What sport do you want to do? What weight is the current world champion in that discipline?
Did you know that the weight of a professional bicycle hill climbing specialist is approximately two pounds for inch of height? Therefore a five foot eight inch (68 inch) tall rider would weigh approximately one hundred and thirty six pounds. That is very light for a man of that height. Would you be comfortable at that weight? You may want that weight, but is it really a goal you can pursue? If so then here is a formula that is tried and true.
1. Find a professional athlete that you admire in a discipline you like. Be sure that discipline fits your skill set. For example, if I am five feet six inches tall, it will do me little good to project myself as an NBA first round pick. This would be unrealistic. Never the less, it might not be unrealistic to study someone near that particular profile – say Spud Webb, a great NBA point guard from 1985-1998. By going on line we discover that Mr. Webb is 5’7” or 67 inches tall and weighs 133 lbs. This, again, is almost 2 pounds per inch of body height. Now I can calculate the pounds per inch that people in sports like basketball or other similar sports play at an optimal weight.
Got the idea? Now we have a place to start.
2. Once you have found the weight of an athlete you admire or want to emulate, assess your body weight in terms of where you are and where you want to be. Are you too light? If so then do several months or a full year of our maximum size program and pay particular attention to the need to add calories and properly stack your nutrients for maximum gains.
Are you too heavy? Then a year of cut routine would be in order. Weight loss without losing muscle size would be a logical goal.
Plan to exercise and follow a proper eating regime. Which is more important – diet or exercise? You hear the question on the gym floor all the time. Since the answer cannot be specifically quantified, the question is properly answered with a series of additional questions.
Can you workout and not eat properly?
Yes, but this will not get you to your best maximum goal. If you workout and ignore nutrition you will make some gains, but not get the full affect of the properly applied training.
Can you eat properly and not work out and get to your goal?
The answer to this one is self evident: No one can get there without a properly structured progressive resistance program. It has been tried in all sports – with no success. Want proof: Ask a local coach at the high school or collegiate level that does not have a progressive lifting program to show you the team strength records before and after the season. The drop off will astound you. Yet some people still think they can eat their way to good health without exercise.
It is necessary to work out properly using a program that measures your one rep max and develops a phase training system for the proper amount of training for your goal. For example: To gain size, more size workout weeks in a year properly spaced out in the annualized plan is necessary. For more weight loss without muscle loss, a blend of adaptation and weight loss with some periods of muscle development is necessary. To gain strength without gaining size a different mixture of programs is desired. It is also necessary to eat properly for each phase of training to optimize the effort spent in the gym to reach strength, athletic and lifestyle goals.
Sign up for a V.I.P. AfitnessAddiction.com membership and select a program to meet your needs. Bigger, smaller, more muscle, less fat or a combination of these programs as your goals come into view. Start or continue your body transformation for general good health and to play a better game. We cannot promise you a professional sports career. We can promise you an individualized approach to help you reach your goals.
