# What was the biggest lesson you learned to grow?



## Concreteguy (Jun 27, 2018)

Mine was to eat. I started out eating what I thought was good...…….LOL.

Once I went with a coach (Shelby) and started "really" eating it was game on from there. Food = growing if all other things are on point.

All the drugs in the world will driving zero growth unless the calories are there to feed the machine. FULL STOP!


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## squatster (Jun 27, 2018)

Miss your logs.
Its too bad you couldn't do them any more. It was a big contribution to this board.  You were a big contribution to this board.
Miss ya man. 
Its like you disappeared man- are we going to see you around more?


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## armada (Jun 27, 2018)

I agree. Diet has had the most dramatic effect on my physique in general - whether cutting or growing.


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## TripleOvertime (Jun 27, 2018)

Hands down, food intake.  I used to think I was eating plenty, boy was I wrong.  Just when you think you've eaten enough and can't possibly eat anymore.... eat again!


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## SOUR DIESEL (Jun 27, 2018)

^^^here's one more on the pile ..#1 game changer: proper/sufficient diet

#2 would have to be training volume/keeping training logs


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## Concreteguy (Jun 27, 2018)

Ya that too! Training volume is a big key also. Seams like the more I get the better I grow.


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## Concreteguy (Jun 27, 2018)

squatster said:


> Miss your logs.
> Its too bad you couldn't do them any more. It was a big contribution to this board.  You were a big contribution to this board.
> Miss ya man.
> Its like you disappeared man- are we going to see you around more?



Squatster, I'm here each and every day friend. I'm not logging because it seamed like it fell on deft ears. That's all. I told you in the VIP room I was here to stay...…...or until I'm invited to go away. I think I'm good with the Admin for at least another week or so....


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## Victory (Jun 27, 2018)

Definitely food intake and staying consistent with it. Drugs without food will make you look better but you won't grow without food.


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## squatster (Jun 27, 2018)

Concreteguy said:


> Squatster, I'm here each and every day friend. I'm not logging because it seamed like it fell on deft ears. That's all. I told you in the VIP room I was here to stay...…...or until I'm invited to go away. I think I'm good with the Admin for at least another week or so....




Never on death ears man
Look at how many people read your posts.
Your log brough more mebers here in 1 week then we get in a long time


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## striffe (Jun 27, 2018)

Food is the biggest factor for growth. When I started taking more rest I also grew more. When I added intra shakes that improved growth and recovery as well.


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## odin (Jun 27, 2018)

Food and time. Don't rush things. Slow and steady over years will build quality mass. Although muscle is mainly water so you can grow very fast by manipulating that fact.


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## Concreteguy (Jun 27, 2018)

Ya know, I think sleep is way under rated. I have read countless times that sleeping is when you fix and grow. My sleep is so bad I took Ambien for years. It just stopped working. I should go look into getting something scripted. Staring at the sealing while my wife sleeps is no way to fly...…….


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## armada (Jun 28, 2018)

Concreteguy said:


> Ya know, I think sleep is way under rated. I have read countless times that sleeping is when you fix and grow. My sleep is so bad I took Ambien for years. I just stopped working. I should go look into getting something scripted. Staring at the sealing while my wife sleeps is no way to fly...…….



I would go to a sleep specialist. Needing sleep meds for the rest of your life isn't ideal, unless there is no other solution. There's studies showing that there are many side effects to ambien, lunesta, etc.


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## AGGRO (Jun 28, 2018)

I agree with every post so far. Adding onto sleep I would state stress is a huge factor. Even with adequate sleep if stress is bad it can hinder the way the body/mind reacts to everything. Sleep is vital but I always find it interesting how some people can manage and grow fine on very little sleep whereas others need 8+ hours. I guess if sleep is poor but everything else is excellent and the person is eating around the clock it can make up for things. But anyone with sleeping issues should see a specialist. Too many friends have told me the difference in their quality of life after sorting out sleeping issues. Most bodybuilders suffer from sleep apnea and it can be fixed fairly easily but you need to get a sleep study done to see what the problem is.


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## GreenEarth (Jun 28, 2018)

Training volume is the big one for me.  When I first started it was 7 days a week for a year or two, eventually scaled back to 5...when I finally went down to 3-4 days a week, I magically started growing so much better.  3 is the best for me, but sometimes I just want an extra workout for the sake of enjoyment/stress relief.  I always knew I had relatively poor genetics for BBing, but it took me a while to realize "oh, that means it takes my body longer to recover."  If you can work out 7 days a week and keep growing, you've got a good future in this industry!


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## d2r2ddd (Jun 29, 2018)

1) Food
2) Variety in training


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## Elvia1023 (Jun 29, 2018)

Food is the most important element for growth. Even with all the drugs in the world without food you won't grow adequately. Some need more than others but everyone needs quality and consistent meals every day to grow. Diet is the number 1 reason people don't reach the goals in bodybuilding.

I will say the only other thing more important that food is the utilization of that food. If it was as simple as just eating more to grow muscle everyone would be growing tonnes of muscle. But soon things start moving slower and forcing food can ruin a person's physique and blow out their waist. So there is a fine balance and of course drugs, training and everything else comes into play.


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## Elvia1023 (Jun 29, 2018)

odin said:


> Food and time. Don't rush things. Slow and steady over years will build quality mass. Although muscle is mainly water so you can grow very fast by manipulating that fact.



x10

Great point to make about not rushing things. If someone wants to grow then slow and steady wins the race. Stuffing your face from day 1 is not the optimal approach. Increase things gradually and have deload periods but always look at progressing food and training over time. Up drugs when they need to be upped but even with a simple stack muscle growth can occur over a long time.

The water comment is very important and it makes me think of how growth can occur quickly even if it's not real muscle tissue. I started a thread about 30 lean pounds in a short time. Obviously no one unless they are a complete newbie to training and drugs could do that. Most of us on here would be lucky to get 5 solid pounds of muscle tissue in a few months. But 30 pounds and staying just as lean doesn't have to mean you put on 30 pounds of solid tissue. Water in the right places can make a physique look completely different. Anyone who has ever dieted and then rebounded smartly will know what I mean. You can put 30 pounds on and look leaner and 2 was muscle tissue and 28 intracellular water. Then with that extra weight you can build upon it due to greater strength.

But for real quality growth it takes years of consistently with all elements in place unless you have the genetics to get away with not being 100% with everything.


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## SURGE (Jul 3, 2018)

Staying consistent with food. Upping food quantity very slowly but over a long period with drugs to support clean growth.


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## Concreteguy (Jul 3, 2018)

striffe said:


> Food is the biggest factor for growth. When I started taking more rest I also grew more. *When I added intra shakes that improved growth and recovery as well*.



Intra shakes with insulin


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## MR. BMJ (Jul 6, 2018)

Food/eating and moderate to high protein. 

Consistent training with progressively getting stronger through the year (or year after year).


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## bbuck (Jul 6, 2018)

Nothing beats genetics. Being able to recover and assimilate food faster then most is hard to beat.


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## readyset (Jul 6, 2018)

Slow and steady was the best lesson for me. Once I stopped trying to rush everything it came together. Gradual increases all around.

Also - slin can be a motherfucker 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sully (Jul 7, 2018)

Consistency. It’s all about consistency. 

In this game, if you’re inconsistent with anything (food, training, drugs, sleep, etc) it will hinder your progress. Do EVERYTHING consistently, and you’ll grow consistently as well.


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## grizz (Jul 7, 2018)

Knocking off booze. I always liked to get wasted on weekends, but after seeing my bloodwork and my liver hating me, I cleaned it up and the results have been coming much better now too.


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## montego (Jul 7, 2018)

Eating more then I thought I needed.

Can't be scared of food.


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## psych (Jul 8, 2018)

Stay away from online porn and go to bed...sleep


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## Sully (Jul 9, 2018)

psych said:


> Stay away from online porn and go to bed...sleep



Wait, what? Avoid internet porn? So, like, you switched from internet porn back to DVDs? Or did you go full old school and start buying magazines, again? Seems a little antiquated, but whatever does it for you.


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## Hoggerlogger (Jul 9, 2018)

A motivating lifting partner, not just one who is there to spot you but also push you to get the most out of your lifts and critique your form. That was a big game changer for me.


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## Firemike36 (Jul 9, 2018)

Sully said:


> Wait, what? Avoid internet porn? So, like, you switched from internet porn back to DVDs? Or did you go full old school and start buying magazines, again? Seems a little antiquated, but whatever does it for you.



Hold on they still sell porn DVDs, why would anyone want to pay for what is readily available for free? LOL


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## TKAT (Jul 9, 2018)

I agree with Sully. It's all about consistency. Staying consistent with your eating, staying consistent with your training, staying consistent with the big lifts. The multi joint lifts that do the most for your body. The biggest mistake that I see people make is they put effort into the gym and with their eating for a month or two and then drop off for a month or two. It's a vicious cycle if you fall into that way of life. Life is going to throw some shit your way at some point in your life where you cant get to the gym. Family deaths, medical issues, ext... So we have to take full advantage of the times when life allows us to get our asses to the gym. That way when shit does come up we don't get that far behind. People are just generally lazy today. No one wants to work, everyone just wants a free hand out. Today everyone just wants to stick a needle in their ass and think they can forget all the work. I think it really just comes down to two things: Drive and Consistency.


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## Kinetix (Jul 10, 2018)

natural food lots of it, then kick ass workouts and good rest overdoing it can burn your receptors out. 
nice post!


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## Concreteguy (Jul 10, 2018)

montego said:


> Eating more then I thought I needed.
> 
> Can't be scared of food.



To me, this was the bomb. It wasn't until I ate until it hurt that I started to really grow.


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## aon1 (Jul 10, 2018)

Concreteguy said:


> To me, this was the bomb. It wasn't until I ate until it hurt that I started to really grow.



I'm going to give this one a go shortly, I really think being afraid of food or however you want to put has cost me so I'm just going to eat till I feel like a swole tick constantly


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## ketsugo (Jul 11, 2018)

Never believe anything but you


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## gunz78 (Feb 27, 2019)

stop powerlifting!


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## jsaild (Mar 1, 2019)

More gear is NOT better, lol.  If it overloads your system, shuts down digestion and slows other bodily processes, then more is definitely not better.  

That, and food is number #1.  Make sure you can digest it properly!


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## Tank211 (Mar 2, 2019)

This is a great thread.....and I agree with most here...food/diet was definitely the biggest game changer for me!


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## IRONFIST (Mar 3, 2019)

also being one of the older guys on the board , same here - eat! 

eating and training will do more then any drug will , the drugs will just intensify those things!


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## Brickshthouse79 (May 24, 2019)

Concreteguy said:


> Mine was to eat. I started out eating what I thought was good...…….LOL.
> 
> Once I went with a coach (Shelby) and started "really" eating it was game on from there. Food = growing if all other things are on point.
> 
> All the drugs in the world will driving zero growth unless the calories are there to feed the machine. FULL STOP!




If you feel comfortable sharing and without giving away any proprietary info from Shelby, what multiple of bodyweight did he have you target for caloric intake (cutting and growth)?


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## MightyJohn (Jun 4, 2019)

Learned:
-Food is #1 to growing(just on the scale)
-Drugs are #1 to staying lean while growing(getting that dense/high quality look)

Take-aways:
-You will eventually shrink(doesn't mean you can't look good), too many guys can't face that
-Genetics Trump All...no matter how much you workout, eat, drug etc...the guys with the freaky genes will always look better, win shows, get pro-cards etc


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## Sandpig (Jun 4, 2019)

Agree with OP. Eat, Eat, Eat!

I had a really fast metabolism when I started but yet I was reading the magazines and thought I needed to be eating tuna fish, drinking skim milk and drinking protein shales. 
I should have been drinking whole milk, eating fatty foods and using weight gainers with my meals instead of in place of them


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## kto (Jun 11, 2019)

*Growth*

Lessons learned..1st, regardless of gear, eating excess calories is anabolic, but it will make you gain fat, and gaining some fat is anabolic. 2nd..Taking growth has been a game changer for me.  at about 10IU's per day, I ate excessive amount of calories, managed to easily gain 20 pounds of decently clean body weight, and have maintained that weight.  Do I think GH is a game changer?  For me, no doubt.  And yes, you do need to eat to grow.  There's no way around it.


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## Viking (Jul 8, 2019)

Food is the main driving force in making you grow. Doesn't matter how many drugs you take if you don't eat you won't grow much. After a few years I learnt sensible doses are best when growing. High doses would make me feel lethargic and lower my appetite. I prefer to keep drugs simple when growing so test and nandrolone. Combine that with hgh and insulin if needed.


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## LTBB (Jul 9, 2019)

safety comes first.  Moving heavy weights is good, with good form.  Moving weights too heavy where you are using other body parts and not the targeted muscle is infective and a recipe for an injury.


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## juiceboxbaby (Jul 20, 2019)

Victory said:


> Definitely food intake and staying consistent with it. Drugs without food will make you look better but you won't grow without food.





Was literally going to say something similar to this. Eat eat eat, clean!!!


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## mazrim (Jul 20, 2019)

Drugs plus volume/frequent training.


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