How do you respond (and deal with it internally) when someone asks you if you are “still lifting”?

[supescritter]

@kennycool 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.

 

[karinag]

@supescritter 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.

 

[supescritter]

@karinag 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.

 

[karinag]

@supescritter 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

 

[supescritter]

@karinag 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.

 

[karinag]

@supescritter Yes I will never put on an ounce of muscle more, you’re correct. Stfu dyel lmao

 

[kennycool]

@supescritter 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

 

[singingmichelle74]

@kennycool 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.

 

[kennycool]

@singingmichelle74 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.

 

[singingmichelle74]

@kennycool 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.

 

[larmarine]

@singingmichelle74 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.

 

[kennycool]

@singingmichelle74 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

 

[jedidiahanointing]

@kennycool the whole point was what non lifters think tho... why are you adding your own gymrat biased parameters

 

[kennycool]

@jedidiahanointing 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.

 

[jedidiahanointing]

@kennycool 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?

 

[rasero]

@kennycool 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+.

 

[staceyt55]

@kennycool 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.

 

[christinaf]

@kennycool No natty is filling out a xl bro thinks natties can casually get 20 inch arms

 

[sapphiresky614]

@kennycool My strategy was just to buy really tight shirts haha

 

[jmannramirez]

@danielkibby 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, then it must be something that can and will happen to everyone.