For most gym enthusiasts, WWE performer Roman Reigns and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are the picture perfect example of fitness. Big biceps, a bulging chest, pumped shoulders, huge traps merging into the neck and a muscular V-shaped back are what dream physiques are made of. Yet for the past few weeks the entire world has been gawking at the impossible feats of athleticism on display at the ongoing Fifa World Cup and, more recently, on the lush green grass courts of Wimbledon in London, where not one professional is built anything like those juiced-up beefcakes.
French striker Kylian Mbappe is packed with lean and strong muscles from head to toe which he uses to great advantage generating raw top speed as he blasts past opponents or holds off physical challenges. Norway’s Erling Haaland is among the most powerful dorks playing football at the highest level and multiple defenders find it difficult to stop him or bring him down with brute force because he is faster and stronger than most. Yet he isn’t built like The Hulk with oversized muscles. A video of a shirtless Haaland being congratulated by the Norwegian princess shows Haaland’s chest that most gym trainers will describe as absent and biceps that need a lot of work. Even the Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the fittest footballer in the world for a long time now, lacks massive muscles or bulk. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, a lanky dad on the verge of turning 40, is still playing at the highest level trouncing players half his age. Despite their lack of bulk, all these sportspeople are among the fittest, highly mobile and most athletic in the sports world.
Big isn’t always the best
While big muscles might be back in fashion again, they, in fact, hinder athleticism and fitness that most sports demand. Carrying excess muscle increases energy cost, slows acceleration and reduces endurance, explains Ankita Matondkar, associate consultant for sports medicine and rehabilitation at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. Modern day sports such as football, racquet sports, athletics and hockey demand players to sprint, cut, jump, change directions, react quickly and absorb force. A lean and muscular built prepares an individual to best meet these sporting demands. “Elite performance comes down to neuromuscular efficiency — how well the nervous system recruits fast-twitch fibres and coordinates movement far more than muscle size. Training is built around fast-twitch fiber recruitment, coordination and metabolic conditioning rather than bulking up. High training volumes and frequent matches keep body fat low year-round and because energy expenditure stays so high, the body naturally adapts toward functional muscle rather than mass,” adds Matondkar.
Wrestlers train specifically for size, strength and appearance under far more controlled performance conditions. Putting on significant muscle mass needs high-volume resistance training and a sustained calorie surplus and both of those things clash directly with the speed, endurance and agility that football and hockey depend on.
Most gym trainers design plans for their clients to improve muscle mass, gain size and definition and lose fat. That’s partly because most clients (people like you and I) want to look like Johnny Bravo. Very few people define their goals in terms of how they want to move better, improve their health markers or play a sport. So, the training plans and goals that the majority work on are somewhat similar to what WWE wrestlers follow. “The components of fitness targeted by WWE wrestlers are very different from an athlete. They focus on maximal strength and body composition to look strong and bulky. They work to improve their anaerobic power which is a short 30-second burst of lifting, throwing and punching. Meanwhile, an athlete focuses on cardiovascular endurance to last the entire game, agility to change direction rapidly and muscular endurance which is the ability of muscles to constantly exert power and force without cramping or getting injured. Hence, athletes do not bulk up as it does not help them to play the sport better,” explains Dhruva Sivakumar, fitness expert at Cult Fit.
Train like a sportsperson
Athletes like Mbappe, Haaland and Djokovic also put in a considerable amount of time in the gym and lift heavy weights, yet they do not bulk up. “The secret lies in the way they lift weights. Majorly their strength training is focused on lifting heavy weights for about 1 to 5 reps focusing on recruiting muscle fibres and training their mind-to-muscle connection faster and efficiently,” says Sivakumar. Rather than following bodybuilding-style routines, athletes focus on training for performance rather than appearance with a training plan focusing on strength, speed and conditioning. The strength sessions are built around compound and explosive movements like squats, Olympic lifts, jumps, and resisted sprints, done at high intensity but not excessive volume.
However, an athlete’s physique isn’t built in the weight room alone. “Squats, lunges, presses and pulls done with explosive intent build the kind of power and efficiency the body needs. Sprint intervals, agility drills and aerobic work improve speed and endurance without adding unnecessary bulk. Food intake stays around maintenance, keeping body fat controlled while giving the body what it needs to recover,” adds Matondkar.
Sivakumar suggests that fitness enthusiasts should focus on incorporating more compound and explosive movements over doing a “bro split” which focuses on one muscle group per day. “Resistance training must be paired with explosive movements like shuttle runs, box jumps and broad jumps. Ultimately, the foundation of this training relies on disciplined nutrition and recovery. Enthusiasts must prioritise high quality sleep to heal the body alongside a structured diet that includes consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to effectively repair, maintain, and build lean muscle mass,” he adds.
Finally, since none of us is anywhere near a professional sportsperson’s fitness levels, staying active throughout the day is just as important as the exercise sessions themselves. “Get the training right, recover well and the physique will take care of itself,” says Matondkar.