Inertia
May 25, 2008 11:09 AM Subscribe
Although an aquantaince said he hadn't lifted weights in 9 years, he looked like a active weight-lifter, huge. WTF?
I thought muscles had to be exercised consistently to maintain mass, and he is not in a physical-type job. Was he lying? (He def. wasn't kidding.) Assume there is no steroids here.
I thought muscles had to be exercised consistently to maintain mass, and he is not in a physical-type job. Was he lying? (He def. wasn't kidding.) Assume there is no steroids here.
Is he distinguishing between lifting weights as a weightlifter and working out?
posted by phunniemee at 11:22 AM on May 25, 2008
posted by phunniemee at 11:22 AM on May 25, 2008
I used to lift rather heavily, but was never bodybuilder-size or definition. I've not lifted with any regularity in this decade. However, until my recent run of cardio xexercise to lose weight, I was still pretty bulky, muscle wise. And even when I was 30 lb overweight otherwise, I could pop veins out of my left shoulder like I was practicing for a competion. So, yes, it's possible that he's just maintained shape and still looks vaguely bodybuilder-ish
posted by notsnot at 11:23 AM on May 25, 2008
posted by notsnot at 11:23 AM on May 25, 2008
No, some people are naturally much more muscular than others, just like some people are naturally fatter or thinner. He may work out or likes sports or something but there's no reason to think he's bending the truth.
posted by shownomercy at 11:33 AM on May 25, 2008
posted by shownomercy at 11:33 AM on May 25, 2008
Maybe he's talking about free weights vs. Nautilus? Maybe he works out on machines to keep toned.
posted by Koko at 11:55 AM on May 25, 2008
posted by Koko at 11:55 AM on May 25, 2008
I'm frequently asked if I work out or lift weights. My muscles make it look as though I do because I have Myotonia Congenita and increased muscle size is one of the effects of it.
posted by Proginoskes at 12:44 PM on May 25, 2008
posted by Proginoskes at 12:44 PM on May 25, 2008
Although an aquantaince said he hadn't lifted weights in 9 years, he looked like a active weight-lifter, huge. WTF?
Possible answer: He was MONSTROUSLY HUGE before, and you are indeed seeing a smaller version of him 9 years later.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:08 PM on May 25, 2008
Possible answer: He was MONSTROUSLY HUGE before, and you are indeed seeing a smaller version of him 9 years later.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:08 PM on May 25, 2008
Genetics, and he may eat healthy. Mainly genetics though.
posted by P.o.B. at 1:41 PM on May 25, 2008
posted by P.o.B. at 1:41 PM on May 25, 2008
Yeah, some people are just like that. I've met someone who don't work out anymore due to debilitating joint injury, but is still fricking huge. On the other hand, unless I stuff myself like a goose I start losing muscle in a week or two. The regulation of muscle anabolism/catabolism is pretty complicated, and there are definitely variants out there. Consider the Belgian Blue which gets ridiculously muscled on no real exercise.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 2:29 PM on May 25, 2008
posted by a robot made out of meat at 2:29 PM on May 25, 2008
Perhaps he is one of those very rare people who lack myostatin, or much more probably a person who has only one functioning copy of the gene which makes the protein:
Myostatin (formerly known as Growth differentiation factor 8) is a growth factor that limits muscle tissue growth, i.e. higher concentrations of myostatin in the body may cause the individual to have less developed muscles.
...
Lee and others found in 1997 that the double muscled cattle breeds Belgian Blue and Piedmontese have defective myostatin genes; these strains have been produced through breeding. [7][8][9]
In 2004, a German boy was diagnosed with a mutation in both copies of the myostatin-producing gene, making him considerably stronger than his peers. His mother, a former sprinter, has a mutation in one copy of the gene.[10][11][12][13][14][15] More recently, an American boy born 2005 was diagnosed with the same condition.[16]
There is a monoclonal antibody (stamulumab) which will bind to myostatin in the bloodstream and prevent it from limiting the growth of muscles.
How long before some form of that one hits the streets, do you think?
posted by jamjam at 2:43 PM on May 25, 2008
Myostatin (formerly known as Growth differentiation factor 8) is a growth factor that limits muscle tissue growth, i.e. higher concentrations of myostatin in the body may cause the individual to have less developed muscles.
...
Lee and others found in 1997 that the double muscled cattle breeds Belgian Blue and Piedmontese have defective myostatin genes; these strains have been produced through breeding. [7][8][9]
In 2004, a German boy was diagnosed with a mutation in both copies of the myostatin-producing gene, making him considerably stronger than his peers. His mother, a former sprinter, has a mutation in one copy of the gene.[10][11][12][13][14][15] More recently, an American boy born 2005 was diagnosed with the same condition.[16]
There is a monoclonal antibody (stamulumab) which will bind to myostatin in the bloodstream and prevent it from limiting the growth of muscles.
How long before some form of that one hits the streets, do you think?
posted by jamjam at 2:43 PM on May 25, 2008
Some people maintain a shload of muscle without doing anything. My fiance has never been body-builder muscular, but he was a gymnast when he was a kid. HE NEVER LOST THE MUSCLE. It's completely unfair. He eats whatever he wants (mostly junk), hardly exercises at all, and he's stayed at like 3% body fat forever. It took about three years after he quit playing soccer sometimes -- basically bringing him to zero exercise -- for him to even lose any muscle definition. We went to a park that had a pair of double bars and he could still do a decent amount of bar work that he did over ten years ago.
Lately he started doing less than ten minutes of exercise a day, and he forgets to do it half the time. Still, the muscles come back in a week, like they never left.
So there are definitely people along that genetic spectrum, and I'm not at all surprised someone like the guy you described exists. He's probably not lying to you.
posted by Nattie at 7:40 PM on May 25, 2008
Lately he started doing less than ten minutes of exercise a day, and he forgets to do it half the time. Still, the muscles come back in a week, like they never left.
So there are definitely people along that genetic spectrum, and I'm not at all surprised someone like the guy you described exists. He's probably not lying to you.
posted by Nattie at 7:40 PM on May 25, 2008
This isn't enough for "huge" - but people who spent a long time being athletic tend to do things athletically. The way you walk and climb stairs and do all the little things people do all day can make a big, not huge but big, difference. Add some good genes to that, be under certain ages, and there you go.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:05 PM on May 25, 2008
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:05 PM on May 25, 2008
Response by poster: Amyms:I doubt it. phunniemee: I don't know. Koko:doubt it.
Thanks to all for the great answers!
posted by uni verse at 7:36 AM on May 26, 2008
Thanks to all for the great answers!
posted by uni verse at 7:36 AM on May 26, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amyms at 11:18 AM on May 25, 2008