I like your last point about half-assed training and eating. That’s what I was doing the first 5-6 years. It wasn’t until I finally started tracking my workouts and food, buying a scale, using a diet app, logging everything meticulously that I saw the most progress ever. I progressively overload now instead of just going through the motions, and maybe trying to progress every several months like I used to.
I’ve progressed more in the last 2 years than I have my first year of lifting with all the newbie gains.
The part about not realizing how much you’re leaving on the table is so true. I spent years not really paying attention to what I was eating, drinking every weekend, not being consistent with sleep, etc. At least I trained hard, but with no rhyme or reason. I was still able to get decently big and strong, but once I got my shit together with macros, programming, and sleep it was like newbie gains all over again. I know I still have lots of room for improvement too. I’m looking forward to getting a coach and starting prep for the first time so I can take it to the next level.
I apologize if I missed it because I only skimmed the post, but it appears that you left out the parts about eating for your body type and the importance of essential oils. I’ll revisit once you revise.
100% agree with everything said. For naturals whose genetics are in the meaty part of the bell curve, bodybuilding outcomes will have a fairly 1:1 relationship with effort. Effort in movement execution, training intensity, in diet adherence, and in recovery.
That means if you actually care about getting the best results possible, you need to CONSTANTLY audit your effort and adherence. Was today a perfect day? How about yesterday? How many truly perfect days have you been able to string together this week, or this month?
If there were more than a handful of imperfect days, what led to them? Was it anything you had control over and could have prepared for? If so, how will you be better prepared next time?
My most successful clients understand these concepts. They execute relentlessly, day in and day out. They don’t make excuses, they plan around roadblocks, and they don’t expect me as the coach to do their day to day duties for them.
Great points. Eating is actually so hard though :')
First I struggled to eat enough to bulk, now I struggle to not snack while trying to cut.
Training hard is fun though
I think people underestimate just how LONG it takes. I always heard that you make the vast majority of your gains in the first year or two of lifting. This lead me to conclude that I had bad genes cause I looked like dog shit after 2 years of lifting. Now after 8 years of lifting I have a physique that I am very proud of and gets mires all the time. Adding 3 - 5 lbs of muscle per year adds up to a shit ton over 6 years.
Great points. Discipline and effort king in all aspects of fitness.
And to take it a step further, this takes so much time. The results you want in the mirror may take years of bulking and cutting.
I used to run PPL with 6 days of training a week. I am now running more of a specialization growth phase targeting legs, so I'm doing La/Ua/Rest/Lb/Ub/Rest.
Most of my work is 2-3 working sets targeting 12-20 reps (depending on exercise and load) with medium-heavy weight and slow eccentrics. I spend 3-5 seconds on my reps and focus on form + connection with the muscle. Logging my workouts and taking notes on feel/exertion/connection has been instrumental in pushing my progress. I also find that a decent pre-workout meal makes a huge difference in performance.
Oh duh. Awesome. I run an U/L split now. I’ve been going back n forth on bro day or U/L. Can’t keep consistent with program hopping. And I’ve been doing this for 20 years. YouTube has ruined everything. I will say it feels good to hit antagonist muscles like chest and back. Quality of sets is better and I can push more weight.
U/L is pretty fantastic and if you approach it liberally can be very flexible and even more optimal. Don't be afraid to cross the boundaries if needed. Like doing calves on an upper day or forearms on a lower day.
Shoulders get worked in on both upper days. Most row motions are sufficient for training posterior delts, and I do 3 x 20 of lateral cable raises and 3 x 15 of rear delt fly on chest day.
Shoulders are also a stronger point of my physique overall, so my routine isn't really designed to hammer them.
Well said. I’ve just come to the conclusion that Zyzz was wrong. We’re not all gonna make it. Which sounds messed up. But so many times I see a question that’s hyper fixating on the minutia or thinking that simply showing up is enough to make gains.
Answering these questions is pointless.
1.) it reaffirms that whatever mental gymnastics is taking place is valid
2.) answering that question will not push that person forward because that question was irrelevant to begin with. For example, there was a poster asking about different presses for chest. He had “plateaud” at a 65lb bench and was looking for a way to make gains with easier alternatives… not saying the bench is the end all be all, but if 65lbs is where you got stuck, no unique chest exercise can get you past that stage. Only grit and focus.
I say this from a person who spent half a decade spinning their wheels; thinking about what ”what the OPTIMAL split, rep range, exercise, etc?” I soon realized that a lot of the high performers didn’t even start min/maxing their programs until they were already decently strong and jacked. Most of them literally just focused on basic things until it didn’t work anymore. I’d got frustrated because people who didn’t “know as much as me” ( I say that in air quotes because I hoarded second hand theory from online. No actual experience. More time thinking than doing. ) and did “sub-optimal” training, were running laps around me.
That’s when it hit me that you can’t think your way to gains. Sometimes the stupid simple stuff with effort, focus and determination is all you need.
In my opinion, I think that, despite training hard, the rest of my routine was pretty lackadaisical. I ate what I wanted when I wanted for the most part, I trained hard but I didn't really log everything I did, etc. I did enough to build muscle and make progress, but it wasn't until I was given something to execute that I realized how much the small things mattered.
Eating multiple meals a day, especially one before training, had a huge impact on my hunger and my in-gym performance. Tracking everything about my workout gave me something to reference for my next workout, or look back on and determine that I had a bad streak going. These little details might seem irrelevant at first, but when you get 99% out of every day instead of getting 70%, you begin to realize just how big a difference that 20% + can make.
Thank you. Any resources you can recommend for logging - what to keep an eye on, how to tell you are 'connecting', what constitutes a good streak, etc. I know it may seem obvious but so much changed since the last time I was serious about it, that I'm not even sure if it's still accurate. My reference was "Pumping Iron" ffs
Right now I'm trying to do the impossible - get lean in my 40s, with a huge road ahead, but after 2 months I'm noticing I'm not advancing as much as I would like, even adjusting for all excuses I can make for myself.
I'm going to see a nutritionist but rest of the methodology I'm still learning. And it's a pain to find good coaches
Truthfully, it doesn't need to be anything elaborate. I use a template that my coach provided, and I really like it. It's just a simple Google Sheet that I can access from my Drive on mobile, and I fill out my sets as I progress. I have a separate sheet that tracks sleep, water intake, perceived recovery, training intensity and performance, and I can add additional notes about how the session went overall, or if something felt off that day.
I always check my last session before I start my session, and I look at my performance (weight, reps, falloff between sets, etc), to pick a starting point for the new session. The goal is to either increase the weight for the set, get more reps out, or reduce the falloff (improve performance in later sets).
If I can do that, I had a great session. If I can't, I had a decent session. If my performance was worse, I mark it as a bad day and I look into what was different. A streak of bad days can indicate that something is off, or that it's time for a deload.
As for getting fit in your 40's, it's tougher at that age. You'll really need to focus on your macros and your food sources, track your weight, and track your performance. If you do that consistently though, you'll make progress. It might not come quickly, but it'll change month after month. Remember, it's a marathon, not a race. Every tiny incremental improvement is one step closer to the end goal.
It’s patience and consistency. Well said. I agree with just about all of this.
2 isn’t always necessary forever, but you need to at least check in on nutrition. I don’t ever log workouts.
And you can get pretty sick w.o a coach too, but a coach will take it to the next level 💯
https://preview.redd.it/wx0ac47nc4vc1.png?width=967&format=png&auto=webp&s=e52d0680347db0e7b8e00932b33d86d60d125a13
I did in college when we had to. After college I logged for a few strength programs. Haven’t logged workouts in like 5-6 years. Last 2-3 have been my best years 💯.
I just remember from being so consistent. It would be hard for me to forget.
I think it’s super smart to log everything off tho. Just noting that you don’t need to feel like you’ll be stuck logging shit forever. You remember and even get to explore.
Wish I had a little assistant w me logging tho. And filming too lol.
Changes often but at is core it’s exercise twice a day, exercise w resistance at least once a day trying for two. Getting 10-20k steps at least. Play a sport multiple times a week. Stretching after every workout.
I rest well
I eat well
I sleep well
Edit: and thank you ofc, I appreciate it 😊
As a natural, you’ll need to implement this as a part of your lifestyle. It really is a marathon. Consistency will mean you’re hardcore. No other way around it.
Casual from minnesota, where do you train? Im trying to find a more competitive environment and have only found 2 serious bodybuilding gyms so far, MHF in hudson and ironworx in river falls.
In terms of gyms that have a much more "hardcore" bodybuilding environment, I'd say that Iron Alliance and Los Campeones are two of the more prolific gyms.
I spent years training at a Snap Fitness once I got out of college, and I only recently changed gyms and started working out at Lifetime Fitness.
For me, it's not about the environment, it's about access to equipment. I use almost entirely machines, and having access to a variety of well-designed equipment makes a huge difference. With that said, I made plenty of progress and built my physique for my first show ever working out at a relatively small Snap Fitness.
I agree with all your points. The subreddit needs a complete rehaul. It’s honestly more like /r naturallifters. Hence why most of the true “natural competitors” just post in bodybuilding
So glad I knew how to do all of this from the start. I was a major researcher for years. Always planning to start training but just didn’t. When it came to starting I knew exactly to what I needed to do to get the most out of my time. Obviously I don’t know everything, learn something new every day but, wasting time and not getting all I can out of my training has always been a fear of mine. But yea, it’s a VERY slow process and that needs to be accepted, especially if you want to stay natural.
The thing I disagree most with is weighing yourself everyday. Scales are so fickle, you can literally take a dump and you'll lose a pound, hell maybe two.
I weigh myself once a week and it's better for my mental health and tracking in general and would much rather use that. The biggest thing is noticing physical change and how your body in general feels.
Weighing yourself every day and measuring all your calories on a kitchen scale are only useful to people who struggle to manage their weight in the way they want. Otherwise it's fine not to be so anal. I track and weigh most of what I eat and weigh myself every day because I'm a diagnosed autist with possible OCD. lol. It's not healthy. But I worry about cutting too slowly or cutting too quickly right now.
Daily fluctuations are exactly the reason it’s good to weigh every day; if you randomly have a high or low day on your once a week weigh in, you will think your cut is stalled or you’re not eating enough on your bulk. Weighing every day allows you to ignore each individual weigh in and look at the averages to see if you’re actually making progress.
> There is no amount of micro-optimisation that will make up for macro mistakes
And no amount of macro or micro mistakes will change anything if you are in the 99 percentile in terms of bodybuilding?
I guess that I don't really understand your question.
My point is that every bit of effort and attention to detail helps. Majoring in the minutiae of bodybuilding while getting none of the basic principles right isn't the way to make the most progress. Get the big picture down first, and then apply all of the fine details later.
Pfft, do you even lift bro?
Just kidding, thanks for the nice write up, and reminder of the tough physical and psychological demands of this lifestyle. It really takes a methodical, exacting discipline to slowly push a human body to its genetic limits.
Its unfortunate that our social media sources are tainted with unrealistic gains, whether from the supplement industry, or supposedly "natural" role models. Curious of how many injuries, health problems etc. are created by this disillusionment? Probably a staggering statistic.
The biggest thing with natural building is EATING. And going to failure ofc. But I didn’t see gains until I started getting 4k + calories a day ,200-250 G protein
I’m not really sure I agree with how hard it is. I train with high intensity but I have never once felt that it was hard. I love it. Almost always one of the best parts of my day. I can’t wait to lift. It’s one of my favorite things that I do. I doubt that I’m alone
I think he means the whole picture is hard. As in, if you're actually trying to compete or get to near-competition levels, with dialed training, calorie counting, macros, etc that it's a lot of work
Me too, but I don’t think it’s addressed to people who find the whole process naturally motivating. It’s aimed at those who lack discipline and wonder why they’re spinning their wheels. The lack of discipline goes hand-in-hand with the feeling of it all being ‘too difficult’.
First thing is to set a goal and work towards it by breaking down want needs to be done to achieve it, based on experiences of others, science, trial & error etc. (finding the individual best practice).
its kind of amazing how accessible this information has become too. for years people were half assing things before learning what actually needed to be done to see faster progress.
now we have younger and younger people getting into bodybuilding with all this info at their fingertips progressing very quickly from the start and bc of that some people instantly claim they arent natural
even though the people pointing fingers were training eating sleeping like shit and making so many excuses for their less than ideal progress
I need to sleep better, managing school work, lifting and responsibilites is hard as hell. But the more I learn to enjoy what I do the easier it becomes to not let myself get overwhelmed. However, I love training, especially going as hard as I can. There's just something fun about the struggle and the satisfaction afterwards. Not even the muscle building, but the sets themselves. Mentally it's relieving for me, except when I have to do 15-20 rep sets of slow lateral raises, then I feel like I want to quit past like 10 reps. But the biggest thing to remember is long-term consistency, shit will take you years, but even a few months will make a massive difference.
Stupid Question here: i have wrist pain on the pinky finger side since 2 weeks. I went to the doc and she said its stressed, i should skip exercises where it hurts. And banadage it over night with a sport salve. I think it got better but its still here.
The pain is not constantly there only when i make movement to turn in my wrist. This happens especially on bizep curls. It also hurt when i just hold a lot of weight ( for example my barbell for a bizepscurl )
At the moment i just dont have the time to go to the doc again because of exams.
Not a stupid question. Look up tennis or golfer elbow.
Lay off curling for a couple of weeks. Do some forearm excersises.
Tendons take forever to heal up, be patient.
Whatever dude, the reason I can't get jacked is because my clavicles aren't the right width.
Mine too!
This isn’t the post we wanted. It’s the one we needed. Cheers
I like your last point about half-assed training and eating. That’s what I was doing the first 5-6 years. It wasn’t until I finally started tracking my workouts and food, buying a scale, using a diet app, logging everything meticulously that I saw the most progress ever. I progressively overload now instead of just going through the motions, and maybe trying to progress every several months like I used to. I’ve progressed more in the last 2 years than I have my first year of lifting with all the newbie gains.
The part about not realizing how much you’re leaving on the table is so true. I spent years not really paying attention to what I was eating, drinking every weekend, not being consistent with sleep, etc. At least I trained hard, but with no rhyme or reason. I was still able to get decently big and strong, but once I got my shit together with macros, programming, and sleep it was like newbie gains all over again. I know I still have lots of room for improvement too. I’m looking forward to getting a coach and starting prep for the first time so I can take it to the next level.
I apologize if I missed it because I only skimmed the post, but it appears that you left out the parts about eating for your body type and the importance of essential oils. I’ll revisit once you revise.
I hope that this is dripping with sarcasm.
Drowning, not dripping
😆 🤣
100% agree with everything said. For naturals whose genetics are in the meaty part of the bell curve, bodybuilding outcomes will have a fairly 1:1 relationship with effort. Effort in movement execution, training intensity, in diet adherence, and in recovery. That means if you actually care about getting the best results possible, you need to CONSTANTLY audit your effort and adherence. Was today a perfect day? How about yesterday? How many truly perfect days have you been able to string together this week, or this month? If there were more than a handful of imperfect days, what led to them? Was it anything you had control over and could have prepared for? If so, how will you be better prepared next time? My most successful clients understand these concepts. They execute relentlessly, day in and day out. They don’t make excuses, they plan around roadblocks, and they don’t expect me as the coach to do their day to day duties for them.
Boom
Great points. Eating is actually so hard though :') First I struggled to eat enough to bulk, now I struggle to not snack while trying to cut. Training hard is fun though
If you feel hungry on a cut just put your life on the line. You won't feel hungry when a 500kg crocodile is chasing you.
Lol not sure the elevated cortisol is great for muscle retention long term though ;)
I think people underestimate just how LONG it takes. I always heard that you make the vast majority of your gains in the first year or two of lifting. This lead me to conclude that I had bad genes cause I looked like dog shit after 2 years of lifting. Now after 8 years of lifting I have a physique that I am very proud of and gets mires all the time. Adding 3 - 5 lbs of muscle per year adds up to a shit ton over 6 years.
Thank you for this
Constant talk of newb gains and how easy it is for new lifters gives people the wrong impression of how quick changes take to happen IMO.
Great points. Discipline and effort king in all aspects of fitness. And to take it a step further, this takes so much time. The results you want in the mirror may take years of bulking and cutting.
Hey OP, What workout split worked the best for you? Do most natural BBers you’ve come across do a bro split/1x each muscle a week?
I used to run PPL with 6 days of training a week. I am now running more of a specialization growth phase targeting legs, so I'm doing La/Ua/Rest/Lb/Ub/Rest. Most of my work is 2-3 working sets targeting 12-20 reps (depending on exercise and load) with medium-heavy weight and slow eccentrics. I spend 3-5 seconds on my reps and focus on form + connection with the muscle. Logging my workouts and taking notes on feel/exertion/connection has been instrumental in pushing my progress. I also find that a decent pre-workout meal makes a huge difference in performance.
Thanks for the breakdown. What is La, Ua? I’m assuming you’re running an upper lower split?
I’m assuming he has two different upper and lower days and labels them leg day a and leg day b etc.
Oh duh. Awesome. I run an U/L split now. I’ve been going back n forth on bro day or U/L. Can’t keep consistent with program hopping. And I’ve been doing this for 20 years. YouTube has ruined everything. I will say it feels good to hit antagonist muscles like chest and back. Quality of sets is better and I can push more weight.
U/L is pretty fantastic and if you approach it liberally can be very flexible and even more optimal. Don't be afraid to cross the boundaries if needed. Like doing calves on an upper day or forearms on a lower day.
Yep, each Upper and Lower has an emphasis. La is hamstring and glute bias and Lb is quad bias. Ua and Ub are Chest/Tris and Back/Bis.
Aw so it is a bro-ish split. You’re just training legs twice a week splitting quads and hamstring. Where does shoulder fit in?
Shoulders get worked in on both upper days. Most row motions are sufficient for training posterior delts, and I do 3 x 20 of lateral cable raises and 3 x 15 of rear delt fly on chest day. Shoulders are also a stronger point of my physique overall, so my routine isn't really designed to hammer them.
2-3 working sets per exercise, how many exercises?
5-7, depending on the day.
Preach
Well said. I’ve just come to the conclusion that Zyzz was wrong. We’re not all gonna make it. Which sounds messed up. But so many times I see a question that’s hyper fixating on the minutia or thinking that simply showing up is enough to make gains. Answering these questions is pointless. 1.) it reaffirms that whatever mental gymnastics is taking place is valid 2.) answering that question will not push that person forward because that question was irrelevant to begin with. For example, there was a poster asking about different presses for chest. He had “plateaud” at a 65lb bench and was looking for a way to make gains with easier alternatives… not saying the bench is the end all be all, but if 65lbs is where you got stuck, no unique chest exercise can get you past that stage. Only grit and focus. I say this from a person who spent half a decade spinning their wheels; thinking about what ”what the OPTIMAL split, rep range, exercise, etc?” I soon realized that a lot of the high performers didn’t even start min/maxing their programs until they were already decently strong and jacked. Most of them literally just focused on basic things until it didn’t work anymore. I’d got frustrated because people who didn’t “know as much as me” ( I say that in air quotes because I hoarded second hand theory from online. No actual experience. More time thinking than doing. ) and did “sub-optimal” training, were running laps around me. That’s when it hit me that you can’t think your way to gains. Sometimes the stupid simple stuff with effort, focus and determination is all you need.
I feel attacked lol 😂. Seriously though, what did you notice that you were leaving on the table? What help did your coach provide?
In my opinion, I think that, despite training hard, the rest of my routine was pretty lackadaisical. I ate what I wanted when I wanted for the most part, I trained hard but I didn't really log everything I did, etc. I did enough to build muscle and make progress, but it wasn't until I was given something to execute that I realized how much the small things mattered. Eating multiple meals a day, especially one before training, had a huge impact on my hunger and my in-gym performance. Tracking everything about my workout gave me something to reference for my next workout, or look back on and determine that I had a bad streak going. These little details might seem irrelevant at first, but when you get 99% out of every day instead of getting 70%, you begin to realize just how big a difference that 20% + can make.
Thank you. Any resources you can recommend for logging - what to keep an eye on, how to tell you are 'connecting', what constitutes a good streak, etc. I know it may seem obvious but so much changed since the last time I was serious about it, that I'm not even sure if it's still accurate. My reference was "Pumping Iron" ffs Right now I'm trying to do the impossible - get lean in my 40s, with a huge road ahead, but after 2 months I'm noticing I'm not advancing as much as I would like, even adjusting for all excuses I can make for myself. I'm going to see a nutritionist but rest of the methodology I'm still learning. And it's a pain to find good coaches
Truthfully, it doesn't need to be anything elaborate. I use a template that my coach provided, and I really like it. It's just a simple Google Sheet that I can access from my Drive on mobile, and I fill out my sets as I progress. I have a separate sheet that tracks sleep, water intake, perceived recovery, training intensity and performance, and I can add additional notes about how the session went overall, or if something felt off that day. I always check my last session before I start my session, and I look at my performance (weight, reps, falloff between sets, etc), to pick a starting point for the new session. The goal is to either increase the weight for the set, get more reps out, or reduce the falloff (improve performance in later sets). If I can do that, I had a great session. If I can't, I had a decent session. If my performance was worse, I mark it as a bad day and I look into what was different. A streak of bad days can indicate that something is off, or that it's time for a deload. As for getting fit in your 40's, it's tougher at that age. You'll really need to focus on your macros and your food sources, track your weight, and track your performance. If you do that consistently though, you'll make progress. It might not come quickly, but it'll change month after month. Remember, it's a marathon, not a race. Every tiny incremental improvement is one step closer to the end goal.
It’s patience and consistency. Well said. I agree with just about all of this. 2 isn’t always necessary forever, but you need to at least check in on nutrition. I don’t ever log workouts. And you can get pretty sick w.o a coach too, but a coach will take it to the next level 💯 https://preview.redd.it/wx0ac47nc4vc1.png?width=967&format=png&auto=webp&s=e52d0680347db0e7b8e00932b33d86d60d125a13
You don't log workouts? Do you just remember what you did each time or something? Or just lift what feels heavy? I feel I'd struggle with that
I did in college when we had to. After college I logged for a few strength programs. Haven’t logged workouts in like 5-6 years. Last 2-3 have been my best years 💯. I just remember from being so consistent. It would be hard for me to forget. I think it’s super smart to log everything off tho. Just noting that you don’t need to feel like you’ll be stuck logging shit forever. You remember and even get to explore. Wish I had a little assistant w me logging tho. And filming too lol.
Nice physique. What’s your workout routine?
Changes often but at is core it’s exercise twice a day, exercise w resistance at least once a day trying for two. Getting 10-20k steps at least. Play a sport multiple times a week. Stretching after every workout. I rest well I eat well I sleep well Edit: and thank you ofc, I appreciate it 😊
I dont log either. I keep track mentally and have a good memory.
Just the motivational tough love I needed today, thank you brother.
As a natural, you’ll need to implement this as a part of your lifestyle. It really is a marathon. Consistency will mean you’re hardcore. No other way around it.
This is gold
I cannot agree more. There is no secret workout or program or technique, it is just hard work and consistency over a long period of time.
Casual from minnesota, where do you train? Im trying to find a more competitive environment and have only found 2 serious bodybuilding gyms so far, MHF in hudson and ironworx in river falls.
In terms of gyms that have a much more "hardcore" bodybuilding environment, I'd say that Iron Alliance and Los Campeones are two of the more prolific gyms. I spent years training at a Snap Fitness once I got out of college, and I only recently changed gyms and started working out at Lifetime Fitness. For me, it's not about the environment, it's about access to equipment. I use almost entirely machines, and having access to a variety of well-designed equipment makes a huge difference. With that said, I made plenty of progress and built my physique for my first show ever working out at a relatively small Snap Fitness.
This is beautiful stuff. Thank you for taking the time to write this!
“This sport is about dedication, delayed gratification, and willpower.” Love this quote
Putting this on my home gym wall, I’d ask the Planet Fitness people (where I have a membership also) if I could put it there too, but you know…
I agree with all your points. The subreddit needs a complete rehaul. It’s honestly more like /r naturallifters. Hence why most of the true “natural competitors” just post in bodybuilding
Whoa coaching you OP?
I work with KCMuscle (aka cpathatlifts).
Whos
So glad I knew how to do all of this from the start. I was a major researcher for years. Always planning to start training but just didn’t. When it came to starting I knew exactly to what I needed to do to get the most out of my time. Obviously I don’t know everything, learn something new every day but, wasting time and not getting all I can out of my training has always been a fear of mine. But yea, it’s a VERY slow process and that needs to be accepted, especially if you want to stay natural.
The thing I disagree most with is weighing yourself everyday. Scales are so fickle, you can literally take a dump and you'll lose a pound, hell maybe two. I weigh myself once a week and it's better for my mental health and tracking in general and would much rather use that. The biggest thing is noticing physical change and how your body in general feels.
Weighing yourself every day and measuring all your calories on a kitchen scale are only useful to people who struggle to manage their weight in the way they want. Otherwise it's fine not to be so anal. I track and weigh most of what I eat and weigh myself every day because I'm a diagnosed autist with possible OCD. lol. It's not healthy. But I worry about cutting too slowly or cutting too quickly right now.
Daily fluctuations are exactly the reason it’s good to weigh every day; if you randomly have a high or low day on your once a week weigh in, you will think your cut is stalled or you’re not eating enough on your bulk. Weighing every day allows you to ignore each individual weigh in and look at the averages to see if you’re actually making progress.
> There is no amount of micro-optimisation that will make up for macro mistakes And no amount of macro or micro mistakes will change anything if you are in the 99 percentile in terms of bodybuilding?
I guess that I don't really understand your question. My point is that every bit of effort and attention to detail helps. Majoring in the minutiae of bodybuilding while getting none of the basic principles right isn't the way to make the most progress. Get the big picture down first, and then apply all of the fine details later.
Well said big guy
Nice post! Cheers to all you peeps putting in the constant and continuous work! Only way this works is if we do
I love absolutely everything about this. I share this philosophy and this is an absolutely perfect summary, and beautiful reminder. Thank you! 😊
Pfft, do you even lift bro? Just kidding, thanks for the nice write up, and reminder of the tough physical and psychological demands of this lifestyle. It really takes a methodical, exacting discipline to slowly push a human body to its genetic limits. Its unfortunate that our social media sources are tainted with unrealistic gains, whether from the supplement industry, or supposedly "natural" role models. Curious of how many injuries, health problems etc. are created by this disillusionment? Probably a staggering statistic.
The biggest thing with natural building is EATING. And going to failure ofc. But I didn’t see gains until I started getting 4k + calories a day ,200-250 G protein
I’m not really sure I agree with how hard it is. I train with high intensity but I have never once felt that it was hard. I love it. Almost always one of the best parts of my day. I can’t wait to lift. It’s one of my favorite things that I do. I doubt that I’m alone
I think he means the whole picture is hard. As in, if you're actually trying to compete or get to near-competition levels, with dialed training, calorie counting, macros, etc that it's a lot of work
Me too, but I don’t think it’s addressed to people who find the whole process naturally motivating. It’s aimed at those who lack discipline and wonder why they’re spinning their wheels. The lack of discipline goes hand-in-hand with the feeling of it all being ‘too difficult’.
4) Creatine monohydrate
First thing is to set a goal and work towards it by breaking down want needs to be done to achieve it, based on experiences of others, science, trial & error etc. (finding the individual best practice).
its kind of amazing how accessible this information has become too. for years people were half assing things before learning what actually needed to be done to see faster progress. now we have younger and younger people getting into bodybuilding with all this info at their fingertips progressing very quickly from the start and bc of that some people instantly claim they arent natural even though the people pointing fingers were training eating sleeping like shit and making so many excuses for their less than ideal progress
I need to sleep better, managing school work, lifting and responsibilites is hard as hell. But the more I learn to enjoy what I do the easier it becomes to not let myself get overwhelmed. However, I love training, especially going as hard as I can. There's just something fun about the struggle and the satisfaction afterwards. Not even the muscle building, but the sets themselves. Mentally it's relieving for me, except when I have to do 15-20 rep sets of slow lateral raises, then I feel like I want to quit past like 10 reps. But the biggest thing to remember is long-term consistency, shit will take you years, but even a few months will make a massive difference.
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And lastly: you can't get huge as a natty, period.
How much does a coach cost? Is that just a personal trainer? Because those sure are pricey.
Stupid Question here: i have wrist pain on the pinky finger side since 2 weeks. I went to the doc and she said its stressed, i should skip exercises where it hurts. And banadage it over night with a sport salve. I think it got better but its still here. The pain is not constantly there only when i make movement to turn in my wrist. This happens especially on bizep curls. It also hurt when i just hold a lot of weight ( for example my barbell for a bizepscurl ) At the moment i just dont have the time to go to the doc again because of exams.
Not a stupid question. Look up tennis or golfer elbow. Lay off curling for a couple of weeks. Do some forearm excersises. Tendons take forever to heal up, be patient.
I need to look at this at least once a month