Gaining muscle as a Natural after 30, as impossible as everyone says?

[Van_Bilderass]

scott mendelson benches like over 700lbs raw and his chest aint big as ronnie coleman who cant do 700lbs so NOOOOOOO bigweights does not always = big muscle. I rather look like I bench 405lbs than actually do it....thats the diff between bodybuilding and power lifting.

Don't compare two different people. Different execution of the movement, different skeleton, different tendons, different everything. Increase in tension through increased load is probably the most important signal for hypertrophy.

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

Don't compare two different people. Different execution of the movement, different skeleton, different tendons, different everything. Increase in tension through increased load is probably the most important signal for hypertrophy.

then he cant compare strength to building muscles...I seen plenty of skinny turds at 130lbs benching 315lbs flexing their 12inch biceps in the mirror vs a guy who reps reps the weight instead of going for singles or triples.

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

But anybody I know who is big, 250lbs + trains heavy

anybody at 250lbs is gonna big no matter what...250 is 250lbs let it be fat or muscle either way its BIG.

[GetItOnNY]

I know know this is going to be controversial, but Skip Lacour, who was a natural bodybuilder lifted heavy, almost his whole career.Most of his gains were in his 30's.
Skip trained 4-6 reps, on almost all his exercises.Like him or not, he did look good for a man who was 35 and even 40 years old before he retired.

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

I know know this is going to be controversial, but Skip Lacour, who was a natural bodybuilder lifted heavy, almost his whole career.Most of his gains were in his 30's.
Skip trained 4-6 reps, on almost all his exercises.Like him or not, he did look good for a man who was 35 and even 40 years old before he retired.

sure if I claimed natural, but behind closed doors I used small amounts of steroids and still say, "hey im natural I dont use as much as some guys"

[Van_Bilderass]

then he cant compare strength to building muscles...I seen plenty of skinny turds at 130lbs benching 315lbs flexing their 12inch biceps in the mirror vs a guy who reps reps the weight instead of going for singles or triples.

Yeah it depends on what is meant by "training heavy". But put it this way. Let's say you squat 300lbs for 3 sets of 10 currently. If you are able to increase that to 400lbs for 3 sets of 10 your legs are going to be bigger. So when put in this context getting stronger means getting bigger. That's why I would say "train for strength to get bigger".

Even that skinny turd, if he was able to increase that bench by 100lbs he would have a bigger chest, not necessarily bigger than some other weaker but bigger guy but you can't compare two different people.

Also drug users can get a lot of sarcoplasmic volume from pump training so they can get pretty damn swole  without going too heavy. I would actually say that for a natural with average genetics pure powerlifting routines would give more muscle than a typical bodybuilding routine.

[candidizzle]

The who secret about making gains in your 30's is simple.Eat 1.5 -2 plus grams per body lb per day from protein.Eat red meat atleast once a day, from Sirloin, or Ny steak.
Make sure you sleep atleast 8 hours a night, rest is crucial.DONT OVER TRAIN.
Most natural guys over train!!!!.Dont spend more then 45 minutes  a day training if your natural.If you over train your body releases cortisil, which, beaks down muscle tissue.
I would also use about 30-40 grams of L-Glutamine, and about 10-15 grams of BCAAS, per day to maximize recovery.
If you train naturally listen to your body, if your sick, tired, or very sore, stay home and rest.One day of not training wont kill you

insulin blunts cortisol

drink some gatorade

train like you mean it

[GetItOnNY]

I wouldnt go as far as training like a power lifter to get big naturally.I think heavy dead lifts arent really a good idea, because they are very bad for the lower back, and they can make your hips wider, and give you a thicker torso.
Getting big legs naturally is a hard task, especially when you diet down for a show.
So making your hips wider & you torso, bigger is not a good idea, because is will throw off your symetry.
Plus I know alot of guys who have severe back injuries from deadlifting.I stopped deadlifting at 20 after I got injured and it put me out for 4 months.
But I beleive for a natural bodybuilder, heavy squats, heavy bench pressing, heavy t-bar rows, and even heavy straight bar curls are good for overall mass for natural bodybuilders.
I also beleive that they should go heavy on shoulder presses, and dumbell presses.
But when it comes to things like side laterals, cable fly's, and concentrastion curls, they should drop the weight and keep the reps around 9-12 reps

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

Yeah it depends on what is meant by "training heavy". But put it this way. Let's say you squat 300lbs for 3 sets of 10 currently. If you are able to increase that to 400lbs for 3 sets of 10 your legs are going to be bigger. So when put in this context getting stronger means getting bigger. That's why I would say "train for strength to get bigger".

Even that skinny turd, if he was able to increase that bench by 100lbs he would have a bigger chest, not necessarily bigger than some other weaker but bigger guy but you can't compare two different people.

Also drug users can get a lot of sarcoplasmic volume from pump training so they can get pretty damn swole  without going too heavy. I would actually say that for a natural with average genetics pure powerlifting routines would give more muscle than a typical bodybuilding routine.

I agree to the 400lbs by 10 vs the 300lbs by 10 sure, but I used to be able to bench 405lbs and rep with 300lbs pounds and I was a twig it was not until I started to rep with 225lbs for 10reps resting for like 30secs in between sets  I gained size and muscular weight vs resting for like 5mins just to push up 375lbs for a few reps. Now I stay in the 6 to 10 rep ranges vs the 1 to 3 rep ranges trying to increase muscle size is more imprtant to me than say poundages in the gym.

[gh15]

Look at Johnny Jackson, a perfect example.Anybody I know who has a big chest usually is a heavy bencher.My chest was one of my strong points, because my mentor Tony Atlas told me to life heavy.Tony could bench well over 600 lbs, and had a barrel chest.
Ronnie Coleman trained heavy, and in my opinion, was the biggest, and best Mr O ever, in his peak.
There are some people who dont respond to training heavy, there is always an exception to the rule.
But anybody I know who is big, 250lbs + trains heavy

oh MY GOOD NESS OH MY GOOD NESS,,brother oh broehter,,,NO NO NO NO

chest is GENETICALLY either you have it or not,,you can work it to be bigger but VERY HEAVY BENCH ON A REGULAR BASIS WILL ONLY LEAD TO INJURY FOR THE BODYBUILDER,,,ONCE IN A WHILE OK ITS OK TO DO IT ONCE EVERY 4 WEEKS COME IN AND DO SUPER HEAVY BENCH ,,,BUT NEVER EVER GO ALL OUT ON CHEST ,,,WHAT I MEAN IS DO NOT GO INTO THE 400-500LB ZONE AND THINK YOU WILL DEVELOP A BIG THICK CHEST !!! THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE YOU WILL DEVELKOP MAINLY YOUR FUTURE INJURY ,,work heavy but never extra heavy on chest ,,also use lots of machines!!! do heavy weight on the machines especially when OFF HORMONES OR WHEN LOWERING DOSES

THE GUYS WITH CHEST ALWAYS HAD CHEST AND DEVELOP IT WITH 2-3 SOMETIMES 3 AND A HALF PLATES EACH SIDE OF THE BAR,,,after that its all done for specific purposes and less for developing pecs size

trust me on that if you never had pecs you will never have pecs,,it is the most important muscles on the bodybuilder and if you dont have it no matter what you will do you will never ever be the champ,,a bodybuidler with no chest is worst than a bodybuilder with average arms,,the first thing that give the illusion of heavy thickness and size is bgi thick chest ,,the only one who looks at the arms are the girls in the clubs as long as you have good to very good arms and exellent chest you are on the way to do well in bodybuilding ,,if you have the supirior arms and no chest you will never get to the top of the mountain,,N E V E R

see dorian ,,see haney ,,see zane ,,a combo of the 2 like arnold ron and sergio is a lot better ofcourse,,guys who have no chest ...lee priest ..whats hs name heath ...they usually get denied advancement to the top 6 of the sport ,,i say usually because in this generation nothingness i predict heath to be a top 4 mr o contender even with no chest since the competition is weak

[Hurricane Beef !]

it has nothing to do with wife kids or anything of the such ,, most guys now days dont even marry till they are 34-35 if at all,,girls have nothing to do with it,,
this is where the truth is everything above this post is rubbish,,
at age 26 most true naturals start askin around in the gym and looking for the goodies,,it happens everywhere in america and everywhere around the world,,age 25-27 is when they srat asking questions,,the real naturals that ofcourse never compete,,thats when they start thinking about using at age 26 because they feel they are maxed and they are maxed with gains naturally ,,

age 26-27 and on from there is when there will be no more natural gains as in new muscle coming on you naturally! yuo may be able to take your skinny 162 and bring it back to your skinny 186lb you used to be back when you were 23...but you wont gain no new muscle what so ever unless you turn into hormones,,

so the number is 26 ,,this is age where everyone start kissing ass in the gym to who ever they need to kiss ass to,,

with competetive and todays nothigness generation that are ALL ON HORMONES it starts at 16-20 ,,today most fellas that are seeirous into lifting use hormones before their 21th birthday and i aint talking about no winners here,,those fellas will never step on a pro stage ,,they may compete but even that not always,,

but then again all the true natural worriers and the late bllomers come into the hormones at ages 26-28 after fighting with the demon inside them since age 25 usually takes 2 years debating with yourself and humiliation from the big boys at your local gym as in mental abuse in a way (especially early 2000s) so after the 2 years debating and tired of not growing to the 220lb -260lb where the big beef is...those naturals go on hormones and usually blow up or if really decide to compete try to maintain natural status by working smart with the hormones

you can have will and muscle brain connection and even your granma feeding you german food ..it wont help ...past 26 you start going down and going down into flabby land fast! unless you jump on hormones

The Beef calls bullshit asshole.

The beef

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

The Beef calls bullshit asshole.

The beef

its ok to have a small chest you can still workout...

[Benny B]

bodybuilding is a job,,you dont just quit for 3 years or a year,,most of those guys who do it are not bodybuilders,,they just work out for fun and for them the moment they go cold turky they lose so much muscle and size that when they come into it again after 2 years or even a year they think they gain better but they gain exactly the same into the same max ,,especially guys over 26,,diet down to competition weight and you will see that nothing has changed from your old pictures,,i know its de motivationg but thats the tule of nature and rule of human body,,

there is a rebound and muscle memory effects going on but they only bring you to what you were at your best NATURALLy,,unless youre 20-21-22-23 those ages when you can still fight for number poundages of lean muscle mass ,,thats why i tell all the 17-18 20 -21 year old guys TO NEVER GIVE UP FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT AND GAIN THAT MUSCLE BECAUSE IT WILL BE THERE TO STAY,,DO MISTAKES IT DOESNT MATTER BUT PUT THAT MUSCLE ON YOU IN THOSE AGES ,,DONT JUST QUIT THE GYM AFTER 1 YEAR OF WORKING OUT ,,GO ON AND CONTINUE WITH IT AND YOU WILL SEE THAT WHEN YOU ARE 30 YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET TO THE BIG NUMBERS WITH THE USE OF HORMONES A LOT EASIER

I think gh15 is pretty much spot on here. I trained with the most intensity in my early 20's. I've basically maintained that foundation all the way through until today, and I am in my mid 30's. I have taken months off due to various events over the years, but even in that untrained state people (average Joes) will still come up to me and ask me questions about my workout regimen. When I do come back after a layoff, after six to eight weeks of serious training I am pretty much right back to the development I had when I was 24. That's due to muscle memory and that foundation of hitting the weights hard from 18-24. Realistically I don't believe I have put on any additional mass from what I had after my first five years of steady training. Of course, I am speaking as a natural.

[Bluto]

I think gh15 is pretty much spot on here. I trained with the most intensity in my early 20's. I've basically maintained that foundation all the way through until today, and I am in my mid 30's. I have taken months off due to various events over the years, but even in that untrained state people (average Joes) will still come up to me and ask me questions about my workout regimen. When I do come back after a layoff, after six to eight weeks of serious training I am pretty much right back to the development I had when I was 24. That's due to muscle memory and that foundation of hitting the weights hard from 18-24. Realistically I don't believe I have put on any additional mass from what I had after my first five years of steady training. Of course, I am speaking as a natural.

how does that make you feel, going to the gym for 10 years without putting on any additional mass

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

how does that make you feel, going to the gym for 10 years without putting on any additional mass

who said we all go the gym to put muscle on?  I go to stay in shape and look at folks for giggles......

[_bruce_]

Bullshit - if you can improve/push more weights and eat good 30+ is perfect...slower metabolism enables you to gain some size.

[Bluto]

who said we all go the gym to put muscle on?  I go to stay in shape and look at folks for giggles......

yeah i guess people are different.

some are happy where they are at, and dont mind if they look the same for 10 years
others are more into improving and progressing.

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

Bullshit - if you can improve/push more weights and eat good 30+ is perfect...slower metabolism enables you to gain some size.

yup putting on fat is not a bad thing if your already 6% BF why not push it to 15% BF to carry around some brute force.....

[Van_Bilderass]

I wouldnt go as far as training like a power lifter to get big naturally.I think heavy dead lifts arent really a good idea, because they are very bad for the lower back, and they can make your hips wider, and give you a thicker torso.
Getting big legs naturally is a hard task, especially when you diet down for a show.
So making your hips wider & you torso, bigger is not a good idea, because is will throw off your symetry.
Plus I know alot of guys who have severe back injuries from deadlifting.I stopped deadlifting at 20 after I got injured and it put me out for 4 months.
But I beleive for a natural bodybuilder, heavy squats, heavy bench pressing, heavy t-bar rows, and even heavy straight bar curls are good for overall mass for natural bodybuilders.
I also beleive that they should go heavy on shoulder presses, and dumbell presses.
But when it comes to things like side laterals, cable fly's, and concentrastion curls, they should drop the weight and keep the reps around 9-12 reps

I think wide hips or waist is mainly genetics. There are a lot of good bodybuilders with small waists who did deadlifts. There's not a lot of muscle at the hip that would widen it. Obliques can develop yes, so deadlifts could develop that but I wouldn't worry about it. JMHO.

For many people deadlifts are a wonderful rehab exercise for back if you do them correctly. I know a bunch of people who tweaked their back and started avoiding deadlifts but still had recurring low back issues. But after being encouraged to start deadlifting again the back issues went away. You want to keep the muscles in the area as strong as possible and that's where deads excel.

Now benches, that's a dangerous exercise to go heavy on as I can attest.

You mentioned JJ, he has insane back thickness and I'm sure the heavy deads have a lot to do with it. Same with Coleman before he got injured.

[DK II]

it has nothing to do with wife kids or anything of the such ,, most guys now days dont even marry till they are 34-35 if at all,,girls have nothing to do with it,,
this is where the truth is everything above this post is rubbish,,
at age 26 most true naturals start askin around in the gym and looking for the goodies,,it happens everywhere in america and everywhere around the world,,age 25-27 is when they srat asking questions,,the real naturals that ofcourse never compete,,thats when they start thinking about using at age 26 because they feel they are maxed and they are maxed with gains naturally ,,

age 26-27 and on from there is when there will be no more natural gains as in new muscle coming on you naturally! yuo may be able to take your skinny 162 and bring it back to your skinny 186lb you used to be back when you were 23...but you wont gain no new muscle what so ever unless you turn into hormones,,

so the number is 26 ,,this is age where everyone start kissing ass in the gym to who ever they need to kiss ass to,,

with competetive and todays nothigness generation that are ALL ON HORMONES it starts at 16-20 ,,today most fellas that are seeirous into lifting use hormones before their 21th birthday and i aint talking about no winners here,,those fellas will never step on a pro stage ,,they may compete but even that not always,,

but then again all the true natural worriers and the late bllomers come into the hormones at ages 26-28 after fighting with the demon inside them since age 25 usually takes 2 years debating with yourself and humiliation from the big boys at your local gym as in mental abuse in a way (especially early 2000s) so after the 2 years debating and tired of not growing to the 220lb -260lb where the big beef is...those naturals go on hormones and usually blow up or if really decide to compete try to maintain natural status by working smart with the hormones

you can have will and muscle brain connection and even your granma feeding you german food ..it wont help ...past 26 you start going down and going down into flabby land fast! unless you jump on hormones

haahahahahaah, was für ein scheiss!!

Das kann doch nict dein Ernst sein, gh15!

[jonno gb]

It's certainly possible to make gains in your 30's,40's or beyond for some people just don't expect them to come quickly if you are natural.2-4 lbs of muscle a year is realistic IMO-note this is 2-4 lbs of muscle not bodyweight.
Personally,I train and eat more intelligently now at age 40 than I did in my 20's and achieved my best ever shape in competition last year.Also my lifestyle is more condusive to bodybuilding in that I don't feel the need to go out every weekend and my alcohol consumption is a lot less I believe Dave Goodin achieved his best shape while in his 40's and his column in Ironman is well worth a read for natural trainers.

[Benny B]

Bullshit - if you can improve/push more weights and eat good 30+ is perfect...slower metabolism enables you to gain some size.

You're putting on lard, fatty

yeah i guess people are different.

some are happy where they are at, and dont mind if they look the same for 10 years
others are more into improving and progressing.

Meh, I am pretty satisfied with my physique when I am in my best shape. My physique goals change when I more focused on martial arts or other athletic pursuits. But for the most part I go to the gym for the health benefits and to maintain my strength and cardio levels.

There is more to lifting "progress" than just more and more size, dude. First of all, its just not realistic to expect continuous size gains when you're natural. You will be a fustrated man in your 30s and 40s if you believe this. Secondly, there is a point where greater size and bodyweight detracts from your appearance instead of enhancing the way you look. If you have a nice look going for you and you continue trying to gain size, chances are your waist is also expanding and you look terrible in most clothing.

Golden age bodybuilders knew size wasn't everything and found a size and look that made them unique and maintained it. It is only in the last 15 years or so that pros have been on this never ending quest to get bigger and bigger and end up with blocky physiques that look like shit.

[El Diablo Blanco]

it has nothing to do with wife kids or anything of the such ,, most guys now days dont even marry till they are 34-35 if at all,,girls have nothing to do with it,,
this is where the truth is everything above this post is rubbish,,
at age 26 most true naturals start askin around in the gym and looking for the goodies,,it happens everywhere in america and everywhere around the world,,age 25-27 is when they srat asking questions,,the real naturals that ofcourse never compete,,thats when they start thinking about using at age 26 because they feel they are maxed and they are maxed with gains naturally ,,

age 26-27 and on from there is when there will be no more natural gains as in new muscle coming on you naturally! yuo may be able to take your skinny 162 and bring it back to your skinny 186lb you used to be back when you were 23...but you wont gain no new muscle what so ever unless you turn into hormones,,

so the number is 26 ,,this is age where everyone start kissing ass in the gym to who ever they need to kiss ass to,,

with competetive and todays nothigness generation that are ALL ON HORMONES it starts at 16-20 ,,today most fellas that are seeirous into lifting use hormones before their 21th birthday and i aint talking about no winners here,,those fellas will never step on a pro stage ,,they may compete but even that not always,,

but then again all the true natural worriers and the late bllomers come into the hormones at ages 26-28 after fighting with the demon inside them since age 25 usually takes 2 years debating with yourself and humiliation from the big boys at your local gym as in mental abuse in a way (especially early 2000s) so after the 2 years debating and tired of not growing to the 220lb -260lb where the big beef is...those naturals go on hormones and usually blow up or if really decide to compete try to maintain natural status by working smart with the hormones

you can have will and muscle brain connection and even your granma feeding you german food ..it wont help ...past 26 you start going down and going down into flabby land fast! unless you jump on hormones

WTF are you talking about?  You're one dumb shit for sure.

[musclecenter]

Gaining muscle as a Natural after 30, as impossible as everyone says?

Come on...
After 55, you still can make gaining muscle http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=117526.msg2960234#msg2960234

[DK II]

Gaining muscle as a Natural after 30, as impossible as everyone says?

Come on...
After 55, you still can make gaining muscle http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=117526.msg2960234#msg2960234

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!