Remember when you were first starting out in bodybuilding? You probably looked at your first muscle magazine and decided you wanted to be as big as those guys. Your parents probably rolled their eyes as they bought you the magazine, but you knew you would do it. Years later, you’re probably a lot bigger than you were when you first read that magazine, but you’re probably not nearly as big as those guys are. Let’s re-assess your goals using a variety of factors, and determine if getting that big is something you can – and should – attempt.

Be realistic
The human body can gain – under perfect circumstances – about .5 pounds of muscle per week. All factors perfect – in real life – and you’re probably looking at gains of 10 to 15 pounds of muscle per year being the best you can hope for. In other words, you are not going to add 40 pounds of muscle to your body this year. Rather, ten of fifteen if you are lucky.

Determine your goals
Don’t just walk into the weight room and train to be “the biggest and strongest guy around”. You’ll end up bulking up, and never really going anywhere. Instead, write down some numbers using the realistic expectations above.

Body fat percentages
Reaching 240 pounds at a body fat percentage of 25%, while still holding a lot of muscle, is something that most bodybuilders can do after ten years of training. However, you should realize that this bodyweight means you are carrying over fifty pounds of fat on your frame! This isn’t healthy, and you aren’t going to look all that good doing it. However, reaching 240 pounds at a body fat percentage of 6% is going to require the use of steroids, training for a decade, and good genetics to boot. In other words, being that big and that lean is something that most people will never attain. Understand the difference between a big, lean physique and a big, ripped physique. You may just find that a lean 210 pounds suits your abilities and goals better.

Understand the role of steroids
If you happen to run into that 24-pound bodybuilder (at 6% body fat) from the example above, you should understand there is exactly a zero percent chance he doesn’t use steroids. It’s impossible, even for genetic freaks, to get that big and lean without chemical assistance. If you aren’t willing to take the needle plunge, then you should be aware of the fact you aren’t going to reach that body weight.

Realize the sacrifices
Bodybuilders work for years to gain weight. It isn’t simply a matter of “add a few hundred calories to each meal and lift big”. This is a lifetime dedication which becomes a major part of who they are. The reason so many bodybuilders are egomaniacs is that they had to work so much harder than everyone else to reach that level, and they are quite proud of their accomplishments. If you want to add 50 or more pounds of muscle to your body, it’s going to take more work and sacrifice than you can imagine. Are you up for it?

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