Looking to put on some weight.

[kingsam]

I'm tryin to do the same, i started in january, 5 ft 7.5 inches and around 130 pounds. i've not grown and im around 135 now. Is this good progress, or just 'beginners luck' because i hadn't really been to the gym before? I've been trying to get more protein and just generally trying to eat more, but it's awkward with having school and packed lunches and all that jazz. I've been trying mostly 3 sets of 15 reps each time i work a muscle group, and repeat that a few times in a session, but after reading a few threads here it seems that 10 sets of 8-10, where the last two are really hard would be best?

Ta in advance

if ur british i suggest using MAXIMUSCLE supplients (particuarly cyclone product), its a great and VERY reputable company (lots of profffesinoal athletes use them).
these supliments (shakes/bars) will make it MUCH MUCH easier to get the nutrition you need (and it will prob also be cheaper than buy the equivelent amount of food!)
SO quicker, eaiser, cheaper!

if you do wanna buy anything...let me know i will sign u up and if you buy from them direct ime signing ur email address up will get you £10 off! (and me £15 !) we both save! (also avaliable in supermarkets like tesco... but more expensive)
THhis goes for any other brits too!

http://www.maximuscle.com/
http://www.maximuscle.com/cyclone

you can get a free product magazine from them too, its worth it!

 

[CarlitosWay]

Haha yea it would take forever. I'm gonna look into bulking shakes, they could help. Not looking to be enormous, preferably big and toned. Rockin a 6 pack. Because I'm skinny now a 6 pack probably wouldn't be hard.

Worry about putting on size first than worry about adjusting diet some later if you get a little too much fat gain. Again the ones who freak out if their abs lose a little definition are the ones who look the exact same year after year. Like for instance some people have noticed I've gotten a little bigger. Yet I know I haven't been eating enough (still big but just not ENOUGH), so by next year I just want people saying DAMN you got BIGGER. It's going to take some serious eating and training though, which I acknowledge and few do..

 

[Jakeg123]

Alright sweet. Is creatine a bad idea for me trying to bulk up?

 

[Cure]

Creatine may well be usefull at some point, but unless you diet is spot on and you are training right there is no point at the moment.
You are 17, you have A LOT of potential without needing any supplements, just do lots of squats and consume lots of whole milk and beef, sorted!

Cure.

 

[CarlitosWay]

Creatine may well be usefull at some point, but unless you diet is spot on and you are training right there is no point at the moment.
You are 17, you have A LOT of potential without needing any supplements, just do lots of squats and consume lots of whole milk and beef, sorted!

Cure.

huge emphasis on the "beef". Again use barbell and machines...mix it up and for the love of god do isolation work along side all your big movements. You have an bodybuilder type split so you should be able to milk that sucker for years as long as you EAT enough to compensate for the amount of days in the gym.

Make things like rack deadlifts (back thickness exercise), t-bar rows, barbell rows, machine rows, shoulder lateral raises (machine ones are the BEST), seated barbell presses/machine shoulder presses, standing are ok to (lot harder/less poundage used), seated dumbbell presses,dumbbell curls, ez bar drag curls, cable curls, reverse cable forearm curls, pin wheel curls, hammer curls, rack chins, pull downs, neutral grip chins/hammer chins, hack squats, leg press, front squats stiff legged/ romanian barbell/dumbbell deadlifts, machine leg curls, calve raises your FRIENDS for the next couple years + lots of food.

also **** flat bench just focus on low incline work for chest, via dumbbells, smith machine and barbell work. Everyone and their mama does flat bench, yet a lot still have ****ty chest development and barely any upper chest.

Watch Dorian yates blood and guts. To get technique and form down...always think slow negative (not incredibly slow but CONTROLLED) and always explode up......on each rep!



You'll be money, trust me.........

on your back day always have 1-2 back width exercises and 1-2 back thickness exercises.

everytime you do shoulder presses, also do lateral raises in the same session

any time you do bicep work, do forearm work

any time you do tricep work, most the time you should do one main pressing movement like close grip bench press off pins, off bench, in smith machine (real good IMO) or reverse grip bench press. always followed by an extension, like floor dead extensions aka dead skulls, larry scott extensions, pjr extensions, or power pressdowns like some powerlifters or how kevin levrone does them.

as you go you can adjust how much work you do, everyone is different. find your threshold and just don't over do it but also don't be a chump. You should always leave the gym feeling like you accomplished something be it better for, more reps in a exercises, or more weight added to the machine/bar.

Remember, keep it simple, make sure your training makes sense and is logical/practical and always have at least 1-2 off days a week. most people spew bull**** than you can't train this amount or that amount each week BULL****, if you eat like a girl yeah you wont last long but eat big day, day out and your body has no choice but to adjust and grow/get stronger to whatever routine be it 4, 5 or 6 day a week training..

 

[kingsam]

CREATINE

the basic theory is this...it helps your muscle work harder (you naturally have a bit in you, but this runs out quickly), so the harder your muscle work, the more they rip, and the more they repair and so grow more...

this is some one who learnt the hard way about what not to do with creatine
in my first year of uni i had Creatine only, yes you do get pumped, (creatine make your cells retain water) but i didnt have the proper nutrition wiht it, so when i stopeed the creatine i just shrunk quite a bit!

it is fine and usefull if part of a good diet regime (as with the cyclone product), some claim its bad for you, but its been around for 20 yrs and this is unproven... (but EVERY thign is bad for you in some way right)

FLAT BENCH
also from expreience (i only ever do incline now! and now have fairly flat pecks)...only doing a flat bench or using equivelent machines - will only develop the lower part of your pecks - if you do it enougth they look more "boob-like" than square-peck-like.
have a look at people in the gym a lot of people seen to make this mistake, and have "peck boobs" instead of flat sqaure pecks

MILK
Milk & Lactose

Many bodybuilders do not drink milk for their main source of protein. One reason being, the lactose causes bad side effects for many who are lactose intolerant. Most people have problems digesting lactose to some degree. Lactose is actually a low glycemic carb and isn’t as digested as easily as other carbs. Even if you are lactose intolerant, they have milk available with no lactose, or you can just take the lactaid pill.

So should bodybuilders drink milk?

Protein powder is the better choice because you get more protein for the same amount of carbs. You also don’t have to worry about lactose side effects as much. If you like milk than go ahead though. Just make sure you get organic low fat milk. Milk also contains many other beneficial ingredients such as calcium, vitamin D, and the important ALA which isn’t be found in protein powder ( only for the Cheap suppliments - some companies *eg maximuscle* have extra healthy ingrediants but you pay more for it, id say its worth it IMO ).

BEEF
you should get a range of meats
-oily fish
-chicken
-tuna

red meat in excess isnt that good

 

[Jakeg123]

huge emphasis on the "beef". Again use barbell and machines...mix it up and for the love of god do isolation work along side all your big movements. You have an bodybuilder type split so you should be able to milk that sucker for years as long as you EAT enough to compensate for the amount of days in the gym.

Make things like rack deadlifts (back thickness exercise), t-bar rows, barbell rows, machine rows, shoulder lateral raises (machine ones are the BEST), seated barbell presses/machine shoulder presses, standing are ok to (lot harder/less poundage used), seated dumbbell presses,dumbbell curls, ez bar drag curls, cable curls, reverse cable forearm curls, pin wheel curls, hammer curls, rack chins, pull downs, neutral grip chins/hammer chins, hack squats, leg press, front squats stiff legged/ romanian barbell/dumbbell deadlifts, machine leg curls, calve raises your FRIENDS for the next couple years + lots of food.

also **** flat bench just focus on low incline work for chest, via dumbbells, smith machine and barbell work. Everyone and their mama does flat bench, yet a lot still have ****ty chest development and barely any upper chest.

Watch Dorian yates blood and guts. To get technique and form down...always think slow negative (not incredibly slow but CONTROLLED) and always explode up......on each rep!



You'll be money, trust me.........

on your back day always have 1-2 back width exercises and 1-2 back thickness exercises.

everytime you do shoulder presses, also do lateral raises in the same session

any time you do bicep work, do forearm work

any time you do tricep work, most the time you should do one main pressing movement like close grip bench press off pins, off bench, in smith machine (real good IMO) or reverse grip bench press. always followed by an extension, like floor dead extensions aka dead skulls, larry scott extensions, pjr extensions, or power pressdowns like some powerlifters or how kevin levrone does them.

as you go you can adjust how much work you do, everyone is different. find your threshold and just don't over do it but also don't be a chump. You should always leave the gym feeling like you accomplished something be it better for, more reps in a exercises, or more weight added to the machine/bar.

Remember, keep it simple, make sure your training makes sense and is logical/practical and always have at least 1-2 off days a week. most people spew bull**** than you can't train this amount or that amount each week BULL****, if you eat like a girl yeah you wont last long but eat big day, day out and your body has no choice but to adjust and grow/get stronger to whatever routine be it 4, 5 or 6 day a week training..

Fantastic, thank you! Sorry it took so long to respond I spaced about it from school work. If my parents ****ty scale is right I've gone from 130 to 132.5 already. In a few weeks. I need to find a good protein shake that isn't too pricey.