Is it impossible to "have it all?"

[toadstool]

My three main activities are running, weight-lifting and karate... with a little yoga thrown into the mix for flexibility.

My Q: Since in many ways these activities are contradictory (i.e. bodybuilders typically suggest doing minimal cardio, but I'm trying to increase my running endurance because I like longer runs), does this mean I will never be the *best* I can be in any of those? Instead, I will just be an average runner or average weight-lifter or average martial artist as long as I continue concentrate on all three at the same time?

[zoebird]

i suppose. what are you looking for?

for me, it's about movement in general. i don't need to be optimal anything. I just need to be me and enjoy myself. So there it is. :)

[toadstool]

i suppose. what are you looking for?


Maybe I just have too many things I want to achieve?

1. Bigger, stronger muscles.
2. Running endurance.
3. Better martial arts speed/power.

If I could get all three, I'd be happy. LOL

[Elena99]

Well, from what I've read, it's possible to do it, but you might not get the bigger part of your muscles. You can get strong from martial arts, you can get speed, leanness and endurance from running, and you can also get stronger from lifting weights. But as you said, a lot of cardio will go against the bulking of body-building.

How big do you want to be, anyway?

[Mskedi]

If you want lean muscles, you're set. :) If you want to be bulky, I'm pretty sure that'll impede your flexibility.

[toadstool]

How big do you want to be, anyway?

Pretty big! :D

But I don't think it's ever going to happen.

I'd love to look similar to:

http://www.elfwing.com/foto/imgs/img_02.jpg

or

http://www.trixrosen.com/books/strong/Lorna.jpg

But right now I pretty much look soft. None of that muscle definition... so far.

[ForestGlade34]

wow, check out the outer obliques in the Lorna chick pic[?]....She has a mid section point at where a muscle of the one side of her back meets meets at something like 65 degrees with another similar muscle shooting from lower back/hip almost.

For the record, and for the size you want I BELIEVE personally it is possible to attain all 3 body designs in one I RECKON!... BUT with less emphasis on being absolutely huge obviously but you can still get fairly big, for sure I think, and anyway to do just bodybuilding on its own you could argue is not as much fun as doing more dynamic stuff which takes your body adaptibility in more TRUE TO LIFE directions... (which to some extent sets you free of the gym)... but which are still a compiimentary scheme or combination of things, which guess what, is what I want also-- ALL IN ALL --the above!!) :)

[VeggieBiker]

I think it's possible to have it all but a good deal of your development's going to depend on your genetics. The running and karate are contributing to the development of long-lean muscle but I'm uncertain whether weight lifting would then cause you to develop big muscles or lean muscles...probably depends on if you're doing a lot of small weights (lean muscles) or a few reps of heavy weights (big muscles).

Myself, I do a combination of biking and sword classes with a little bit of weight lifting. I seem predisposed to put on big muscle and developed giant powerful thighs, calves, and an extremely buff right arm (our sword style is one-handed so my right arm is much, much more defined than the left) so it seems to me that doing cardio isn't a huge hindrance to getting big. With the right balance of your activities, I think you can definately be far above average at your three sports.

[zoebird]

bulky doesn't impede flexibility. promise. i know un-bulkies who can't bend, bulkies who can, and everything in between. :)

increases on all three will be slower, basicly, if you're working on all three at once.

[tiramisu]

nah nobody can have it all