Beach Muscles by Gender
Function does not follow form
The summer prior to my senior year in college was different from most. I stayed on campus to work as a research assistant for a professor of mine. This marked the first time I was away from home for more than a calendar year. The first time I was to live by myself, as my roommates went home. And the first time I started regimented exercise on consistent basis. Life changing in many respects.
After a few weeks in the gym I couldn't help but notice how there were some dudes at the gym who seemed to only like to work out two muscle groups. Their biceps and chest. As time went on, and the academic year got into full swing, time and time again I would see the same sort of dudes whom just liked to hit chest and bi's all the time.
It only really dawned on me around a month prior to spring break what the deal was. Why…? Because it was as if their chest and bicep routines were put into overdrive. These folk would already be at the gym when I arrived, and were still hard at it when I left an hour later. As you would assume, the intensity of said chest and bicep routines were elevated. The looks on their faces were more serious. You would have thought they were preparing for warfare.
Well not so much. They were preparing for something alright. They were preparing for the inevitable moment when they would have to take their shirts off in Daytona Beach, FL or Cancun, Mexico on their spring break. The whole while I was at this campus gym, this must have been on their mind. This feverish pitch of activity in the gym starting from about mid-February ‘till spring break as a last ditch effort to perfect their beach muscles.
The months after spring break ended, the gym was a virtual ghost town. I felt like myself and my friends had the place all to ourselves. It was a unique glimpse into the psychology into a young man’s mind. As I write this, it reminds me of my 19-year-old self doing push-ups, sit-ups, and hitting a little bench press action late into the night prior to my week-long summer vacation at New Jersey's Long Beach Island with my friends.
Anyway, this gym story was when I was twenty-one and a senior in college as mentioned. In the years after, I could not help but notice a similar pattern at other gyms I was a member at. Albeit less pronounced. But there would be an uptick in activity a month prior to spring break time. And, there would be several dudes whom would be able to bicep curl, and bench press ridiculous amounts of weight. Their upper bodies were massive, but they would have the legs of a fawn. Or chicken legs as I called it back then. In fact, I can remember one such dude who possessed this sort of physique with a tan to match. As in big, bulky, and tan upper body. Very slender, and pasty white lower body.
To each their own I guess.
It seemed odd to me then, and it seems odd to me now. Reason being is that although that looks impressive it's not entirely functional. All that development into one's musculature in their upper-body while simultaneously neglecting their lower bodies by comparison is not advisable.
A disproportionate upper to lower body will only result in massive issues over time. Your legs will be tasked with controlling a torso that they are ill prepared for. Stability issues will creep up over time which is bad news if you are on your feet all day. So as impressive as all those looks are, in reality an inherent weakness will be present. Basically all show, no go. Well, to some extent.
This begs to mention how I see some of these same dudes come into the room I kick box at. They practice their haymakers on a punching bag for a few minutes only to get winded, then leave. In and out in a flash. That's another post for another time.
In the present day I like more of what I see. Almost all young men, even older like myself, have adopted a more balanced weight training routine. This is thanks to the popularity of power lifting which solely focuses on doing Squats, Deadlifts, and Bench Presses. All of which are compound movements, meaning more than one muscle group is engaged at a time. Two of which are lower body focused. And if you read some of my other posts on exercise, you will know I preach getting your lower body strength right and in tune. For if you do, you will gain a lot of physical power and stability.
Now ladies on the other end. Ladies have always been working on their lower bodies to my recollection. When I was in my twenties, and would witness a girl going for the butt specific weight training machines, it was hilarious (in a good way). What was more normal was when they would train their legs. Regardless, butt and ab machines were always popular.
As I have grown older and less juvenile, I can respect it.
A women's beach muscles just so happen to be their butts, legs, and core. The very muscle groups human should be focusing on. And the whole time I have been weight training, this is the majority of what I have seen women train. This means that they have been doing it correct from the jump. Which of course means, us men have been a little late to the party.
What is the saying…? Men don't mature as quickly as women…
Pretty much.
To help grow this newsletter please Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe.
To help support this newsletter, consider becoming a Paid Subscriber.