Sorry bro, but none of those guys you mentioned are natural? Firstly 5% is comp body fat only and is unhealthy to maintain for a long period of time. Secondly, you're just physically not going to be that big and shredded and be natural at the same time. Based on the wrist measurement thing, my genetic potential naturally if I do EVERYTHING right is 91 kg @ 10% body fat. Still a fucking machine mind you, but not the same as those guys you mentioned. You're eventually going to face the reality that you can have a good body naturally, but you'll never look like Seid/Steve Cook/Lazar etc without steroids. Up to you which road you choose but might as well burst your bubble before you get disappointed with yourself that you're not seeing the results you expected.Here what I look like now. I am about 183cm tall and weigh around 78kg. This is me without really working out/on a diet. I am guessing my bodyfat to be around 20-25%. My longterm goal is get up to 91kg, may be even 102kg completely shredded say about 5% bodyfat. My ideal physique is something like Jeff Seid/Aziz Shavershian/Simeon Panda/Greg Plitt/Steve Cook/Alon Gabbay/Harrison Twins/Jaco/Ulysses etc. They all look pretty similar with a few a little bigger than others. I was looking into some input on my physique now like genetically/structurally where my strengths and weaknesses are. I know this might be a little premature but I really can't tell what my strengths and weaknesses compared to another guy. I am not thinking my legs are one of my weaknesses I don't know though. I have a lot questions like what do think my bodyfat is? What is my body type? What is a realistical goal for my physique for June 2016? I want to bulk up the next 6 months or so and then get shredded for the summer. I was also wondering how fast I can I build muscle with out steroids and how big I can get. How should I get started? What is a good starting routine? how often should I train? What should my macros be like? What is the cheapest possible way to bulk up while still staying health conscious? What supplements should I first take? How long will it take to reach my ideal physique? I eventually want to do fitness modeling/personal training full time.
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How big I can I get naturally? what is my genetic potential?Sorry bro, but none of those guys you mentioned are natural? Firstly 5% is comp body fat only and is unhealthy to maintain for a long period of time. Secondly, you're just physically not going to be that big and shredded and be natural at the same time. Based on the wrist measurement thing, my genetic potential naturally if I do EVERYTHING right is 91 kg @ 10% body fat. Still a fucking machine mind you, but not the same as those guys you mentioned. You're eventually going to face the reality that you can have a good body naturally, but you'll never look like Seid/Steve Cook/Lazar etc without steroids. Up to you which road you choose but might as well burst your bubble before you get disappointed with yourself that you're not seeing the results you expected.
I agree with all this. STEELDRAGON I don't want to tell you what your genetic potential is cause then you're placing ceilings on yourself. I did it for myself only after years of training because I was curious to get a ballpark figure. On the flip side Stathakis I didn't want the guy to get discouraged that he looked nothing like his idols even after years of hard work and good diet. I know it used to bum me out. Steroids in the fitness and bodybuilding industry are skewing the perception of what is naturally achievable in the gym, especially for new people who don't know any betteryou're approaching it the wrong way
who cares what your ceiling is, you're nowhere near it.
I know guys who came out for their first day of cross country overweight with chubby faces who ended up running sub-4:10 miles years later, and guys who ran sub-6 miles on their first attempt that never broke 4:30. it's impossible to tell what the limits of your capabilities are before a year, probably more than a year of training no matter what the activity. start training and worry about the rest later
How would I go about starting to bulk up and start my journey?I agree with all this. STEELDRAGON I don't want to tell you what your genetic potential is cause then you're placing ceilings on yourself. I did it for myself only after years of training because I was curious to get a ballpark figure. On the flip side Stathakis I didn't want the guy to get discouraged that he looked nothing like his idols even after years of hard work and good diet. I know it used to bum me out. Steroids in the fitness and bodybuilding industry are skewing the perception of what is naturally achievable in the gym, especially for new people who don't know any better
I'll simplify it for you. Eat more: way more. I was always afraid of getting fat, but whenever I cut I'd have no quality muscle to show for it. Its only recently that I've dedicated a good 10 months to bulking and I've gotten significantly bigger. I start my cut next week, so hopefully in 14 weeks time I'll be looking awesome. As of now, just eat a lot, eat well and focus on good technique and building every week. Its a long journey and a process, but the results will be worth it. My advice is to not worry too much about abs and just focus on getting quality muscle. When you're happy with your muscle mass, cut. After you've got that base, you can bulk more gradually while still staying relatively lean :).How would I go about starting to bulk up and start my journey?
Thanks for you advice bro :)I'll simplify it for you. Eat more: way more. I was always afraid of getting fat, but whenever I cut I'd have no quality muscle to show for it. Its only recently that I've dedicated a good 10 months to bulking and I've gotten significantly bigger. I start my cut next week, so hopefully in 14 weeks time I'll be looking awesome. As of now, just eat a lot, eat well and focus on good technique and building every week. Its a long journey and a process, but the results will be worth it. My advice is to not worry too much about abs and just focus on getting quality muscle. When you're happy with your muscle mass, cut. After you've got that base, you can bulk more gradually while still staying relatively lean :).
I hear some coaches say 6 meals helps fire up the metabolism but from what I've heard, the benefits are negligible. The larger benefit from 6 meals a day is that more frequency of meals = the less you're hungry, so for cutting especially its really handy. Overall calories are what's most important.Thanks for you advice bro :)
What should my diet be like? Is there much different between 3 and 6 meals a day? What would be a realistic goal for myself in 9 months? How many calories would be a good starting point?
I've heard about a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is a good number. I am thinking that most of my protein will come from fish(salmon/mackerel/tuna), egg whites, soybeans, and chicken. I think good carb sources would be oatmeal, quinoa, beans, lentils, blueberries, and vegetables. I will probably add some Quest Bars since they have a impressive profile. Most of my fats will come from Peanut Butter, Almonds, and Salmon. What are the most budget friendly options?
Are there any supplements that really help?
I hear some coaches say 6 meals helps fire up the metabolism but from what I've heard, the benefits are negligible. The larger benefit from 6 meals a day is that more frequency of meals = the less you're hungry, so for cutting especially its really handy. Overall calories are what's most important.
I'm not gonna tell you what's realistic in 9 months, because as Stath said, everyone's different. What is realistic is that in 9 months, the improvements you'll see will be very visible to yourself and everyone else around you, and thatll make you super amped up to reach your next set of goals.
Regarding calories, it honestly depends on how often you train, your height and your current weight. Google iifym calorie calculator for a good starting point. And yeah, that sounds like a good protein number to aim for. For cheapest sources of protein, in Australia you can get tuna for dirt cheap and it has an amazing macro break down. Our country is super strict on mercury regulation too, so there's no real danger of back lash for that. A mass gainer or whey protein can be a cost effective way to get extra calories if you buy it in bulk. Generally speaking, the less processed the food, the cheaper it'll be and easier it'll be to afford. If you're on a really tight budget, I get noodles for 99 cents as a quick source of carbs. Rice is better nutritionally, but it costs about 4 times as much so it can be a handy source of calories in a pinch. I'm talking about the Trident ones though, stay away from Mi Goreng and other sources of hydrogenated oils.
For me the most essential supplement is creatine. It draws water into the muscle and will help give you explosive energy, its scientifically proven as well. The other tier a supplements are bcaas to sip on during your workout to help fuel muscle rebuilding, and whey protein for obvious reasons. Pre trainer is handy sometimes but I wouldn't call it essential. Definitely stay away from anything promoting muscle growth or fat burning (unless the latter has Yohimbe in it, might be banned in your country though). Those products are usually snake oil and piggyback off the steroid pumped body's of the fitness models endorsing them, tricking people into thinking its the products that did that rather then all the illegal stuff they take. Hope I helped!
Infinitely. The trade off is that it isn't as convenient and if you're on a cutting diet it'll add calories to the shake.So today I used one of those mesh ball protein shaker bottles with my powder but it tasted like absolute shit. It was clumpy and I felt like throwing up or gagging because it was so bad. How can I make them taste better with a shaker bottle? I think what I used was chocolate flavored whey protein. I used water, would milk improve the taste?
make protein pancakes or something with it or use skim milk/low/no fat soy milk. I personally opt for the no fat soy milk cause my diet is mostly minimal saturated fat and sugar (or so I try). The calories aren't too bad if you use no fat soy milk, adding about 200 calories MAX with 80 of those calories coming from protein anyway, so it's not all that bad.So today I used one of those mesh ball protein shaker bottles with my powder but it tasted like absolute shit. It was clumpy and I felt like throwing up or gagging because it was so bad. How can I make them taste better with a shaker bottle? I think what I used was chocolate flavored whey protein. I used water, would milk improve the taste?
Well, from stuff I've learned in physiology and a quick Google Search.... I'd say you're fine. You can feel your pulse at various points in your body, and the abdomen is one of them (due to what's called the descending aorta, a very large artery that travels down the abdomen from the heart). Feeling this pulse in your abdomen during exercise isn't too worrisome as you're blood pressure and contractile force of the heart is increased during exercise, which could explain why you feel a pronounced pulse in your abdomen. It's probably better to ask a health professional if you're worried.Hi sometimes when I exercise I can internally feel my heartbeat in my stomach, I also sometimes get bad cramps in my lower stomach, can anyone tell me if I should be worried?