Unlike bodybuilders, athletes' chest muscles are often not very developed. This is because the role of pectoral muscles in mainstream sports is not obvious and will not become the focus of training. It is worth mentioning that it is best not to judge by the development degree of latissimus dorsi, because the probability of misjudgment will be high.
Look at the waist. Athletes need to stop and change direction frequently in training, and the core strength of waist and abdomen will be very comprehensive and powerful. Because of this, athletes' external oblique muscles will become very developed, and as a result, athletes' waists are often mostly bucket waists.
If you see a muscular man on the road, you may not directly think that the other person is an athlete. Because many bodybuilders exercise their waist and abdomen in pursuit of strength. On the contrary, if it is a "bee waist" type, nine times out of ten it is a bodybuilder.
Look at the shoulders. Why are the muscles of bodybuilders better than those of athletes? An important reason is the difference in shoulders. Athletes' shoulders are not weak, but they seldom feel full. This is mainly because the shoulder (deltoid) is divided into front, middle and back, and only bodybuilders will spend a lot of time on comprehensive training.
If you meet a muscular man with bulging shoulders in your life, the other person is likely to be a bodybuilder, and the length and level of fitness will be above average. On the contrary, if you are a novice in fitness, this cannot be used as a basis for judgment.
Look at the whole. Fat can provide a lot of energy for the body, resist external shocks and be beneficial to long-term exercise. Therefore, most athletes need a lower body fat rate, without deliberately lowering it too low. Except for athletes related to strength, their bodies tend to look more harmonious than angular. On the contrary, bodybuilders have to be angular to look good.
Look at endurance. A cruel reality is that most bodybuilders in life don't do aerobic exercise regularly, but concentrate on muscle hypertrophy training with high weight and low frequency. The result is that you are panting after running a little twice, which is no obvious difference from ordinary people. On the contrary, the endurance level of athletes is excellent.
Finally, whether athletes or bodybuilders, this is the result of special training, and there is no difference between good and bad. With more contact, you can quickly tell the difference between the two.