Working out clean. EFFORT WITH NO REWARD

[perryscoon]

Well I've been off the juice for almost 2 years now, and I'm pretty disapointed with my current physical state. I now just look like a regular ole average "big" guy that u see every frickin day on the street. Nothing special, and certainly nothing like I did.

I always had this impression that as long as I kept up with my workouts, I would still look somewhat like a "bodybuilder" or at least people would still be able to tell I worked out. But that definitely hasn't been the case with me. I don't think any of my coworkers would even think of me as a serious weight lifter if I didn't tell them I went to the gym all the time. Yes, I realized I would lose a lot of my size and strength after quiting(as I always did after each cycle) but I never thought I would sink back to a completely "average" looking dude.

Every once in a while I will think that I am making gains, but a day later after my "natural" swell wears off, I look no different than the month before. Its very frustrating and it makes me wonder why I bother spending all this time in the gym working out naturally. Is juice the only answer to keeping that noticably different muscular shape? Is working out clean virtually pointless other than being active?

It really seems that the reward for my hard work in the gym is simply not there. Maybe I just need a reality check again. Advice? Tips?

Thx

 

[Bruce]

what are you eating

 

[cityhick]

Your diet isnt prob 100%. What are your stats?

 

[JuicedAthletics]

Yea bro stats????

I mean when I wear clothing I look like a bigger athletic guy.. When I wear a tank top or no clothes, I am cock diesel..

Bodybuilding is a sport of illusion. What are you trying to achieve?

 

[DBBT]

no you can still LOOK great natural. diet, training and rest are top priority.

 

[sparetire]

i thought i looked good natural, until i tried juice..now i have turned to the darkside..

but your answer is "yes"..hehe

 

[jp000]

Its a vicious cycle.....most people will never get to their full natural potential because its too hard. Work, family, spouse, kids.....how is a guy supposed to maintain a strict diet and get in good workouts with all the things you have to deal with. Those that can, my hats off to you.............I guess its a matter of dedication and priorities.

 

[shape]

do you guys really think you can get into single digits with heavy vascularity without any AAS to help--Im sure some can but the majority i dont know?

 

[Quadsweep]

do you guys really think you can get into single digits with heavy vascularity without any AAS to help--Im sure some can but the majority i dont know?

Yes. I was doing okay in open comp. natural....usually inthe trophies....2 cycles later I won my first overall though....But you can build a very impressive physique naturally. Ronnie was natural when he turned...well at least for the most part.

Q.

 

[shape]

Ronnie was natural when he turned...well at least for the most part.


yeah sure he was!!!!!

 

[solidspine]

Yes your story is the truth,

But after two years off your receptors are prime again,

give it a shot

 

[bbkingpin]

Creatine

 

[get456]

for you to be completely disappointed in how you look and feeling like you lost everything you gained before... IMO it HAS to be diet...

Proper diet coupled with continued high intensity training will not leave you at the state of the "average big guy"

Also bloodwork might be a good idea.. maybe ur test is really low..?

 

[timtim]

very little difference in my physique when on and off. when on im more dense, vascular, and pumped but when off i still look very close to the same.

i diet year round and have been for a long time. diet is EVERYTHING. it just takes a ton of work to make it right.

 

[Silent Method]

Some people really have a problem holding on to a great deal of size, but if your diet and training are in check, and assumming your body is working correctly, there is no reason why you couldn't have a spectacular body without juice.

 

[OMEGA]

Take Amplify02 prewokout
and about 5-10 grams of Creatine on off days
and Glutamine post workout
and I GAURANTEE you'll make a step in the right direction

 

[steelmass]

Yes. I was doing okay in open comp. natural....usually inthe trophies....2 cycles later I won my first overall though....But you can build a very impressive physique naturally. Ronnie was natural when he turned...well at least for the most part.

Q.

ya... minus the test/tren/eq/var/etc...

 

[ILOVEMYWIFE]

I think alot of it is in the mind too.
When I am having a small day, my wife is telling me that I look bigger than ever.
Keep training hard and eating clean and it will happen.

 

[gettnlarge01]

what is your bf%. after I dropped 20lbs+ alot of it bf everbody was telling me how much bigger I looked. now I don"t know if I want to do just a lean bulker this winter or get big again. bodybuilding is how big you look not what you actually weight or for me any way

 

[supertech69]

I have been off for over 2.5yrs and I have not shrunk back down to nothingness. I have gotten soft a few times & am not "AS" above average as I was while on but, I still think I am in decent shape compared to the average Joe. My diet is not always 100% on target nor is my training but, I always keep the core of my diet going (mostly because I am too lazy to have unplanned meals at work). I have no problem getting strong and solid again even at a natural state, I know mine is all in my diet & intensity & I'm willing to bet, your case is just the same. In fact I have actually made some thickness and muscle maturity gains since coming off. I think a lot of that is attributed to being wiser and more efficeint with my training and diet than I was early on. I am however, looking forward to running a cycle again in the very near future!!! It takes a lot of work and time management but, it is possible bro. For the record, I am a facilities supervisor, father of two athletes, husband with house chores, and a part time mechanical engineering student, if I can find the time, anyone can!

 

[perryscoon]

Thank you all for your replies, as most of you have said, I think its mostly diet. While I have been working out to the same intensity as when cycling, I haven't increased my diet intensity to make up for the lack of juice. I also agree with the poster that said its mental as well. Some days I think I look damn good muscle-wise, and others I think I look like average joe. I guess thats just part of being human. I think I will cycle again soon. From a quick glance at the forums it seems like a lot has changed since I last cycled. I'll have to catch up on the latest info and see what people are doing now. Been away from the scene for a while.

thx again

 

[bigdaddybear]

i understand 100% what you mean but its probably ALL in your head...

while maybe true that you lost some muscle, i bet you still get alot of compliments here and there about being in shape.. they may come in many forms such as:

you look strong
you are lean
youre a fairly big guy
you look good.. etc etc etc

but youre probably waiting for the 'bodybuilding' compliment like:

wow youre huge!
damn you got size..

so basically, while you DID lose muscle, youre probably still very muscular and im sure people see it.... .

 

[blut wump]

What does your training look like? Without juice and with some decent years of training under your belt, you're not going to be able to get away with the old Jones-Weider 1x per week per bodypart workouts. You need more and better than that in your training.

There's no way that you're going to look utterly awesome to your own eyes without juice. Juice is the ingredient which, when added to good diet and training, allows you to be strong and very lean. Without juice, though, you can look well above the norm and still be brutally strong. I suggest you take yourself over to the training forum and post up. You'll get some good suggestions.

Meanwhile take a browse on this site:
http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/table_of_contents_thread.htm

It has lots of good info on training theory, which applies equally regardless of whether you're juicing, and holds many links to even more info. Good luck.

 

[perryscoon]

What does your training look like? Without juice and with some decent years of training under your belt, you're not going to be able to get away with the old Jones-Weider 1x per week per bodypart workouts. You need more and better than that in your training.

There's no way that you're going to look utterly awesome to your own eyes without juice. Juice is the ingredient which, when added to good diet and training, allows you to be strong and very lean. Without juice, though, you can look well above the norm and still be brutally strong. I suggest you take yourself over to the training forum and post up. You'll get some good suggestions.

Meanwhile take a browse on this site:
http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/table_of_contents_thread.htm

It has lots of good info on training theory, which applies equally regardless of whether you're juicing, and holds many links to even more info. Good luck.

Will do. Very good advice. Thanks.

 

[Tweakle]

Unless you're black or especially genetically blessed then you can either be 1) lean and small, or 2) Big and sloppy. Can't have both if you're an average guy/hardgainer

It depends what you want, you can still lift big weights if you're happy to carry around a high bodyfat, or be lean as hell if you want to sacrifice muscle tissue.. of course your somatype will dictate which of these approaches you'll do best at, an ecto isnt going to be a 260lb powerlifter and a endo isnt going to be a ripped A&F boy.

I could never handle being 180 and 'lean' again, it would be psycholgically hard to deal with so I can sympatise with you.