Muscle bear vs. Bodybuilder build

[mrmuscles28]

I really want to start hitting the gym and gaining muscle, but i dont know whether i want to build up to be more of a bear(hairy, gut still apparent, lots of mass) or bodybuilder(more tone along with mass, and id have to lose weight first). So my question is what are the pros and cons of each build type? And how should i eat/train for each build?

[sabretooth]

muscle bear is what im goin fer

[vanillamountain]

Obviously the biggest pros and cons relate to health. While I am attracted to the muscle bear "type," I'm the first person to admit that it isn't healthy to have that big of a waist or to carry extra body fat than you need. I'm not saying anyone has to have a six-pack, but there's fine line between having a bear belly and being super cut.

Of the two types, I would say the "muscle bear" look is harder to maintain in the long term. I know a bunch of guys who ate big and lifted big and gave up after a while because they became too busy -- they continued to eat big, and they stopped lifting, so they became really fat. My friends who had muscle but were lean, however, never really got fat because they weren't overeating to begin with.

Regardless of what you do, I would say to incorporate cardio into your routine. It's good for your heart, and it'll ensure that you have stamina for your day to day activities. I know some big guys who huff and puff when they have to go up a flight of stairs, and it's not a very attractive quality.

[Stealthwolf2]

My body naturally seems to want to be more of a muscle bear shape (minus the chest hair; it's impossible for the men in my family to grow any. Oh well) plus, I don't have the will power to diet and do as much cardio as required to have a competitive bodybuilder's body. I mean, I work hard, and I diet well, just not to the extremes necessary of a bodybuilder. I won't marginalize other parts of my life to satisfy the lifestyle required of a bodybuilder, so I don't.

Plus, I quite enjoy having a the extra bit of mass to throw around. I've always enjoyed and envied the healthy thick body more than the ripped to shreds one. So the choice was simple.