A realistic goal

[Arcane]

I have been training on and off for 3 years and have not produced any major gains, however my knowledge has sufficiently increased. I have discovered that setting a realistic goal is of great importance and I'm unclear on what is possible as I've seen many people who are very muscular but only made possible with the use of steroids.

I would like to know what is realistically possible (with references to peaple, possibly actors or even bodybuilders) without the use of steroids.

[Mahler]

Hello.
First of all it will depend on what you mean by "on and off." If you have not been training regularly, often good gains can be made in the first several weeks of a program.

As far as goals are concerned, I would steer clear of what I call "comparison goals." Those are what you have mentioned like trying to look like someone. Set goals that deal with you, your body, and your lifestyle. A good start is measuring your body accurately and tracking gains that way. Another is to set a strength goal which is easy to track based on how much you can increase what you lift. Whatever you choose, make it realistic and then formulate a plan to get there.

In Fitness & Friendship,
Mahler