With regard to supplements and steroids in particular, it is well known that they can help you go beyond your “natural limit” with regard to LBM. My question is this, is there a way to estimate what one’s “natural limit” is? Here I am specifically referring to the amount of LBM that a person of a given height can be put on through proper nutrition and exercise. (i.e. how big can a guy who’s, say 5’8" get
no
Potential is completely understood only in retrospect. Indeed, even after the fact, there are times when we are left to wonder what more might have been achievable.
NO ONE has ever reached their potential so what difference does it make, wether its a bodybuilder,powerlifter,footballplayer,ect… I do not believe ANYONE has come close to their potential. peace
i think ronnie coleman to name one, is far beyond his natural limit.
It varies according to individual, but
attaining better than a mass index of
29 in contest condition while being natural
would be highly unusual. (The mass index
is mass in kilos divided by the square of
height in meters.)
At 5’8", which is 1.73 meters, that would be
86.5 kilos, or about 190 lb.
Obviously, if just reasonably lean rather
than in contest condition, weight would be
higher. At say 8% bf, that could be about
a 15 lb difference, so 205 lb. Most cannot
cannot achieve this, and no one should assume
they are able to do so unless they see themselves getting pretty close.
I’d think most can achieve a mass index
of 25, though that’s just a guess. In this
case, of being 5’8", that would be 164 lb
in contest condition, or about 177 at say
8% bf. That is a more reasonable goal for
the average person.
I’ve posted this formulae before, so apologies to people who have read it. Randell J Stroessen, author of the 20-rep breathing squat advocating book Super Squats, gives the following calculation for an average dude who isn’t screwing around with steroids, special russian weight training protocols and super- expensive nutritional supplements:
100lbs
- 10lbs for every inch of height you have over 5 foot.
Then add 30- 40lbs to this figure.
If you have a light bone frame, adjust this figure down 15-30lbs.
so for example, myself being 5’.8" tall would have a theoretical, drug free lean weight of 100lbs + (8 X 10lbs) 80lbs + 30 or 40lbs = 210 to 220lbs. I have a very light bone frame, so i’ll take 20lbs off that, to produce a max genetic potential of about 190- 200lbs.
he also gives calculations for strength and bodypart measurements, but i don’t have my copy of the book on hand at the moment.
Please bear in mind that these are guidelines only, and i don’t think they reflect a shredded contest weight, more like a 10-15% bodyfat max.
as for my personal experience, i feel they’re maybe a little bit conservative - some of my bodypart measurements were bigger in an untrained state (eg. calves and neck) than my theoretical genetic maximum measurement. But these calculations are a good place to start, and quite motivating.
Really as far as size goes the limit is way out there…what is limiting and probably what you’re most interested in is appearance. At 5’8 you could start training and eating like a sumo wrestler and put on a ton of fat and muscle and weigh 3 or 400 lbs. Even then you’d probably have a lot more muscle on your body then if you stayed lean and trained hard for 10 or more years. So the size limit is easy to overcome…having size while still looking good is where we run into plateaus.
Bill, I just ran a BMI calc for myself. Weight
at 7% BF = 197lbs = 89.5 kilos. Height = 6’1".
Square of height in meters = 3.43. This
equates to a BMI of 26. So by your forumla, my
natural limit should be somewhere between my
current weight, and 96 kilos/211lbs with a BMI
of 28.
Based upon how I look now, I think I would be quite satisfied to weigh in at a "natural limit" of a 28 BMI (210lbs) *IF* I were in "contest condition" at that weight. So my question is: if I were to do one 6 week cycle to achieve that level, do you think it would be reasonable for me to maintain that physique w/o doing further cycles? I don't want to have to stay on gear all the time to maintain an "above natural limit" physique, but if I just use it to reach 210lbs, in very lean condition, and maintain it, I would be quite satisfied. (Based upon my 12 years of lifting experience I'm guessing my natural limit is around 205-210lbs.) What do you think? Thanks for your help.
Amazing. After 17 years of sweat, I’m still not up to my potential. Well, I guess I’ll just have to feed all those roids I just purchased to the horses.
Thanks for all calculations. Bill your numbers hit my current size almost exactly. I have about 8-10% BF and weight 178-180 lbs, so mass index is roughly 25 (given that I’m 5’8"). I’ve suspected that the limit at 8% BF is near 200 for someone my height, but I’m a little skeptical that I can get there. Any thoughts on % of people who actually can get near an index of 29 “naturally” (i.e. those damn genetically gifted folks)? I train hard and suck up supplements like a vacuum (I’ve got a great job so I can afford as much Biotest and other crap as I can stand to consume).
Kelly, at one time I weighed 227 lbs, so you are correct, I know I can bulk up, gain fat, and look like shamu. Not the point.
Final thought, if I’m near my natural limit and utilize “chemical enhancement” to go past it (and yes I do read and post on the other board too), can I realistically expect to stay above my 25 to 29 index afterwards?
all these formulas are cool but it all depends on the genetics of the body in terms of height and width. I know 5’8" dudes who are naturally as wide as doors and others who are thin twigs.
Just a thought on all this.
My weight is 230lbs. @6’3", 10% bf.
Mass Index=29
Calculated my mass index in contest form:
My weight is 207lbs. @6’3", 0% bf (0% for arguement’s sake)
Mass Index=26
Now I’m no genetic freak. I’ve never done gear and hypothesize that I have high bone density. I think Bill’s numbers are a good rule of thumb, but not accurate when you get over 6’.
By debo’s measurements I have a max genetic potential of 290lbs. Does that sound high to anyone else?
Just fuel for the fire. Peace.