T Nation

Sibling arguments

Bodybuilding
#1

My Brother and I are always debating nutrition and training. We are same height, waist size and both about ~6% body fat. However, he is about 30lbs bigger. We both train regularly, he does eat a lot more and is chemically supplemented. We both eat clean but argue on certain things that I read and hi personal trainer (some big shot that flies in from New York) tell him.

Please help me clarify some of the discrepancies.

I love fat free cottage cheese and eat tons they say it thickens up your skin and is not that good for you.

He says don’t eat the skin on the sweet potato because it causes you to retain water. I always thought that is were all the vitamins are.

He drinks a ton of diet sodas…I think that is crazy. I know that makes you retain water and affects your insulin levels…Right?

He drinks a 100g carb, no protein post workout drink, I drink a Surge or surge like drink with P+C.

They say brown rice raises estrogen…that is new to me but I prefer Wild rice…lower GI.

He eats a good bit of peanut butter I saw the ingredients and contains partially hydrogenated oils, I think natural almond butter is the bomb.

The list goes on but will leave it at that for now. Give me you feedback…I can post more if you like but I will spare you guys for now.

#2

You seem to be in the right on all accounts, although dairy just doesn’t work for some people. But thicken the skin? I don’t think so. Sorry, your bro may be bigger but he doesn’t know much about nutrition. Steroids will do that to you. (I assume that’s what you meant my “chemical”.)

#3

Hmm. Sounds like your bro’s genetics are a little different than yours, and I’m sure the extra food and chemicals help. Could you tell us what a little more about his diet (particularly protein amounts in comparison to body weight) and what chemicals he’s taking?

#4

I weigh 172 he tips the scales at 205 (he was 219 about 3 weeks ago). I am not sure in grams how much protein but he eats every 2 1/2 hours and wakes up 1 to 2 times a night to down a shake. His meals are mostly P+C or just P. Mine are 2 to 3 P+C and 2 to 3 P+F. I take in about 150 to 180 g of protein a day.

Now he has always been fatter than me and began training a good year before me this time (we have been training on and off since HS). Our goals are also very different; he wants to be huge and ripped, I want to be ripped and about 175lbs. I still think that there are some basic premises to our diets that cannot be ignored.

#5

Hahaha, I’m sorry but that’s hilarious. Trying to figure out what his brother’s “secret ingredient” or “magical recipe” is huh? I bet that it’s he injects his “chemicals” in through his eye. I heard the gains are insane!!

#6

What’s the point? Let him believe what he wants, it has obviously produced results. Your both at 6 percent is your skin thicker than his? You can’t compare yourself to him. He takes the magic vitamins and you do not. The playing field will never be level.

#7

I think you’ve got the upper hand on the nutritional aspects. I haven’t heard that cottage cheese can thicken your skin (although maybe that explains why rhinos like it so much.) And you’re right that he’s nuts to consume so many diet beverages, although they are a diuretic and don’t cause you to retain water. Obviously, being big as a result of chemicals doesn’t make you a nutritional whiz, huh?

#8

I was really just wondering how much the guy was taking, like was he maybe just dabbling with chemicals or on a program that’s monitored buy someone who knows what there doing with 'roids. Uh, honest. :slight_smile: We wouldn’t want a man to get gyno, would we?

#9

I think he is on d-Bol and GH. That is all I know off. I don’t ask but there is probably a couple of other “over the border” suppliments in his stack.

#10

As a matter of fact we are about the same BF% but I show a lot better than he does. He has been chubby since little, where I have not been. When you pinch him it seems like a goose down pillow while my flab seems like a rubber or silicon material. Bad analogy but all that comes to mind.

Wonder if it could be more brown fat, just looser skin or more water retention?

#11

nutritional opinions are like bungholes. Everyone seems to have one. Your approach seems sane. Seems like he is using nutritional substitutes instead of supplements. Is he in any real need for the weight, that justifies his use of chemicals or is it vanity. I am not against juice, but am against the reasons people use juice and their justification.

#12

Mainly vanity. I believe if people want an edge to pass a plateau then fine. He is always been a path of least resistance kind of guy, looking for a shortcut. All stemmed form a contest we had a couple of years back. I was 210lbs and about 20% and he was 260lbs and closer to 26%. 3 months I was 180 and 9% he ended up 220 16%. Since then he has been balls to the wall. The competition keeps us striving, I just don’t think I will cross that line in to substitute world.