The Ideal Male Physique

Dear Straight Guy, 

I'm aiming for a 5 day a week workout plan with two days rest.

Should I separate cardio and weight training, ie. cardio one day, weights the next - or is it okay to have a combination of both? Or does it not matter, as long as I'm burning them damn calories?

Please advise.

Shaz

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Dear Shaz, 

Overdoing cardio on the same day as weight training can be counterproductive. High amounts of repeated and sustained cardio will result in a leaner build (a body built for endurance), whereas a high amount of weight training will lead to a thicker build (a body built for strength and power). 

My personal advice would be to aim for a balance of cardio and weight training in order to achieve a balanced, nicely proportioned physique. That way, you won't be Lance Armstrong bony, and neither will you be Brock Lesnar stocky. The benchmark would probably be a build like David Gandy, who is a male model but built slight thicker than the average human clothes hanger you might find in that profession.

Let's observe the example of the three Davids below:

David Gandy, Male Model

Dennis James , IFBB Professional Bodybuilder

David Corbett - Canadian Marathon Runner

Studies have claimed that everyone is born with a predetermined bodily disposition, widely categorized into 3 main body types:

The Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph.

In a nutshell, ectomorphs (left) are individuals who have a naturally skinnier build. They don't store fat as easily and generally possess a smaller bone structure as compared to their mesomorph and endomorph counterparts. 


Endomorphs (right) are those imparted with a... thicker build. They store fat more easily (no ladies, you're not all endomorphs) and gain weight faster than their ectomorph and mesomorph compadres. On the bright side, endomorphs are naturally predisposed for fast muscle gains... and uh... make great WWE Superstars? 


Mesomorphs (middle) are the genetically gifted bastards everybody loves to hate - a lighting quick metabolism that will eat through any tiramisu, ice cream cake or fondue thrown at it and a genetic predisposition to accelerate the growth of lean muscle. In short, mesomorphs are lean, mean, ripped athletic machines - God's most beloved creations. 


I'm kidding. 
God loves each and every one of us because we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". 






Though there's one thing I almost forgot. 


Mesomorphs get the girls too. 

What body type are you?