The Bodybuilders Thread!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Ecco said:
I am a vegan. I try and cater for the lack of protein in the diet by supplementation. I.e. i take a mass gainer (protein and carb combination) during the day, and whey protein after my workout.
Click to expand...

Well I'm sure you know you've laid out quite a challenge for yourself. I'd agree to stay clear of soya if possible. Have you tried pea or hemp protein? Supposed to be quite good. Although you said you're taking whey. Loose vegan? :p

Any case, if it's your lifts that have stalled some changes in your training may help, if diet was in order and doing the job before. Are you periodizing/cycling your progress? If not that would be a first consideration. Are there specific lifts that have stalled or is it in general?
How is your rest/sleep situation? You might also be overtrained, need more info on your training routine of recent months. Sometimes a week off is all you need.
 
Agreed on taking a week off.

I follow a simple method - 3 months of constant training, take one week of. Works very well.
 
Why do people bodybuilding in the first place? Is it not a massive effort to maintain a physique that isn't natural? Why not go for fitness and stamina instead? Before I get flamed, just know that I am merely trying to understand
 
TheTwo said:
Why do people bodybuilding in the first place? Is it not a massive effort to maintain a physique that isn't natural? Why not go for fitness and stamina instead? Before I get flamed, just know that I am merely trying to understand
Click to expand...

What do you mean by not natural ? I just workout to try and get lean (+ increase strength).
 
Ok then you're not the type of person I'm taking about.. More the guys with the massive arms and thighs who have a strict routine, diet and workouts to maintain that
 
TheTwo said:
Why do people bodybuilding in the first place? Is it not a massive effort to maintain a physique that isn't natural? Why not go for fitness and stamina instead? Before I get flamed, just know that I am merely trying to understand
Click to expand...

No offence taken.

Your first mistake is the assumption that the word bodybuilding is synonymous with the mass monsters you see on stage at Mr Olympia etc where they are < 6% bodyfat and cut to shreds.

It's not. Bodybuilding is any activity that encompasses a person striving to better his physique and fitness to reach a personal goal. Bodybuilding = To build your body. It is also not synonymous with people that OMGWTFHaxx0rz that oak must be on 10 different compounds and peptides and AAS and and and. That is simply not true.

Bodybuilding is for anyone and everyone.

And yes - the physique and image on stage is not natural and cannot be maintained. You see what fitness models look like in off season? Seen what bodybuilders look like in off season? Exactly.
 
Aah makes sense.. I would do it to feel stronger and more so for the mental lift it gives me
 
TheTwo said:
Aah makes sense.. I would do it to feel stronger and more so for the mental lift it gives me
Click to expand...

Absolutely! It's a great feeling.

A lot of guys follow those strict routines - even if they aren't competitive - to improve themselves. If you play, for example, golf and week in and week out you always play a 70 on a 18 hole course you are going to want to improve on that. You will look to better your swing, your short game, your drive etc. Same with general guys in the gym. Putting in that amount of effort and you want results - to lift more, to gain size, get get lean by being on a strict diet.

There is nothing wrong with someone just going in 3 times a week for a great workout with no other intention but to get a good workout :) At the end of the day it's down each person's personal goal and what they want to get out of it.

Even in this thread all the readers each have their own goals. Some here are on gear, some aren't, Some want to get cut, some want to build and gain weight.

Bodybuilding is a very broad term and it takes all kinds :) Just leave your schit attitude at the door to the gym when you come in please :D
 
Well stated.. Almost motivational ;-) I'm thinking 3 times a week.. Just some of these supplements bloat me badly..
 
Chicken Boo said:
Well I'm sure you know you've laid out quite a challenge for yourself. I'd agree to stay clear of soya if possible. Have you tried pea or hemp protein? Supposed to be quite good. Although you said you're taking whey. Loose vegan? :p

Any case, if it's your lifts that have stalled some changes in your training may help, if diet was in order and doing the job before. Are you periodizing/cycling your progress? If not that would be a first consideration. Are there specific lifts that have stalled or is it in general?
How is your rest/sleep situation? You might also be overtrained, need more info on your training routine of recent months. Sometimes a week off is all you need.
Click to expand...

I took two weeks off in December (usual holiday time) and then came back full swing from the begining of Jan. Have not been able to increase much since August (1 week break in October). Been pretty much at the same on all lifts, be it chest, leg, bicep etc. I sleep approx 7-8 hours a day - except some weekends.
 
@Ecco and the other vegetarians

I don't know how vegetarians can get enough protein in to come near to fulfilling their genetic potential for muscle mass. Personally I would probably give up, so props for trying to stick with vegetarian food I guess. You just can't get enough of the right amino acids in without spending either spending a small fortune or eating a ridiculously horrible diet.

I don't have the genes to be massive at 8% bf, but I am very strong for my size, and that mostly is due to my protein intake and obviously balancing caloric intake. If I lower my protein intake and switch the calories for carbs or fats I get weaker very quickly. My sweet spot is 2.5-3g protein per Kg of bodyweight which I have figured out over quite a few years of monitoring my diet. How does a vegetarian get that right? I suppose you could follow what Frank Medrano since what he does seems to be working, plus he is a vegan.
 
Sensorei said:
@Ecco and the other vegetarians

I don't know how vegetarians can get enough protein in to come near to fulfilling their genetic potential for muscle mass. Personally I would probably give up, so props for trying to stick with vegetarian food I guess. You just can't get enough of the right amino acids in without spending either spending a small fortune or eating a ridiculously horrible diet.

I don't have the genes to be massive at 8% bf, but I am very strong for my size, and that mostly is due to my protein intake and obviously balancing caloric intake. If I lower my protein intake and switch the calories for carbs or fats I get weaker very quickly. My sweet spot is 2.5-3g protein per Kg of bodyweight which I have figured out over quite a few years of monitoring my diet. How does a vegetarian get that right? I suppose you could follow what Frank Medrano since what he does seems to be working, plus he is a vegan.
Click to expand...

I havent done to bad so far. I am not a big guy, but over the years i have been putting on more muscle. Maybe it takes me longer then the rest of you guys :)

At the moment, I am just stuck with not being able to increase my lifts, been at the same for quite a few months. What i was asking was if there were any supplements to help (apart from the stuff i have taken which is whey, mass gainer, creatine). My diet i know is a problem.
 
Last edited:
Orihalcon said:
What does your training split look like and volume breakdown?
Click to expand...

If you mean my routine: I train each muscle group on a different day. So one day is legs, one day is chest, one day shoulders. I have been mixing up the order in which i do them. I typically do approx 6 exercises on each day (i mix the order up too), 4 sets of 10 reps each, increasing the weight on each set.

E.g. on Chest day, i will do chest press, starting at 26kg in each hand by 10 reps. Next is 28Kgs, then 30Kgs, then 32Kgs. (I have not been able to clear 32Kgs). This is followed by 5 other chest exercises in a similar fashion.
 
Ecco said:
If you mean my routine: I train each muscle group on a different day. So one day is legs, one day is chest, one day shoulders. I have been mixing up the order in which i do them. I typically do approx 6 exercises on each day (i mix the order up too), 4 sets of 10 reps each, increasing the weight on each set.

E.g. on Chest day, i will do chest press, starting at 26kg in each hand by 10 reps. Next is 28Kgs, then 30Kgs, then 32Kgs. (I have not been able to clear 32Kgs). This is followed by 5 other chest exercises in a similar fashion.
Click to expand...

Perhaps break that pattern and try doing 5 sets of 5 and go really heavy? To push the muscles to the max.
 
Ecco do you eat lots of eggs? Egg whites have more leucine in them than almost anything and it is the most important amino for growth. 6+ whites a day will do more for you than any new supplement.
 
Orihalcon said:
Perhaps break that pattern and try doing 5 sets of 5 and go really heavy? To push the muscles to the max.
Click to expand...

Agreed, lower reps. if you want to get stronger then focus more on strength training. What I found works well for best of both worlds is keeping compound movements in the strength training range of around 3-6 reps, and isolation exercises I keep at 8-12 reps to focus on hypertrophy. But I still switch it up now and then.
 
Sensorei said:
Ecco do you eat lots of eggs? Egg whites have more leucine in them than almost anything and it is the most important amino for growth. 6+ whites a day will do more for you than any new supplement.
Click to expand...

thats what I'm banking on as well, 4 boiled eggs in the morning and 2 before bed along with the rest lean meats and veg.
.
 
Last edited:
Quick question. When I'm trying to do my arms like bicep and tricep exercises with dumbells, I try to aim for 6 - 8 reps of heavy weights but afterwards even though my arms are completely tired and can no longer move the weights, I don't really get that feeling that I've worked them hard enough like with other exercises. Could I be doing them wrong or is it normal for arms to not feel that 'worked' like other muscle groups?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X