The question to me is even if we accept 1/2 lb of muscle / week as the maximum, how easy / hard is that to attain? I.e., will doing 5x5 and eating cheeseburgers still get you there?
In other words, does the elaborate program in the article, of lifting 2x / day, pounding expensive supplements nonstop, etc., make a substantial difference? And is the difference big enough to make it worth it, given the increased time/effort/money?[/quote]
I don’t know about some of those questions, however money is probably no factor for most these actors lol.
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
That was just a gaining phase gone wrong [/quote]
I’d be inclined to say it went right if he reached his goal of physically resembling Chris Kyle.
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
That was just a gaining phase gone wrong [/quote]
I’d be inclined to say it went right if he reached his goal of physically resembling Chris Kyle.[/quote]
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
He just got fat, the internet has spoken![/quote]
Ikr? Here I am banging on my keyboard about how right I am, meanwhile Bradley Cooper is cashing million-dollar checks. Fat checks for a fat guy who looks like Chris Kyle but won’t look the same next film. What am I missing?
[quote]craze9 wrote:
Even in the final weeks when volume has peaked, and you’re doing 10 sets of rack pulls, I don’t think the first workout would take more than 2 hours, and the second more than 1.5. So not sure where the 4.5 number comes from, unless the T-Nation routine is an incomplete picture.
[/quote]
It’s not just lifting time. It includes any other physical prep, usually a combination of stunt training, weapons handling and fight choreography.
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
He just got fat, the internet has spoken![/quote]
Ikr? Here I am banging on my keyboard about how right I am, meanwhile Bradley Cooper is cashing million-dollar checks. Fat checks for a fat guy who looks like Chris Kyle but won’t look the same next film. What am I missing?[/quote]
Lol, I don’t know man, when you figure it out let me know. I’d love to get me some fat guy checks.
Just saw Cooper is actually 40 - I thought he was about 32.
Super subjective, but for me looks like about 20 lbs muscle gain (the rest fat) -for a guy his age thats maybe 5 years gains pulled off in 12 weeks. Not bad, suprised no one’s screaming roidzz even.
I saw the movie last night, and I have to say, he does look a bit fat. Fatter than the real Chris Kyle, I think. He definitely put on some muscle, mostly in the back / shoulders (NOT arms), and achieved his overall goal of bulking up (and also got a lot stronger, which was a goal as well, apparently), but for a “movie star transformation,” I don’t find it THAT impressive. Considering Daniel Craig as Bond, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, the new Superman, Thor, etc. (though some of these guys may have been using more potent “supplements”).
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
…[/quote]
Maybe it’s different for different people, but a Trap Bar DL is for me a pretty easy lift, much easier than a DL or Squat. I’d assume most would be pulling AT LEAST an extra plate per side, maybe significantly more than their standard DL. So I mean, I’d hope most of T-Nations members could do that lol
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
…[/quote]
Maybe it’s different for different people, but a Trap Bar DL is for me a pretty easy lift, much easier than a DL or Squat. I’d assume most would be pulling AT LEAST an extra plate per side, maybe significantly more than their standard DL. So I mean, I’d hope most of T-Nations members could do that lol
[/quote]
I agree, trap bar deads are easier, but not that much easier for me as you describe (maybe 25lbs). Also, to be fair, he was also doing rack pulls if I’m not mistaken.
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
…[/quote]
^ yes^
After months with a personal trainer and a buttload of expensive supplements that most on here couldn’t begin to afford in those amounts, he looks fat
Lots of fat strong guys out there - if that lift even qualifies
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
…[/quote]
^ yes^
After months with a personal trainer and a buttload of expensive supplements that most on here couldn’t begin to afford in those amounts, he looks fat
Lots of fat strong guys out there - if that lift even qualifies
[/quote]
What’s misguided about this conversation is that it takes “fat” to mean “not lean.” The guy went in with average fat levels and emerged with more muscle and, again, average fat levels.
He’s not ripped and jacked. But that doesn’t mean he’s a fatass either. IMO, a lot of this comes down to the fact that most people on these boards (including myself) tend to think of our bodies in terms of “needs to lose X” or “needs to gain X” instead of “average.”
There’s a spectrum, fellas. It’s not always “fat” or “jacked.”
[quote]Velvet Elvis wrote:
I understand he wasn’t trying to look like a bodybuilder, and it’s cool that he chose Biotest supps to make his “transition,” but I don’t see where he accomplished anything he couldn’t have done lifting on his own and eating " regular food" over maintenance
A personal trainer advising and traveling with him? Arguably $1000 / month in Biotest supps (??) ?
Sorry, IMO not a good example of what Boitest can “do” … Especially given all the other factors he enjoyed that the average gym rat doesn’t have. I don’t see where the weight gain should be celebrated at all, other than the fact that it made him look more like Kyle in overall appearance. And again, he could have done that eating double cheeseburgers and doing a few months of 5x5 …
#notimpressed
…nothing against the movie itself or his acting … Or Biotest…I’m just scratching my head at why he would be the poster child here - outside of the cool factor of an actor using this stuff to intentionally gain weight for a high profile role (in what has turned out to be a very popular movie)
Anyone else think he just looks fatter? Maybe I’m looking at the wrong pics …
[/quote]
+1
Hey, I’m just as devoted to Biotest supps as the next guy but let’s get real people. I’m seeing a few naïve comments blindly defending what is clearly (at least to me) a great marketing opportunity. I don’t hold it against T-Nation/Biotest. More power to them actually as far as I’m concerned. But I can’t help but chuckle at some of the lack of objectivity I’m seeing here.
The guy’s physique under the armor and gear was enough for me. The dude looked bad-ass, and watching him do seemingly effortless reps with 495lb (I think it was at least 5 plates) on the trap-bar deadlift would be enough to convince the general public that he’s strong.
Seriously… how many people here can do that trap-bar deadlift Cooper did anyways? And some of you are saying he looks fat?
…[/quote]
^ yes^
After months with a personal trainer and a buttload of expensive supplements that most on here couldn’t begin to afford in those amounts, he looks fat
Lots of fat strong guys out there - if that lift even qualifies
[/quote]
What’s misguided about this conversation is that it takes “fat” to mean “not lean.” The guy went in with average fat levels and emerged with more muscle and, again, average fat levels.
He’s not ripped and jacked. But that doesn’t mean he’s a fatass either. IMO, a lot of this comes down to the fact that most people on these boards (including myself) tend to think of our bodies in terms of “needs to lose X” or “needs to gain X” instead of “average.”
There’s a spectrum, fellas. It’s not always “fat” or “jacked.”[/quote]
Lol he was fat. When your arms have no definition at all you are now storing fat in the last place a male stores it. That’s fat. Not average not ok not jacked
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
That was just a gaining phase gone wrong [/quote]
I’d be inclined to say it went right if he reached his goal of physically resembling Chris Kyle.[/quote]
He just got fat, the internet has spoken![/quote]
Lol he is fat in this please try and argue how someone with massive love handles and no Tricep or bicep visible is not fat. Worked for the part but the misguided article saying he is jacked is just bs. I am a huge Bradley fan too. Like his movies.not a fan of what this article tries to imply
I think the perspective of anybody in this sport/hobby/lifestyle shouldn’t be to achieve an objective level of “fat” or “muscular” *. It seems like the point is setting personal goals, and working to achieve them.
In this case, his goal was not to look not-fat, or muscular, or to meet the standards of the people on the T-Nation forums. His goal was to look like Chris Kyle. This was A) for the audience, and B) so that he could understand the physical life of the character, and what it means to be that size. I got that second assumption from a second article.
As far as I’m concerned, he accomplished his goals. And those goals – not our own opinions/goals – are how we should judge his or anybody else’s success. End of story.
I could see the argument that competitive bodybuilders are pursuing an “objective” standard of aesthetic appearance. But, by my judgement, bodybuilders don’t compete by a standard that is objective to all people. They compete by the specific standards of bodybuilding competition, what I believe they call “aesthetics”.
[quote]OGrady wrote:
His goal was to look like Chris Kyle…[and] so that he could understand the physical life of the character
[/quote]
This is what it boils down to.
It was never about weights or muscle; it was always about Chris.
I’d say he did everything right for this Hollywood portrayal of a real-life sniper.