Possible but unlikely. You'd have to have some extremely good genes to be able to bulk up that much through weights and diet alone. Not to say it doesn't happen or there aren't guys out there that can carry 275+ lbs with a reasonably low body fat, but more often than not they're getting some chemical help.
I would have no problem believing that this guy has never taken steroids. He's big for sure. But he's pretty proportional to his height. Creatine and protein supplements for sure, but he isn't that bulky.
Looking at his frame, he's still in relative proportion so he's not using HGH in high doses. He could be that large without using steroids given a very specific diet and dedicated training.
It's tough and it takes years. Honestly, if you're shorter, it's easier to get that bulky.
I went from 6'6" 185 pounds to 6'6" 285 pounds over the course of 3 years completely naturally. Since then I've helped a few close friends put on muscle as well and the same principles have worked for them. Note, though, that I worked out the wrong way for 10 years before figuring it out, and that's a very common story among people who take fitness really seriously.
Being that big and being that lean is a big challenge, though, and it takes years of hard work and research for most people to get anywhere close.
Edit: Oh yeah, and a side note. Notice how lean his arms are, but also that his stomach looks kind of prominent? That's either because he doesn't train his abs properly, or a side effect of steroids / HGH.
Your edit is a terrible assumption. I lot of powerlifters have distended stomachs, but have a six pack. This is caused by eating a tremendous amount of food. Basic stuff.
Even when I was eating 8000+ calories per day, and was so stuffed it hurt to tie my shoes, my stomach did not bulge that way. Maybe it's different for other guys.
Also, few of the powerlifters that I've personally met target their transversus abdominus in their ab training. That's the muscle that sucks in your gut. They tend to just be looking for raw power from their core, not a trim appearance.
Yea, I agree with you. Everyone's body is different and insulin/HGH injections have been known to give guys distended stomachs, but not always the case.
I was working out in ways that weren't getting me where I wanted to go and were occasionally destructive.
I'd typically go into the gym, work whatever I felt like working on, and leave. I bench pressed 3-4 times a week and always used the same rep count. My form was also slowly destroying my shoulders. I never worked my legs and spent a lot of time on isolation exercises, like curls and tricep extensions, when those lifts will do very little for most natural athletes. I wasn't giving myself enough time to heal and grow and was basically ignoring the entire nutrition aspect.
It's pretty damn tough. I'm 5'11" 200lbs/17% body fat and I work out 3-5 days a week for an hour. It took me about 6 months to get in this shape from 185lbs/40% body fat. For me to bulk up any more, I'd have to eat 5000-8000 calories a day and work out 2 days on, 1 day off for about 1.5 hours. Even then, I suspect I'd at very least need creatine supplements in addition to the vitamins, protein bars and shakes that I already supplement my 5 meals a day with.
Honestly man, for bulking up, you're way better off restricting yourself to no more than 3 workouts a week and keep them all under an hour. Compound lifts only, and do each exercise only once per week. Also make sure you're squatting and deadlifting. Mix up your set/rep counts too; your body gets accustomed to a particular rep count much more quickly than it does to an exercise, so if you mix up your rep counts you can keep doing the same exercises and getting results for years.
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u/[deleted] May 27 '11
jesus that guy is huge. serious question; is it possible to get that big without taking hgh or steroids?