www.RomanFitnessSystems.com
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How to Look Fucking Awesome Since time immemorial, people have sought to gain the perfect amount of muscle–to achieve the right blend of size, symmetry, and sexiness. Thousands of articles and books have been penned, a million million words written, All in the hopes of answering one question: How do I make my body look completely Fucking Awesome? That’s what you want: to be big without being “too big”; to have a physique that inspires your allies, strikes fear into the heart of your enemies, and creates sexual arousal so distracting it may lead to vehicular manslaughter. It can be done. The answer, my friends, is simpler than slaying a dragon, stopping the zombie apocalypse, or filming a shot-‐by-‐shot recreation of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. (Trust me, I’ve done all three.) Now, it’s time to share my secrets with you, because—let’s be honest—it’s getting kind of boring doing all this cool shit by myself. My goal is to build an army of perfectly symmetrical, unrealistically attractive zombie slayers. And that starts now, with you reading this guide, which I have cleverly titled How to Look Fucking Awesome. Because that’s what it’ll show you how to do. If I may be honest, while it seems obvious to me now, I didn’t always think of things in terms of looking awesome. Back when I first got into fitness, I just assumed that everyone wanted to get as big as possible. Whether that meant they’d wind up looking like Ronnie Coleman instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t matter, as long as they had accrued as much mass as possible. I can see now how stupid that was, but it was a very long time ago.
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After I’d been training for about a year, I was forced by my experience to rethink my position. By then, I had gained a TON of mass. I’m what you call a mesomorph—I gain muscle very easily. In the first year I was seriously working out, I’d put on close to 30 pounds of muscle.
I looked bigger, and to some extent better. But I didn’t look how I wanted to. I realized that it wasn’t just about gaining mass: it was about gaining muscle in the right places, creating the right shape, and ultimately blending size and symmetry into sexiness. In other words, although I was competing in bodybuilding, I quickly realized that I did NOT want to look like a bodybuilder.
Or, rather, I didn’t want to look like a modern bodybuilder. The classic physiques of guys like Frank Zane and Steve Reeves appealed to me, as did the larger and thicker physiques of some of the guys from the 80s, like Mike Mentzer.
But to get as hyoooooge as a current bodybuilder? No thanks. What it came down to, I reasoned, was that I wanted the best of all possible worlds: I wanted to be jacked, but I also wanted to look and feel athletic. I have no problem admitting that I wanted to build a body impressive to my peers, but I also wanted on that was attractive to potential mates.
Once I realized this, I began to change my training, as well as my goals. Over the course of the next few years, I radically changed my protocols, moving away from pure mass building, and more into physique refinement. I also left bodybuilding and pursued fitness modeling.
Not only was this infinitely more satisfying to me, it was also a lot better for business. I picked up tons of clients, and began testing my theories on them.
With every single client and every single conversation, I was more and more convinced: guys really just want to look fucking awesome. They don’t typically want to be huge; they want to be BIG, and powerful, and athletic, and lean, and sexy.
Achieving a body that looks that way shouldn’t be that difficult—and yet not many trainees attain it.
I believe that’s because they don’t have a way to really measure or quantify their goal.
This guide is intended will change that.
Roman as a bodybuilder: big and lean, but not a paragon symmetrical sexiness.
Fitness modeling: leaner, denser, and more symmetrical
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The Problem (And The Solution) Guys who just want to look fucking awesome run into a few problems. The first is simply the lack of information specific to that goal. Articles about how to get big arms or build a huge chest dominate magazines, books, and websites. Great resources, to be sure, but they leave the trainee in the unenviable position of having to develop his body piecemeal without any real idea about where to go, or when he’s arrived. This guide is going to give you the specifics of how to assess your body in terms of both symmetry and size. Now, you’ll have a resource to help you understand if you should be focusing on arms, legs, chest, etc. No matter what program you do in the future, you’ll be able to use this guide as a reference for what to measure against. The second and—hopefully—easiest to overcome is the resistance. The dearth of information from traditional sources leads the trainee to look elsewhere. The most obvious place is message boards and social media channels, which should be helpful, if they weren’t populated with jackasses. Asking a simple question or posting his goal, the trainee is lambasted for wanting to build a body that’s more like a fitness model than a bodybuilder. Tell someone on Facebook you’d rather to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club than Arnold, and everyone calls you a pussy and tells you all you need is milk and squats. Well, that stops here. As a former fitness model and a former competitive bodybuilder, I can tell you that for most people, the former is more fun. Now that you know longer have to resort to message board for info, you don’t have to put up with bullshit. This guide will help you understand—in exacting detail—the specifics of the physique you’re looking for, and provide consistency for making sure you get there.
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What “Looking Fucking Awesome” Means The briefest definition is the best one: an aesthetic, athletic physique that has a high level of muscularity: broad shoulders, narrow waist, big arms, low body fat. Now, that’s not really that descriptive. It gives you an overview—we’ll give specifics later—but it doesn’t tell you why. And in many cases the “why” is as important as the “what” and the “how.” The why is this: you want to turn heads—of all types. What that means is that, at the core of it, the motivation is on both sides of the gender line. Ultimately, guys want to build a body that is impressive to the greatest number of their peers, and attractive to the greatest number of their prospective mates. That’s what looking awesome means. Let’s give some examples. Ronnie Coleman (pictured, right) is a great starting point. If you took a picture of Ronnie and showed it to 100 guys, chances are it would be impressive them on some level. Probably 97 of them—while they wouldn’t necessarily want to look like Ronnie—would admit that his level of development is incredibly remarkable. If you showed that same picture to 100 random women on the street, the reaction would be entirely different. I tried it twice. The first time, 100 of the women said Ronnie was not attractive at all. The second time, 2 of the women said he was moderately attractive and that they “really liked muscles.” If you graphed that out and were looking for high scores in both of those values, Ronnie’s not doing too well. Now, let’s say you took a picture of Jake Gyllenhal. Even cutting his head out and just showing his body, a tremendous number of women would find him attractive. However, a good majority of experienced weight training males won’t find JG impressive in the slightest. Jake’s overall score might be higher than Ronnie’s, but still not incredible. I think you see the point I’m trying to make: most people fall into one of the two categories—they’ll have a body that’s impressive to guys, or one that women like, without as much crossover as we’d like.
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The goal of this guide is to teach you to have both. The goal of this guide is to help you build a body that you’ll be proud of, that your peers will find impressive, and that your prospective mates will find appealing. The goal of this guide, of course, is to look Fucking Awesome.
The Science of Looking Fucking Awesome Or, What Awesome Looks Like Looking awesome isn’t just some arbitrary set of rules that I pulled out of my ass after talking to a bunch of girls—it’s an arbitrary set of rules based on science that I happened to confirm by talking to a bunch of girls. Big difference. To that, I have looked at two different but not completely disparate sources and interpretations of “the ideal” – ancient models based on a certain golden rule, and, perhaps somewhat less esoterically, traditional “rules” and guidelines of symmetry that apply specifically to bodybuilding. By combining these two, I’ve come up with parameters for developing a body that will be inherently attractive as determined by science, and impressive for it’s symmetry and level of development by bodybuilding standards. In short, a formula for looking fucking awesome.
Stay Golden, Pony Boy
The first thing we’ll need to cover is a principle that’s been used for millennia. The truth is this: there is a science to what looks appealing, and to what looks impressive—and both of those are based on the intrinsic need to search for and appreciate symmetry. Which is to say, as products of nature, human brains are programmed to look for symmetry and balance everywhere; programmed to be attracted to it and to try to create it.
And so in part, what we consider a good body is really based on what we view as a body that projects certain characteristics of bodily symmetry.
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This, of course, is the result of falling in line with something of which you’ve undoubtedly heard: the Golden Ratio1. An irrational mathematical constant that presents itself all over nature, from flowers to pineapples to the shells on sea creatures, the Golden Ratio also shows up all over the human body, in nearly every way imaginable.
In purely mathematical terms, the Golden Ratio is a comparison of any two aspects that are ideally proportioned.
Algebraically, if you have two numbers, A and B, it has to be such that (A + B) divided by A = A divided by B.
You remember algebra, right? No? Well, perhaps a picture would help.
Numerically, this will be expressed a comparison which results in a ratio of 1:1.618. This appears naturally all over your body. For example, if the length of the hand has the value of 1, for instance, then the combined length of hand + forearm has the approximate value of 1.618.
Similarly the proportion of upper arm to hand + forearm is in the same ratio of 1:618.
Looking elsewhere on the body, the face is another great example. In fact, the human face abounds with examples of the Golden Ratio. The head forms a golden rectangle with the eyes at its midpoint. The mouth and nose are each placed at Golden sections of the distance between the eyes and the bottom of the chin.
It also the human body, from the length of the arms and legs compared to the torso, and it seems to define what proportions look best; that is, most attractive.
1 I actually wrote an entire article about the Golden Ratio, which I suggest you read after finishing this guide.
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The Golden Ratio has been used to construct visions of “the ideal” since ancient times; artists used it to create sculptures and artwork of the ideal human figure. Today, plastic surgeons and cosmetic dentists use it to restructure the human face. With regard to looking Fucking Awesome, this is interpreted to apply to comparisons of certain body parts against others. This is especially true for the part about being attractive to women; when it comes to being sexually desirable to the opposite sex, it’s imperative to understand that certain body dimensions are visually important, from an evolutionary perspective. More than any other body parts, having shoulders that are broad relative to your waist will accomplish this. It’s not only physically impressive; it’s also a genetic marker of strength and virility. Of course, the ideal comparison between these is the Golden Ratio—1:1.618. Therefore, the first step in achieving a body that looks Fucking Awesome is achieve a physique where your shoulders measure 1.618 times your waist. We’ll look at this in greater depth later on, but this is just step one.
Why the Golden Ratio is Not Enough: Pitt vs. Plitt Perhaps the most famous phrase that results in flaming on any message board is, “I wanna look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club.”2 Ouch, good luck kid. The fact of the matter is that Brad looked pretty good in Fight Club—extremely lean, and proportionately developed. It’s not hard to see why his body would be attractive to women, and impressive to the average non-‐training male. The problem is, at a height of 5’10” Pitt weighed about a buck sixty and had 14 inch arms; so, for any guy who’d ever
2 For the record, the trainer who worked with Brad Pitt to get him in shape for Fight Club is actually a friend of mine. His name is Mike Ryan, and he’s a great trainer. If you happen to think Brad Pitt was too skinny, I can point you to another guy Mike trains: Dwayne the Rock Johnson. Yeah. So, just keep that in mind: guys who can get you shredded and symmetrical are ALSO capable of getting you huge, if that’s what you want.
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touched a weight, he isn’t realistically impressive. Still, he looks good because of his proportions, particularly his shoulder to waist ratio. With a bit more weight on him, he might be solid. Greg Plitt (pictured, below) —probably the most well-‐known male fitness model in the world—comes in at 6’1” and 195 pounds. Plitt carries around 35 more pounds than Pitt; but, with a height difference of 3 inches, it shouldn’t make that much difference—but it does.
Why? They both fit equally well into the parameters of the Golden Ratio, and have lean bodies. Why does Plitt look so much more impressive? There are a few reasons, not the least of which is that Plitt just has a more developed physique; that is, greater separation between individual muscles, as well as parts of individual muscles. That’s part of it. However, the main thing that makes Plitt’s physique appear more impressive (to those of us with weight training experience) is his arm size. They’re bigger; clearly bigger. And not just bigger overall—Plitt’s arms are bigger for his body. As muscle enthusiasts, we look for this—it’s an indicator of a good physique. Certainly, we want them to be proportionate to
the body as a whole, but all other things being equal and symmetrical, having bigger arms will make your physique look more impressive. And, because of the way our perception bleeds into women’s, in general having bigger arms will help you look more attractive, as well. Which brings us to the next phase of looking Fucking Awesome…
Bodybuilders (Used to) Know About Symmetry It’s not enough to have broad shoulders and a narrow waist. It’s a good start, and in terms of creating an attractive body it—along with low body fat—my be enough. But you want more than that. For you—for us—it’s not enough to have a body that ladies like, or we’d stop once we hit Jake Gyllenhal status. Instead, if you want to build a body that guys respect and the ladies lust after, you’ll have to take it a step further. That means building a good amount of muscle, while paying attention to symmetry and proportion.
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And when it comes to developing a symmetrically muscular body, there’s no better source than Steve Reeves (pictured, below). One of the greatest bodybuilders of his time, Reeves is woefully tiny by any standard of modern bodybuilding. However, while the sport has passed him by in terms of sheer mass, Reeves is still known today for his symmetry and the aesthetic appeal of his physique. Now, it must be noted that there are a lot of different formulas and methods that bodybuilders have used over the years to determine ideal measurements, but since Reeves is always the “go-‐to” reference for an ideal natural physique, I prefer his formulas, which are based on muscle-‐to-‐bone ratios. At least, I sort of prefer them. I like them in theory, but they are bit too specific, I feel. Here they are:
Reeves’ Ratios:
• Arm size= 252% of wrist size • Calf size= 192% of ankle size • Neck Size= 79% of head size • Chest Size= 148% of pelvis size • Waist size= 86% of pelvis size • Thigh size= 175% of knee size
For anyone outside of competitive bodybuilding, this level of detail is unnecessary; particularly with regard to measuring calves, waist, and neck. I just think it’s a bit superfluous. Now, I DO I like the measurement for the arms and thighs. Measuring waist size is necessary, but I don’t like the way it’s set up in Reeves’ view, because your waist size probably isn’t changing (more on that later). As for calves and neck, for the sake of simplicity, it’s effective to simply try to have them match the upper arms to the greatest degree possible.
(Note: Reeves insisted that upper arms, neck, and calves be as close as possible; so chances are he backward engineered those percentages anyway. In any case, no need to measure ankles to figure out your calves. Just get them close to your upper arms.)
Putting together the best of the Golden Ration and Reeve’s theories, we’d have a custom formula.
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Roman’s Ratios for Looking Fucking Awesome
• Arm size= 252% of wrist size • Calf size= Equal to Arm size • Neck Size= Equal to Arm Size • Waist size= Lean Condition Waist (LCW) • Shoulder Size= 1.618 x LCW (Golden Ratio) • Thigh size= 175% of knee size
The Specifics of Measurement Knowing the formula(s) is one thing, employing them is another. Thankfully, it’s not hard to do. Here’s a quick guide for how to get started. Everything Begins with a Constant The first thing you’ll notice about the formula for looking awesome is that many of the measurements are based on the results of certain measurements—which means that in order to get everything right, you’ll have to measure those that don’t change, first. These are called “constants” – because they are always the same. Your wrist, for example, is going to measure the same for your entire adult life; the same with your knee. So, to start, take both of these measurements, starting with the knee. Once you have them, follow the formula and determine the goal girth for your quad. Next, measure the wrist of your non-‐dominant hand -‐ using the formula, you’ll be able to determine goal measurement for your upper arm, which also gives you the goal girth for your next and calves. This is pretty self-‐explanatory. It becomes more difficult when we’re talking about your waist. As mentioned earlier, you want to measure something constant, something unchanging; and yet as anyone who’s gone on a diet can attest, your waist circumference can vary pretty heavily. However, notwithstanding a bit of muscular hypertrophy from years of heavy squats and deadlifts, the actual waist circumference of a natural lifter is not going to change very much for any reason other than fat gain.
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That’s way I want you to measure your Lean Condition Waist, or LCW. Your LCW is the measurement of your waist when you are dieted down to the leanest condition you could comfortably maintain. This means that if you feel confident that, with the goal of looking Fucking Awesome, you could conceivably get to and maintain about 10% body fat, measure your waist when you are in THAT condition. From here, you take the measurement of your LCW and multiply it by 1.618 – this number is the goal measurement for the circumference of your shoulders (measured around your body, by another person). Keep in mind, that in order to create a physique that’s most aesthetically pleasing, you want achieve proportions that fit as closely to the Golden Ratio as possible. And so, do not, for example, measure your waist when you’re the leanest you’ve ever been unless you plan on staying there—doing so will skew the measurement for your goal shoulder circumference. The physique you build should be sustainable.
An Addendum for Arms: Allowing for Differences in Height and Joint Size One of the (very few) benefits of being a short guy is that you tend to be more successful as muscle building endeavors. Not only are you blessed with a shorter ROM—allowing to use greater weights and put muscle on faster—muscle also looks bigger on you. Put another way, less muscle is necessary to make a shorter frame look muscular. Contrariwise, a taller guy will need to gain a significant amount more muscle, and usually achieve a greater level of development, in order to appear equally muscular. For example, a 16” upper arm on a guy who’s 5’7” will look huge. On someone 6’2”, it won’t be nearly as impressive. It’s important to make mention of this because the above formulas are based on the Constants I mentioned before. However, some tall guys have small joints—which means that even if a taller guy achieves the level of development that formulas say is appropriate for his wrist size, his upper arms might still appear relatively small. To that, I’ve come up with a little cheat sheet for arm size based on height.
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It’s not exact, of course, but it gives you a guideline. While I still recommend starting with the previous formulas, when it comes to arm size, the below chart will give you a general recommendation for size based on your height. Even if your joints suggest something else, if you stick to this chart, your arms ill be large and developed enough to be considered “big” or “impressive” for your height. Now, your arms won’t look enormous or ungainly; however they’ll be impressive enough to catch some looks, get touched by the ladies at bars, and you’ll still be able to fit into a suit jacket.
Height Arm Size 5’7’’ – 5’8” 15.5” – 16”
5’8.5” – 5’9.5” 16” – 16.5” 5’10” –5’11.5” 16.75” – 17”
6’ – 6’1” 17.25” – 17.5” 6’1.5” – 6’2.5” 17.5” – 18” 6’3” – 6’4” 18.5” – 19”
Final Thoughts on Looking Fucking Awesome There you have it – a How To guide on creating a series of guidelines for quantifiable measurements to look Fucking Awesome. Once you’ve taken your measurements, you’ll know exactly what your goals should be for your arms, your legs, shoulders—in fact, your overall physique. Remember, any good program can make you muscular and lean—but by following the above advice, you’ll be well-‐developed and symmetrical, and aesthetically impressive in every sense of the word; you’ll have a physique that ladies love, and even the biggest internet hater will respect. In short…you will look Fucking Awesome.
About the Author
John Romaniello is a New York Times bestselling fitness author (Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha: A Real World Guide to an Unreal Life) and a veteran in the business of making people pretty. From models to not-‐so model citizens, he delivers the requested results and unrequested self-‐aggrandizing stories of his video game heroics. In addition to his nerdery, John runs Roman Fitness Systems, LLC, a personal training and online coaching business that’s helping people all over the world get into good enough shape to feel comfortable posting naughty pictures on the internet.
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