The THRST Letter
Posts
The Lies You've Been Sold About Natural Bodybuilding

The Lies You've Been Sold About Natural Bodybuilding

Mike Thurston
June 19, 2025

The fitness industry has convinced you that looking great requires steroids, endless gym hours, and miserable dieting.

But the most impressive physiques are built by those who understand how the body actually functions.

Greg O'Gallagher (Kinobody) built his reputation on cracking this. Training just 3 days per week while maintaining a movie star physique that most people assume requires gear.

In this episode, Greg reveals the strategies that separate the elite naturals from everyone else.

Let’s get into the lessons…

→ WATCH THE FULL PODCAST HERE:

#1 - The Movie Star Blueprint

The industry pushes the "bigger is better" mentality. But the goal should be looking lean, strong, and proportioned - not like a monster.
This requires shifting focus from pure size to muscle density and definition.

The framework prioritises:

LEANNESS - Abs visible year-round.
STRENGTH - Building dense muscle through progressive overload.
PROPORTIONS - Create the V-taper illusion.
SUSTAINABILITY - Enjoyable training and flexible eating.

“I didn't want to get that massive look because honestly, women don't really care about you being massive. As long as you've got some resemblance of an athletic physique, that's enough."

- Greg O’Gallagher

#2 - The Recovery Regime

Optimal results often come from 3-4 sessions with complete rest days between workouts.

→ ALTERNATE DAYS - workout, rest day, workout, rest day-pattern.

→ SEASONAL BREAKS - 4-5 complete rest days every 3 months.

→ INTENSITY FOCUS - going harder in fewer sessions rather than grinding daily

#3 - Testosterone Optimisation System

Testosterone levels in men have dropped 40% since the 1970s.
Specific lifestyle modifications can significantly boost natural production.

SLEEP QUALITY - 70% of testosterone produced during deep sleep stages
BODY COMPOSITION - every inch of waist circumference lowers testosterone
TRAINING BALANCE - heavy lifting increases T, but excessive volume decreases it
MICRONUTRIENTS - zinc, magnesium, and boron deficiencies directly impact production

“When you have excess body fat, you increase the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. To actually have very high healthy testosterone levels, you got to be pretty healthy."

- Greg O’Gallagher

#4 - The Simplicity Strategy (streamlined nutrition approach)

The most successful approach involves eating the same satisfying meals repeatedly whilst allowing flexibility for social situations.

MEAL REPETITION - find 3-5 meals you love and rotate them
INTUITIVE PORTIONS - develop the ability to eyeball calories after initial tracking
STRATEGIC FASTING - intermittent fasting for easier calorie control
QUALITY INGREDIENTS - focusing on whole foods that support hormone production

This approach emphasises sustainability over intensity, recovery over volume, and strategic thinking over brute force methods.

That’s it for today’s write up, hope you enjoyed and stick around for the next one.

Yours truly,