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Thread: Critique my physique (and steroid cycle)

  1. #1
    Mtmlf1234 is offline New Member
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    Critique my physique (and steroid cycle)

    I’m 23 years old and have been training solidly for the last 4 years 5/6 times a week. I track my macros on a flexible dieting type plan (mostly ‘clean’ foods).

    I’m a natural ectomorph and have put on 15kg (33lbs) since I started training. I was an extremely low BFP when I started weight training as I was competing in MMA at a high level.

    With the amount of dedication I have with my diet being good, and training being so intense I feel I should be bigger and just have more MASS generally.

    I’ve been thinking about running a bulking cycle of test E and maybe an oral? I'm prone to gyno so not too sure what to/if to stack an oral on top of the test. I’m also wanting to compete in men’s physique in the not too distant future

    what would you all recommend?

    Thanks guys!

    Critique my physique (and steroid cycle)-img_0851.jpg

  2. #2
    Jangles1 is offline Member
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    You just got the best advice you can get in another thread (like 10 mins ago)

    'GearHeaded

    I would focus on these things for now , and during that whole time spend a good deal of it studying and researching AAS. That way when you go that route you'll definitely be prepared and ready and will also have a good base to start from.
    and being your estrogen sensitive and gyno prone you'll want to research doing low testosterone cycles stacked with non-aromatizing anabolics'


    Great body. Id be happy with that for my final form, so to speak ha

  3. #3
    Mtmlf1234 is offline New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jangles1 View Post
    You just got the best advice you can get in another thread (like 10 mins ago)

    'GearHeaded

    I would focus on these things for now , and during that whole time spend a good deal of it studying and researching AAS. That way when you go that route you'll definitely be prepared and ready and will also have a good base to start from.
    and being your estrogen sensitive and gyno prone you'll want to research doing low testosterone cycles stacked with non-aromatizing anabolics'


    Great body. Id be happy with that for my final form, so to speak ha
    Haha thank you mate. I know, good advice from him I just want a lot of different peoples opinion so thought starting it on a new thread would be better!

  4. #4
    GearHeaded is offline BANNED
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    looking at your physique I just think you need more overall 'thickness' . here are a few of my tips to adding thickness and mass to an ectomorphic physique.

    - heavy compound movements are key (90% of the time should be spent in a power rack with a barbell , not on cables doing isolation movements)

    - focus on the back of your body .. everyone likes to hit chest and biceps because thats what they see in the mirrors at the gym . but if you prioritize your back, lower traps, and triceps, this will add a great deal more overall mass and thickness to your frame (biceps and chest are very small muscles compared to those that are behind you)

    - develop width and thickness to your traps and shoulders. heavy ass power shrugs and 700 pound rack pulls and then heavy over head barbell press (once your over head strict pressing 225+ pounds for reps, you can't help but have boulder shoulders)

    - Row, Row, Row -- do a ton of pulling motions. guarantee you anyone that can bend over row 355 for 8 reps has a mighty thick back and upper body with rear delts that pop.
    have two solid days per week where your whole workout is rowing and pulling exercises. this will put thickness and mass on your whole upper body and make you look wider from the front, the side, and the back.

    - last but certainly not least . learn to love to Squat. don't jump in the squat rack and do 3 sets and move on to the leg press . 10 sets of 10 brother !!


    - and as for diet , consume a large amount of Carbohydrates pari-workout. carboHYDRATES drive glycogen and water into the muscle cells, and amino acids (building blocks of muscle) go along for the ride. Being full and 'swole' not only makes you look bigger, its beneficial to building muscle because of the nutrient uptake it provides for muscle tissue.

    stay away from any hypo-caloric or low carb keto diets during this time .. you can cut once you got the size your looking for, but to grow you need lots of calories and plenty of carbs.
    Last edited by GearHeaded; 11-19-2017 at 02:04 PM.
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  5. #5
    Mtmlf1234 is offline New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by GearHeaded View Post
    looking at your physique I just think you need more overall 'thickness' . here are a few of my tips to adding thickness and mass to an ectomorphic physique.

    - heavy compound movements are key (90% of the time should be spent in a power rack with a barbell , not on cables doing isolation movements)

    - focus on the back of your body .. everyone likes to hit chest and biceps because thats what they see in the mirrors at the gym . but if you prioritize your back, lower traps, and triceps, this will add a great deal more overall mass and thickness to your frame (biceps and chest are very small muscles compared to those that are behind you)

    - develop width and thickness to your traps and shoulders. heavy ass power shrugs and 700 pound rack pulls and then heavy over head barbell press (once your over head strict pressing 225+ pounds for reps, you can't help but have boulder shoulders)

    - Row, Row, Row -- do a ton of pulling motions. guarantee you anyone that can bend over row 355 for 8 reps has a mighty thick back and upper body with rear delts that pop.
    have two solid days per week where your whole workout is rowing and pulling exercises. this will put thickness and mass on your whole upper body and make you look wider from the front, the side, and the back.

    - last but certainly not least . learn to love to Squat. don't jump in the squat rack and do 3 sets and move on to the leg press . 10 sets of 10 brother !!


    - and as for diet , consume a large amount of Carbohydrates pari-workout. carboHYDRATES drive glycogen and water into the muscle cells, and amino acids (building blocks of muscle) go along for the ride. Being full and 'swole' not only makes you look bigger, its beneficial to building muscle because of the nutrient uptake it provides for muscle tissue.

    stay away from any hypo-caloric or low carb keto diets during this time .. you can cut once you got the size your looking for, but to grow you need lots of calories and plenty of carbs.
    That’s the word I’m looking for, thickness!! That’s what I’m missing.

    The main of my movements are compound, I focus a lot on going as heavy as I can but keeping mind muscle connection. I could lift heavier if I didn’t do this but I’d encorperate other smaller muscles into the lift so surely the muscle I’m targeting won’t get as developed?

    At the moment per week I train:
    Chest: twice (it’s lagging)
    Back: once (strong point)
    Shoulders: twice
    Legs: once
    Arms: twice (weak point)

    Would you still prioritise pack?

    My current macros are:
    Protein 200
    Carbs 380
    Fat 75

    Think there was a typo there did you mean ‘pre-workout’?

  6. #6
    GearHeaded is offline BANNED
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mtmlf1234 View Post
    The main of my movements are compound, I focus a lot on going as heavy as I can but keeping mind muscle connection. I could lift heavier if I didn’t do this but I’d encorperate other smaller muscles into the lift so surely the muscle I’m targeting won’t get as developed?
    mind muscle connection with good form (eccentric loading), a full stretch and contraction under sufficient mechanical tension is ideal for targeting the muscle you are working.
    this is a great way to develop a particular muscle group . But straying away from this on occasion and letting those smaller muscle groups and stabilizer muscles kick in as well can really help add overall mass to your frame.

    heres an example
    1. - I can go on a smith machine or standard bench press, take a fairly wide grip, flare my elbows out and lower the bar to my upper chest, get a good stretch, really feel my pecs, and then slowly contract and press the weight up. really great mind muscle connection doing bench press this way , however I have to go fairly light, 225x10 or so (again slow and controlled.

    2. - OR , I can go to the bench press (wrap my wrists and elbows.. 40 year old joints here), grip the bar a bit narrower, keep my elbows in close and tight, flare my lats, pull my shoulder blades back tight to be able to stabilize and press with my upper back , and then lower the bar to my lower chest nice and slow but then powerfully explode up (with at least 100 pounds more then the other way).

    in bench press 1 I'm isolating my chest and getting that mind muscle connection .. in bench press 2 I have no mind muscle connection with my chest (of course I feel it the next day) because there are too many other muscle at work to bench this way . My triceps, my traps, my lats, my chest, and yes even the upper back as your stabilizer to the bench.

    and by using all these other muscles at the exact same time to perform this lift and being able to use 100+ more pounds of overload and stress , this is going to build more thickness (in a lot of guys , not everyone as we are all different). When these big muscle groups have to work together and they are all simultaneously stimulated, they will respond to that and grow.

    give it a try (bench press is just one example I used , we can do the same thing with dead lifts, military press, bent over rows etc..).

    I'm not saying give up the mind muscle connection training, as that is a great isolator , but add in some heavy compound lifts where you engage multiple muscle groups at once and see if that does not help you add to over all thickness and development of your physique .

    power lifters are some of the widest and thickest guys you'll see in the gym . they did not get that way from only focusing on mind muscle connection and isolating individual muscle groups .


    Quote Originally Posted by Mtmlf1234 View Post
    Would you still prioritise pack?

    Think there was a typo there did you mean ‘pre-workout’?

    heavy pulls and rows will help build thickness. Your back contains far more overall muscle then your chest or bis. so being it contains more muscle then it needs to be worked more.
    even if your back is a strong point for you , having a thicker back will make you more impressive overall . having stout thick Traps that go from your ears down to your mid back will give you thickness . heavy power shrugs, rack pulls, and bent over rows, etc. all these pulling motions will help you get thick and multiple times a week is what I'd suggest.


    NO, I didn't mean 'pre-workout' , what I meant by 'pari-workout' is simply "around' the timing of your workout . so for me thats pre-workout, intra workout, and post workout carbs . best time to consume high amounts of carbs is around your workout window . now I'm not saying you personally would need to take intra workout carbs, I take insulin so its a must, but its just another time you could be consuming nutrients and fueling your mass gains.

    I would bump up your protein. actually I would bump up your total calories all together, even the fats. what I suggest guys to do is to pick the goal weight they want to bulk to in a 4-6 month bulk . so say for you thats 200 pounds . well you need to calculate your macros like your already 200 pounds now, not 178, and eat that way


    hope that helps
    Last edited by GearHeaded; 11-19-2017 at 06:43 PM.

  7. #7
    Mtmlf1234 is offline New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by GearHeaded View Post
    heavy pulls and rows will help build thickness. Your back contains far more overall muscle then your chest or bis. so being it contains more muscle then it needs to be worked more.
    even if your back is a strong point for you , having a thicker back will make you more impressive overall . having stout thick Traps that go from your ears down to your mid back will give you thickness . heavy power shrugs, rack pulls, and bent over rows, etc. all these pulling motions will help you get thick and multiple times a week is what I'd suggest.


    NO, I didn't mean 'pre-workout' , what I meant by 'pari-workout' is simply "around' the timing of your workout . so for me thats pre-workout, intra workout, and post workout carbs . best time to consume high amounts of carbs is around your workout window . now I'm not saying you personally would need to take intra workout carbs, I take insulin so its a must, but its just another time you could be consuming nutrients and fueling your mass gains.

    I would bump up your protein. actually I would bump up your total calories all together, even the fats. what I suggest guys to do is to pick the goal weight they want to bulk to in a 4-6 month bulk . so say for you thats 200 pounds . well you need to calculate your macros like your already 200 pounds now, not 178, and eat that way
    Okay, ive looked at what you have said and i’m going to do exactly as you say. I know I won’t like the extra fat I am going to end up carrying but if that’s what it takes to get the muscle on then so be it.

    I weighed in first thing this morning at 179lbs. So I need to add on 21lbs to get to 200lb that’s just short of 1lb increase in weight per week over 6 months (I figure I’ll add more muscle putting it on over 6 months rather than 4 as I’m doing it natty).

    I’ve changed my training routine (and would like your opinion on it) which now looks like this:
    Mon: Chest/shoulders
    Tue: Back/arms
    Wed: Legs
    Thurs: Shoulders
    Fri: Back
    Sat: Arms

    I’ve upped my macros from:
    P 200g
    C 380g
    F 75g
    To:
    P 219g
    C 438g
    F 97g

    I’ll see how this goes for the next week and increase it if I don’t put the weight I’m aiming for on.

    What are your thoughts on sugar intake pre/intra/post workout?

    Really appreciate your help mate
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  8. #8
    GearHeaded is offline BANNED
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mtmlf1234 View Post
    Okay, ive looked at what you have said and i’m going to do exactly as you say. I know I won’t like the extra fat I am going to end up carrying but if that’s what it takes to get the muscle on then so be it.

    I weighed in first thing this morning at 179lbs. So I need to add on 21lbs to get to 200lb that’s just short of 1lb increase in weight per week over 6 months (I figure I’ll add more muscle putting it on over 6 months rather than 4 as I’m doing it natty).

    I’ve changed my training routine (and would like your opinion on it) which now looks like this:
    Mon: Chest/shoulders
    Tue: Back/arms
    Wed: Legs
    Thurs: Shoulders
    Fri: Back
    Sat: Arms

    I’ve upped my macros from:
    P 200g
    C 380g
    F 75g
    To:
    P 219g
    C 438g
    F 97g

    I’ll see how this goes for the next week and increase it if I don’t put the weight I’m aiming for on.

    What are your thoughts on sugar intake pre/intra/post workout?

    Really appreciate your help mate

    sounds good brother . sometimes the best program is simply doing the one your currently not doing. changing things up and implementing things you've never done before can stimulate new growth and adaptations to occur.

    upping the calories is a good idea along with changing up the training style. I believe your goal of bulking to 200 pounds over a period of 6 months is a good and reasonable goal.


    as for sugar around the workout, I personally have a carb meal pre-workout (white rice or a muffin), I then have an intra-workout drink that contains up to 80g of Amleopectin (high molecular weight carb that is super fast digesting) along with EAAs, then 30 mins post workout I'll have my whey isolate along with another 40-60 grams of carbs (white bagels, or even pop tart on occasions).

    so I get a lot of carbs/sugars , around the workout window. I also have protein and essential amino acids at these times as well. the reason for this is that around the workout time you are much more insulin sensitive (meaning your going to store carbs as muscle glycogen and not fat) plus when Carbs (i.e., glucose) are driven into muscle cells as glycogen then also carry with them 'water' (carboHYDRATE) and amino acids go along for the ride <---- these things are all anabolic processes and will aid in muscle growth over time

    keep in mind that I take exogenous insulin pre-workout and post , so my carb requirements may be quite a bit different then yours (eg., your intra workout drink may only need 30g of carb, not 80)


    best of luck with the bulk

  9. #9
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    kelkel is offline HRT Specialist ~ AR-Platinum Elite-Hall of Famer ~ No Source Checks
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    Or, don't ignore what I said in your other thread. Focus on some powerlifting. It really sums up a lot of what GearHeaded mentioned as well. You also do not have to be in the gym every day. It's part of the problem I see with newer lifters all the time. More isn't better. Better is better.
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