Why many of you gain so slowly

[iron addict]

I am very often frustrated trying to inform people that their goals are not realistic and compatible. What goals am I talking about? The guys that are 10% bodyfat and want to build muscle and get a LOT leaner. From experience with countless lifters, the average guy, with average genetics can build muscle at a good pace at 10-14% bodyfat. The average lifter does poorly at adding muscle at an appreciable rate when at 6-8%--but that is exactly what soooo many guys want to/are attempting to do.

I get a constant influx of guys that are truly about 10% bodyfat and they see themselves as fat because they don't have rippling abs. Most of these guys won't have abs at 6% either because despite what MYTHS you may have heard that EVERYBODY has abs under the fat--it is simply not the case that everyone has DEVELOPED abs that will show well even at very low bodyfat percentages.

Most of these guys do not have any appreciable muscle or strength, yet they have an illusion of being able to muscle up fast while staying at 8% year round--this will simply NOT happen for most guys. If you are not willing to spend some time at 10-14% (10-12 really for most guys) you are going to find some very slow going. Do you really want to work a year to gain 3-4 lbs of muscle when you could have gained 10-15 (or more for beginners) by allowing yourself to be a little smoother?

Iron Addict

[neo_anderson]

Genetics and diets are key factors..Some people just have gifted genetics

[live2lift]

It seems some of the younger, impatient kids want to get huge and be ripped. They want to put on some serious mass but are scared to death they wont be able to walk around a gym showing off their abs to everyone. Their diet is horrible and they spend a majority of their time in the gym talking or doing burnout curls and crunches. You can try to help them but they already know everything.

And as far as abs go.....Hit all your compound movements that work those abs and you can actually have visible abs above 10% and put on some muscle. Most people I've seen actually look better around the 10-12% range anyways.

[ajdos]

I tell people all the time- North or South but you cannot go both directions simultaneously...great post!

[strength_honor]

Great Post....I can't complain about not gaining since my diet is all Fv#$ed up...:-(


S&H