Does bodybuilding bad for Pilots ?

[Flightmyst]

Hi

im already stundet pilot , i want to know if bodybulding has side effect for pilot or not ? if so what is the side effects

Thanks

[VH-UFO]

Nope you will fit right in!
The steroids apparently gives you a small dick, so............

[Flightmyst]

so working out doesnt harm your heart and eyes ?because of lifting weights ! i never use steroids , i just used some supplement like whey - glutamine - bcca and sometimes creatine not all the time .. class 1 medical is blabla :D

[urban1937]

Right, so u wont get mixed up with little john and the control stick, hahaha

[Armchairflyer]

As long as you are "clean", the only side effect that would come to my mind is weight & balance and available cockpit space, depending on your closeness to Mr. Olympia during bulking phase and the airplane you are training in.

[Flightmyst]

i never go that far :) my max bulking will be 160 pound :)

[gingernut]

Interestingly, I've just being doing a bit of revision around Chronic Kidney Disease, and interpreting blood results. Reminded me'self that some of the parameters we explore (eGFR) are skewed as a result of dense muscle mass. (A problem for the medics, not the bodybuilder/pilot.)

It's gotta be safer than sitting on the couch watching Big Brother.

From experience, use of steroids is becoming increasingly prevalent, without wishing to preach, I have come across a few nasty tumours as a result.

[Landflap]

Yes, but, what about this Body Max Index stuff the medics got all heated about some time ago? Good mate of mine was olympic standard body builder and was grounded because his BMI hit the worrying side for the medics. He stopped the body building & reduced BMI with a return to flying shortly thereafter.

[Diesel Pilot]

Dude, what are you asking? Your post isn't very clear.

Here's my take on things. As far as health goes, I think you should aim to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. In my opinion that's a balance of a clean diet, cardio work, flexibility, weights and recreational sports. I personally follow cycles of bulking and cutting to use gym vernacular and consider myself to be more of a bodybuilder than the average person looking to be "toned" or generally fit. I eat a high calorie high protein diet (around 3500-4000 calories a day) and increase my bodyweight around 10kg every 6 months. I then lose around 5Kg through dieting and repeat the process again. I maintain my health by following what I said above, keeping the approach balanced. I rarely drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't take drugs and don't eat fast food. I believe these things are more detrimental to your health than bulking up. So in essence if you follow a sensible plan you'll be fine. Bodybuilding is a very healthy sport when done correctly. IMO it will only make you healthier and put you in a better position to maintain a class 1 medical. Of course i'm talking about drug free bodybuilding. If you're thinking of using steroids to get big I'd suggest looking for another career before you start flight training.

Not sure how creatine and other supplements go, I don't take them. You'd have to check with your DAME.

As others have mentioned, some airlines use the BMI menthol of determining your health and medical condition. This won't effect you now as you're a student pilot but it's something to consider for the future. I think it's a vastly flawed system, as in good shape at 6'1", 90Kg and 12% body fat it classes me as overweight. Sometimes I think these systems are thought of by people who have absolutely no idea. Good luck!

[misterblue]

When people start quoting BMI at sportsmen, I always remind them that the most reliable way to correct a high BMI is to amputate one leg.:}

[AV83R]

At 160lbs, you don't have anything to worry about.

I'm 5ft 7 and my bulk took me to 206.8lbs

I had no problems getting my class 1, but I'm sure mass and balance might get interesting in some of the smaller aircraft. I want to get bigger but I think sooner or later I'll have to stop for the reason you are worried about.

As long as you are clean and only taking supplements you won't be doing anything thats adverse to your health. Although be careful not to give yourself kidney stones by taking too much protein and creatine.

This place needs a bodybuilding thread! Well done sir for starting it :D

[Diesel Pilot]

Holy cr@p Ed, 5'7" @ 207lbs is insane! What numbers were you moving at that weight, stats and %BF? Routine?

Heaviest I've been was 230lbs 15-17% but that was long before I started flying. Now i'm pushing around 200lbs at the same BF after a long time away from anything related to bodybuilding and a rather unsuccessful 6 month bulk (way too conservative with calories, regaining lost strength etc). I'm looking to cut to around 185-190ish before I start another bulk early next year.

I think a bodybuilding thread is a great idea :ok: I wonder how many other people out there are following a true BB lifestyle on the side of being a pilot? Share your stories people!

[Bad medicine]

Let's keep this to the point of the thread. In particular, if there have been any problems with certification etc. If you just want a body building thread, Jet Blast is the place for it.

[Diesel Pilot]

Fair enough, Bad medicine. But any information shared regarding weight, BF%, diet even routine structure etc is all directly relevant to the OP's topic; maintaining a commercial level of medical fitness and bodybuilding. Especially the case when you consider BMI etc. We're not discussing whether barbells are better than dumbbells, or grip widths for back work etc. IMO people sharing the details of their bodybuilding lifestyle and how it fits around their work as pilots is what this thread is all about.

[Bad medicine]

Yep, I'm pretty sure that's what I said! :)

[Diesel Pilot]

Good to know my posts were on topic then! :) Do you lift, BM?

[AV83R]

DP,

Last time I did a composition test was for the Navy half way through my last bulk I was 18%. Now cutting I want to get down to 12%. I don't follow the stringent diet common to that of BB ie. 6 meals a day, 1g protien per 2lbs weight or whatever it is.

I think I've rerached the maximum weight that I should in all fairness. Otherwise I'll be too wide to fit in the seat, a 42inch chest on someone who's 5ft 7 looks a bit funny too.

I'm unsure how I'll continue with training once I start my CPL training, with wanting to live my time in the US, studying and flying, it will be difficult.

Luckily I find it quite easy to shred, I did 11KG of pure fat in Oct-Dec 2012 and I've bulked from 196.4 to 207 in an 8 month cycle and now cutting until my move to Florida.

I train every day, both when bulking and cutting, isolating muscle groups to avoid overtraining. I find that training every day keeps me alert and a feeling of well being. Which I imagine pilot could only benefit from.

In regards to certification and in effort to stay OT, I think it will vary for each person. Certainly in my experience, limited as it is, if I go to the quaks for a medical/fitness test, they very rarely question my BMI and weight. If you are somone who is clearly demonstrating an active sporting lifestyle, which causes an increase muscle percentage, then the Dr's seem to appreciate that.

I comment on numbers but I think might take it off topic.

[Diesel Pilot]

That's really impressive mate! Bulked at 18% isn't bad at all. You obviously have a good body type for building muscle as those numbers are at the upper end of what most people could achieve for your height.

I train 3 times a week on a simple chest/shoulder/tricep - legs - back/bicep routine and 3 times a week CV work. I don't have the recovery ability to train everyday, and I personally find it a more sustainable routine when you add in flight training, study and work etc. I still see good size and strength gains, but I'm not able to maintain that 'pumped' feeling you get with a 6 day split. Although by far the hardest thing I find is getting my nutrition in order, as I follow a pretty strict diet and even a slight lack of food seems to stop my progress dead in the water.

Like you i'd like to cut to around 12% as I've gained way too much BF this bulk and am probably sitting on 16-18% @ 200lbs. I'd be satisfied getting back to 220lbs and 12% again. Pretty good shape as far as my medical is concerned I think.

I think you're right about a Dr's first impression of your physique when you do your medical especially if they have to evaluate BMI. I've often been told by my Doc that many of the pilots he sees are completely out of shape, don't exercise etc. You'd think with so much riding on a medical these people would take better care of themselves!