13.‘How will I look?’ 3 – Bodybuilding

For instance, long legs suggest an ectomorphic body area, so they may be more difficult to develop, but long legged bodybuilders naturally look taller.

Then you have the muscles which are the ‘building bricks’ around which all of your bodybuilding development work will be centered. Many people do not understand that natural muscle shape is a characteristic unique to every individual with the shape itself been dictated by how far the muscle is naturally stretched.

If you have muscles that are attached to the bone at each end quite closely together, you are likely to have fairly compressed muscles which form a noticeable peak when the muscle is tensed. Such big muscles are a big advantage in competitive bodybuilding, which is one of the reasons that Schwarzenegger was so successful (take a look at his biceps to see what I mean).

Others have muscles that are attached much further down the bone, with the attached ends being further apart. In this case, the muscle will demonstrate a considerably smoother, more flowing image, rather than appearing to reach a peak. Again, compare biceps between Schwarzenegger and Larry Scott to see a couple of very good examples of the differences.