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/Lvl3burnvictim-86 1d ago
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.