# The one limiting factor that prevents continuous muscle growth



## bigbrownbear (Oct 19, 2003)

OK this scenario holds well for experienced/advanced lifters/bb's

If you aint addling lean body mass or you find its super slow then you must be doing some thing wrong - correct, well primarily most say its diet that keeps us from growing, so you address this and if you get this right i.e 2g protein per lb carbs pre and post w/o,  efa's etc in meals, and you still aint growing, then they say training must be addressed, if this then done in the optimal way with plenty of rest and growth still doesnt occur, supplements should be brought into the game i.e creatine, glutamine, bcca's, CLA etc.  still growth is stalled or is super slow

What then?

Well i think The limiting factor has to be the hormonal system - there is only so much testosterone our bodies can produce naturally to hold on LBM and make new LBM, and can only be slightly improved through diet especially with fats (efa's) and exercise (but not too much) - but if this has always been in place what do u do then without the use of PH's or gear?????


At some point everything will be in place, what do you do once you hit the ceiling?


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## hardasnails1973 (Oct 19, 2003)

its called you are gentically screwed bro.  and have to except that fact.  We are designed only to be so big and some people never want to excelt that fact.  If you have examined every possible situation training, diet supplements, rest ect.  You have to make a decisoin whether o refine what you have or to take next step


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## naturalguy (Oct 19, 2003)

You have to truly ask yourself if you have put 100% into everything. Was your diet perfect? Were you training as hard as possible? Did you try every strategy there is?

Most people would answer emphatically YES to those questions however you really need to be tough on yourself. I know there are times when I wasn't training as hard as I could and my diet wasn't perfect. Then you also have to give it enough time.


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## Twin Peak (Oct 20, 2003)

While it is true there are genetic limits, there are few who ever reach them.


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## ZECH (Oct 20, 2003)

Agree!! Even with years of lifting experience.


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## bigbrownbear (Oct 24, 2003)

Do you know anybody who has reached their genetic potential - naturally??


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## Twin Peak (Oct 28, 2003)

No.


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## ZECH (Oct 28, 2003)

How do you know if you do reach it??


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## Twin Peak (Oct 28, 2003)

If you can't gain another pound, and have tried everything, diet and training wise.


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## Mudge (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by hardasnails1973 *_
> its called you are gentically screwed bro.



Sorry folks but I agree. I really think the 500 pound benchers and 20" arms @ 12% bodyfat natural people are quite rare.


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## Mudge (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Twin Peak *_
> If you can't gain another pound, and have tried everything, diet and training wise.



I assume you mean another pound LBM


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## Twin Peak (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Mudge *_
> Sorry folks but I agree. I really think the 500 pound benchers and 20" arms @ 12% bodyfat natural people are quite rare.



Agreed.  That doesn't mean people have reach their genetic limitations though.

If you want to dunk, and are a foot away, you are screwed.  That doesn't mean you can't improve your vertical leap.

I know this is not what you were saying, but rather I write this in the context of the entire thread.


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## Arnold (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by bigbrownbear *_
> Do you know anybody who has reached their genetic potential - naturally??



not sure how we truley could know.


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## Mudge (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Twin Peak *_
> I know this is not what you were saying, but rather I write this in the context of the entire thread.



Everyone can improve, but I'm not convinced I had much more potential, its hard as it is despite my eating and training, and other stuff.


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## ZECH (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Prince *_
> not sure how we truley could know.


That was my point! Even when people get stuck, there are ways to improve!


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## Twin Peak (Oct 28, 2003)

Hell, you could be at your limit, I have no way of knowing, without knowing much more about you.

But I do believe that I could get almost anyone to add more muscle, "naturally."


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## vanity (Oct 28, 2003)

****************************
The one limiting factor is THE MIND.

****************************

Approach each training session as though it will be your last.
Always increase your intensity from one workout to the next.
Be creative, keep an open mind , experiment and always set the bar higher for yourself. The only limits you have are the one you impose on yourself.

Muscle like fine wine, matures and gets better with age.


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## naturalguy (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by vanity *_
> ****************************
> The one limiting factor is THE MIND.
> 
> ...




Ditto!


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## Flex (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by bigbrownbear *_
> Do you know anybody who has reached their genetic potential - naturally??



NO ONE has ever or ever will reach their full genetic potential. there is ALWAYS something else that can be done different to keep growing.


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## Flex (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by naturalguy *_
> You have to truly ask yourself if you have put 100% into everything. Was your diet perfect? Were you training as hard as possible? Did you try every strategy there is?
> 
> Most people would answer emphatically YES to those questions however you really need to be tough on yourself. I know there are times when I wasn't training as hard as I could and my diet wasn't perfect. Then you also have to give it enough time.



Great answer. it's impossible to put 100% into your BB, like you said, as much as people think they do. cuz there are sooo many "loopholes" as to what is perfect BB. in other words, for example, we'll take "going to failure". say i'm squatting, i do 10 reps with a weight i can get for 10, then i stop. is that failure? what about if i really push myself and get 2 more. what if i go until i pass out and the bar falls on top of me? that is just one example (you could go into every rep of every set you do, every single piece of food you eat, how do you knwo that was the "best" food you could eat at the tiime........)

there are sooo many possibilities about this, therefore its not possible to reach your absolute genetic potential....


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## Flex (Oct 28, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by vanity *_
> ****************************
> The one limiting factor is THE MIND.
> 
> ...



GREAT quote! 

I like to think of a few things before and during my workouts, besides "why the fuck am i torturing myself" haha

1. like you said above, approach each session like it will be your last. actually, i prefer to approach each and every SET like it'll be the last one i'll ever do. Really makes you work hard. 

2. again, like you said, don't set limits. "Don't set any mental limits in your mind, and your body will not have any physical limits"-Lee Haney

3. i think maybe the most important, your success tommorow depends on what you do today. we must realize (and i try to keep reminding myself) there is no future, the future is now. if you wanna be big tommorow, you gotta bust your ass today.

4. probably the most underrated, LEARN as much as possible. (diet, mind to muscle, resting....), there is always shit you don't know.....


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## camarosuper6 (Oct 28, 2003)

If you die from doing a rep too hard, youve probably reached your limit.

Other than that, there is no limitation, other than time.

Dave


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