GUIDE TO BULKING UP

[Rico S]

Originally posted by HB_Hunter
Great Guide Diesel .

I want to just ask about 2 things :

You said that i have to change my routine every 4 weeks , so if i do

Day:Chest , Tri

Day:Back , Bi

Day Delts , traps

Day:legs

and 2 times a week abs , calves , forearms

then if i want to change my routine could it be back and bi first then chest and tri another followed by delts and traps or this is wrong since it produces overload on your chest 2 consecutive days ??? cause i go to Gold's Gym Maadi , Egypt and they told me this ...


the other thing is about the supplements .. what is the best whey powder that i can find ??? how often shall i use it ???

Regards ,

Change the exercises/volume/intensity up a bit.

Optimum Nutrition is a good, cheap protein powder. You'll want to take it during/after your workout.

 

[madgame]

it will work wonders, trust me i got my fatass budy using it and he lost 20lbs in a month and hes cut like you wouldnt believe

I bet you tend to exaggerate dont u?lol

 

[HB_Hunter]

Minor problema
hey , i've been working out like for 2 or 3 months consistantly 3-4 times a week but every now and then have this vacation , exams , flu . With that being said i worked out the past week in following Diesel's Guide to bulking in the 10-12 reps range since i couldn't be able to work out 2 weeks before that past week (studying and work) .

I wanted to work out this week in the 6-8 reps range, you know Big weights low reps but i caught a flu that has just ended or in the process of ending today . so i have like 3 days for the end of the week . what do you guys think ?? shall i go work out with heavy weights ?? or mid-range since i haven't to the gym for a week and is it really improtant and restrictive to let's say stick with the same days you do every week

Monday: Chest - Triceps
Tuesday: Back - Biceps
Thursday: Shoulders - Traps
Friday: Legs with abs 2 times a week as well as forearms .

 

[Rico S]

Originally posted by HB_Hunter
Minor problema
hey , i've been working out like for 2 or 3 months consistantly 3-4 times a week but every now and then have this vacation , exams , flu . With that being said i worked out the past week in following Diesel's Guide to bulking in the 10-12 reps range since i couldn't be able to work out 2 weeks before that past week (studying and work) .

I wanted to work out this week in the 6-8 reps range, you know Big weights low reps but i caught a flu that has just ended or in the process of ending today . so i have like 3 days for the end of the week . what do you guys think ?? shall i go work out with heavy weights ?? or mid-range since i haven't to the gym for a week and is it really improtant and restrictive to let's say stick with the same days you do every week

Monday: Chest - Triceps
Tuesday: Back - Biceps
Thursday: Shoulders - Traps
Friday: Legs with abs 2 times a week as well as forearms .

Hit the heavy weights if you feel you can do it.

 

[FoxHound20]

Re: TERRIBLE ADVICE!

Originally posted by DJ Logic
I can't believe this thread is stickied.

No fvcking cardio? Real nice Diesel. Encourage these young men to become so obsessed with their appearance that they are not concerned about their health.

I feel your pain, people. I used to be the scrawny runt who could never gain weight because of my crazy metabolism. Back in '98 I finally got fed up and started hitting the gym and taking lots of protein/eating a whole lot. After about a year, I bulked up pretty huge and it was nice getting a little extra attention from the ladies. But thats the funny thing. I only got a little extra attention, and it did not help me with my game. Come to think of it, I didn't get laid the whole time I was buff. Looking back on this experience, I must say that nothing compares to the mental high you get when you incorporate some good cardio into your routine.

Sure, cardio will hinder your bulking process, but I think it makes up for that with the sheer rush of endorphins you get which enhance your mood and give you a confidence that muscles can't touch. Not to mention it is HEALTHY!!!!!!!! These days I am no longer buffed out. I run, cycle, weight train and practice Tai Chi. With clothes on you could mistake me for skinny. But I am strong, lean and mean. Always get compliments on my body from the girls I've shagged.

Guys don't listen to this meat-head. Your health is so much more important than getting beefy! A lot of chicks don't even like this muscle-bound look.

If you are thinking of using creatine, then at least be aware of the harmful effects of this new product. Before you shell out your hard-earned cash on poison, read this:

http://www.nutritiondrugsfitness.com/creatineR90.html

My Don Juan brothers, take a look at yourselves and decide why you want to change your body

Bulking up for ladies = AFC
Building strong muscles and healthy body for yourself = DJ

'Nuff said!

DJ Logic
_______________________
"Everyone is dumb except me" - The wise sage known as Homer Simpson

Your a ****ing dumbass man.. this thread is about bulking you ignorant ****. Piss off, run down to the store and pick me up some protein powder you fairy. At least by running you can save the environment from the harmful toxic emitions that cars create...

 

[Dolemite]

sup guys new member here and I know its been a while since the last post but I figure i can be a big help to this forum. Even though Deisel's got it pretty much covered, I can help out with some confusion around here because i have a few years of a bodybuilding backround.

first lets clear up confusion on the most popular topic in this thread. NO you do not need to do cardio before a workout, this will only wear you out and make your workout less intense. anybody that tells you that weight training doesn't workout the cardio-vascular system, then i implor you to slap the shyt out of them. because as Deisel said, Deadlifts, Squats, Cleans, Rows, are all intense and work the cardio system.

Another reason not to do Cardio during bulking is because to gain weight, you need to be on a calorie surplus (in other words bring in more calories than you burn), but don't overdue it. Eating tons of food will make you fat, because muscle can only hytrophy (grow) at certain rate and no amount of food is gonna make your muscles grow faster.

AND NO CREATINE IS NOT TOXIC AND IT IS NOT A STEROID, but it is true creatine is found in the liver and in some meats but it is such a small amount that it doesn't do anything. creatine is not a steriod, despite what many people hear. It has nothing to do with testosterone, it simply recycles used ATP (energy molecule) in your muscles so you can pull out a few extra reps.

another thing, "Everyone wants a big chest, and the benchpress is not the exercise for that, trust me" dude any pressing movement (with enough resistance) is good for the chest/delts/tri's. but i agree that you should incorporate DB presses because believe it or not your muscles will get used to the same old bench press movement and your chest growth will halt. so thats why you have to change around some excersises and, also change around your routine.

personally i change my routine around every two months, also after the end of the second month I take a week off completley from lifting because you gotta give your body a break.

another thing, lifting is OK at most ages, shyt i know a guy that started lifting at 11 and he's not only muscular but he's 6'4". the only reasong you will cause premature closing of your growth plates is if you take steroids before your ready, or you get injured because you don't know how to lift weight properly. so for you 16 year olds that are worried about stunting your growth, go right ahead and lift....... safely

i gotta go for now but i'll help clear up other misunderstandings later.

 

[HB_Hunter]

Hola guys , I've spoken with plenty of trainers at Gold's Gym Egypt , and Even Players of the National Team here , Most of them have agreed that for large muscles (Quads , Chest , ack etc...) One should work-out like 12 - 16 sets not 10 sets only . and For small muscles (biceps , triceps , deltoids etc...) one should play like 8-12 sets . they told me that it's important to play every excercise for every muscle . Some of them also not all agreed that Machines produce great results and not only Free weights since the machine forces you to do the excercise right thought it's easier than the free-weights . with a range of 6-8 reps also for Bulking , what do you guys think ?? esepecially Diesel cz i am following his program but alot of trainers told me that this isn't enough to work all muscles and also because My Gym has just brought New Cybex machines and i can't understand how all these machines won't be used since all must rely on free-weights .......your thoughts guys esepcially Diesel , semag , dj ben , lifeforce and all the others .....

 

[DJBen]

Stick to everything you've read here and on T-Mag. Dont copy every other guys stuff. Everyone is different.

Experiment, mix it up, find out how YOUR body works with the amount of sets, amount of reps, etc.

My arms only grow when I superset them hard. I need to blast the living day light out of them to get them to grow. One of my mates' arms will grow just by a few straight bar curls and skull crushers.

My calfs are huge, and grow quite easy. My mates are tiny and can hardly get them to grow.

I have a strong should press. It's helped develop good delts. My mate doesnt like overhead lifts and is weak in them. He finds his delts grow better with all the other shoulder work. Personally, shoulder press and bent over laterals are all I need.

See what I'm getting at? Find out how YOUR body reacts to certain types of training, certain set/rep combinations.

Always train your big lifts first, and smaller lifts last. Also, stop PMing me telling me to reply.

I'd disagree with delts being a muscle group you should use less sets for. You work some part of your delts in almost every single lift. You use them a lot in day to day life. They are stubborn. Hit 'em hard.

 

[Lifeforce]

Some machines are ok to work with, others suck, DIESEL got it pretty much figured out which machines to use. Leg press, leg curl and lat pulldown work for me.

When it comes to maximum sets and reps everyone will disagree. Everyone think they now all the **** there is to know and will give you crappy advice. You want a good advide, listen to what your body tells you, as ben says. As a general rule, stop training the minute you feel that your muscle is fatiqued even after rest. More training then imo is useless.

4-8 reps is ideal, I do 4-6 because of MAX OT. I suggest you read that manual. It clear out a lot of bull****.

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/misc/MAX-OT.pdf

 

[HB_Hunter]

Originally posted by Lifeforce
Some machines are ok to work with, others suck, DIESEL got it pretty much figured out which machines to use. Leg press, leg curl and lat pulldown work for me.

When it comes to maximum sets and reps everyone will disagree. Everyone think they now all the **** there is to know and will give you crappy advice. You want a good advide, listen to what your body tells you, as ben says. As a general rule, stop training the minute you feel that your muscle is fatiqued even after rest. More training then imo is useless.

4-8 reps is ideal, I do 4-6 because of MAX OT. I suggest you read that manual. It clear out a lot of bull****.

http://www.johnstonefitness.com/misc/MAX-OT.pdf

Hey , thanx man for your help , i've started reading this Max-Ot but it's too long man , im in the 3rd week now but i don't think that i can read it regularly cz this is too much info man . However what do you do man to resume training as i think i ve reached a plateau now...what articles or other things that keep you motivated ?

 

[Lifeforce]

I keep me motivated every time I see a guy holding hands with a HB 9, every time I see a guy having killer abs or nice pectorals I know I will be there one day. And the response I get for being larger also help me to keep my motivation. I believe visual stuff give more motivation than reading. Having a habit of training will also help you.

Yeah it is a lot of info, but I am sure it will help you if you read it through.

 

[Pacstar]

What is skinny fat?

Hi, I'm 5'8, and anywhere between 140-145 lbs, depending on the day. I'm lactose intolerant, so milk is pretty much out of the question, though I can drink whey protein no problem.

Anyways, I'm wondering what exactly is "skinny fat"?

Right now, I have no work out partner, what's the best way to snag someone to spot me? I lift SHYT. Really, my chest develops really slowly, and I'm embarrassed to ask for a spot, when I'm benching less than whatever the Bar + 30 lbs is. Regardless, I'm still going to go, and what not. Thanks for your help!

I am also looking for some help on the diet side. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I have no problem drinking whey or whatever, any suggestions?

One last question, for about 6 months, I was doing this routine:

20 minutes run begining of workout.
Then lifting, 2 body parts on a given day, 3 days a week.
Then 40 minutes running.

After about 6 months, I had gained 15lbs, and was pretty trim. What kind of results should I expect with your program, totally eschewing cardio?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Aresx]

Advice from a Trainer

Okay listen guys...

as far as Cardio vs. Gaining Muscle Mass:

It depends on your body/diet.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Let's say you're skinny, like me, and you want to put on muscle mass.

The main Cardio for you is only a 5 minute warm-up to get blood flowing into your muscles. Not to wear your heart/lungs/legs/whatever out, just to get the motor going.

If you are skinny, and you seriously want to gain mass, don't skip cardio altogether, but lifting becomes your priority. That and eating more. Cut down a little on the fat, and do NOT overdo the protein, it will hinder you.

Set aside some time in the day, or on your off-day, and JUMPROPE - this takes more energy than running. Do this for only a few minutes, and THAT is your workout. DON'T do it immediately before or after you workout. Treat it as a separate workout.

If you don't want to lose ANY mass at all (even the mass that is JUST FAT), then eat about 2 hours before you Jumprope, so that the carbs can have time to metabolize in your body. This way you are burning off those carbs, not the fat or muscle proteins you already have.

When you get up to an acceptable mass, then you go ahead and start doing more cardio, and you will get smaller because you will lose fat, but your muscles will look twice as good.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Now, if you're overweight, fat loss and cardio should be your primary concern, although you can still lift to keep muscle tone.

For you, swim/run/jumprope 3-4 times a week, and lift twice a week. When you have reduced your body fat to an acceptable level, then you can cut down the cardio by a day, and increase the lifting by one day.

You burn fat by lifting, too, and muscles do speed up your metabolism, so lifting is never bad. The point is, do you want to see the results in a few months or in over a year?

PM/e-mail me if you have any questions.

 

[Aresx]

Re: What is skinny fat?

"Skinny fat" is a term used to describe someone who is slim by all measurements, but has little muscle tone. LIke girls - they are usually slim, but soft.

As far as having someone spot you, ask a gym staff member or simply another guy working out next to you. It doesn't matter how MUCH you lift, just as long as your muscles are working. At one point, I had to be spotted when I was lifting the bar and less than 20 lb.s extra. Don't be ashamed that you're lifting less than other guys - focus on YOUR development, not theirs.

As far as your chest, I'm going to need more information about your previous experiences and history with working out, so PM me.

Until then, however, what may work for you is a principle called pre-exhaustion. Basically you isolate the muscle in one exercise, and then you do the multi-joint exercise. By this time, the targeted muscle fails at the same time your supporting muscles, instead of your supporting muscles failing and leaving the target muscle un-worked.

For example,
you do Cable Flys for 3 sets of 8-10 reps, with about 1 min or less rest in between sets.

Now, your pecs are already exhausted. This is when you do Bench Presses - with a spotter, please. You'll be able to lift much less than normal because your pecs are already tired.

So instead of your triceps giving out and doing most of the work, your chest does more work because it's already tired. It may even give out before your arms feel tired - this is a good thing, since the focus of the bench press was your chest, not your triceps.

You can keep doing cardio if you want, but don't do it right before your workout, as it makes your body already fatigued, so you can't lift as much. IF you do cardio after, your body is already tired, and you can't run as fast as you normally can. Just reschedule your cardio to another day. Cut down on it a bit if you want to bulk up faster.

Hope this helps.

Can't help you with diet, though. I know just the basics, and I'm not licensed for that.

Originally posted by Pacstar
Hi, I'm 5'8, and anywhere between 140-145 lbs, depending on the day. I'm lactose intolerant, so milk is pretty much out of the question, though I can drink whey protein no problem.

Anyways, I'm wondering what exactly is "skinny fat"?

Right now, I have no work out partner, what's the best way to snag someone to spot me? I lift SHYT. Really, my chest develops really slowly, and I'm embarrassed to ask for a spot, when I'm benching less than whatever the Bar + 30 lbs is. Regardless, I'm still going to go, and what not. Thanks for your help!

I am also looking for some help on the diet side. I don't eat a lot of meat, but I have no problem drinking whey or whatever, any suggestions?

One last question, for about 6 months, I was doing this routine:

20 minutes run begining of workout.
Then lifting, 2 body parts on a given day, 3 days a week.
Then 40 minutes running.

After about 6 months, I had gained 15lbs, and was pretty trim. What kind of results should I expect with your program, totally eschewing cardio?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Lifeforce]

I know many will protest against this but go with the whey, I did that for almost three months and gained 20 lbs, most muscle. If you can toss in a couple of eggs whites (3 g protein each) and some chicken would be great.

You can probably expect some real nice gains. I've almost gained 25 lbs right now and have only worked out for 4 months with consistancy. Go with the compund movements.

Bring a buddy along for spotting or ask someone, even if it is embarassing for you.

AresX: Not to be an ass, but long rest = more recovery = more weights. 1 min rest, I don't see anything to justify that. And compound movement is supposed to target synergists too.

 

[Aresx]

"AresX: Not to be an ass, but long rest = more recovery = more weights. 1 min rest, I don't see anything to justify that. And compound movement is supposed to target synergists too."

It depends on what kind of training you are doing. It's not always about how much weight you lift in one day.

After a few minutes, your muscles will recover their full potential. This means that you are recruiting a MINIMUM of muscle fibers in lifting the weight. If you decrease the amount of rest time, you recover most of your strength, but only so much that your body is forced to recruit more muscle fibers. More recruitment = more growth. I'm assuming the priority muscle growth and shape over muscular strength (although any type of training will give you both, just in different proportions).

if you are doing STRENGTH TRAINING, then rest 3-4 minutes. Go ahead. You will get stronger, and you will get bigger, but not as *effectively* as if you just train to gain mass. Part of your strength will be your muscle getting denser, not necessarily bigger.

If you are doing BODYBUILDING, cut down the rest to 1-2 minutes. And if you're doing ENDURANCE TRAINING, cut it down to 30-60 seconds.

Compare Olympic Powerlifters and Bodybuilders. I'm taking a Bodybuilding approach rather than a Powerlifter approach, because I'm assuming that the guys here want to look more like the cover models on a men's fitness magazine (within reason) instead of just huge, superstrong, but basically, undefined.

It depends on what kind of training you are doing - not all types of training will leave you looking like said cover model.

As far as synergistic results - it's not just about how much weight you lift in one day. You are still getting synergy with compound movements, but by pre-exhausting select muscles with isolations. your body has to work harder (use more of the muscles all around) to push the same amount of weight.

Although, at a beginner level, almost any kind of lifting will make you more muscular. But you should define what you want to look like, and do the training required to look like that after some time.

If I didn't explain this clearly, let me know. Also, if you've found contradicting information, please bring it to my attention - I've found a lot of contradicting information out there, but the most consistent have come from training textbooks - I read a few in an effort to stay on top of the game, instead of just relying on one textbook as the source of all knowledge.

 

[h2o]

i posted separately from the bulking guide earlier. DJBen replied that i should start to "eat like a monster"

i started doing this yesterday and consumed around 2700 carbs. it was actually challenging because i wasn't hungry most of the time i was eating. but i just thought of it as being difficult just as it is difficult for someone who is fat to keep themselves from eating when they are hungry.

i weigh about 123 or so. i was wondering, would is it okay if i consume 2700 carbs one day, then 3500 carbs the next? or is it better to stay consistent and take in the same number each day? and, i've heard somewhere that once you start gaining a few pounds, that you'll have to increase your calorie intake by several hundred to keep gaining (since you weigh a bit heavier). so should i start at around 3000 for a week or two, then go to 3500, then go to 4000, etc?

i'm also consuming protein. i had about 135g of protein yesterday. same thing with protein, is it good to be consistent, or does variation not matter?

i think that if i will have to increase my intake to calorie later on, 5500 or 6000 is the highest i'll be able to go, because it may just start to get a bit expensive. are there other calorie solutions?

i'm not lifting yet, so if any of this causes me to get a bit fat, it's okay because i can't seriously lift for another 6 or 7 months. i'm going to stay away from cardio also, even though it's okay for me to do. all i am able to do is push-ups and sit-ups.

and thanks to DIESEL and everybody else here, i think this info will be a great help to a problem of gaining weight i once thought was impossible. i'll be posting my results and how many cals/protein i intake so it may help anyone else who just eats but doesn't exercise much yet, like me.

 

[h2o]

and also, what about water? Aresx, atleast in your "ultimate diet" you said water is fattening; i know it was just for jokes, but is it really? how much should i drink, how much is too much? i used to drink a gallon a day when i did track and cross country in hs, but i was even skinnier then. don't know if it was the running or the water?

 

[Aresx]

h20 - eating a lot may be a point where you want to get, but dont' do it too quickly - you'll screw up your body if you gain or lose weight too fast. sonl y increase your calorie intake by about 500 cals to what you have now.

example:
normal day: 2500 calories

to gain weight
week 1: 3000 calories a day
week 2-3: 3500 calories a day
week 4: 4000 calories a day

don't just eat, you must combine it with exercise to look good.

as far as water...
you CAN drink TOO MUCH. gallon is okay as long as it's consumed slowly - if you have to pee a lot more than normal, you're overdoing it.

water does take a little definition away from your muscle, but unless you are competing for Mr. Universe, you really won't notice the difference. Water is always good, though. Too many good effects on the body in general and in weight management for me to even think about right now. Drink.

 

[h2o]

ok, thanks Aresx. i'll try it just as you put for the 1st to 4th week. i'll ask you what happens after that once i get there. i'll do my best with exercise and water also.