i’ve been on this board for awhile, not posting just reading and researching. i met the guys at the arnold and they were all cool and practiced what they preached. here’s my piece. i see alot of people on here, mostly young, who want to know strategies for getting big, strong, or cut for whatever reason. i left the air force at 22yo, 6’3" and 175 lbs (for visual, see blanked out ethiopian in national geographic) i came home depressed and with a drinking problem. i decided its time to change. i hit the weights. no supplements, no b.s. just weights, food (lots of food), and lots of feelings to work off. 6 months later i was 215-220lbs. and still solid (10-12% bf). let me clarify, i have crap genetics. both sides of the family are FAT. if you don’t get my story, there is no magic pill, no secret to putting on muscle. it boils down to how bad do i want this. if your metabolism is so fast that even 4000 cal a day will not put on weight, then eat 4500. if you are too fat, move your butt, and have some self control at the krispy kreme. this is not judging, but anyone who wants to compare stories, i’m more than willing. if you want it,get it. supplemnts are good, but the best supplement is in your head.
If you gained that much muscle in that short of a time then you hardly have crap genetics.
Agrees with jimmy, but no matter what…nice job. In all seriousness, to kick the booze and gain that kinda size…that did require a lot on your part, and I like the attitude!!! Keep pumping bro!
maybe i should have clarified (it was 5am) by crap genetics i meant for staying any where near lean. carbs are my enemy if i slow down at all, and i put fat in the places a woman would (ie hams, rear end). as for putting on the muscle, i can tell you for several months i worked my butt off. i think the hardgainer thing is an excuse. if you research, have patience with programs, and find what works for your body ( high reps, low reps, tempos) then muscle will come. if your genetic lot in life is to be thin, then be a damn big thin person (if that is your goal). so much of what we are is what we tell ourselves we are. tell yourself what you want, then get it.
I agree totally on the “Mind Set” aspect of training being THE most important part of bodybuilding. If you have good genetics and sit on your ass, eventually the guy who has crappy genetics, but works out with intensity and focus will look better than you.
you know i like your point about the greatest supplement being in your head. however i beleivethe contrary. i think that supplementaion is no where near B.S. the points of supplements aren’t to be used as a “magic pill” they simply help you accomplish what you wanna do. theres a gigantic diffrence here. now if your committed to hard work youll gain. if your like stick boy and just wanna do enough workout to equal a good toss off in the shower then you wont. but there comes a time where you’ll need help my friend. eat as well and as much as you want but your not always or ever in my mind going to get every macro every quality protein you need. just my opinion.
-G
grant, thank you for your input, but i have to bring up the point of the old school natural guys. reeves, grimek, etc. no supplements, no roids and phenomenal gains. i have grown in my thinking to the point where i supplement heavily. but in the beginning it is not necessary. there are tooo many other aspects of training to be dealt with. i think supplementation, just like juice, should come after a solid base is built. hit that “plateau” (quotes because i don’t believe in them< there are too many ways to avoid ever hitting one) then supplement.
Alot of people who are fat think that they have bad genetics because of their ability to easily put on fat. I find that people who put on lots of fat quickly also put on muscle quickly. I have always been fat, since I was about 5 years old, but I have always had good amount of muscle too, I can easily gain both, well maybee not easily, but easier than a lot of people. I think that the whole, “blame it on your genetics” thing is just wanting what you don’t have. If you are muscular and fat, you want to be ripped and If you are ripped, you want to be more muscular, or so it seems.
Thanks for the remarks about not using supplements. I personally think that all supplements are crap. I have never found one that did a single thing for me other than cause me to waste alot of money. I don’t think, though, that there is ever a good time to use supplements or juice. If you cannot get big or lean by altering your diet and workouts, you are probably doing something wrong, or were never meant to be big in the first place, hell you don’t see quadriplegics trying to be the next Tiger Woods, do you? Some things were just never meant to be, like George Bush junior as President.(How the hell did that ever happen anyway? Unless wer are already in hell, yeah, that’s probably it.) Oh and mcgyver, keep up the good work and keep off of the juice and supplements, there are not enough natural lifters out there anymore.
i agree when i first started liftiong i didnt take any supplements but then after bigger faster stronger petered out on me i decided to get some protein and it helped i never got into supplements until my bench got stuck at 370.
-G
nick, thanks for the input, but i do use supplements now, i stated that in the beginning, i did not until i had gained som appreciable size. being a staunch republican i will choose to ignore the bush remark. but i am in no way saying accept your limitations. that is oprah winfrey crap. alot of limitations are of our own creation. i’m saying if you want something bad enough, get it. paraplegics will not be the next tiger woods (although spinal cord research is moving pretty quickly), i don’t think that was in my point anywhwere. the points of my original post were that we have many posters on this board who want advise on how to take this and that, or this special routine. what about good old hard work. you know i still lokk at that summer/fall when i began really training with great fondness. it was probably the hardest i had ever worked, and the results were damn good. because i worked for me, nothing else did. i just want people to take some responsibility for why they are the way they are.
Nick, I think I’ve tried the gamut of supplements and 95% have done shit. BUT Creatine and NCA/ECA stacks have absolutely made a difference for me. It’s no placebo effect and it ain’t in mind. I would say unequivocably that those two worked for me. The difference dieting with and without the NCA/ECA is NIGHT and DAY. My lifting torque and power is definitely enhanced while on creatine. Just my opinion, but there are supplements that work and these two have had profound effects for me. I recommend them emphatically to those who are not concerned with potential side effects. You can significantly enhance your physique with proper diet and exercise, I just prefer to try to do it as fast as possible…just my opnion.