
Originally Posted by
cronos
so i have a serious question for you, ron. Anyone else with lots of gym experience please feel free to chime in. This has been bugging me for the last couple days. I work at a very large gym chain across north america, and at my location i recently met a couple individuals who have successfully (no intent of their own) made me feel pretty low about myself.
Person a: 42 year old male, just placed in the top 4 in one of the worlds biggest "natural" bodybuilding shows. 5'10, 190 shredded. I mean 11 different veins just in his bi's and feathering in his back shredded. Great physique, you get it. I got to know this guy over the last while and we get on the topic of juice. Swears up and down he's all natural, and never even touched a steroid. Now, i'm pretty open and honest with my gym buddies after we get to know each other for a while, i mean we're all in this together so no point in juicing and everybody know it, and then me saying "uh, no, no way man, never touched it". When asked by one of my seasoned gym buddies. You just look like an idiot to me. On top of being in this shape, the guy pushes 315 on the bench at his weight and condition for reps! He's 42!
Person b: A 25 year old male i befriended who just happens to have that "perfect" structure for bodybuilding. Really tiny joints, swollen big round muscle bellies everywhere (wtf), around 8% bf, 5'10 194. On top of that, he's freakishly strong! 5 plate deads for 10! 4 plate squats for several sets of 8-10 at the end of his leg workout! After leg extensions, after leg press etc. 4 plate bench for 3. Again, swears on his mother's grave he's on nothing. On top of that, he tells me he only consumes 100g of carbs per day and 30g fats from fish oils, about 250g protein. Can he really look that swolen, be that freakishly strong at that weight with those tiny joints on those few carbs and calories and be clean?!?
I sincerely hope for some honest answers and opinions here please, because i'm honest about what i'm on, the weights i move etc. And i don't even compare to these guys. To give you an idea of myself, i turn a lot of heads my self (don't mean to brag, just trying to give some contrast here) and i'm only 180 at 5'7 about 8% bf. But i'm on stuff, and i admit and i'm no where near these 2 individuals. I've got a sloppy 335 bench at best, 513 dead for 1, and 407 squat for 1. I've just kinda slipped into a bit of a depression about all this, i know it may sound silly. So lets hear your honest opinions. I mean, are any of you here like these 2 guys? Honestly, I would have to see a front and rear photo of each individual to give my opinion but what I can tell you having been a personal trainer for 28 years is that black guys, people from Germany, Poland, Austria, and such, often have a huge advantage in bodybuilding due to their genetic make-up. Obviously, not all of them have great genetics but the one's that do are impressive. Think about how many big Asian bodybuilders you see and it's not a lot. Some people are built more for endurance type exercise like long distance running and others are built for mass and power. So, it's possible they are both all natural but some people will not admit they are using steroids because they are afraid of getting busted or they started out with that lie and feel the need to continue lying or else they will really look bad in the eyes of others if truth be told.
I learned along time ago not to compare myself to others. For example, i am only 5'10 and will never be 6"10 and play professional basketball or 350 lbs and play lineman in the NFL. My calves and upper chest have never grown much regardless of what i done for them due to poor genetics and the majority of guys with huge calves at our gym don't even work them. My arms grow whether I do 6 sets a week or 30 sets a week due to my genetics. Bodybuilding is not a fair sport but neither is football or basketball. Strength often has more to do with tendon size and insertions than actual muscle size-hence the reason most power lifters are not nearly as muscular as bodybuilders. Some people like my wife are born with both strength and muscle size. She was born with big rope veins and while I have a lot of veins they are no where as big as hers nor will they ever be! She got it honestly-from her dad!
note: I have worked with people I consider friends at various gyms who swore up and down to all of us they never ever touched steroids but then later found out who was selling steroids to them. Not everyone wants to admit they are using steroids because they know if they tell one person many will find out because word travels fast. Also, many of these so-called natural bodybuilder's are using steroids, insulin, and GH. Just take a look at how Lance Armstrong has lied about his steroid and blood doping use. I am not judging him but rather using Lance and his cycling buddies as examples as people lieing about their drug use. I would also like to add that these really big guys like pro bodybuilders combine large amounts of insulin and gh along with both oral and injectable steroids. When the average guy tries using that much they do not make the same kind of gains because these big guys are born with more muscle fibers and receptors to uptake higher dosages of steroids.
thanks