How Big Can You Get Naturally?

Ever since the guy known online as the ‘Liver King’ was exposed for in fact not being natty like he claimed, and was found to be using steroids (as if it wasn’t obvious just from his physique) there has been a lot of talk regarding PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and building muscle.

When people lift weights, they do so with a goal.

The goal in question is usually to build muscle. Both men and women who lift weights often dream of being big and jacked, and why wouldn’t they?

Being muscular can boost your confidence, it can protect you from injury, and it can help you as part of everyday life as well.

But how big can you get naturally?

In bodybuilding, steroid use is one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of mankind.

The fact that there are natural federations and natural contests, surely confirms that AAS (Androgenic Anabolic Steroids) are used for building muscle.

We aren’t here to talk about steroids today, however, in fact, quite the opposite. We want to learn what the human body is naturally capable of.

How Big Can You Get Naturally?

If you’re looking for just one definitive answer, you’d be better off asking how long a piece of string is.

The truth of the matter is that there is no definitive answer to the question because there are so many different factors and variables to consider.

Some people for example, are known as ‘hard gainers’ which means that they struggle to build muscle or even gain weight in general.

They’re usually tall, slim, and have long limbs with what is known as an ‘ectomorph’ body type. Others gain weight quite easily, in the form of fat and muscle, whereas others are naturally athletic and genetically gifted and build muscle mass very easily.

How big you get naturally will depend on things such as genetics, diet, training, and lifestyle.

A guy who trains consistently 6 days per week, doesn’t drink or smoke, and eats clean 99% of the time will likely build more muscle than a dude who lifts when he feels like it, eats what he likes, drinks most days, parties a lot, and doesn’t take his training seriously.

If you want a rough figure for how big you can get naturally however, research shows that most women can potentially gain between 20 and 25 pounds of lean muscle mass in their lifetimes, whereas most men can gain between 40 and 50 pounds of lean muscle.

Now, just to be clear, that is lean muscle mass we’re talking about, which is a heck of a lot. That doesn’t mean that everybody who trains hard will hit those numbers, however, but it does give you a rough figure and something to aim for.

Does Bone Structure Determine Muscle Gain?

When people talk about bulking up and building muscle, bone structure is a topic that is often discussed. We’ve all heard the jokes about overweight people claiming not to be fat but ‘big boned’ but it turns out that there is some truth to that.

Ever wonder why some people are just naturally stockier and more muscular than others? Some people will barely lift a weight or set foot in a gym, yet they’ll still have a fairly large and muscular physique. Well, it turns out that these people are probably big-boned.

Studies have found that people with thicker, larger, and denser bones are likely to carry more muscle mass and size than people with much smaller frames than them.

On top of that, they will also likely be producing more testosterone, which means they’ll gain muscle more easily, they’ll carry more muscle mass, and they’ll be stronger in the process.

Put simply, those with smaller, weaker, more brittle bones will likely be genetically predisposed to carry less muscle mass than individuals with larger bones and thicker bone density.

Testosterone And Muscle Gain

As we just briefly touched upon above, testosterone also plays a key role in determining just how much muscle mass a person can potentially carry.

When people talk about bodybuilding and steroid use, or the lack thereof, testosterone is something that is always talked about.

Testosterone is the dominant male sexual hormone that is responsible for all manner of physiological processes taking place inside your body every single day. Not only that, but it can also determine how much muscle mass a person can potentially build, how strong they are, and how active they are.

Make no mistake about it, the more testosterone your body produces, or that you simply have in your body, the more muscle mass you will gain.

Studies have shown in fact, that simply increasing your testosterone levels, I.E. through steroid use, or TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) can help you to gain a few pounds of muscle mass without even stepping foot in a gym or picking up a weight.

One study found that individuals who were injected with 600mg of testosterone for 10 weeks, gained 7 pounds of muscle mass and added a whopping 70 pounds more to their squat and bench press.

The most shocking part of all, however, is the fact that they did this while not training. That’s right, sitting on your butt and taking testosterone will naturally increase your max lifts and your muscle mass, though, of course, it is very dangerous.

Those who took testosterone and lifted weights, however, gained nearly 14 pounds of muscle mass in ten weeks, while adding 132 pounds to their squat and bench press total.

Some people naturally produce more testosterone or increase T production naturally, which in turn helps them gain muscle mass.

How To Spot A Fake ‘Natty’?

A fake natty by the way, is an individual who is on steroids or has extensively used steroids to build an impressive physique, yet they claim that they are natural.

Now, you might be wondering why we’re so concerned with what other people are doing.

If other people want to take steroids, then what’s the harm in them doing so and telling people that they are natural and drug-free?

Well, because we live in a digital age of social media, people, especially younger people or naïve people, are easily influenced by others.

Take the ‘Liver King’ for example. If he had been open and honest from the start and had mentioned how his freakishly muscular physique was largely down to steroids, as well as his raw meat diet and extensive training routine, there wouldn’t have been much of a problem.

The fact is, however, that he claimed to be natural and claimed that following his diet and workouts would get results similar to this.

Young men bought into this and began eating raw meat, offal, raw eggs, and other foods he claimed helped him get jacked, in the hopes of looking like him.

While these foods are healthy, because they were consumed raw some people got sick, and very few stuck with the diet long term.

Surprise, surprise, nobody naturally built a physique like his because getting that big, and that conditioned naturally is not possible.

So, How Can You Spot A Fake Natty?

Here Are Some Tell-Tale Signs!

They Develop Large Delts And Traps

One of the most obvious signs that somebody is using PEDs, even if they claim not to be, is when they suddenly develop large traps and delts.

When lifting weights, if you train heavily, intensely, and extensively then of course you will build muscle and gain weight. Your muscles will grow, including your traps and your deltoids. The size increases, however, will not be dramatic.

With steroid users, the delts and traps are the two muscle groups that respond to training the most and it is these muscle groups that wind up becoming freakishly big.

So big in fact, that they often look out of proportion with the rest of your body.

The reason for this is down to the fact that these muscle groups contain more androgen receptors. This means that when steroids are used, these are the first muscle groups to respond.

Acne

We all get the occasional spot now and then, especially when we’re tired, stressed, run-down, sick, or have eaten a lot of junk for a while.

If you see a big and muscular person who has a lot of acne, especially on their back, this could be another sign that they are taking steroids while claiming to be natural.

Steroids cause hormonal fluctuations and a lot of testosterone can cause you to break out in spots. This is why, when you were going through puberty, as your testosterone levels increased you likely had a lot of spots as a teenager.

A Sudden Increase In Strength

Of course, when you lift weights you will become stronger, that’s a given. Eventually, however, you will hit a plateau.

Natural lifters can be pretty strong, but they simply cannot get anywhere near as strong as a lifter who trains for strength while using steroids and other PEDs.

If you see somebody suddenly lifting a considerable amount more weight than they used to lift, or lifting weights that would be considered very impressive in the world of strongman and powerlifting, this could be another sign that they are in fact on steroids while claiming to be natural.

If you knew their previous best lifts and suddenly they’re smashing new personal bests every single training week, there is always a chance that they could be using steroids and PEDs to help get them to where they currently are strength-wise.

They Avoid Talking About Steroids

Another potential sign that a person is on steroids while claiming to be natural, is when they avoid talking about steroids.

People who are claiming to be natty while clearly on steroids will avoid talking about steroids because the topic will of course make them uncomfortable, and draw attention to them and their potential steroid use.

When people on steroids who claim to be natural are asked about whether they’re on steroids, they will either avoid the question, deny it, and then quickly move on, or give a wishy-washy excuse for how they tried steroids “once” when they were in high school or just starting in the gym, but came off of them because they didn’t like them.

This is a common deflection tactic used by fake natty as technically in their minds if they admit to using them in the past, this justifies them lying about using them now.

They Gain A Considerable Amount Of Muscle Mass

Finally, the last obvious sign of a fake natty is simply having a huge and jacked physique that a pro bodybuilder would be envious of.

Steroids build muscle, and if you come across somebody with a huge amount of muscle, carrying a lot of mass and size.

Not only that but depending on what they might be taking, they may also be very lean and vascular at the same time.

While we aren’t saying that every muscular guy or gal out there claiming to be natural is actually on steroids, we are saying that walking around with single-digit body fat percentages, at close to 300 pounds at less than 6 feet in height is almost certainly impossible naturally, so they are probably on steroids.

How To Gain Size Naturally?

Here are some tried and tested tips to help you gain size and strength naturally, and how you can get there without using steroids.

Create A Slight Caloric Surplus

When people talk about gaining size, 99% of the time the size that they wish to gain comes from muscle mass.

People trying to bulk up would ideally keep their body fat percentages low as their muscle mass increases.

This, however, is much easier said than done.

Make no mistake about it, if you are serious about gaining size and putting muscle mass on your frame, a little fat gain is to be expected.

The key is keeping fat gain to a minimum so that most of your new size comes from lean muscle mass.

If you are looking to get big naturally, diet is very important. To build muscle you need to create a calorie surplus, there’s no escaping that. The key to keeping fat gain to a minimum, however, is to create a slight caloric surplus.

Rather than consuming several thousand calories above maintenance, instead, go ahead and consume around 300 – 400 calories above maintenance each day.

This will give your body the fuel needed to train and the nutrients needed to build muscle, without you packing on heaps of body fat in the process.

Ramp Up Your Protein Intake

Without question, when you’re looking to build muscle, whether naturally or with the help of steroids, protein is a macronutrient that you should pay very close attention to.

For the body to build muscle, it needs a healthy supply of protein. This is why bodybuilders spend such obscene amounts of money on meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and protein powders. Without protein, your body won’t grow as it should.

If you want to get naturally bigger this year, go ahead and focus on getting more protein each day. ideally, you should be consuming between 0.8g and 1.5g of protein per pound of body weight, every single day.

Don’t Eat Too Much Junk

Of course, the great thing about following any bulking program is being able to enjoy a “cheat” meal now and then, without feeling guilty or worrying about all of your hard work being undone. Be wary, though, because too many cheat meals will do you no good at all.

Too many people will “dirty bulk” and will use this as an excuse to drink milkshakes after breakfast, eat pizza for lunch, burgers for tea, and candy and ice cream for snacks. Before you know it, you’ve gained 20 pounds of fat, and feel like a bloated mess.

When you bulk up, prioritize clean and healthy foods. Look for lean protein sources, healthy fats, complex carbs, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

By all means, enjoy a cheat meal now and then, but 95% of the time, try to keep your diet clean and healthy.

Perform More Compound Lifts

Finally, if it is muscle mass you’re looking to build, compound lifts should make up the bulk of your workouts.

A compound lift is an exercise that hits several muscles at the same time. When you do a barbell bench press for example, as well as working your pectoral muscles in your chest, you’ll also work your triceps, your delts, and your core.

Compound exercises are beneficial because with one exercise you can hit several muscle groups at once. Try to perform around 60 – 70% compounds, and 30 – 40% isolation exercises as part of your workout.

Final Thoughts

Okay, so, in terms of how big can you get naturally, it depends on your diet, your genetics, your training, and your bone structure. It would be nice to give one true figure but we can’t because each person is different.

One thing that is for certain, however, is the fact that a good diet, consistent training routine, and a healthy lifestyle will help you to gain size and strength naturally, without the need for PEDs.