incline Dumbell
Presses for 3 sets to finish up the pecs.
CALVES AND FOREARMS and Rear Delts
All to often there are people who work out with out giving a crap about the
aforementioned three. Nothing looks worse than a bad set of calves cuz they
ruin the symmetry of your lower body. What ta do ? Hit your calves twice a week using
good form and high reps with heavy weights. 3-4 sets of 10-30 reps on Standing Calf
Raises, Seated Calf Raises, 1 legged Calf Raises with a dumbell, or calf Raises on an
bench 1 or 2 times a week, Many people put time into the biceps and triceps but all in vain cuz the forearms are behind. Weak forearms will hamper your back training a lot. Do heavy grip
holds- load a barbell with about 1.25 times what you would use for a deadlift or a shrug
and hold it as long as you can and your forearms will be up in no time.
Rear delts are to overlooked as well and will make all your efforts in
shoulder and back development less fruitful. Train the rear delts with either back or delts and
do 3-4 sets 8-10 reps of Bent Over Dumbbell Laterals and Prone Laterals on an incline Bench.
Joe
Prsoar@aol.com
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Symmetry: Why It Is Important, & How To Achieve It!
Developing A V-Taper: A Full Upper Body Plan!
Being Symmetrical
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