Strength Weight Training: Anything and Everything II

[Jugada]

Placebo is one of the most effective drugs you can get and the main ingredient in these off the shelf "anabolic" supps

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Placebo is one of the most effective drugs you can get and the main ingredient in these off the shelf "anabolic" supps

I am wondering how much of that is at play as well. Training intensity has gone up no doubt but could be me sub consciously trying to 'maximise' its yield and actually just pushing myself harder.

 

[Themanbun]

Even if you can walk into a retailer and buy it off the shelf? I don't think it's a steroid but I could be wrong.
It could be a bit of water weight for all i know, but i also feel harder. I think it's the natural Test that my body is producing doing most of the work, but I'm not sure how safe it is long term.

If that's the case it's probably just water weight and placebo effect.

I take natural test boosting supplements despite the science suggesting alterations within the normal testosterone reference range don't do a lot. They do make me feel a bit better and therefore I train harder, but the effect on muscle is probably even less noticeable than even just creatine over time.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

If that's the case it's probably just water weight and placebo effect.

I take natural test boosting supplements despite the science suggesting alterations within the normal testosterone reference range don't do a lot. They do make me feel a bit better and therefore I train harder, but the effect on muscle is probably even less noticeable than even just creatine over time.

Thanks for that. Curiously, what age range are you in? I think i may have previously had low T levels as I'm 42 so based on your experience I should probably expect the effects to level out somewhat pretty soon.

 

[Themanbun]

Thanks for that. Curiously, what age range are you in? I think i may have previously had low T levels as I'm 42 so based on your experience I should probably expect the effects to level out somewhat pretty soon.

It could be possible that you were deficient.

Last check was when I was 31 and I was symptomatic of low testosterone hence the check. Not enough to be 'low test' but close ish for my age.

So I took some over the counter stuff from bulknutrients and my next check in after six weeks my free test was up about 20%. Still well within the reference range.

I always think it's worth checking if you're symptomatic but if you're within normal ranges for your age you're probably all good. Most people even gym goers I think would just benefit from losing a heap of fat. There's a sweet spot (before you feel like shit) where you feel more powerful, pumps are better and your motivation is high when you're seeing visible body comp improvements every few days.

Anyway long story short after my doc did some investigating I was actually b12 deficient which was the cause of my symptoms. It's very easy to feel flat and blame it on test as a gym goer!

 

[The hands of stone]

Has anyone else come across and seen the fallout for Mike Israetal ( DR if you ask him )
You would need to on youtube a bit

Its an interesting example of what a lot of the industry has become with all the 'influencers' out there , not really giving good or logical advice

 

[Kram]

Has anyone else come across and seen the fallout for Mike Israetal ( DR if you ask him )
You would need to on youtube a bit

Its an interesting example of what a lot of the industry has become with all the 'influencers' out there , not really giving good or logical advice

He jumped the shark ages a while ago.

Shame given imo he used to give solid technical advice on lifting.

Also his humour was always massive cringe.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Has anyone else come across and seen the fallout for Mike Israetal ( DR if you ask him )
You would need to on youtube a bit

Its an interesting example of what a lot of the industry has become with all the 'influencers' out there , not really giving good or logical advice

I really like Dr Mike. I've seen some snippets on YouTube but not sure of the details.
I think he's been cherry picking data to support his claims, beyond the typical that you'd expect and be OK with.
I've taken a lot of good advice from Mike, and his training videos consistently have elite body builders at their absolute max effort level. I'd still recommend him to new lifters for form and technique advice.

Fun fact, he's only about 4 ft 11 IRL.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

He jumped the shark ages a while ago.

Shame given imo he used to give solid technical advice on lifting.

Also his humour was always massive cringe.

His humour is definitely very homo erotic at times (am I still allowed to say that? Don't cancel me Big Footy... )

 

[Piggy Smalls]

TBF i also think science based lifting 'influencers' such as Dr Mike and Jeff Nippard are on the nose with the body building community and people are piling on to a degree.

 

[Jugada]

Logically we should all be into science based lifting in some way but the trouble with guys like Jeff I find is it just gets to the point of micro analyzing 48 different ways to lift which all net basically the same results and just rotating through them all as the best at some point to content farm

 

[Kram]

Yep as with almost all of these guys they eventually run dry on content after covering everything and then resort to inventing random crap to keep making videos.

Pick solid exercises that have mostly been around forever, use decent form and then lift close to or at failure ocassinally. It's not rocket science.

But there isn't many clicks in telling people stuff like that now.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

These guys also have a main audience of gym enthusiasts that lift recreationally. And a lot of the hate seems to be coming from the serious body building community.

I guess a lot of science goes out the window when you're juiced up to the eyeballs and can train 14 times a week. Volume alone will get you jacked.

 

[Jugada]

Roided up gym bros are some of the most ******ed group think flogs anyway

 

[JHF1870]

Roided up gym bros are some of the most ******ed group think flogs anyway

Bit of a general statement. Some people just have body image issues, some want to feel good, some want to be strong. You could pick apart any grouping of people and round up a bunch of flogs.

The worst ones are the ones that look down on everyone and think they're the greatest. Guy on Instagram was walking into a busy store and ripping off his shirt and flexing like a moron thinking he was the king. There's such a thing as being humble

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Bit of a general statement. Some people just have body image issues, some want to feel good, some want to be strong. You could pick apart any grouping of people and round up a bunch of flogs.

The worst ones are the ones that look down on everyone and think they're the greatest. Guy on Instagram was walking into a busy store and ripping off his shirt and flexing like a moron thinking he was the king. There's such a thing as being humble

I bet that guy started off as a natty and was crushed when he realised nobody gives a shit about your body in the real world and he didn't get the compliments he craved.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Roided up gym bros are some of the most ******ed group think flogs anyway

When I think of guys like Sam Sulek, it seems they just advocate for whatever works for them without really considering the other factors at play like 9000 calorie diets, steroids, etc.
I'd much rather follow the science guys because at some point those 1-2% advantages from things like optimal exercise selection/rep ranges/tempo, etc, are all I'm going to have going in my favour to keep making gains.

 

[Jugada]

Bit of a general statement. Some people just have body image issues, some want to feel good, some want to be strong. You could pick apart any grouping of people and round up a bunch of flogs.

The worst ones are the ones that look down on everyone and think they're the greatest. Guy on Instagram was walking into a busy store and ripping off his shirt and flexing like a moron thinking he was the king. There's such a thing as being humble

Definitely a higher % than the general public

 

[Jugada]

When I think of guys like Sam Sulek, it seems they just advocate for whatever works for them without really considering the other factors at play like 9000 calorie diets, steroids, etc.
I'd much rather follow the science guys because at some point those 1-2% advantages from things like optimal exercise selection/rep ranges/tempo, etc, are all I'm going to have going in my favour to keep making gains.

I haven't seen anything from him in awhile but Sulek was actually decent I thought. Didn't really advocate for anyone to do anything specific but just posted what he was doing

 

[Glorfindel]

I can remember about a decade ago a stack of guys at my old powerlifting gym basically crippling themselves trying to copy what Dan Green did. I mean, Dan Green basically crippled himself in the end and he’s Dan Green lol.

 

[Kram]

The funny thing about Dr Mike is he doesn't even look that great even on all the steroids.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

The funny thing about Dr Mike is he doesn't even look that great even on all the steroids.

Yeah check out the arm workout video he recently uploaded, featuring Hunter Labrada. His arms look like short little toothpicks in comparison, although TBF Labrada has the biggest arms I've ever seen.

 

[JHF1870]

I bet that guy started off as a natty and was crushed when he realised nobody gives a shit about your body in the real world and he didn't get the compliments he craved.

I try to stay away from social media because it's 90% bullshit, the influencers are full of shit, and liars. You've got seed oil groups and carnivore groups fighting anyone not in those groups. You've got pseudo dieticians spreading bs advice. Being 100% natty in great but not elite shape looks like you have never hit the gym in contrast to the people on juice.

To add to that, there is a very popular female influencer here in Australia who is natty but every single one of her photos is a professionally shot photo, professional lighting, she definitely morphs the photos. In her regular unedited videos she looks tiny. The whole Instagram/tik tok thing gives a false sense of reality.

I'm down from a high of 83kg after bulking from doing little exercise in 2021 to 65 at the current moment. If I get to my target, I'm going to be lean and really good definition but I'm going to look small. That's the reality.

 

[dirty2]

I try to stay away from social media because it's 90% bullshit, the influencers are full of shit, and liars. You've got seed oil groups and carnivore groups fighting anyone not in those groups. You've got pseudo dieticians spreading bs advice. Being 100% natty in great but not elite shape looks like you have never hit the gym in contrast to the people on juice.

To add to that, there is a very popular female influencer here in Australia who is natty but every single one of her photos is a professionally shot photo, professional lighting, she definitely morphs the photos. In her regular unedited videos she looks tiny. The whole Instagram/tik tok thing gives a false sense of reality.

I'm down from a high of 83kg after bulking from doing little exercise in 2021 to 65 at the current moment. If I get to my target, I'm going to be lean and really good definition but I'm going to look small. That's the reality.

I've watched some YouTube lately.... But yeah... They contradict each other alot and just leaves me more confused

 

[JHF1870]

I've watched some YouTube lately.... But yeah... They contradict each other alot and just leaves me more confused

It's like people who weigh their food precisely. I'm around about the mark. My smoothies are anywhere between 1800 and 2200kj, my fish and chips usually 2000 to 2500kj. 500kj per day isn't going to make **** all difference, and it's also pointless because every single day is different in terms of energy expenditure.

I've been losing 700g per week according to my spreadsheet so it's working with a no b.s approach.