Too Late to Persue Pro Bodybuilding?

Off Topic
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basically trying to figure out where some of the pros were at the age of 20 with their physique. and when they felt they maxed their natural potential and started “juicin”. you hear about diet, training, sleep but never about the steroids. its frustrating having to guess what they did, or do.

at times it seems like a secret, which I feel is the only part of bodybuilding I dont like(other than internet shit talkers) I understand this is a touchy topic with steroids and all but if anyone knows when its too late to decide you want to persue pro bodybuilding.

incase anyone was going to ask, im 21. been lifting for about 1.5 years and in the last year decided to take it seriously. I went from 145-190(not very lean but not fat) i’m feeling like in order to be pro you need to be 200lbs shredded by the age of 19. am I wrong to think this?

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/facepalm

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not sure why this posted 4 times? or what facepalm means

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I wish I could give you a full and serious answer before you get flamed broiled.

To partially answer a bit though there is hardly an age limit on when somebody can begin bodybuilding seriously, and if you could apply one to the “average” I doubt even that would be 19. For instance, Branch Warren, did not start till later in his life(correct me if I’m wrong).

Also for what its worth at 1.5 years of training and being “not very lean but not fat”, you probably don’t need to worry about having “maxed natural potential”.

Anyway I’m completely inexperienced in steroids so take that for what its worth.

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I started taking steroids when i was 14 if that helps

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[quote]mikedefran wrote:
basically trying to figure out where some of the pros were at the age of 20 with their physique. and when they felt they maxed their natural potential and started “juicin”. you hear about diet, training, sleep but never about the steroids.[/quote]

That’s because diet, training, and sleep are the things that make a pro. There’s no secret drug or steroid cycle that will put the work in for you.

7

Branch Warren was winning teenage titles way back (he beat Cutler actually!). Others, like Ed Corney (look him up), didn’t start until he was almost 40 I believe. What you should keep in mind, is that most, if not all, of the top pros are able to max out their genetic potentials, and they are truly truly gifted beyond you or I.

Kai Greene was winning many NATURAL titles for YEARS before he touched the ‘stuff’ (bout 5 years ago maybe?). There are countless (and I mean COUNTLESS!) of guys juicing all across the world thinking that they’re gonna be pro bodybuilders, and it will never happen. Not only must you train harder, eat better, and match the level of ‘supplements’ used by your opponents, you must be in the top .1% of the genetic elite.

Pursue bodybuilding all you want, get in better shape, try your hand at a local contest,… see where it goes, but try to be realistic. Such a focused, dogged pursuit can truly alienate your non-bodybuilding friends if it takes over your everyday life.

S

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[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Branch Warren was winning teenage titles way back (he beat Cutler actually!). Others, like Ed Corney (look him up), didn’t start until he was almost 40 I believe. What you should keep in mind, is that most, if not all, of the top pros are able to max out their genetic potentials, and they are truly truly gifted beyond you or I.

Kai Greene was winning many NATURAL titles for YEARS before he touched the ‘stuff’ (bout 5 years ago maybe?). There are countless (and I mean COUNTLESS!) of guys juicing all across the world thinking that they’re gonna be pro bodybuilders, and it will never happen. Not only must you train harder, eat better, and match the level of ‘supplements’ used by your opponents, you must be in the top .1% of the genetic elite.

Pursue bodybuilding all you want, get in better shape, try your hand at a local contest,… see where it goes, but try to be realistic. Such a focused, dogged pursuit can truly alienate your non-bodybuilding friends if it takes over your everyday life.

S
[/quote]

To put it even simpler, unless people are already singling you out as some genetic freak, assuming you must have been taking steroids for years even though you haven’t, and the assumption by most is that you are already a bodybuilder or pro athlete of some kind, there is no way in hell you should be risking anything worrying about steroid use.

Kai was brought up as a great example. He hasn’t weighed less than 220lbs since high school and that was completely natural. Vic Richards who we just talked about was bigger than 90% of the people on this board at the age of 16.

The guys who go pro are NOT some average human beings who just took steroids. They were standing out in a crowd long before they ever got to that point.

Most of the guys worried about steroids from the start are the LEAST gifted…if for no other reasn than that you already think your progress is extremely limited by not taking them.

The OP is a “not lean” 190lbs. Unless he is 5’4", there is no way in hell he is showing the genetic potential at this point to reach that level.

Whether he has the drive to even stand out on his own has yet to be seen but he is off to a poor start.

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I get kind of uncomfortable about this whole “the best won the genetic lottery” thing, as far as pure size is concerned. Thing is, bodybuilding is not even that popular. If it is, it is still mostly recreational. Jamaican sprinters and other true genetic freaks (fast twitch types) are, more often than not, doing something far removed from bodybuilding.

Think about the seven foot tall men with big frames…like that Mr. India or whoever he was, of whom there is a picture standing next to Dorian Yates. Dorian said he felt like a kid. I don’t think the indian giant gave up any width to a prime Dorian either. Yeah. He may not be as ‘aesthetic’ as a balls out dedicated 5’8 guy of average frame size to the eyes of the judge but there is no saying that the naturally smaller man is somehow built to be big and the genetic freak. He just wants something very hard and is lucky to have the appeal. As far as pure size is concerned, the touted, famous cream of the crop is likely the tip of the iceberg.

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[quote]Alffi wrote:
I get kind of uncomfortable about this whole “the best won the genetic lottery” thing, as far as pure size is concerned. Thing is, bodybuilding is not even that popular. If it is, it is still mostly recreational. Jamaican sprinters and other true genetic freaks (fast twitch types) are, more often than not, doing something far removed from bodybuilding.

Think about the seven foot tall men with big frames…like that Mr. India or whoever he was, of whom there is a picture standing next to Dorian Yates. Dorian said he felt like a kid. I don’t think the indian giant gave up any width to a prime Dorian either. Yeah. He may not be as ‘aesthetic’ as a balls out dedicated 5’8 guy of average frame size to the eyes of the judge but there is no saying that the naturally smaller man is somehow built to be big and the genetic freak. He just wants something very hard and is lucky to have the appeal. As far as pure size is concerned, the touted, famous cream of the crop is likely the tip of the iceberg.[/quote]

You need to put your thoughts together better. What are you even trying to say?

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Well Dhilip Singh (dunno if I spelled it correctly) is genetically gifted (arguably) by means of his HEIGHT. He is by no means gifted in the sense that he carries as much muscle for his frame as Dorian. I’m 5’8 (I think Yates is about 5’10),… I could train my ass off, have the perfect diet, take all the AAS and GH that I could, and I wouldn’t look like him. That’s the point that is trying to be made. I don’t know about your gym, but my gym is filled with juice-heads who look like crap.

Sure they don’t know a thing about proper training or nutrition, but it’s just not in the cards for them. Ok, wait, here’s a better example. Desmond Miller runs the juice bar at my gym. He was a big deal a few years ago before he got sick. I THINK he took 10th at the Olympia. Now,… Seeing a former Pro like Miller in person is pretty cool. But a lot of the young kids walk around talking about how he could have been Mr. Olympia. Could he possibly have been? Maybe,… I guess we’ll never know, but as huge as he may appear to some young kid who’s never seen other pros,… to someone who’s see Yates, or Coleman in the flesh, Miller may seem a level B Pro at best.

Sure he’s got better genetics than you or I (and Yes, obviously he takes some AAS), but to be honest, to see this guy train, you’d think all you needed to do to get huge was throw some shit around like a monkey in a cage (and the few juice-head wannabes follow him like he’s Jesus! -lol). Obviously he’s able to make progress doing that,… I know that I couldn’t, and I guess that’s what I’m trying to point out here. I know someone will mention ROnnie’s training being fairly ‘sloppy’,… but again, it worked for HIM. I’m certainly not offering up some genetic ceiling or BS like that, BUT what’s in your DNA is essentially the great equalizer. I’m sure some other knowledgeable folks will have some interesting thoughts on this.

S

12

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Branch Warren was winning teenage titles way back (he beat Cutler actually!). Others, like Ed Corney (look him up), didn’t start until he was almost 40 I believe. What you should keep in mind, is that most, if not all, of the top pros are able to max out their genetic potentials, and they are truly truly gifted beyond you or I.

Kai Greene was winning many NATURAL titles for YEARS before he touched the ‘stuff’ (bout 5 years ago maybe?). There are countless (and I mean COUNTLESS!) of guys juicing all across the world thinking that they’re gonna be pro bodybuilders, and it will never happen. Not only must you train harder, eat better, and match the level of ‘supplements’ used by your opponents, you must be in the top .1% of the genetic elite.

Pursue bodybuilding all you want, get in better shape, try your hand at a local contest,… see where it goes, but try to be realistic. Such a focused, dogged pursuit can truly alienate your non-bodybuilding friends if it takes over your everyday life.

S
[/quote]

To put it even simpler, unless people are already singling you out as some genetic freak, assuming you must have been taking steroids for years even though you haven’t, and the assumption by most is that you are already a bodybuilder or pro athlete of some kind, there is no way in hell you should be risking anything worrying about steroid use.
[/quote]

Funny thing is, the average joe is usually ignorant enough to assume that you must be doing steroids if you manage to build a physique even slightly above average.

13

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Branch Warren was winning teenage titles way back (he beat Cutler actually!). Others, like Ed Corney (look him up), didn’t start until he was almost 40 I believe. What you should keep in mind, is that most, if not all, of the top pros are able to max out their genetic potentials, and they are truly truly gifted beyond you or I.

Kai Greene was winning many NATURAL titles for YEARS before he touched the ‘stuff’ (bout 5 years ago maybe?). There are countless (and I mean COUNTLESS!) of guys juicing all across the world thinking that they’re gonna be pro bodybuilders, and it will never happen. Not only must you train harder, eat better, and match the level of ‘supplements’ used by your opponents, you must be in the top .1% of the genetic elite.

Pursue bodybuilding all you want, get in better shape, try your hand at a local contest,… see where it goes, but try to be realistic. Such a focused, dogged pursuit can truly alienate your non-bodybuilding friends if it takes over your everyday life.

S
[/quote]

To put it even simpler, unless people are already singling you out as some genetic freak, assuming you must have been taking steroids for years even though you haven’t, and the assumption by most is that you are already a bodybuilder or pro athlete of some kind, there is no way in hell you should be risking anything worrying about steroid use.

Kai was brought up as a great example. He hasn’t weighed less than 220lbs since high school and that was completely natural. Vic Richards who we just talked about was bigger than 90% of the people on this board at the age of 16.

The guys who go pro are NOT some average human beings who just took steroids. They were standing out in a crowd long before they ever got to that point.

Most of the guys worried about steroids from the start are the LEAST gifted…if for no other reasn than that you already think your progress is extremely limited by not taking them.

The OP is a “not lean” 190lbs. Unless he is 5’4", there is no way in hell he is showing the genetic potential at this point to reach that level.

Whether he has the drive to even stand out on his own has yet to be seen but he is off to a poor start.[/quote]

This pretty perfectly sums it up.

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477×604 31.9 KB

lee priest 16 years old. just a bit differnt to the average teen

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kai greene 1994 not sure how old he is now so couldnt say his age for back then

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continue with old pictures please. awesome stuff.

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Here’s what you should do.

Go to a local NPC show. Check out the competition. Compare yourself to that. Then enter that contest with full intentions of winning it and see how you do. Talk to the judges afterward to hear their opinion on your physique/potential.

You aren’t too old by any means. You are not judged on your age when you step on stage.

So if you want to be a competitive bodybuilder, train like one, eat like one and get on stage. Use the amount of drugs youre comfortable with. You will learn more from being around other people in the industry than you will from this forum.

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Yes, OP, it sounds too late for you.

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If you have to ask if you got the genetics to be pro bodybuilder…well then you don’t.

As far as local shows, anyone can compete in local shows and be a “bodybuilder”. So I’m not trying to discourage you from that. I essentially did the same for powerlifting. Just signed up for a local event (equipped and untested) and came in dead last. By alot since I lifted natural and unequipped. But the experience was great and humbling at the same time. Similarly if you’re that curious about bodybuilding you should go to an event or at least a gym where some bodybuilders work out at. You don’t have to compete just get a taste for it. You’ll be a lot better informed by doing this. Going to a powerlifting meet was 1,000,000 times more enlightening then reading about it on a forum. I’m sure the same holds for competing in bodybuilding.

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[quote]sam_sneed wrote:
If you have to ask if you got the genetics to be pro bodybuilder…well then you don’t.
[/quote]

Bingo. Most of the guys who are thought to have the potential to do well at a higher level were singled out since they were relative beginners as having better genetics than most.

In fact, if you walk into a gym and no one even notices, NO, you do not have the genetics for this…either that or you haven’t been lifting long enough to make enough progress.

Either way, steroids do not make a pro bodybuilder.