Great question and two equally great answers from my colleagues.
Reading through your questions I understand your concerns, particularly with so many people training and posting images on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
In reality, to become a bodybuilder, it takes considerable effort in terms of training load, dietary intact and sculpting of muscle groups. As mentioned, even with regular strength training to complement your fitness goals, it is unlikely that you are going to develop a body builder physique.
Instead, what you might find is that you become more toned and when taking part in cardio exercises, it becomes a little easier to do. Often, people stick to one type of exercise be it running, cycling, swimming or gym work. What we do know is that if you mix in cardio with strength training or vice versa, one can complement the other.
In terms of muscle stiffness, it is usually a good idea to do some stretching but increasingly we do not advise for this to be done while "cold". Therefore it is worth taking part in some simple warm up exercises before stretching and continuing onto your main activity.
Good luck with your training objectives!
BW
Dr Dinesh
