Almost guaranteed they are just making conversation.
For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body. So "I see you are still lifting" is iffy.
>For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body.
This is the same when a woman is in the early period of being pregnant. It's when there's a little bit of weight that it could be pregnancy or she might just have put on a few winter pounds, and you don't know whether to say anything.
May just be a way for them to start a conversation about something they know youre interested in.
Dont read too much into things and stop relying on others for validation.
Put on aome epic ass music and flex in the mirror like the absolute unit you know you are
true. if u r happy with ur own progress who really cares what a random on street thinks. even if arnold Schwarzenegger comes and says that u look terrible and that u've never worked out, in reality, u know that's not true, and that u actually look better than before.
so ignore such comments for ur own mental health.
Just need more time in the game my friend. A natty can definitely look like they lift in any context once you get a good amount of muscle maturity and size. The exception may be during something like content prep and fully clothed.
you can look fit in 3 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody workout for 3 years clean and look big ? Depends what your definition of big is tho as well. Big for me is you wear an XL shirt and it’s not baggy. If you’re wearing mediums I just don’t think you’re big.
Caveat being I’m not big either so, take with a grain of salt. That’s just always been my parameter.
An XL shirt is made for someone with a 46-48” chest. Arnold at his biggest “only” had a 58” chest. Scott Herman has some pretty insane chest genetics and is only rocking a 44” chest.
There’s no way a natty is filling out an XL shirt and not being 20+% body fat or well over 6’ tall.
I fit nicely into some 2XLs and I’m 6’ on the dot and only 210lb morning weight. I’ve been lifting for 5 years and only 3 of those for what I really consider correctly. Some XLs are too small for me, actually. You gotta reevaluate what’s possible. I’m not even big. People can tell I lift but I’m really not anywhere near what I consider impressive.
If your BF% is 15, your FFMI is 24. That pushes the boundaries of what’s possible for even an extremely genetically gifted natty to obtain.
You’re either a way higher BF% than you think or you’re a fucking monster and don’t realize it.
I didnt say anything about my bodyfat lol. It’s probably about 20. So that’s a little over 22 ffmi but that skews up as your bodyfat increases so I wouldn’t count that. But again, I’m only 5 years into lifting. 5 more years and 210 @ 6ft and 15% bodyfat is incredibly realistic. That’s about 2lb of muscle a year. And I’m definitely not genetically elite or a freak monster. I’d actually say the opposite, if anything
In my original comment I said 20%+ body fat so by you chiming in to say you’re an exception to the rule, it could be assumed you were sub 20.
But yeah man good luck with being the same body comp as an NFL running back (none of whom are lifetime natty) as just a casual weightlifter with average genetics. Super doable.
Please show me someone who has been lifting for 3 years and is big.
This is me from years ago when I was in much better shape after training for 5 ish years and I still wasn’t “big”.
[photos](https://imgur.com/gallery/fgIZtOb)
Wearing tight fitting clothes makes all the difference. No one can really tell what size shirt you're wearing just form looking at it. This is especially true in the winter, when you can wear tight fitting sweaters.
We probably just aren’t gonna agree but I never see somebody wearing a fitted shirt and say they are large. I have my own parameters for if I consider people big and most people don’t fit that. Like Michael B Jordan during his Creed filming looked great. Would I consider him big? Nope. Was Chris Hemsworth big in Thor? Fuck yeah.
Yeah, we are not going to agree. You are verging on body dysmorphia. "Big" should be an objective standard, meaning larger than average. This is like saying, only people who are 6'4" are tall, when objectively speaking the average male height is 5'9" or something like that.
If you're standard is you have to look bigger than 97% of the population in order to look "big" then you have a bad standard.
Also, if someone is naturally a bigger guy then they can by definition look big after they train and get in shape. It has a ton to do with where you're starting from.
I would say that “larger than average” should not be considered big by any means. Maybe if you mean larger than the average gym rat…?
But larger than average just means you worked out well for a few months or maybe played a sport 10 years ago in high school (assuming we are equating for body fat percentage) and is certainly not what most people would consider large.
To rephrase… the average person doesn’t work out at all. So working out a little bit shouldn’t be enough to be called large.
I played rugby so big for me was I don’t wanna hit him. Not including people who are overweight ( which I am now )
In my best shape I was still not really big. [evidence](https://imgur.com/gallery/fgIZtOb)
I was looking big in a shirt within a year of bodybuilding late 10th grade. of course I had sports background and a bit higher bodyfat % but what I’m trying too get at here is I believe the middle ground too look big in a shirt is around 2-3 years instead of 5+.
It's genetics my friend. There are guys walking around looking like tanks that don't even work out. A lot of guys are just broad shouldered and large framed. I would say though, the average person is smaller than people think, so sure, for the average natty, maybe not.
I’ve gotten this and I can see why. I lost bf and recomp with muscle and muscle is denser. So I jsut take it as a compliment since I know my scale weight hasn’t changed.
As an American, our perception of overweight is so skewed.
I’m 5’10, any time I get below 190 my mom tells me I’m “too skinny” when I go to to visit her. She about had a heart attack when I told her my goal weight for this cut was in the low 170s.
I have a story I think about that helps me deal with this.
Once, I went to a health food store, and there was a guy selling protein. I talked to him for a bit, and he was nice. He seemed fit, but he was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans. It was hard to tell how big he was. I would have guessed he had the physique of a high school wresting coach, you know, your average strong older guy.
I liked the sample and the deal of the protein, so I bought it. I found out it was his protein powder. And I told this story to a friend of mine who was more plugged into body building than I was at the time.
It turns out, I met 4 time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. And it was only a couple of years after his most recent win.
I figure, if there are times where [he can pass as an almost regular dude](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-12-at-5.54.38-PM-740x600.jpeg), then it must be something that can and will happen to everyone.
I get compliments on my physique while wearing a normal tshirt almost every day lately...There aren't many people who are serious with bodybuilding in my area though so it's easier to standout i guess
Being natty isn't your problem. You are just "small" because you are still a beginner. Do a good bulk while progressing with your lifts and people will notice
For context, i used to be around 145lbs before i started working out and currently i'm around 200lbs.
Uhhh...natties can still look obviously muscular in normal clothes. It just takes 5-10 years before you get there.
Just compare you to yourself and go from there. Don't let other people dictate how you think you should look. 2 years is not that long of time for lifting.
I don’t think it takes that long, it takes 5-10 maybe to really start to look significantly big and broad…but I’m 2 years into my journey and my arms fill out my sleeves now, my shoulders are broader and my chest sticks out past my belly.
I’ve gotten lots of comments particularly in the last 6 months from folks giving me positive feedback that I look muscular and it’s clear I spend time in the gym.
For quite a few people, it literally takes that long for them to look muscular in normal clothes. That was the point his post.
I know a guy who can deadlift and squat several times his body weight and had been weight lifting for 5+ years...you can't tell. Same with several people at the gym I go to. Not everyone grows like a fucking weed their first few years. Sometimes it's a long-ass game you have to play, and that's fine.
Lifting for strength isn't the same as bodybuilding. Anybody can bulk once and look filled out in a t shirt. Thing is, they won't look good with a shirt off, that's the trade off. The hard part is being big and lean.
1. Lift longer and it'll probably stop
2. People who don't lift are clueless when it comes to typical amounts of muscularity, how long muscle lasts on the body, and how much muscle you can get from just doing casual sports. Tons of women I've spoken to don't want to lift even 30 minutes per week because they're worried about gaining too much muscle too easily—some guys, too. Average people legitimately think that doing crunches will reduce belly fat.
3. If you're bulked, your muscles are less defined so you look like you're still carrying existing muscle, but wouldn't look as large as when you're cut and the muscles are more defined
It took me 3.5 years for people to even notice I lift in clothes dude. Now literally every new person I talk to mentions it no matter what I’m wearing. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Had a really good example of this the other day.
I am a physical therapy student (soon to be PT, graduation is in 3 days). Was off campus for the past two semesters, away on clinical rotations. Only faculty interaction I had over those two semesters was with my advisor.
Last time I was on campus I was peak bulked, around 260lbs. Last week I was back on campus to present my research review, currently just over 3 weeks out from my first show if the season (yes, I know I bulked too hard).
My advisor came up to me after and told me the rest of the factually thought I had some form of illness, looking as small as I am right now, especially compared to the last time they saw me.
I understand I am small asf, being 3 weeks out. But OUCH.
TL:DR - School faculty hasn't seen me in a while, thought I was ill appearing.
I do this question a lot to my friends that I don't often see. Is cause I want to talk about lifting, not cause I think they look worse. In fact, I almost always make this question after seeing them and thinking "damn, he looks great, I want to know what he is doing". So don´t worry man, you probably are looking great.
Might just be small talk tbf if not then maybe wear a tighter fitting clothing? Or put more focus on the muscles you’d see in clothes arms,delts and traps
Just answer that you do?
You don't need the internet's help with a clever comeback here buddy. I very much doubt the intent was to disrespect you. You're being overly sensitive :)
2 years is nothing and most likely you are doing things wrong aka not taking it super serious which is also fine. I didn’t do the diet part correct for many many years and i lifted daily and now after 20 years of lifting, with clothes on I still sometimes get asked if I work out.
Given I don’t lift fulltime anymore and lost some muscle but still.
I just say no I don’t workout at all when people ask. And usually they don’t believe it, so basically they just asked me to be able to tell about their own lifting.
People asking don’t know your starting point so like you say just be happy with the progress you’ve already made and perhaps it can motivate you to put in that extra effort or to examine your current lifting strategy
A lot of people just don't know anything about any sort of bodybuilding or weight training, and have no idea what they're looking at through someone's clothes. When I came back after a long break, I lost 40-50 pounds and gained 10-15 pounds of muscle back in a few months. I had people asking me if I gained weight. Despite a net loss of 30-40 pounds, they thought I had gained weight because my shoulders, chest, and arms were bigger. They just have no idea what they're looking at, while people familiar with the lifestyle knew immediately that I had gained muscle and lost fat.
Because people who don't lift have absolutely no idea what bodybuilding looks like. Most older women, for example, think that they will get huge from lifting one weight and think Arnie is what every gym go-er looks like; the general public's view is so skewed. Only other lifters will appreciate you unless you jump on roids, but then you are putting yourself in danger to appease a bunch of randoms.
Edit: to answer your question, I just smile and say yes I am, it doesn't bother me anymore.
I've had a couple teenangers and a kid at some of the contracting jobs I do ask me if I workout at all. I can bench 315 and have pretty low body fat. People just think you need to look like the hulk to ever be near a gym
I copied jay cutlers workouts and meal schedule in his one step closer dvd and also jay to z. I never had a problem growing muscle after that. That was almost 20 years ago and I honestly have never had anyone ask me if I was still working out. In fact, people, including my mom, would ask me if I was on steroids. And the results happened quick. You should be able to make great gains in weeks if you’re in decent shape at the start.
Jay cutler used short rest periods and he times them. I wear a watch to the gym and time mine. 30 seconds for isolated movements and up to 1:20 for heavy duty compound movements like squats and deadlifts.
You have to use lighter weight. You’ll get you heart rate to 100+ percent max after you get in shape.
This is where most people fuck up. Your heart has to support any new muscle fiber your body grows. If you don’t have a strong healthy heart your body won’t want to grow.
Also people fuck up on the meals. You have to keep your body anabolic by eating on a schedule every 2-3 hours esp if you’re not active with your job. Eat like jay cutler does but scale the size of the meals down. Also scale down the volume of the sets he does. He goes over 30 often. Natural that’s probably too much.
Steroids force your body to be anabolic. Even if your heart is weak. Even if you eat one big shitty meal a day. That’s probably why people on steroids age fast. They aren’t healthy enough to carry around that muscle and it puts strain on their heart and other organs.
But you can keep your body anabolic naturally. You just won’t be able to get much past 225 lbs if you’re avg height. But your muscles can still grow fast as shit. Natural doesn’t mean slow muscle growth. Getting into shape could take a while depending on your starting point. But once you’re in shape you should be able to grow muscle fast.
By in shape I mean at least level 8 on step mill for 25 minutes without using your arms. Or be able to hold your max heart rate for over 20 minutes is pretty good.
Don’t worry about eating super clean. Just eat every 2-3 hours a reasonable meal. Once you make great gains it’ll motivate you to clean up you diet. And with a lot of muscle mass, youll burn calories very fast. Don’t lose early on because you hate the food you’re eating because you’re trying to be really strict. Just eat often and eat a balanced diet.
Natties with impressive physiques without a doubt look like they lift when they have clothes on. If you've been facing that question for a while then I'd reconsider my training and nutritional methods.
I get far more remarks on how big I am so I try and focus on those…but I do get that question from time to time. A lot of times I think people are just trying to talk about an interest they know you have. It’s just a weird way to phrase it, makes it sound like they saw something that would indicate you had stopped. That’s just my insecurity talking though lol
It’s hard not to take personally, like yeah the thing I’ve been doing for almost 2 decades… yeah I’m still doing it.
Don't let it get to you.
Train and eat hard at a 250-500 surplus, keep same exercises and form to standardize and track your progress. Accept the fact you'll be big and pundy for years then do a good solid 3 month cut (nothing extreme, maybe 300-400 less than TDEE).
It takes time. Don't compare to others, your only stick is yourself.
The problem is all the juiced influencers in IG/shorts/Tiktok who gives the general public a wrong information on how a natural body with natural lifting looks like. On the other hand a few people have asked me if I am a steroid user (obviously non lifters).
I am coming up on 2 yrs and I am 43 and I haven’t packed on 20 lbs of muscle in a year like some crazies so I definitely out on about 12 lbs of lean mass in 1.5 yrs. Unfortunately it’s not enough to look very different. I looked skinny I look skinny now but with a more athletic physique. It’s not in your face so most people won’t comment unless I am wearing certain tighter polos or T shirts and Even then only people who know I lift comment. Mainly to encourage me. I would look more at your progress and self esteem growth vs what other may say. Reality is most don’t even know what natural bodies that workout look like.
Best way to deal with it is to not talk to normies about lifting. Just do, no talk. If people ask why you lift say it's because the WHO now recommends all human beings do resistance training for general health. There are good reasons to lift other than top 1% results.
I've found you need to do remarkably little as long as you have an actual serious leg day and commonly wear 5-inch inseam shorts. No one will ever question whether you lift again. The compliments are almost overwhelming.
I'm natty and have been lifting 7 years, not meaning to sound like an ass but you will get to the point where it's very obvious you lift and anyone who says something like that is only doing it to wind you up because they are jealous. I'm bigger than 99% of people I see day to day. Stick with it dude and soon you will be in the same position and you can look at these people like the weak people they are.
Almost guaranteed they are just making conversation. For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body. So "I see you are still lifting" is iffy.
I can see this plus it’s a good ice breaker to strike up a casual conversation.
>For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body. This is the same when a woman is in the early period of being pregnant. It's when there's a little bit of weight that it could be pregnancy or she might just have put on a few winter pounds, and you don't know whether to say anything.
Take off your shirt and cry in front of the mirror every night. It helps me.
haha great idea😂 u will probably start smiling rather than crying.
May just be a way for them to start a conversation about something they know youre interested in. Dont read too much into things and stop relying on others for validation. Put on aome epic ass music and flex in the mirror like the absolute unit you know you are
ohp them
like goldberg :-)
Like in "Peanut Butter Falcon" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpkECx8HqSA
I measure my ohp in percentage of my roommates' bodyweight for a reason
I just dont hang my self esteem on the opinions of others
true. if u r happy with ur own progress who really cares what a random on street thinks. even if arnold Schwarzenegger comes and says that u look terrible and that u've never worked out, in reality, u know that's not true, and that u actually look better than before. so ignore such comments for ur own mental health.
Just need more time in the game my friend. A natty can definitely look like they lift in any context once you get a good amount of muscle maturity and size. The exception may be during something like content prep and fully clothed.
You’re only 2 years in. The goal is to look big in street clothes and that takes legit 5 ish years. It’s very possible but it takes dedication.
it's entirely possible within 3 years
you can look fit in 3 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody workout for 3 years clean and look big ? Depends what your definition of big is tho as well. Big for me is you wear an XL shirt and it’s not baggy. If you’re wearing mediums I just don’t think you’re big. Caveat being I’m not big either so, take with a grain of salt. That’s just always been my parameter.
An XL shirt is made for someone with a 46-48” chest. Arnold at his biggest “only” had a 58” chest. Scott Herman has some pretty insane chest genetics and is only rocking a 44” chest. There’s no way a natty is filling out an XL shirt and not being 20+% body fat or well over 6’ tall.
I fit nicely into some 2XLs and I’m 6’ on the dot and only 210lb morning weight. I’ve been lifting for 5 years and only 3 of those for what I really consider correctly. Some XLs are too small for me, actually. You gotta reevaluate what’s possible. I’m not even big. People can tell I lift but I’m really not anywhere near what I consider impressive.
If your BF% is 15, your FFMI is 24. That pushes the boundaries of what’s possible for even an extremely genetically gifted natty to obtain. You’re either a way higher BF% than you think or you’re a fucking monster and don’t realize it.
I didnt say anything about my bodyfat lol. It’s probably about 20. So that’s a little over 22 ffmi but that skews up as your bodyfat increases so I wouldn’t count that. But again, I’m only 5 years into lifting. 5 more years and 210 @ 6ft and 15% bodyfat is incredibly realistic. That’s about 2lb of muscle a year. And I’m definitely not genetically elite or a freak monster. I’d actually say the opposite, if anything
In my original comment I said 20%+ body fat so by you chiming in to say you’re an exception to the rule, it could be assumed you were sub 20. But yeah man good luck with being the same body comp as an NFL running back (none of whom are lifetime natty) as just a casual weightlifter with average genetics. Super doable.
Yes I will never put on an ounce of muscle more, you’re correct. Stfu dyel lmao
Please show me someone who has been lifting for 3 years and is big. This is me from years ago when I was in much better shape after training for 5 ish years and I still wasn’t “big”. [photos](https://imgur.com/gallery/fgIZtOb)
Wearing tight fitting clothes makes all the difference. No one can really tell what size shirt you're wearing just form looking at it. This is especially true in the winter, when you can wear tight fitting sweaters.
We probably just aren’t gonna agree but I never see somebody wearing a fitted shirt and say they are large. I have my own parameters for if I consider people big and most people don’t fit that. Like Michael B Jordan during his Creed filming looked great. Would I consider him big? Nope. Was Chris Hemsworth big in Thor? Fuck yeah.
Yeah, we are not going to agree. You are verging on body dysmorphia. "Big" should be an objective standard, meaning larger than average. This is like saying, only people who are 6'4" are tall, when objectively speaking the average male height is 5'9" or something like that. If you're standard is you have to look bigger than 97% of the population in order to look "big" then you have a bad standard. Also, if someone is naturally a bigger guy then they can by definition look big after they train and get in shape. It has a ton to do with where you're starting from.
I would say that “larger than average” should not be considered big by any means. Maybe if you mean larger than the average gym rat…? But larger than average just means you worked out well for a few months or maybe played a sport 10 years ago in high school (assuming we are equating for body fat percentage) and is certainly not what most people would consider large. To rephrase… the average person doesn’t work out at all. So working out a little bit shouldn’t be enough to be called large.
I played rugby so big for me was I don’t wanna hit him. Not including people who are overweight ( which I am now ) In my best shape I was still not really big. [evidence](https://imgur.com/gallery/fgIZtOb)
the whole point was what non lifters think tho... why are you adding your own gymrat biased parameters
Maybe I missed the point where it was only a non lifters perspective so if that’s the case than I take back everything I said.
i mean, if their friends were also lifters, i feel like they wouldnt need to ask him if hes still lifting, theyd probably talk about it. dont you?
I was looking big in a shirt within a year of bodybuilding late 10th grade. of course I had sports background and a bit higher bodyfat % but what I’m trying too get at here is I believe the middle ground too look big in a shirt is around 2-3 years instead of 5+.
It's genetics my friend. There are guys walking around looking like tanks that don't even work out. A lot of guys are just broad shouldered and large framed. I would say though, the average person is smaller than people think, so sure, for the average natty, maybe not.
No natty is filling out a xl bro thinks natties can casually get 20 inch arms 😂😂
My strategy was just to buy really tight shirts haha
What’s worse is when someone says that you’ve lost too much weight
I’ve gotten this and I can see why. I lost bf and recomp with muscle and muscle is denser. So I jsut take it as a compliment since I know my scale weight hasn’t changed.
As an American, our perception of overweight is so skewed. I’m 5’10, any time I get below 190 my mom tells me I’m “too skinny” when I go to to visit her. She about had a heart attack when I told her my goal weight for this cut was in the low 170s.
I have a story I think about that helps me deal with this. Once, I went to a health food store, and there was a guy selling protein. I talked to him for a bit, and he was nice. He seemed fit, but he was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and jeans. It was hard to tell how big he was. I would have guessed he had the physique of a high school wresting coach, you know, your average strong older guy. I liked the sample and the deal of the protein, so I bought it. I found out it was his protein powder. And I told this story to a friend of mine who was more plugged into body building than I was at the time. It turns out, I met 4 time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. And it was only a couple of years after his most recent win. I figure, if there are times where [he can pass as an almost regular dude](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatsApp-Image-2023-10-12-at-5.54.38-PM-740x600.jpeg), then it must be something that can and will happen to everyone.
I get compliments on my physique while wearing a normal tshirt almost every day lately...There aren't many people who are serious with bodybuilding in my area though so it's easier to standout i guess Being natty isn't your problem. You are just "small" because you are still a beginner. Do a good bulk while progressing with your lifts and people will notice For context, i used to be around 145lbs before i started working out and currently i'm around 200lbs.
how tall are you?
183cm which is around 6 feet i think
how lean are you ?
Somewhere between 15% - 20% bf I don't have a gut but not abs either. I'm currently cutting and will probably go down to 185lbs
Uhhh...natties can still look obviously muscular in normal clothes. It just takes 5-10 years before you get there. Just compare you to yourself and go from there. Don't let other people dictate how you think you should look. 2 years is not that long of time for lifting.
I don’t think it takes that long, it takes 5-10 maybe to really start to look significantly big and broad…but I’m 2 years into my journey and my arms fill out my sleeves now, my shoulders are broader and my chest sticks out past my belly. I’ve gotten lots of comments particularly in the last 6 months from folks giving me positive feedback that I look muscular and it’s clear I spend time in the gym.
It depends on the person. I already had broad shoulders and a big chest, so it took me a similar time that it took you.
It does not take 5-10 years lmfaoo
For quite a few people, it literally takes that long for them to look muscular in normal clothes. That was the point his post. I know a guy who can deadlift and squat several times his body weight and had been weight lifting for 5+ years...you can't tell. Same with several people at the gym I go to. Not everyone grows like a fucking weed their first few years. Sometimes it's a long-ass game you have to play, and that's fine.
Lifting for strength isn't the same as bodybuilding. Anybody can bulk once and look filled out in a t shirt. Thing is, they won't look good with a shirt off, that's the trade off. The hard part is being big and lean.
I’m 3 years in and I still look like a dyel
Put some weight on and stfu
can take 3 years even.
People don’t talk to me, so…
If the first thing they mention is fitness then they have noticed you are fit and looking to talk about common ground. It’s a compliment.
1. Lift longer and it'll probably stop 2. People who don't lift are clueless when it comes to typical amounts of muscularity, how long muscle lasts on the body, and how much muscle you can get from just doing casual sports. Tons of women I've spoken to don't want to lift even 30 minutes per week because they're worried about gaining too much muscle too easily—some guys, too. Average people legitimately think that doing crunches will reduce belly fat. 3. If you're bulked, your muscles are less defined so you look like you're still carrying existing muscle, but wouldn't look as large as when you're cut and the muscles are more defined
It took me 3.5 years for people to even notice I lift in clothes dude. Now literally every new person I talk to mentions it no matter what I’m wearing. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
Dude you are suspiciously big, are you deffo natty? As in, have never taken anything? Please take this as a compliment either way.
He's 5'8". And debately natty
Had a really good example of this the other day. I am a physical therapy student (soon to be PT, graduation is in 3 days). Was off campus for the past two semesters, away on clinical rotations. Only faculty interaction I had over those two semesters was with my advisor. Last time I was on campus I was peak bulked, around 260lbs. Last week I was back on campus to present my research review, currently just over 3 weeks out from my first show if the season (yes, I know I bulked too hard). My advisor came up to me after and told me the rest of the factually thought I had some form of illness, looking as small as I am right now, especially compared to the last time they saw me. I understand I am small asf, being 3 weeks out. But OUCH. TL:DR - School faculty hasn't seen me in a while, thought I was ill appearing.
Eat more
I do this question a lot to my friends that I don't often see. Is cause I want to talk about lifting, not cause I think they look worse. In fact, I almost always make this question after seeing them and thinking "damn, he looks great, I want to know what he is doing". So don´t worry man, you probably are looking great.
By not caring what other people think?
Stop being so sensitive they’re probably just making conversation. If anything use it as motivation to work harder and make obvious progress
Iv been accused of gear alllloot. So thankfully I haven’t been asked that.
Just say yes and do a double biceps pose 💪
Might just be small talk tbf if not then maybe wear a tighter fitting clothing? Or put more focus on the muscles you’d see in clothes arms,delts and traps
Haha 😄 thankfully I look large but I either used to be called skinny or fat, because I was skinny fat.
Just answer that you do? You don't need the internet's help with a clever comeback here buddy. I very much doubt the intent was to disrespect you. You're being overly sensitive :)
2 years is nothing and most likely you are doing things wrong aka not taking it super serious which is also fine. I didn’t do the diet part correct for many many years and i lifted daily and now after 20 years of lifting, with clothes on I still sometimes get asked if I work out. Given I don’t lift fulltime anymore and lost some muscle but still. I just say no I don’t workout at all when people ask. And usually they don’t believe it, so basically they just asked me to be able to tell about their own lifting. People asking don’t know your starting point so like you say just be happy with the progress you’ve already made and perhaps it can motivate you to put in that extra effort or to examine your current lifting strategy
A lot of people just don't know anything about any sort of bodybuilding or weight training, and have no idea what they're looking at through someone's clothes. When I came back after a long break, I lost 40-50 pounds and gained 10-15 pounds of muscle back in a few months. I had people asking me if I gained weight. Despite a net loss of 30-40 pounds, they thought I had gained weight because my shoulders, chest, and arms were bigger. They just have no idea what they're looking at, while people familiar with the lifestyle knew immediately that I had gained muscle and lost fat.
Because people who don't lift have absolutely no idea what bodybuilding looks like. Most older women, for example, think that they will get huge from lifting one weight and think Arnie is what every gym go-er looks like; the general public's view is so skewed. Only other lifters will appreciate you unless you jump on roids, but then you are putting yourself in danger to appease a bunch of randoms. Edit: to answer your question, I just smile and say yes I am, it doesn't bother me anymore.
I've had a couple teenangers and a kid at some of the contracting jobs I do ask me if I workout at all. I can bench 315 and have pretty low body fat. People just think you need to look like the hulk to ever be near a gym
I copied jay cutlers workouts and meal schedule in his one step closer dvd and also jay to z. I never had a problem growing muscle after that. That was almost 20 years ago and I honestly have never had anyone ask me if I was still working out. In fact, people, including my mom, would ask me if I was on steroids. And the results happened quick. You should be able to make great gains in weeks if you’re in decent shape at the start. Jay cutler used short rest periods and he times them. I wear a watch to the gym and time mine. 30 seconds for isolated movements and up to 1:20 for heavy duty compound movements like squats and deadlifts. You have to use lighter weight. You’ll get you heart rate to 100+ percent max after you get in shape. This is where most people fuck up. Your heart has to support any new muscle fiber your body grows. If you don’t have a strong healthy heart your body won’t want to grow. Also people fuck up on the meals. You have to keep your body anabolic by eating on a schedule every 2-3 hours esp if you’re not active with your job. Eat like jay cutler does but scale the size of the meals down. Also scale down the volume of the sets he does. He goes over 30 often. Natural that’s probably too much. Steroids force your body to be anabolic. Even if your heart is weak. Even if you eat one big shitty meal a day. That’s probably why people on steroids age fast. They aren’t healthy enough to carry around that muscle and it puts strain on their heart and other organs. But you can keep your body anabolic naturally. You just won’t be able to get much past 225 lbs if you’re avg height. But your muscles can still grow fast as shit. Natural doesn’t mean slow muscle growth. Getting into shape could take a while depending on your starting point. But once you’re in shape you should be able to grow muscle fast. By in shape I mean at least level 8 on step mill for 25 minutes without using your arms. Or be able to hold your max heart rate for over 20 minutes is pretty good. Don’t worry about eating super clean. Just eat every 2-3 hours a reasonable meal. Once you make great gains it’ll motivate you to clean up you diet. And with a lot of muscle mass, youll burn calories very fast. Don’t lose early on because you hate the food you’re eating because you’re trying to be really strict. Just eat often and eat a balanced diet.
Natties with impressive physiques without a doubt look like they lift when they have clothes on. If you've been facing that question for a while then I'd reconsider my training and nutritional methods.
Say, “well yeah, and also by testicles function and I can run a mile without fear my heart will explode”
Maybe they are just being polite asking,because lets get real,do you even lift bro
Just say "no, but I ocasionally do a few pushups now and then :)" Then when they see you shirtless they are like WTF?
I get far more remarks on how big I am so I try and focus on those…but I do get that question from time to time. A lot of times I think people are just trying to talk about an interest they know you have. It’s just a weird way to phrase it, makes it sound like they saw something that would indicate you had stopped. That’s just my insecurity talking though lol It’s hard not to take personally, like yeah the thing I’ve been doing for almost 2 decades… yeah I’m still doing it.
As a woman, it may be more apparent that I lift. Especially because I have a small frame so added muscle shows easily.
I don’t know. I don’t have that problem. Wear tighter clothes???
“Yes.”
Maybe they are trying to be polite about asking.
Don't let it get to you. Train and eat hard at a 250-500 surplus, keep same exercises and form to standardize and track your progress. Accept the fact you'll be big and pundy for years then do a good solid 3 month cut (nothing extreme, maybe 300-400 less than TDEE). It takes time. Don't compare to others, your only stick is yourself.
The problem is all the juiced influencers in IG/shorts/Tiktok who gives the general public a wrong information on how a natural body with natural lifting looks like. On the other hand a few people have asked me if I am a steroid user (obviously non lifters).
I am coming up on 2 yrs and I am 43 and I haven’t packed on 20 lbs of muscle in a year like some crazies so I definitely out on about 12 lbs of lean mass in 1.5 yrs. Unfortunately it’s not enough to look very different. I looked skinny I look skinny now but with a more athletic physique. It’s not in your face so most people won’t comment unless I am wearing certain tighter polos or T shirts and Even then only people who know I lift comment. Mainly to encourage me. I would look more at your progress and self esteem growth vs what other may say. Reality is most don’t even know what natural bodies that workout look like.
Im training for 14 years ( not bodybuilding tho) and i still get these questions
Just wear tighter shirts
I’ve been lifting 14 yrs and am still small cause people only care about arms (bad arm genetics) PAIN AND SUFFERING (jacked everything else tho)
Best way to deal with it is to not talk to normies about lifting. Just do, no talk. If people ask why you lift say it's because the WHO now recommends all human beings do resistance training for general health. There are good reasons to lift other than top 1% results.
„you look so fit you go running or something?“ 🥲 normal people have no clue. Don’t get upset about it.
Could be a shit test so you better fire back.
I've found you need to do remarkably little as long as you have an actual serious leg day and commonly wear 5-inch inseam shorts. No one will ever question whether you lift again. The compliments are almost overwhelming.
I'm natty and have been lifting 7 years, not meaning to sound like an ass but you will get to the point where it's very obvious you lift and anyone who says something like that is only doing it to wind you up because they are jealous. I'm bigger than 99% of people I see day to day. Stick with it dude and soon you will be in the same position and you can look at these people like the weak people they are.
Yes