Peat + Old School Bodybuilding? An Experimental Quest

[OccamzRazer]

@OccamzRazer

Let me Mention that this Thread is Great. I will watch this with great Interest. I'm also a Fan of the Old Bronze and Silver Era Bodybuilding Guys. The Golden One's not so much, because they got involved in Many Types of Steroids and Physiques that were not attainable Naturally.

Good Physique btw. Back Shots are looking great, especially Mid Back and Traps. I wish mine would look like that. I also think the Tan (?) contributes to the Muscle Definition too. Maybe i should bring back Deadlifts into my Program too.

Thanks so much man! Appreciate the kind words, and glad to have you. Hopefully all of us can take something from this experiment. I have a lot to learn at least lol.

Speaking of learning, yep! We can only take so much from the Golden Era guys or today's top 'natty' bodybuilders.

When I was a pro cyclist, I never tried training like Lance Armstrong. Today, I would not try training like Matt does fitness, Mike O'Hearn, etc.

The Bonze and Silver Era bodybuilders, on the other hand, seem to be a treasure trove of realistic, surprisingly Peaty information.

Physique wise yeah I've been doing deadlifts and weighted pullups for much longer than pressing exercises. The weighted pullups are a favorite so far. They're tough, but don't feel that stressful, if that makes any sense? I just do a few short sets of them.

And yes, tanning also gives an appearance of definition and size.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Also Direct Core / Abs Work (especially Weighted) is very crucial. I'm a big believer in Training them Directly with Weights (Weighted Sit Ups, Weighted Crunches, Weighted Russian Twists or Weighted Cable Crunch). Since they are not only improving your Asthetics but also Improving your Bench Press, Deadlift and Squat Numbers.

Interesting...have not ever tried weighted core stuff. Thanks for the rec!

Normally I just do leg raises on my gymnastic rings. Those are getting easier tho so it might be time to step things up with some added weight.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Same here. I only have one Early Shift a Week nowadays. And Mostly late Shifts. It's really better to rise with the Sun. And having Very Mixed Shifts or Early Shifts can fu** up you Circadian Rythum Big Time.

Having a slow, stress-free morning may be required for the AM squat + pullover training to work (i.e, not be too stressful).

I wake up really slowly, get lots of sunlight/red life, and then take my time in getting to the gym. Then drink milk and stretch before beginning the squats.

Done right the whole experience feels almost meditative.

 

[OccamzRazer]

True. I still do Play Video Games from Time to Time (ONLY in my longer Vacation Week(s) from Work). And Planing on forfeit it in Late 2021. Besides Reading, Working Out and Home Improvment. But most of our Guys and Girls over here are hanging out on IG, Snapchat and so forth the Whole Day and this is what i don't do. Because this can be truly be a Waste of Time in my Perspective.

Hey, nothing against the occasional video game! But yeah reading whilst outside is awesome.

What I think is bad is when video games are used for escapism. I believe men, in particular, have an innate desire to positively manipulate their environment. (Not trying to stereotype, just identifying trends.)

If/when attempts at this type of change fail, video games can lead to stagnation by presenting a false world where environmental manipulation appears all too easy.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Is it really needed? I feel like my abs get hit really hard in all kinds of workouts. The point is I use free weights most of the time.

Unsure if needed...but it's unlikely to hurt! Very difficult to overtrain your core.

The best Silver Era bodybuilders lifted heavy free weights AND specifically trained abs.

Reg Park was the 2nd guy in history to record a bench press of 500 pounds, but still chose to do some core work.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Random musing on relationships and hairloss

Short story from the gym this morning. When I got there two guys were on the treadmills, which is kind of rare for the gym I go to, as it's more of a lifter's type of place.

Both the treadmill guys looked to be in their 30s, and both were balding badly.

One of the guys was talking dejectedly about his wife. I've noticed this from lots of balding men - they are in relationships with domineering women!

Men who are aloof and 'alpha' enough to command respect from their wives, on the other hand, seem to retain good hair. One of my great uncles is 70 and still has an intact hairline. Very stoic - yet funny - alpha dude.

I'm not saying that domineering wives are the sole cause of hair loss or anything. But I think bad relationships might be both a cause and effect of the same hormonal problems seen with balding.

Anyways...just a thought. Anyone else noticed this?

I'm out of bad relationships now and my hair loss has completely stopped. It might even be slowly reversing.

 

[Risingfire]

I believe it! I'm already so thankful to have stumbled onto Peat, Haidut, Weston A Price, Reg Park, etc etc at a youngish age.

Video games...I'm kind of an old soul, so I haven't been into them for maybe a decade.

Tho there are many other ways to waste time - and lifting is not one of them!

Keep it up. Let me know your results!

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Random musing on relationships and hairloss

Short story from the gym this morning. When I got there two guys were on the treadmills, which is kind of rare for the gym I go to, as it's more of a lifter's type of place.

Both the treadmill guys looked to be in their 30s, and both were balding badly.

One of the guys was talking dejectedly about his wife. I've noticed this from lots of balding men - they are in relationships with domineering women!

Men who are aloof and 'alpha' enough to command respect from their wives, on the other hand, seem to retain good hair. One of my great uncles is 70 and still has an intact hairline. Very stoic - yet funny - alpha dude.

I'm not saying that domineering wives are the sole cause of hair loss or anything. But I think bad relationships might be both a cause and effect of the same hormonal problems seen with balding.

Anyways...just a thought. Anyone else noticed this?

I'm out of bad relationships now and my hair loss has completely stopped. It might even be slowly reversing.

All roads lead to high androgens.
I saw a guy's blood tests. He had supra-physiological levels of free Testosterone. He never touched hormones or steroids. Yet he was fat! However, he is a player and dates and beds lots of attractive women.
I honestly think that is the sole reason for his success.

Success on the sexual marketplace guarantees high androgens.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Success on the sexual marketplace guarantees high androgens.

Or do high androgens determine success in the sexual marketplace? Wonder which direction these 2 things typically flow. Kind of impressive that the guy managed what he did being fat, especially with the high standards of today's day and age.

I've never really been the hookup type, much to the disappointment of certain biological instincts...

 

[OccamzRazer]

Update 4

AM Workout: Standard 20 breathing squats + 20 pullovers. My squat technique, once horrible, is really getting better. Holding the bar for the full duration of the 20 squats is also getting easier. Will probably keep the same weight for these 2 exercises for the next week or two. Felt good afterwards, as always!


PM Workout: Push day today! Worked up to some near-max singles on the bench press, then set a new PR for 2 in the overhead squat. Then did weighted dips for the first time ever. Tough! Followed this up with some standing tricep presses.

At this point I try to set a PR of some sort everyday...still new enough to lifting that this seems doable.


Nutrition: I've gotten accustomed to eating ~4400 cals per day, but consistently stepping things up to 5000 is going to be a challenge! So far today I have eaten well in excess of hunger cues and have been very warm all day. Hopefully 5000 cals will be enough to guarantee continued muscle gain.

On the hunt for an authentic cheesecake, as most of the ones at the grocery store seem pretty toxic.


If anyone has any high-calorie, not-so-filling Peaty foods to recommend, feel free to mention them!

 

[OccamzRazer]

Thoughts on Strength

** Overly caffeinated thoughts

My whole life, I've always been pretty weak.

I remember when I was on the USA cycling national team, and all of us twig-armed cyclists would arm wrestle for fun. The other guys used to beat me pretty easily. While I had great endurance, I just couldn't activate my CNS to produce short bursts of power. (Or at least that's what it felt like.)

Last year I tried the carnivore diet for a little while. and when I did my strength shot up pretty fast. I felt a little more 'average' - no longer inferior in strength to the average man.

Fast forward to this Spring, when I re-discovered Ray Peat and got a handheld red light. I noticed my strength markedly boost for a second time when I used the light every day.

To this day, tho, the feats of the drug-free athletes of old astonish me. Saxon's 448 pound two hands anyhow? Eder's 400 pound dip? Parks's 500 pound bench press in street clothes? Chuck Sipes's 570 pound bench press? Grimek's 500+ pound squats, as a senior citizen!? Etc etc etc

(Modern athletes may achieve similar things, but IMO they're doping)

I can do a 110 pound weighted pullup, but that's about as good as my strength gets at this point. Marvin Eder did 250+.

These feats seem unimaginable - not even worth thinking about!

Were the humans of yesteryear more...human? Are we Pottenger's cats? If so, how far has the degeneration gone? Can it be reversed within one's lifetime, or do we need to focus on restoring the next generation?

The desire to be good at something can test one's patience.

 

[OccamzRazer]

Update 5

AM training: 20 squats, 20 pullovers. The usual!

PM training: 'pull' day. Didn't feel like doing regular deadlifts, so tried some zercher deadlifts instead. Set a PR for that lift, then a PR for barbell cheat curls (Reg Park style). Finished with weighted pullups and then some dumbbell curls.

Also went on a nice long walk this evening. Sunny!

Nutrition: consistently eating 5000 calories a day is going to be way harder than I thought. Didn't quite get there, and was still overheating and not hungry for most of the day. Might have to start doing milkshakes or something. And cheesecake, ice cream, et cetera....

 

[Uselis]

Hey,

Nice thoughts on prior generations ☺
I work in a railway factory. The job can get quite tough at times. My coworkers mostly in their 50s and out shape in most traditional metrics but man do they have handshake of a human size crab lol. They also occassionally talk what kind of "household" jobs they had to do during off days. It always involves moving objects at least 400 pounds lol. Most of them had traditionally grew up on farms and picked up bad habits later in life.

btw which redlight you're using?

 

[Vins7]

Progress Pics (Before Pics)

Figured I'd take a more standardized set of "before" pics to track progress. Will probably take the same pics in the same location about once a month. Also tracking bicep/chest/thigh/etc measurements.

** Note: My back seems more developed than my chest. This is partially due to the angle of the pics, partially due to 'genetics,' and mostly due to the fact that I've been doing deadlifts & weighted pullups for several months, and bench presses for only 1-2. I kind of like having a bigger back than chest...but not this much!

The current training format should fix this imbalance since it has more 'push' days than 'pull' days. Silver era bodybuilders viewed the pullover, which I just started doing, as an excellent chest & serratus builder. Hopefully the uneven tan resolves itself too ?

After looking at these pics, I'm gonna just go up to 4800 calories a day for awhile and see what happens. Too scrawny lol.

You eat 5000 calories a day and you have 0 abdominal bloating...
How do you do It? ?

Bloating was never a problem for you, right?

 

[Jonnie]

.

 

[Candy]

Are you taking your temperature and pulse? Which are?

 

[Jonnie]

Definitely in! I am thinking about opening my own log, because I have a similar pursuit.

This is a great idea from @OccamzRazer We could open our own logs and share a bunch of interesting things.

In fact I've been "Peatybuilding" - as I like to call it - for the past year+ and have been documenting the progress with video footage.

One thing I’ve noticed is to not train if I'm stressed, hungry or tired... Else it takes me days to recover properly.

 

[Jonnie]

Current Physique

6 feet tall, 175 pounds, 8-10% bodyfat (estimate)

View attachment 23164

Looking good, very lean bro. Are you able to stay in a relaxed androgenic state at this low body fat%?

 

[OccamzRazer]

Hey,

Nice thoughts on prior generations ☺
I work in a railway factory. The job can get quite tough at times. My coworkers mostly in their 50s and out shape in most traditional metrics but man do they have handshake of a human size crab lol. They also occassionally talk what kind of "household" jobs they had to do during off days. It always involves moving objects at least 400 pounds lol. Most of them had traditionally grew up on farms and picked up bad habits later in life.

btw which redlight you're using?

Thank you! Thinking is fun.

Yeah, that's a perfect example of what consistent high volume training can do over time! Good stuff. Working at a railway factory sounds pretty interesting. Sometimes I miss having a physical job.

I use the LGS1 from Life Giving Store. Couldn't be happier with it. Will get a second, larger light as some point too.

 

[OccamzRazer]

You eat 5000 calories a day and you have 0 abdominal bloating...
How do you do It? ?

Bloating was never a problem for you, right?

Haha it's worth stating that I was eating 4-5000 calories/day up til those pics were taken, averaging probably ~4,400.

I've only been eating (trying to eat) 5,000 calories a day for a few days now.

Actually, bloating has been a problem in the past. Too many carbs - especially starches - tend to just make me skinnyfat. For me animal products seem most anabolic.

Here are some things that seem to help me avoid bloating:

Avoiding starches completely
Daily carrots/mushrooms
Daily long, slow walks
Raw milk
Coffee!!

It might also be 'genetic.' I'm Polish so my face gets bloated long before my abs do lol.