This guys, gaining mass (size) with added fat - Surplus

[bodyhard]

For years now I have been telling (showing) folks how quickly I lose weight once I stop training and eating. My body just doesn't hold my size, some folks are lucky that they do, others gain weight, me I just get skinny. I fcking hate it becuase it means I will have to eat at a surplus for the rest of my life if I want to maintain my size.

Here are some pics when I actually was doing my tat (I was taking pics to see how it was coming out) and honestly I didn't notice how thin I was , I've been eating at a 1000 calorie surplus (6 to 8 meals a day) and I could see the added fat, I never had the problem of gaining fat, but hell I am 57 now

So for anyone who is thin/skinny and say they are a hard gainer just fcking eat and east ALOT!

[x-trainer ben]

I always ask people, at what age does the body begin to slow down and age like regular folk?

Rhetorical question of course, lol

[supramax]

For years now I have been telling (showing) folks how quickly I lose weight once I stop training and eating. My body just doesn't hold my size, some folks are lucky that they do, others gain weight, me I just get skinny. I fcking hate it becuase it means I will have to eat at a surplus for the rest of my life if I want to maintain my size.

Here are some pics when I actually was doing my tat (I was taking pics to see how it was coming out) and honestly I didn't notice how thin I was , I've been eating at a 1000 calorie surplus (6 to 8 meals a day) and I could see the added fat, I never had the problem of gaining fat, but hell I am 57 now

So for anyone who is thin/skinny and say they are a hard gainer just fcking eat and east ALOT!

John, do you take a lot of creatine when you're training and stop taking it when you stop training?

P.S. My two cents worth is that you look better when you're slim.

[x-trainer ben]

i like the bigger arms and version 2.0 because he will cut down as soon as it reaches the 90's during the summer.

[Tommy W.]

IMO you look better and more athletic smaller. Just not a fan of a bigger, bulkier look. Anecdotally when I've been 200 plus I just hated not feeling light on my feet however this is always a personal perspective and choice.

[bodyhard]

I always ask people, at what age does the body begin to slow down and age like regular folk?

Rhetorical question of course, lol

Not sure what that means.

John, do you take a lot of creatine when you're training and stop taking it when you stop training?

P.S. My two cents worth is that you look better when you're slim.

Hell I stop everything, I only drink coffee and have 1 meal, I stop creatine, protein shakes, all my vitamins, fish oils etc. When I stop training I lose interest in all of that.

i like the bigger arms and version 2.0 because he will cut down as soon as it reaches the 90's during the summer.

I never cut am afraid I will get too thin. In fact when I wanted to compete folks who have competed told me I would have to drop to 145lbs! I was like what? Hell no!

IMO you look better and more athletic smaller. Just not a fan of a bigger, bulkier look. Anecdotally when I've been 200 plus I just hated not feeling light on my feet however this is always a personal perspective and choice.

I can't understand how anyone could think I look good thin, believe it or not (you can ask my wife) when I am thin like that I never take off my shirt or wear I tank top in public, I feel too thin and that I look like sh!t. hell I wont even go to the beach I am too self conscious

[ajdahlheimer]

I think you look better with the added size, but I am biased.

I'd like to be 15 pounds or so heavier, but my health tends to decline when I get that big now (blood pressure, endurance, wind, etc.), so I need to work to maintain my current weight.

-AJ

[x-trainer ben]

What it means is that as we age it is normal for a metabolism, meds, hormonal shifts, ect. to cause a body to change how it does things.
57 is long overdue for these changes and for it to react a little bit differently.
Of course it varies from person to person.

[Tommy W.]

Not sure what that means.



Hell I stop everything, I only drink coffee and have 1 meal, I stop creatine, protein shakes, all my vitamins, fish oils etc. When I stop training I lose interest in all of that.



I never cut am afraid I will get too thin. In fact when I wanted to compete folks who have competed told me I would have to drop to 145lbs! I was like what? Hell no!




I can't understand how anyone could think I look good thin, believe it or not (you can ask my wife) when I am thin like that I never take off my shirt or wear I tank top in public, I feel too thin and that I look like sh!t. hell I wont even go to the beach I am too self conscious

Well the important thing is how you feel about yourself

[induced_drag]

Sorry, but I have to say this. Either you are using different cameras, or something is 'somehow' distorting your pics. I just cant NOT see it. This may have nothing to do with you, but you I cant just look at these and not state the obvious.

So, my eye looks at proportions all day long and maybe it is just me that sees it I see it in the door panels.

There is over a 20% difference in aspect ratios in the pics.

It is surprisingly progressive. From the first pic, each pic grows wider with relation to height (again, just solely looking at the door panels).
So just wanted to let you know. Maybe this is again just a coincidence. But it is perfectly progressive over that set of pics.

I am not saying how this is happening. Maybe you are holding the carmera one way in some and another for others. But there is no doubt that your doors are changing proportions somehow. My suggestions would be if you want to take progress pics, use the same camera in the same settings at the same rate of zoom etc. SOMETHING is causing your pics to be fuked up.

[bodyhard]

Sorry, but I have to say this. Either you are using different cameras, or something is 'somehow' distorting your pics. I just cant NOT see it. This may have nothing to do with you, but you I cant just look at these and not state the obvious.

So, my eye looks at proportions all day long and maybe it is just me that sees it I see it in the door panels.

There is over a 20% difference in aspect ratios in the pics.

It is surprisingly progressive. From the first pic, each pic grows wider with relation to height (again, just solely looking at the door panels).
So just wanted to let you know. Maybe this is again just a coincidence. But it is perfectly progressive over that set of pics.

I am not saying how this is happening. Maybe you are holding the carmera one way in some and another for others. But there is no doubt that your doors are changing proportions somehow. My suggestions would be if you want to take progress pics, use the same camera in the same settings at the same rate of zoom etc. SOMETHING is causing your pics to be fuked up.

LOL. you kill me ID, I am not doing anything to the pics, no reason to do so. I am not sure why you think I would alter the pictures in anyway, but I guess you will always have that doubt for whatever reason I can't figure it out, I would only be fooling myself.

Anyway I am not here to argue with you, it is what it is, I lose weight extremely fast I even have a video showing the difference I did some years ago, but you will probably say I altered the videos as well

[bodyhard]

I think you look better with the added size, but I am biased.

I'd like to be 15 pounds or so heavier, but my health tends to decline when I get that big now (blood pressure, endurance, wind, etc.), so I need to work to maintain my current weight.

-AJ

I also like me bigger, I could get shredded each but I would be extremely thin.

What it means is that as we age it is normal for a metabolism, meds, hormonal shifts, ect. to cause a body to change how it does things.
57 is long overdue for these changes and for it to react a little bit differently.
Of course it varies from person to person.

Still don't understand what that has to do with my before and after's

[bodyhard]

ID How about these, do they look distorted in anyway? I took these last year, I normally crop the pics so you don't see the whole background but these are the original ones. These are more before and after pics where I tried to stand in the same place with the same lighting etc.

[induced_drag]

LOL. you kill me ID, I am not doing anything to the pics, no reason to do so. I am not sure why you think I would alter the pictures in anyway, but I guess you will always have that doubt for whatever reason I can't figure it out, I would only be fooling myself.

Anyway I am not here to argue with you, it is what it is, I lose weight extremely fast I even have a video showing the difference I did some years ago, but you will probably say I altered the videos as well

BH

Again not saying you are doing it. But something is. Perhaps different cameras, different zoom levels, or holding one way or another. I am NOT saying you are doing it. But there 100% a difference in aspect ratios. You know me.... I just shoot straight.

I also have seen your amazing ability to go up and down in size and was only looking at the door in those pics. NOT you or your size difference.

As for how does the last pic look? That looks 100% legit, besides the idea that you are not trying accentuate your physique in the first pic. But proportional, face body....100% legit.


Dude, you have one of the most phenomenal physiques I have ever seen. You know I have said that too. Just something weird about the pics above which I made the comment on. Again, only looking at the doors. (dont forget, I look at and design houses all day long) ratios of molding, door panels, etc. I can spot a 2-4 vs 2-6 vs 2-8 and 3-0 just by looking at them. (I hate 3-0 6-8 doors with a passion by the way. They just hurt my eyes!)


So no worries. Not taking away from your physique in any way. No one could do that.

[bodyhard]

BH

Again not saying you are doing it. But something is. Perhaps different cameras, different zoom levels, or holding one way or another. I am NOT saying you are doing it. But there 100% a difference in aspect ratios. You know me.... I just shoot straight.

I also have seen your amazing ability to go up and down in size and was only looking at the door in those pics. NOT you or your size difference.

As for how does the last pic look? That looks 100% legit, besides the idea that you are not trying accentuate your physique in the first pic. But proportional, face body....100% legit.


Dude, you have one of the most phenomenal physiques I have ever seen. You know I have said that too. Just something weird about the pics above which I made the comment on. Again, only looking at the doors. (dont forget, I look at and design houses all day long) ratios of molding, door panels, etc. I can spot a 2-4 vs 2-6 vs 2-8 and 3-0 just by looking at them. (I hate 3-0 6-8 doors with a passion by the way. They just hurt my eyes!)


So no worries. Not taking away from your physique in any way. No one could do that.

Thats why I added the ones above where I actually try and stand in the same place with the same lighting, the other pics are just random pics I take and I noticed how thin I was when taking pics of the tattoo sessions.

[bodyhard]

Anyway, I still don't understand how some folks say I look better thin, I hate that freaking look, its like "Do you even lift"

[supramax]

... Hell I stop everything, I only drink coffee and have 1 meal, I stop creatine, protein shakes, all my vitamins, fish oils etc. When I stop training I lose interest in all of tha...

Therein lies the drawback of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. I suggest doing explosive weightlifting (snatches/power cleans/heavy hard style kettlebell swings, etc.) to build contractile tissue, actual muscle fiber rather than expanding the cells for greater fluid retention.

[bodyhard]

Therein lies the drawback of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. I suggest doing explosive weightlifting (snatches/power cleans/heavy hard style kettlebell swings, etc.) to build contractile tissue, actual muscle fiber rather than expanding the cells for greater fluid retention.

I might be too old to adjust to that type of training without resulting in injury no?

[supramax]

I might be too old to adjust to that type of training without resulting in injury no?

Well, you have to start light and it's certainly not for every workout, but the older you get, the more important it is to be able to elicit strength quickly.

[Karl_Hungus]

I might be too old to adjust to that type of training without resulting in injury no?

Gotta admit, the bolded part surprised me a little bit.

[bodyhard]

Well, you have to start light and it's certainly not for every workout, but the older you get, the more important it is to be able to elicit strength quickly.

Understood.

Gotta admit, the bolded part surprised me a little bit.

What I meant is that our body adjust to certain resistance, doing something different in all the years I have been training the same way could lead to injury since the body has never attempted it. I could be wrong though.

[supramax]

Understood.

Good. Here's a decent resource: https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercises/
Aside from plyometric jumping and hard style kettlebell swings, the explosive stuff is muscle snatches, power cleans and push presses and high pulls, everything @ 3 reps, inc. warmup and worksets, always ramping up the weight until one lift turns into the next lift. Short and sweet and you feel it the next few days.

[bodyhard]

Good. Here's a decent resource: https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercises/
Aside from plyometric jumping and hard style kettlebell swings, the explosive stuff is muscle snatches, power cleans and push presses and high pulls, everything @ 3 reps, inc. warmup and worksets, always ramping up the weight until one lift turns into the next lift. Short and sweet and you feel it the next few days.

I'll check it out, I am always up for new challenges, not really into strength training although I did do some strength training in the past. I have a friend of mine who believes 100% you won't lose muscle if you stick to calisthenics. I am going to do some training with him. He is not big by any means, but his build is freaking insane.

[induced_drag]

I disagree on the explosive training being the may driver of myofibril hypertrophy. Just good old progressive overload with 'heavy' weight. But I can also see BH point. At this stage in the game, attempting to change this may have more negatives than positives.

I am the opposite of BH. Almost all my training over the years was 3-8 rep range. I never got 'pumped' and did almost zero isolation exercises. It is only recently that I had to switch up my training due to injury. But what has always amazed me was how my mass and strength stuck around even after 10 years out of the gym. (given how skinny I was before I started training) and I think by nature, I am a small framed guy. (But with sh!tty aesthetics)

[machtec]

I would seriously dial back the calories judging by your pictures, instead of looking lean and healthy you are putting on a lot of body fat. 1000 over maintenance is way to much for you.

[bodyhard]

I would seriously dial back the calories judging by your pictures, instead of looking lean and healthy you are putting on a lot of body fat. 1000 over maintenance is way to much for you.

Getting lean is very easy for me though, I could get a six pack in less than two weeks if i just eat at a deficit, my problem is I lose muscle as well.

[induced_drag]

Getting lean is very easy for me though, I could get a six pack in less than two weeks if i just eat at a deficit, my problem is I lose muscle as well.

I agree with your direction you are taking. Your ability to drop is pretty amazing. I think food is your friend. Eating up and pushing your set point up. I think it has worked well in the past for you for sure. You have some FREAK genetics and a problem most of us wish we had!

I think you know yourself better than anyone

[bodyhard]

I agree with your direction you are taking. Your ability to drop is pretty amazing. I think food is your friend. Eating up and pushing your set point up. I think it has worked well in the past for you for sure. You have some FREAK genetics and a problem most of us wish we had!

I think you know yourself better than anyone

Yeah, please don't get me wrong I am pleased with my build I am very symmetrical, I just wish I could add more mass, would like to be sitting at 190lbs with a 10% bodyfat. But I've been trying that for years and I never got there. I hit 197 but was too bloated I never ever posted this pic

.

[machtec]

Well Okay BH if that is the look you want then okay. I just don’t understand the whole get fat to put on muscle thing. And if you have been working out for 30 plus years and you’ve never been able to reach a kinda lean 10% at only 190lbs I’m not sure you’ll be able to at 55 years old all of a sudden.

But who knows it just might happen now.

I like to stay in the 185 range with visible vascular abs. So I have to remember not everyone has the same goals.

[bodyhard]

Well Okay BH if that is the look you want then okay. I just don’t understand the whole get fat to put on muscle thing. And if you have been working out for 30 plus years and you’ve never been able to reach a kinda lean 10% at only 190lbs I’m not sure you’ll be able to at 55 years old all of a sudden.

But who knows it just might happen now.

I like to stay in the 185 range with visible vascular abs. So I have to remember not everyone has the same goals.

I don't think it is possible now at my age, but I will never stop trying. I have gotten to 185lbs with roughly 8% BF and I was pleased with the look but not satisfied