Dealing with the modern fitness industry

[mamabdog]

I find that I cycle (no pun intended) between days where training is a lot of fun (great pump, PR's), and days where I stroll through youtube or instagram and see yet another 18 year old making more gains than me in 6 months while hanging out with 25 girls on Ibiza. After years of dedicated, natural training I can still look like a DYEL and sometimes this is hard on my mind.

I really have no business using gear since I'm in college and I'm only 21 years old, but fuck me is it tempting sometimes when you see younger dudes surpassing your gains easily while living your dream life. This stuff wears me down.

Do you experience the same issues? If so, how do you deal with it? Are you ever tempted to join the dark side?

Edit: I'll add some pics of me. I have been training for 2.5 years I think?

https://imgur.com/rDfbrr7

https://imgur.com/oIxGQMa

https://imgur.com/k0hkEbE

1st pic: random shot of me doing lat spread in my living room.

2nd pic: me helping my dad move furniture.

3rd pic: Sick pump brah.

I realize that these pics were all taken during some sort of physical activity, but I really don't have other pictures of me shirtless. In real life, I look like a more normal dude when I have a shirt on (a 198cm frame is hard to fill out lmao).

height = 198cm, weight = 96kg.

 

[danil999]

@mamabdog Seems to me like you’re disappointed more about a perceived lifestyle than a lack of gains. Just to address a few things:

1. girls don’t really care if you’re super big and shredded, more so that you’re in decent shape if they even give a shit at all.
2. Comparison is the thief of joy.
3. Maybe drop some info about your stats, split, and most importantly diet so we can take a look at critique it to make better progress. Yeah it sucks that there are dudes using who we will never touch, but if you train hard and eat right you will get a better physique than 99% of the general populace in a few years.

 

[dawn16]

@danil999 Girls care, straight up. Some girls will melt over just good arms or any other random body part. I was pretty fit about 2 years ago and the difference between now and then is real. No they don't care for the mass monsters really but they want a dude who is jacked as much as the average teen wants some to see some big titties and a nice ass.

 

[id1593]

@dawn16 Honestly just being lean is much more important. If you've been training a few years and you're quite lean (and preferably a medium-tall height) you'll do just fine.

 

[troberson]

@id1593 Face is the most important part of being lean. People have no idea how attractive they really are until their face is lean.

 

[jchaudoir36]

@troberson This is sooo true. I always though I had kind of a chubby face. I always kept my fat up for the gainz, never really cut, didn't want to lose strength and size. Last year I decided to cut up. I discovered there is a nice, wide jaw and high cheek bones under there.

 

[simondarok]

@id1593 Says the skinny tall guy.

 

[1981jonesy]

@dawn16 OP is 6'5 with the physique of a Calvin Klein model. If he can't get girls now, he never will. Guy doesn't need lifting advice, he needs some confidence.

 

[stupidmike]

@mamabdog Delete instagram. Live your life. Problem solved

 

[dawn16]

@stupidmike Agreed, comparing yourself to a fake reality is only going to hurt.

 

[avalonforhim]

@stupidmike this should be the top comment, that or unfollow. I only follow people who drop knowledge on the daily and dont flaunt their shit

 

[niecey85]

@mamabdog Gonna focus on something different since you already have some great comments here about the media and lifestyle things.

After years of dedicated, natural training I can still look like a DYEL [...] I'm 21 years old

That's an actual issue that's outside the scope of social media. If you look DYEL after years of consistent training at such a young and anabolic age, most likely one of these is happening:

• Your training and/or diet and/or lifestyle are crap.
• You don't actually look DYEL, and instead have developed some level of body dysmorphia.

 

[mamabdog]

@niecey85 Should I add some pics and stats to the post?

 

[niecey85]

@mamabdog Idk man, it's your post. Add some, or don't, or you can make a comment about it in one or several of the relevant weekly threads.

 

[mamabdog]

@niecey85 Added.

Also, thanks for the input man. I love the comments on the thread and that we have such a supportive community here.

 

[niecey85]

@mamabdog Dude, you look amazing, it's definitely all in your head. Not only is your development good, your genetics (frame, insertions, symmetry) are great, I see a lot of potential to go even further.

 

[bobcatukbb]

@niecey85 Seriously I would kill for your physique.

 

[jonathanbewell]

@mamabdog Listen to the others. Your post resonated with me because I felt the same way but these pictures tell a different story. Take it from me, you're fine. In fact I aspire to have YOUR physique and I'm not that far off, but if I means anything, def get that thought out of your head that you need to be levels more because you don't.

 

[muin496]

@mamabdog I just think about the years they shave away from their lives and how I could be spending an extra 20-40 years with my family or growing my business or on vacation etc.

Personally death scares me so much that I don’t think I’ll ever go away from a healthy diet too long or hop on non health related drugs

Edit: also get away from social media a lot of fitness people suffer from the side effects or rent the stuff they flex or even the girls sometimes find what’s important to you and build on it

 

[dawn16]

@muin496 What evidence is there for HRT reducing lifespan?