{"id":3599,"date":"2024-01-08T16:51:06","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T16:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maxhealthliving.com\/?p=3599"},"modified":"2024-01-18T11:54:37","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T11:54:37","slug":"bodybuilding-vs-aesthetics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxhealthliving.com\/bodybuilding-vs-aesthetics\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodybuilding vs Aesthetics: (training, strength, workout)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bodybuilding vs aesthetics – what\u2019s the right approach to getting the body you want?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What\u2019s the difference between the two, and how did we get to the point where they need to compete? Many people think that the two goals are one and the same, but they could not be more different.<\/p>\n
There is a big difference between bodybuilding and aesthetics. Bodybuilding is all about developing muscle mass while aesthetics is all about developing a lean, toned physique. In fact, many bodybuilders have trouble achieving an aesthetic physique because their muscles are too bulky and overpowering.<\/strong><\/p>\n
But that\u2019s not all. of course, there\u2019s more.<\/p>\n
This is why we’re going to discuss where the \u201caesthetics movement\u201d came from if aesthetics is bodybuilding, and how the two compare.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s clarify what it means and get into the important stuff.<\/p>\n
What is Aesthetics?<\/h2>\n
Aesthetics is the name you\u2019ll see all over Instagram for a new-age focus on fitness model styles of bodybuilding. It focuses on a \u201cmore realistic\u201d physique with a greater focus on proportion at the cost of size. <\/b><\/p>\n
The aesthetics movement is all about the aesthetic physiques of silver- and golden-age bodybuilding.<\/p>\n
Size is not as important, while the focus on proportions – especially in the upper body – takes center stage.<\/p>\n
Guys interested in aesthetics typically look to the physiques of bodybuilders like Frank Zane and Serge Nubret for their proportions and conditioning. Most people don\u2019t compete at this level but will typically try to build their bodies to \u201cfitness model\u201d standards of size and conditioning.<\/p>\n
The Aesthetics Movement: Is It Bodybuilding<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
The Aesthetics movement is not a type of bodybuilding – it\u2019s a social media subculture with roots in bodybuilding but doesn\u2019t involve any competition.<\/p>\n
Aesthetics is about looking good and staying lean and relatively big.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also associated with other cultures like fitness modeling, Instagram influencers of note, and young men\u2019s lifestyles.<\/p>\n
The \u201caesthetics movement\u201d is an offshoot of the silver- and the golden age of bodybuilding before bodybuilding\u2019s focus on size took off in the 80s and 90s. The aesthetics movement is roughly as old as the social media age – with characters like Zyzz gaining prominence in 2011.<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t be too far off to say that aesthetics is the soft-core bodybuilding of the internet generation. It\u2019s how the new generation adapted old-school bodybuilding in a more image-conscious age.<\/p>\n
One of the other important things to remember is that the aesthetic physique of the movement is just easier to achieve and maintain. While it still requires plenty of muscle mass and good conditioning, it\u2019s not as hard to get and keep as the bodybuilder\u2019s often-exaggerated stature.<\/p>\n
Most guys in the aesthetics movement are just somewhat-big and lean compared to real bodybuilders. It\u2019s a physique that is more balanced against the lifestyles you\u2019ll see in this subculture, with many influencers focusing on how physique serves clout or reach than bodybuilding shows.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not intended as a put-down.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Guys who\u2019ve bought into the aesthetic movement may not be as disciplined as top bodybuilders with eating and massing, nor achieve the same peeled competition-day bodies.<\/p>\n
However, they\u2019ve chosen this compromise, and it has become popular with the less-hardcore \u201caesthetics\u201d bodybuilding fans. Whether or not you like that is a matter of personal preference and how your physique vs life balance shakes out.<\/p>\n
Bodybuilding vs Aesthetics: What Can We Learn<\/h2>\n
Whether you prefer bodybuilding or the increasing uptake of the aesthetics movement, it\u2019s hard to deny the popularity. It\u2019s good to ask why<\/i> it\u2019s so popular and what it offers that people are drawn to.<\/p>\n
The aesthetics movement is popular for a few reasons: it\u2019s easier than bodybuilding, the physiques have a broader appeal, and it is a great entry point for new bodybuilders. <\/b>It\u2019s an easy pipeline for bigger, more competitive physiques over time.<\/p>\n
First, the accessibility: aesthetics is easy to get into. More people can do it, it\u2019s non-competitive, and the focus on simply improving the body is always popular.<\/p>\n
These are the same reasons bodybuilding has always been popular – but with a lower barrier to entry and some funky characters.<\/p>\n
The focus on proportion and silhouette are also fantastic – they\u2019re eternal parts of bodybuilding that can be appreciated at any size. This is paired with conditioning, which can be driven to absurd levels with less mass, where trading off size for leaner physiques isn\u2019t a problem.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a good pipeline for more competitive bodybuilding, with men\u2019s fitness model categories (and above) seeing increased uptake due to the aesthetics movement.<\/p>\n
This makes it a good intermediary for bodybuilding, but with a more broadly-appealing and socially-accepted set of ideals.<\/p>\n