Post: #1

When I was in college, it always baffled me going to see these huge football and wrestling guys drinking huge a ton of alcohol.

Then the next time I'd go into the gym, I'd see the same guys pumping massive amounts of iron.

I've managed to get some muscle and keep on the mass, but the more I've worked out and dedicated myself to that "lifestyle" the less I've wanted to drink. In fact, drinking makes me feel horrible after about 15 minutes of finishing my first glass. Nothing against drinking, in fact I miss getting drunk quite a bit.

My question is, how the heck do these guys do that? Doesn't drinking like that hurt the gym gains or is it just my luck in the genetic lottery of life?

Post: #2

Not sure your age frenchie, I think when you are young this is not a problem. Any guy over 40 or 50 is probably an extreme outlier.

Out of curiosity, you could follow up with some of these guys now and see how they are doing.

Post: #3

Like Sam said, I've noticed now that after drinking just 1 or 2 bourbon and coke's I get a headache. I'm suspecting it's age. I'm 43

Post: #4

I have always wondered that too. After one night of drinking I have hangovers that last 2 days. It has been growing worse since 25.

However, I also know a few guys in their 30s who can party hard till 3AM then be up at work and fine they next day at 7AM. Genetics.

Post: #5

I'm 24, but that makes sense. I figured this was a young person thing. Heck i get the dreaded two day hang overs now too.

I was just really surprised at how quickly I stopped drinking. A guy I know in my church was blown away by the fact that I gave up alcohol. He thought i did it for spiritual reasons, and I did it because it makes me feel like junk.

Post: #6

You can't compare yourself to other dudes without running into a dead end.

Genetics play a huge role in how much alcohol you can metabolize, how much mass you can put on, how strong you can get, a lot of stuff.

Those guys were killing it in the gym *despite* drinking like fish, definitely not because of it.

Post: #7

Try hydrating better before, during, and after drinking. Make sure you drink a bunch of water before you go out, rotate some waters in with your drinks, and drink a bunch of water when you get home. I'd have a powered zero for when I got home. Pedialyte (or however it is spelled) is another good drink to hydrate with. Coconut water is good too. I've also heard that taking a multivitamin after drinking before going to bed helps.

College athletes typically have better genetics athletics wise. They are probably not the ideal people to compete with.

Post: #8

Every beer is usually around 150 calories. It takes about 15 minutes to burn off 150 calories on one of those elliptical machines (those skiing in place ones).

So in beer time (patent pending concept ) one beer equals 15 minutes = the amount of time it takes to burn off those empty calories. Remember that statistic the next time you drink

Post: #9

I'm a pretty heavy drinker.
Also trying to hit the gym 4 times a week.
I am stacking on shitloads of muscle.
The only problem alcohol is having is that it fucks up my routine. For example its really hard to get to the gym on saturday, sunday or monday.
Which means with rest periods, I am only really getting to the gym 3 days a week.

Post: #10

Take NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) supplements after each drink (100mg) or a bigger dose at end of the night/hungover morning. It's a precursor for your body's strongest antioxidant, glutathione.

Took 1.2g during the night on my last birthday and had 17 drinks - I woke up like it was a normal day.

Alcohol doesn't hurt gains inherently, if anything the calories often help you bulk even more. Just makes you more likely to gain fat.

Post: #11

(04-29-2014 11:57 PM)spalex Wrote:  I'm a pretty heavy drinker.
Also trying to hit the gym 4 times a week.
I am stacking on shitloads of muscle.
The only problem alcohol is having is that it fucks up my routine. For example its really hard to get to the gym on saturday, sunday or monday.
Which means with rest periods, I am only really getting to the gym 3 days a week.

You just described my life. Except I can make to gym on Mondays.

Post: #12

They have a high metabolism. They burn up all the booze quicker than you do.

Post: #13

Drinking has no negative effect on gains whatsoever.

Post: #14

I had always operated on the notion of alcohol being the worst thing you could put into your body on a lift day. I'm not sure how it affects my muscle-building, but I know that I put on belly fat like a mo-fo if I drink regularly.

If you're goal is to get strong, then I'm not sure it would detract from your lifting, apart from missing workouts because you might be hungover. However, if you easily put on fat with drinking, you won't be able to see any of your gains, especially in your abdominals.

Post: #15

(04-30-2014 11:14 AM)Hades Wrote:  Drinking has no negative effect on gains whatsoever.

See, i'll go and disagree. If I drink even moderately, going in on monday is brutal as hell. I'm unable to even complete the same weight that I had the week prior. By moderate I'd say 2-3 beers and two mixed drinks spaced over the course of four hours. This gives me a healthy buzz the entire night without being a drunkard.

It takes me 3-4 days to fully recover and begin progressing upward.

Do you have any secrets as to your tricks?

Post: #16

(04-30-2014 11:45 AM)frenchie Wrote:  

(04-30-2014 11:14 AM)Hades Wrote:  Drinking has no negative effect on gains whatsoever.

See, i'll go and disagree. If I drink even moderately, going in on monday is brutal as hell. I'm unable to even complete the same weight that I had the week prior. By moderate I'd say 2-3 beers and two mixed drinks spaced over the course of four hours. This gives me a healthy buzz the entire night without being a drunkard.

It takes me 3-4 days to fully recover and begin progressing upward.

Do you have any secrets as to your tricks?

I concur. Alcohol really inhibits progress from eating unhealthy food when drinking, excess calories, hangover, the negative impact on the neuromuscular conditioning, etc.

Post: #17

I don't get weaker if I have been on a drinking binge over a long weekend or anything.

However, I am smashing the pre-wokout before gym.

Post: #18

You eat like shit and miss a lot of sleep drinking. That is where the the biggest faults come from. Does alcohol kill gains? Well no. Alcohol is shitty energy but your body uses it up quickly. Its the sleep you its and the greasy stuff you pump into you that will slow and stall your gains.

Post: #19

From an ectomorph's standpoint, alcohol makes it almost impossible for me to eat enough to gain weight. I get nauseous, lazy, and skimp on my food prep. I end of sleeping til 10am and missing my 7AM and 9AM meals, which then lends to overeating when I wake up and feeling drowsy all day. Not to mention I miss all the productivity of a good morning. edit: I'm 25

Post: #20

Alcohol does kill gains. Not completely, but it slows protein synthesis by 20%, as well as lowers testosterone and increases estrogen for up to a week after binge drinking.

Post: #21

Another thing to realize is that most of these college athletes are that...athletes. They aren't regular guys who just began lifting a few years ago and are trying to get into good shape. Football players especially...all of these guys have been lifting and practicing football for years. They don't need to progress too much, they only need to maintain the same level they are at.

Post: #22

^^^ all good points above. Alcohol does raise estrogen levels, hence why heavy drinkers grow man-boobs.

Yes it's true to get to a certain of fitness on a elite level where your body is craving energy in any form. Michael Phelps and his (sorta true) 10K diet. Alcohol to him is simple and lure energy his body will take as it's always searching for more. The average person isn't going to get that response and benefit.

I know personally my gains improve when I don't drink. I can recover faster and get back to working that muscle group sooner when I don't drink.

Post: #23

(05-04-2014 05:53 PM)kosko Wrote:  ^^^ all good points above. Alcohol does raise estrogen levels, hence why heavy drinkers grow man-boobs.

Yes it's true to get to a certain of fitness on a elite level where your body is craving energy in any form. Michael Phelps and his (sorta true) 10K diet. Alcohol to him is simple and lure energy his body will take as it's always searching for more. The average person isn't going to get that response and benefit.

I know personally my gains improve when I don't drink. I can recover faster and get back to working that muscle group sooner when I don't drink.

Second this: my buddy was a manager at a restaurant that phelps would come into frequently and he said the guy would routinely drink 10+ draft beers and eat 4 burgers and fries in one sitting. Just a ridiculous metabolism. Have a good feeling those guys that OP is talking about have similar genetic advantages and also just work out really hard.