[quote]electric_eales wrote:
Cheers guys, I am wondering though Hagar what do you base your opinion on? Why do you believe someone should train first?
I am not sure about the stresses caused to tendons or joints, for a begineer this would be the case with or without AAS, as long as they had a good trainer and did not over do it I cannot see why strain would be caused to the loint/ligaments[/quote]
Your question is a good one. I’ll try to give an answer, not sure if it relates but hear me out.
I started lifting weights when I was 15 years old. I was a fat thin kid (if there is such a thing). I had no balance and because of asthma I could hardly even do 10reps with the empty bar! That’s how pathetic I was.
I was lucky that the times were different and there was no internet. The gym that I joined had a bunch of guys, some were known to take “stuff” in order to grow. I didn’t know anything so whatever people would tell me I would do.
HIT-did it
High volume - did it
Powerlifting - did it
Twice a day training - did it
Whole body - did it
Once a week - did it
Training splits - did it
You name the protocol and I have probably done it. Now after those 5 years of craziness I found what suited my uper body. However my lower body always lacked behind. No matter what I did it never seemed to grow. Particularly my quads. Years later I found out that I had a spinal problem and full squats were aggravating the condition, but I digress…
In the next five years (5-9) I learned to tweak my training to fit my schedule and how important cardio was. From being an asthmatic I was able to run 2 marathons. Lost a buch of muscle and fucked up one knee that to this day still bothers, but I set my mind to do it and I accomplished it.
Now during this time (about 4 years) I stopped lifting and concentrated on the running and had a runners body (thin and jittery).
When I came to Japan 6 years ago I decided that my phase of running was over and that it was time to lift again. I already knew what was best for my body and in 3 years gained most of my weight back. It was here that I learned how to train and separate the sections of my legs in order to grow them and balance cardio with weights for faster leg recuperation.
So for me the learning of how my body worked 14 years ago was never forgotten, however my metabolism had changed and I was carrying too much fat for my taste. It was in this last 4 years that I took it upon myself to learn what foods agreed with my body, what were the best combinations for me and what diet schedule I could live with for the rest of my life. It was in this time that I decided to jump on the darkside and use it as my only means of “supplementation”. Nothing else because I knew that supplements can never replace whole foods. I have a built that at 40 everyone thinks I am 24.
I made far too many mistakes at the start, but came handicapped with some major roadblocks to overcome. If I had taken the shortest route, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have either heart, liver or cardiovascular problems because I didn’t know proper training volume and intensity cycling, proper nutritional support and proper rest.
That is what training first gives you before jumping on darkside.
Of course people are different and personal histories are that…personal. If you come from a family background that is athletic, that have since your infancy taught correct nutritional habits and lived in a country that espouses physical well-being then you can start sooner and reach higher. But living in Japan has taught me that some societies are completely against muscularity and men. And that no matter how much effort you put forth, your attitudes dictate how you succeed in lifting and life in general.