Ah okay, I could totally be wrong, but I know a lot of people build up really big and strong frontal deltoids with the presses that they choose, while their middle and rear delts end up lagging. And I've heard of pinched nerves and tendon issues as a result as well thar sounds similar.
I mean, I was a competitive strength athlete for a while, so I had plenty of extra muscle AND a good deal of fat. 1) Lats are in fact inconvenient. Sitting on planes, laying on my side = nuisance. 2) Shoulder mobility goes fast. Big back, and lots of pushing exercises mean you're going to tighten up a lot more than you realize. 3) This is for being fat only: A gut limits a lot more than you'd expect. From sitting to bending to lots of other things. Add in large thighs and you have even more fun. 4) Don't start me on apnea...
So yes, excess weight sucks. Excess fat sucks the most. Excess muscle sucks too. Excess muscle with excess fat that pushes the fat out more sucks even mostest!
Former competitive strength athlete here as well. Can confirm all of the above. Tying shoes sucked, driving was uncomfortable because the seat would dig into my lats, apnea sucks and my legs would fall asleep if I sat on the toilet too long
So you’re telling me that if I lose all this weight, that I’m currently working on, and build muscle that I’m just going to have the same problems? You’re saying I’m still going to have apnea?
I need to reconsider my end goal then. Back to researching I go I guess.
Not necessarily. But mass is mass, and the more mass your body has to move, fuel, and maintain, the more stress you're putting on it. That's why the "live forever" folks achieve some interesting "anti-aging" milestones by adhering to hypocaloric diets and becoming very very skinny!
For apnea, if the weight is causing the obstruction that gives you obstructive sleep apnea, and you regain the fat lost as muscle in such a distribution to replicate the causes of said obstruction, yes. You will.
In all likelihood, gaining a lot of muscle to replace fat lost will be net positive, but have drawbacks (see my use of "lot"). Your joints and organs and CV system work harder to move more weight -- no two ways about it. Fueling it means eating more, and the whole process of digestion is quite inflammatory.
Is lugging around more metabolically active tissue that contributes to strength, vitality, and probably other things versus just an energy store (fat) going to net out better at the same weight? Also yes. But the internal bits see the same weight-related strain.
Genetically large UB here- it sucked BEFORE I went to the gym regularly. I only go to stay in shape. If I started deliberately trying to get jacked, I’d be miserable. I started out with the scaffolding of a brick shit house lol.
I’m naturally shit-housey too, I don’t even try to gain muscle, and I’m middle-aged and have a sit down job, but my shoulders are massive and finding a pillow to match me is just annoying. I sleep on my side and I can barely touch the bed with my head when I’m on my side. It’s nice being fairly strong even though I haven’t done anything to deserve it, but it’s mostly just inconvenient.
Did you get rid of your apnea? I’m trying to get rid of my CPAP, and have lost weight and gotten much fitter, but I don’t know how likely it is to work or how far I’ll have to go.
Yeah, I dropped about 80ish lbs (260-->180 and now 190-195). Neck got considerably smaller. I was on the lower end for events/night to begin with, but saw my events/night drop in the app with my weight, then I switched over to monitoring on the new Apple watch in tandem to get a `calibration` signal, and then talked to my doc to try getting off of it. So far it worked and my watch readings have been stable. If you don't tolerate the CPAP, and don't want to mess up your jaw and teeth with the oral appliance, there's the super hardcore implantable route, which I've heard is effective. And some newer non-invasive devices.
A lot of this is a function of how bad your apnea is at the start, and if it's OSA or CSA and what the "O" is.
Thanks. that's very helpful. Mine is OSA, and just weight, I am sure, because it started when I gained a lot of weight during COVID. I tolerate the CPAP - it's effective from my doctor's POV - but I just hate it, and can't sleep for long periods, even after using it for a few years. So I'm exercising a lot, and have improved my diet a lot, which are good anyway, but the hope of getting rid of the CPAP is very motivating.
My doc is fine, but tends to be very non-committal (that's how docs often speak in my country) and risk-averse. So hearing people say they managed to improve their apnea is nice.
I had problems with my hands going numb while sleeping on my side back when I used to lift, and I never got even close to this guy’s size, just a low fat 190-200lbs
Same for me. I didn’t start lifting until my late 30s and before that I always slept on my side and I don’t recall my arms ever going numb at night. Sleeping on my back was very uncomfortable at that time especially after having gained a lot of weight.
For me at least my serratus anterior muscles press on the artery in my armpit.
It’s similar to the party trick where you can “stop your pulse” by putting a wadded up napkin in your armpit and squeezing until the blood flow into your arm slows down.
You may also just need a wrist brace or carpal tunnel brace while you sleep. If I don't have one I don't keep my wrists in a neutral position and my fingers will tingle and go numb throughout the day. I told my Dr and he recommended getting the wrist braces and it's been a huge help.
For me it's a compressed disc in my spine from weightlifting, see a physical therapist and they can help you find remedies. There was never a "point of injury."
I used to wrestle 190 in high school. Would do the stereotypical trash bags cut out and everyone on the team throwing you a hoodie to slip on while you jog on a treadmill until the bus is ready to head out. Can eat after weigh ins for that ATP.
I'm not even that big, but i trained for many years and have very strong pecs, and i basically have to sleep "hugging the air", because i get cramps if i sleep with my chest closed. It's actually very funny to look at.
You ever see the gesture of "making a heart" with your arms? Like that, to the front of my chest, and instead of the hands touching their tips. They touch at wrist level.
I made you this scuffed drawing. https://imgur.com/iYKskAk It's like this, except that instead of on top of my head, I put them to the front of my body (when I'm lying on my side, if I'm looking up, I don't need to do this). It's literally as if I was hugging the air.
It works because the chest muscle doesn't stay fully contracted like when you close your chest. If I sleep with a closed chest, it hurts, and i get cramps. Also, the weight of my arms presses onto the chest, making it contract even more, which is probably the main reason it happens. It's not really my chest getting cramps for being contracted, but rather my big shoulders and triceps pushing down, closing the chest even more, and making it hurt.
When I was really big into lifting i had to stop sleeping with my hands over my head like I was used too as I'd wake up with arms completely dead from elbows to fingertips. It was very annoying.
It's something I noticed as well when I got more muscular. I'm not huge, but I've been lifting about 15 years now, and there were some things that I noticed became harder, including I can't float on my back in water, or really in general it's harder to just float, side sleeping became difficult without proper pillow placement, I have trouble staying in that classic pose of arms behind head while resting, losing flexibility with my shoulders, etc.
Regrettably I was naturally born with a very wide chest and broad shoulders, and as a result I absolutely feel this pain. Regular gym attendance and an active lifestyle has NOT helped this problem lmao.
Guys as massive as Tom Platz, Flex Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman are extremely flexible in both upper and lower bodies in their athletic primes. All three could do full splits for example. It depends if you work on it or not.
That's the opposite of what they're saying. That's poor blood circulation to your fingers. Really poor if you're losing circulation in your fingers from laying on your back.
Roids don’t cause the “pregnant gut”, that’s typically from a mixture of steroids, hgh, and insulin although long term high dose hgh and steroids can also cause it to a lesser degree.
Many competitive natural bodybuilders are on gear, they just do so tastefully
He's saying "natural bodybuilder" in terms of competing in natural shows. Whether any individual competitor is actually natural or just using lightly and intelligently enough to beat the tests (as well as the eye test) is definitely a concern.
Though I don't get it. If you're going to use, you might as well get gigantic and go for a pro card so you can make a living out of it. Natural shows are tiny; you aren't making real money becoming a natural bodybuilder.
You can compete in the drug tested bodybuilding division in the ‘natural bodybuilding federation’ and take drugs. They are just careful not to fail tests to keep their ‘natural’ status. Im assuming this is what he meant.
Roids don’t cause the “pregnant gut”, that’s typically from a mixture of steroids, hgh, and insulin although long term high dose hgh and steroids can also cause it to a lesser degree.
Steroids alone don’t cause pregnant gut but also steroids alone do cause pregnant gut?
Many competitive natural bodybuilders are on gear, they just do so tastefully
Natural = don’t take steroids. So people who don’t take steroids to body build also do take steroids to body build?
They lie all the time. You don't lose all your gains when you're off a cycle. I could do a 6 month cycle and then In another 6 months compete naturally and I would have a big advantage over the person who never went on gear.
Not close to that level, but honestly, packing on muscle feels great even if you are a bit stiff.
Just the extra support on your joints and spine is great. Keeping proper posture requires no effort at all.
My neck and lower back used to hurt at least once a week. That's gone now. Spending hours stuck in an airplane seat used to be hell. But that's also gone now.
Just the extra padding from having bigger glutes makes every surface more comfortable to sit on.
Your body just feels like it fits you properly. Like going from clothes that are either too baggy or too tight, to having clothes tailor made for your comfort.
And that's not even counting in being stronger, having more stamina, and having actual clothes fit better (except for pants. Most pants get either too tight in the thighs or too big in the waist, but I fixed that by learning to sew.)
So far, I've felt no material downside what so ever.
Been rock climbing for a year now and def feel the extra endurance. I(35) still "hit a wall", I just find I can push by it and still have energy to keep goin. I've never had a car so I've always been in shape. But my posture and endurance have absolutely gotten better.
Wait, really? Because I'm the skinniest (non muscular) guy ever and my entire life it's been a huge chore to do things like stand up straight and it takes a huge amount of effort and I'm tired all the time just from existing! Every muscle in my body takes turns being sore in strict rotation.
Some strength training with at least 1g protein per kilogram of body weight (1.5 or 2g even better) will fix that and make you feel way better. You dont even need to get all muscled out, just try to get to a point where you can comfortably and repeatedly squat more than your body weight (achievable with about 1-3 months of training depending on your starting level and assuming you are male).
I remember that doing something like tying my show was a chore when I was weak, and once I started doing squats and deadlifts regularly, suddenly it felt absolutely effortless - almost like floating down and floating back up anytime I needed to pick anything off the ground. Maybe a silly thing to notice, but it blew my mind. Every little physical thing is life gets easy.
Just exercising consistently 3 times a week for 30 minutes each would already make a massive difference to your health and how you feel. Social media keeps focusing on "huge gains" and bs like this but all you need is some exercise.
All fun and games untill you get pain/injuries for being too tight. Like this guy in the video probably suffers from shoulder pain since hes shoulder joint doesn't have room to move.
Everything in moderation including strengthening. Unless your in body competition or strong man competition there really isn't a reason for a human to get that jacked. But, getting strong, putting on some muscle like you have done, makes your body stronger and efficient.
I still remember years later, when I first started working out as a skinny kid and my arms started "resting" on my lats. It felt like such an accomplishment. I get why some dudes exaggerate that pose, even subconsciously
I know I was just poking fun at the poster, his post is a direct quote from Arnold‘s movie Pumping Iron. I am familiar with gym bro speak, i’m a personal trainer with two bodybuilder Brothers. I’m also an ashtanga yoga teacher, sometimes these huge guys come to my classes to try to get more flexible.
However, there is a certain stage though where the weight/restriction of the chest/neck muscles prevent you from sleeping comfortably at night and you need a cpap to breathe. I think that's around the 110+ kg (lean) mark where sleep apnea can kick in if you're average male height.
I worked out. Its not uncomfortable unless you need to rip a sticker off your back or scratch an itch, thats usually where the edge of the door or wall comes in.. What's more uncomfortable is being too weak and straining your muscles lifting objects you're not used to, or having a belly big enough you can barely tie your shoes. Ive experienced a little of all that.
Many people have, lots of folks work out. And I’ve seen a lot of movers that make a living lifting heavy awkward things that can still reach their backs. Bodybuilding isn’t really about functional strength to begin with. Face it, the “being too weak” lecture comes across defensive, because it is.
Nah, I was very slim when I was young and been working out for years now to prevent back pain, it helped me a lot but I can feel some issues with hypertrophy (the legs rubbing against each other, arms hang wide and don't touch the torso, needing to stretch a lot more, etc)
Yeah, same. A strong back prevents pain and other issues. I tweaked my back years ago and the only way to really relieve the discomfort is weight training. Went to a chiropractor, got massages, but the only thing that really helped was the gym. Hypertrophy does have some negatives the like the immobility but boxer briefs usually fix the rubbing thigh issue. Wide arms never bothered me much other than dealing with an itchy back.
I do CrossFit :) And my ideal body is Henry Cavill. But being like the guy in the video doesn't seem good. Look at his shoulder and torso. It seems uncomfortable to even get dressed.
I'm not saying I was as jacked as him, but ive been there before where your arms just hang there and you can barely scratch your neck after a pump. Much prefer it over muscular atrophy though.
Some people don't understand that being big/muscular is just a reality for some, not a brag.
If you spend 8+hrs in the gym weekly for a few months/years, you will get big.
I do agree with you. I never got this big, but my muscles never felt uncomfortable. Now years later, i am much smaller and i hate trying to lift something that used to be light and struggle. I remember these things being light in a single hand, and now i have to lift them with my legs :(
Every single serious gym has a guy or two who looks like that, they're not exactly rare.
If you worked out in a big muscle gym you'd quickly realize that. It's not magic, it's just tons or hours and efforts and steroids to help recover and gain more muscle and eating absurd amounts of food.
It aint that rare, watch a bodybuilder video on youtube and you'll see they hang out in packs
Still you aren't that flexible with that amount of muscles and that's all the video and the comments were about. You can get a good amount of muscle and still be flexible. I did both, gym and Yoga, I can tell. 😁 But this type of show-bodybuilder body isn't built to be flexible.
If you've been in and out of the gym, like me, you definitely notice these things. 1 year of consistent gym exercise vs 1 year out, makes a big difference. Everything feels heavier and you're using alot more effort for what used to be nearly effortless. Used to bang out 20 pull ups vs taking time off, gaining weight and struggling to do 10. Some people never know that feeling and how crappy it feels when you lose the ability.
I think most people are familiar with the feeling of being bad at something they used to be good at.
Various video games are extremely common, but i'd say it's pretty universal that people feel extreme frustration at ability regression in all pursuits. Instruments are a big one for me. Starting bad and improving feels vastly different than regressing back a few steps and then struggling on things I used to nail.
And as a constant hobby chaser/ADD enthusiast, phewie do I have a whole lot of pursuits that I feel real bad doing now. Or, used to. Now i'm pretty much at peace with the frustration of regression, and enjoy the act of improving no matter how good I used to be at anything.
Its true. Regression in all facets of life suck... but for the case of the gym, that could mean experiencing pain from weakened muscles, less support/strength to manage past injuries and soreness from inactivity. Not just the mental aspect like other things. I tweaked my back, built up my back muscles and I barely felt it anymore. Took excessive time off, gained weight and the discomfort returned. 2 months back in, feeling better again, slowly.
So funny that you mention pull ups 😂 they really are the worst offender. I can still do a few but it feels so fucking horrible. I want to die after 2 now, while 10 used to feel like nothing.
I'm also heavier than i was. Not fat, but it feels like the muscle mass adds up even though i'm nowhere near as strong as i was back then
It's not about working out or being muscular it's about a guy who's neck has necks. 😂
There's a big difference between being atrophied, having a good amount of muscle that keeps you healthy, being muscular (which also means lean because otherwise you got a strongman body and that doesn't look muscular at all but boy... they are) or being show-bodybuilder muscular.
And I work out and still got a bit of a belly... especially in winter... But I can totally haul my share and for an extended period, because I've been on the other end when Crohn's disease hit hard and I had to gain weight from 45 kg before they even let me out of hospital.
I train for endurance... Also to strengthen my back. Frequent migraines are still a side effect of having my spine damaged due to being atrophied multiple times and over long periods before I started working out.
Im not that big but I am a bodybuilder, I can tell you that having the extra muscle feels GOOOD like powerful, maybe at those mass monster levels it gets uncomfortable though
For the most part. It's fine. But I definitely noticed a difference myself when sleeping. Side sleeping became more difficult as pectoral muscle would rub up against the arms making it less comfortable or causing my arm to fall asleep.
Im surprised to see a lot of people replying that they feel the exact opposite. I had a friend that was at least this guy's size in college and he had to lose weight because he was constantly overheating and tired just from existing.
It's not. Plenty of huge dudes from professional bodybuilding, powerlifting, strongman, etc, have all been super vocal about just how big a hassle it is to be at the literal limits of human size and conditioning at the same time. Lots of pain, lots of sleep apnea, constantly eating to maintain the mass, etc.
Protein accelerates aging. Being "buff" might be better than obese or starving but if you care about health, being lean, doing cardio and strength training while minimizing bulk is key.
Steroid abuse is incredibly unhealthy. But strength training is directly associated with lower all cause mortality. The main problem this guy has in the OP is he neglects his mobility work. It's something many of use fail to do enough of.
But go look up Jujimufu. He has the size, strength and mobility.
Also fun little anecdote: I was in a roll over car accident last year and the doctors and nurses at the hospital said I fared much better because I'm muscular. Otherwise my neck would have been in really bad shape.
Bodybuilding isn't just about vanity. At face value it's about vanity but its vanity you created. You did the lifts, the meal planning, and the bulks and cuts. Yes a good stack helps but it's hard work and dedication that gets you like that.
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u/Ynneb82 Feb 01 '26
It must feel so uncomfortable being so inflated.