Are there any bodybuilders on RallyPoint?

A very admirable goal, and I wish you luck in your pursuit. I am not a bodybuilder per se, but I have most definitely improved my physique over the last 9 months. I dropped from 210 lbs to 180, and my pushups improved drastically.

I highly recommend you check out this website. A 50+ year old man named Scooby Werkstatt who runs and funds the website by himself. Very knowledgeable, and there are a lot of great resources on his page. And, the dude is jacked.

Have fun joining us in the world of getting taped. I think I'm supposed to be around 180lbs, but the only time I ever got there was during deployment when I wasn't lifting. Everyone said I looked "sick" when I got back. Been lifting since I was around 15 yrs old and have rarely seen 180 since then, even at 5'8".

I know very little about BB, but I am glad you have something to endeavor to do.

I have been a bodybuilding fan all my life but actually pursuing it to compete always took a back seat to martial arts. Being older (49) I have also set a goal to compete in a natural bodybuilding competition in 2017 (depending on my current rotator surgery rehab). It sounds like you are off to a great start. I know this was posted in May, but if it helps, the best resources I have found for training and nutrition info are bodybuilding.com, which was already recommended, and for really serious "hardcore" lifting http://www.t-nation.com has great articles from top strength and bodybuilding athletes. I hope you keep us posted on your progress, good luck to you!!

I am glad you have a passion to drive your life.

My advice is go to body building.com.. you have all the professionals who can give you all the advice you need. It is an awesome site.. and you can actually talk to people. I have used it since 2005.. you say you are certified, but trust there is so much more.. good luck.. ive been there and working on going back..

One of the most important, and often overlooked, things you did was declare yourself a bodybuilder. So remind yourself of that every day, especially when faced with choices. What would a bodybuilder do? Surround yourself with other bodybuilders for inspiration and accountability, even if it's virtual. Also, advice can be helpful but never stop doing your own research to determine what works best for you. I hope you have continued success. Feel free to ask any further questions.

I was never into body building but I use to hit the gym before I ruptured my peck. Being 6'5" 260 I played D1 football and there was much science behind each position in regards to weight, height, speed and body fat. In any weight training comes a proper diet as eating accordingly is the foundation. The general rule of thumb in bulking is to Increase your protein intake to 1.5 grams of protein per pound body weight. Therefore, with your weigh of 190 lbs, you need to eat around 285 grams of protein per day. One thing I've noticed with high protein diets is if I eat more than 40-50 grams of protein in one sitting I feel lethargic and have issues digesting the food - so go with smaller meals more often. I've had to cut weight a couple of times and it really sucked as I was in the 10% range of body fat this meant burning muscle - this involves cardio until your sweating ammonia (amino acids being used as fuel). I know that carbs intake is also important I just never focused on it as its more about getting under the 10% body fat. I know most of what I said is general knowledge - however I hope some of it was useful and best of luck on the body building and kudos in finding a positive outlet.

Man, that's some fast gains! Great job. I'm not a body builder, I'm a runner/cyclist, but i love to hit the gym and enjoy a good workout. Good luck with your new goal. It will be hard work, but like most good things, the hard work pays off with good rewards.

I've been working at it, but parts are hard to find.