T Nation

When to Know You've Reached Natty Potential

#1

Hi Guys,

Im looking at starting gear, but not any time soon. I have read a ton of threads and a big theme that has come through is making sure that you are not starting too early.

Basically, what would you recommend an average natty would be, as in, how much further would i need to go before being considered reaching my nat potential.

my stats:

Height: 1.78m
Weight: 74kg
BF: approx 14%
Age: 25
Training: 2 years (not constant unfortunately)
Bench: 80kg
Squat: 80kg
Deadlift: 60kg

i know my age is not so much of an issue regarding starting gear, however i am more interested in my potential gains, or atleast what i should be aiming for before hitting gear.

I know i def have a long way to go, hope you guys can kinda slap me in the face with figures :slightly_smiling:

I initially wanted to start my first cycle next year, but obviously after a ton of research i will hold off for however many years.

Hope you guys could provide some insight, thanks.

#2

Potential what? Size or strength? They’re very different.

If you have a reliable (key word reliable) way to measure your bodyfat percentage, you can have a go at calculating your fat free mass index (FFMI). Most natty guys aren’t ever going to see a number much past about 25 no matter what you do with your diet or training.

Strength is a whole other animal. There are some lifetime natural athletes who have gone well beyond what most folks would assume you could do unassisted.

#3

you deadlift less than your own bodyweight,and you cant squat two plates

i recommend trying weight training before anabolics and see where that takes you.

#4

You are nowhere remotely close to your genetic potential. Your numbers indicate that you are a beginner with years of progress that can be made with smart training and some quality food consumption.

I have no intentions of ever using gear, so I cannot advise you on that matter.

Good luck to you!

#5

I suppose it is quite difficult to actually tell someone what their natty is considering everyone is different.

i must be honest, i am quite conflicted when it comes to size or strength. on the one hand i obviously want to see results in my max’s, but i also want to see an increase in size. i do however have more of a problem in picking up size than what i do gaining strength. strength just seems to come faster than the size.

I’ll ask one of the PT’s at my gym if they could help with body fat calcs, and then do the FFMI.

I think the question is more focused around the use of gear, and when not to start using it based on my own personal stats.

#6

the question is more focused around using gear, or more when not to start using it based on individual stats, in this case my own.

I guess my question is more focused on those that have used before, and when they think it is best, or what they think is a good base to start from.

#7

Be Consistent with your Training, Eating and Sleep for the next 5-8 years. Then come back and ask again.
This is not to be a Prick, but at the age of 43 I started doing the above and am still making progress without any GEAR (Wearable or Injectable).
Now four years later, I am stronger than I was in High School/ College and feel good about my decision.

#8

[quote]Dwight613 wrote:
Weight: 74kg
Bench: 80kg
Squat: 80kg
Deadlift: 60kg
[/quote]
Dude, you can’t even deadlift your own bodyweight, steroids shouldn’t even be a passing thought for you right now.

I don’t want to sound like a jerk, but I don’t think most legal supplements are even worth while yet, you’re just too weak. In all seriousness, my 5 foot 3, 110lb girlfriend who’s never stepped in a gym in her life can deadlift 60kgs. I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, but you do need to understand just how far away from any “genetic limit” you really are.

For the record, you could double your bench, triple your squat and quadruple your deadlift and still not be near your genetic limit.

#9

I don’t know what your own personal genetic limits are for natural growth, but I’d certainly wager that it is far, far better than this. I walked back in to the gym a year and a half ago, after over 8 years of doing basically nothing, and some of my starting lifts were hardly better than these numbers, e.g., bench press. I’m almost 35 years old, using nothing other than creatine and BCAA, and I’ve gone up 2x some of those numbers for 1 RM and still seeing strength gains at a BW of 200 lbs.

#10

How big do you want to be? Unless your goal is to get to above 200lbs shredded at your height, or you have the potential and desire to compete at a high level, there’s no reason to ever use gear.

If these are your goals, then you must understand the potential risks and weigh them as trade offs for attaining them.

The truth is you don’t have to wait till you reach your genetic limit. But if you can’t even gain 30-40lbs of lbm naturally, what makes you think you can build and maintain more than 60lbs on gear?

Do you know how to manipulate your diet and training to get past plateaus once you’ve milked your beginner gains? Have you ever cut to a low level of bodyfat? Do you know in depth how your body responds to different training methods and stimuli?

All this takes years of experience and hard work. If you don’t go through this, you’ll likely become one of those clowns using copious amounts of gear to maintain their 185lb physiques and shrink back to 160lbs off cycle.

You are currently at a level where progress will be rapid if you get serious with your training and diet and put in the needed effort. Put in your dues for a few years before thinking about gear.

#11

No such thing as reaching your potential. You could always do something better. The OP, from looking at his numbers, could do a lot of things better.

#12

TC, I am almost exactly your height (1.77 meters tall), and without drugs have achieved a bodyweight of 90kg, with a 250kg squat, 160kg bench, and 295kg deadlift (rounding, since the metric system is foreign to me) at age 29.

So shoot for that.

#13

I’ll just leave this here:

#14

You have nothing to worry about. At your current rate you could train for the rest of your life and never come close to hitting it. This could be viewed as a good thing or a bad thing based on your personal perspective and goals. And for the record, I doubt that drugs would do much to change this.

#15

if you really have a 60kg/135lb deadlift i actually think you may have exceeded your natural potential a little.

#16

If your numbers are 80/80/60 I dont believe you have ever lifted weights and even people that dont lift weights can deadlift more than 60kg, also no one has ever reached their genetic potential. Just start actually training and lifting weights and putting effort into it. Find a good programme eat lots of food and stick with it for afew years.

#17

Natty, you have a potential of putting on 43 lbs of muscle. And losing 2 lbs of fat. At your current stats.

I think you bodyfat est is off. I do believe you are at 14% It is probably quite higher, I am guessing at least 20%. There would be almost zero percent chance if you carried 140 lbs of lmb currently on your frame and only be able to deadlift 60kg

#18

Maybe this isn’t a question that you need to ask right now.

When your goals require it, then it’s time to consider this.

#19

ok, my bad, did deadlifts today and i maxed out at 120 for 8 reps, so apologies for the incorrect information.

I see all your points, and like i said, i was looking into using gear, but obviously with a ton of research i have decided against it for all the reason posted above.

i actually want to thank you guys for being “jerkish”, “dickish” and what ever else. honestly i dont even think im gonna use gear anymore at all.

btw, that video is awesome, and inspiring to say the least in my case

#20

[quote]Dwight613 wrote:
i do however have more of a problem in picking up size than what i do gaining strength. strength just seems to come faster than the size.

[/quote]
If you think strength comes quicker for you than size, why are you so weak?