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[@RenaissancePeriodization] Struggling to Gain Muscle as a Natty? Ask the Expert (ft Jeremy Ethier)

· 6 min read
[@RenaissancePeriodization] Summarizer
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@RenaissancePeriodization - "Struggling to Gain Muscle as a Natty? Ask the Expert (ft Jeremy Ethier)"

Link: https://youtu.be/vawuA8-CLWw

Short Summary​

This video focuses on helping intermediate natural lifters overcome plateaus and maximize muscle growth. It emphasizes shifting from simply training hard to training smarter by prioritizing stimulus-to-fatigue ratio, optimizing volume and frequency, and tailoring exercise selection to individual needs and leverages. Crucially, the video also highlights the importance of nutrition, sleep, and stress management for recovery and overall progress, urging viewers to focus on personal progress rather than comparing themselves to others or steroid users.

Key Quotes​

Okay, here are 5 direct quotes from the provided transcript that represent valuable insights:

  1. "It's funny like this is this is kind of like purgatory, you know what I mean? Once you get into here, like most people just get stuck... Because you got here by training hard, being consistent, right? But now it's not just about training hard. You have to train smart." - Highlights the shift in necessary training approach from beginner to intermediate.

  2. "So let's say that you're at the stage where you can only put on 1 to 3 lb of muscle per year. And so imagine if instead of you grow 2 lb of muscle across your entire body, imagine if those 2 lbs were literally just put on your side delts." - Emphasizes the importance of strategic muscle group prioritization for visual impact in the slower-gaining intermediate stage.

  3. "You get a decent jump in gains. Seems to be about 30% jump in gains going from one time per week to two times per week." - Provides a clear and specific data point regarding the impact of training frequency.

  4. "Thinking that the specific shape or size of a muscle of a drug using, no offense to me, IFBB pro bodybuilder or NPC national guy is going to get you that look if you do that exercise, especially as an attie." - Directly confronts a common misconception in exercise selection, emphasizing genetics and long-term consistency over copying pro routines.

  5. "Less sleep the night before caps your maximum protein expression for growth significantly, even if you have a good workout." - Emphasizes the importance of sleep.

Detailed Summary​

Okay, here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, presented in bullet points:

Key Topics:

  • Intermediate Natural Lifters: The video focuses primarily on natural lifters who have been training for 3-6 years and are experiencing slower progress compared to their initial "newbie gains."
  • Training Smart vs. Training Hard: Emphasizes the shift from simply training hard and consistently to understanding stimulus to fatigue ratio, optimizing exercise selection, and being honest about progress.
  • Volume, Frequency, Exercise Selection, and Recovery: These are discussed as the core elements for intermediates to optimize for continued growth.
  • Managing Expectations: Highlights the importance of comparing progress to the expected gains of a natural lifter at their experience level, not to steroid users or past personal progress.
  • Nutrition, Sleep, and Stress Management: Discusses the crucial role of these factors in recovery and muscle growth, especially for natural lifters.

Arguments and Information:

  • Stages of Training:
    • Beginner: Consistency is key. Just show up and train.
    • Novice: Requires a system for tracking progression and pushing yourself.
    • Intermediate: (The "purgatory" stage) Requires training smarter, not just harder. Progress slows significantly, and lifters often get stuck.
    • Advanced: Focus is on long-term consistency, managing fatigue, and avoiding injury.
  • The Problem with "Harder" at the Intermediate Stage:
    • Lifters frustrated with slower progress may force weight increases, sacrificing form and potentially reducing actual muscle stimulation.
    • The correlation between weight progression and muscle growth weakens.
  • Optimizing Volume:
    • A significant growth jump occurs when going from 4-5 sets per muscle per week to 10 sets. Diminishing returns after that.
    • Aim for 10-20 sets per muscle per week.
    • Prioritize Volume Distribution: Focus on lagging muscle groups that will make a bigger visual difference. Allocate volume away from muscles that grow easily.
    • Example: Reduce arm volume and increase side delt volume to maximize overall physique impact.
  • Training Frequency:
    • A 30% gain increase is possible by training each muscle twice per week instead of once.
    • Consider training muscles 3 times a week if recovery allows, especially if struggling to apply enough volume.
    • 11 sets per muscle in a workout is considered safe. More than that, distribute it over another workout during the week.
  • Exercise Selection Mistakes:
    • Mistake: Trying to replicate the routines of steroid-using bodybuilders, expecting the same results or muscle shapes.
    • Exercise selection is highly personal and depends on individual proportions, limb lengths, and leverages.
    • A good exercise for one person might not be effective for another.
  • Exercise Examples (Jeremy's Personal Successes):
    • Upper Chest: Lower incline dumbbell press (lower than the standard 45 degrees) due to individual sternum angle.
    • Side Delts: Behind the body cable lateral raises to emphasize the stretch at the bottom of the movement.
    • Biceps: Line strength bicep curls to intensify the pump.
  • Nutrition for Intermediates:
    • Camp 1 (stuff their face): Continuing to eat excessively as they did during "newbie gains" leads to more fat gain than muscle gain.
    • Camp 2 (never gaining again): Stuck in a perpetual cutting/maintenance cycle due to fear of losing ab definition, preventing muscle growth.
    • Recommended Approach: Aim for a small (250 calorie) surplus, gaining about 0.5 lb per week or 1% of body weight per month.
  • Sleep:
    • Even one night of poor sleep (under 6 hours) can significantly impact performance and make workouts feel much harder.
    • Less sleep can reduce maximum protein expression for growth, even with a good workout.
    • Prioritize sleep over additional workouts if necessary.
  • Stress Management:
    • Workouts are a stressor, and life outside the gym adds additional stressors that must be recovered from.
    • Program training volume based on overall stress levels. Reduce volume during stressful periods.
    • Activities like watching Love Island (brainless entertainment) can aid recovery by reducing mental stress.
  • Overall Message: Stop comparing yourself to others and focus on making progress compared to your previous self.