SilverBullet
New Member
I don't remember if I was just a lurker on this forum back when I got serious about lifting 7 years ago so I am not sure if I properly introduced myself back then. I read this forum religiously and followed all the advice given by the experts here.
I started in late 2007. I followed the vanilla template15x1,10x2, 5x3. I did 2 bulk cycles, then 1 cut cycle, followed by 4 bulk cycles. Each cycle was 8-9 weeks long. The gains I made were amazing (attached PDF to this post with results). But I have to say diet was just as important as the workout routine. I counted calories, weighed every single thing I ate. I became too obsessive about it.
Midway through the 7th cycle I hit a brick wall. I suddenly stopped gaining any weight. I felt like my food wasn't digesting properly. It seemed as though I developed some kind of stomach ulcer. So, I lost motivation. I quit HST and then working-out altogether.
Fast forward 6 years later and I am motivated to do this all over again. But this time I am starting out lean, at 10% BF. I lost 30lbs of fat over the last 6 months. I did a DEXA scan to confirm that my numbers were correct.
I started reading the forum again and came across a thread discussing something new to me. Maximum Muscular Potential. I looked up the formula online and punched in my numbers. Height=78”, Ankle=9.5”, Wrist=7.5” I had to use a special formula for ectomorphs since apparently we only reach 95% of our potential. So the LBM that came back was 198lbs. I looked back at my weight midway through my HST cycle 7 (right when I hit the wall). 238lbs. At 17% bf, that equals to 198lbs LBM! Had I reached my peak? Is that as large as I will ever get? At 6'6” I've been hoping that I can put a ton of muscle to fill out that lanky frame. But am I doomed? What kind of realistic goals can I set for myself? Can I get past 200lbs of LBM?
Would love to hear your expert opinions.
I started in late 2007. I followed the vanilla template15x1,10x2, 5x3. I did 2 bulk cycles, then 1 cut cycle, followed by 4 bulk cycles. Each cycle was 8-9 weeks long. The gains I made were amazing (attached PDF to this post with results). But I have to say diet was just as important as the workout routine. I counted calories, weighed every single thing I ate. I became too obsessive about it.
Midway through the 7th cycle I hit a brick wall. I suddenly stopped gaining any weight. I felt like my food wasn't digesting properly. It seemed as though I developed some kind of stomach ulcer. So, I lost motivation. I quit HST and then working-out altogether.
Fast forward 6 years later and I am motivated to do this all over again. But this time I am starting out lean, at 10% BF. I lost 30lbs of fat over the last 6 months. I did a DEXA scan to confirm that my numbers were correct.
I started reading the forum again and came across a thread discussing something new to me. Maximum Muscular Potential. I looked up the formula online and punched in my numbers. Height=78”, Ankle=9.5”, Wrist=7.5” I had to use a special formula for ectomorphs since apparently we only reach 95% of our potential. So the LBM that came back was 198lbs. I looked back at my weight midway through my HST cycle 7 (right when I hit the wall). 238lbs. At 17% bf, that equals to 198lbs LBM! Had I reached my peak? Is that as large as I will ever get? At 6'6” I've been hoping that I can put a ton of muscle to fill out that lanky frame. But am I doomed? What kind of realistic goals can I set for myself? Can I get past 200lbs of LBM?
Would love to hear your expert opinions.
