T Nation

Embarrassing Body, Planning First Cycle - Advice?

#1

Hi guys, so long story short I am pretty embarrassed by my narrow shoulders and comparatively wide hips, and I want to change those proportions if possible. I’ve actually been lifting for quite a few years (unfortunately illness and injury has set me back at times) but even at my heaviest (81kg @ 5’10) my proportions still sucked because its my bone frame holding me back which is not easily or at all changed. Obviously I’ve been trying to build width by focusing my lats, back, shoulders, but it doesnt seem to help hide my proportions much (althought I still have a lot to gain).

To help me build width and hopefully fix my shoulder to hip ratio i’m planning to run my first ever cycle. At the moment i’m on the 5x5 strength routine just so I can get my strength up before I go on cycle. I was just wondering what you guys would recommend as a first cycle for me to help me build width? (if possible id love to widen my actual bone frame with an AAS or GH but I know that’s unrealistic given my age (23)).

At the moment I am on roaccutane medication for acne on my back (that acne is basically non existant now and usually I have no skin issues it just popped up randomly 6 months ago). I had planned to go on cycle after my finish the course of medication (which I still might because I know that would be smarter) but unfortunately the course has been extended another 3 months and I’m keen to change my body asap. As i’m on medication I was thinking of going on something like Anavar that might have less effect on my skin? But i’m not sure an anavar only cycle would be effective. What would you guys recommend? (even if you say wait some cycle recommendations would be great)

Lastly has anyone had similar proportions to me and successfully fixed them? Sorry for the long read, thanks for your time.

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#2

A few things

  • Your proportions aren’t that bad. It’s all in your head. Seriously. Stop freaking out about your hip:shoulder ratio.

  • You’re just skinny and untrained. You can fix that by eating properly and working out hard. Seriously, just build some muscle.

  • Blacking out your crotch on an underwear pic is about the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.

#3

You have trained for ‘quite a few years’ and you are thinking of going on a cycle because of poor results? Just nope. Like Yogi_ said, eat and train hard since you clearly haven’t tried that before.

Also your proportions look just fine, don’t worry about it. I’m built like a Tyrannosaurus Legs and still I’m not worried.

#4

Hey guys, thanks for the reply. I never said it was because of poor results. I can build muscle just fine, and I’ve made a lot more gains in the past. What i’m saying is that regardless of the muscle i’ve built my proportions still suck because I can’t change my bone structure. As for eating properly and working out hard I already do that, the sleep not so much tho (sleep apnea).

I blanked out my crotch because I figured you’d all prefer not to see my bulge.

#5

if you can build muscle just fine then why haven’t you? Add 20lbs of muscle to your frame and I guarantee you’ll be happy with your proportions

#6

You look exactly like what I would expect someone doing 5x5 to look like(proportions). Since you call it a “strength routine”, that means you didn’t add much weight to the bar when doing a more balanced program, thinking you were doing a “bodybuilding program”. That’s what you get from reading the internet. Congrats.

#7

dt79 I have no idea how you think you know all that from me saying that the 5x5 (stronglifts) routine is a strength routine. Stop making assumptions, I’m trying to be polite here and i’m just asking for advice to better myself. If you don’t want to help then pipe down.

#8

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Here, this is an old photo but it better shows how wide my hips are (the other photos were on an angle that made it not look as bad).

#9

Your results speak for themselves. Your skeletal proportions aren’t as bad as you made them out to be and you’ve actually gained weight in the past.

But you’re right. I should have learnt my lesson from your previous thread. I’m out.

#10

So you are shocked that your shoulders look narrow when you have the muscularity of a 13 year old boy? Your attitude sucks as bad as your training and eating.

#11

this is what I was trying to say…

#12

I have no idea why you guys are saying I have a bad attitude I’m doing my best to be polite, perhaps you are misinterpreting my tone (it is the internet after all). My shoulders being narrow isn’t the concern, that I can deal with. What concerns me is the width of my hips, it makes my body look very feminine…

#13

You have a bad attitude because you are not even willing to eat and train properly before planning your first cycle. If you look like that without anything, your work ethic doesn’t magically improve by using steroids.

#14

I’ve been eating and training since i was 16, i’m 23 now. Who said I wasn’t willing to try that first? I’ve been doing it for years and I’m still doing it. Besides I said I’m ‘planning’ the cycle didn’t I? I’m not going to start straight away and like I said I still plan to build more muscle and gain more strength before going on cycle, but I figure the earlier I start planning the better.

#15

It is time to take serious ownership of your life. I won’t lie, odds are against you. People don’t like what they don’t want to hear.

Accept the fact you do not know how to eat or lift to get bigger. If you did, you would be bigger. And to “fix” proportion issues you need some muscle mass.

It is so simple, but hard to accept. And your attitude problem is this. You are ignoring a bunch of guys who know what to do and are taking time out of their day to help you and you you are living in candyland about what your issue is.

#16

I’m not trying to ignore anything.

I track macronutrients and count calories, I always make sure I’m eating 500 cals above maintenance, I make sure I get enough protein from good sources. I make sure I get 8 hours sleep. Progressively overload weight with my training.

That being said I know I can still improve and if anyone has genuine educated constructive criticism for me I’ll take that on board.

I understand It may be a little difficult to you to understand my situation and to realise that I am putting in genuine hard work and have been for a long time. Ignorance is bliss, and you may be lucky enough that you don’t have to experience what’s it’s like to be held back by your own genetics. I’m not talking about gaining muscle, everyone can gain muscle (with a few medical exceptions for some). Everyone can improve their physiques, and yes I am working on that and will continue to do so. What am I saying is that unfortunately due to genetics (e.g. bone structure) some people, myself for example (although mine isn’t as bad as some people have it), will never be able to look as good as others, and will still look laughable, because of their bone structure or a genetic factor they cannot change. If you change see that I have huge hips relative to my shoulders than you have a very poor understanding of the human body.

I’m doing everything I can to improve myself, and yes their are areas I can improve probably and I will continue to work on them. For me building muscle is taking time but i’ll get there, I started at 53kg and i’m 71kg, muscle doesn’t come easy to me but i’ll get there. What I was asking for help with is whether anyone has experience with working from a similar build as mine to give me some more motivation as well as to whether anyone would recommend AAS to help me gain width.

And don’t say you took time out of your day like you’re doing me a favor, you were on here browsing away doing fuck all with your life anyway, you just wanted to come in here and winge to feel a little better about yourself. I tried to play nice but narrowminds bore me, best of luck to you.

#17

I hope the irony of this statement isn’t lost on you

#18

and your hips make you look like a Kardashian. Not the good one.

#19

Dude, you have been training for 7 years and that’s what you have to show for it? Unless you have some serious muscle-wasting disease or something, you sir have been slacking off in the gym.

It’s not enough to “just feel the muscles working”, you need to make genuine progress. If you bench 70,0kg for 5x5 year in an year out, no matter how hard that is for you, you will not make progress. How are your lift numbers currently and what were they when you started?

#20

EXACTLY! I was hoping you would say that. So now you see my point? That’s bone, no muscle will help that.