Work to optimize your physique and see great bodybuilding gains.
Hard work in and outside of the gym is an important element behind any athletic endeavor and understanding the science of perfecting your physique is incredibly important as you seek gains. There are no cheat codes that will help you easily become a star fitness athlete. Any given workout routine doesn’t mean that blind hard work pays off either and that is particularly true for bodybuilding.
It takes a very careful consideration to both nutrition and exercise to truly sculpt the body into something masterful. Behind all that hard work there is a science backing every decision up. Building your physique is an art form, like a sculptor molding a piece of stone into a marvelous statue. It is here at this intersection of art and science that a bodybuilder lives, carefully working with amounts of dosages of food and supplements while crafting their muscles to look symmetrical and uniform.
While it is true that some muscles do grow faster than others, and everyone is different so this may manifest itself differently, the right approach can take you a long way and lead you to those gains you seek the most. Understanding why you work so hard will pay off in the long run for you need to know the specifics of what you want to become. Having this goal in mind is exactly what you need most to see effective and worthwhile gains.
Let’s dive into the science of perfecting your physique and how best a bodybuilder can prepare for training and competition. Going beyond just hard work requires diligence and close attention to detail for again, both science and art sometimes require that fine tuning. At the end, you will have a physique others will most certainly envy.
Who’s In The Video
Ben Pakulski is a professional bodybuilder from Canada with some top finishes on the pro circuit. His work ethic and dedication to the bodybuilding craft has led him into other ventures outside the gym like a degree in Kinesiology and an author of a book surrounding bodybuilding and nutrition.
Dr. Jacob Wilson holds his doctorate in exercise physiology with other degrees in sports nutrition and sports psychology. A published author and dedicated researcher, his role is to conduct tests and see what is the most useful form of training and nutrition when it comes to competitive athletics.
What They Had To Say
Cardio
Dr. Wilson made it clear that running was one of the worst things for a bodybuilder to do. Not only does too much cardio limit muscle growth, but it will show a decline in strength as well. He makes this clear with an example involving Ben Pakulski.
Ben has massive legs and clearly needs to lift big weight with exercises like squats and the leg press to keep up his size. If Ben were to run longer distances, he would lose that valuable leg muscles and therefore, no longer be able to lift as much weight as he needs to during his heavy exercises.
Dr. Wilson says the best form of cardio is high intense cardio, or what most people refer to as high intensity interval training, where you will lose fat, raise your metabolism, and gain muscle. You get your heart rate up, don’t sacrifice gains, and still accomplish a fantastic workout (1,2).
Examples of high intensity interval training can range from burpees, high knees, or mountain climbers, all the way to hill sprints or bike sprints. This is really a preference of what you would like but the benefit to so many options is that you can pair certain exercises together to create a great combination and craft a well-organized training routine. As long as your heart rate gets going and you start to see amazing gains, the combination of exercises is all just a preference to you.
Supplements
In this video, Ben discusses supplements and what he believes is best to take. He starts with protein powder for those post-workout needs. A great protein powder will work to enhance muscle growth and repair those worn-down muscles, so they heal and grow back stronger. Along with this, it will enhance recovery and can lead to weight loss or better weight management since protein helps keep you full for longer with less snacking or cravings (3,4).
Glutamine is an amino acid found in your body and serves as the building block of protein. Ben makes it known that this is good to take either post-workout, or first thing in the morning and on an empty stomach. Glutamine works to enhance healthy gut function, improve muscle growth, and aid in other bodily functions to improve your health, wellness, and performance (5).
To keep up on your health, Ben talked about spacing vitamin C throughout the day with meals, while also taking a multivitamin. Vitamin C as we all know is a immune booster, along with other benefits, and a multivitamin can allow for those missed nutrients, or ones we are deficient in, to enter our bodies so we stay on top of everything we need most (6).
Lastly, Ben talks about using L-carnitine as an effective supplement for moving fatty acids and turning them into fuel. Through the mitochondria, this works for energy and can play a role in your metabolism and weight management, something that will aid in your physique perfecting goals nicely (7).
Wrap Up
The science of perfecting your physique is something all bodybuilders and athletes should take note of. What this can do is greatly enhance your ability to see gains and sculpt that desired physique you want most. On top of everything else, you will be confident in knowing you have done everything you can to give yourself the best chance at success when it comes to training, a healthy lifestyle, and competition. By following some advice from bodybuilder Ben Pakulski and Dr. Jacob Wilson, you have a better idea of how to best tackle those physique goals to craft that shredded and toned aesthetic.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Laursen, P.; et al. (2002). “The scientific basis for high-intensity interval training: optimizing training programmes and maximizing performance in highly trained endurance athletes”. (source)
- Ito, S. (2019). “High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol”. (source)
- Pasiakos, S.; et al. (2015). “The effects of protein supplements on muscle mass, strength, and aerobic and anaerobic power in healthy adults: a systematic review”. (source)
- Pasiakos, S.; et al. (2014). “Effects of protein supplements on muscle damage, soreness and recovery of muscle function and physical performance: a systematic review”. (source)
- Cruzat, V.; et al. (2018). “Glutamine: Metabolism and Immune Function, Supplementation and Clinical Translation”. (source)
- Carr, A.; et al. (2017). “Vitamin C and Immune Function”. (source)
- Pooyandjoo, M.; et al. (2016). “The effect of (L-) carnitine on weight loss in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”. (source)
