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