The Weight of the World on Your Shoulders…For 3 Sets

When one enters the gym; past the front desk, beyond the treadmills, away from the pools and basketball courts we see the heart and soul of the gym. The loud cluttering of dumbbells dropping, throbbing screams and powerful grunts define this area. Here is where any avid weightlifters destiny is formed. There are only two paths to take on the journey, and the roads they lead to couldn’t be any more diverse. One path leads to a physique defined beyond measure, where every muscle is visible along with the segments within them. This is the fitness model look, made of lean muscle. The other path leads to a physique hulking with muscle. Here the person is monstrous in proportion, since the emphasis is on size over definition. This is the bodybuilder look, made of muscle mass. The similarities and differences of these two “gods of the iron” can be seen through their workouts, diets and their results.
To reach these peaks in human physique, each person must be a frequent gym attendee. There is no 5 min a day abs exercise, no 15-minute a day run, and no 3 month plan for this. These two body types spend on average 5-6 days at the gym, sometimes even two times a day. There is no easy way out of it. These two are similar in that they have to devote their lives to it. It takes years, not months. The dedication these two share is indescribable. Although they share the same heart and passion for their goal, their routines are worlds apart. The lean muscle body (fitness model) will lift with lighter weights and higher repetitions. He is chasing after the burn, lifting until his body cannot do any more. This is how the muscles grow while the skin tightens up around them. They become visible with veins popping out from the blood rush. His muscle...

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...pabilities of the human body, but both in different ways. One with muscles that are defined and as sharp to the eye as glass is to the finger. The other is a hulking monster that will tower everyone and everything except for the door he cannot fit through. They both share the dedication to come to the gym every day, even though they lift differently, they pour their sweat, blood and tears into each set. They follow a strict diet that either forces you to eat all you can or forces you to say no to the best tasting foods. As far as results go, they both have their goods and their bads, but one thing is for sure; they have pushed genetics to the side and pushed the human ability to its maximum. The fitness model look covered with lean muscle and the bodybuilder body bulging with muscle mass, are worlds apart at first glance, but could not be any more similar at heart.