Gaining Muscle is NOT that easy.

IronmanPanda

Oh good lord...

Sidesteal

Every time I click on this thread and read things, the Benny Hill theme song plays in my head.

Contrarian

AZackery, don't listen to these people. They are just jealous.

AZackery

You are looking at them in contest shape. Offseason they don't have low body fat percentage. Here let me clear it up for you:

Lee Priest has lost a lot of muscles.

My starting weight (with no idea what my body fat was) was 124lbs. Today at the same height I'm 185lbs. Since I can't see my abs clearly, I'm probably at about 18% bodyfat. So I'm guessing I put on 45lbs or lean muscle weight since '82.

Please correct me if I am wrong. Are you saying that in 1982, you were 124 pounds and now in 2011 you are 185? If yes is your answer, then you are saying that it took you 19 years to gain 61 pounds.

185 x 18% = 33.3 Pounds of fat
185 - 33.3 = 151.7 Pounds of lean body mass

In order to know how much lean body mass you have gained, you have to know your original weight and body fat percentage. You only know your original weight, which is 124 pounds.

Scale weight gain doesn't always mean lean body mass gain or as some people would say, muscle gain. It could be fat gain. Another thing, Inches gain can mean fat gain.

If I had to guess, I would say that in Lee Priest's off season picture, his body fat percentage is high 40'ish, maybe 50'ish. In his contest picture, I'll guess his body fat percentage to be maybe 7%.

Then why are you insisting that gaining muscle is an exact formulated science?

Because, in order for a person to tell how much muscle they have gained, they need a formula.

What you strongly believe and what actually happens are exclusive.

Do you believe that all bodybuilders believe like you do? Do you honestly believe that if I was seeking to be a bodybuilder and I've gone to a trainer that he or she would track my progress by the way I look and not use a formula to tell me how I'm doing?

I wouldn't want a trainer to weigh me, track my measurements, etc. on my first day and then the next weigh in, he or she just tell me, guess how you did. I wouldn't never go back to that trainer.

I plan on being a personal trainer in the near future. I'm a detailed person and I will not leave my clients in the dark.

AZackery

AZackery, don't listen to these people. They are just jealous.

I'm not worried about them. If I am so wrong, as they believe that I am, then they should share their knowledge.

Contrarian

AZackery, don't listen to these people. They are just jealous.

I'm not worried about them. If I am so wrong, as they believe that I am, then they should share their knowledge.

Exactly, and they haven't even tried. They are not worth your time.

taso42

AZackery, don't listen to these people. They are just jealous.

I'm not worried about them. If I am so wrong, as they believe that I am, then they should share their knowledge.

Exactly, and they haven't even tried. They are not worth your time.

LOL you're killing me

PB67

And the moral of the story is:

Don't bring a rock to a gunfight.

maidentl

Every time I click on this thread and read things, the Benny Hill theme song plays in my head.

Interesting, I hear the Twilight Zone theme.

ninerbuff

Lee Priest has lost a lot of muscles.

Strawman argument. The point was that off season a competitor gains fat along with muscle. It's only when they diet for contests that they have low body fat. Most do photo shoots within a week after the contest since there's more definition showing.

Please correct me if I am wrong. Are you saying that in 1982, you were 124 pounds and now in 2011 you are 185? If yes is your answer, then you are saying that it took you 19 years to gain 61 pounds.

Or that I've maintained my weight that whole time. My last competition in 1989 I weighed in at 165lbs at approximately 8%. I've pretty much stayed at the same weight (give 10lbs or so) for the last 20 years.

If I had to guess, I would say that in Lee Priest's off season picture, his body fat percentage is high 40'ish, maybe 50'ish. In his contest picture, I'll guess his body fat percentage to be maybe 7%.

He actually lost 45lbs to get lean. I believe he was 250lb and ended up at 205lb when this was done.

Because, in order for a person to tell how much muscle they have gained, they need a formula.

We can go around in circles on this. If someone ate a Chinese restaurant the day before being checked for body fat and weigh in, the numbers could be skewed. There are variables ALWAYS.

Do you believe that all bodybuilders believe like you do? Do you honestly believe that if I was seeking to be a bodybuilder and I've gone to a trainer that he or she would track my progress by the way I look and not use a formula to tell me how I'm doing?

If you were seeking a trainer they would do that for you if that's what you wanted. I don't take measurements on regular clients unless they comply since it's very personal for some of them (some women don't want me pinching them on various areas on their body). You keep thinking that everyone is thinking like you. The majority of bodybuilders, especially men don't have trainers. They may have training partners for spotting and motivation, but except for the one's that actually make money, they train with knowledge they've accrued through trial and error.

I wouldn't want a trainer to weigh me, track my measurements, etc. on my first day and then the next weigh in, he or she just tell me, guess how you did. I wouldn't never go back to that trainer.

I plan on being a personal trainer in the near future. I'm a detailed person and I will not leave my clients in the dark.

Again you're thinking the way YOU would have it done. Like I stated before, some people refuse to be measured. Some people just want results that they can see.
We are going off on tangents here. The whole point of this was to let you know that gaining muscle ISN'T as EASY as you say in a SHORT TIME(with Jackman it was totally refuted) and looking muscular doesn't mean you gained muscle necessarily.

ninerbuff

OK, other than the derailing I'm really trying to understand this but am stuck on a couple points. I certainly don't assume it's muscle if I gain 5 lbs in a week, but maybe I thought some of it was. To hear some people tell it in this thread, it sounds like the only way to gain a considerable amount of muscle is through really heavy lifting for a really long time.

In high school, I was friends with a lot of members of the swim team (this has nothing to do with soysos' post, it just so happens the only people I know that are particularly active are swimmers). They would always put on quite a bit of weight and it didn't appear to be fat. So why the gain?

And why did my calves get HUMONGOUS when I first got my pointe shoes back when I did ballet? When one first gets pointe shoes, there are a lot of calf raises, going halfway up, going all the way up, over and over again to build the strength to effectively and safely dance in them. Granted, calf muscles probably don't weigh an awful lot but it did seem to be a considerable difference in a pretty short amount of time. I started to have to pull my pants down past my calves rather than just let them drop when I changed clothes and people were commenting on how big they got.

Not trying to argue, just understand...

You may gain a little weight, but not as much as people think. If a swimmer who was very lean, and most are, put on 4lbs of muscle, it would be visually significant. He may look like he gained 10lbs, but that's just the visual. Lots of overweight people lose weight, look more defined and look bigger, but in reality they weight less.
Calves take a lot of work to grow. Since you were in ballet and calves are stressed greatly, it's not improbable that you gained some muscle in them. There are exceptions.

ninerbuff

I can't speak about swimming, for I'm not a swimmer. As for getting a muscular body, you don't have to lift weights.

But you do resistance training.........................

SergeantSunshine_reused

I plan on being a personal trainer in the near future. I'm a detailed person and I will not leave my clients in the dark.

I would listen to some of the people in this thread then.

ninerbuff

I'm not worried about them. If I am so wrong, as they believe that I am, then they should share their knowledge.

It's not like we haven't. You just want to disagree with it. Don't know why you choose to disagree with people who are actually schooled in matters that are actually their livelihood and have good factual information to back them. Again, I'll take what I've learned from science (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, and the Journal of Physiological Sciences) and go with that rather than take the word of someone who just works in the medical field.

AZackery

Strawman argument. The point was that off season a competitor gains fat along with muscle. It's only when they diet for contests that they have low body fat. Most do photo shoots within a week after the contest since there's more definition showing.

I could be wrong, but I don't think every competitor do this.

Or that I've maintained my weight that whole time. My last competition in 1989 I weighed in at 165lbs at approximately 8%. I've pretty much stayed at the same weight (give 10lbs or so) for the last 20 years.

You said that you have pretty much stayed the same weight, give 10lbs or so for the last 20 years, but your body fat percentage didn't. At 165 you said that your body fat percentage was 8% and now in 2011, you weight 185 pounds with a body fat percentage of 18% or closer, you aren't sure, because you aren't sure. For all you know, you can be in the 20'ish body fat percentage.

Lets compare your numbers.

Your results at 165 pounds and 8% body fat percentage.

Previous results:
165 (Your weight) x 8% (Your body fat percentage) = 13.2 Pounds of fat
165 - 13.2 = 151.8 Pounds of lean body mass

Present results:
185 x 18% = 33.3 Pounds of fat
185 - 33.3 = 151.7 Pounds of lean body mass

Total Results:

185(Your current weight) - 165 (Your previous weight) = 20 pounds
33.3(Your current pounds of fat) - 13.2 (Previous pounds of fat) = 20.1 Pounds of fat
151.8 (Previous lean body mass) - 151.7 (Current lean body mass) = 0.1 loss
18%(Current body fat percentage) - 8%(Previous body fat percentage)

What does this means? In 22 years with those numbers:

You've gained 20 pounds of scale weight
You've gained 20.1 pounds of fat
You've loss 0.1 lean body mass
You've gained 10% body fat percentage

He actually lost 45lbs to get lean. I believe he was 250lb and ended up at 205lb when this was done.

Do you know his starting body fat percentage and ending body fat percentage? Just because Lee lost 45 pounds of scale weight, it doesn't mean he lost 45 pounds of fat.

If I knew his body fat percentage at 250 pounds and his body fat percentage at 205 pounds. I can see how much pounds of fat he loss and how much lean body mass he gained.

We can go around in circles on this. If someone ate a Chinese restaurant the day before being checked for body fat and weigh in, the numbers could be skewed. There are variables ALWAYS.

It's possible, yes.

If you were seeking a trainer they would do that for you if that's what you wanted. I don't take measurements on regular clients unless they comply since it's very personal for some of them (some women don't want me pinching them on various areas on their body). You keep thinking that everyone is thinking like you. The majority of bodybuilders, especially men don't have trainers. They may have training partners for spotting and motivation, but except for the one's that actually make money, they train with knowledge they've accrued through trial and error.

I'm only thinking for myself. I have never said that people should think like me.

There's more than one way to get a person's body fat percentage than a caliper. I have a caliper, but don't use it. I own a 6 year old body fat scale and a 2 month old Omron Handheld body fat monitor. Both gives me the same body fat reading.

A lot of trainers use the Omron handheld body fat monitor.

Again you're thinking the way YOU would have it done. Like I stated before, some people refuse to be measured. Some people just want results that they can see.
We are going off on tangents here. The whole point of this was to let you know that gaining muscle ISN'T as EASY as you say in a SHORT TIME(with Jackman it was totally refuted) and looking muscular doesn't mean you gained muscle necessarily.

I have never said that it was easy to gain muscle. I've made it clear more than once that it's not easy to gain muscle or even to lose pounds of fat. I've said it's easy to get muscular arms fast. You do realize that muscular arms doesn't necessary mean bodybuilder arms, right?

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't you say on the line of that muscular arms is the result of a low body fat percentage?

A person doesn't have to lift weights to get muscular arms. Some children have muscular arms.

To me, regular muscular arms = ripped and bodybuilder arms = bulky(Lee Priest's arms = bulky, they don't equal ripped in my eyes.). Bruce Lee to me = ripped.

Thank you for your time. We know where each other stand. Continue doing what you are doing.

_GlaDOS_

Actually, with a good progressive resistance training program we probably build
A good 200 lbs of muscle in a year. Unfortunately, due to stress, lack of sleep, bad food selections,
overtraining, and so forth we lose about 195 lbs of muscle in the same period and therefore "only" gain 5 lbs.
The numbers are just an example and the mass gained/lost are representative of males. So indeed it is challenging
to put on and keep lean body mass.

An example of the special pieces of this thread that are simply hilarious. This is good stuff folks. Good stuff. :drinker:

TluvK

Actually, with a good progressive resistance training program we probably build
A good 200 lbs of muscle in a year. Unfortunately, due to stress, lack of sleep, bad food selections,
overtraining, and so forth we lose about 195 lbs of muscle in the same period and therefore "only" gain 5 lbs.
The numbers are just an example and the mass gained/lost are representative of males. So indeed it is challenging
to put on and keep lean body mass.

An example of the special pieces of this thread that are simply hilarious. This is good stuff folks. Good stuff. :drinker:

Can I just post your profile pic on here over and over and over again??????

EDIT: to say - awesome synopsis.

SergeantSunshine_reused

Strawman argument. The point was that off season a competitor gains fat along with muscle. It's only when they diet for contests that they have low body fat. Most do photo shoots within a week after the contest since there's more definition showing.

I could be wrong, but I don't think every competitor do this.

It is VERY well known that they do. Cutting and bulking cycles.

AZackery

It's not like we haven't. You just want to disagree with it. Don't know why you choose to disagree with people who are actually schooled in matters that are actually their livelihood and have good factual information to back them. Again, I'll take what I've learned from science (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, and the Journal of Physiological Sciences) and go with that rather than take the word of someone who just works in the medical field.

Ninerbuff, you and I have been discussing this matter. Have you came at me in a immature way? There have been people on here that came at me in an immature way. Not once did they try to share their knowledge of things. So, I wasn't talking about you.

I'm proud to work in the medical field. Just because you are a personal trainer, it doesn't mean you can speak for everyone's body, because you can't. Anyone can become a personal trainer. I know you aren't going to tell me that I'm lying.

You couldn't even tell me how a person can tell when they have gained muscles. At least, I have shown people how they can tell when they have gain/loss pounds of fat/lean body mass.

Looking in a mirror, taking pictures, etc. can't tell a person how much muscles they have gained. It can show them their progress, just like picture will show a person, who's trying to lose weight their progress. That's why people take before, middle, and after pictures.

You don't know who is lurking on this thread. Someone might want to get into bodybuilding and they may be wondering how they can tell if they are gaining muscles. You have said that a lot of bodybuilders don't have trainers. That they have partners.

I still believe there's a formula bodybuilders uses to tell if they are gaining muscles. Rather you want people to believe it or not, many bodybuilders uses the formula I have shared to show people how to determine how much muscle they have gained.

Prime example:

Scooby is a bodybuilder. I will share one of his youtube videos, where he shows people how to use a caliper. He states that it's important to know your body fat percentage, so you can know if the pounds you have gained is fat or muscles. He has a website as well that explain things.

His calculator follows the formula I have shared.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPy-D9LZQqM

Every bodybuilder is different. If I had to refer to one, I would go with one that see things like I do.

SergeantSunshine_reused

double post -.-