orz
Iron
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The Truth About Natural Lifting
Introduction
The prerequisite to this thread is realizing you aren’t on a gram of gear. If you are following a high-volume "bro-split" or an Arnold split designed by guys with exogenous hormonal support, what the fuck are you doing? You have a limited recovery capacity and a narrow window for muscle protein synthesis. Training like an enhanced bodybuilder as a natural is the fastest way to stay small and perpetually exhausted. This guide covers the actual physiological mechanisms of hypertrophy to ensure every single set you do results in actual tissue growth.
The Mechanism of Stimulating Reps
Hypertrophy is induced by the mechanical tension experienced by high-threshold motor units. For a fiber to grow, it must be recruited, and it must experience a slow contraction velocity. This is the "Stimulating Reps" model. In a set of 15 reps, the first 10 reps are "easy" because the bar moves fast. High velocity prevents the formation of a high number of actin-myosin cross-bridges, meaning those reps provide almost zero growth stimulus. Only the final ~5 reps of a set, when the bar slows down involuntarily despite you pushing as hard as possible, provide the tension necessary to trigger the signaling for muscle protein synthesis. If you do a set of 5 reps with a heavy weight (approx 85% 1RM), the load is heavy enough that the bar moves slowly from the start, making every single rep a "stimulating rep."
The Death of the Bro/Arnold Splits
On a traditional "Bro-split," you hit a muscle group once every 7 days. On an Arnold split, you might hit it twice every 8 days. With Full Body Every Other Day (FBEOD), you hit every muscle group 3.5 times per week. Because Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) in natural lifters returns to baseline within 24 to 48 hours, the Bro-split leaves you in a state of atrophy for 5 out of 7 days. By using FBEOD, you keep the "growth switch" turned on indefinitely. The goal is to distribute your volume so that you trigger MPS, recover for 48 hours, and trigger it again before the baseline returns.
Programming
Training to absolute failure (0 RIR) creates massive amounts of central nervous system (CNS) fatigue and muscle damage that can take 72+ hours to clear, without providing significantly more growth than stopping 1-2 reps short. By leaving 1-2 Reps in Reserve (RIR), you capture 95-100% of the stimulating reps while cutting the recovery requirement in half. This is what allows you to maintain the FBEOD frequency. Furthermore, performing only one high-quality working set per exercise is optimal. A second or third set provides diminishing returns on stimulating reps but doubles or triples the fatigue, making it impossible to recover for your next full-body session in 48 hours. The goal is to bias every region without redundancy through high-stability movements.
Nutrition
The fitness industry has lied to you about protein requirements to sell protein powder. The physiological saturation point for muscle protein synthesis is approximately 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight (1.6g/kg). Consuming 250g+ of protein does not lead to more muscle; it leads to increased protein oxidation. Your focus should be on hitting the 0.8g/lb mark and using the remaining caloric budget for carbohydrates, which are necessary to maintain the glycogen levels required for high-intensity, low-rep training. You will also feel significantly better.
Cardio/Supplements
Cardio is largely a waste of time for someone strictly pursuing hypertrophy. Aside from the negligible caloric burn, high-impact cardio (like running) creates an "interference effect." Aerobic exercise activates the AMPK pathway, which can negatively impact the mTOR pathway responsible for protein synthesis. Additionally, the eccentric damage from running adds to your systemic fatigue debt, directly stealing resources needed for growth. If you need to lose weight, eat fewer calories. As for supplements, 99% are useless. The only two worth your money are Creatine to look slightly bigger and Fiber for easier shits.
The "Optimal" FBEOD Routine
This routine is what I currently run. It's high-stability and uses machines found in any standard gym, biasing every major region without redundancy. Every exercise is exactly 1 working set of 5-8 reps to 1-2 RIR. I don't do glutes for obvious reasons. In the event an actual SBL reads this, I am aware of things like Keenan flaps, but they make you look stupid even if they're more optimal. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who works out in a public gym.
Lat pulldown (with straps)
Chest-supported row (T-bar or machine where arms are 90 degrees from side)
Unilateral preacher curl
Wrist curls
Pec deck
Tucked arm path incline chest press
Cuffed tricep pushdown
Unilateral lateral raise
Seated hamstring curl
Leg extension
Adductor machine
Calf raise
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