The Athlete or MMA Body

I've gone through a bit of a paradigm shift in terms of who inspires me and what type of physique I'd like to emulate.

Bodybuilders used to be a big sources of inspiration for me.  I can still remember ordering Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.  I'd spend hours perusing the contents of that book.  I was simply amazed at the physiques and feats of strength pictured there--the images of Franco deadlifting are still some of my favorites.

These guys represented the "golden era" of bodybuilding: mass was balanced with symmetry. I still get inspired when I look at some of their old black-and-white training photos from Gold's Gym. 

But somewhere along the way I've lost interest in the sport of bodybuilding.

Maybe it started when I realized just how much steroids were involved.  I guess I always knew, but magazines just didn't talk about it much in the 80's.  Steroids were the 500 lb gorilla in the proverbial living room. The message was to eat 6 times a day, take a bunch of supplements, and you, too could be a ripped 230 lb.  

Maybe it's the current state of bodybuilding.  The contestants have gotten progressively bigger, and the sport now only appeals to a relatively small subculture.  

I still visit bodybuilding forums from time to time.  I also get a kick out of watching Ronnie Coleman throw around super-human levels of iron while screaming "light weight, baby!"

Don't get me wrong--I still love going to the gym and lifting weights.  I'm not planning to quit anytime soon.  But now I find myself more inspired by mixed martial arts athletes (that's one reason I like Triple Threat Muscle training so much).  MMA, after all, is much, much more exciting in my opinion. 

I'm OK with not being "huge"--I'd rather be lean, strong, and work on overall conditioning.