If you could go back

[ajdos]

PM has a lot of very experienced members, guys who have been training and competing for many years. The level of experience here starts at recreational all the way to professional.
Whenever I read articles and posts by members here I learn something new and re-assess my training and protocols.
The longer I have been doing this the more I look back at things I did in the past and realize, that although I thought I was doing things right at the time, I was really cheating myself in many ways.

There are things I have learned in the past couple years, that I wished I had done more of back then.


For me it would have been paying more attention to mind muscle and doing less of a powerlifting mentality with my workouts.


Im wondering what were some of the major things you guys would do differently if you could go back years and do them right from the start?

Could be drugs, diet, training, lifestyle, anything.

 

[275bills]

Don't force feed to gain weight and don't over training thinking more is better. Quality over quantity and less is more.

 

[Jblack]

To be creative and have more fun in the gym. Sometimes esp as a teenager whatever was in Flex was the gospel. I would have experimented more for sure and focused on the mind muscle part as well.

 

[little slice]

wish I had been weighing and measuring all of my food this whole time.. lol

 

[johnjuanb1]

1. Use perfect form with lighter weight and higher reps.
2. Eat a lot more good fats for my joints.
3. Train once a day 4 days a week instead of twice a day six days a week.

 

[MooseKnuckles]

I would train my whole body instead of having chest day everyday, but I was young and just learning.

 

[raw33man]

Full range of motion Also.... if you can't do it, then you are a pussiboy who needs to lower the weight

 

[GreenEarth]

I'm still a young guy (mid-20s), but I did start lifting in high school. First foray into gear @ 21. A few things:

1. Lifting less often. Used to go 7 days a week and would feel "bad" if I missed a day. Started going 3 days a week using DC and saw so much more growth and benefit. Definitely wish I had learned this earlier in college, spent too much time working the gym into my everyday schedule along with studying.

2. Sticking to test. My first cycle was test-e @ 500mg/wk with epistane starting the first 5 weeks. Was up a good amount of weight by the end, then about a year later I decided to try the whole high-tren low-test craze. Just didn't work for me like it did for some. Now I'm back on Test @ 600mg/wk with a Tbol kicker, and already just 6-7 weeks in I'm up 20lbs. Mad at myself for changing up what worked so well for me initially. If test stopped working I should have considered tren, but looking back it was just a bad decision fueled by the hype of trenbolone.

3. Bloodwork. I started doing this after my first cycle. Did it pre, intra, and post-tren. Really happy that I decided to start monitoring my general health (lipids, kidney/liver, etc.). What's it cost, an extra $250 over the course of an entire cycle? Money well spent, assuming you're willing to make changes for large discrepancies.

Might have more, those are just off the top of my head.

 

[Vehemoth]

Realizing everything is individual. Don't follow someone else's meal plan/training and expect the exact same results

 

[nothuman]

Not stay on high dose tren for 10 months.

 

[AshopRep]

I wish I'd competed earlier.

 

[Roxi30mg]

I wish I never touched Nubain. It was all down-hill from there. I often wonder what my physique and my life would have been like if I just said "no".

 

[G.I.Bro]

Not stay on high dose tren for 10 months.

What was the fallout for you? I've been on tren too long. Wrecked lipids for sure. Who knows what other damage. It's not good for you obviously but all that's really "visible" is the lipid profile.

 

[raw33man]

Don't compare yourself to pros or other bodybuilders.... don't compare your diet, training, doses to them ! Everyone is different

 

[swolepanda]

coming off everything for a few months feels good.

 

[GreenEarth]

What was the fallout for you? I've been on tren too long. Wrecked lipids for sure. Who knows what other damage. It's not good for you obviously but all that's really "visible" is the lipid profile.

If you can say "I've been on tren for too long", something tells me it's time to come off. Sounds like you have a very good self-awareness that you don't want to listen to (I think most of us have suffered from this when we're still seeing improvement). It's not worth it.

Which is another thing I've learned...to listen to my body and my gut more often. About training, diet, drugs, etc. Too much trying to do things against the grain for reasons that never justify themselves.

What else are you running GI?

 

[G.I.Bro]

If you can say "I've been on tren for too long", something tells me it's time to come off. Sounds like you have a very good self-awareness that you don't want to listen to (I think most of us have suffered from this when we're still seeing improvement). It's not worth it.

Which is another thing I've learned...to listen to my body and my gut more often. About training, diet, drugs, etc. Too much trying to do things against the grain for reasons that never justify themselves.

What else are you running GI?

Sorry, I meant I've run it too long in the past. Currently on a planned test/tren blast, nothing too reckless. Then going to finish summer with lower test (trt level) and Toro Var. I just meant in the past I've run tren far longer than I should have. I agree with what you posted for sure. As we get older I think we realize less can be more and to pay attention to health more.

 

[Jello]

I would have worked with an actual trainer and learned from someone with real experience instead of figuring it out on my own. I think I would have been a few years further ahead.

 

[0893]

focus on the mirror NOT the scale. Eat clean food heathly high protein foods instead of lots of unhealthy high protein foods.

most important: ALWAS remember family comes before bodybuilding!

 

[BIGNFIT]

Not stay on high dose tren for 10 months.

How high were you on it?(day, week..?)