When gains are over- next step

[OuchThatHurts]

Very good post. I assume this is the person who has reached their genetic potential or the person chasing it after 40?

That's the person people look at and say, "That MFer isn't going to gain any more now for sure."

 

[OuchThatHurts]

BIGNJ has it right.

It's all food, gear and your own preference about how fat you want to look.
Oh you can't grow anymore? Eat more food. It works. It will always work.
But it's starting to just look like all fat? Ok, well then you need more hormones to tip the scale back in your favor.

And then—you might say you want to get big, but you realllly dont want to get big. The MAJORITY of dudes are this exact example.
The average gym guy thinks that getting big is just eating and building 100% muscle over night. No, no no. You end up getting chubby. To be the big you want, you need to be chubby. And hold on to that chubby for way longer than you'd like to. AND THEN CUT. It's a long game that 95% of dudes are not willing to play. Most guy will spend years just recomping slightly and getting to a good physique. And then, in reality, you cant really do that recomp shit anymore. You either need to cut down or get big the hard way. You MIGHT not be willing to get big the hard way. And that's ok. Just realize that those big gains are in your past. Its fine tuning what you have now.

EVERY PERSON has the ABILITY to get huge. The few who do, realllly want to.

Agree. There's no size-specific gene that activates when you reach a certain weight that says you can in no way gain any more. Maybe more difficult but then you have to outsmart your body because it's going to resist you. Amd it will. Anyone that's ever been really low bodyfat can tell you how mentally grueling it is.

 

[qbkilla]

BIGNJ has it right.

It's all food, gear and your own preference about how fat you want to look.
Oh you can't grow anymore? Eat more food. It works. It will always work.
But it's starting to just look like all fat? Ok, well then you need more hormones to tip the scale back in your favor.

And then—you might say you want to get big, but you realllly dont want to get big. The MAJORITY of dudes are this exact example.
The average gym guy thinks that getting big is just eating and building 100% muscle over night. No, no no. You end up getting chubby. To be the big you want, you need to be chubby. And hold on to that chubby for way longer than you'd like to. AND THEN CUT. It's a long game that 95% of dudes are not willing to play. Most guy will spend years just recomping slightly and getting to a good physique. And then, in reality, you cant really do that recomp shit anymore. You either need to cut down or get big the hard way. You MIGHT not be willing to get big the hard way. And that's ok. Just realize that those big gains are in your past. Its fine tuning what you have now.

EVERY PERSON has the ABILITY to get huge. The few who do, realllly want to.

Pretty much spot on. I am one of those guys who accepts I wont get much bigger because im not willing to spend most of my days walking around carrying a ton of fat. OP, seems like you are in a similar boat and I feel like its a smart approach, esp in late 30's. You have 2 roads, the healthy/lean/look mostly the same road, or the get chubby/up AAS /push your limits road. Got to pick one.

 

[juggy38]

Agree. There's no size-specific gene that activates when you reach a certain weight that says you can in no way gain any more. Maybe more difficult but then you have to outsmart your body because it's going to resist you. Amd it will. Anyone that's ever been really low bodyfat can tell you how mentally grueling it is.

Dick quits working, sleep is more of a series of 4-5 naps at night, all you think about is how many minutes till the next meal. You lose your keys like 3 times a day.

Oh the good times lol

 

[qbkilla]

Dick quits working, sleep is more of a series of 4-5 naps at night, all you think about is how many minutes till the next meal. You lose your keys like 3 times a day.

Oh the good times lol

Has anyonelse had the opposite experience with the dick? 20's I'd always have Cialis on hand. Late 30s I jerkoff 5 times a day never have Ed but in the 20's I was 220-230 with some fat. Now 180-195.

Has anyonelse had better wood later in life or after dropping weight?

Sleep is definitely worse, I can no longer sleep past 10 on weekends.

I could never grow much of a beard in my 20's but late 30s it's legit which is odd

 

[Tomgrass]

I need to push it otherwise i will always wonder why i didnt gave myself chance to be where I want to be

Pretty much spot on. I am one of those guys who accepts I wont get much bigger because im not willing to spend most of my days walking around carrying a ton of fat. OP, seems like you are in a similar boat and I feel like its a smart approach, esp in late 30's. You have 2 roads, the healthy/lean/look mostly the same road, or the get chubby/up AAS /push your limits road. Got to pick one.

for the last few years i was really happy being there but once this became my normal i saw i have no challenges. I mastered being shredded year round and looking great but i did not mastered the size game and i really miss this element of the puzzle.

 

[qbkilla]

I believe you said your not willing to try insulin or gh, what is the reasoning? Even a small dose of say novalin r pre or post wo?

 

[Brock456]

BIGNJ has it right.

It's all food, gear and your own preference about how fat you want to look.
Oh you can't grow anymore? Eat more food. It works. It will always work.
But it's starting to just look like all fat? Ok, well then you need more hormones to tip the scale back in your favor.

And then—you might say you want to get big, but you realllly dont want to get big. The MAJORITY of dudes are this exact example.
The average gym guy thinks that getting big is just eating and building 100% muscle over night. No, no no. You end up getting chubby. To be the big you want, you need to be chubby. And hold on to that chubby for way longer than you'd like to. AND THEN CUT. It's a long game that 95% of dudes are not willing to play. Most guy will spend years just recomping slightly and getting to a good physique. And then, in reality, you cant really do that recomp shit anymore. You either need to cut down or get big the hard way. You MIGHT not be willing to get big the hard way. And that's ok. Just realize that those big gains are in your past. Its fine tuning what you have now.

EVERY PERSON has the ABILITY to get huge. The few who do, realllly want to.

This is a great post. Nothing really needs to be said beyond this.

I actually just realized this. Been stuck at same weight. Upped cals and putting on weight but mostly fat, time to add some hormones in there and put those good cals to use.

 

[juggy38]

Also, I think later in life we just can’t tolerate the drugs as well. At 25 I could handle test/tren/EQ stacks.

Now, I have to be very careful or my BP will be 145/100 in two weeks.

God damn I miss 75mg tren ace a day.

 

[jeroendebleser]

This is a great post. Nothing really needs to be said beyond this.

I actually just realized this. Been stuck at same weight. Upped cals and putting on weight but mostly fat, time to add some hormones in there and put those good cals to use.

That's exactly how it works yes. You need to do both. If you just start eating more and more without upping the hormones at the same time...

 

[jeroendebleser]

Also, I think later in life we just can’t tolerate the drugs as well. At 25 I could handle test/tren/EQ stacks.

Now, I have to be very careful or my BP will be 145/100 in two weeks.

God damn I miss 75mg tren ace a day.

True unfortunately

 

[pickapeck]

Simple advice. It looks like you have been pushing hard for many years. Your body needs a reset and break. Maybe try dropping down to a real normal physiological range of hormone and do something else for a little while. Earn a technical certification or degree, work on one of your hobby cars, put a porch on your house, get back to the dojo mroe for a while. Something like that requiring your attention that you can gain some satisfaction from and view as growth or attainment in another area. Do maintenance stuff in the gym 3-4 days a week but take a break and focus on other things for 3-6 months. You will regress but you have muscle memory. Once you hit it again your body will be fresh. Once back at it 8 weeks in you will reattain what you had and blow past it with less drugs. Plus you will have gained perspective and learned that what you built is always there laying in wait once you hit go.

 

[qbkilla]

Simple advice. It looks like you have been pushing hard for many years. Your body needs a reset and break. Maybe try dropping down to a real normal physiological range of hormone and do something else for a little while. Earn a technical certification or degree, work on one of your hobby cars, put a porch on your house, get back to the dojo mroe for a while. Something like that requiring your attention that you can gain some satisfaction from and view as growth or attainment in another area. Do maintenance stuff in the gym 3-4 days a week but take a break and focus on other things for 3-6 months. You will regress but you have muscle memory. Once you hit it again your body will be fresh. Once back at it 8 weeks in you will reattain what you had and blow past it with less drugs. Plus you will have gained perspective and learned that what you built is always there laying in wait once you hit go.

Interesting idea. Almost like a form of periodization.

 

[pickapeck]

Interesting idea. Almost like a form of periodization.

Not a new idea. I remember my sensei years and years ago, Japanese man many times national champion in US and Japan.He emphasized to have balance in life.

 

[Performance Based]

I am not a bodybuilder so perhaps not the best to take advise from. If the goal is purely aesthetic development by all means listen to everyone here. The initial post is approaching the issue as though which compounds to utilize will illicit the next level to bump you out of this plateau.

Personally, I am a huge fan of batching. I try to maintain a 6 min mile, 600 pound squat and 600 pound deadlift year round while maintaining flexibility and durability. First several years I could hold strength based goals but not cardiovascular or vice versa or I was a walking injury.

I alternate months of training now of speed work, stregnth work, durability, distance work, etc. Somehow truly focusing on one modality over another really helps generate parabolic curves in advancement. As long as I maintain my baseline training in the other areas I will maintain what I worked for or maybe have a 5% drop off.

ID honestly say stay on a TRT +20% dosage and try something remarkably contrarian to what you have always done. Change the training for 4-6 months, add in 3x weekly swims, intermittent fasting, mobility work, etc.

 

[blmcgee81]

Lot of good advice here. Studies show high BF has shit to do with reduced muscle gain. You don't have to get obese to put on muscle but it doesn't hurt to have a little extra BF and a fat ass surplus of calories. Higher carbs is key. Properly dosed cycle is key and GH never hurts.

 

[hawkmoon]

You probably have another ten years of progress left in you.
I made substantial progress in my 40s when I set my mind to it, getting back on stage at 48.

The comments about food intake ring particularly true in my experience.

On the same amount of gear, I can add muscle with just food. I train modified DC style, three times a week.
I think after 50 it gets hard because your simply cannot assimilate food efficiently.

 

[heavyhitter]

You probably have another ten years of progress left in you.
I made substantial progress in my 40s when I set my mind to it, getting back on stage at 48.

The comments about food intake ring particularly true in my experience.

On the same amount of gear, I can add muscle with just food. I train modified DC style, three times a week.
I think after 50 it gets hard because your simply cannot assimilate food efficiently.

I would agree with this. with age comes a decline in stomach acid levels and the ability to produce digestive enzymes.

 

[alfresco]

In youth my wings were strong
and tireless
But I did not know the
mountains
In age I knew the mountains
But my weary wings could not
follow my vision
Genius is wisdom and youth

- Edgar Lee Masters​

 

[Tomgrass]

Simple advice. It looks like you have been pushing hard for many years. Your body needs a reset and break. Maybe try dropping down to a real normal physiological range of hormone and do something else for a little while. Earn a technical certification or degree, work on one of your hobby cars, put a porch on your house, get back to the dojo mroe for a while. Something like that requiring your attention that you can gain some satisfaction from and view as growth or attainment in another area. Do maintenance stuff in the gym 3-4 days a week but take a break and focus on other things for 3-6 months. You will regress but you have muscle memory. Once you hit it again your body will be fresh. Once back at it 8 weeks in you will reattain what you had and blow past it with less drugs. Plus you will have gained perspective and learned that what you built is always there laying in wait once you hit go.

It is rather other way - all those years i was underating trying to be sensible and in some way I progressed - i have got to same weight and conditioning with minimal gear - in a past to be there Higher doses were required. So for this years i grinded. Now it is time to apply the same with more food and more gear. Lets say that i want to feel what good offseason mean and not worry about loosing definition.