Board Member's History/Stats

[Arnold jr]

The thread with the guy that wants to put on 60lbs in a year got me thinking that it might be cool to have a thread where we all share are own history. It might give some realsictic insight to some of the newbies as well as be entertaining just to give everyone a better idea of who the other guy on the other end of the screen is.

Let's try and keep this thread on topic or as close as we can and be honest...lying impresses no one.
If you all like this idea for this thread maybe it will hang around for a while and we can continually add to it as time goes by. Also feel free to lay it out any way you would like.

...I'll start

*I grew up a fat/chunky kid...not obese just semi-soft. I started lifting at age 14 for football and baseball and did so all through high-school...made some progress but my diet sucked and so did my training splits.

*After high school sports I had reconstructive surgery on my left ankle...22 fiber glass clamps...I had played with a broken ankle for 3 years...yeah, I know, dumb ass but dumb ass coaches as well.

*Freshman year of college...stopped lifting, became an alcoholic...drank 6-7 days per wk ate maybe once a day and because of my naturally slow metabolism got fat as a pig...a case of beer a night and nothing but 10 Krystal's a day will do that too you.

*Finally have a wake up call after a year of stupid behaviour...I had gotten up to almost 230lbs of fat and at 5"8' it looked like 330lbs. I began dieting, stopped drinking and started running my ass off. I did some light circuit weight training at the beginning, just basics for 20-30min. All in all it took 19months but I went down to 150lbs. Way too low for my body type but when you're running 5-8miles a day and eating boiled chicken and lettuce then that's what happens.

*Age 21, finally go back to lifting for real. Began reading everything I could about bodybuilding, nutrition and yes even steroids. I spent the first year really learning how to lift properly and I also messed with the Arnold training plan in his book...how many of you fell prey to that insane nonsense in the beginning? Even so I went from 150lbs to a little over 175 that first year...yeah, some fat for sure but even so it was better then 150lbs.

*Since 21 I've ate and trained religiously...I trained naturally until I was 24 at that point was just barely over 200lbs.

*Since age 24 (almost 28 now) I've used AAS. I've never put on more then 20+ lbs from a cycle, simply because I want allow it. I don't like my bf getting too high so that's why I keep the bulks reasonable...of coarse each time is a little heavier...I should hit a good clean 230-235 by this winter late spring

*For now my goals are simple and realistic...one day compete at nationals and be competitive...that's it. I'm not looking any further then that and I believe this is a realistic goal.  I will get where I need to get, or kill myself trying that much is a given.

[Captain Equipoise]

I suppose I'll go next.

I grew up an athletic kid, lean and muscular.. my body type is almost pure mesomorph (lean but have an easy time adding muscle)
I played some sports growing up, namely basketball and hockey, had no real interest in lifting until after highschool which is when me and a friend joined the gym together (we were 18 or 19). The first year was kind of a waste since neither one of us really knew what we were doing for the most part, we referenced magazines and books for exercises and designed routines for ourselves, neither us knew really anything about protein or creatine or any of that other stuff so we just lifted and ate normal, not much happened in the first year.

When I started lifting I was maybe 5"10,5"11 and a lean athletic 170-175 (can't remember exactly) I lifted naturally for 4 years (while learning about proteins, amino acids, food types, body types, etc.) then I did my first cycle, consisting of 250mg sustanon and 250mg of test enanthate a week, by the time I did my first cycle I was already 216lbs. and lean naturally. (a lot of people say I should have never touched gear) With that first cycle a strange thing happened, my weight only got up to 220 but I had gone from aprox. 10-12%bf to about 7 or 8% I was ripped with striations and veins everywhere (strange, huh ?).

After that first cycle a few months went by and I went to university (I had previously attended college) and halfway through the first  year had a really bad medical problem, I lost my vision and couldn't see at all for a period of about 6 months, after many painful and invasive surgeries in my eyes, the blood (from burst blood vessel's) had finally all been sucked out (with needles) and after a few more months my vision started returning, needless to say I didn't lift a thing for a period of about 2 years. I started lifting again sometime after, maybe 6-8 months after starting to lift again I decided to go back to gear.

Since then I've done about 6 or 7 cycles (some small and short, some lengthier ones) I've never stayed on longer then 5 months, I believe you gain more from shorter cycles, I also don't use heavy androgens like suspension or anadrol since they just puff you up, I prefer light, clean quality cycles such as: anavar, EQ, winstorl, test, primo, etc.  The heaviest I've been (on Test E. galenika's and EQ) was 261lbs. at which point my lower back was hurting from the water retention, my natural (fully off after PCT) weight is about 230-235 and on cycle right now I'm 250 1/2 lbs. as of yestarday. I should add, my body responds very well and rapidly to any exogenous hormone use, I can still put on 20lbs. with one sustanon a week and a little EQ but that's just me.

I don't have any real goals to compete, I get asked every other day if I compete or if I'm a pro and so on, but that's just not for me, I bodybuild for me and for fun, I was inspired to start working out when I was 8 or 9 by watching Arnold movies in the 80's... commando, predator, raw deal, that's why I started working out, I wanted to look like that.. only sad thing is I started so late

[bigjohn_bluesfan]

Arnold and Captain---- I can honestly say that was an inspiration to hear your stories---At first I was thinking these posts are way to long and nobody will read but when I took the time I really enjoyed it---- I am going to share my story soon but I have to go eat right now--- Captain and Arnold: thanks for taking the time to share those stories

This proly sounds gay but this is a great support group and for those of us who take it seriously- this is a great outlet

[Captain Equipoise]

Arnold and Captain---- I can honestly say that was an inspiration to hear your stories---At first I was thinking these posts are way to long and nobody will read but when I took the time I really enjoyed it---- I am going to share my story soon but I have to go eat right now--- Captain and Arnold: thanks for taking the time to share those stories

This proly sounds gay but this is a great support group and for those of us who take it seriously- this is a great outlet

Hey, thank you man    that's exactly what we need on this board, pure support for each other, none of this 'I'm bigger, blah blah blah b.s'  and I'm glad that I don't really see that grade school crap on here, we're all trying to accomplush the same thing, it's best to help each other and share knowledge, not bash and keep good finds to ourselves.

[bigjohn_bluesfan]

I am 29 years old. I got into lifting when I was 13 because my sisters boyfriend was a bodybuilder. I fell in love with lifting weights because when i started at 13, I was just a skinny kid that bigger kids picked on, but I was still athletic. The summer that I started lifting I put on alot of muscle and got ripped. I guess it was because it was perfect timing right around puberty. Needless to say, when I went back to school that fall, I was about 20 lbs heavier of muscle and the kids were like-- wtf --- so then, I started going around the school fighting anyone who picked at me before and I beat some kids up and got beat up some. I kept on lifting and walked around with my chest poked out like a bad ass. I realized that the muscle helped me get girls too so that was all the more reson. but chasing the girls got the best of me and by the time I got out of highschool, I was partying and chasing girls and not lifting seriously.

My partying eventually developed into full fledged alcoholism and I also experimented with some drugs-- those years stripped me of all the muscle I had earned and I was left with the faint remenance of what used to be a great body. I got sober completely when I was 24--- at that time I was about 172 lbs--- I lifted on and off though it was hard working full time and going to college

Around about 26 I regained my passion for bodybuilding and began to lift seriously again, though it was still tough due to the busy schedule. I began making a promise to myself that I was going to save and manage my finances in a way that I could be more disciplined and dedicated to building.

I am 29 now and I have plenty of time to train. I did my first cycle this year. I put on about 22 lbs. I am now at 200 lbs after pct and I have been off now for 5 weeks.

I am hard as hell and look good. My back is ripped with good size and my chest looks good. I still need alot of work. I have no desire to compete. I lift because I love the sport and how it is a positive hobby. I also like to be big and feel tight in my clothes. I also like to be bigger than other guys and I am not afraid to say it.

I am 5' 10" 3/4        8% bodyfat

200 pounds


I hope to get to a nice 235-240 in the next couple years from good cycles, diet, rest, and hard training

[Rimbaud]

My turn...my turn...

In high school I guess I was pretty active. I swam, ran, & played a little baseball. In the off seasons I lifted a little & ran a lot. Needless to say I was pretty skinny. I was about 165lbs when I graduated (I'm about 6 feet tall). I also left with a lot of injuries: tendonitis in my left shoulder, hips, left knee.

After high school I went headlong into lifting (I was also pretty strict with my diet). I also began to do a ton of research about working out & dieting & such. I probably put on about 30 pounds in about three years.

When I was 21 I moved away (got tired of driving 20 miles to school). Between 21-24 I only lifted sparatically. I also began experimenting with all sorts of drugs (including steroids). So needless to say those were the lost years. After about 25 I settled down.  

Now I'm 29 & I guess I'm growing up. Over the last four years I've taken a "few" steroids & done a lot of research. I'm currently about 240lbs & about 15% body fat. I'd like to be about that weight with a body fat of about 10%. I'd also like to have a 32 inch waist again (but I think I might be dreaming there). I've toyed with the idea of doing a show...but I'm not sure if I can keep a strict diet for 10 weeks or so. Time will tell. It'll also depend on how my current cutting cycle goes.

However, I'm still plagued by a few old injuries. My hips still bother me which keeps me from doing free weight squats. My left knee also gives me a little trouble here & there. I recently developed a new injury. Apparently I have arthritis & tendonitis in my ankle (which is odd because I've never really injured them). On a positive note my shoulders feel great.

[!@#$%]

I feel uncomfortable giving out personal info on a steroid board, but wtf.

I lifted for a few months when I was 15 at a friends house, until we got into an arguement. For years after that I got comments on how big my arms were and how big my veins were. I barely touched weights again until my early 20s. I went to one of those big gyms with a wide mix of people and tried to copy what the biggest guys were doing, but I wasn't very serious about it. I ate mostly steak, fruit, chocolate bars, soda pop and beer.

I then moved and joined a hardcore gym, where it was normal to bench 500lbs, and I still just copied the bigger guys. I made some good gains for about a year, inclining 200lbs, flat benching 200lbs, dead-lifting 700lbs and squatting 650lbs. People were amazed by my giant arms, but no one was impressed with the rest of me. I then bought the Arnold Encyclopedia and began to seriously over-train. I made no further gains and stayed the same for the next 5-6 years of working out at least 4 hours a day. I slowly started improving on nutrition, but still ate poorly.

My grades were slipping, so I took some time which turned into a couple years. I started and stopped lifting again 5-6 times over the next 5 years. I've been lifting this time around about 5-6 years.

I had never done any gear until about three years ago, I discovered pro-hormones and stacked 19-nor- androstendione, 5-androstendiol, 4-androstendiol and 4-androstendiol. I thought since they were legal they were safe, so I would do 3000-5000 mg a day on work out days. For a while, I wouldn't go to the gym unless I had a buzz from those things. I got my flat bench up to 250lbs for 8 reps doing this, from 200lbs, in a couple of months.
BTW, I am aware of how retarded I was being.

Some guy then told me about M1T and I did a cycle, which took me from 200lbs to 230lbs in three weeks. I am only 5'7". My flat bench went to 350lbs for 6 reps. I kept this weight on for year, until I went back to 200lbs. Last summer I did a cycle of Superdrol which took me to 215lbs lean, until I threw out my back plus a minor tear in my hamstring. It made me really sick too. I went back to 200lbs after about three months. A few months ago I tried to do a cycle of M1t and Dbol, my strength only went up slightly and I went up to 210lbs but lost it immediately after the cycle. The cycle made me feel like shit.

After that M1t/Dbol cycle my weight and strength has been dropping to levels way below what it was before the cycle. I don't know why. I recently started a test-cyp/tren-e cycle which I hope will help me. I am currently 200lbs, 5'7". I have visible abs, but they are soft and spongy. I want to tighten up my waist and do a heavy bulk this winter. So I am trying to keep my dosage low, so my receptors will be fresh when I bulk this winter.

3 weeks into my cycle and not much improvement. This week, I tried spliting my dose up through the week which seems to be working.

[Captain Equipoise]

Good stuff, since everyone is mentioning stats I'll add mine, nothing special but it does get me noticed

6"0, 250 lbs.
aprox 10-12% bf (striations in shoulders, veins, visible abs, etc.)
19" arms
49 1/2" chest (my weakest bodypart)
not sure about other measurements, I got those last week when I was getting fitted for a suit.

I'm currently finishing off a cycle (have 3 weeks left) I should drop down to about 235 or so when I'm fully off, maybe 240 if I eat a lot.

[MLAT]

In high school played football and basketball, always stayed pretty active.  During football season playing weight was about 230-235 probably 17-19% BF.  I knew nothing about dieting or lifting for that matter.  I really didnt take lifting a serious as I should have.  Our lifting program consisited of working every body part 3x/week.  And I wondered why I really didnt get any bigger, lol.  But even to this day I have a hard time gaining muscle no matter what my diet or training routine is.

During my first 2 years of college I would lift on and off for a few months at a time.  Still couldnt get my act together with my diet and training.  The best part is I couldnt blame it on partying, drinking, etc. because I dont drink.  I just didnt have the self discipline to get my ass in the gym.  I ended up quitting school to get a job.  After letting myself go I balloned up to 250, and got hurt working.  I herniated a disc in my lower back which required surgery (at age 25).  

That was my wake up call.  After my surgery I made the decision to take better care of myself.  My physical therapist recommended the zone diet.  I ordered my first supplement, hydroxycut.  Did cardio 6x/week and ate a clean diet.  At one point I was down to 185 with a 32 inch waist (I'm 6'4) around 6%BF.  But I didnt like the way I looked.  People thought I was sick because I was so skinny.  So at that time (age 27) I started training seriously and still going strong now.

I just finished my first cycle 6 weeks ago at age 30.  Everything went very smooth with the help of this board.  I have been a member for a while, but hardly post.  I would just read the posts and gain as much info as possible.  My training and overall well being has never been better.  I am counting down the days to my next cycle. I love training , I look foward to it everyday.  It has made me a better person.

My current stats

6'4
243
12%BF

[bigjohn_bluesfan]

bump.

[ZEEK]

Im next pick me pick me please....

First off let me just say I know pretty much alot about AAS,But maybe not alot of what I should Know.So Im glad I got to be apart of this group of brothers that know a little more and have helped me out while learning more.I will give credit were credit is do. So thanks to every MOD on here, and to all the new friends and old friends on here,when we all stick together there is more form of knowledge out there then we think. Ok lets do this damn thing....

Im 33 years old, I started working out when I was 13, I was a little kid that got picked on all the time,So I use to watch these shows when i was younger and I would see like the bigger guys beating up the bullies,So I was always in gym class just tring my hardest just to get over that 140 mark. fianally I was in 8 grade in high school I was at 185 ppounds I did the football thing i would workout to look good and get laid as much as I could.When i hit 12th grade i was at 195 pounds.Back then i didnt know anything about steroids and I didnt want to I was just happy to look pretty good and get past all the bullshit that comes with high school. I was no longer getting picked on,I was one of the kids that would help the kids that were getting picked on.After high school I just stoped working out. when i hit 21 i was off to the army of course they busted my ass back into shape well as I was in up to my 4 years I did alot of reading at times i found a BB magaine my buddy had, so I started reading articles and it showed the break down of a steroid and what it does and blah blah anyways I found it interesting so I started reading books about compounds and molicules and the how things are broken down.Well as I seen more and more BB on the base I wanted to get like that So i did research and learned about steroids I started buying books on steroids Im at 23 when I learning the compounds and the break down of roids.At 25 i get out of the army i take my ass back to  school to learn about busssiness. i dont want to make a whole book out of this but anyways,At 25 i started to my first ever cycle of steroids i was at 195 still Iwas using just a test cycle i got big up to 212 pounds.i dont want to compete and I dont want to be a BB I just want to look good and be big.Ever since then All I ever use is test E, EQ, D-bol. Again Im 33 and I like the results I get from these products I know i can get bigger with other products but i like were Im at. I didnt want to bore anyone So i kinda just hurried up my life.
My stats are
5'11
215 pounds
10% b/f

so good luck to everyone
god bless
lift heavy and get big and know one can bring us down.

[Overload]

Started lifting at 14 because the guy across the street was huge and was throwing away his old plastic cement filled weights. i always wanted to look like arnold just like most of you. those 80's movies made me dream of being big and ripped! i was always skinny growing up and got picked on quite a bit, i was a loner and i still am to this day, which is why the bodybuilding/powerlifting lifestyle works so well for me. i played all the kid sports - football, baseball, basketball, soccer, ETC. but i was only good at explosive stuff like sprinting, jumping and tackling. i was the skinniest kid on my junior high football team but i was the middle linebacker because i hit very hard for my size and i've always been aggressive. sports never worked out for me because i was a loner and didn't get along with all the rich kids at my school who's parents gave them everything under the sun.

i got into inline speed skating at around 8 and was very good at it. i was beating kids twice my size and by the time i was 12 the owner of the local skating rink asked me to be on the team. we did alot of explosive training with weights, jumping squats, string shoes, lunges and plenty of cardio. this was when i realized i had potential for mass, my legs were growing very fast. after 2 years of inline competitions i was top 3 in the state and won 2 national meets until i was tripped going into a corner and almost broke my neck. my collar bone stuck through the skin and i had to wear a neck brace for 3 months. i gave it up for kick boxing which i also gave up after about 2 years...

quit working out completely and started smoking dope and getting drunk every weekend with my friends all through high school. always getting suspended for cussing out teachers and fighting kids who tried to bully me. i played a little baseball in high school but never took it seriously and when it came time to workout i just did light weight but my legs were very strong. at 160 pounds i could squat 335 for 6 reps, ass to ankles. my coach called me captian tree-trunks because my legs were huge compared to the rest of my body. eventually gave up baseball my junior year in high school and started partying hard, acid, X, coke and lots of booze was all i knew for about 3 years. i look back and it makes me sick but i honestly had some of the best times of my life during that period so no regrets. finally i had 2 friends of mine die from xanax overdoses. both were 19/20 when this happen. this is when i woke up...

at 20 i started lifting weights for no reason except to keep myself from getting fucked up every night. i left all my friends and moved in to a shithole apartment alone and did nothing but read about bodybuilding and nutrition. the first year i trained alone and did every exercise for every muscle group. i really was lost in the magazine workouts that were complete crap. i still made pretty decent gains during that first year. at 170 pounds i was benching 205(i started at 115) and could incline the 75 DB's for a few reps. nothing special but my squat was still good, i could rep 315 for 10 like nothing but never went heavier because my neck problems from my skating accident. it would flare up from time to time...still does.

then i met a guy named jeff, he was huge and 100% natural. he had been training for 6 years and looked impressive. he told me i had the bone structure and build to get really big and strong. we started hitting the weights HARD, some of my best workouts to this day were back when we trained. we did the whole lifestyle, eating, training, eating, sleep, eating...i had forgotten about my long lost friends and drugs at this point, i was obsessed. after 3 years i was getting very strong and almost caught jeff in every lift. i was 205 pounds and a little chubby but very strong.

kept up this pace for another 3 years training with several different people after jeff got married and left the game. bulked up to 230+ pounds natural and was fat but still managed to bench 370 all natural. finally decided to competed in a local natural bodybuilding show and won my class, very suprised actually. i thought i was going to get killed. then i realized natural bodybuilding wasn't for me and i began power lifting. after 3 months i was pulling 455 for a few reps and got up to 515 for single. squat was around 485 at this point i think.

to make a long story short i met some world class powerlifters at a local gym. they got me hooked on their lifting style and i trained with them for about year completely natural and i competed in two local powerlifting meets and won both. then gains started getting tough, i was eating like a horse and training like an animal but the gains were slow. started researching AAS and talked with my powerlifting friends about them. my first cycle was 500mg sust and 30mg dbol the first 4 weeks. i absolutely exploded on this! i was eating everything in sight and gained 28 pounds during my 16 week cycle. then i realized being fat was good for strength but not for health. i would rather be healthy AND strong...

years have gone by and all my cycles have been very good, i've competed in several powerlifting meets and finished top 3 in every single meet as a 220 or 242 pounder. won a few and lost a few by close margines.

people from high school who see me now usually freak because i used to be the biggest drug head asshole on this earth...i fucked over many people during my drug phase. now i am a totally different person and i think weight lifting actually changed my life. i honestly mean that...

my goal in the next year or so is to bench 500 raw, deadlift 650 raw and squat 600 raw...current raw maxes are 465 bench, 590 dead, 565 squat...all in a meet and with a pause. i'm also currently training for an equipped meet in december using a titan F6 single ply bench shirt and Inzer hardcore squat suit.

i've gone from a 165 pound weakling all the way to 257 pounds of fat but strong as hell. currently weigh in at 227, visible hard 6 pack around 8% bodyfat and veins in my quads...6' tall and irish/scottish blood. classic mesomorph from what i can tell. never had problems gaining or losing weight.

pics will follow shortly and i'll expand a little more on my journey...

i consider myself a powerbuilder...my training starts with power and finishes with bodybuilding. i'll elaborate more on that later as well.

 

[Arnold jr]

Good stuff fellas...it's motivational to see where others have come and where they are going...hopefully more people will share their stories as well. Hopefully this thread will grow and everyone will feel comfortable sharing there ups and downs on it as time goes by.

It also apperas that everyone is being pretty honest...there have yet to be any outrageous claims of bodybuilding superiority...but I'm sure a couple of those will do there best to sneak in here.

[G]

I grew up playing all kinds of different sports, but wrestling is my passion.I got injured when i was 16  and couldn't pactise for a few months and that's when i started lifting weights - age 16, and haven't stopped since then.I started at 5'9, 140 lbs.Three months later i did my first cycle with great results.I've done multiple cycles since then. Right now i'm 25y, still 5'9, 260 lbs, 15 % bf., but still needs a lot of improvement.Wanna get bigger, stronger and leaner.Weakest bodypart - arms - fucking 19 - looks just small for my body.

[Arnold jr]

I grew up playing all kinds of different sports, but wrestling is my passion.I got injured when i was 16  and couldn't pactise for a few months and that's when i started lifting weights - age 16, and haven't stopped since then.I started at 5'9, 140 lbs.Three months later i did my first cycle with great results.I've done multiple cycles since then. Right now i'm 25y, still 5'9, 260 lbs, 15 % bf., but still needs a lot of improvement.Wanna get bigger, stronger and leaner.Weakest bodypart - arms - fucking 19 - looks just small for my body.

First cycle at 16? Any thoughts now looking back about starting that so early?

[G]

First cycle at 16? Any thoughts now looking back about starting that so early?

I regret it.I was just hanging out with the wrong people - a bunch of dumbass gym rats who were telling me what to use , when to use and how to use it.And i was only 16.That's just too early for that shit.If a 16 year old ask me about roids  - i 'll tell him to stay away from it.First of all a 16 years old is not mature enough to decide if he 'sready for that or no, and second at that age you can get pretty good results without that.But there
's nothing  i can do about it now.Everybody makes mistakes.

[Poopshake]

Me: Now
age 25
5'8"
170lbs
205 bench
300 dead
275 squat

Me:Beginning
age 23
5'8"
150lbs
165 bench
185 dead
185 squat

Been lifting for about a year and a half not to active growing up, I did wrestle a couple years but never put a hell of alot of effort in to it.  I've always wanted to be strong but I never put much of a lasting effort into that either.  I finally decided I was going to stick with it and I have made some decent strength gains but nowhere near enough, which is why I am here on this board in particular.  I dont give a lick about my size all I want is explosive strength.  My gains have ceased for the past months and I have tried different routines and switching up my schedule and more protein.  None of it has worked.  Help me out guys, I am ready to enter the darkside.

[!@#$%]

*Since 21 I've ate and trained religiously...I trained naturally until I was 24 at that point was just barely over 200lbs.

*Since age 24 (almost 28 now) I've used AAS. I've never put on more then 20+ lbs from a cycle, simply because I want allow it. I don't like my bf getting too high so that's why I keep the bulks reasonable...of coarse each time is a little heavier...I should hit a good clean 230-235 by this winter late spring

So you were 200 before AAS and have been using for 4 years. How much did you weigh right before your last cycle and how much do you weigh now?

[Arnold jr]

So you were 200 before AAS and have been using for 4 years. How much did you weigh right before your last cycle and how much do you weigh now?

As of today I weigh 196...I just stopped a diet I was on for a show that I was supposed to do this coming Saturday, but as mentioned in another thread it will not work out for me this go around.

Since I've been using I've always bulked up and then cut, bulk up to around 220+ and then drop down to cut up...each time I diet however I am heavier at the end of the diet then previous diets because I am able to start with more mass...make sense?

This year from where my starting weight is and based on past experience, I may easily hit the low to mid-230's during bulking phase, which in turn would help me be larger and to carry more mass once I diet down again. I am flirting with the idea of bulking a little longer this time, I haven't made my mind up yet, but doing so I would be able to get even bigger. At the same time, I have to be very carefull because I have a naturally slow metabolism, and it is easy for me to gain fat, and putting on too much fat would make dieting even harder then it already is. I've gotten pretty good at maintaining my cardio regiment and a clean diet, even when bulking, which helps me controll things a great deal, so we'll see what happens.

All add this, I am very eager and still very motivated about my BB goals, but the setbacks this year in regards to the said show have really been hard on me...it really sucks to diet so long and hard and to not do a show, especially when it was part of a plan. I'm someone who sets long term goals and this show has been in my plan now for 4 years. I refuse to look at the whole thing as a failure and to lay down and quit, it has only motivated me more, but it is a struggle to make certain that I don't let myself fall into a state of pity.

[Luv2Hurt]

Enjoy the leaness you have now.  Why did you have to miss the show? 

[BigIronMike25]

As of today I weigh 196...I just stopped a diet I was on for a show that I was supposed to do this coming Saturday, but as mentioned in another thread it will not work out for me this go around.

Since I've been using I've always bulked up and then cut, bulk up to around 220+ and then drop down to cut up...each time I diet however I am heavier at the end of the diet then previous diets because I am able to start with more mass...make sense?

This year from where my starting weight is and based on past experience, I may easily hit the low to mid-230's during bulking phase, which in turn would help me be larger and to carry more mass once I diet down again. I am flirting with the idea of bulking a little longer this time, I haven't made my mind up yet, but doing so I would be able to get even bigger. At the same time, I have to be very carefull because I have a naturally slow metabolism, and it is easy for me to gain fat, and putting on too much fat would make dieting even harder then it already is. I've gotten pretty good at maintaining my cardio regiment and a clean diet, even when bulking, which helps me controll things a great deal, so we'll see what happens.

All add this, I am very eager and still very motivated about my BB goals, but the setbacks this year in regards to the said show have really been hard on me...it really sucks to diet so long and hard and to not do a show, especially when it was part of a plan. I'm someone who sets long term goals and this show has been in my plan now for 4 years. I refuse to look at the whole thing as a failure and to lay down and quit, it has only motivated me more, but it is a struggle to make certain that I don't let myself fall into a state of pity.

Hang in there bro....You're TIME will come!!!  I have no doubt it will!!! 

You should be content knowing you did all you could possibly do and  nobody onstage next weekend will have trained or have dieted as hard as you did!!!

[BigIronMike25]

Wasnt going to post but what the hell:

*Started lifting freshman yr in hs but strictly for baseball.  Was always a tall, lanky ectomorphic type.  Began lifting at 6-2 140lbs just plain TINY!!!  lol...after i got just absolutely sick of being skinny and weak i started reading MD and Muscle Media and pretty much anything i could get my hands on.

*By jr yr in hs i blew up to around 205lbs after discovering creatine and protein powders.  Ended up getting blessed with a scholarship to play ball in college, which i did for 3 yrs until shoulder surgery put an end to that. 

*After this i became severely depressed and didnt want to do anything but stare at the wall all day wonderin what might have been.  Finally i woke up and realized that i still had a deep burning desire to compete i just didnt know in what but i knew i had to find something.  I had always loved lifting bc of the stress-relief it provided during tough times in my life. 

*Finally, after many talks with my brother Arnoldjr (we used to train at the same gym)...i decided i really wanted to compete in bodybuilding.  Still, i found it difficult to break out of that 200lb or so plateau.  At nearly 6 foot 3 this wasnt gonna cut it.  I began researching anabolics for about a yr and half before finally taking the plunge over to the "Dark side" about a year ago.  I still remember shaking like hell and sweatin and being white as a ghost while pinning myself the first time (that seems like ages ago now).

*Last summer my 1st cycle was simply 500mg of Test Enanthate per week.  I grew to a little over 220lbs.  After that 1st cycle i took 6 months completely OFF (while still training hard) to plan my next move.  I wanted to do another bulking cycle but just couldnt wait to step onstage.

*Finally in January of this year i started planning my comp prep which included a heavy cutting cycle of 16weeks.  I once again read everything i could about dieting / cardio and comp prep in general.  I also asked advice from everyone i knew was knowledable on the subject.

* 2 months ago on June 10th i cashed in on my hard work taking 3rd place at my first ever show.  After baseball ended i never thought i'd be content again but the Good Lord put bodybuilding in my life for a reason.  This without a doubt the greatest sport there is.

*as for long term goals, i honestly don't know.  I do plan on competing for a long long time, but seriously doubt i have the genetics (6-3 220 isnt that big in our world) to ever be a pro or anything like that.   I do plan on getting up to around 250 or so before cutting up for my next show (which i will win this time).  When it comes down to it though, i bodybuild because the gym is the one place i can go and totally block out work, school, relationship issues etc.

[!@#$%]

Since I've been using I've always bulked up and then cut, bulk up to around 220+ and then drop down to cut up...each time I diet however I am heavier at the end of the diet then previous diets because I am able to start with more mass...make sense?

So, that long cycle was a cutting cycle? Or did you combine a bulk and cut in one cycle, with the bulk at the beginning?

If it was a cutting cycle, 9 months seems like a long time to cut. Why so long and why so much gear to cut? And why use bulkers to cut?

Also if you are about 200 now and you were 200 before ever using gear, how many pounds of lean muscle do you think you have put on?

[Havenbull]

whole lot of "29" year olds up in here.




(gentlemen, just admit you're over thirty) 

[Arnold jr]

Enjoy the leaness you have now.  Why did you have to miss the show? 

During the middle of the diet I got a hamstring injury due to an allergic reaction from some sust. My supplier started using Grapeseed oil as his base and didn't tell me and I'm allergic to grapes...this knocked me out of the gym for 2 solid wks and another 2wks of no leg training or cardio.

I also got a bad stomach flue for nearly a wk that really set me back. Once I got to a couple wks out from the show I could tell I wasn't going to be ready because of the set backs...I just had to take it as it wasn't meant to be. I know I could have gone ahead and done the show and not made a fool of myself, but if I'm not at my best then I have no desire to get on stage...that's just me.

Hang in there bro....You're TIME will come!!!  I have no doubt it will!!! 

You should be content knowing you did all you could possibly do and  nobody onstage next weekend will have trained or have dieted as hard as you did!!!

Appreciate the kind words bro...I'll be sure and try to give you a call this wk end and catch up.

So, that long cycle was a cutting cycle? Or did you combine a bulk and cut in one cycle, with the bulk at the beginning?

It was a combo cycle...I've never done that before and I will not do it again...I have just always wanted to try that.

Also if you are about 200 now and you were 200 before ever using gear, how many pounds of lean muscle do you think you have put on?

Exactly, well I am not sure, but it is a shit load compared to where I started...BigIronMike25 can attest to that...as he said we used to train at the same gym and we still keep in touch.