Iv never claimed to be a hard gainer, but I am def. an ectomorph. Started lifting at age 20, just turned 25 about 4 1/2 years lifting. Its been a while, had to learn a lot. I started at a unbelievable weight of 135lbs at 6’1" and have managed to put on 50lbs of lean muscle.
Now I now that I have reached the amazing weight of average, is there more I can work with? I feel like I started the muscle game a little late in life and way behind the average person. At a 37% increase in weight what kind of natural limits are there? Many people start at about 170-190 at my height, that at +37% is 230-260lbs, a much more impressive number.
What has T-Nations starting weight been compared to where they are now? If you use AAS please say so.
Why are you worried about your natural limits? I’m sure you have not reached them, just keep lifting for as long as you can. You will still make gains but after years and years it will become slower. At some point you may just have to worry about maintaining but at that point you should be well off. Be thankful you can lift and continue to do it for as long as you can.
Also true like ghost said when you start seeing gains slow down prob good idea to step back and look at what your doing.
Anyways I’ve been at it little over year I guess I’m built very large but I started little under 300lbs prob 280ish very flabby now after year 310 much more solid still somewhat fat and a lot stronger. I’m about right around 80inches tall so I’m not that fat.
I know what you’re going through because a years back I had to struggle like hell just to get to “average”.
Quit giving thought to so-called natural limitations. As far as I know, the only proven natural limitations are lifespan and joint health. And your muscles growing so big that getting bigger would not provide any mechanical advantage…and you’d probably have to be like 500 pounds of muscle before that happens.
If you want to start making progress into the “above average” range you need to develop above average habits, like upping your calories to ridiculous levels.
Started out at 138 lbs at 5’10", age 31. In 14 months bulked up to 194 lbs. Decided to take a break from constantly force-feeding myself and lose some of the fat, am now around 185. In about a month I plan to get back to gaining mass and shooting for around 210 lbs this time. No AAS or supplements.
“Natural limits” would seem to be how much I’m willing to eat on a daily basis, but that seems to be increasing. The same lunch which used to take me a half hour to eat and sometimes end with me so stuffed I’d throw up in my mouth now takes 10 minutes.
started at 170 6’0, wasted a bunch of time trying to “300 type workouts” and dieting because i wanted abs so bad…never got them and i went down to 160-165, then decided to say fuck it and eat. went to 190+ in about 6 months or so.
anyway im 20 now and seriously contemplating AAS because this 20 grams of muscle a week shit is driving me crazy. i still think i need to work on some basics first but really, use isnt far from sight.
Started at 143 at 7-8% bf. Went to 161 at 8-9% bf in 6 months. Lost 21 lbs in 5 months (down to 140 at 7-8% bf) due to running for soccer. Gained back 21 lbs (up to 161 at 8-9% bf) in 4 months.
So overall, a gain of 18 pounds in 18 months. No AAS. Just a cross of goals.
[quote]drummerofgod89 wrote:
Started at 180 lbs, 20%. I’m now 245, 18% bf. I’ve been lifting since September. Only using creatine, whey protein, multi-vitamins, and fish oil.[/quote]
In 7 months you have gained 65lbs and lost bodyfat? So that would be 70+ lbs of muscle give or take. So you have been able to gain an avg of 10lbs of muscle per month?
[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
drummerofgod89 wrote:
Started at 180 lbs, 20%. I’m now 245, 18% bf. I’ve been lifting since September. Only using creatine, whey protein, multi-vitamins, and fish oil.
In 7 months you have gained 65lbs and lost bodyfat? So that would be 70+ lbs of muscle give or take. So you have been able to gain an avg of 10lbs of muscle per month?[/quote]
No, I gained about 10 lbs of fat along with the muscle. Do the math.
[quote]HunterKiller wrote:
<<< Started lifting at age 20, >>> <<< I feel like I started the muscle game a little late in life and way behind the average person. >>>[/quote]
Surely you jest?!?!?!
Very condensed timeline:
Started at 27 and 157 soft muscle-less lbs. Actually weighed myself the first time I ever went into a gym, so called, just because I hadn’t in a while.
Got up to 205 or so in the next 3 years and 6% bf according to a credible caliper practitioner. Very ripped and barely recognizable as the same person except for the tatoos.
Stopped growing because I now know I wasn’t eating enough and lost the desire to train figuring that was all I had.
Fell waaaaay off the training wagon for the next 13 years and wound up fat, sloppy and very unhealthy though I did not lose all the muscle I’d gained.
2 years ago dove absolutely head first back into training largely to avoid an early and untimely death.
This morning I weighed 243 and can make out my abs through some blur. The difference this time was clearly not being afraid to eat.
18 consistent, hard working years later I’m about 250.[/quote]
My point exactly and good job.
If only some of these young guys could share my sorrow over what could,ve been had I not wasted my entire 30’s. It may be cause for a revised perspective. In general that is.
