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Originally Posted by Iron_Gook

Looking great bro. What are your stats like?

IG

Thanks for the support. I guess by stats you mean body wt, measurements, etc..

Here's some info:

years training 16 (aprox)
starting body wt 155lbs
top body wt 230ish (I beleive, different scales tell different tales)

Typically range between 200-220lbs (depending on how much I eat)
Extremely fast metabolism (even during a 3 month layoff my body fat did'nt go above 9 percent)
Offseason typical body fat estimation around 6-7%
Inseason I just adjust my water levels via training and slight reduction in carbs

ht 5.11.3/4

chest measurement pumped 50ish (ranges from 49-50 inches dependent on how many carbs I eat)
Waist (was 29, now 30 due to increased muscle in the lower back and oblique area)
biceps cold currently 19.75" pumped 20+ (dependent on carb intake)
thighs 27" cold pumped (unsure)
calves 17" cold


I lift extremely heavy, utilizing various rep ranges, and speeds. I use mid range, full range, and partial ranges.

Offseason I train 3 times a week (advice that most people would do well to follow, you grow when you rest)

My muscle groups are divided into 4 areas these are
1.chest/arms
2.back/shoulders
3.quads
4.hams/calves

I train each area directly once every 9 days or so, I can do this because i select exercises which stimulate growth all over the body. For example when I do incline presses my triceps and shoulders are recieving a lot of work, indirectly. I train very heavy so it takes me a long time to recover.

I typically train a day rest two days then train a day rest two more. The only workouts that are back to back is my quad and ham/calves wotkout.

Training like this allows me to train heavier every time I train, I don't plateau much, and even if I do it does'nt last more than 2 weeks.

Reps range between 3-80.

Sets, I don't do many, typically I average work sets (hard sets to failure) per large muscle group chest, back, quads, hams. Smaller areas recieve 1-3 sets. calves recieve more sets aprox 5.

I do no direct abdominal work, I don't have to with the exercises i pick and the weight I lift. I have'nt done abdominals directly for continous workouts for over 10 years now.

I don't perform cardiovascular exercise in the traditional sense, yet my cardiovascular system is very healthy.

I eat fairly balanced aiming for 5-7 small feedings a day.
Caloric intake, around 5000 offseason, inseason probably 4500 or so.
nutrient profile 30% protein, 55% carbs, 15% fat (estimation). People with faster metabolic rates should eat higher levels of carbs, so that's why I do.

Inseason I add what I call pump workouts inbetween my heavy days. These consist of high rep (20-30) supersetting exercises. so Instead of training 3 times a week It goes up to around 5 (this is only done before a show).

I put great emphasis on what I call the power triad (muscles of the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back) when these areas are worked intensely your body ramps up it's output of IGF, GH, and testosterone; of course care must be taken not to overtrain them as this can lead to high levels of cortisol, and we would'nt what that.

I base my training on the following exercises:

squat
deadlift
chest press
upright row motion
dips
pulldowns or pullups
bent row
overhead press
and pullover

All trainees should make use of these exercises as they increase natural anabolic drive.

If you do these exercises, eat a balanced diet, and add sufficent rest your body is forced to grow and get stronger, it has no other choice.

I supplement my diet with Creatine and glutamine, I notice an increase in recovery and power output with these. I don't beleive that heavy supplementation helps, the most important factor is the workout followed by adequate rest and nutrition.

Workouts are a stress and are traumatic on the body. The body has a limited level of adaptability, as a result your workouts are always a negative. To stimulate growth workouts must be intense (in other words harder not longer there is a difference), but by being intense they can lead to a drop in recovery capacity.

The way to avoid this, is to keep your workouts brief and intense. Intense to stimulate growth, and brief to prevent excess recovery ability from being used up. After the workout you must rest, the muscle, nervous system, heart, kidneys, etc.. are stressed and need a degree of rest or reduced stress to allow for recovery and overcompensation.

Mike Mentzer and Art Jones discuss this in their books, Even though I personally think Mikes later ideas on training are not as effective as his earlier teachings.


When I consult with my clients I always start them off with a base of 3 workouts a week, after a month I adjust this dependent upon what their needs are. Some people need to include more exercise (in particular cardio) because they wish to get smaller. If your goal is rapid fat free muscle mass then training 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days is where it's at for most drug free trainee.

By the way my website will be up soon, it will have lots of information on training, nutrition, mindset, etc.. I will also have a newsletter that I will mail out to members (membership is free), if you wish to be on this mailing list send an email to:
hosannahfitness@yahoo.com

TweetDamn bro. Nice post and great stats.

IG

Tweetgreat post bro. thanks for sharing

Tweetsome people have good genes, you look good but you definately sound like u are anal retentive, congrats on bein so dedicated

Tweethopefully this will make people want to go natural for as long as possible

Tweetdidnt mean to sound like a jerk, but it sounded like you were frowning down on people who choose alternative methods to the "natural" way, keep up the good work

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Originally Posted by DeezGunz

some people have good genes, you look good but you definately sound like u are anal retentive, congrats on bein so dedicated

Yeah I have been called that before, that part of my personality I need to work on.

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Originally Posted by DeezGunz

didnt mean to sound like a jerk, but it sounded like you were frowning down on people who choose alternative methods to the "natural" way, keep up the good work

Not really, choice should be left to the individual. I personally beilieve that the natural way is the best for longevity and health, I know that drugs give a definite edge that is hard or impossible (depending upon genetics and dedication) to acheive without them. Drugs pose a risk to bodybuilders because we as bodybuilders are generally extremist in thought, most people would be happy with a muscular 16 inch arm but we think that this is small. That kind of mindset makes us more susceptible to using high levels of steriods, because we always want to improve.

My personal belief is that steriods are safe when compared to many other drugs in terms of dosage, the danger comes in when these drugs are used for extended periods of time at high doasages.

Famous individuals who have been effected are:
Flex wheeler, Don Long, Mike Francois, Momo Beneziza, Andreas Muntzer, Mike Mattarazo, among others. These men may have had underlying conditions that would have occured regardless of use, but I can't help believing that heavy drug use did'nt push the issue.

If a person wants to acheive the look of an upper level IFBB pro then they will have to go the steriod route, the question is is it worth it?

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Originally Posted by Skarhead

hopefully this will make people want to go natural for as long as possible

It's really up to the individual. I'm just posting my methods and what I have acheived. As I go towards my mid thirty's my goals have changed, I want to have great fitness and health more so than massive muscles.

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Originally Posted by myseone

It's really up to the individual. I'm just posting my methods and what I have acheived. As I go towards my mid thirty's my goals have changed, I want to have great fitness and health more so than massive muscles.

all health issues aside, many trainees use gear b/c they cant grow

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Originally Posted by Skarhead

all health issues aside, many trainees use gear b/c they cant grow

I respect your opinion, I personally believe that the vast majority of trainees can grow larger muscles. Not all trainees will be able to build an elite bodybuilder level body with or without drugs, any more so than they can have the heart capacity of Lance Armstrong, or the height of Shak Oneal.

That being said most individuals can build decent size for their frame along with decent cuts and strength. The average 6ft man should be able to build up to 190-200lbs drug free mass, with body fat in the 8-10 percent range. This is good if his physique is asthetic (meaning a small waist, wide shoulders, etc.).

Consider that Serge Nubret in the 1970's competed at a weight of 200lbs at a height of 6 foot. Or Frank Zane competed at 170-180lbs at a height of 5.8ish.

Of course there are individuals that have very poor genetics for growth, and others who grow from picking their nose but these individuals are the exception rather than the norm.

Most trainees who bodybuild want to look like IFBB pro's, for most individuals getting there will not happen. That look takes lots of drugs, outstanding genetics, lots of food, lots of sleep, constant discipline, and a willingness to give up a lot of other lifes pleasures.

Steriod use is a personal one, I just think that people begin using them before they would need them because of lack of patience.

Structures build rapidly are usually not sturdy over time.

TweetOne IFBB bodybuilder who was tested regularly and passed drug tests was Mike Ashley who competed in the 80's-90's. He was tested by Balco labs (yeah that Balco) on numerous occations as well as via other institutions. This man competed against the likes of Shawn Ray, and bested him a few times to my recollection.

A rarity yeah, but goes to show what can be acheived without drugs if other aspects are on point.

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Originally Posted by myseone

One IFBB bodybuilder who was tested regularly and passed drug tests was Mike Ashley who competed in the 80's-90's. He was tested by Balco labs (yeah that Balco) on numerous occations as well as via other institutions. This man competed against the likes of Shawn Ray, and bested him a few times to my recollection.

A rarity yeah, but goes to show what can be acheived without drugs if other aspects are on point.

Back in that time, steroid testing was hardly accurate. They could only detect just a very few compounds. Even to this day, testing will not detect growth hormone use. Passing steroid tests in no way indicates that a person is "natural."