Am I the only person who doesn't count bar weight ??
- Thread starter benben2356
- Start date
Sci
Well-Known Member
Ours weighs 30kg or 66lb. In that case your leg press in the vid was actually 285 kg, not bad
Yeah, it was frickin heavy!
Your upper arms count for chins. I would just call it 'BW', rather than assess forearm+hand weight vs clothes + shoes.
Ours weighs 30kg or 66lb. In that case your leg press in the vid was actually 285 kg, not bad
Wow, heavy ass sled - makes sense though.
Same (for landmine, T-Bar).
For dips and chins, etc, to be most accurate, you should probably weigh yourself at the gym prior to the exercise. That's what I generally do when feasible so I can adjust as necessary. Some people (the weird people who get cold) can end up wearing a lot of weight in clothing during the winter.
A little off subject but a friend of mind, a natural power lifter, RAW, posted a video of Charles Staley doing a flat bench press of 250 pounds for two reps. All the comments were like "great man", "You're still strong," "Way to go big guy" etc. And I am thinking that my last HST cycle was 6 reps at 245 pounds at 68 years old on an incline bench press and I expect to improve on that by at least 5 pounds this cycle. WTF? What's with these so called strong experts? Nothing against Charles Staley, who, I am sure, is a very nice guy, but that weight really sucks! Oh yea, I am 5' 8" and currently 184 pounds. Maybe Charles is 140 pounds and that may explain it. But two reps at 250 pounds and people think his advice is godly. Please!
My point is, don't believe this crap these over-hyped and so called paid experts say is how to train.
Old and Grey
My point is, don't believe this crap these over-hyped and so called paid experts say is how to train.
Old and Grey
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O&G - what current T-levels do you have w/your supplementation? And how easy is it to get a prescription in the USA? Just something I've been wondering about, b/c it's absurdly difficult here in Australia. It's good that they don't just medically justify hormone boosting for women these days.
Re: loads - I think the above plays into it somewhat, but also, you're just using a preferable way to train.
Re: loads - I think the above plays into it somewhat, but also, you're just using a preferable way to train.
HST_Rihad
Active Member
Oh, sorry I meant the forearms only when I said arms. Upper arms being the levers probably do count for the biceps (in a non-linear fashion along with the rest of the body), but they certainly don't count for the load pulled by lats & traps.
With supplementation (3 squirts per day of Androgel), about 800+ ng/dl. I could raise it to 4 squirts and still be within normal guidelines but I am happy where I am. I was way under 200 ng/dl without Androgel and felt very tired. Does the Androgel contribute to what success I have had with lifting? No question about it. You cannot build muscle without T. However, in my demented old mind, I justify it by saying that as long as I stay within medically accepted normal T levels, I can consider myself natural or, to put it another way, I do not abuse AAS. I also have to take synthroid and do not consider myself not to be a natural lifter because of that either.
Scripts are relatively easy to obtain in the US if you have low T. The benefits of male hormone supplementation as a means to increase one's on-going quality of life has become widely touted and accepted in the medical community during the past decade. After insurance, the cost to me is less than US$2 per month. If you do not have low T, then you do not medically need it although I am sure it is available on the black market as are all sorts of AAS that are even much more potent. I could get T in an injectable form but I have heard many stories of peaks and valleys since it is normally injected two to four times per month.
I also take 1 mg of Finasteride daily to help avoid the conversion to DHT which can contribute to hair loss. One anecdotal side note is that I have noticed that the more bald men become as they age, the less likely they are to need T supplementation. I assume that is due to higher T levels which means higher conversion to DHT. There may be some studies out there that agree or disagree what I seem to have noticed but I have not come across any yet.
Staley is a bit of a lightweight. It seems like most of the gurus who do not use AAS are small and not terribly strong. Whereas the ones who are larger and stronger typically have a sordid history with AAS usage. Where are all the guys who got big and strong using their proposed methods of muscle building while remaining natural? Why is this so rare? And 250 for a double on flat bench? I'm pretty sure most of the guys on this site can easily match that, which is fine, everyone starts somewhere but in this instance, this guy is a widely respected guru.
Sci
Well-Known Member
I totally respect your choice to artificially keep your hormones boosted, but there is nothing "natural" about it. Taking external hormones from a doctor to keep your testosterone levels as high as a 30 year old male, is unnatural. "Natural" would be leaving your hormones where they are at for a 68 year old man.
On the other hand, you most definitely are NOT abusing AAS, as you are doing it for health reasons under supervision of a doctor, and I would do the same thing in your position! Why not?
So no, not natural by definition. But yes, I agree, you are definitely not a steroid abuser by definition either.
HST_Rihad
Active Member
I think O&G was referring to lower T level than what is considered normal for his age, not a 30 year old.
Just read about hypogonadism. I've always had some of its symptoms: impaired facial hair, reduced height (average, really), lack of body hair (although normal in armpits & groin), breasts aren't enlarged.To hell with it! I won't be taking HRT any time soon. Better for me to get rid of the extra fat as it's known to suppress natural testosterone levels.
Just read about hypogonadism. I've always had some of its symptoms: impaired facial hair, reduced height (average, really), lack of body hair (although normal in armpits & groin), breasts aren't enlarged.To hell with it! I won't be taking HRT any time soon. Better for me to get rid of the extra fat as it's known to suppress natural testosterone levels.
Sci, is having a resting heart rate of 150 BPM normal? Of course not. Is it natural to take government controlled medication to lower it to normal levels. I think so. Can a natural take creatine or even vitamins? Apparently. However, I also think I would be banned from natural comps if I told them what I took. I do not think they would find it by blood test. But would it be fair to lump me in with AAS acknowledged users when my T levels may actually be lower than one blessed with abnormally high T levels but is called "natural." I don't think so but such is life today. The future may define "natural" as within certain accepted "normal' ranges. Who knows? In fact, who cares. I certainly do not but also make no excuses for what I do to increase my quality of life as long as it is legal. I am too freaking old for jail. Anyway, I have no problem with your definition of natural. Probably 99% of the world would agree with you.