Today we examine the biggest myths that natural lifters face: 1) Your only meaningful gains happen in the first ~5 years of lifting 2) It becomes far harder to build muscle and get leaner once you leave your 20s Let's examine these myths using strong evidence both from research as well as plenty of real world examples.

100% agree about the natural path being better for learning the process. I see a lot of people go the enhanced route and the only way they know how to really progress is to up the dosage. Rarely ends well. Making slower but sustainable progress is better, and most people underestimate what they can achieve naturally.

Omar sneaking into my KZfaq channel and putting out the same topic I released today 😎 podcast discussing it with Geoff this weekend

Progress to smaller muscles groups might not make up large percentage but if you improve obliques, calves, forearms, it's very noticable.

I didn't start lifting seriously until 29ish and at 33 I'm just starting to get into bodybuilding (still focusing on powerlifting though), and competing against girls 10 years or more my junior was definitely disheartening. So this video was awesome!

As someone that's around ~21 FFMI, I train like there's no limit. I've got a ways to go. Will I ever hit 25? Probably not. Will the gains inevitably slow down? Yep. Will the benefits of lifting go away as I age? HELL NO. Liftin' for the long run 💪

People focus so much on that first 80%, they fail to realize how proportionally the impact of the last 20% is. You might put on 20lbs of muscle your first year, but to someone who didn't see your before they might not even realize you lift. When you're very advanced, every pound is much more significant and puts you into ever more exclusive company. Especially when you consider for many of these guys, those later pounds come from nornally underdeveloped areas (calves, abs, neck, forearms, etc) they really pop. Those that are really pushing our percieved limits also tend to be willing to reinvent themselves and won't hold on to dogma that stops them from trying new things.

Glad Alex and Geoffrey got a shot out. Something else to be said is that it takes a while to figure out what approach maximizes your gain

Yeah I'm 40, about a year and a half into my lifting journey, and I don't care what my testosterone is, or what hypothetical limit is out there in the future. I just enjoy it and keep pushing.

What’s the rush anyway. It’s all about the journey. That’s how I see it.

Nah man, after 30 you just gotta hang it up, with your testosterone and metabolism falling off a cliff if you ain't build any muscle or gotten really lean before it's over for you slim! **Says the man who built all his muscle to date and got really lean for the first time after turning 30. Glad 31 year old me didn't believe any of that**

Turned 38 a couple months ago and progress is honestly just as consistent now as when I was in my early 20s. I made my newbie gains in my late teens. Here are a few reasons why I think I still make consistent gains even though I've been at it for so long: 1) I don't try to stay lean. In fact, my bodyweight has been pretty much steadily climbing since I was in my 20s. 2) I train harder and smarter now. The quality of my training continues to get better, my exercise selection is more refined, etc. 3) I'm 6'2" with a fairly big frame. I still have a ways to go to be filled out. 4) I'm more focused on periodizing my training, particularly my weak point training. I'll spend several mesos trying to bring up my upper back but have my lats more on maintenance. I have increased the frequency of smaller muscle groups like biceps and side delts which have very little systemic impact, so really don't even need to periodize those areas, I hit them 3-4x a week forever. 5) I have more access to quality food now that I'm a working adult. My diet is actually more flexible now than when I was younger because I'm not just eating canned tuna all the time. On top of that, I don't drink as much anymore, my schedule is more consistent, and training is more of a passion. I'm sure there are other things I haven't touched on, but these are just a few reasons why I'm still progressing.

GVS easily my favorite YT natty. There are quite a few great ones these days, but he really has a way of making you excited about the journey and staying curious and evolving

Even if all those myths were true, I just enjoy the process of seeing what my body can do naturally. I arrived really late to the party as I started lifting at the ripe old age of 36. Almost 40 now and still making decent progress, usually adding 5kg to my pb: s every other month or so. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Nice to see you catching up with what the natty community has been preaching for years. Guys such as: team3d alpha, NH, BOM, GVS, to name drop a few. Hope that next step is to dispel the bad genetics myth (calves, forearms, abs) which has caused so much harm within the community. In regards to favorites, I have to go with: Hersovyac, Alex Leonidas, NH, Bald Omniman, GVS. No particular order.

It’s pretty sad how many people barely into their lifting life have already resigned themselves to a future of TRT. I’ve been lifting for a while and I have a friend who’s only a year or so older (so he’s 25 or so) who’s been getting into lifting and was asking me about it at a bar. He said something along the lines of: “but I mean like lowkey…a couple cycles isn’t even that bad right? Like I mean our testosterone is about to start dropping off so then it’s like we might as well right” This is a guy who has yet to bench 225. He kept saying that over and over again, as if he was trying to get me to say yeah we might as well. I kept telling him, nah there’s no need, sure never say never but don’t plan to diminish, or think you’ll _need_ TRT when you haven’t even made newbie gains yet in your 20s. People don’t realize that the testosterone drop off isn’t some magical thing that happens on your 30gh birthday. A lot of it is just because of what we also observe in dudes in their 30s and beyond. They’ve stopped caring about their diet, stopped working out, resigned themselves to their aching bodies and deteriorating shape. They haven’t stopped the crappy drinking and sleeping habits that they used to get away with. That stuff will tank your testosterone regardless of your age. Just because you have to be a little more on top of stuff as you age than when you were young doesn’t mean you’re already in TRT prison. We need to remind each other to be agents in our own fates

people forget, its HEALTH and fitness, not just fitness

this is great info for people out there stuck in a plateau. Adding carbs to my diet, and recovery weeks to my workout plan, is what helped me finally get past my all time bench pr.

I’ve been watching you since 2016. You look great bro

I always look forward to your videos. I fuckin love you man!

Omar, one of the original fitness youtuber OGs. Shout out and respect big man

My favorite natty is Geoffrey, he taught my favorite lifts, what is most important to develop and why, and a LOT of useful stuff in a funny way, love this guy.

GVS and Alex made guide gains! I'm amazed

At 31, I've been training hard, if not correctly, for 2 decades. I started bodybuilding seriously 2 years ago. I am just now passing the 25 ffmi threshold but it still looks like my frame has room for more muscle. Train hard, train thoughtfully, eat a lot of the right stuff, and get your personal life straightened out. If you're in a job that you hate or with a partner that only brings you more fighting, then you'll never be able to recover from all the stress. Serious bodybuilding is something you can only do if you have your shit together, inside the gym and out.

55 y/o and started at age 45. All natural (not a bodybuider) but I'm still seeing improvements over the years.

I think that natural lifting has so many positive effects on your own sense of self. It can make you less insecure because you're improving your appearance , but it also humbles you when you run into obstacles and physical limitations. It unites your mind and your body, because you have to think and you have to develop the will to push yourself physically-the mind and body work together. The pursuit of natural physique goals also forces you to eventually get serious about other aspects of your health like sleep, nutrition, and weight because they become necessary for progress. And ultimately, the fact that the results are relatively slow and hard won forces you to learn patience and appreciation for the process as much as for the goal itself. I think it puts you in a balanced state where you feel both cntent and hungry at the same time: content because you're on the right path, and hungry because of where the path leads.

Props for staying natural in this roidepidemic. I am a 300+kg natural deadlifter with 50cm arms without being fat and I row with 140kg. In Germany 90% of roiders do not lift this heavy. You always see who roids because they suddenly bench 180kg and flactuate in strength. My brother bench pressed 100kg at 15yo the first time he tried bench pressing, still he never went over 180kg bench because 200kg is 99% roids. Natural limits are probably for a 100+kg bw person Deadlift 350kg Squat 300kg Bench below 200kg. But you will be stronger at unusual lifts than roiders who e.g. deadlift the same. I am much stronger at rowing, pullups, grip etc than any roider who deadlifts 250-350kg and that's what you see everywhere. Stay natty and eat lots of Schnitzel!

Every time you say “if you like the video make sure you like the damn video” I have to say it with you

Been lifting for over 17 years natty since I was 14. 5 foot 9 inch 145lbs to start. My first ever maxes were a 135lb High Bar ATG Squat for 10 reps almost got killed by 190lbs after, 95lb Bench Press, 300lbs Conventional Deadlift and 315lbs didn't budge afterwards. Easily did 25 chinups everyday last month of 8th grade. When I maxed at a 95lb Bench Press I was struggling to do 10 pushups. Got to 210lbs and lean at 17 years old from calisthenics. At 18 years old got to a 305lbs Bench Press and 585lbs Deadlift which the Deadlift is my first ever KZfaq video from December 2010. Also 20 reps Pullups also recorded at 18. 19 I got near shredded and 210lbs and was pretty much my most aesthetic physique and most people life goals. At 21 I got to 250lbs and lean. Squatting 500lbs for reps bare knee, 365lbs Bench Press, 675lbs Conventional Beltless Deadlift no straps, 135lbs Weighted Chinup. I was 250lbs and lean from age 21 to 25. Even did my first powerlifting competition at 23 and did 700lbs Beltless Conventional Deadlift and 560lbs Raw Squat naked knee atg. At 25 I was 250lbs and lean hitting a 600lb Squat in sleeves, 405lbs Bench Press, 715lbs Conventional Deadlift done after the 600lb Squat same session. 185lbs Standing Strict OHP for 10 reps, 180lb Weighted Chinup, 135lbs for 3 reps, 100lbs for 6 reps. 480lb Front Squat. 455lbs High Bar ATG Squats for 10 reps then 520lbs Sumo Deadlift for 16 reps straight after. 405lbs Sumo Deadlift for 31 reps. 600lb Conventional Deadlift for 8 reps. Gained 25lbs in 3 months of mostly fat and got my Conventional Deadlift from 715lbs for 1 rep to 750lbs for 2 reps and 700lbs for 4 reps. 515lbs Front Squat in sleeves. Since then I made PRs in my pressing. Got to a 315lbs Seated Military Press and a 385lb Pause Incline Bench Press. At the age of 30 was my last major PR 450lbs Raw Bench Press. That was Halloween 2022. Now 31 hit more PRs. 300lbs Bench Press for 17 reps, 405lbs Squat for 17 reps, 45lb Weighted Chinups for 11 reps at a heavier Bodyweight. Even hit 185lbs Seated Military Press for 18.5 reps 90 degree seat. Lifetime natty. I probably can get a little stronger by the time I hit my 40s. But I will better my physique and also maintain a lot of my strength even not being in my prime anymore. I've done this for 17 years and I have more fight in me. Just dealing with injuries these past few months. But its not over

Not to sound like some wannabe enlightened lifter but I just truly love the process. I feel privileged in the sense that I get to weight train. I started when I was 17 and I weighed 63kg/138lb and at 27 I was 89kg/195lb. Now I'm 29 and turning 30 next year an I weigh 81kg/178lb and gaining again. I've done powerlifting, bodybuilding training and played around with strongman and endurance cycling. I've experienced subluxation (partial dislocation) of both my shoulders more than twice each side from playing sports, I experienced deeply painful hip pain in the past. With all these injuries I took time off and rehabbed the best I could and I'm at a healthy place with it all and I'm still very much enjoying the process. I've squatted 180kg/395lb deadlifted 230kg/505lb benched 102.5kg/225lb These numbers might seem trivial on the internet but I'm really happy with my progress all things considered with all the mistakes I've made and things I've learned. I'm going to keep training and pass on the skills and lessons to my children. As far as I'm concerned the day I stop making gains is the day I'm physically unable or 6 feet under the ground. Keep training everyone

I have been training for many years and really kicke things into gear again this year. I made about 6-7pounds of muscle gain this year, after not gaining muchthe lst several years.

The thing is, I love bodybuilding so much and seeing skill improvements over time. I will never stop, I I am 26 with 4 years of lifting under my belt, I finally figured out what works for me and I cannot wait to see the progress I can make unto my thirties!

NO NATTY LIMITS!!!

Now in my 50's, setting a PR is less important than staying healthy. I'm just enjoying the journey and trying to train in a way that will keep me active 20-30 years from now.

Omar so og now. Been watchin since 2015

Why does this video look like a dream sequence from Saved by the Bell?

I think the natty limit is really just a lack of patience & effort from most people. After you get past the beginner stage, to continue making progress, you really have to get to know what actually works for you & make sure all the basics are dialled in to progress past the intermediate stage to advanced & beyond. Most of these guys that keep making progress year after year have learned to do that. And although the progress might be small when you get advanced, it still stacks up year after year into something great. In my opinion there's no natty limit, just a time limit until we get very old.

Father omar keeping me on the natry righteous path when my thoughts stray to the darkness 😊

there is no "natural limit" on what you can achieve (if we exclude aging because at some point you do get older and start declining but if you take care of yourself that happens at about 40something and also isn't as fast and dramatic as some would think, and also that decline happens IF you have reached such a high level that aging actually effects your training enough so that it forces you to decline), but generally there's no limit besides aging, it's not like "you can put X amount of strength/muscle as a natural and that's it" (and that couldn't be true because we don't all have the same genetics so even if we had an absolute limit it would be different for different people and it would be effected by a huge number of factors (durability of the body systems (joints, bones, digestive, etc.), mental factors, muscular potential, etc.), it wouldn't be like "you have an X amount of muscle to put on and it depends only on you height" or something simple like that). Long story short the human body has very high adaptability (that's how being an athlete works), you of course will see MUCH greater gains on the first years of training but even after 15-20 years of training if you are able to optimize all the factors that play a role you can still see gains, YES those gains are very small BUT: A) they add up over time, for example if you start lifting at 15 then if you lift (/eat/live) properly from day 1 you "are" at your "genetic limit" by your 20 right? so being at your "genetic limit" (which I believe doesn't actually exist as I said) let's say now you'd be able to put on only 1 kilo of muscle per year at best, or better yet f that, to make it even more realistic let's say you can put half a kilo of muscle per year (that's about a pound) on average, if you continue training on the next 15 years (by the time you are 35) you'll have put on your frame 7,5 kilos of muscle ABOVE your "genetic" limit.. My point is that even those very small gains you'd be making when you are very advanced still add up over time (it's a matter of if you are able to keep optimizing enough in order to be able to keep progressing and for how long you'll sustain this proggression). B) those "small gains" (that also add up over time) are important, some examples: ~ 5 kilos extra on your squat isn't too much but it could be the difference between a 190 kilos squat and 200 kilos squat... ~ 5 kilos of extra extra muscle isn't much (at least for a 10 year period) but that's the muscle that will give you the detail, the roundness, and will fill you up slightly more, since if you let's say put 20 kilos of muscle on your frame the first 15 kilos would make a greater difference in size than the last 5 kilos would, but those last 5 kilos would create better seperation, more feathering and striations and would give a look resembling that "old muscle" look... I even see it on myself, I haven't seen myself growing fast since about 3 years ago, however I notice a gradual increase on the details my muscle have (even without having a lower than usual body fat percentage) especially on the triceps, abs and back... (ALSO all this is WAY more visible when you get shredded, so even if you can't see much difference now you'd see if you get your body fat as low as "back then" (and even if that "back then" wasn't below 10% or something, even if it was 15% bf (which is a very good percentage for an endomorph is you ask me, I mean an advanced endomorph at 15% is HUGE and probably also has abs which is more than "good enough" of a package) you'll notice that now more detail is showing in several areas of your body because in order for details to be seen they first have to exist and low fat just let it show).

You sorta forgot to mention the main pro of not jumping on PED: not destroying your health and body irreversibly. That’s a bit more crucial than it being a “learning opportunity”.

If you want to acheive your life goals being more physically healthy will help you. You want to maintain you life goals maintain your health. I let myself go but am getting back on track. Feeling better day by day.

Great video Omar, couldn’t agree more! 80% of your lifetime gains in the first few years of lifting also presumes you knew what the heck you were doing! 😆

Omar as the turtle is my favourite zaddie!!

There's no limit to what we can do!!!!!

Oddly I've found I put on muscle easier at 43 than I did at 23. A big part of that is probably just eating enough protein, but I don't think you should worry too much about age.

I started watching your videos after 1-2 years. I hear more jazz tunes and I love it. What does my comment have to do with weightlifting? Absolutely nothing

I’m surprised Geoff fit in the thumbnail wow

Agree with everything but I have a caveat in that I think that there are guys that are actually, legitimately hypogonadal that benefit from taking TRT (and I'm talking about doctor guided TRT -- not "fitness TRT" or whatever they're calling it now. ) There are negative side effects to staying natural just to say "I'm natural" to the detriment of your health.

Gallant

Staying natural is the way to go for most people who don’t compete,this is proven by the fact that most steroid users end up looking like crap even with PEDs because they don’t know how to train and recover 😂

While there is no natty limit, there is ironically an enhanced limit. It's called heart failure.

I like Noel's content. Gues he's my favorite?

This comment section is so disappointing. All of these judgements about who's a fake natty, or saying this video is too optimistic... this should just be 200+ comments that all say "Eric Helms"

Ppl just in a rush for gains and willing to risk anything to get it. Unless im gonna be making alot of money off fitness or old..im staying natural. Even at age 39. Never been drunk or high. Thats the key

Natty results definitely take more time to achieve just enjoy the process

Even if it exists....... fk it. Stay HARDDDDDD

Limits are for the mind, they don't exist beyond that

Jeff Alberts is my inspiration

Taylor Atwood was 33 when he hit his best total, a world record

I quit lifting for quite a few years, im now 36 and not only do i still have great muscle memory but am getting new gains in my mid 30s, with good nutrition, supplements, sleep and a proper fitness regimen and hard work will always overshadow the false claims of dwindling test in your early 30s

Let's play a game. Who is your zaddie and what does he do?

Most people that worry about the natty limit haven't trained at least 10 years to even sniff it. I think people also need to look at the original study on FFMI that actually had participants with FFMIs over 25. The study seeks to understand what happened, not to establish a hard limit. Most people's natty limit is the point in which they stop making small tweaks to their approach, not their actual genetic ceiling.

Your camera is good, but you have to do some color correction and image editing

didn't know that chris evans does body building

Why even do steroids when you can't get as big as Ronnie Coleman?

Nice opinion!

Sam Sulek has entered the chat

You daddy you’re my favorite natty

Does @alexleonidas count as a "Zaddy"? If so, he gets my vote 😁 I'd also vote for you too ✌️

where are my raskol tshirts, its been a month with no tracking code

Wow, KZfaq just Translated your name to "Omar D soft"

Alex and Alberto. Not the same history but, great examples of natty wisdom and self discipline

There is a limit, but one may only approach it ever, and even with PEDs, though that capacity will be higher, one will still only approach it, never reach it

You can be like Cell and take androids to become stronger or...BE LIKE A SAYJANIN AND BREAK YOUR LIMIT!

How did you leave Doug Miller out

Mark Felix. Enough said. Lol

03:54 😮 this calves❤ is that a natty credential?

I think the Hodgetwins were pretty good examples of natty's who seemed to peak in their early 40's, i dont think they were on any sauce either because whenever you saw their full body they looked pretty normal, definitely didnt stand out as on roids and their lifts werent crazy strong either, just normal natty sort of stats

Deadlift 500 kg then

Agree a lot especially when it comes to underweight people, there's just too much lean mass a 125 lb practitioner can potentially gain within a dedicated training career.

Eric helms🤤

There is Natty Limit If there were no limit, there would have been people weighing 1000 kilos of muscles size long time ago there is limit even with steroids use they still are limited

The tortoises were the best😂

Glad to see everyone catching on.

My testosterone is higher now at 35 than it was in my 20s 😂

There absolutely is a natural limit. As why do these naturals keep winning at older age? Well you are into music Omar. Take any guitar virtuoso. All of them have been at their fastest at 20-30 years old. From Malmsteen to Mclauglin to Paco De lucia to Paul gilbert. But they released as good or even BETTER music when they were older. They know their body, they know how to diet and how to peak. Same with other sports as well. Sprinters do not get infinitely faster. Weight lifters don't get infinitely stronger etc.

Bro i get so frustrated when people say they reached their natty limit, but they dont even know how to periodize their training or even at least standardizing their techniques to actually track progress.

Alright Liver King 2.0

To be honest...I think there is a group of people who have actually squatted or deadlifted over 400kg without steroids -> yes..RAW without equip

🥇

Title is click bait, my guy. Little frustrating. There is a natural limit for all if us. PEDs break that natural potential. I get the la-di-da, positive world view you are trying to push. It's not a bad message in the slightest. It would just be nice to make your title reflect your actual views listed in this vid.

Noble natty's

I think most people just don't have any idea how to train correctly. It takes mental effort to learn how to actually progress, or to at least stick to a program you bought online or written for you by a coach (not some PT lol). Then there's the consistency with eating enough and sleeping etc. Ask yourself this: Omar deadlifts 600 and benches 350, he squats 500 too. What do you lift? Probably not even close and your probably not close to looking impressive either. So don't go whine about natty limits when you can't even be bothered to learn how to program, buy a program or pay a reputable coach for help lol.

No such thing as a natty limit ? Sorry Omar but you have been at your natty limit for years now hardly any changes in your physique since I followed you back in the day..

Stay natty for life! say no to drugs, trt, whey, creatine, coco cola, steroids and more. 😂

Thank you for the shoutout Omar!

natty bodybuilding competitions are a joke though. Im all life natural BUT come on these competitions trying to emulate the enhanced physique. It should be about a balance between body fat, musculature and posing like in the early Silver Era. They all look small.

You need to get more jacked, Omar.

Those guys you showed are although small are in great shape but none have made any gains in years whatsoever they're maintaining at their natty limit

How many naturals do you see looking like Markus Ruhl?