Which Would You Choose?

[Nelson Montana]

If you had the choice bewteen looking "normal" but being able to bench 600 pounds and squat 1000. Or would you rather look like Serge Nubret and never surpass a max bench of 200 pounds?

Option two. Would you rather look like Louie Simmons and be as strong as Louie Simmons or would you rather look like Steve Reeves and have "average" strength?

This is almost a rhetorical question, but it puts some persepective into training approaches. Are you training mostly for shape or for strength? One helps the other but you must concentrate on one or the other to excell with one or the other.

 

[psychedout]

You make it sound like you can't train for strength and size.

Granted there isn't a 100% correlation between the two, it is still very high.

More muscle = more strength.

 

[evolutionoftherevolution]

Sounds like the "Wolf in sheeps clothing" (all strength) vs. "all show no go" (all looks). At first thought, appearance seems to be the most appealing, but there is something VERY primal about moving ridiculously heavy weight...

...but being the vain person that I am I'll say appearance.

EOR

 

[MoTopher]

I'd have to go with Steve. I bet Steve Reeves bench press was pretty damn respectable by most anybody's standards.

 

[doublebicep]

I would have to go with having a build like Serge Nubret and never surpass a max bench of 200 pounds. His build is near perfect and besides being able to rep 200 pounds is still dam strong. Besides, I am a bodybuilder not a powerlifter. I train for over-all shape, health and appearance.

Nelson, in Serge's prime, how many sets/reps would he do building up to 200 pound max and then how many sets/reps would he do at 200 pounds? I am curious because being able to massive reps at 200 pounds would be an indication of strenght.

 

[Nelson Montana]

I would have to go with having a build like Serge Nubret and never surpass a max bench of 200 pounds. His build is near perfect and besides being able to rep 200 pounds is still dam strong. Besides, I am a bodybuilder not a powerlifter. I train for over-all shape, health and appearance.

Nelson, in Serge's prime, how many sets/reps would he do building up to 200 pound max and then how many sets/reps would he do at 200 pounds? I am curious because being able to massive reps at 200 pounds would be an indication of strenght.

The scenario is strictly hypothetical. I have no idea what Serge could bench or how strong Steve Reeves was. The point is, what do you want? It's very possible to get stronger without getting very shaply. Serge trained in a manner that would not increase strength very much, but that wasn't his objective.

 

[MoTopher]

Would you say that higher volume,and lower weight would do more for shape,asthetics than would higher wieght and lower volume?

 

[Nelson Montana]

Would you say that higher volume,and lower weight would do more for shape,asthetics than would higher wieght and lower volume?

Yes. But most people won't get very big training in that manner. Serge was a freak. But he found what worked for him.

 

[ham2]

************
nd besides being able to rep 200 pounds is still dam strong.
************

i don't think so.
i bench more with a rotator cuff injury.
other people i see bench easily 130kg.
And NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND would i dare to think i'm as strong or stronger than Nubret.

to answer the question: i choose strenght but not right a powerlifter.
if i get 55cm biceps ( now 49 ), then it's about 6 months dieting to look like a model ( i mean ripped & all ).
The ripped guy with 36cm biceps , well...

 

[GoldenDelicious]

id rather be beautiful

serge wins

 

[ArrogantFungus]

Steve Reeves used 35 pounders for dumbell curls. He did a lot of exercises that stretched the muscles. Also, the bench press was not even done much until the 60's...he still had outstanding pecs...shaped by flyes. He used a range of motion that others could not match in some squats but did not go heavy at all. He controlled the weight.

Serge Nubret did not have even 7" wrists...such a small bone structure is not conducive to heavy weights....nonetheless he had beautiful muscle shape, particuklarly in his chest and triceps...and his outstanding abdominals.


I would rather look strong and muscular than be strong and muscular..people go by appearances.

 

[doublebicep]

id rather be beautiful

serge wins

I agree!

 

[c3bodybuilding]

I'd go with looks. Who cares if you can bench 400lbs if you look like a fat slob or a stick.

ps. Steve says in his book he never benched more than 225lbs. His chest routine was Bench, incline, a special way of doing flys and pullovers. All this was done for 3 sets each after working shoulders, done 3 days a week.

 

[AnonCanada]

Id choose the serge nubret look, rather than bench 600 anyday.

 

[canadianhitman]

I'd rather look incredible but be weak. By lifting light weights and still getting big, you'd save your joints a lot of wear and tear.

 

[Singleton]

I'd rather have the image of being really strong and be weak.

That way, when someone stood up to me, and dared me to prove myself and called me a coward, I could flex my biceps at him. If I saw a girl being raped or someone being robbed, I could say "Hey, stop that or I'll have to show you my quads!!" And when my friend needed help moving, I could show him how muscular my back was and how it looked like I was really capable of providing great assistance with his labor.


Interesting post, Nelson. I thought it was a bit far fetched; unrealistic and hypothetical, but I was thinking in the shower today about it.

 

[Frango]

Strenght anyday.

If you´re able to bench 600 you can grow tons of muscle fast, with the proper diet.