Yup that's synthol. Why anyone wants that I don't know. My point was more that people dive into steroids sooner than they need to. The changes people want to achieve are usually achievable through diet and exercise. However some people want more than what they can do naturally then that's when you would need to use a steroid. A large amount of 'Natural' shows have people using some sort of performance enhancer in them. Plus its a minefield when it comes to steroids and like Kam says 90% are using them wrong.
Anyone got any advice when plateauing? I've failed 3 times in a row now on 105kg squats, and had a few small stumbles on a bench/row/ohp recently. My own fault really as I reduced my cal intake for about 1.5wks, and all of a sudden it's hit my ability to keep progressive loading. I've now gone back down to 95kg to build up again and started eating 3.5-4k cals per day. But any other advice appreciated. Cheers
why? hes not strong, hes not big hes just very lean. Because hes shredded it gives the illusion that he looks bigger than he is. And for the 105kg squat guy.. keep at it, it takes a long ass time.. As you can see..
I hate all that "inspirational" bollocks. You're going to the gym, not treking solo out the Sahara after a plane crash.
We are going to need a little more information to help you out properly. Have you tried box squats? Or strengthening yourself up on other machines (press/extensions/curls). Or pause reps/slow reps on lighter weight. There are lots of ways ^ Amazing. Even funnier because I belive its coming from the man in your avatar.
Since when did steroids become so acceptable? Back when I was 17 I became obsessed with bulking up and getting 'hench' as it were. I went to the gym 5-6days a week for 4-5 hour sessions and had personal training sessions every other day to check my technique. I've always been a larger bloke anyway (read that as a fat bastard now) After a couple years my pt offered me steroids because I was unhappy with not gaining anymore. Stupidly I took them. Was diababol, clenbuterol and another I can't for the life of me remember, spent loads of money on it all, worked even harder, and what did it give me? Massive muscle spasms most night, worse temperament, massive acne on my chest and thighs that hasn't gone away, I bulked up, but the second I stopped taking it it all went and left me at my old size. Plus some bigger bitch tits. I always hear people suggesting that roids are some miracle drug that makes you massive. They really aren't. The only way to achieve a goal is through hard work and a dedicated lifestyle.
^^ Great post, shame that it worked out like that for you. Training for size or to get stronger? It's all about time and consistency, gains/increases takes AGES and are never linear. It'll fly though, I remember 100kg feeling like it was gonna kill me, can squat double that now. Also, things go up and down, my squat max for example can vary +/- 20kg week-by-week. Stick with it, try not to let it get you down
Cheers kam, Im just shocked how common it is to accept roids now. And how easily accessible they are. I massively massively regret doing them, and the second I stopped even with continuing to go to the gym I put a shit load of weight on and got bitch tits, not exactly what your friendly website/drug dealer/supplier tells you about. I'm actually dieting quite hard now to get into a healthy size/shape again) (I'm not massive was a 40" now 36 aiming for 32 waist) and would like to flatten out the moobs, which my doctor said due to the nature of it there's a 50/50chance surgery would be required. But I do think people just want a fast ticket now days, like insta pills to make them this and that, when in honesty regardless of what drugs you take it still requires dedication. Just when you stops the drugs leave you looking and feeling worse than before you started. As some useful help though, Ive been using the Atkins diet successfully for a while now, dropping about a stone a month on average, about 2 months in I swap to a normal calorie controlled diet for 2 months to prevent gaining weight and maintain it. Then start the cycle again. Seems to be holding off nicely
Just nature I guess, everyone wants more and faster! Is that because you didn't get your test going again because you took so much? I read that you have to take something to your natural production after using gear. I know loads of people that use/have used it, no one seems to have had the experience that you have.
I'm not exactly sure why, maybe because I was too young, maybe because I just didn't agree with it? I was careful with dosages and routines and dieting etc, used all the regular information available but still what's done is done.
Today I have started using CLA... Buy CLA | Myprotein.com I am not a huge fan of supplements and I've always tried to keep my diet good enough to avoid most of them. Apart from whey I don't really use anything else. Not to be high and mighty about being more natural or some bollocks but more to do with what I can realistically keep up for a long period of time both mentally and financially. However after hitting a bit of a plateau appearance wise and also after gaining a bit to much of a squidgy bit I am looking to still grow but lean out. I had read about CLA in the past and dismissed it but with some further reading recently I decided to give it a go. The reviews all seem positive but as with all of these things I have to see how my body reacts to it. I have just finished about 5/6 weeks of a higher intensity and pause reps program really trying to activate as much muscle as possible and try and get my technique spot on. 6 days on one day off no cardio. I am now on Monday/Wednesday/Friday heavy lifts (5-8 rep sets) and big compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench-press etc.) On the Tuesday and Thursday I aim to do half an hours cardio and on the Saturday an aptly named 'bro day' which will include shoulders and arms. Sunday rest. I will be taking two of the CLA tablets 3 times a day with meals and will be updating as I go for those who are interested. So far I have done one of my heavy days and a day of cardio. I have to say that pause reps and slow reps have made the heavy sets much more effective and much safer for my joints and muscles; I am so happy I did it before going into a heavy program. Taken my first two tablets with breakfast this morning. Don't feel sick so that's a start, they are however the size of a small cruise ship. I'm not immediately shredded and huge so I'm dubious but I will give it a bit longer.
That's interesting to hear, it'll be cool to see what the results are for you. I'm finally getting back into the gym - I've got about 3 months of stable life (again) to get myself back into shape before I head off to work in a ski resort for the winter. So presumably I'll have some pretty good quads by April, but unless there's a well equipped gym, that's it! For now though I'm climbing 2-3 times a week, and gyming 2-3 times a week, dependent on climbing. Climbing is more of a fun hobby, so is taking precedence right now. It feels good to be doing some proper compound moves though, although all my weights are low, I'm also working on full snatches, and overhead squats. Both of which are hard! Today my shoulders ache from yesterdays clean and jerks, and handstand pressups, although everything else seems to be DOMS free, my left hip (it was my left leg I broke Feb last year) is giving my gyp at work occasionally, as I'm on my feet all day, standing, squatting, crouching, moving. If anyone else does massive muscle damage - don't give up, it just takes time!
Climbing is amazing. The amount of strength you can achieve is pretty incredible. I'm jelous of the ski season after I went last year my legs and abs were the best they've been for a while. I'm sure there will be a gym there. Bit of a random one but how did you get good at handstand push-ups. I find them more awkward than difficult... If that makes sense.
Lots of practise. I started off with my feet on a bench, body angled overhead, gradually going for higher and higher benches so my body was more vertical. Then I went to a wall and did it, only about 2 at first, and worked up to about 6 consecutive. I have my hands mega close to the wall, but it's just practise, and a nice slippy wall (never seems to happen). I love climbing, it's done wonders for my grip strength and doing moves static, that I used to have to jump for. That's promising! I'm hoping to really lose my left leg muscle imbalance over the season (motorbike crash, lots of damage to the muscles). It currently really bugs me when I do squats - they have to be really light and my bum still swings right as my weight transfers. It'll get there though.
I still find it difficult not to tilt slightly to one side when doing squats. The pause reps really helped me with that though Stretching is my new best friend, I never really gave it the time of day before but its really helped my lower back and hamstrings which I have always had issues with. A little progress update: I feel fine, a little bit warm a lot of the time but I cant confirm whether that's because of the CLA or wearing a full suit in this weather in an office with a whole bunch of computers in it. I've been quite stressed with work this week so not sure its a fair assumption that the CLA has been responsible for this. I'm only mentioning this because when I have tried taking a pre workout supplement before (fully aware that CLA isn't pre-workout) the result has usually been lots of anxiety and anger mainly towards myself. I am still at about 89kgs but I wasn't really expecting any weight changes in the first week. I'm loving the heavy workout but it really wipes you out. My motivation for the gym is still fully there but once I've finished all I want to do is lay down and eat. Sleep is key and I can tell my stress is affecting that so I need to get that under control to make this a fair test, but as you know work & life balance with gym is always the tough part.
Update number 2. I think I was warm last week because it generally was hot and being in a suit doesn't give you a lot of breathing space. The anger thing I'm putting down to work being crap as I'm fine this week. My training is going well and I have enough energy for the rest of the day. I do look like I'm loosing fat and the scales say I'm staying the same weight which is great news. Still only a week and a half in so I wont be expecting results until next week. My elbows are hurting a little on the bench press when I'm going for my heaviest set so I'm now taking glucosamine in the mornings to try and get over that.
The reason why steroids are so popular now and carry a stigma is because every cunt wants to get "the look" and get "big" without busting their balls and doing it long term naturally.. I'm not for one minute saying everybody does or that I'm against AAS, but like anything there's a growing trend of ignorance, fakeness and stupidity diluting actual facts because of nob heads. The problem is, people often don't have much idea about the compounds they are using, have no PCT plan in place, blow up on water retention for 3 months so they can get a job on the doors then slowly decrease in stature and look like an aids victim again 5 months down the line (unless they continuously cycle) and wonder why they can't keep their "gains"... The answers simple; they have no base because they have no solid training background, program, diet or cycle plan. You should be training for at least 3-5 years in my opinion before you even need to consider steroids to take you on that next level(why would you need to before if you've been training and eating correctly?) and the daft lads who want to get big quick (who usually can't lift weight for shit) should at least know what micronutrients are and sustain their development and allow growth with the correct intake. It's like building a car... If you know what you're doing it will be built properly with the correct mods and you'll have the knowledge to build a powerful, realiable, good looking motor... It may take time and dedication but it will be done properly. What happens when a cowboy or someone who doesn't know what they're doing build an engine and car? It might look good depending on where they got it painted but it's not gonna be reliable, it's going to be a pile of shit... It's trying to make a corsa look as good and be as quick as a Ferrari... Short lived dream tbh. Diet and training is much more beneficial to anyone than steroids are and I'm not anti AA's or disregarding their potential, my point is most people don't have a clue and will be much much more better off by training naturally without any short or long term side effects. You could do some serious damage to your natural hormone production, liver, kidneys and heart... For what? Looking like a bloated twat for 6 months months of the year with no long term development or progression just so you can walk around and think you're hard? Lol It's pathetic to me man. Those who make the best gains off steroids know exactly what compounds they're using and have well planned cycles, have the best prepared diets and train their bollocks off... But they're not the ones yoyo'ing and have a well developed natural core and/or good genes to begin with because they've (most of the time) been training for years. You've got people on AAS/ who have 2" wrists and ankles suddenly develope their upper body(disproportionately) because they've beat out the bench and a few isolation excercises and wonder why they're constantly feeling fucked or have injurys (apart from form they're tendons and structure can't deal with the weight (big engine small car, shitly prepared chassis)... I'm not impressed, but each to their own, I just think young lads doing it need to be more aware of the side effects and possible severe implications they might cause them. Compound training is essential for the development of strength and your bodys natural progression onto a bigger platform... Instead people focus on isolation excercises and try and chuck on more than they can lift correctly before they have have anything to define, no back or legs to build on... IGNORE celebrity bullshit diets manufactured by "Drs" who want to get rich and endorsed by the usually famous uneducated twats who swear by their success. In order to be "healthy" ESPECIALLY when you're training you can't starve your body of nutrients or calories, it needs them to not only function correctly but also to maintain and develop. If you starve yourself on these low calorie diets (not balanced) you WILL lose weight, of course. You will mainly lose water retention for "quick" results... Then your body will go into survival mode and begin to use your bodys stored fat... More weight loss... Good? Well you've lost weight but where are your muscles you've been training hard to get? You're weak, your bones are shit and your muscles are almost none existent (barring your genetics in which case you wouldn't need to "diet" anyway) As soon as you begin to eat anything more than you have done already, you will gain weight... quick time... You're body doesn't need the increase in intake so it will store it for energy the next time you don't eat properly, as fat... Yoyo dieting. Everyone should be trying to consume at least 5 meals per day (small) with the correct amount of protein, carbs and fats. We need protein for repair and development (muscles) we need fats and carbs to function (energy) people go wrong/gain weight/no gains(muscle) because they're not eating a sufficient amount of micronutrients at the correct times. Eating MORE small "healthy" meals per day will automatically help you lose weight by making your metabolism/body work quicker and more efficiently, it will also help repair your muscles and build them more rapidly... The more muscle you gain, the more intake you need. If you set yourself up for failure the outcomes inevitable, doesn't matter how many compounds you want to inject into your arse, you'll eventually come unstuck and regret it, I guarantee that. That wasn't a rant or preaching, just skim read about "steroids" so felt the need to comment.
Agreed ^^ Just want to pick out one thing you've mentioned - education. This is the problem, people genuinely don't know enough and don't think about it. I don't know where along the lines our bodies became anything but a priority. This is your body, the only one you're going to have and going to keep for maybe 100 years, why wouldn't you want to give it the best? Everything that you have done, are doing or ever will do will involve your body in some way shape or form. The other problem is with food these days you have to actively seek out the healthy option and its usually not the one with 'healthy' written on it. There are so many food/ingredients/chemicals out there that our bodies just don't digest properly or simply don't need. But its hard and it takes commitment to be healthy which isn't the way it should be. But Boxertricks fair play to you, well written and from what I can see, all true. "No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter if physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." - Socrates
