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[Jacksinthe]

Jack, I think you are just not happy with your own results (or life in general).

Now I have to respond to "tried and true gear user defense point no. 177"

Please, son. LOLOLOLOLOL

I don't lack the courage of my conviction so I speak my mind. It's beyond comical how simpletons equate "I'm being criticized" with "they must be unhappy people". Was waiting for this response. How typical

No. I'm just not chicken shit. Big difference.

I wouldn't trade me or all of my ailments for the world and I'm stronger because of it.

Best part? I know it

Funny how the folks that use gear because they are unhappy with themselves knock everyone else who is adamantly against it as being unhappy.

I got popcorn for DAYS now hahahahaha! If I had a dollar for every time I heard that in a YouTube video from a gear user I'd be baller as fuck!

If you don't see how misrepresentation of your work can harm others who are newcomers looking to learn then you are truly a lost cause and a despicable human.

Edit:
To everyone else, you guys know I'm a piece of work when it comes to speaking my mind.

Having said that - since he is going to continue here I'll leave the community. I won't associate and don't want to be associated with people like him. If any of you feel like saying hi every once in a while - I'm a PM away.

Best to everyone here and keep on the gain train.

 

[BumRush]

Again, this is becoming a really unwelcoming place for lurkers / newcomers. If you guys want to take personal shots at each other, please do so outside of the thread, thanks.

Having said that - since he is going to continue here I'll leave the community. I won't associate and don't want to be associated with people like him. If any of you feel like saying hi every once in a while - I'm a PM away.

Best to everyone here and keep on the gain train.

I understand where you're coming from, but don't bail on the community because of it.

 

[FallingEdge]

Why are some people here defending steroids?

Because whether or not someone uses, it has no impact on me. So why would I care? I've never had a problem with it. Do what you do, etc etc etc

 

[DivineRage002]

Because whether or not someone uses, it has no impact on me. So why would I care? I've never had a problem with it. Do what you do, etc etc etc

Some people are competitive, and want to strive to be the best. Having someone use steroids makes that impossible unless you jump in as well. This is harmful and no one should have to use drugs to be competitive.

If you're not a competitive person, good for you I guess? Some people are.

 

[Cooter]

I'm not really talking with people that are insulting me (or some of my best friends that are using) in such a way. You have some serious anger issues dude.

I don't want to call me natty because I hate this word. Similiar to vegans that try to elevete themselves by just being vegan. Did I ever use anything listed on the WADA doping list? Yes, DMAA boosters, ephedrine, yohimbine and stuff like that, nothing more. My shoulders als legs are good because of my genetics. My arms and chest are weak because of my genetics. Genetics is everything in this sport. Actually in any sport. My skin doesn't look like before because I'm shaving it every 7-14 days (didn't do that before because there was nothing to show) and because I don't eat healthy like I did last year.

Believe it or not, I don't really care.

Oh man Faith, you know damn well the things you listed have nothing to do with increasing muscle growth. Also, the genetics and the shaving comments don't help your steroid free assertion. I want to believe you but I'm not naive when it comes to steroids. They work too well and I've been a witness to this fact during the past 20 years lifting in gyms.

 

[BumRush]

Because whether or not someone uses, it has no impact on me. So why would I care? I've never had a problem with it. Do what you do, etc etc etc

When I lurked here 5+ years ago, I truly looked up to the progress / work ethic of guys like Brolic, Cooter, Spirit, etc. Knowing it was done clean gave me the motivation to say "fuck it, I can do this too" and I did. Had they not achieved what they did naturally, I never would have stuck around.

 

[Pachimari]

Have members here shared any before/after pictures and said how long it took? It might motivate me going to the gym every day as well.

 

[FallingEdge]

Some people are competitive, and want to strive to be the best. Having someone use steroids makes that impossible unless you jump in as well. This is harmful and no one should have to use drugs to be competitive.

If you're not a competitive person, good for you I guess? Some people are.

I'm talking about casual use for yourself.

When I lurked here 5+ years ago, I truly looked up to the progress / work ethic of guys like Brolic, Cooter, Spirit, etc. Knowing it was done clean gave me the motivation to say "fuck it, I can do this too" and I did. Had they not achieved what they did naturally, I never would have stuck around.

I keep on forgetting that I am more aware of what people look like when they use, how long it takes, realistic goals, etc. and that not everyone isn't. Especially when first starting out getting into lifting and trying to achieve a body in which you admire. So yeah, I get what you guys are saying.

I need to keep a more open mind about these things.

Have members here shared any before/after pictures and said how long it took? It might motivate me going to the gym every day as well.

Heh, might demotivate you as well. Took me 7 years to get to where I am at lol.

 

[BumRush]

Have members here shared any before/after pictures and said how long it took? It might motivate me going to the gym every day as well.

I have, and many others have as well. Real progress is always the single biggest motivator to me.

 

[bchamba]

Some people are competitive, and want to strive to be the best. Having someone use steroids makes that impossible unless you jump in as well. This is harmful and no one should have to use drugs to be competitive.

If you're not a competitive person, good for you I guess? Some people are.

If you're competitive then compete. Do it in drug tested federations and call the people who compete in those federations cheaters if they're using steroids. Otherwise, somebody who chooses to use and doesn't compete in any shows or competitions or competes in untested federations shouldn't have any effect on you.

 

[Teggy]

I've gotten to the point where I am plenty happy with the size of my legs and in fact they are definitely imbalanced with my top half. Also, I'm cycling a lot more and getting bigger legs is actually going to be a disadvantage there.

What's required to keep what I have but not get any bigger (assuming I go to a calorie surplus after the summer)? I was thinking I could do 3x5 squats @ 185 just to keep the muscles working. Should I maybe do legs only 2 times a week?

 

[SeanR1221]

Becker's nevus.

I think it's called being Italian 😁

When I lurked here 5+ years ago, I truly looked up to the progress / work ethic of guys like Brolic, Cooter, Spirit, etc. Knowing it was done clean gave me the motivation to say "fuck it, I can do this too" and I did. Had they not achieved what they did naturally, I never would have stuck around.

This is a great point. The original guys were the result of years of work which put things into perspective.

 

[bchamba]

post deadlift shins

 

[SeanR1221]

post deadlift shins

Bleeding is the worst :/. I always put liquid bandaid on right away. Not trying to get staph infection

 

[shiftplusone]

I guess this is the place to ask for this

I (3 weeks ago) switched to a keto diet to lose weight. I'm hitting my macros every day and not having a problem with that stuff. taking a multivitamin and some vitamin d as well

I'm also carrying around a 2.2 liter jug of water. I usually drink the whole thing before lunch, refill at lunch, have it drank before I leave, and then fill it at home and drink it before bed.

that's like 1.7 gallons of water

Is this too much?

I know "drink more water" is important but how much is too much

 

[Psychotext]

I use my knee sleeves on my shins for deadlifts. My legs are wrecked enough from cycling.

 

[Spiritreaver]

I agree that transparency is very important in this thread when it comes to the use of steroids or other things. As mentioned before, people do come here for motivation and advice. We don't want to give people the wrong expectations.

That said it is a very touchy subject. I'm not pigeonholing anyone here one way or another. At the end of the day it's someone's word against another's (unless concrete proof says otherwise). Not sure what kind of compromise, if any, can be made here, but we should maybe consider making some ground rules for the thread before we jump on people.

Hope you folks don't take my post the wrong way. I agree with most everything that's been said here, just not the animosity.

 

[BumRush]

I agree that transparency is very important in this thread when it comes to the use of steroids or other things. As mentioned before, people do come here for motivation and advice. We don't want to give people the wrong expectations.

That said it is a very touchy subject. I'm not pigeonholing anyone here one way or another. At the end of the day it's someone's word against another's (unless concrete proof says otherwise). Not sure what kind of compromise, if any, can be made here, but we should maybe consider making some ground rules for the thread before we jump on people.

Hope you folks don't take my post the wrong way. I agree with most everything that's been said here, just not the animosity.

You said everything I feel.

 

[God Dayumm]

I feel bad that deadlifts don't give me shin bruises because maybe my form is wrong. But then again I only lift 315 so maybe I'll start getting them at 405

 

[JCX]

Why are some people here defending steroids?

I don't care if they are "putting in as much work", it's still cheating, not only that, but unhealthy cheating.

Imagine a race, one person is driving a regular car, while the other shows up in a race car. Both are working just as hard, but one will get massively better results, it's not fair.

The ONLY time I will actually respect someone for using steroids, is if you're a firefighter. Having to lift a 300lbs guy to drag him out of a house fire, I could understand wanting to be as strong as possible. You're hurting your own health to help save lives.

Unless you're a firefighter, or maybe SWAT team or similar, gtfo.

I have no problem with it as long as you're not competing in a sport. Is plastic surgery cheating? Breast implants? Tanning? I recognize that a lot of people who work out do so for image-based reasons, instead of health based ones. Don't see how it's cheating if it's another thing people do to just themselves.

I haven't posted a progress pic in a while. Making okay progress, but still can't lose this damned gut

 

[KillerBEA]

I feel bad that deadlifts don't give me shin bruises because maybe my form is wrong. But then again I only lift 315 so maybe I'll start getting them at 405

I got my first one last week. All my DL sets last week were sub 280, and I was wearing knee high athletic socks for the second time too. :/

 

[Teggy]

I feel bad that deadlifts don't give me shin bruises because maybe my form is wrong. But then again I only lift 315 so maybe I'll start getting them at 405

Well, you don't _wan't_ bruises, but getting them is an indication that you are pulling bar in towards your body and up your legs, which means you are not putting unneeded stress on your lower back. Unless you are managing to pull the bar up perfectly straight within a hair of your legs, you might have the bar too far in front of you.

I certainly don't aim to hurt myself (and workout pants on deadlift days pretty much prevents it), but I occasionally rub my shin a bit harder than planned on the way up.

 

[Arken2121]

Hey guys, need a bit of help. I'm a huge fitness attic but for some reason, there's a part on my lower stomach I can't seem to get rid of. I do HIIT Cardio 5 days a week for 30 minutes as well as lifting. I even incorporated core exercises AFTER I do my cardio. My diet is at a pretty decent deficit. I'm 5'8 weighing at 152 lbs.

Here it is:

ANY tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

Hey guys, need a bit of help. I'm a huge fitness addict but for some reason, there's a part on my lower stomach I can't seem to get rid of.

I have good news for you, those are muscles.

 

[Arken2121]

I have good news for you, those are muscles.

Really? I've been trying to reduce that forever! I mean there's still a bit of a soft spot on the bottom that you can't see from this picture as well.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

Have you tried flexing them?

 

[Arken2121]

Have you tried flexing them?

That is flexed.

Edit: While we're on that note, got any tips to get a tad bit more shredded? I almost forgot to mention that I haven't taken as much protein as I should until a few days ago.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

That is flexed.

You can't flex obliques without bending to the side.

 

[Arken2121]

You can't flex obliques without bending to the side.

Ah, sorry. I thought flexing the stomach was along the same lines.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

got any tips to get a tad bit more shredded?

Make your muscles bigger so the fat gets spread out more

 

[Faith]

Admitting using roids in this thread is like admitting being gay in Saudi Arabia. Jack, how can you expect from someone to be honest about this if you are THAT prejudiced and look down on people that are juicing like they are criminals or bad people in general. Was Arnold S. a bad guy? No he seems like a lovely human being. Who the hell cares how much gear he used? Nobody in this thread could achieve his physique no matter how much juice is involved. Becoming the best in any sport requires much more than just juice. You need the right genetics and years or even decades of commitment.

Drug tested federations, lol. If you think that you can win any bodybuilding competition or setting new IPF world records without cheating, then you clearly live in a fantasy world.

Why am I talking about this if it's not even targeting me? Because of my empathy in general and because I hate this attitude of reducing someone on a single thing that you don't like about him/her. A person is so much more than his plastic surgeries or enhanced abilities, his salary, his food choice or whatever. Don't be that extreme.

 

[Arken2121]

Make your muscles bigger so the fat gets spread out more

I get that. Feels like i'm lifting decently heavy as it is. Could it be too much cardio?

 

[bchamba]

Drug tested federations, lol. If you think that you can win any bodybuilding competition or setting new IPF world records without cheating, then you clearly live in a fantasy world.

I have no delusions about top competitors in each sport. My comment was about labeling anybody that uses a cheater because how can they be cheating unless they are directly competing against you in something. If somebody uses recreationally it should have no affect on somebody who doesn't use and they're not cheating anybody.

 

[Arrowgigantic]

I get that. Feels like i'm lifting decently heavy as it is. Could it be too much cardio?

Considering you are 152 lbs. and your ideal bodyweight for your height would be more like 172 lbs., probably less cardio and more weights would be good, yes. What I mean is that cardio doesn't necessarily make you skinny as long as you're eating enough. But it's not going to build muscle like weightlifting will, either.

 

[Two Words]

Jack, I think you are just not happy with your own results (or life in general).

Oh man, this is just dumb.

 

[mdsfx]

I get that. Feels like i'm lifting decently heavy as it is. Could it be too much cardio?

Have you been counting calories? Maybe upping the fat and reducing carbs a bit? I mean, the calorie deficit helps either way (usually 500-700 down per day, but i also enjoy my weekends!), but i seem to look more cut with a higher fat diet and lower carb.

 

[demented]

Arken, cardio kills gainz

Oh man, this is just dumb.

I don't know, he seems to be overeacting hard to someone who MIGHT be taking peds but unlikely.
Friend of mine who I know for a fact that doesn't roid, or lifts besides some outside training (dips, pullups, pushups, cardio blabla) looks better than shitton of lifters, got 3d delts, abs and bacne. Was a footballer for 15 years tho, not 1/2 league, 3rd and mostly 4th so no PEDs there heh.

 

[Arken2121]

Considering you are 152 lbs. and your ideal bodyweight for your height would be more like 172 lbs., probably less cardio and more weights would be good, yes. What I mean is that cardio doesn't necessarily make you skinny as long as you're eating enough. But it's not going to build muscle like weightlifting will, either.

172? No kidding, never would have guessed. Anytime I've went over 160 I felt sluggish and bloated. Thank you for the tips. I guess it comes down to eating and lifting more.

Edit to Mdsfx: I actually intake very little-to-no carbs as it is. My intake of protein and fat isn't exactly high either.

Edit to demented: I know but I feel sooooo good having great cardio. My resting heart-rate is in the high 40's and I feel great.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Hey guys, need a bit of help. I'm a huge fitness attic but for some reason, there's a part on my lower stomach I can't seem to get rid of. I do HIIT Cardio 5 days a week for 30 minutes as well as lifting. I even incorporated core exercises AFTER I do my cardio. My diet is at a pretty decent deficit. I'm 5'8 weighing at 152 lbs.

Here it is:



ANY tips would be greatly appreciated.

You have nearly the same bodytype as me right now. I even have the same issue lol. I think it has to do with diet, can you post your typical diet? I recommend logging everything you eat on some log and check every week for your waist size and other parts along with your weight.

 

[Arken2121]

Considering you are 152 lbs. and your ideal bodyweight for your height would be more like 172 lbs., probably less cardio and more weights would be good, yes. What I mean is that cardio doesn't necessarily make you skinny as long as you're eating enough. But it's not going to build muscle like weightlifting will, either.

You have nearly the same bodytype as me right now. I even have the same issue lol. I think it has to do with diet, can you post your typical diet? I recommend logging everything you eat on some log and check every week for your waist size and other parts along with your weight.

Sure! So recently I've taken up eating a lot of veggies in a blender, tastes great so i'll add that here.

Meal 1: Veggie smoothie that contains kale, blueberries, carrots, beets and celery. I just started adding 1 1/2 protein scoops a few days ago.

Meal 2: 2 big chicken breasts with the rest of that smoothie(I make so much).

Meal 3: A few eggs, some chips.

I don't eat bread at all anymore. It's all veggies and protein. Even with that, seems like my protein intake is very little.
I'm starting to see a pattern with how little my diet is...

 

[Psychotext]

Arken, cardio kills gainz

Talking of which, did a two day event and cycled for something like 24 hours this weekend... what I saw looking back at me in the mirror today was not pretty.

 

[BumRush]

Talking of which, did a two day event and cycled for something like 24 hours this weekend... what I saw looking back at me in the mirror today was not pretty.

Crazy thing is, 12 hours of cardio back to back days is normal for you. You're truly inhuman.

 

[Two Words]

Admitting using roids in this thread is like admitting being gay in Saudi Arabia. Jack, how can you expect from someone to be honest about this if you are THAT prejudiced and look down on people that are juicing like they are criminals or bad people in general. Was Arnold S. a bad guy? No he seems like a lovely human being. Who the hell cares how much gear he used? Nobody in this thread could achieve his physique no matter how much juice is involved. Becoming the best in any sport requires much more than just juice. You need the right genetics and years or even decades of commitment.

Drug tested federations, lol. If you think that you can win any bodybuilding competition or setting new IPF world records without cheating, then you clearly live in a fantasy world.

Why am I talking about this if it's not even targeting me? Because of my empathy in general and because I hate this attitude of reducing someone on a single thing that you don't like about him/her. A person is so much more than his plastic surgeries or enhanced abilities, his salary, his food choice or whatever. Don't be that extreme.

So you are using. Earlier you adamantly denied it and now you're excusing it because you find it comparable to admitting to be gay in a country where public executions aren't that uncommon.

 

[Faith]

Just lol. Anyway, I don't wait to derail this thread anymore. Have to go to the gym anyway.

 

[Syphon Filter]

Sure! So recently I've taken up eating a lot of veggies in a blender, tastes great so i'll add that here.

Meal 1: Veggie smoothie that contains kale, blueberries, carrots, beets and celery. I just started adding 1 1/2 protein scoops a few days ago.

Meal 2: 2 big chicken breasts with the rest of that smoothie(I make so much).

Meal 3: A few eggs, some chips.

I don't eat bread at all anymore. It's all veggies and protein. Even with that, seems like my protein intake is very little.
I'm starting to see a pattern with how little my diet is...

I'm no expert even though I am very close to your body style but I think you need more protein to make sure you maintain as much muscle as possible while you are trying to cut fat. Lift heavy but not at the expense of bad form, you need carbs for at least the days you lift after your workout, drink tons of water and make you sure gt 8-9 hrs of sleep. These are actually very important and some people underestimate it. Log your meals for the week and weight yourself, check your waist and other parts. Check the following week to see if there is a difference in weight and/or waist size. Right now I am losing 1 pound a week and have been monitoring for nearly a month. If I don't see a difference then I just adjust something I think is causing the problem. Maybe it is the portion, something bad I had that week. That is why logging is very important so you can see exactly what the issue could be. Other than that it's just about patience and keep going, remember that the lower belly is the last part to go.

 

[Arken2121]

I'm no expert even though I am very close to your body style but I think you need more protein to make sure you maintain as much muscle as possible while you are trying to cut fat. Lift heavy but not at the expense of bad form, you need carbs for at least the days you lift after your workout, drink tons of water and make you sure gt 8-9 hrs of sleep. These are actually very important and some people underestimate it. Log your meals for the week and weight yourself, check your waist and other parts. Check the following week to see if there is a difference in weight and/or waist size. Right now I am losing 1 pound a week and have been monitoring for nearly a month. If I don't see a difference then I just adjust something I think is causing the problem. Maybe it is the portion, something bad I had that week. That is why logging is very important so you can see exactly what the issue could be. Other than that it's just about patience and keep going, remember that the lower belly is the last part to go.

I definitely see where i'm lacking after these talks. I get MAYBE half the protein i'm supposed to get on a daily basis. When I said no carbs, that wasn't entirely true, I get a bit just not eating bread left and right. I try to keep my sugar intake at a minimal as well, only coming from the blueberries posted earlier. My sleep patterns are pretty good, between 6-8 hours a night. Also, I do think I lift pretty heavy, here are the stats.

Bench press: 200( 100lb dumb bells, the barbell hurts my shoulders)
Dead Lift: 315
Squad: 315

 

[demented]

Talking of which, did a two day event and cycled for something like 24 hours this weekend... what I saw looking back at me in the mirror today was not pretty.

Whenever I speed up lifting my heart rate jumps so I'm gonna start swimming when I go seaside in a month and can't wait to start doing all sorts of cardio when I cut in the fall, probably gonna keep at it forever just do liss instead of hiit which i do when cutting.

So you are using. Earlier you adamantly denied it and now you're excusing it because you find it comparable to admitting to be gay in a country where public executions aren't that uncommon.

Or someone might not want to admit to using because besides some, they're usually illegal sooo yeah, not smartest idea to brag about that. Plus literally 99% pro athletes using them, shitton of actors etc who gives a fuck and why does it matter to you so much. They help you get to certain point faster and push you over the natty limit which for most people still looks like DYEL, and even with them genetics play huge part with all the insertions, shapes etc

 

[Jacksinthe]

Chamba, Edge, Faith and everyone else who doesn't care about steroid use:

Use your damned heads.

This is a community thread. Not FitChamba or FallingGAF.

LYING and misleading like Faith is doing is damaging to the COMMUNITY, which you are a part of.

You're not just here for you, you're here for everyone. To help, inform, etc.

Not giving a fuck how it affects you is fine but you all SHOULD give a fuck about the precedent it sets.

Faith. I told you before I had nothing to say before you kept lying.

That's what drove me over.

For the rest. Recognize it can affect others even if it doesn't make a dent on you. Be part of the community and think about others, not just yourself. You'll be better people for it.

 

[mdsfx]

Edit to Mdsfx: I actually intake very little-to-no carbs as it is. My intake of protein and fat isn't exactly high either.

Edit to demented: I know but I feel sooooo good having great cardio. My resting heart-rate is in the high 40's and I feel great.

Im 5'9" 155lbs right now. I eat 150g protein, 100g fat, 125g carbs for 2,000 calories.

I would never give up cardio either. 1hr per day right now and i love it. I'm sure it probably hinders muscle growth. I don't even care

 

[Arken2121]

Im 5'9" 155lbs right now. I eat 150g protein, 100g fat, 125g carbs for 2,000 calories.

I would never give up cardio either. 1hr per day right now and i love it. I'm sure it probably hinders muscle growth. I don't even care

Honestly dude, my protein intake is MAYBE 70g, fat is probably....25 lol and carbs is probably....30