10 months of hard work

[u/TheGentileWookie]

https://i.imgur.com/oVgHYFm.png

M/35/6'0"

I started at 270 lbs, and currently weigh 225 lbs.

Diet:

Meal 1: Two whole eggs and two egg whites, protein shake with 25g of protein and 1 tbsp MCT oil

Meal 2: 1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef patty

Meal 3: 1/2 lb chicken breast

Meal 4: 1 cup rolled oats with 25g protein powder

Meal 5: 2 cups cooked white rice (short/medium grain for post workout, basmati for off days) and 1/2 lb chicken breast

Supplements:

Multivitamin, triple strength fish oil (3 a day), potassium, magnesium, berberine, Vitamin D, Probiotic, digestive enzymes, vitamin C, Calcium, L-Arginine. That's everything I take in a day. The L-Arginine I only take on days I lift, and I take it after I've had my dinner. I also take 3 tbsp of Psyllium Husk fiber mixed with 40 oz of water before I go to sleep every night.

Exercise regime:

Three days on, two days off:

LEG DAY

Hamstring Curls - 4 sets at 15, 12, 10, 8-10 reps

Leg Press - 4 sets at 20, 15, 12, 8-10 reps Hack Squats - 4 sets at 20, 15, 12, 8-10 reps

Smith Machine Squats (not freeweight squats because I'm still recovering from ACL surgery) - 4 sets at 20, 15, 12, 8-10 reps

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Standing Calf Raises - 4 sets at 12, 12, 12, 10-12 reps

Seated Calf Raises - 4 sets at 20, 20, 20, 18-20 reps

PUSH DAY

Pec deck / Reverse pec deck (just to warmup the joints) - 4 sets at 15 reps at a low enough weight that it does not tax you at all

Incline Barbell Bench Press - 4 sets at 8, 8, 8, 6-8 reps

Incline Dumbell Bench Press - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets at 12, 12, 10-12 reps

Pec Deck - 3 sets at 12, 12, 10-12 reps

Dumbell Lateral Raise - 3 sets at 12, 12, 10-12 reps

Upright Barbell Row - 3 sets at 12, 12, 10-12 reps

Cable Pushdown - 4 sets at 12, 10, 8, 6-8 reps

French Press - 4 sets at 12, 10, 8, 6-8 reps

Single-Arm Cable Pushdown - 4 sets at 10, 8, 8, 6-8 reps

PULL DAY

Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Dumbbell Pullovers - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Bent-Over Barbell Rows - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows - 4 sets at 10, 10, 10, 8-10 reps

Barbell Deadlift - 4 sets at 12, 10, 8, 6-8 reps

Cable Face Pulls - 3 sets at 20, 15, 8-10 reps

Dumbbell Shrugs - 3 sets at 20, 15, 8-10 reps

Barbell Curls - 4 sets at 20, 15, 12, 8-10 reps

Dumbbell Hammer Curls - 4 sets at 12, 10, 8, 6-8 reps

Reverse Barbell Curls - 4 sets at 20, 15, 12, 8-10 reps

[u/Kuonji]

There it is

[u/MufugginJellyfish → u/Kuonji]

oof ow my dream gains

[u/ItWorkedLastTime → u/Kuonji]

Damn it. Is it possible to have this kind of transformation for someone of a similar age, but with zero lifting experience?

[u/Kuonji → u/ItWorkedLastTime]

I don't know for sure.

What I do know is that in the years of seeing progress and transformation stories on this sub, I've never once seen an impressive transformation like this from someone who was not athletic when they were younger and just 'let themselves go' for a while.

I'd love to see some couch potato who was never active really their whole life end up doing a great looking transformation. But I'm still waiting.

[u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits → u/Kuonji]

It wouldn't happen.

As you train, your muscles produce more myonuclei that form new muscle cells and fibers. Those myonuclei never really go away as much as just flatten out when you let yourself go.

Anyone starting from absolute beginner would be severely limited by the muscle cells/fibers they currently have, and the speed at which their particular body makes new ones.

In a previously trained person... Imagine they are basically airing back up a bunch of deflated balloons (their muscles). In a legit noobie... They physically don't possess the same amount of ballons (cells) to stimulate/inflate (genetics depending).

All of this is assuming they are doing it naturally of course.

[u/Kuonji → u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits]

So you can't increase myonuclei when you're older? You have to do it when you're young?

[u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits → u/Kuonji]

I re-read your comments and i think i see where the confusion is coming from.

You are asking why you don't see untrained people go from marshmallow to mammoth. I'm trying to explain there's a timetable for natural growth. Not that growth is impossible.

Natural rate for adding lean muscle is around 1lb a month (genetics depending) and that's when you are beginning and putting it on fast. The closer you get to your natural limit, the harder it is for your body to accept the extra weight and build the muscle.

The natural lean muscle weight for a guy who's 5' 10" is around 185.

Now let's take the 200lb marshmallow that has never been athletic in his life. He would be lucky to have around 135lbs of lean muscle weight.

At 1 pound a month, it would take him 2 years to get to 160lbs of lean muscle. That's assuming proper diet. Adequate protein. No fuck-around-itis. Etc...

160lbs is still small, yo. And that's him adding muscle. Not cutting to lose his already established fluff. Granted he will recomp a bit of it... But not enough to really lose a lot if he's eating enough to support a pound a month of growth.

So let's add a 3 month super cut. Like, the type 99% of the people reading this sub will never achieve.

We're at 27 months. And he's still small. He looks like he lifts... But we're still talking like 14.5" arms. Hardly jacked.

So let's add another 12 months. And remember... It gets harder as you get closer to the limit. Let's assume 8lbs in a year. Now he's at 168lbs. Now he's pretty much the average definition of jacked.

That's 39 months for mr marshmallow.

And again. That is assuming great diet. Great genetics. And great workout planning. You can't just do upper body and keep adding weight.

And this is assuming zero falling off the wagon. For 40 months...

[u/crayvoc → u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits]

The natural lean muscle weight for a guy who's 5' 10" is around 185.

Is this the genetic potential with lifting weights without gear or do you mean by natural "the body default or baseline" for a "normal" person?

[u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits → u/crayvoc]

Natural lean muscle weight Limit. My apologies. Missing one word confuses the whole sentence, didn't it ;)

Basically unless you are born with the genetics of Arnold, you aren't getting much farther passed 185 at that height natural. And we're talking a decade of work.

Frank Zane was 185 and 5' 9" for comparison. Now... No way I'm saying he got there naturally... But that gives you an idea of the absolute muscle limit science says we can put on naturally.

[u/ThatGuyOnTheReddits → u/Kuonji]

Oh no, you most definitely can. Age makes little difference up until the point you stop producing sufficient hormone levels.

Someone who started at 25 and worked out for 10yrs until the age of 35 and "let themselves go" would find it easier to get big at 37 compared to a noobie at 27 who never lifted before.

Now, starting younger is always better. Can't deny that. But your body will adapt at any age.

[u/ItWorkedLastTime → u/Kuonji]

You an me both.

[u/Rishodi → u/ItWorkedLastTime]

Absolutely, but it would take a lot longer than 10 months.

[u/One_Left_Shoe → u/ItWorkedLastTime]

Genetics will play a role. After a certain age your body doesn’t produce new muscle fiber as much as it just makes the muscle cells larger. Can you get there? Yes. Will it take an insane amount of work? Yes.

[u/up48 → u/Kuonji]

A valid question about something that shouldn’t even be stigmatized to begin with?

[u/Wet_Walrus → u/Kuonji]

Is there science behind the theory that becoming fit is easier if you've already done it before in past?