geokills said:

To be fair, I always have Ben & Jerry's stocked in the fridge.  And I ain't fat.  Portion control people!

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Pupenhause said:

space daddy said:

Thanks for reply.

So I've basically reached another plateau in my work-out routine. I'm into fitness for the mental health benefits followed by strength and overall well-being. I'm not looking to be swole. I am pleased with my physique as is. The issue is, I've reached a point where I'm burning more than I'm consuming. Need to maintain at the very least. Also, very active in general and metabolism like hummingbird which plays in
this. I don't want to cut back on exercise but can't eat more. What to do?

(Yeah I know haha, I have "real" problems too though)

Or maybe there's another way to approach this?

Can I just stop progressive overload at this point and max out where I am? Obviously I won't gain more strength, but will any be lost?

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You should be eating as much whole food as possible if you want to gain, that’s all there is to it. Mass gainers are great for hitting the extra calories you need if you fall short. Mass gainers are cheaper than protein powder, because it’s gonna go a higher fat and carb to protein ratio. What you can do to ensure you’re getting those calories and that it’s will food, is just make your own mass gainer. It’s not hard and If you stop progressive overload, you’ll stop gaining. But the only way you’ll lose strength/size is if you stop working out and hitting your calorie goals.

What’s you’re weight and height right now and what are you calories and macros at?

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I'm just going to continue to eat (whole, minimal proccessed omnivore diet) and throw in peanut butter powder and/or whey into a drink or food I'm already eating. As you and others have suggested. I mostly stay away from crap food because I feel shit when I eat it. Some folks don't mind

My BMI is 21 (healthy). tall and lean. I consume between 2,500 to 3,000 cal. daily. Some days less, some more. I get plenty protein and fats. Just need more calorie from carb.

And I'll keep my lifting at plateau for now. See where added fuel takes me first.

Cheers!

pugster said:

i know a few competition BB's , the level of food control is above just about any other sport.
i spent a large portion of my life in the gym, these days i do more walking and general fitness.
holding large mass with low bodyfat is difficult and your body is not supposed to be like that , take a look - to compete successfully you have to use PED's - lots of them die young or have massive health problems due to joint/bone damage , kidney problems and heart issues.

eat a balanced diet
exercise on a regular basis and include both resistance and cardio , the resistance you can do just bodyweight.

.. thats all you need to so

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pugster said:

lol ive never met a 'true ' natural bodybuilder that did competition -they get blown out the water by people who do a few cycles per year then come off well before any competition.
  kids these days just jump on loads of PED's right off the bat with no solid training behind them at all and no knowledge regarding HCG /anti androgen use or anything else that may or may not be needed.
im old enough to remember the first time tren made it on the scene and it was a pellet called finaplix.
a light cycle used to be around 500mg test c/e per week - thats still a shitload more than any person makes naturally.

* i have no problem with people doing light cycles a few times per year and looking after themselves , imo thats better than drinking alchohol and taking a shitload of recreationals every week by a long shot.
good luck on your journey in the BB world

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Pupenhause said:

pugster said:

lol ive never met a 'true ' natural bodybuilder that did competition -they get blown out the water by people who do a few cycles per year then come off well before any competition.
  kids these days just jump on loads of PED's right off the bat with no solid training behind them at all and no knowledge regarding HCG /anti androgen use or anything else that may or may not be needed.
im old enough to remember the first time tren made it on the scene and it was a pellet called finaplix.
a light cycle used to be around 500mg test c/e per week - thats still a shitload more than any person makes naturally.

* i have no problem with people doing light cycles a few times per year and looking after themselves , imo thats better than drinking alchohol and taking a shitload of recreationals every week by a long shot.
good luck on your journey in the BB world

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I should have been a little more specific. If we’re talking IFBB level, then no, natural folks won’t do well, but a lot of that just comes from size. The lean-ness and conditioning are close, but the size isn’t there. But on a regional and amateur level, I know a ton of true natties that would smoke em. With my job, I know a lot of competitors on every level. Including a personal friend who will be competing in women’s body building at the Olympia this weekend. Humble brag🤣but it’s pretty damn cool to be involved with these people.

But you nailed it and it’s not just kids, it’s everyone…peptides and steroids are too readily available and people just jump in not knowing a damn thing and thinking more juice=better results, when it’s in fact the opposite. All I’m running is 150mg test and 350mg EQ and I look better than most of the people I know that are blasting insane amounts of different compounds

And also, they still make those tren pellets…I’ve actually given them to the cattle of my wife’s families farm. They didn’t understand why I got so excited when I found a fridge full of it at their house

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AlChemicalResearch said:

Pupenhause said:

pugster said:

lol ive never met a 'true ' natural bodybuilder that did competition -they get blown out the water by people who do a few cycles per year then come off well before any competition.
  kids these days just jump on loads of PED's right off the bat with no solid training behind them at all and no knowledge regarding HCG /anti androgen use or anything else that may or may not be needed.
im old enough to remember the first time tren made it on the scene and it was a pellet called finaplix.
a light cycle used to be around 500mg test c/e per week - thats still a shitload more than any person makes naturally.

* i have no problem with people doing light cycles a few times per year and looking after themselves , imo thats better than drinking alchohol and taking a shitload of recreationals every week by a long shot.
good luck on your journey in the BB world

---

I should have been a little more specific. If we’re talking IFBB level, then no, natural folks won’t do well, but a lot of that just comes from size. The lean-ness and conditioning are close, but the size isn’t there. But on a regional and amateur level, I know a ton of true natties that would smoke em. With my job, I know a lot of competitors on every level. Including a personal friend who will be competing in women’s body building at the Olympia this weekend. Humble brag🤣but it’s pretty damn cool to be involved with these people.

But you nailed it and it’s not just kids, it’s everyone…peptides and steroids are too readily available and people just jump in not knowing a damn thing and thinking more juice=better results, when it’s in fact the opposite. All I’m running is 150mg test and 350mg EQ and I look better than most of the people I know that are blasting insane amounts of different compounds

And also, they still make those tren pellets…I’ve actually given them to the cattle of my wife’s families farm. They didn’t understand why I got so excited when I found a fridge full of it at their house

---

I do think a lot of peptides have recommended dosages far below the efficacious level for most humans. Brands I think are limiting their exposure to liability by recommending super low doses of peptides.

It's the same with supplements in general. If you look at the daily dosage on many supplements its wayyy lower than the efficacious dose in the studies that put those supplements on the radar for health, fitness, and longevity. The example I always use is ginko biloba. It is EXTREMELY powerful for your brain and neurological health. But you need to take like 3 grams per day and up to 6 months, based on the studies done on it. But if you buy a ginko biloba supplement the dosage on the packaging is often less than a gram. Which won't do anything no matter how long you take it.

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vicepope said:

AlChemicalResearch said:

Pupenhause said:

pugster said:

lol ive never met a 'true ' natural bodybuilder that did competition -they get blown out the water by people who do a few cycles per year then come off well before any competition.
  kids these days just jump on loads of PED's right off the bat with no solid training behind them at all and no knowledge regarding HCG /anti androgen use or anything else that may or may not be needed.
im old enough to remember the first time tren made it on the scene and it was a pellet called finaplix.
a light cycle used to be around 500mg test c/e per week - thats still a shitload more than any person makes naturally.

* i have no problem with people doing light cycles a few times per year and looking after themselves , imo thats better than drinking alchohol and taking a shitload of recreationals every week by a long shot.
good luck on your journey in the BB world

---

I should have been a little more specific. If we’re talking IFBB level, then no, natural folks won’t do well, but a lot of that just comes from size. The lean-ness and conditioning are close, but the size isn’t there. But on a regional and amateur level, I know a ton of true natties that would smoke em. With my job, I know a lot of competitors on every level. Including a personal friend who will be competing in women’s body building at the Olympia this weekend. Humble brag🤣but it’s pretty damn cool to be involved with these people.

But you nailed it and it’s not just kids, it’s everyone…peptides and steroids are too readily available and people just jump in not knowing a damn thing and thinking more juice=better results, when it’s in fact the opposite. All I’m running is 150mg test and 350mg EQ and I look better than most of the people I know that are blasting insane amounts of different compounds

And also, they still make those tren pellets…I’ve actually given them to the cattle of my wife’s families farm. They didn’t understand why I got so excited when I found a fridge full of it at their house

---

I do think a lot of peptides have recommended dosages far below the efficacious level for most humans. Brands I think are limiting their exposure to liability by recommending super low doses of peptides.

It's the same with supplements in general. If you look at the daily dosage on many supplements its wayyy lower than the efficacious dose in the studies that put those supplements on the radar for health, fitness, and longevity. The example I always use is ginko biloba. It is EXTREMELY powerful for your brain and neurological health. But you need to take like 3 grams per day and up to 6 months, based on the studies done on it. But if you buy a ginko biloba supplement the dosage on the packaging is often less than a gram. Which won't do anything no matter how long you take it.

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And in higher doses its toxicity kicks in.

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