Many years ago I started out as a research scientist and, ever since then, I have been interested in measuring and modeling things. So, in this article, I am going to describe two current bodybuilding formulae and then show how an alternative scientific approach can be used to improve our physiques. What factors govern the physique that we achieve through bodybuilding?
Fixed factors The number one variable is our sex: females have a different shape to males (thank God!) Thereafter, each of us has a potential body shape that is determined by our genetic makeup i.e. the traits that we inherited from our parents. The lucky ones amongst us will have a natural tendency to be lean and well muscled. Another factor is our age. Believe me, the older we get, the harder it gets!
Now, it is possible to counteract the limitations that have been imposed on our physiques by our sex, genetics and age by injecting or swallowing things like growth hormone or anabolic steroids. But, as natural bodybuilders, we do not do that and so, for us, these are fixed factors that we cannot change.
Variable factors
I am sure that you will agree with me that the three variable factors that count in bodybuilding are our training, diet and rest. We could delve deeper and talk about the intensity, frequency or style of training etc. but, for now, let’s just consider these three factors in a broad sense.
Existing models
My trawl through the internet has unearthed just two existing models (formulae) for bodybuilding success.
Hugo Riviera believes that:
Success = Determination x (Training + Nutrition + Rest)
In this formula Determination, Training, Nutrition and Rest must have a value of either 1 or 0, so the maximum possible score is 3:
Success = 1 x (1 + 1 + 1)
Now, there is no doubt that our level of determination will influence how hard we train and how well we stick to a strict diet, but determination by itself doesn’t build an ounce of muscle. I have another issue with this model. Let’s consider an individual who is very determined, eats a perfect diet and gets plenty of rest but doesn’t train at all. For him (or her) the formula is:
Success = 1 x (0 + 1 + 1)
so that
Success = 1 x (2)
Success = 2
This means that this individual will achieve 2/3rds of his potential as a bodybuilder despite him never training!
In 1999, Frank Zane (who was a maths teacher before he became a Pro bodybuilder) wrote that:
Success = Exercise x Attitude x Relaxation x Nutrition
In this formula Exercise, Attitude, Relaxation and Nutrition can each have a value anywhere from a minimum of 0.1 to a maximum of 1. Zane gives the example of a bodybuilder scoring 0.9, 0.8, 0.7 and 0.9 respectively for these factors:
Success = 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.7 x 0.9
Success = 0.45 (i.e. 45% of the potential maximum)
I prefer Zane’s formula to Riviera’s. Let’s consider once again the hypothetical bodybuilder who is very determined, eats a perfect diet and gets plenty of rest but doesn’t train at all. For him (or her) the formula is:
Success = 0.1 x 1 x 1 x 1
Success = 0.1 (i.e. 10% of the potential maximum)
Clearly, this is much nearer to the mark than Riviera’s prediction of 2/3rds success.
The law of the limiting factor
Based on my scientific training, my starting point for producing an alternative formula for bodybuilding success is Liebig’s law of the minimum. Liebig was an agricultural scientist who, way back in 1867, reasoned that the growth of a crop is limited by the most deficient factor, and that an increase in the supply of non-limiting factors will not increase crop growth and yield. This is very difficult (well, almost impossible!) to express mathematically, but hopefully its principles are easy to explain, understand and use.
Let’s think of a field of corn that needs water, fertiliser and protection from pests to produce its maximum possible yield. This particular crop is suffering badly from drought, and without some water it will not yield much at all. So the farmer irrigates the crop and it starts to grow vigorously but it is then checked by a lack of nutrients in the soil. The farmer rectifies this by spreading fertiliser but the lush growth becomes attacked by locusts. A spray of insecticide kills these pests and the crop goes on to produce a yield near its genetic potential. Now, if the fertiliser had been applied without the irrigation, or the insecticide without the irrigation and fertiliser, the effect on yield would have been nil!
So, how can we apply the law of the limiting factor to bodybuilding? Let’s consider a male bodybuilder for whom the quality of his diet, rest and training (out of a maximum of 10) are 3, 5 and 7, respectively. At the outset, his physique is limited by his diet and any improvements he makes to his rest and training will be futile.
This individual improves his diet dramatically to a score of 9 and, with time, his physique gets better to a point where it is limited by his lack of sufficient rest. So, his next step is to get nine hours of solid sleep every night plus an afternoon nap (score 10). His physique then develops some more until it is limited by his training regime. Only by finding a way to improve his training above its current score of 7 can his physique progress towards its ultimate potential.
Can you see now how my approach differs from Zane’s formula? According to Zane, this bodybuilder could have achieved some improvement in his physique just by improving his training. The law of the limiting factor states that this is impossible. Unless a bodybuilder already has a physique that is at his or her genetic potential, then one factor is always limiting the impact of the other two, and an improvement in the two non-limiting factors is a mirage. This can be summarized by the aphorism “The effect of the best of the three factors is only as good as the effect of the worst of the three factors” If you understand the previous sentence then you understand the crux of the concept that I am trying to explain.
Practical applications
In order to apply this concept to your own situation you must, first of all, score the current quality of your training, diet and rest. The best way to do this is via the technique of benchmarking. Benchmarking is the search for best practice that can then be adopted and adapted to improve performance. Although its objective is to improve measurable outcomes (in this case your physique), it is the underlying processes (your training, diet and rest) that are benchmarked.
If you are serious about improving your physique then you will be keeping a training diary and a record of your daily food intake. You might also be noting how much sleep and rest you get each day. If so, refer to your diaries and compare what you are doing now with what you did in the past, scoring your current performance on a scale of 1 to 10. For example, let’s assume that two years ago you had a training partner who pushed you to squat with 120kg for reps, but now you train by yourself and struggle to squat 100kg. In this case, there is no way you can give your current training a high score.
The next stage is to compare how you train, what you eat and how much you rest with other top natural bodybuilders. Try and find someone of a similar age and height etc. You might be lucky enough to know such individuals well enough to ask then directly about their training, eating and recuperation regimes. If not, you will find a mass of information in the internet and in magazines and books. Again, compare what you are doing with what they do, and score your performance for each of the three factors.
After doing this, let’s assume that you have rated scored your rest as 3, diet as 6 and training as 7, in which case the impact of your diet and training is only 3! Also, you must understand that when one limiting factor has been improved sufficiently, another one becomes limiting and so this analytical process must be repeated at intervals until you reach 100% of your genetic potential (which is most unlikely to ever happen!)
In conclusion
The law of the limiting factor is no such thing: it is a theory, not a law! Its value lies not in the actual maths involved, but in the way that it offers a structured approach to bodybuilding and zooms in on the identification and improvement of your weakest factor. Above all, if this article has made you think in a new way about the development of your physique then it has been worthwhile.
If you have enjoyed reading this article then you will want to read my book Techniques for Physiques in which I show how you can apply the top techniques of business improvement to improve your physique. E-mail me at jeff_pursglove@hotmail.com and I’ll let you know when it’s published. Jeff Pursglove www.jeffpursglove.com January 2010
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