Longevity in Bodybuilding

[Discreet User]

Let's discuss longevity in regards to bodybuilding. Input from "experienced" members is especially appreciated and I welcome all to join in.

As bodybuilders we eat lots, train hard, and sometimes use chemical enhancement.

So the question is: how does this affect health, long-term?

How about issues such as prostate health; anyone on here recommend Propecia as a prostate protector (even just on-cycle)?

Body Mass Index (BMI): as bodybuilders we inevitably carry more mass than what is considered "healthy". Any thoughts on this?

I look forward to great feedback on this thread

 

[Discreet User]

it all depends on how far you take bodybuilding man, and what you decide to do, aswell as your current or previous lifestyle

whats healthy is always going to be debatable, becoz everyone has a different idea of what they think is healthy, some people think guys who run marathons or 10 miles a day healthy, while others say its not, some say arnold with his 22inch arms was healthy, while others will argue he wasnt

some guys will cycle 500mgs of test once a year, follow a nice healthy clean diet, some cardio, do a good PCT and probably never really see any issues

then you can look into competive bodybuilding where guys cruise on 300-500mg test weekly, and run anywhere between 1500-3000mgs of gear weekly, consume 5000-6000 cals, use other substances, and get there bf% down to very unhealthy low levels for comps

that and on average there 5'8, 240 pounds with 7%bf almost all year round, which isnt very healthy on ur heart since it was never designed to support that kind of muscle mass, as a result heart problems are very likely aswell as other numerous issues

remeber bodybuilding isnt about 'health', thats an old myth,

bodybuilding is about being big, lean, and conditioned, or just looking either amazing or freaky (whichever u prefer), some bodybuilders may look healthy but that doesnt mean they are

theres nothing healthy about injecting large amounts of hormones in ur body, lifting weights that no natural man could, eating twice the normal amount of most people etc

however with that said, most people lifestyles arent healthy these days anyways with huge amounts of people being obese, large high calorie junk food, diets, large recreational drug users, couch potatoes who dont exercise, smokers, pollution in the air etc

so to say bodybuilding is unhealthy isnt nesecarily true, however to say its healthy isnt nesecarily true either

there are many factors, u might take a couch potato with 25%, eats liek shit and doesnt exercise who takes up bodybuilding, and endw up having 12% after 1-2 years, and cycles 600mgs of test occasionaly with a good diet

in this case although his cycling isnt healthy, adopting an exercise regime, lowering his bodyfat, eating healthy would have all benefited him and you could easily argue these benefits with his occasional steroid use is much healthier then his previous lifestyle

although if your talking about modern compeitive bodybuilding then im going to say YES it is unhealthy, and will happily argue my point

alot of times it isnt about listening to people on a forum telling you whether your healthy or not, or what is healthy, but rather you just sitting down and thinking about your lifestyle and deciding for yourself 'what you consider healthy'

some guys may wanna live 80 years, and carry an average build all there life, for him doing half hour of cardio daily like jogging and full body workouts is healthy and appropriate

while others wanna look like what they see in bodybuilding magazines, and are willing to take risks and reconsider what they think is healthy

a famous quote by marcus ruhl

Reporter: do you think being that big is healthy?
Marcus: i dont care about being healthy, i care about big muscles

that to me sums up modern competive bodybuilding

Thanks for the well though out response thatbloke! I know you are serious about BB and I'm following your log.

I agree wholeheartedly with what you stated. As a man in my 20's, owner of a fitness business, and being formally educated in nutrition, I have an interesting pool of knowledge to draw upon when making such decisions.

Months ago I completed my first cycle (test only). Did everything properly, doctor monitored, monthly labs, PCT...

Now I'm getting ready for my next cycle, two compounds this time (Test + Deca). I can see myself doing this in moderation for the rest of my life.

A major mental struggle for me is deciding upon ancillary use. It appears today there is an ancillary for every side effect. How do we decide when the sides of the ancillaries outweigh the benefits of their use?
Questions like these really can make one think...

 

[Zyglamail]

Body Mass Index (BMI): as bodybuilders we inevitably carry more mass than what is considered "healthy". Any thoughts on this?

I think carrying the extra mass puts a lot of stress on the body which is a negative. Excessive chemical enhancements is a negative.

Clean diet and exercise is of course a good thing. The bone density developed from years and years of hard lifting is hard to beat and I think will pay dividends as we age.

BMI is a total joke. Im 40lbs lighter than I was 10 years ago so dont consider myself a body builder by any stretch and even so if I plug my height and lean mass numbers into a BMI calculator it comes back telling me I am obese.

BMI simply is not a good tool for gauging health for anyone but average sedentary people. Most Olympic athletes who have low body fat percentages are also likely on the heavy end of the BMI scale if not outright considered obese by it yet they are some of the best athletes in the world.

 

[Discreet User]

I think carrying the extra mass puts a lot of stress on the body which is a negative. Excessive chemical enhancements is a negative.

Clean diet and exercise is of course a good thing. The bone density developed from years and years of hard lifting is hard to beat and I think will pay dividends as we age.

BMI is a total joke. Im 40lbs lighter than I was 10 years ago so dont consider myself a body builder by any stretch and even so if I plug my height and lean mass numbers into a BMI calculator it comes back telling me I am obese.

BMI simply is not a good tool for gauging health for anyone but average sedentary people. Most Olympic athletes who have low body fat percentages are also likely on the heavy end of the BMI scale if not outright considered obese by it yet they are some of the best athletes in the world.

Right-on Zyglamail. We usually talk over in the TRT forums. By the way, I've quoted numerous times a great article you sent me a while back on how HCG can help maintain sperm production on-cycle.

 

[Nelson Montana]

I think me and Radar are among the oldest guys here. Basically, I'm coming from th place that bodybuilding was, at one time, a pursuit of health. And for me, that remains.
I take a ridiclous amount of supplements -- all in the effort of being stronger and healthier an fighting the aging process. It's woring pretty well and I'm not going to change. Ever. (Even though I have to admit I've lost a stp or two. It's inevitable). But I look damn good!

Now, am I fanatical? No. Do I eat a pristine diet? No. Have I used steroids? Of course. But I wholeheartedly believe that in moderation, they can actually enhance health as well.

I'm also from the place that being 300 pounds with 4% bodyfat has never been desirable. The guys from the 70's wanted to look like gods. And they did. THAT is the goal. And it doesn't take a gram of gear a week. 20 week cycles, Clen, GH, and all the other shit that pros take to get an edge and regular gym rats take to look a little better a little faster.

Meanwhile you got guys who look like shit off cycle and are on HRT at age 30. That's not my thing, but it's not for me to say.

 

[RADAR]

I agree with every word Nelson Said, The look of the guys from the 60's Frank Zane,Arnold..etc has me satified with where i want to stay at, I also believe in moderation,I will turn 59 Dec 4th and i'm not on HRT

 

[Discreet User]

Thanks Nelson & RADAR.

RADAR: I had no idea you are that age! That's great, exactly the kind of info I wanted to get.
I see lots of older guys in the gym just making their way through workouts. It's good to hear that at almost 60 you are still training seriously.

 

[sharkmaster]

i think those who bb not only for size but athleticism have the edge in physical capabilaty health and making things work for the long run. Old school body builders like stated above had the right idea. They looked like super athletes! the bodies they built didnt just make them buff they made them performance machines... Franko columbo would box for cardio and compete in strong man compatitions. They were capable of explosive movements that the mamoths of today just couldnt do. I think chemical enhancement can be used to promote health by strengthening bones tendons muscles and giving you an edge on your fitness level that in return makes you healthy so long as your not abusing. people with poor health being the exception to this. I think the problem with current bodybuilding health issues lies in the hands of the judges. If judges were choosing guys who looked athletic and fit instead of whoever can get the most freakish amount of mass on their frame guys wouldnt be in the possition there in today which is to put their health at risk for the sake of the contest. If they were still choosing zanes there would be no need to run 3 gs a week. These guys have no option but to stay on year round. I think bodybuilding natty is healthy and that youd almost never have the problem of getting too big for your own good without steroids. I think the use of steroids is cool but without taking it too far beyond your natural limit in size. If you go too far beyond you have to stay on to keep the gains anyways. from what ive seen strength beyond your natty limit is held onto better than size. So with the goal of gaining some good size and then refining it and making strength gains and concentrating on quality rather than just mass is the way to go. I think the trick is running an amount that will give results that can be maintained while off cycle. For me im thinking 1 or 2 10 week cycles a year at moderate dosages. Although if the pros are abusing as bad as they are and not dropping dead it makes me feel good and safe with my moderate usage.

 

[sharkmaster]

ill add my grandfather is 85 and lifts 3 days a week and loves his dhea... I know he takes other simular type products too. He is in fantastic health for his age. He has naturaly had some issues to deal with in his old age but the docs always credit his great physical condition for him being able to recover and overcome.

 

[Discreet User]

i think those who bb not only for size but athleticism have the edge in physical capabilaty health and making things work for the long run. Old school body builders like stated above had the right idea. They looked like super athletes! the bodies they built didnt just make them buff they made them performance machines... Franko columbo would box for cardio and compete in strong man compatitions. They were capable of explosive movements that the mamoths of today just couldnt do. I think chemical enhancement can be used to promote health by strengthening bones tendons muscles and giving you an edge on your fitness level that in return makes you healthy so long as your not abusing. people with poor health being the exception to this. I think the problem with current bodybuilding health issues lies in the hands of the judges. If judges were choosing guys who looked athletic and fit instead of whoever can get the most freakish amount of mass on their frame guys wouldnt be in the possition there in today which is to put their health at risk for the sake of the contest. If they were still choosing zanes there would be no need to run 3 gs a week. These guys have no option but to stay on year round. I think bodybuilding natty is healthy and that youd almost never have the problem of getting too big for your own good without steroids. I think the use of steroids is cool but without taking it too far beyond your natural limit in size. If you go too far beyond you have to stay on to keep the gains anyways. from what ive seen strength beyond your natty limit is held onto better than size. So with the goal of gaining some good size and then refining it and making strength gains and concentrating on quality rather than just mass is the way to go. I think the trick is running an amount that will give results that can be maintained while off cycle. For me im thinking 1 or 2 10 week cycles a year at moderate dosages. Although if the pros are abusing as bad as they are and not dropping dead it makes me feel good and safe with my moderate usage.

Nice post. I also admire the Frank Zane body type.

It seems most of us on Elite Fitness are in agreement that BB can be done safely and as a lifelong pursuit, so long as we emphasize moderation.

I'm still looking forward to hearing more about Prostate health and Propecia's potential in that area.