# Men: Would you rather be small and Shredded or Hench?



## blazed (25 Oct 2017)

Assuming you had two options.

1) Be a couple stone lighter then your normal, looking smaller, not as broad, smaller chest, arms, shoulders etc and when walking along the street probably looking kinda average. But under your clothes absolutely shredded, bulging 6 pac, rippling veins, barely any bodyfat and every muscle defined.

Or

2) A few stone heavier. Lots more muscle but also fat. When walking on road looking hench as hell. Wide, massive chest, big arms etc. The typical person will think theres a man who goes to the gym. BUT without clothes on, no ripped, no 6 pac, excess fat obvious.


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## Andy_R (25 Oct 2017)

Yes. Or maybe no.


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

Hench, though I don't have any choice in it. I'm a natural mesomorph - 6'4", 260, 54" chest, 19" pipes. 
Its my waistline I have to keep an eye on, little else changes .


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## blazed (25 Oct 2017)

Drago said:


> Hench, though I don't have any choice in it.


That's what I think. I've spent a while now cutting down only to find myself feeling puny. I like being bigger than the average male, maybe it's and ego thing but also you look around and think 90% of the men on the streets couldn't even pull their own body weight up if they fell over the side of a cliff. Or if their partner fell and were holding hands would not be able to lift him/her up. We live in very feeble times


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

I'm so hench even Darth Vader counts me among his friends.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/dragos-tour-of-le-frenchie.220091/post-4861020


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## Tin Pot (25 Oct 2017)

I want to be a tree.


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## winjim (25 Oct 2017)

Drago said:


> Hench, though I don't have any choice in it. I'm a natural mesomorph - 6'4", 260, 54" chest, 19" pipes.
> Its my waistline I have to keep an eye on, little else changes .


I'm basically the opposite of this. 5'10", 10 stone, 38" chest, 30" waist. Small and skinny, always have been, always will be.
Although even my waistline has expanded since we had our daughter and my diet/exercise/sleep went to pot. I might actually be nudging 10 1/2 stone at the moment.


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

My breakfast weighs as much as you Winjim!


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## Welsh wheels (25 Oct 2017)

Tin Pot said:


> I want to be a tree.


I'm sure that can be arranged....


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## Welsh wheels (25 Oct 2017)

blazed said:


> Assuming you had two options.
> 
> 1) Be a couple stone lighter then your normal, looking smaller, not as broad, smaller chest, arms, shoulders etc and when walking along the street probably looking kinda average. But under your clothes absolutely shredded, bulging 6 pac, rippling veins, barely any bodyfat and every muscle defined.
> 
> ...


If I lost two stone I would be a walking skeleton as I am already pretty skinny so I wouldn't mind putting a few stone on.


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

Welsh wheels said:


> I'm sure that can be arranged....


He wants to be a tree, not under a tree!


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

blazed said:


> That's what I think. I've spent a while now cutting down only to find myself feeling puny. I like being bigger than the average male, maybe it's and ego thing but also you look around and think 90% of the men on the streets couldn't even pull their own body weight up if they fell over the side of a cliff. Or if their partner fell and were holding hands would not be able to lift him/her up. We live in very feeble times


Fat doesn't equate to fit.


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## winjim (25 Oct 2017)

Drago said:


> My breakfast weighs as much as you Winjim!


Think of the savings I'm making on my food bill.


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

My old Dad warned me against being a skinny runt, and the dangers of being a bloater. "A decent fighting weight" was his recommendation.


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## MikeG (25 Oct 2017)

Hench? What sort of word is that?


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

Its one of these modern trendy made up words, like smartphone or Brexit.


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## vickster (25 Oct 2017)

I'd rather have more than half a brain and some intelligence than either of those two options in particular


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## vickster (25 Oct 2017)

MikeG said:


> Hench? What sort of word is that?


I think it means being like Lurch from the Addams family. Nobber speak for Neanderthal


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

Dogtrousers said:


> Oh goody, that means I'm hench. Or at least I was once.
> 
> I once acquired the nickname Lurch.


I'm not saying what my nickname was once.


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

vickster said:


> I think it means being like Lurch from the Addams family. *Nobber* speak for Neanderthal


Lets leave the Irish out of this


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## Ming the Merciless (25 Oct 2017)

Got to be 1). Power to weight ratio to die for and leave the Hench men for dead on the hills,


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

Except, strangely, I'm a good climber. Never been quick, but I'm indefatigable on a gradient. You'll be out of glycogen long before I'm tired or bored.


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

Drago said:


> Except, strangely, I'm a good climber. Never been quick, but I'm indefatigable on a gradient. You'll be out of glycogen long before I'm tired or bored.


Climbed the piece to the left


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## generaldogsbody (25 Oct 2017)

blazed said:


> Assuming you had two options.
> 
> 1) Be a couple stone lighter then your normal, looking smaller, not as broad, smaller chest, arms, shoulders etc and when walking along the street probably looking kinda average. But under your clothes absolutely shredded, bulging 6 pac, rippling veins, barely any bodyfat and every muscle defined.
> 
> ...


Shredded.Big lads can't move,when a shredded bloke takes his jacket off the big bloke thinks what have i done.Bruce lee was shredded,is that the type of shredded you mean.


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## Spinney (25 Oct 2017)

classic33 said:


> Climbed the piece to the left
> View attachment 380306


Is that Goredale?


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## gbb (25 Oct 2017)

I am and always was...quite slim 10.5 stone, although that couple years off the bike has seen me go up to 11 stone, a bit more a while ago.
I always felt light, lacking body mass, felt quite jealous of heavier, bigger guys.....but, there's a downside to being so big...plenty of big guys I know or have known suffer knee, hip problems etc as they get older, it can work against you as you get older. Look at able bodied guys in their 80s, they're for the most part spritely and slim, there's hope for me yet.
The above is of course a generalisation, but one I have quite consistently noticed.


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## Drago (25 Oct 2017)

generaldogsbody said:


> Shredded.Big lads can't move,when a shredded bloke takes his jacket off the big bloke thinks what have i done.Bruce lee was shredded,is that the type of shredded you mean.



Yeah, but a big lad like Dave Draper would have simply swatted the bullet aside.


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## classic33 (25 Oct 2017)

Spinney said:


> Is that Goredale?


Aye

Found a few flexible friends, left behind, in the wall on the way up.


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## Julia9054 (25 Oct 2017)

vickster said:


> I'd rather have more than half a brain and some intelligence than either of those two options in particular


Sadly, I don't think there are any options for women ☹️


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## subaqua (26 Oct 2017)

classic33 said:


> Fat doesn't equate to fit.


Doesn't equate to unfit either . 
Similar to drago . It's my beer belly I need to keep an eye on . 

It annoys me that having massive shoulders and chest from years of swimming makes getting a suit jacket a proper pain in the Arris. 

Burton, Next, M&S John Lewis etc have a weird idea of shape if you can get trousers with a 44 waist but jackets stop at 48 .....

Oh we can order you a 50 .... yeah because I want to not be able to try it on first . Jog on


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## vickster (26 Oct 2017)

Julia9054 said:


> Sadly, I don't think there are any options for women ☹️


A full brain and great intelligence


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## Drago (26 Oct 2017)

I used to have a T shirt with a slogan on the front...

"All this, and brains too!"


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## vickster (26 Oct 2017)

[QUOTE 5014306, member: 9609"]if only[/QUOTE]
Yep, you were unfortunately born the wrong gender. You have our sympathies


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## mustang1 (26 Oct 2017)

1


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## blazed (26 Oct 2017)

User said:


> losing weight doesn't necessarily equate to looking smaller, bodybuilders bulk and can look fat, lose the weight showing more muscle definition they can look bigger or more hench, for example a 19inch arm on a fat person looks just like a fat bicep, 19 inch arm on a muscle defined arm can look bigger than 19 inches,



Yes but generally it requires constant bulking and cutting cycles for x amount of months at a time over a long duration to actually look big and be defined. I don't have the patience for that. I am naturally wedge and powerful, combined with working out had a great t-shirt physique. Would often get commemts on my size and was known around town for my large chest size. Recently I cut down hard and whilst more defined now just look so much smaller and it plays on my mind.


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## screenman (26 Oct 2017)

classic33 said:


> Climbed the piece to the left
> View attachment 380306



What size front ring?


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## NickNick (26 Oct 2017)

Neither, would quite happily loose a bit of podge around my belly (cycling is definitely helping on that front) but really don't see the appeal of the ripped/unnatural muscular look.


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## classic33 (26 Oct 2017)

screenman said:


> What size front ring?


 Small!


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## deptfordmarmoset (26 Oct 2017)

Julia9054 said:


> Sadly, I don't think there are any options for women ☹️


Less gendered, perhaps, sprinter or endurance?
(I may have been influenced by watching track cycling this evening.)


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## growingvegetables (26 Oct 2017)

Julia9054 said:


> Sadly, I don't think there are any options for women ☹️


Fwiw, I'd take any and all of the many women's options over the (sad?) male binary? 

And there's now four pages of guys who fell for this!


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## blazed (26 Oct 2017)

User said:


> I tried to ignore the bullshite, but there is a fair amount in the above post because if the above was true and you cut down hard then you wouldn't, couldn't look smaller, a cut will reduce fat and not muscle, taking away the fat makes the muscles look bigger, more muscle definition makes them look bigger and fuller not smaller, this is the essences of bodybuilding......
> now unless you were just fat and lost weight then I could understand looking so much smaller.



You are completely wrong and/or missing the point. But that's ok.


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## classic33 (26 Oct 2017)

blazed said:


> You are completely wrong and/or missing the point. But that's ok.


There's a point!


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## MontyVeda (26 Oct 2017)

User13710 said:


> It's just another tediously predictable example of the basic assumption round here - that the default for membership of CC is being male.


What else did you expect from the OP?


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## blazed (27 Oct 2017)

Not sure what the issue is.

FYI, there are plenty of women who hone their bodies to look shredded and there are plenty who like the muscular look. Just because you're a female and find this thread doesn't have an option for YOU, you do not speak for all women


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## Tenacious Sloth (27 Oct 2017)

winjim said:


> I'm basically the opposite of this. 5'10", 10 stone, 38" chest, 30" waist. Small and skinny, always have been, always will be.
> Although even my waistline has expanded since we had our daughter and my diet/exercise/sleep went to pot. I might actually be nudging 10 1/2 stone at the moment.



Ah. So you’re the one that Castelli makes cycle clothing for?

Graham


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## Heltor Chasca (27 Oct 2017)

User13710 said:


> It's just another tediously predictable example of the basic assumption round here - that the default for membership of CC is being male.



We are very lucky then that the few women we do have are of such a high standard, numbers pale in the shadow of quality.

I am pretty happy with my physique. I always want less body fat, that’s a given. I have always been very muscular and my arms were made for gardening. Or donkey wrestling. I am always going to be solid and will have to live with the fact I’ll never be a Grimpeur.

No one made mention of long hair. Maybe we can have a plait, ponytail, bun or let-it-all-down survey conducted. Over 100km, my preference is for a plait.


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## derrick (27 Oct 2017)

Drago said:


> I used to have a T shirt with a slogan on the front...
> 
> "All this, and brains too!"


Who told you what it said?


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## Rickshaw Phil (27 Oct 2017)

*Mod note:*

The thread has had an edit of the title and a clean up of the derailment.

Keep on topic (such as it is) from here on please.


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## growingvegetables (28 Oct 2017)

blazed said:


> Yes but generally it requires constant bulking and cutting cycles for x amount of months at a time over a long duration to actually look big and be defined. I don't have the patience for that. I am naturally wedge and powerful, combined with working out had a great t-shirt physique. Would often get commemts on my size and was known around town for my large chest size. Recently I cut down hard and whilst more defined now just look so much smaller and it plays on my mind.


Ecclesiastes 1:2. 

But that is me being a good bit older, with a (imho) healthy cynicism about kids on the block.


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## Tin Pot (28 Oct 2017)

[QUOTE 5016652, member: 9609"]so are we going to get some pictures of this amazing body ? (have something bike related in your left hand so we know its you)[/QUOTE]
NSFCC


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## cyberknight (28 Oct 2017)

Also got to work with what your body type is , as @Drago says hes beefy tostart with , no matter how many weights i lifed i was never gonna get "hench ", so it was shredded .
Nowadays its just knackered


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## screenman (28 Oct 2017)

Heltor Chasca said:


> We are very lucky then that the few women we do have are of such a high standard, numbers pale in the shadow of quality.
> 
> I am pretty happy with my physique. I always want less body fat, that’s a given. I have always been very muscular and my arms were made for gardening. Or donkey wrestling. I am always going to be solid and will have to live with the fact I’ll never be a Grimpeur.
> 
> No one made mention of long hair. Maybe we can have a plait, ponytail, bun or let-it-all-down survey conducted. Over 100km, my preference is for a plait.



Mine is for polished, not that I really have an option.


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## Milzy (28 Oct 2017)

Small and shredded. Seen hench people beaten to death still. I want to climb like Bardet.


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## MacB (28 Oct 2017)

hench??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


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## Tin Pot (28 Oct 2017)

MacB said:


> hench??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


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## Tin Pot (28 Oct 2017)




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## MacB (28 Oct 2017)

User said:


> Something to do with being a clan chief's right-hand man, your honour.



There was me thinking it was one of those 'signalling' type words, use of which tells people something about yourself. Based on knowledge of the OP I'd been guessing that it maybe meant an author was a dork, but it was a guess.


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## roadrash (28 Oct 2017)

or .....not safe for cycle chat


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## Tin Pot (28 Oct 2017)

[QUOTE 5017729, member: 9609"]you what ?
https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/NSFCC[/QUOTE]
Drago's mob.


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