Category: Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding: articles about building muscle (both size and strength) for a more powerful physique.

Steroids, Protein, and Muscle Building

Brad Pilon has taught me a great deal about diet and nutrition. His book on protein really opened my eyes to what the research (not supplement hype) says about this macro nutrient.

One of the most surprising studies he mentioned involved four different groups, all of whom trained for ten weeks:

1. Training+Steroids
2. Training+No Steroids
3. No Training+Steroids
4. No Training+No Steroids

Two of the results aren’t surprising. First, those who trained with weights and used steroids gained the most muscle mass (an average of 13 lb.). Secondly, those who didn’t train or take steroids did not gain any muscle. No shockers there.

But a couple of things did surprise me:

*Those who took steroids and did not train ended up gaining more muscle than those who trained with weights naturally. They made significant gains by doing nothing except sitting around!

*All subjects were eating only around 120 grams of protein a day (0.7 grams per lb. of body weight). This amount was enough for significant gains in muscle in only ten weeks.1

There are a couple of important lessons here:

1. Steroids are complete game changers, and anyone who tells you otherwise is just fooling himself. If you are training naturally don’t compare your results to those who are using drugs. Doing so is an exercise in futility.

I’m not completely opposed to steroid use, by the way (that’s another subject). But I believe many natural trainees get frustrated because they look at what some guy is doing with “pharmaceutical assistance” and wonder why they are not just as big, strong, or lean.

2. Eating huge amounts of protein is not necessary for gaining muscle. I still consume more protein than the average person, but I’m much less obsessed with it. I no longer worry about getting over a gram per lb. of body weight, and now I spend much less on supplements.

Brad’s book has a lot more research (including similar studies to the one I’ve mentioned) and I’d highly recommend you check it out. Just read my review for more information.

Reference:

1. N Engl J Med. 1996 Jul 4;335(1):1-7. The effects of supraphysiologic doses of testosterone on muscle size and strength in normal men.

Strength, Power, and Mass

A while back I wrote a post about strength vs. size training.   I stated that most trainees will end up making gains both mass and strength (but I did note some genetic extremes).

Here’s another observation: most  bodybuilders of old had a some powerlifting background as their foundation.  They got strong in the basic lifts (like squat and deadlift) and even joined strength competitions. Here’s a photo of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger doing a record-breaking 710 lb deadlift:

Arnold deadlifting

Arnold refined his physique and training methods over time. But it seems exercises like the squat and deadlift were staples of his routine for years to come. He knew working out this way would bring a certain quality to his physique

I guess there are two reasons I decided to write this post.  I thought the vintage picture of Arnold was pretty cool.  But I also wanted to encourage trainees to remember the importance of building strength in the basic, compound exercises.  You’ll end up with a better-looking physique.  But you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you don’t just look strong–you are strong.

Look Familiar?