bodyweight.

[Optimass]

Forgot to add - I had a routine physical a few months back and my resting heart rate was check twice at 68bpm ...

"BIG IS GOOD"

And healthy when done right :grin:

[Luigi]

i think for a lot of people its psycological (right word?)

i.e. i was always the skinny kid when younger and got given shit because of it

guess it has always kinda stuck with me, i weighed about 60kg on a heavy day when i was 18-19 and i would never ever want to be that small again....

im quite happy to sit at 92-95 as long as i can faintly see abs but in truth i do want to be a fair bit bigger and aim to be one day.... maybe not as extreme as some people on here but im keen to see how heavy i can get without having 2 much extra padding.

[Bobsta]

Good post again opti :nod: Damn you're pumping them out lately

In my earlier post it seems like i came across as being against wanting to gain weight, thats not the case at all!! hell im trying to gain weight now! The point i was trying to make was that a lot of people especially the newbees have this set number in mind and they try to get to that weight in a rush. I believe that is a big mistake as you can only grow muscle at a certain speed and by forcefeeding and seeing the numbers on the scale go up rapidly you're not gaining muscle any faster!!

Again we're not talking about stay super ripped but passed a certain level of body fat percentage is not gonna help you gain more muscle. Like opti mentioned most coaches/trainers note that for guys anything over and above 12% bodyfat can infact slow down muscle gains and performance in the gym, your testosterone levels drop also.

A lot of potentialy good physiques are ruined in the quest to get to a certain body weight, fast.

But by all means gain weight, just take your time a bit, thats all.

[H.White]

I was 69kg at 6'1 first day i walked into the gym. I set a goal of weighing 90kg at around 10-11% body fat. I set the goal purely for motivation as i knew i could easily give up if i didnt have something to work for and to have some way of monitoring my progess. Just over two years and i weighed in at 89.4kg today. So close but knowing im nearly 90 drives me so much more with my training

[Optimass]

Another possible challenge about the ideal bfat% I have is - what parameters are set around that level of bfat. i.e - thats a mainstream idea designed as a target for average humans. Much of what s scientifically investigated is geared more arund treating mainstream people. IMO it would make sense that if you had regular intense weight training sessions, over a prolonged period of time, that your bodies ability to maintain natural test levels is more sustainable at higher bfat %. Explains why there are many big powerbuilders. (it adjusts to accomodate as it does with building tolerance to medication/alcohol/viagra :grin: ) ... just a theory I have ... Would make an interesting case study if you had more time in the day and the reasource. Alas - bbing is not mainstream though, so we are stuck trying to adapt scientific theory that is dsigned for sedentry humans.

HP would know something about this may be ....

[PeterDolan]

I think adding a weight goal can be good as something to aim for but when you're tacking 20kgs onto a 80kg physique as a goal, what's the point? Your strength goes up in that first 10kg but how much really in that last 10, conversely, what are you sacrificing in that 2nd 10? Nothing and you feel even healthier like Harry? Or can you barely get up a hill like Opti used to?

I've barely gained 3 kgs since September last year but have made big changes in my physique

[PeterDolan]

Bobsta, you're a freak! :nod:

[ThePman]

Another possible challenge about the ideal bfat% I have is - what parameters are set around that level of bfat. i.e - thats a mainstream idea designed as a target for average humans. Much of what s scientifically investigated is geared more arund treating mainstream people. IMO it would make sense that if you had regular intense weight training sessions, over a prolonged period of time, that your bodies ability to maintain natural test levels is more sustainable at higher bfat %. Explains why there are many big powerbuilders. (it adjusts to accomodate as it does with building tolerance to medication/alcohol/viagra :grin: ) ... just a theory I have ... Would make an interesting case study if you had more time in the day and the reasource. Alas - bbing is not mainstream though, so we are stuck trying to adapt scientific theory that is dsigned for sedentry humans.

The brain's very responsive to your level of body fat. Fat tissue releases the hormone leptin, which keeps the brain informed on how well-fed you are, and the brain adjusts, well, most everything in your body to suit. Leptin signaling in the brain affects everything from appetite and mood to BMR and fatty acid metabolism.

Everyone has a set-point for fat mass, and going above or below that range causes a lot of downstream changes (including hormonal effects) to keep you where you are. Being too heavy causes leptin and insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, being too lean curtails hormone production and metabolic output. It's all homeostasis; the body hates change.

[HarryB]

Good point Pman.. forcing your bw up and maintaining that heavier weight changes your body's set point over time. One of the main reasons I used to bulk up.

[Rookie]

Ahhh the good old numbers debate :pfft:

I used to be 95kg around 35% bf and had to clean things up for obvious health reasons. I also think for me being a certain weight is also height related, since I'm only 5ft6 I want to fill out my frame as much as possible.

Hitting a certain weight for me (I wanted to be 100kgs by the end of the year) seemed good at the time, because I just started training.. but when I thought about it... I could be in the low 90's look a lot better than I would at 100kgs and be stronger. Eventually I would like to be a good 100kgs but I know that is many many years down the track.

Also sort of in the same boat as Optimass, genetically slow metabolism so I have to watch my diet more and can't just stuff my face like the skinny guys. Just being generally active during the day helps too

[HarryB]

Rookie... I am a naturally porky guy and the same height more or less as you... let your workoad control your intake... don't let your intake or lack thereof control your workload... you get me? If you want your numbers to climb and by numbers I mean weight in the gym, bw, muscleweight etc etc then you have to be training at your peak. You can't do that on a negative calorie intake unless you are gassed up to the eyeballs, you have to feed yourself.

Sure don't get sumo fat but don't spend all your training energy trying to be lean all the time, especially not as a natural guy! Work your numbers in the gym, do a little cardio to keep your heart healthy and just eat and train! If you wanna step on stage then worry about that last bit of conditioning. I see loads of guys who all year around are shredded and freaky looking, then get beat on contest day cos by the time they need to push that little bit extra they have nothing in the tank. If you are naturally lean then yeah it's your bodytype.. you don't have to fight it, but if you are naturally bigger then don't fight that too hard either. Just put the muscle on!!!!

[Mike Zero]

I think it's natural to go through a stage where you're obsessed with your bodyweight. I was a bit disillusioned and I thought bodyweight was the be all and end all ov training. Force fed up to 123-124kg, would have been 30%+ bodyfat and so unfit as I was under the impression that any extra activity I did outside ov the gym would eat up my muscle by the pound. Got some blood tests done to check on my health and my cholesterol was through the roof.

Right now I'm sitting at 113-114kg around 2 years later and I have probably 15-20kgs less fat on me than I had then, I am a lot bigger than I was then and look even more so because I'm leaner and I'm also a lot stronger and far, far fitter. I know if I had an extra 10kgs on me right now I would be even stronger. But I also know if I hadn't gotten that heavy and had to invest time into dropping weight I would be a lot stronger now.

Moral: Unless you're 100% confident you won't get sick ov being super heavy and how you feel/look at that weight in the long term; don't bother getting there! You will be bigger and stronger in the long run if you don't wake up one day and think "jeez I could do with shedding 20lbs".

Re: Putting on weight - bodyweight alone isn't a good measure but if you feel like you're gains have plateaud, up your eating, put on 3-5kgs and take it from there and start to fill out that weight. All comes back to the simple rules though; train hard, eat well, rest. You will make good gains if you get those things dialed in.

[Rookie]

Rookie... I am a naturally porky guy and the same height more or less as you... let your workoad control your intake... don't let your intake or lack thereof control your workload... you get me? If you want your numbers to climb and by numbers I mean weight in the gym, bw, muscleweight etc etc then you have to be training at your peak. You can't do that on a negative calorie intake unless you are gassed up to the eyeballs, you have to feed yourself.

Sure don't get sumo fat but don't spend all your training energy trying to be lean all the time, especially not as a natural guy! Work your numbers in the gym, do a little cardio to keep your heart healthy and just eat and train! If you wanna step on stage then worry about that last bit of conditioning. I see loads of guys who all year around are shredded and freaky looking, then get beat on contest day cos by the time they need to push that little bit extra they have nothing in the tank. If you are naturally lean then yeah it's your bodytype.. you don't have to fight it, but if you are naturally bigger then don't fight that too hard either. Just put the muscle on!!!!

Yeah bro I get ya, thanks for the advice. I'm doing some walking 3x a week just for the heart and yeah bro I'm def not starving myself but not stuffing my face either. Always making sure each session is better than the last, and if it wasn't its almost always either rest or nutrition.

I think it's natural to go through a stage where you're obsessed with your bodyweight. I was a bit disillusioned and I thought bodyweight was the be all and end all ov training. Force fed up to 123-124kg, would have been 30%+ bodyfat and so unfit as I was under the impression that any extra activity I did outside ov the gym would eat up my muscle by the pound. Got some blood tests done to check on my health and my cholesterol was through the roof.

Right now I'm sitting at 113-114kg around 2 years later and I have probably 15-20kgs less fat on me than I had then, I am a lot bigger than I was then and look even more so because I'm leaner and I'm also a lot stronger and far, far fitter. I know if I had an extra 10kgs on me right now I would be even stronger. But I also know if I hadn't gotten that heavy and had to invest time into dropping weight I would be a lot stronger now.

Moral: Unless you're 100% confident you won't get sick ov being super heavy and how you feel/look at that weight in the long term; don't bother getting there! You will be bigger and stronger in the long run if you don't wake up one day and think "jeez I could do with shedding 20lbs".

Re: Putting on weight - bodyweight alone isn't a good measure but if you feel like you're gains have plateaud, up your eating, put on 3-5kgs and take it from there and start to fill out that weight. All comes back to the simple rules though; train hard, eat well, rest. You will make good gains if you get those things dialed in.

Well said Mike, I'm glad I took your advice when you told me not to do the same re: me wanting to get to 100kgs asap. I'm under 90's and the strongest I've ever been, still a long way to go but when you said to focus on getting stronger week to week and not focus on bodyweight it totally made sense. I know 100kgs will happen down the track eh

[cantygirl]

I think the newbie clients and gym members will dial up a weight purely for motivation, and good on them. After they see some gains and size, sometimes the parameters change because they realise that ythey like being this new weight. Its similar to members wanting to lose weight, how many would you hear say "i want to lose 10kg", its just a nice even number. I always tell clients, lets aim for that number but see how you look with every few kilos.

[Dr Squat]

I agree with the view that bodyweight obsession is something most serious strength athletes go through. When I first started I was around 60 kg. I'm around 113kg at the moment and have been over 116kg. That's at around 5 foot 5 if I stretch.

For me additional bodyweight translates to additional strength. As a powerlifter I moved up a weight class regularly and my strength grew rapidly. The bigger I get, the stronger I get. I carry a lot more muscle than when I was 90 kg although I am fatter than the many aspiring bodybuilders around here. But I feel big and powerful and know that I need to be at least 115 kg to bench 230 kg.

For the average person, piling on excess weight is not ideal. But at the same time I believe that you need to be a big unit if you have serious bodybuilding aspirations. If you are say 5 foot 10, then is not a lot of point in maintaining a lean 90 kg physique and then hoping to make it as a serious bodybuilder. Many will disagree with this. That said, there is not a lot of point in just adding fat to your frame. But if you train hard, eat clean and recover there is no chance of this happening.

[jimjim83]

I like being big anything under 100kg I just feel small and weak. Some times its good to be able to sit on people. BIGGER is better. :pfft:

[Collie]

Hey buddy,

You will surely achieve your goal of losing weight soon... Just have some exercise in proper way and have some proper diet plan.... Drink more water in daily routine and avoid cheese and sugar.... Use some fat burner's like green tea.....

[Tygrrh]

I like being big anything under 100kg I just feel small and weak. Some times its good to be able to sit on people. BIGGER is better. :pfft:

so the missus is happy then? :pfft: or delusions of grandeus? :wink:

[Optimass]

Hey buddy,

You will surely achieve your goal of losing weight soon... Just have some exercise in proper way and have some proper diet plan.... Drink more water in daily routine and avoid cheese and sugar.... Use some fat burner's like green tea.....

Your next post better not be advertising viagra .....

[weener lad]

Android :clap: :clap: All your posts have hit the nail on the head.

You got to go with what works best for your body. Being a skinny bugger at school I always wanted that magic 100kg mark, closest I got was 94kg (didn't eat enough or well) prior to my first comp. After killing myself to come down to under 80kg and have good condition I gave up on the idea of a 100. Now I stay with in 10% of my comp weight all year round, I feel better, look better and have a shitload more quality muscle than I ever did at 94kg.

Getting lean doesn't always mean weaker either, I'm stronger now 7 weeks out at 84kg than I was at the start of diet.

My 2 cents anyway.

[startinfromscratch]

id just like to say, im nor a bber or plifter, but thats another argument.

not everyone has the genetics or financial/lifestyle capabilities to take some of the approaches being touted here. I was 72kg when i joined up here, and not even lean at 5ft 10".

Am now 100kg, carrying a fair bit more fat, but alot more LBM and alot stronger than 72kg. Some of us with average genetics need to put on fat to gain muscle, i know personally trying to 'tread the line' and avoid the fat gain while gaining LBM is just realistic.

my goal (long term) is simply to be 90kg and reasonably lean. imo acheivable naturally. but to put on that mass from the starting point of 72kg @15%, i have to go ALOT higher than 90kg.

just sayin... we not all arnies LOL

[tomsammce]

id just like to say, im nor a bber or plifter, but thats another argument.

not everyone has the genetics or financial/lifestyle capabilities to take some of the approaches being touted here. I was 72kg when i joined up here, and not even lean at 5ft 10".

Am now 100kg, carrying a fair bit more fat, but alot more LBM and alot stronger than 72kg. Some of us with average genetics need to put on fat to gain muscle, i know personally trying to 'tread the line' and avoid the fat gain while gaining LBM is just realistic.

my goal (long term) is simply to be 90kg and reasonably lean. imo acheivable naturally. but to put on that mass from the starting point of 72kg @15%, i have to go ALOT higher than 90kg.

just sayin... we not all arnies LOL

are u 100kg now?

that was fast weight gain bro... :nod:

[jimjim83]

I like being big anything under 100kg I just feel small and weak. Some times its good to be able to sit on people. BIGGER is better. :pfft:

so the missus is happy then? :pfft: or delusions of grandeus? :wink:

Ill PM you with a photo :grin:

[Rookie]

But at the same time I believe that you need to be a big unit if you have serious bodybuilding aspirations. If you are say 5 foot 10, then is not a lot of point in maintaining a lean 90 kg physique and then hoping to make it as a serious bodybuilder. Many will disagree with this. That said, there is not a lot of point in just adding fat to your frame. But if you train hard, eat clean and recover there is no chance of this happening.

The bold makes sense, I know I'm gonna have to be 90-95 off season reasonably lean if I ever want to compete over 80kgs. I could never imagine you at 60kgs mate, that would be smaller than Mike G :shock:

[HarryB]

But at the same time I believe that you need to be a big unit if you have serious bodybuilding aspirations. If you are say 5 foot 10, then is not a lot of point in maintaining a lean 90 kg physique and then hoping to make it as a serious bodybuilder. Many will disagree with this. That said, there is not a lot of point in just adding fat to your frame. But if you train hard, eat clean and recover there is no chance of this happening.

The bold makes sense, I know I'm gonna have to be 90-95 off season reasonably lean if I ever want to compete over 80kgs. I could never imagine you at 60kgs mate, that would be smaller than Mike G :shock:

Agreed!!!!!