No kidding.. I really want to lose some muscle mass.. You’re probably going, “You’re nuts!” Let me explain..
The other day, just as I was leaving the gym, I got into a conversation with one of the staff girls there. She is a long-time athlete herself and quite extreme and dedicated at that. She had been witnessing my rapid transition from using weights and machines (the typical bodybuilding workout) to using primarily the pull-up bars and parallel bars instead.
It’s true. I don’t really do any of the common exercises that most everybody does in the gym.. To a point where it’s warranted to ask why I keep paying the membership (I have to note that they even just very recently installed an outdoor piece of equipment that has everything I need for my workout. Well, almost everything.. I still use a few dumbbells as extra weight, hung on my chain belt when I do power pull-ups and dips for strength.
Just in case you’re wondering my workout is (I think) called progressive calisthenics or progressive training – it’s very popular on YouTube with videos, titled “Street workout”. But, more on that in another post.
So, I told her that one of my most immediate fitness goals is to lose about 4 – 5 lbs of muscle mass as this is going to tremendously help me improve my current accomplishments in progressive training exercises, like dragon flag (will be able to increase the weights even more), lever (increase the time I can maintain it + start adding weight), reverse lever (still can’t do it but getting very close), hand stand, hand stand push ups, human flag (can’t do any of it… but haven’t given up on it), etc.
See, I used to have disproportionately large legs – noticeably bigger for the size of my upper body. I’ve lately managed to balance out the disproportion (I can now wear strait-leg jeans). I think they are now perfect for my upper body, but I think I can may be give up a bit of size from my entire body – legs included – to get down a couple more pounds.
To be honest, the thought of wanting to lose muscle kinda makes me shiver a bit. You can imagine – I spend 2/3 of my life trying to build muscle and do whatever I could to minimize muscle loss. Now my proprieties and goals have changed. I don’t want a big body any more – I want a functional body with muscles, developed and in such a way and in such proportion to total body weight that, which makes it easy for the body to adapt to new calisthenics and gymnastics exercises.
And for that one doesn’t need bigger muscles. One needs highly effective and highly efficient muscles…. Oh, and a lighter body.
Any way, back to my conversation with the girl in the gym.. When I told her that I eventually want to lose some muscle mass, to my surprise she wasn’t surprised at all (and she is all about muscle mass and all… at least that’s my observation). Which is nice. May be even more extreme athletes are starting to attach more value to an aesthetic and efficient physique as opposed to an overly developed body that’s not fit for anything else outside heavy bench press, squats and biceps curls.
At least I’d like to think that’s the case. What do you think? Are you FOR a freaky big bod or you are more in support of a naturally looking and easy to maintain highly functional and applicable to demanding every-day life situations? Do share..
4 Responses
Nice post Ivan and interesting.
You accually reminded me of my girlfriend, because a few days ago she asked me what can she do to lose muscle on her calfs. She doesnt have the usual ”atrophied” looking calfs, that most girls that dont work out have. Of cource i told her she is crazy because she has the pervect ”V” shape calf.
Anyway…On your question. I started out at the age of 5 with martial arts as my father was a gymnast a blackbelt and a kickboxer.I was literally raised in my fathers gym. At the age of 17 i was a blackbelt and a kickboxer teacher taking over the classes. Even though i was the lighter in class i always won usually with K.O.s The problem was that i was too light to be able to compete.Even though i was able to beat guys 20-40lbs heavier than me they wouldnt accept me…rules are rules and weight class is weight class.
I had to become heavier. And thats when my journey of bodybuilding and nutrition began. I started out reading endless hours about nutrition and weight lifting that i got so impressed on the concept of the art called bodybuilding and i was so impressed with my early gains that led me to a decision…I quitted kickboxing.
Even though i was faster and my endurance was over the top i still prefer the stronger bigger lean image. My ultimate image is a body of a bodybuilder in the 70s..the golden era…
My father today asks me ”why do you want to look big and strong?” and i said because i want to feel like a rock that cant be moved…
”why do you like to be light and fast?” i asked him. ”Because i want to feel like an angel in the clouds” he said…
I like the exchange between you and your father – very nicely said from both of you.
Mike, you are a lot younger than me and I perfectly understand your current goals. I used to want the same thing when I was in my 20’s. But with age my priorities changed. I now favor a body that is still muscular but in a manner where the muscles’ size does not get in the way of performance… it merely supports it.
But, what’s even more interesting is that lately I’m beginning to discover that my body is starting to better than ever before (even when I was a competitive bodybuilder) with doing progressive calisthenics as a training method and Intermittent fasting as my diet regime. My shoulders were always a tough area to develop but now they look like never before… and there is nothing that makes for a great male’s upper body than a nice set of delts. Of course the complete package is what matters most… and ultimately how you feel about yourself.
Ivan, you are an open minded guy trying new things. I agree with you on the age priorities.
Keep up the great work…
Thanks, Mike. Will certainly do.