Originally posted by Jason in LA
Shannon Sharpe has always been a TE. He was a TE in college, and he was drafted as one in the pros. The guy has always been built.
Here is a post that I wrote on orangemane:
At UCLA I took a physiological science class that was the science behind diet and exercise. This was a very tough class. It broke down what happens in the body when certain types of foods are eaten, and what happens when the body is exercised. It broke it down to the cell level. After taking this class, and reading other books and magazines, I'm telling you it's very possible. I'm not expert on the subject, but I know that eating a certain way, and exercising a certain way will change the body big time.
For a guy like Boston, who was at 210 lbs before he bulked up, to put on that much muscle, he'd have to eat a boatload of protein. At least 2 grams per body weight. He probably ate even more than that. I wouldn't be surprised if the guy threw down 500 grams of protein a day. Do you guys understand how much that is, or what that will do to the body? If he's lifting weights, that's going to make his muscles grow big time. He probably threw down a boatload of carbs as well. Also, like I said before, who knows when he started to bulk up. We all say the offseason. He may have started getting bigger before the season started. Even if he did wait until the offseason, that means he had a good 8 months to do this. 30 lbs in 12 weeks would be tough. But 30 lbs in 32 weeks is very possible.
There is no need to take roids to get big anymore because there is a much better understanding of the human body today than, lets say, 30 years ago. Athletes know how to eat and how to work out. Also there are natural supplements that greatly enhance their programs.
As for the Body For Life challenge, there were some pretty skinny guys that packed on a good amount of muscle in 12 weeks. I've gone through a transformation myself. Not one like Boston did, or like some of the guys that went through the challenge. I went from about 160 lbs at about 10% body fat to about 175 lbs at about 6% body fat in about a 12-week period. I could have done even better, but I couldn't afford all the extra food and supplements that others could. I would have liked to eat 400 grams of protein a day, but that's a whole lot of food. My budget didn't support that. But with what I could do, I put on a good amount of muscle in a short period of time.
Another example is Roy Jones Jr. when he was beefing up to make the jump to heavy weight. He went to a special trainer to get ready. His trainer said he put on a good 20 lbs of muscle in about 8 weeks.
It's very possible to pack on muscle if you understand what the human body can do. Understanding the science behind adding muscle is the key, not taking roids. Right now in bodybuilding there is a natural bodybuilders circuit that's really taking off. Those guys are huge, and they are clean.
Until Boston fails a drug test nobody can say he's on roids. Science backs him up.