A lot of confusion seems to exist on the web regarding what being fit means. Is it being as big as possible? Being able to tow trucks or run endlessly? Here is my stance. I believe being fit is pretty much being in shape at around your high school weight, unless you were really skinny or obese in those days.
Being fit means looking good year round. No bulking in the winter and cutting for the summer. You should look good naked all the time.
Being beach ready fit, you are going to feel awesome and your loved one will appreciate it. To look good, you need to have low levels of body fat and high levels of strength for your body weight.
Relative Strength Advantage
This will give you what I call a Relative Strength Advantage. Guys will look big and ripped with their shirts off and just normal or “well built” in clothes. For example polo shirts should hug your arms – not too loose, not too tight.
I’m no advocate for being a walking skeleton, but being huge (and too fat most likely) is probably worse. The ladies will look sexy either way – in or out of clothes. Most actors and actresses in Hollywood sport this look. This is no accident. They know what looks good to others.
Enjoying and Dominating Sports
You’ll enjoy and dominate sports because you are stronger and faster for your size than others. You see, I don’t think we should stop enjoying ourselves, playing, competing, once we leave school or college.
Why not stay active and have some fun. I myself still play pick up basketball games. I begin to notice I am getting better by just staying in shape while my team mates get progressively more out of shape.
If you are serious about this, dominating at sports even as a recreational athlete that is, focus on getting stronger in the back of your body. This means stronger calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower and upper back and triceps.
The Huge Bouncer Guy Look
Bulky looking guys can’t pull off looking hip. They end up looking like bouncers. People say to them, damn you’re huge. And they take it as a compliment. Hm… Girls who focus on weights too much end up not being able to wear skinny jeans.
Girls at 16-17 have enough development. From them on, they just need to control their body weight and make sure to tone their muscles. But certainly not develop them much more.
Excess Weight Makes Your Face Ugly And Old
One last thing. When I was younger, I wondered what makes the older guys at the gym look older. Finally I realized. Aside from having bigger bodies, they also had fatter faces.
I want to ask you, have your fitness goals and priorities changed since you fist started training? If so, what were they initially? Maybe it is time we reconsidered what fitness is? I prefer to be fit for life outside of the gym.
Babe by Katie
At 27 years old I think it is definitly about looking good on the beach and in bed. Really being fit to me means being all around healthy. I don’t want to be one of those 30-35 year old guys who look like their over 50. I want to be one of those guys that’s over 50 and look like they are 30.
Paul,
You nailed it right there. I am the same age and feel the same as you on this subject. Checked out your blog, you are quite fit. Waiting to see you get in amazing shape in a couple of months.
Keep it up buddy!
Yavor
Hey Yavor,
Cool! looks really good with lots of technical help. Yes fitness not sure if everybody has the same idea. I’m 47 and to me its now all about being able to be lean & athletic, able to do whatever activities I like without being slowed down by age
Hey Yavor! 🙂
Just found this…
Please believe me Brother, I had NO CLUE you had written this article when I wrote mine called…”What is Fitness”! a little while ago.
Well I guess what they say is true: great minds DO think alike! 🙂
Thanks man,
Mark
🙂