There are periods in my life where my family has been homeless and other times where we’ve had excess funds. I’ve never noticed a difference in progress. Actually, I have I’m more apt to tone it down when I know I can afford protein and all that.I kinda looked at it like “fuck it, I’ll just get a bad ass Tbooster” So I’d say having extra resources hurts my training.
I’m in school now so luckily, my family is in one of our “up” times and it looks like we’ll stay that way for a while. With that said, I’m looking to get back to my basic days and just use food only.
that’s an awesome story brother. Don’t let your new resources change your dedication! Avoid complacency, NEVER FALL OFF!
[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Professor X wrote:
There is no doubt a difference. I couldn’t have afforded to eat like I do now when I was in school. Hell, if you considered the steaks I eat at full price, I eat more than 30 bucks worth of steak a day (even though I buy it on sale) along with 3-4 protein shakes that I couldn’t have afforded previously.
That was one of the main reasons I used to eat more junk food…because Mc Donald’s and Wendy’s had a dollar menu and that was about the only way I could afford enough calories to keep growing.
I spend about 200 bucks a week just to eat the way I do daily.
wtf 30 bucks a day in steak? I can get like 3kg for that much. That must be like 500g a day in protein from steak alone.[/quote]
I eat about 3lbs of beef a day. Each steak has between 80-100gr of protein if 16oz. Obviously they are not all the exact same weight but a pound of t-bone or any other grilling steak can be about 10 bucks a pound when not on sale.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Are you really arguing that bodybuilders will NOT see better progress from higher quality food sources and more money for supplements?
[/quote]
I’m arguing with your ridiculous statement that people will see ten times the progress due to supplements and higher quality food.
Most of the progress people make is due to working their ass off, and eating enough food for growth. Supplements and steaks are nice, but are hardly going to result in 10x the progress you would make otherwise.
Good luck with that, Dave. Hopefully your new budget will give you a boost, but I wouldn’t count on anywhere close to what PX is claiming you will see, just from having a bigger bank account.
Apart from simply having the cash to get more food in, I think the relatively stress-free existence will be of huge benefit. Anyone who has gone through a degree in healthcare knows that there is a shitload of paperwork and needless complication.
It’ll be a huge load off to not need to commute 3 hours per day and chase around after consultants for signatures etc.
I have a 5 minute walk to work now, and reasonable income. A fairly decent gym is also UNDER a 1 minute walk from my new place. DBs only go to 50kg/110lbs, but they have various benches, smiths, hammer strength, and a squat rack.
I will likely be going the way of the Prof, regarding the steak situation
I have been living like a peasant for years…no more economy-brand cottage cheese for me!
[quote]Dave_ wrote:
I have a 5 minute walk to work now, and reasonable income. A fairly decent gym is also UNDER a 1 minute walk from my new place. DBs only go to 50kg/110lbs, but they have various benches, smiths, hammer strength, and a squat rack.
[/quote]
Dude, that is a nice setup with the short distances to work and gym.
I agree the stress-free (or at least much less of it) lifestyle will be the biggest beneficiary for you, and you were obviously doing quite well previously, so only imagine what sort of results you’ll be able to reach now.
[quote]forlife wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Are you really arguing that bodybuilders will NOT see better progress from higher quality food sources and more money for supplements?
I’m arguing with your ridiculous statement that people will see ten times the progress due to supplements and higher quality food.
Most of the progress people make is due to working their ass off, and eating enough food for growth. Supplements and steaks are nice, but are hardly going to result in 10x the progress you would make otherwise.
Good luck with that, Dave. Hopefully your new budget will give you a boost, but I wouldn’t count on anywhere close to what PX is claiming you will see, just from having a bigger bank account.[/quote]
Oh, that’s right. Arbitrary numbers used to describe something are forbidden on this site.
Finances have never kept me from gaining muscle. Finances HAVE made the difference between how well I could keep my body fat minimal while making those gains.
[quote]Dave_ wrote:
Thanks for all of the replies guys.
Apart from simply having the cash to get more food in, I think the relatively stress-free existence will be of huge benefit. Anyone who has gone through a degree in healthcare knows that there is a shitload of paperwork and needless complication.
It’ll be a huge load off to not need to commute 3 hours per day and chase around after consultants for signatures etc.
I have a 5 minute walk to work now, and reasonable income. A fairly decent gym is also UNDER a 1 minute walk from my new place. DBs only go to 50kg/110lbs, but they have various benches, smiths, hammer strength, and a squat rack.
I will likely be going the way of the Prof, regarding the steak situation
I have been living like a peasant for years…no more economy-brand cottage cheese for me![/quote]
Dave-
How big of a struggle was it to find time to train and prepare food while you were in your program. This Monday I am beginning a 3-year Doctorate in Physical Therapy program. I have a 2 hour total commute, and it looks like I have over 35 hours in just class time this first semester. I would obviously think your program would even be more demanding than mine is and I was just wondering if there were ever periods of time where you weren’t able to keep up with school and bodybuilding.
I make a good living now (>$150K/year) but as a consequence of having that job, I don’t have the time/energy I did back when I was a poor student. I have found, personally, that time is a more precious commodity than calories/supplements. So, while money helps (always does, right?) the tradeoff is a net loss.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Oh, that’s right. Arbitrary numbers used to describe something are forbidden on this site.[/quote]
I’m glad to hear you don’t actually believe what you wrote. You know how literally newbies take things sometimes. This wouldn’t be the first time somebody was deluded into thinking you can buy your way to a perfect body.
[quote]trextacy wrote:
I make a good living now (>$150K/year) but as a consequence of having that job, I don’t have the time/energy I did back when I was a poor student. I have found, personally, that time is a more precious commodity than calories/supplements. So, while money helps (always does, right?) the tradeoff is a net loss.[/quote]
Funny how we think we are so busy in college, only to find out how much spare time we had compared with a real job. I agree that managing a full time career, along with the other things life tends to bring your way at that stage, can actually make it harder to progress compared to when you had more time as a student.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
…Post pics of progress.[/quote]
You can clearly see from his new avatar that he has progressed from skinny white guy to hollywood “buff.”
Look, forlife, it’s such a simple question: how much do you weigh? You claim to be leg pressing over 1000 lbs, yet your old avatar hardly looked like a guy who can rep out with half of that.
Why can you post every other stat, but not your weight?
If you are going to argue “I saw the best growth with…”, then there needs to be proof of that growth if anyone is to take you seriously. Especially when you make outlandish claims about doing chest/back 5 times a week and moving big weights every time. I’m surprised you don’t see that.
[quote]forlife wrote:
trextacy wrote:
I make a good living now (>$150K/year) but as a consequence of having that job, I don’t have the time/energy I did back when I was a poor student. I have found, personally, that time is a more precious commodity than calories/supplements. So, while money helps (always does, right?) the tradeoff is a net loss.
Funny how we think we are so busy in college, only to find out how much spare time we had compared with a real job. I agree that managing a full time career, along with the other things life tends to bring your way at that stage, can actually make it harder to progress compared to when you had more time as a student.
Not that it is any excuse![/quote]
yeah, even at my busiest (exam’s, etc.) I could typically decide when that stuff was done. if i wanted to study at barnes and noble in my sweats until 11pm, i could do that. so, getting in a mid-day workout (to me, the ideal time) and stuff was pretty doable. no matter how hectic the student’s life is, it’s almost ALWAYS better than the working man’s life, esp. when it involves a desk job that pretty much requires 8am-7pm face time.
Costco is a mans best friend. Ribeyes, chicken breast, broccoli, salmon, and tilapia all for about 100 bucks every two weeks. Yeaup, i think i’m eating good. Then again, i would be screwed if costco went out of business.
i am a student and i think it makes a massive difference. When I’m at home for a month or so, xmas, easter and now over summer i can gain 10lbs in 4 weeks, whereas at university, i can’t afford to buy more than 0.5kg meat a day.
[quote]Mr.Purple wrote:
You can clearly see from his new avatar that he has progressed from skinny white guy to hollywood “buff.”
Look, forlife, it’s such a simple question: how much do you weigh? You claim to be leg pressing over 1000 lbs, yet your old avatar hardly looked like a guy who can rep out with half of that.
Why can you post every other stat, but not your weight?
If you are going to argue “I saw the best growth with…”, then there needs to be proof of that growth if anyone is to take you seriously. Especially when you make outlandish claims about doing chest/back 5 times a week and moving big weights every time. I’m surprised you don’t see that.
[/quote]
So you’re asking me to post my weight, which I could lie about, in order to assess whether my other stats are valid, which I could similarly lie about?
I’ve been 100% honest in my stats, and I have nothing to prove to you or anyone else. My motivation for bodybuilding goes a little deeper than needing you to believe whether or not my stats are real.
I’ll say to you what I said to PX: I’m not going to address your personal comments anymore. If you want to discuss specific points of bodybuilding, cool.
It definitely makes a difference to me.
Even when my training has been ‘full on’ my progress is slower and stalls earlier when I spend less on food and supplements.
The difference may be subtle with foods,but I would rather buy organic fruit and veg,I’d rather eat organic corn-fed chicken,grass fed organic beef,organic steel-cut oats,organic flaxseed,fresh fish not tinned,extra virgin olive oil,organic virgin coconut oil,Live bio natural yoghurt,etc.
you are what you eat? damn straight.
I may get the same macronutrient content from a cheap-ass shitty burger from McDonalds as I do from a fresh,organic,grass-fed,nicely marbled ribeye steak,sizzling straight off the George Foreman,with a dollop of steamed wild rice and chilli sauce,but I know what I would rather eat,and I wouldn’t expect as good results or health from the former.
£10 a WEEK? I wouldn’t even know what to do with that…I would rather make cutbacks in all other areas and double it.I seriously doubt I could maintain what I have,muscle OR quality of life,never mind progress,on £10 a week.
What the fuck do you eat?
On top of that £20 a week (£80 a month MINIMUM) for food even when things are tight,I would allow a BARE minimum of £30 a month for supplements.
That’s a cheap ass or clearance sale all-in-one protein formula for the month,taking half of what they recommend each day,or just keeping it for training days PWO.
A vitamin/mineral supplement is an essential and just goes without saying.,even if its a cheapo one on sale-I buy that no matter what my budget-seriously.I would beg/steal/borrow/sell shit to getmy daily ‘backup’.
I’ll be honest, I have a lot of bills to pay for being a student. My parents also do not have enough money to feed me in a way which I would make optimal progress, because not only do they need to feed themselves but I have 2 brothers and a sister that need to be fed too.
I’ve been making tremendous gains just by eating a lot, whether it’s junk or chicken breasts, I’m moving more weight each week.
I can’t wait to finally be able to eat like a bodybuilder should because I honestly think I can go very very very far places with the right nutrition.
And our little secret I’ve been trying to get sponsorships from numerous supplement and fitness websites. The only thing I have to offer is long-term potential (even though I have a great base on me as I’m bigger and stronger than 95% of gym goers at only 19 years old which I’ll be on the 28th of this month), but when it’s reached it will be worth their money. Hopefully all goes well.
[quote]johnson575 wrote:
Costco is a mans best friend. Ribeyes, chicken breast, broccoli, salmon, and tilapia all for about 100 bucks every two weeks. Yeaup, i think i’m eating good. Then again, i would be screwed if costco went out of business.[/quote]
