How To Train For An Athletic Body?
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I just got an email from someone wanting to know how to train for an athletic body. I see a lot of people struggling to understand how to get a more athletic looking and performing body, so I decided to answer the question here.
Here is an excerpt from the email…
i am trying to build a bit more muscle and tone what i have already got.
i am trying to get an athletic body.
should i do shoulders, back, chest, biceps, triceps and so on all in the same day.
or should i concentrate on each ones on different days. like biceps and triceps one day, back the next, chest the next, shoulders the next, and so on.
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Let me try to help you get an athletic body.
You want to get an athletic body, but it still looks like you are doing a bodybuilding style workout. When you split your body up into a lot of different (smaller) muscle groups and try to figure out how to design a workout to hit those muscles separately, you are training like a bodybuilder.
Bodybuilders DON”T have an athletic type body… so you don’t want to train like a bodybuilder if your goal is to look and perform like an athlete.
On the other hand… athletes train the whole body and focus on large muscle groups, or multiple muscle groups at the same time. I would go so far as to say that an athletic workout should be a full body workout that blurs the lines between strength training and heart and lung conditioning.
I was just looking over a page called MaxWorkouts yesterday and doing a write up about it that I’m going to post here. I think you should read it to get a feeling of what an athletic approach is. Read about MaxWorkouts here!
I can give you an example from on of my own workout programs: Gladiator Body Workout.
The Gladiator Body Workout uses both dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. There is nothing more athletic that using a combination of bodyweight and weighted exercise to challenge your entire body. So, first off… we are doing a full body workout with different types of resistance.
I have a full workout program there called The Above & Beyond Package. (This should only be done after you build your athletic body with the Optimum Fitness & Physique Workouts).
What you’ll notice about these workouts is they combine dumbbell exercise, bodyweight exercise AND endurance training. For example: Dumbbell Snatches for 30 seconds, Push Ups for 30 second and then sprint 50 yards. Rest briefly and repeat. This is the type of exercise that builds a strong, lean, athletic body ready for anything.
As you’ll notice… there is no mention of muscle groups, split routines or any of the other stuff bodybuilders talk about.
I know this might be hard for you to wrap your brain around. Everyone has been “conditioned” to think of the body as a bunch of parts. But if you want to train, look and perform more like an athlete, you are going to have to take a broader view and stop using bodybuilding routines. Spend some time thinking about this.
Again, I recommend reading over the Gladiator Body Workout page. There is a lot of good info there. Plus, read over the MaxWorkouts page. I see a lot of trainers moving into this ATHLETIC style of training and I believe it is the way to get the fitness, performance and body most exercisers are looking for!
Hope this helps.
Eddie
May 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
i only have dumbbells to train with, if iwant to build muscle is it better to do about 8-12 reps with a lighter weight.
i want to try and get an athletic body really quickly, how many exercises should i do with my dumbbells and how many sets for each exercise? how long break in between each exercise and set?
please help
May 6th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
You need a COMPLETE dumbbell workout program like Extreme Dumbbell Fitness
There are TWO workout programs with Extreme Dumbbell Fitness… Optimum Fitness & Physique and Above & Beyond.
With Optimum Fitness & Physique you have your choice of fitness, fat loss or size & strength. The one you pick should be based on what you need the most work on. Fixing your biggest problem that is keeping you from the athletic body is the fastest way to see the results you want.
If you are not already in pretty good shape… start with the fitness workout.
If you need to lose fat… start with the fat loss workout.
If you need to get stronger and bigger… start with the strength and size workout.
The workout program is designed so you will use all three workout programs over time. You should alternate between all three workouts to keep on a steady pace toward the athletic body you seek. But to see the fastest results, start with the area you need the most work on like explained above.
Once you’ve gone through all these workouts… you should look and BE more athletic. Then it is time to put your new athletic body to the test (and make more gains) by using the Above & Beyond workouts.
Hope this helps,
Eddie
May 6th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
how much does the strenght and size workout cost is it $27 or $27 for all of the extreme dumbbell fitness workout books
May 6th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
You get ALL the workouts in Extreme Dumbbell Fitness for only $27.00
May 7th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
cool in that case you might have another buyer soon then, if in 60 days these dont help how do i get my money back if they are sent throught internet instead of an actuall book, how can i send them back to you
May 7th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Bob,
These workouts are downloadable pdf files. You order, and you can download everything immediately. This makes it nice because you can print off the workout journal sheets and use them again and again.
I find it hard to believe that if you actually DO the workouts for 60 days you won’t get results… but in case you don’t, just contact me before the 60 days is up and I’ll take care of refunding your money in full.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
ok thanks, i wont return them anyway just wondered what happened.
thanks will probably buy them soon, i have been doin weights since september just has and havent noticed a difference yet so i must be doing them wrong at the moment
May 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
whats better for getting an athletic body quickly the books
extreme dumbbell fitness
or
Athletic Body Workout
i only have dumbbells to train with
May 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
You said you only had dumbbells so I would suggest Extreme Dumbbell Fitness. You need a barbell and dumbbells for Athletic Body Workout.
As mentioned in the post above, I really like using a combination of bodyweight and dumbbell exercises like in Gladiator Body Workout. (You can find the link in the post above).
May 9th, 2009 at 10:58 am
ok thanks