| The short answer is as big as their genetics will allow, | | | | muscle up, are even more afraid of becoming "too big" |
| if they follow a proper training and nutritional program. | | | | even before they lifted a weight at all. They seem to |
| How big is that, then? For many individuals it can be | | | | think that after their workout they go to sleep and, |
| very big, for those with a light bone frame a little less, | | | | bang, the next day they wake up like Dorian Yates. |
| but everyone can achieve surprising results. Size is not | | | | This of course is a totally unfunded fear, since it takes |
| all there is to define a nice physique, of course, but if | | | | time, effort and dedication to muscle up, especially for |
| this is the problem for you, natural bodybuilding | | | | a hardgainer, giving plenty of time to step back and |
| hardgainers can grow pretty fast to a large size, | | | | reduce the effort to simple maintenance work, once |
| though probably not as huge as drug assisted trainees, | | | | you have achieved a desired size and shape. It is a bit |
| which is not a bad thing. A natural bodybuilder will have | | | | like overweight people, they did not become |
| built a musculature that is not only pleasing to the eye | | | | overweight in the night time because they had a slice |
| but also functional. On the contrary a drug assisted | | | | of cake at the party the day before. Most probably it |
| bodybuilder, by growing his muscles beyond what | | | | took months and years of indulgence, sedentary |
| mother-nature had intended, will actually see an athletic | | | | lifestyle and/or lack of exercise before they realized |
| performance reduced, except for the weight lifted. | | | | they may have a health issue. Whatever you do to |
| Bodybuilding is not the only sport where steroids are | | | | your body, for the good or for the bad, it takes time to |
| used, but it is the one taking the biggest share of drug | | | | show up and you have all the chances to take |
| users in sport. | | | | appropriate steps. |
| In my view this caused bodybuilding in general to have | | | | Having said all this, it does not mean that it should take |
| its image tarnished for most people, and for a good | | | | years and years to achieve maximum strength and |
| reason. The average man or woman in the street | | | | size if you follow a realistic program for drug free |
| does not like to associate him/herself to a drug fuelled | | | | trainees, even if you are a hardgainer. A proper weight |
| world populated with muscle freaks who look straight | | | | training program for regular guys and gals should |
| out of comic books. Not to mention the medical and | | | | consist of few compound sets per body part |
| ethical issues of taking drugs in the first place. | | | | performed in a full body workout with great intensity. |
| So many people prefer to say they are just working | | | | Rest, eat, sleep and repeat. This way it should take 2 |
| out or do weight training to distance themselves from | | | | years at most to reach your full potential, and even |
| this bodybuilding image, even though they very | | | | after just 6 months or 1 year you should be well ahead |
| legitimately strive to shape up and yes, get big too, the | | | | and have transformed your physique impressively. |
| natural way. Some people though are scared of | | | | The idea that it should take longer than that is a |
| getting too big. While this is not much of a problem for | | | | misconception born out of the thousands natural |
| the majority, some trainees may not have a desire to | | | | trainees and hopeless hardgainers who follow the high |
| reach the heavy weight division for performance or | | | | volume split routines taken from the muscle |
| cosmetic reasons. Say these people also practice | | | | magazines. 10 to 24 sets per body part and split |
| swimming or Thai Boxing, or other sports where | | | | routines are murderous for regular guys and even |
| stamina is a prerequisite as much as power. | | | | more so for hardgainers and ectomorphs. They lead |
| Well, then everyone has an ideal weight range beyond | | | | you nowhere but stagnation and frustration with a |
| which an increase in strength, weight, muscles and | | | | vague hope to hit the magic turning point that will never |
| power would be more than offset by a decrease in | | | | arrive. Hence the idea that it should take years and |
| stamina, making it not worth to pursuit. Think about | | | | years to get big or just gain some muscle. |
| gymnasts, they have awesome physiques and terrific | | | | Think about it: if you did not make any substantial gains, |
| body weight to power ratio. If they did weights they | | | | apart from the very start, and you hit a deadlock, what |
| could possibly become even stronger, but also heavier | | | | makes you think that you will somehow turn it around? |
| and ultimately less performing. This means they carry | | | | Only the muscle magazine/supplement mafia, I guess, |
| the LEAST amount of muscle they can get away with | | | | because they need your failure to profit. In fact, they |
| in order to be as light as possible: the net result is | | | | won't tell you that those training split routines can only |
| outstanding power to body weight ratio. If you don't | | | | work for drug assisted trainees, not you or me, so |
| have body weight or performance restrictions to deal | | | | they can go on selling you all sorts of supplements. |
| with, then you can get as big and strong as nature | | | | The only supplements you need are few preservative |
| allows you to. | | | | free high quality protein powders, nothing else. |
| Other people, mainly women, while have a desire to | | | | |