If you are new to the forum

[bruceleebuild 0]

Great read, thanks, its been a good eye opener

[alice_starr 0]

Great read Optimass...considering starting a new cycle here in NZ. Very interesting to read your stuff

[Optimass 89]

thanks - everyone will have their own take - I think its important to field as many opinions as you can and take from each what applies to you and your goals/desires and circumstances. Important thing is not to be in a hurry.

[ohjoshua 9]

Yeah cool story.

But you didnt really finish it. You told us how big and strong you got with out gear.

But you didnt really tell us how big and strong you got with it.

if you did 240kg bench natty you could do what 300kg after years on the gear?

surely you couldnt just get 10% extra?

[futech 1]

A good read.

[tomsammce 56]

I strongly echo the theme of what Optimass is saying here;

I trained for 15 years naturally before my first AAS cycle.

The gear has only added 10% transformation to my physique and is no quick fix for real hard work and determination

Why wait 15 years. I don't see the point or benefit.

Work ethic and determination have nothing to do with patience whatsoever.

[Optimass 89]

Yeah cool story.

But you didnt really finish it. You told us how big and strong you got with out gear.

But you didnt really tell us how big and strong you got with it.

if you did 240kg bench natty you could do what 300kg after years on the gear?

surely you couldnt just get 10% extra?

Strength is relative to time under bar (technique, training discpline and nutrition) - if test was the magic bullet you'd have a lot of guys fronting up to strength events after a year or so breaking records that have been in place for years.

@ 112kg (7 years ago) I was benching 200kg for reps. under recomp now and having been off for sometime I was doing 180kg as a 1RM at the same weight (or just a bit lighter). I'm not sure how to factor the age gap into it but I do know the older I get the harder it is for me to maintain intensity in my workouts at heavier weights. Just get gassed a lot quicker.

[Optimass 89]

I strongly echo the theme of what Optimass is saying here;

I trained for 15 years naturally before my first AAS cycle.

The gear has only added 10% transformation to my physique and is no quick fix for real hard work and determination

Why wait 15 years. I don't see the point or benefit.

Work ethic and determination have nothing to do with patience whatsoever.

You are missing the point (why not wait 30 years?) - make a judgement call based on your own comfort levels - but make it after exploring as much information as you can is more the theme of the tread. If you only took a year or 6 months great - hopefully you wont hurt yourself and/or have an unreal expectation of what might be achievable at the risk of using something that will change your physique permanently.

And I guess after a period of time you will get the knowledge you need through experience either way.

[tomsammce 56]

Must be a slow reader then lol

[Jpayer 1]

Coming from UK forums, I have to say that was actually a good read.

Nice to see that the OP (original Poster) has some wisdom and sense and issuing warnings for others.

Good post

[Optimass 89]

Coming from UK forums, I have to say that was actually a good read.

Nice to see that the OP (original Poster) has some wisdom and sense and issuing warnings for others.

Good post

Thanks bro - just keeping it real lol welcome!

[ALS_84 0]

Excellent read opti, honest and informative mate.

[Pseudonym 1328]

Setting up the pinned topics again on the new site, I just reread this one. There's a reason it was pinned... quality!

 

And right now seems like a good time to give it a bump. ;-)

[energised05 0]

Nice read Opti

[FellowshipOfTheRon 428]

wow 28 years of use and you're still alive. that plus your dealers are in hiding i think they dealing you fake stuff and running with ur cash, everyone knows real steroid make u die within 5-10yrs tops

[GyzzBrah 215]

Honestly love reading some of the members here

[bang_bang 215]

You benched 240x5 naturally? Lol

[Rizza 1]

That was awesome Optimass!!!

[Optimass 89]

On ‎3‎/‎05‎/‎2015 at 8:21 PM, bang_bang said:

You benched 240x5 naturally? Lol

 

Yes

[PETN 645]

Why's is so much less now on gear? True or not it definitely sounds like a load of shit.

[Wookie 563]

6 minutes ago, PETN said:

Why's is so much less now on gear? True or not it definitely sounds like a load of shit.

 

In defence of Opti, he did say he had spotter help on reps 4 and 5. 

And unlike most guys, the point of bringing up his lifts wasn't to toot his own horn, but encourage hard training, not just hop on gear asap.

 

When I tell people a guy in NZ benched 275 raw while drug free weighing 150kg, I usually get the same reaction.

[Optimass 89]

Thanks @Wookie -

 

@PETN

  I have damaged the tendons in my left shoulder 3 times now (reasonably serious tears).  These don't heal back the same as muscle.  Each time it's happened I lose a little more tightness in my ROM (and approx 10kg of comfort with weight on bar).  Last year at the Arnolds I benched 215kg and had 225kg on my 3rd.  My subscapularis gave out at the bottom of the bench and caused a minor tear I the sleeve of my pec.  Fortunately the spotters were on point.   The injury is also compounded at the moment because I potentially tore my biceps tendon after an incident squatting. 

 

I know I can bench 500lb but training weights are difficult because the tendon can only handle short bursts of training before pain sets in.  So basically I have no way of getting enough progression to redevelop the strength. 

 

some things you can correct - aging is one you can influence but not overcome based on historical injuries.  But idelly the strength is still there.

 

 

 

[PETN 645]

39 minutes ago, Optimass said:

 

 

 

That makes sense. Cheers for reply. Did you ever bench more than 240x5 after starting gear but before fucking up your shoulder tendons? Or did you f*ck them while still natural?

[Optimass 89]

On ‎26‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 11:35 AM, PETN said:

 

 

That makes sense. Cheers for reply. Did you ever bench more than 240x5 after starting gear but before fucking up your shoulder tendons? Or did you f*ck them while still natural?

 

Right after I did that set I went for a single at 265kg ... blew out my rotator .. took 16 months to come right :P

 

I have gone to 240kg with a kiwistrength destroyer band ... and benched 245kg in a shirt though.  Weight is uncomfortable even idle above that.