The Dense Look


Im sure you guys know what i’m talking about - The look of sheer rock hard muscle tissue.

Some guys just seem to have this look, like they are carved from stone, that even if they stopped training there muscle would remain, you get the idea…

So. Do you think this look is created by low bf, training HEAVY, genetics (dare i say it), “muscle maturity,” a combo of factors…?

fullness/denseness is mostly genetic.

Most bodybuilders use drugs to enhance this.

Squats and milk only

I’m fairly certain his routine consisted of only benches + curls, and on off days doing 3 sets of 1000 crunches.

I would put a bit towards genetics, and here’s why.

Me and my mate train together. We train the same. His arms look big and hard cold, which I guess they reasonably are at 17’ but when he flexes they get like a tiny bit bigger, hardly noticable. My arms get over a full inch bigger when i flex, I guess it is the muscle bellies which is genetics right? His forearms are also way bigger then mine, and hard as a rock but I have way more grip strength.

So even though I lift more then him, he looks more impressive just walking around, although what you see is what you get.

I remember arnold making a sort of statement like this about Franco which he put down to the powerlifting background.

Genetics seems to be the main cause from my experience though.

Yeah hardgnr i was going to use the difference between Arnold and franco as an example - Arnold just has the more pumped look whereas Franco just looks thicker.

I thought i may have alot to do with training style. If you think about most of the “dense” guys -
Yates
Franco
Branch Warren
mentzer …

Most of these guys use heavier weight and lower reps as far as i was aware. Is it all to do with the myogenic (or something lime that) tone that ive read about.

The leaner your arms are, the bigger the difference will be from not-flexing to flexing. I get a 2.5" difference from unflexed to flexed… I’m floating around 8-9% bodyfat. I know casey viator had a huge difference… it looked like his arms ‘exploded’ when he flexed… at like 6% body fat. Interesting stuff:)


Where are all these ultra-jacked, insanely ripped guys who somehow don’t have that “Dense look” and “Muscle Maturity?”

Phil Heath is really young. He’s got the dense look.

If you’ve got big muscles, and your conditioning excellent, then you should look like you’re made out of granite. No surprise there.
If you haven’t achieved that “dense” look then you’re probably not big enough or lean enough.

Lots of heavy training, training for a long time, steroids.

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
Lots of heavy training, training for a long time, steroids.

[/quote]

There are plenty of natural bodybuilders who look ‘dense’. Seriously.

Look at Kiyoshi Moody. Natural and dense as hell!

If you are at the point where people can tell you’re a bodybuilder… it doesn’t matter if you have taken steroids or not. You’re going to look dense if you are big enough and lean enough.

most people round here would tell you kiyoshi moody is about as natural as walmart milk.

mike mentzer is one of my favorite bodybuilders and has the physique i want to go for. that and he kinda looks like how my dad looked with a mustache…minus the 200lbs of muscle.

i think part of the reason you see it on Mentzer is that he doesnt do the vacuum. having a full bellied set of abs is essential to the look.

youll also the same look on a lot of powerlifters because when they diet down they do it to 5 or 6% they do it to about 10.

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
Me and my mate train together. We train the same. His arms look big and hard cold, which I guess they reasonably are at 17’ but when he flexes they get like a tiny bit bigger, hardly noticable. My arms get over a full inch bigger when i flex, I guess it is the muscle bellies which is genetics right?

The leaner your arms are, the bigger the difference will be from not-flexing to flexing. I get a 2.5" difference from unflexed to flexed… I’m floating around 8-9% bodyfat. I know casey viator had a huge difference… it looked like his arms ‘exploded’ when he flexed… at like 6% body fat. Interesting stuff:)[/quote]

Unless you’re morbidly obese, this shouldn’t be true. Think about it you have the muscle under a layer of fat, when you flex that muscle is still pushing the skin and fat up the same distance it would push the skin and fat up of someone 10% bodyfat or less. The only difference is when a person with a higer bodyfat diets down there arms will get smaller because they’re literally getting smaller because of less fat.

[quote]BARBUDA wrote:

So. Do you think this look is created by low bf, training HEAVY, genetics (dare i say it), “muscle maturity,” a combo of factors…?

[/quote]

NO Explode.

And massive doses of Flameout, of course.

read tip number 1

[quote]Polish Rifle wrote:

And massive doses of Flameout, of course.

[/quote]

Of Course!

It’s THE MOTHER FUCKING INFLAMMATION RAPER!

[quote]FightingScott wrote:

It’s THE MOTHER FUCKING INFLAMMATION RAPER![/quote]

And don’t forget puppies. Everyone likes puppies.

[quote]krazykoukides wrote:
Unless you’re morbidly obese, this shouldn’t be true. Think about it you have the muscle under a layer of fat, when you flex that muscle is still pushing the skin and fat up the same distance it would push the skin and fat up of someone 10% bodyfat or less. The only difference is when a person with a higer bodyfat diets down there arms will get smaller because they’re literally getting smaller because of less fat.

read tip number 1[/quote]

I read it and it is still bullshit like the first day I saw it.

Some of you believe anything as long as it is in print.

BARBUDA I think you’re talking about #2 in this article.

http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/lets_get_nasty&cr=

cheers citizen!

wow this is exactly what i was trying to get across -

"In fact, it’s pretty easy to distinguish between a “pumper” and a heavy lifter, even among pro bodybuilders.

The pumper seems to double in volume midway through his workout. When you look at him in an un-pumped state, he won’t appear that impressive. Give him twenty minutes in the gym and you’ll think he’s a completely different person. An hour after his workout, he’ll once again look less than impressive.

On the other hand, find a guy who does a lot of heavy lifting and you’ll see someone who doesn’t change that much regardless of if he’s pumped or not. He’ll look just as solid, massive, and impressive at rest than during an intense workout.

In the bodybuilding world, you can compare the physiques of Flex Wheeler and Francis Benfatto, who were noted “pumpers,” to guys like Dorian Yates, Johnny Jackson, or Branch Warren who are known for lifting in the lower rep ranges. Granted, Flex and Francis have more aesthetic physiques, but I’m only talking about muscle density and that rock-solid look."

cool stuff!