Aesthetic bodybuilding
by: Jon Weaber
What Aesthetics is
Size, shape, proportion, conditioning, symmetry, and balance: combine all of these into one human body and you get amazing aesthetics. Forty years ago, guys like Serge Nubret, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the kings of aesthetics. They built strong, powerful bodies that looked incredible from every angle. They all had a tiny waist, an insane V-taper, and slabs of quads that made their knees look tiny. These guys were so great that their legacy is just as inspiring and powerful today as it was in the '70s.
Agility, Balance, and Power
Agility isn't really used in aesthetics besides when your up on stage. Your poses must me done quick and swiftly one flaw can change the judges mind on what they want to rate you at. You will need good balance depending on certain poses that you are going to do. Power isn't a big role in aesthetics because you don't need power. Aesthetics is all about the perfect physique so you don't really have to be powerful or explosive its more about sculpting your body to the ideal look. But most Aesthetic bodybuilders are very powerful and that's the same as well with normal bodybuilders.
Reaction time and Coordination
Reaction time is a big key when competing, when the judge tells you to change your pose and your the first person to change your pose their eyes are going to lock right on you. When you do this you want your routine to be perfect. You want to know for sure that you are flexing what they have told you to. Good coordination also plays a big role in having a perfect routine. When you go up on stage and your the only one up there you don't want to mess up your routine at all that could cost you even having a chance to place in the competition.
Speed
Speed doesn't really play a role in aesthetic bodybuilding there's never really a reason to either be going fast or rushing yourself. Especially when you are lifting to compete you want your movements to be focusing on contracting the muscle and controlling the weight. Doing this will cause complete breakdown of the muscle tissue allowing you to get to your fullest potential. Rushing threw such long workouts will cause you to hurt yourself.
Mental Preparedness
Now Mental Preparedness is a huge key in all bodybuilding going out there with a week mindset or doubting yourself is the worst thing you can do. Like i said previously one flaw can ruin your chances. so having some thing on your mind could cause you to mess up your routine. You want to go out there with a clear mind and the only thing you want to be thinking is that you are the best looking one up on that stage. You want to be thinking that you have everything the judges are looking for. But don't get in your mind that your going to win because usually you think your the one who puts in the most work. But really the person standing next to you probably put in just as much or even more work then you.
Lastly Nutrition
Nutrition is another huge factor in bodybuilding these huge athletes are constantly working out if there muscles do not have the right nutrients they will not grow its as simple as that. If you want to be a beast you got to eat like one. If you aren't feeding your body the right nutrients or you are over eating your body will reject it and you will gain unneeded weight or you might even get sick. Everyone in my opinion should be eating a healthy diet, because with a healthy diet you'll have a healthy body and you'll feel a lot better then what you would if you don't eat healthy.