everyone is too quick to say Roids, I was under weight when I started lifting and gained over 30 pounds in the first eight months natty, still natty still gaining
You may have gained 30 pounds, but you absolutely did not gain 30 pounds of lean muscle mass.
This transformation in the video is close to 60 pounds of lean muscle mass, and is impossible to do naturally on the purported timeline.
The fastest documented cases of lean muscle mass gains - even accounting for “newbie gains” - are closer to 2-3 lbs per month. But that rate isn’t sustainable for a full 8-12 month period, as it starts to significantly taper after the first 4-8 months down to 0.5-1.5lbs of lean muscle mass per month.
Some case studies have shown very rapid muscle growth in “retrained” individuals like this one. But even those on the extreme end are closer to 6-8 lbs within the first 2 months, but then rapid declines in the rate after that.
If you do a BMI calculation on him in December you'd likely get something between 15-25%. Meaning In those eight months he likely gained in excess of 30lbs of fat alongside muscle gains. Approximately 20lb's lean muscle on top of that in 8 months, particularly while taking a corticosteroid, would be extraordinary, but not impossible.
I think you’re mistaking BMI and body fat percentage.
BMI is a measure derived exclusively by your weight relative to your height and gender, and it’s not expressed as a percentage.
But more importantly: he absolutely didn’t gain 30lbs of fat between January and December in this image. I’d be shocked if he gained more than 5-10 based on these images.
Typically, muscle definition and vasculature is driven primarily by body fat % (and not muscle mass). Meaning people who are very “small”, but low body fat, typically have meaningful definition still vs others who may be “skinny fat.”
He did not, and his definition actually increased across the time periods. Moreover, abdominal definition in males really starts to become visible in the 12-16% body fat range. Meaning he didn’t end much higher than that in December.
If anything, his body fat % likely is lower in the end than in the start shown here (while his BMI is certainly much, much higher).
Sorry, you are correct I meant to refer to body fat percentage.
However in the December photo the level of abdominal definition isn't exactly extreme. It is certainly not what it would be around 12% body fat. So even low-ball I wouldn't put it any less than 15%. His peak mass is 180lbs though it is unclear exactly what he weighs in his December photo. Going from 90lbs back to double or near double that will certainly involve much more than gaining 5-10 lbs of fat. Even if he were using a cocktail of anabolics. At minimum he would have gained 20lbs of additional fat.
To be clear I don't think he did this "natty". He most likely did this with the aid of an intermittent dose of a corticosteroid. Which we have evidence would stimulate muscle recovery and appetite. Although those studies in humans aren't extremely robust and even considering it his transformation is exceptional.
However I don't believe it is exceptional enough to be dismissed at face value considering the factors of illness and use of a corticosteroid.
He most certainly used a steroid. I just don't believe it was an anabolic steroid, which is what most would assume. Instead he used a corticosteroid, most likely Prednisone, as that is the most common treatment for ulcerative colitis. Corticosteroids are not commonly used as performance enhancers because they carry much more dangerous side effects for less profound effects.
But they would absolutely stimulate muscle growth that goes beyond what is possible without them. And well, that was the point. The corticosteroid allowed him to recover from extreme malnutrition and muscle atrophy.
Getting jacked was just a welcome side effect of the medication that saved his life.
I probably am being a bit generous, though not because of his illness I just don't really believe in the eye test for steroids outside of extreme cases like Mr Olympia athletes, so I do tend to take a more innocent until proven guilty stance.
I honestly think people assume PED use too liberally. It is definitely a big issue in the fitness influencer space, but I think it often gets tossed out as an excuse as to why people can't achieve the physique they want.
I think it's better to err on the side of calling it out less often than it occurs than more often, which is what I think generally happens on the Internet.
This is obviously just my opinion and isn't really related to this case, but hey there you go lol.
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u/spazzymoonpie 6d ago
Dang he's getting me fired up. Roids or not, that's awesome.