Considering the all encompassing effect of bodybuilding on the minds of a fitness seeking population, it is not hard to comprehend why the perception of a beautiful body, both male and female, has been severely skewed. The images of huge, steroid pumped tanned gorillas walking lit-up stages have taken prevalence over that of athletic builds of yesteryear greats like Eugene Sandow, Bobby Pandour and our very own Mr Universe, Manotosh Roy.

In the pre-steroid era, the ideal physique was that of ancient Greek sculptures — David, Michelangelo&’s legendary work, instantly springs to mind. Or for that matter Farnese Hercules. The people who modelled for such works of art were athletes and soldiers and so the last thing they cared about was their appearance. And yet they amaze even today.

Now, cut to the physique of a Ronnie Coleman or Phil Heath — 300-pound muscular monsters juiced to the gills with anabolic steroids, growth hormones, PEDs and what not. That image has taken over the minds of the general populace, exacerbating an already sorry state of affairs. If the inexpressible beauty of the human body impresses one, then modern bodybuilding is nothing short of a horror show.

But is the tradition of athletic, muscular and sinewy physiques completely gone? The answer is a resounding no — it has been pushed out of mainstream media attention for sure, but is far from being extinct. One only needs to take a glance at modern-day gymnasts who combine strength, muscularity and grace. Then again, looking across the offshore playgrounds of the USA, UK, Russia and the Czech Republic, bar calisthenics masters like the Kavadlo brothers, Denis Minin, Daniel Vadnal and Adam Raw, among many others immediately come into view. Such outstanding athletes are surely a throwback to the days of yore when men and women were strong and beautiful. Those people indubitably represent the much revered and coveted Greek ideal of the perfect human body — wide strong shoulders, sinewy forearms, a taut waist, ropy obliques and lean sweeping quads.

The common route that runs among them is the heavy emphasis placed on the use of calisthenics, which means training with one&’s own bodyweight. External weights certainly have their place in training but not before a person has mastered their body weight. And just a couple of sets of basic push ups and pull ups are not going to cut it. While there may be debate over what constitutes mastery of one&’s own bodyweight, there&’s not an iota of doubt about the benefits of setting the bar higher than is usually the norm.

It would be best to start with the mighty push ups and infamous chin ups before setting one&’s sights on other manoeuvres. To start off one should be able to perform five feet elevated one arm push ups and five assisted one arm chin ups. With due diligence, those two impressive feats of bodyweight strength is within the grasp of any relatively healthy individual. And by the time one gets there, talks about one&’s upper body just might find its way into the weekend tabloids.

This week here&’s three push up and chin up variations to get one started. One must remember that they are comparatively difficult variations on the basic versions, so caution is essential. Make haste but slowly. And one must not move onto the harder variation before mastering those they are working on. Joints take time to adapt to muscles and therefore, it&’s imperative to tread slowly but steadily. Here goes,

Feet elevated push ups: Lift your feet high on a chair, bench, box or whatever and go for the reps. Increase the height as you get stronger. Get to five sets of 20 before moving on.

Close grip push ups: Also known as the diamond push ups, this version will give you diamond cut triceps and pecs. Place your hands as close as you can and pump away. With time you will be able to touch your thumbs and index fingers together to form a sort of a diamond shape, hence the name. Aim for four sets of 25 reps before progressing.

Feet elevated close grip push ups: It is exactly as it sounds. Hands close, feet raised. Don’t raise your feet too high right away. This variation is particularly hard on the elbows. Be real careful. Start with a mere six inches of elevation and go from on there. Build up the height over months, not weeks. Your aim is four sets of 10 reps.

Chin up holds: Pull yourself up to the top position of the chin up and hold that position for time. Hold for five sets of 20 seconds before moving on.

Pause chin ups: Perform regular chin ups but pause for three seconds at the top of every rep. Contract every muscle as hard as you can at the top. Aim for five sets of five reps before progressing.

Close chin ups: Just like a normal chin up but with the hands placed as close as comfortable, ultimately they should be touching together. Again your aim is four sets of 10 reps.

These are six uncommon moves to work on that will get one seriously strong. Not to mention the blown up guns one will have!