Curiosity: My friend never cared about his nutrition but his biceps are way more defined than mine

diogomello12
diogomello12 Posts: 33 Member
edited September 2019 in Fitness and Exercise
Approximately one year ago I got an office job where I met this colleague who turned out to be one of my closest friends. Even though we work in different teams, we often share the same breaks so we use to have lunch together.

The fun fact is that he, a 1.75m (5.7 ft) guy who never really cared much about his nutrition, goes to the gym 3 times per week and mainly trains his biceps, triceps and arm groups.
The guy has one of the most boring food plan ever. it's been a year, and he's been bringing the same dull lunch to work everyday: some rice, a pork chop steak with 2 to 3 slices of cheese. Every time I ask him why doesn't he vary his nutrition he answers me that he doesn't have time to think about that and that he needs to save money.

He doesn't care much, he graduated in finances so he always told me he's saving most of his money to do something bigger in the future, perhaps to start a business. Truth is, for the past 3 years he managed to eat rice, a pork chop steak (which he RARELY swaps the pork to a can of tuna) and some cheese. For dinner his girlfriend cooks him something but he doesn't really have an afternoon snack besides some cheap crackers that he decides to buy (he always buys the cheapest of things, it's incredible).

Now, because he is funny as hell, he often jokes that he only goes to the gym because we have an office job and he just wants to give his body some movement so he doesn't become sedentary.

Truth is, sometimes he jokes about his biceps but whenever he shows it, they are waaaay more defined than mine, a vegan guy who is been trying to have a more varied nutrition for around 6 months, to hit all my macros most of the times and still struggle to develop my muscles. The difference is that I don't go to the gym, I like to do my own workout exercises at home 5 days per week.

It's funny because he must consume not more than 50g of protein per day (for his weight, plus calories lost by walking the whole day, plus muscle maintenance, plus calories lost in the gym) and his arm is way over mine, even though he does it for the fun and so his body doesn't become a stone.

Or maybe life gives you the results when you don't care as much... 🙂

Replies

  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    Genetics. Some people are just predisposed to gaining muscle easily. I can workout a bit or watch what I eat and see results quickly. Helps that I share genes with my Nana who was an Olympian.

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    How long has he been doing it? How long have you? How is he built otherwise? How are you?
    One of my brothers was kinda funny looking. When he wasn’t trying at all, his shoulders were way wider than his hips, and when he worked out, it didn’t take him long to have the figure, not the definition, of a body builder. Huge shoulders, very slim waist. With his shirt off, he still didn’t have even the start of a six pack, but with a shirt on, you could imagine he did.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    AliNouveau wrote: »
    Genetics. Some people are just predisposed to gaining muscle easily. I can workout a bit or watch what I eat and see results quickly. Helps that I share genes with my Nana who was an Olympian.

    That’s neat! What was her sport?
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Besides what everyone else said, the most optimal way to build muscle is to lift heavier and heavier weights, and give your body time to rest. Three times a week is better than five times a week, you build muscle when you rest.

    What sort of home workouts are you doing, and how are you making them progressively harder?