Did you reach your natty potential?

[Koosha]

Curious to know how many people waited on their natty potential to start or who just sent it? Any crazy stories of your first introduction to gear? I see a lot of confliction between people who wait and who don't but overall all the transformations seem to be epic when diet, training and supps are on point. I am 31 been lifting consistenly for almost 3 yeasrs after a 10 year break due to drugs and alchol. Trying to stay natural as long as possibe but recent lab work suggested lower T and if they want to TRT me might as well blast.

 

[DECLAN]

Curious to know how many people waited on their natty potential to start or who just sent it? Any crazy stories of your first introduction to gear? I see a lot of confliction between people who wait and who don't but overall all the transformations seem to be epic when diet, training and supps are on point. I am 31 been lifting consistenly for almost 3 yeasrs after a 10 year break due to drugs and alchol. Trying to stay natural as long as possibe but recent lab work suggested lower T and if they want to TRT me might as well blast.

This idea is something made by old heads to discourage newbies from using gear too early. In reality how can you measure your potential if you don’t even know how to gauge your upper limit since there is no definite measurement on when your growth stops?

So many factors to consider. Just be sensible, do you at least know how to lift safely and have an idea on how been progressively improving your lifts, follow a bodybuilding diet and nutrition. Have at least 3-5 yrs of solid lifting?

You’re an adult, make an educated decision then adjust accordingly. Monitor your health and be proactive, learn to quit drugs if needed and don’t push too much too soon.

Just my two cents.

 

[Pulpfiction]

Nope, my ex fiancé dad sold gear and she said she wanted me on it to look better, so I started with test 400 and test and winny after, that was 14 years ago. Relationship didn’t work out but hey, it got me plugged in the game

 

[Koosha]

This idea is something made by old heads to discourage newbies from using gear too early. In reality how can you measure your potential if you don’t even know how to gauge your upper limit since there is no definite measurement on when your growth stops?

So many factors to consider. Just be sensible, do you at least know how to lift safely and have an idea on how been progressively improving your lifts, follow a bodybuilding diet and nutrition. Have at least 3-5 yrs of solid lifting?

You’re an adult, make an educated decision then adjust accordingly. Monitor your health and be proactive, learn to quit drugs if needed and don’t push too much too soon.

Just my two cents.

Yeah that makes sense for sure. My cut ends here in a few weeks. I am getting some markers to see BF and comphrensive blood work and can deicde if I am ready for the enhanced bulk for winter.

I would say the last year (out of 3)I have seen the most progerss with lifts, nutrition and sleep. No drugs besides marijuana and no alcohol. Pre-workout and electrolyes on top of normal supplements. last lab looked good besides the low t ( around 330, no crazy symptoms besides brain fog and some fatigue). I have some higher LDL which they deem from genetics. They wanted to put on statin but I am working on trying to lower it with diet and supplmentation ( citrus bergamot, flaxseed).



Appreciate the two cents, sometimes it ain't as deep as it seems.

 

[Koosha]

Nope, my ex fiancé dad sold gear and she said she wanted me on it to look better, so I started with test 400 and test and winny after, that was 14 years ago. Relationship didn’t work out but hey, it got me plugged in the game

interesting, was the dad swole as fuck haha?

 

[Pinnacle Elements]

100% , lifted for 12 years before gear. granted I started at 17.

Around 21, 22 people were assuming I was on even when I was natty.

 

[Eddie.]

I trained consistently and religiously for 19 years natty before i jumped to gear. Still i'm 100% sure i didn't reach my natty potential. Only guys that compete as naturals and doing that lifestyle of diet, recovery etc are able to get close to their true natty potentional. For me personal that's what i just wanted for myself, i wanted to wait as much as i could to take this lifetime decision. It's ok for eternal workout junkies but definitely not the wisest move for someone who has competitive aspirations. That's the only way i could give my blessing to a young and amateur guy after lets say 1-2 years of natty lifting, if someone has the potential, the ethics, the funds and the genetics to be "someone" in the bb world then yeah, proceed with caution.

Otherwise ofc it's not my buisness what everyone's doing but i just hate to see noobs jump into stupid gear cycles as victims of the social media. Guys who don't know how to train, how to eat and they look like they're just signed up for a membership while they're already on the sauce.. To me it's pathetic. You have to earn it, if you train for sometime and you know what you're doing then you're probably ready.

I hate to bring up Vigorous Steve because i disagree in many things but he said something that i find correct. If you're natty and there's people thinking you're already on the sauce, then it's a good time to level up. You know you're doing something correctly and if you decide to hop on gear then results will be amazing.

As for reaching the true natty limit, i think you'll have to die first and then travel back in time lol. Even if you're progressing as a natty, putting 1 pound of true lean mass every year, does it worth it? Is this considered a progress? For me, no.

 

[Ouch]

The honest answer is, short of professional athletes or olympians, almost nobody. Reaching true generic potential would entail crazy recovery and training methods that the “regular” guy can’t afford or invest the time in - cryotherapy, hypobaric chambers, changing altitudes, IV drips…all kinds of shit.

The better question is how long should YOU wait before starting anabolics. For me I did a winstrol cycle at 21 and then didn’t touch a thing until my mid 30’s. By then I knew my body, knew how I responded to food/recovery, knew multiple training routines…and most importantly already had kids.

 

[lukiss96]

I don't know. I reached 200lbs in pretty lean condition, I was able to bench press 300lbs. All this at 6ft1. I was very young when I started. Never looked my age either.

What I can say I regret about is that I could have put in 2 years more and to mature my muscles more before starting steroids. Otherwise life on Testosterone is amazing.

 

[Pinnacle Elements]

The honest answer is, short of professional athletes or olympians, almost nobody. Reaching true generic potential would entail crazy recovery and training methods that the “regular” guy can’t afford or invest the time in - cryotherapy, hypobaric chambers, changing altitudes, IV drips…all kinds of shit.

The better question is how long should YOU wait before starting anabolics. For me I did a winstrol cycle at 21 and then didn’t touch a thing until my mid 30’s. By then I knew my body, knew how I responded to food/recovery, knew multiple training routines…and most importantly already had kids.

At what point does the line draw for natural? One could argue all the stuff you listed could push it.

I stand by my statement of I reached genetic potential in my early 20’s after years of proper lifting, routine and diet.

I would consider that living a “normal” life - i.e going to college, getting good grades and keeping in top physical shape to the point where you are accused of steroid use is absolutely genetic potential.

Helps to have good genes too.

 

[lukiss96]

I reached genetic potential in my early 20’s

This part makes it hard to believe you reached your limit. What you listed in both of your posts, my experience is similar. I don't think anyone can reach muscle maturity before 30 naturally, it just looks different. I don't think most of us reached what we could naturally, just like we didn't reach it all with steroids. We are always on a mission, question is how much is too much and where one should draw the line.

 

[Pinnacle Elements]

This part makes it hard to believe you reached your limit. What you listed in both of your posts, my experience is similar. I don't think anyone can reach muscle maturity before 30 naturally, it just looks different. I don't think most of us reached what we could naturally, just like we didn't reach it all with steroids. We are always on a mission, question is how much is too much and where one should draw the line.

I believe that for my age at the time and following I reached the genetic limit of what my body could obtain until I started steroids.

Does that statement resonate better?

 

[lukiss96]

I believe that for my age at the time and following I reached the genetic limit of what my body could obtain until I started steroids.

Does that statement resonate better?

It does, nobody is taking away your work by the way. I feel like I worked hard enough to jump on anabolics too. It just that there's lots of unknown, we can't be 100% sure. I think there's bigger problem now with guys taking steroids and looking like shit. At least we know how to utilize them to achieve our goals.

 

[Pinnacle Elements]

It does, nobody is taking away your work by the way. I feel like I worked hard enough to jump on anabolics too. It just that there's lots of unknown, we can't be 100% sure. I think there's bigger problem now with guys taking steroids and looking like shit. At least we know how to utilize them to achieve our goals.

Yeah the advice used to come from the older bigger dudes at the gym not tik tok. That garbage is making teenagers think it’s okay to start tren day 0