_Bropollo_ Member

Training is absolutely more important than the steroids. Some people take them and expect magic to happen, when all it really does is increase your body's training capacity. So if you can out-train the person on steroids, which is not unrealistic considering our culture where nobody wants to put the work in, then it is…

The healthy, realistic way is to not obsess too much. Trust me. My first bulk, I nitpicked every calorie trying to bulk "clean" at just 300 calories because I was so scared of fat gain. It was neurotic. I was not very happy. And my bulk didn't even go that well, only put on about 8 pounds in 9 months because I was too…

Lifting will definitely allow you to train cardio at faster/more difficult settings, which will therefore help you burn more calories. While you won't necessarily put new muscle on in a calorie deficit, your muscles can absolutely get stronger via your central nervous system getting better at using what is already there.…

I disagree. The size most judges are looking for, at the leanness they expect, is something that is typically only achievable with steroids for 95% of people. The other lucky few with superior genetics might be able to do this natural. Jason Blaha lays it down pretty plain and simple, as do a fair number of other well…

Is pizza a supplement? In that case, I am taking a LOT of supplements /s

Here is the problem with smith machines. Lifting is as much about muscle memory/learning how to properly set your body up and use your own body mechanics as it is the actual strength of your muscles. You need great power and finesse to hit a home run. You need power and coordination to perform a clean/squat/etc. The smith…

It can't be the truth. It's not flashy OR exciting! :p

You can't absorb that much creatine, any excess will just be eliminated from your body.

Agree with this description. Cable seems to keep more constant tension. Plates seem to have a bit more inertia, and in turn, also can get some momentum going behind them if you like explosive work. Guess it's preference on "feel". The plate sleds you can definitely load up with more weight, however.

Bad ankle flexibility and anterior pelvic tilt are the likely culprits. You have tight hip flexors. Try a wider squat stance (make sure to angle your toes out more accordingly so your knees still track in-line with your feet). In the meantime, do lots of stretching & mobility work. Source: desk job for 8 years and had same…

I think a "practice" show is a good idea, but agree with @usmcmp that trying to pack on that much muscle as a woman, while also somehow cutting and getting show prep'd by April, is fairly unrealistic. I guess just go into the April competition with the understanding that it is a learning experience. Judges seem to care…

0.5lbs a week in muscle, that is about the max your body can synthesize, unless you are geared. Even less for people with 1 year+ in the gym. While you can't add 0.5lbs of muscle without a bit of fat gain, 2lbs/week is definitely not ideal. Beware the dreamer bulk. Too early to tell right now with just one week of data,…

The little machine was likely a bioelectric impedance test (Results can be off by as much as 10%! That is real bad). You can purchase calipers from most health/wellness stores, or online at places like bodybuilding.com/. Calipers can be off by about %5. In an effort to keep the thread on track, if you have any more…

I don't think she has posted her actual bodyfat % anywhere yet. OP, have you measured your bodyfat with calipers yet? Bodyfat % reading is very important to understand what you should be doing with your training. I would not trust readings from those bodyfat scales or any kind of bioelectric impedance testers, they aren't…

Dealing with hunger (or at least how I did it last cut): -Drink TONS of water -Willpower That's it. Cutting is not supposed to be fun. And agree with other posters. If your calorie deficit is under 20% of your maintenance cals, you are risking losing a lot of lean mass (muscle). Considering it takes ladies twice as long to…

This is a bodybuilding thread......

Not to answer with more questions, but roughly when are you looking to compete? Do you have a division in mind? Division will dictate time required (and thus expectations).

Unless you are competing at an ultra-elite level, you can still win comps with bad genetics/attachment points. It's all about who is the best conditioned at amateur level. I rep team #nocalves, and also have non-desirable chest attachment points, and still plan to compete.

If you are eating to only gain fat, there really should be a medical reason to do so (as in you are extremely underweight for your height). I'm getting a bad feeling from your response that you are hoping the fat will magically give you like a bigger butt or something, and you aren't trying to gain weight because of…

My post-workout supplement: Pop Tarts. Seriously, don't overthink it too much. Just get calories in and spike the insulin levels to help keep your body in an anabolic state. Carbs are important pre and post workout, protein is something you need to be supplying in small amounts all throughout the day. And agree with other…

One of the tricks with dead to keep you from trying to lift with your back is to "get tight" before you start the pull. Flex your hamstrings, your quads, your glutes, get rid of any "slack" in your arms so you don't jerk the weight up. Starting with your legs already tight, and focusing on keeping your back straight, you…

You might have pinched a nerve (or two). You should be flexing your traps, and resting the bar on them. If the bar is resting directly on your neck, that would explain the pain. Best form check video I have ever had the pleasure of watching: https://youtube.com/watch?v=rOJGzAgLWDc

I snack all day constantly. Only way I don't feel sick to my stomach trying to fit 3500+ calories in.

Only thing you can do is just eat more. If you have problems getting enough calories, grab snacks that are high in calories (candy, cookies, w/e). Junk food is actually pretty useful when you feel like you just can't eat anymore but still need to eat more calories for the day. I would figure out what you are currently…

Upper/Lower split Usually try to aim for rest every 5th day. Goal is to stimulate the muscles roughly every 48 hrs to maintain optimal protein synthesis levels, and taking a rest day every so often to give the joints/muscles/tendons a break. I alternate between strength (higher weight, lower reps) and hypertrophy (lower…

Normally I would just not say anything, but please don't spew bad info like this on a health and fitness website, because it isn't true. Nicotine is absolutely bad for you, hands down. There are tons of doucmented tests. Vaping is better than smoking for sure, but not vaping at all is better than vaping:…

Agree with this statement. I started SL5x5 after doing kind of whatever for about 12 months. It was definitely good for helping me get my form down, and understanding the importance of sticking to a program and logging weight data, but OP you will get bored with it fast, plus there is no hypertrophy work or supplemental…

Its based on the principle that you are getting a full-body workout for each workout. Generally, you want to re-stimulate a given muscle with weight training every 48hrs. You also need to give the muscle sufficient downtime to heal/grow until you stimulate it again with heavy loads, hence the rest day in between lifting…