How come the golden age pro's could eat junk?

[Iron Monster]

I just cant stop myself from wondering. How come a lot of the old time pro's (60's-70's) could just eat a TON of junk and keep a good physic? Arnold for example, one of my favorite physics and the guy ate tons of fatty meats, eggs and dairy. Now today's top bodybuilders have to eat egg whites, fish, chicken etc. I know some will probley respond that todays pro's have a lower bodyfat level, but the difference isnt that great from some of the top guys.

[DK777]

conditioning is pretty different. Not to mention pros now know not to work out for 4-5 hours a day. Although im sure some still do for some reason.

[Agentdark45]

My initial thoughts were that Arnold used to workout for like 3 hours a day, thus burning an assload of calories to offset the junk food. In response to the above post - I remember Dorian only worked out for 45 minutes at a time and not that many times a week if I'm not mistaken.

Oh and what about slin? I hear your diet has to be spot on while on this stuff otherwise you'll just get real fat real quick.

[BiggerTommorow]

My initial thoughts were that Arnold used to workout for like 3 hours a day, thus burning an assload of calories to offset the junk food.

this, also do you see what the guys eat today compared to then? these dudes would be eating 20 whole eggs at a time.

[really_nice_guy]

They just ate what they wanted but ate below their BMR so they could lose fat

They also knew that you don't need insane amounts of protein to build muscle

/thread

[sikboy]

I just cant stop myself from wondering. How come a lot of the old time pro's (60's-70's) could just eat a TON of junk and keep a good physic? Arnold for example, one of my favorite physics and the guy ate tons of fatty meats, eggs and dairy. Now today's top bodybuilders have to eat egg whites, fish, chicken etc. I know some will probley respond that todays pro's have a lower bodyfat level, but the difference isnt that great from some of the top guys.

Because of ceaseless exercise, amphetamines, thyroid hormones that burnt a hell of a lot of calories, large doses of steroids that helped to build muscle in the off season and maintained it during the brutal contest prep diets.

Oh and what about slin? I hear your diet has to be spot on while on this stuff otherwise you'll just get real fat real quick.

Not sure they used slin back in the 70's.

[lednasmr]

most pro's back then didn't follow a super high carb/ low fat diet. i'm pretty sure there was no slin around so there was no need.

and btw, fatty meats, eggs and dairy are by far from the worst foods a bodybuilder could eat

[willldabeast]

i dont see whats wrong with meat eggs and dairy

[Buff_Daddy]

Arnold for example, one of my favorite physics and the guy ate tons of fatty meats, eggs and dairy.

I wouldnt call that junk.

[espoleta]

Ken Waller once ate, in one evening, steak, veal, and chicken dinners, each with a whole bottle of wine, and then went to a different restaurant and ate fourteen pancakes. But this was right after he had won a contest. He also supposedly used to go to Baskin Robbins and eat twenty-four different kinds of ice cream. But then when he was preparing for a contest, he would eat nothing but tuna fish and lettuce.

[Iron Monster]

Arnold talks about drinking **** tons of beer and eating a lot of bad ****. And every meal i've seen him eat is loaded with fat. Todays pro's dont eat like that. Yes Arnold worked out for several hours a day, HOWEVER, my theory on that is, Arnold socialized in the gym. He never worked out without a training partner. A training partner alone doubles your time in the gym. Then add on chatting with friends, just hanging out etc. He probley didnt do a whole lot more exercise then todays modern bodybuilder that works out alone.

[wlf.vik83]

Because of ceaseless exercise, amphetamines, thyroid hormones that burnt a hell of a lot of calories, large doses of steroids that helped to build muscle in the off season and maintained it during the brutal contest prep diets.

Not sure they used slin back in the 70's.

Wow.. Sikboy.. You really into PEDs man!...
Nice to have you back on the boards. Where have you been?

[Agentdark45]

When talking of slin usage, I was refering to modern BB'ers - i.e if modern BB'ers diets aren't spot on then they'll get pretty chubby in no time, hence why they can't eat the junk that old school dudes used to eat (as they didn't have to worry about slin induced fat storage).

[FitzChivalry]

Is there such a thing as "junk"? When a lot of ice-cream has better nutritional value than oatmeal......(beside the fact that none of the foods you posted are anywhere near junk in anyone's definition- or at least they shouldn't be).

[BiggerTommorow]

Is there such a thing as "junk"? When a lot of ice-cream has better nutritional value than oatmeal......(beside the fact that none of the foods you posted are anywhere near junk in anyone's definition- or at least they shouldn't be).

out of pure curiosity, how did you come to the conclusion that ice cream has better nutritional value than oatmeal?

[Loctus]

Genetics.

[LevroneFan2002]

LOL @ meat, eggs and dairy being junk. These are some of the best bulking foods on the planet.

[gixxer0.6g]

I've seen videos of cutler at In-N-Out eating several burgers.

[LevroneFan2002]

I've seen videos of cutler at In-N-Out eating several burgers.

As a one-off treat in the off-season, even then no fries, full sugar coke, mayo etc

[Flex500]

I just cant stop myself from wondering. How come a lot of the old time pro's (60's-70's) could just eat a TON of junk and keep a good physic? Arnold for example, one of my favorite physics and the guy ate tons of fatty meats, eggs and dairy. Now today's top bodybuilders have to eat egg whites, fish, chicken etc. I know some will probley respond that todays pro's have a lower bodyfat level, but the difference isnt that great from some of the top guys.

what? what's foods did you list there are junk? Because almost every pro I have met eats a good amount of those foods...

[Reisinger850]

what? what's foods did you list there are junk? Because almost every pro I have met eats a good amount of those foods...

x2, I just looked up at wikipedia to see what dairy means (English isn't my mother tongue) and couldn't believe it.

So Whey Protein is junk now??!?

[Ted Nugent]

i have always wondered that too. Like every single picture i have ever seen of old-school budybuilding these guys are all lean and ripped, and they were like that year round. I wish i knew what the hell they did to easily maintain that condition all the time. After doing some reasearch, these old-schoolers didnt do any fancy diet strategies, but apparently they were doing something right, lol, i wish i knew what that was??

[Flex500]

i have always wondered that too. Like every single picture i have ever seen of old-school budybuilding these guys are all lean and ripped, and they were like that year round. I wish i knew what the hell they did to easily maintain that condition all the time. After doing some reasearch, these old-schoolers didnt do any fancy diet strategies, but apparently they were doing something right, lol, i wish i knew what that was??

I think it's pretty simple really. Switch your diet to eating only really....

steak, eggs, chicken, beef, rice, tuna

Then workout 2-3 hours a day 5-6 days a week and take steroids.

[strength777]

and btw, fatty meats, eggs and dairy are by far from the worst foods a bodybuilder could eat

really??

[Hardknock]

Yeah but doesn't arnold wear a zipper?

The amount of people that ate like then and became successful pros compared to the amount that failed are astounding. Man more tanked than floated.

If it were as easy as eating subway and buger king, we'd all be massive with 20+ inch biceps with legs like great oaks.

I'd rather take my chances eating clean and have better opportunity to live past 45 without getting the old ticker tampered with.

[spirit3530]

Well the golden age pros posed with that junk food but probably didin't eat it all the time. foods weren't as over processed like they are now. Conditioning in the old days isn't what it it is now. Those pros would be 7 weeks out for a show now and also they are 20+ lbs lighter than current pros.


Genetics

[Zeneth]

most pro's back then didn't follow a super high carb/ low fat diet. i'm pretty sure there was no slin around so there was no need.

and btw, fatty meats, eggs and dairy are by far from the worst foods a bodybuilder could eat

Funny that, these types of food have been staple for top bodybuilders past and present.

[sikboy]

Wow.. Sikboy.. You really into PEDs man!...
Nice to have you back on the boards. Where have you been?

Taking care of business and my woman.

Thanks for the welcome back bro, cant say how long ill be around for though.

[Iron Monster]

Ok, for those who say they arent eating junk. Fact of the matter is, if I eat 300 grams of protein work of fatty delicious steak my abs would never come through. And i'd be a fatbody. Same if I at ea dozen eggs with yolks. bodybuilders back then ate upwards of 600 grams of protein worth of fatty steak and eggs and washed it down with beer. How did they maintain a ripped physic off that kind of food?

[sikboy]

Ok, for those who say they arent eating junk. Fact of the matter is, if I eat 300 grams of protein work of fatty delicious steak my abs would never come through. And i'd be a fatbody. Same if I at ea dozen eggs with yolks. bodybuilders back then ate upwards of 600 grams of protein worth of fatty steak and eggs and washed it down with beer. How did they maintain a ripped physic off that kind of food?

You can eat a lot of calories and not get fat if you work them off, ppl need to realize that its not just fat that makes you fat, its the caloric content of any of the macro nutrients that must be eaten to excess on top of any cals that are burnt by the body by normal functioning and any exercise on top of that, fat contains 9 cals per gram, protein and carbs contain 4 cals per gram, so eating large amount of fats will make you fatter quicker, but one can gain fat from eating more carbs or protein than is required, unless the athlete burns off the excess cals with exercise and or raising his metabolism artificially with drugs.

Now it would be very hard if not impossible for a natural athlete to burn off a tremendous amount of calories a 240 lbs 7% non natural pro bodybuilder could get away with eating, as the exercise required would most likely over train the individual and he would have to cease is exercise entirely as he would have used up his very limited innate recovery ability.

We are talking about athletes who used a lot of drugs, steroids to build and maintain muscle, constant exercise and thyroid hormones that burn cals and raise ones metabolism, in effect burning off the excess cals consumed.

I very much doubt that the pros ate fatty foods constantly during contest prep, they maybe ate the odd large meal full of fats every now and then during contest prep and ate more during the off season, but i seriously doubt they ate like this every meal every day during the closing months coming up to a comp.