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Originally Posted by paolo27th
Houstoner, you keep sayin you looked just as lean. That`s no proof that you actually were just as lean. Did you have a body composition check?
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You're right. There's no proof. The only way to prove this would be to document a body fat composition test before and after. Of course, I did not do that. I've never felt the need to have a body fat % test.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paolo27th
I`ve gained alot of weight at times and it looked like genuine muscle. My shoulders were bigger while my stomach wasn`t etc. and after a body composition scan I found out it was in fact all fat.
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Well, I was able to flex my "fat." My "fat" looked like muscle. It felt like muscle. The "fat" I gained allowed me to lift a lot more weight. I had veins popping out just as much after as before. So, while I didn't get test results to prove, without a doubt, that the weight I gained was muscle, it looked just like muscle; it felt like muscle; it acted like muscle. I understand that everyone, even the leanest of the lean, store fat somewhere - I get that. But, as I said previously, if I gained fat, you
could not tell - not by looking, not by feeling. My strength was way up. What other conclusion should I have drawn?
Are you saying that you gained a bunch of fat around your shoulders, but not your stomach? That's strange. And it looked like muscle? I've never seen fat that looked anything like muscle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paolo27th
If you were really underweight or had really low bf when you started it is possible that you just went back to your original size and still looked lean but it doesn`t mean you actually gained much muscle.
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Really? So, if you see two guys, both six feet tall and both equally shredded and one weighs 178 and the other weighs 196, you would still think they both have about the same amount of muscle? I don't think that's the conclusion you'd have drawn, had you been and seen what I saw.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paolo27th
Also, 4.5lbs of muscle a week, did you even eat 4.5lbs of protein?
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At least. I was working at a Brazilian churrascaria at the time, and got half off-all-you-can-eat meat, plus I was pounding eggs, chicken and turkey - as much as I could eat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paolo27th
And you said you were lifting 175? Squatting or benching? Pounds or kilos?
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Pounds. I was both squatting and benching 175. It was not a heavy weight for me, as I was taking it easy on my shoulder in the months and weeks leading up to the fall of 2001.
By the way, this whole thing is not something I'm proud of - neither am I ashamed - but it's something I observed. Unfortunately, I've had to turn this into what feels sort of like bragging, as my honesty and sanity has been brought into question. I truly feel no compulsion to impress people on the internet. I'm here mostly to learn, and also to share my own insights where I think they might help.
My original point was that, I know from my own experience that it's possible to gain enough muscle mass within a two month period to have a significant impact on cardio. I've done it many times. My weight has fluctuated a lot over the years, as my training has switched gears back and forth from competitive running/triathlons to bulking up.
I have a question for all of you. Have you never known someone who's naturally super lean? Who doesn't even have to exercise or watch their diet, and they still have a six pack and veins popping out of their arms and legs, with no visible fat anywhere? I've known a few people like that, besides myself (again, this is nothing to brag about, but I think it might help you to see my perspective). I imagine you've met people like this, too. Perhaps you are like this? Anyway, if such a person was to quickly gain a lot of bulk, would you judge their weight gain based on your observations of people with average body types? Or would you consider that this particular person has an unusual body type, and doesn't simply pack on fat like most people? Or would you still think "it must be fat" (or water, or food, etc)?
