Many years ago, a colleague grabbed my upper arm and said "your slim, but your arms are loose".
"Huh?", I responded, not knowing what he was talking about.
"When I used to play sports, my arms used to be TIGHT. Like THIS!", he responded, clenching his fist as hard as he could and trying to show off a non-existent bicep.
I didn't respond.
"But now I'm all flabby, flab coming out from here, there, everywhere", he rejoined.
Now, that sort of thing is a typical comment from someone whose never been fit - and couldn't be bothered to get fit - so the only thing he does is to make negative (and in most case meaningless) comments about those that ARE in good shape. I was (at that time) knocking out pull-ups in sets of 6, doing all sorts of variations, and he wasn't even able to do one without grabbing his pits in agony - that alone should tell ya something, haha.
Pull 'em down into the quagmire instead of get better at pulling yourself up on a pull-up bar seems to be the motto for these people, and being I'd already experienced many comments like that, I laughed silently and didn't respond. And soon, we moved on to other topics.
But negativity notwithstanding, this does expose a common myth amongst most people - that being, it's better to have tight "pumped up" and "showy" muscles at all times of the day and night. Apparently being loose and relaxed is not important - showing one's steroid pumped and tense muscles to the world is.
I often marvel at the stupidity of this myth, and how many people buy into it - but before I start tearing this myth apart, let's take a look at Nature first.
The grizzly bear is probably the most powerful animal on the planet pound for pound, but do we see it walking around showing off it's muscles? No, it's actually quite content to hide them beneath a layer of fur - but when it comes time to chase that rabbit downhill, or carry a moose uphill while running (that's right, while running), it does so effortlessly.
The big cats (tigers, leopards, panthers etc) are amongst the best and strongest hunters in the world, but do they have a sleek, relaxed look about them - or a maniacal crazed "pumped up" look?
You see how foolish this theory is - but it's not just about the look either.
Look, (no pun intended) your muscles weren't MEANT to stay tense and knotted up - they may get that way after working out, but they sure as heck weren't meant to STAY that way. Look at any of the old time strongmen - few people can hold a candle to them in terms of strength, and yet they had the smooth, powerful look that comes from training NATURALLY.
The kind of look that a wrestler's shoulders have.
The kind of look a swimmer's chest has.
And so forth.
Second, loose muscles are actually a lot easier to stretch and move around, reducing the chances of accidental (or otherwise) injury drastically. This is in stark contrast to the modern day bodybuilder who has to go through a 15 minute or more stretching routine just to limber up - in which time a Fast and Furious Fitness practitioner is done and dusted with his workout.
I generally dive straight into my workout after getting up in the morning - without a lengthy warm up - how many weightlifters and bodybuilders can say that?
And last, but certainly not least, if you still prefer the "beachboy" look after reading all this, well, "tain't" none of my business to be quite honest. Preen on as much as you would - I really don't mind. To each his own, is what I say.
And that, my friend, is that for today - back again later! If you train today, make it a super one!
Best Regards,
Rahul
P.S. : - I speak about Fast and Furious Fitness in this note - you can grab it right HERE: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/articles/83-fast-and-furious-fitness-the-book
P.S. #2:- My new course Shoulders like Boulders is going gangbusters - hurry up and see what the commotion is all about: - http://rahulmookerjee.com/index.php/products/87-shoulders-like-boulders