Question about gaining weight

[cffrmw]

Don't want to bore you with my exact situation, so I'll make this short. I've been hitting the gym 2 to 5 times a week for the last year - I'm a student so sometimes I cut days when tests are coming up. I haven't been eating like I should so the weight gains haven't been coming like I would hope.

This summer, however, I want to gain weight. I have 100 days where I can focus on that, and then back to college. That's 14 weeks. How much is a healthy per week weight gain, so I know what to shoot for? I won't be in school so I can hit the gym 5 times a week, I usually go for about an hour and it's an intense workout.

I currently weight 165 (up 15 lbs from a year ago), and I'm 6'2 so yeah I'm still pretty skinny. I know a pound a week is fine, but is two pounds too much? If I could be 190 with most of it muscle at the end of the summer that would be awesome and put me at the exact weight I want to be.

Also, I assume following the simple starting diet in the "Where to Start" post should be fine?

 

[PhunGar]

yea i read diseal's bulking up guide
what ive really noticed is i put gains liek pretty steadily folloiwng it
but when i really started to follow it properly like eating 6 times a day supplementing properly and training to failure that i really started to see my gains fast.

Diet is the hardest thing , ive found so far just try to make it a habit it pays off

 

[CaptainJ]

What are your stats on the squat, deadlift and bench?

I suggest doing Option A in the sticky, aka Rippetoe's Program, you will get big quickly on it as long as you eat big.

 

[cffrmw]

For the stats, my current workout is pretty different from what most people do, so I don't really know my max. This is what I did last week, but it probably won't tell you my maxes because you have to kind of pace yourself so you can finish.

Day 1:
Circuit one
-Bench: 10 x 150
-Pullovers: 10 x 60
-Flies: 10 x 40
Repeat 3 times

Curcuit Two:
- Dumbell Bench: 10 x 50s
- 60 degree Incline Dumbell Bench: 10 x 35
- 30 degree Incline Dumbell Bench: 10 x 35
Repeat Three Times

Circuit Three:
- Abs
- Pushups to failure
- Dips to failure
Repeat Three times

Day Two:
Circuit one:
Leg Press: 10 x 220
Hack Squat: 10 x 150
Leg curls: 10 x 120
Repeat Three times
Circuit Two:
Weighted Back Lunges: 10 x 60s
Dumbbell Dead lift: 10 x 60s
Back extensions?: 10 x 25
Repeat Three times
Circuit Three:
Squats: 10 x 180
Abs
Repeat Three times

Then day three is shoulders and back, but doesnt really apply to my bench, squat, or deadlift, so I'll leave it out.

 

[waynejohn]

I would ditch your current routine. I also think you are doing way to many leg exercises.

Someone mentioned it already - the simplest way to go about this is to do Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Rippetoe.

3 sets across of 5 reps for Low Bar Below Parallel Squat, Press, Bench Press.
1 set of 5 for Dead lift.
5 sets across of 3 reps for Power cleans.

Day 1 - Squat, Bench, Deadlift
Day 2 - Squat, Press, Clean
Day 3 - Squat, Bench, Deadlift

Day 1 - Squat, Press, Clean

and so on. Add a small amount - 2.5 to 10 pounds to the bar each workout.


Multiply your bodyweight by 18, 19 or 20. That is how many calories you should consume.
Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
The rest of the calories, split up between carbs and fat in whatever ratio you like.
Take a vitamin supplement.
Take a fish oil supplement - 3 to 5 grams in plenty.
Eating is a part of training.

Take creatine if you'd like.

Keep it simple. If you don't want to do this, there are other ways. Just ask.

 

[Furyguy]

Way too much isolation work, you are not going to see serious mass gains like that.

Five days a week also seems like a bit much. You don't grow at the gym, you grow at home, AKA during your recovery time. Use something like what Waynejohn said above - heavy, moderate rep compound movements, three times a week. When it is your day off, REST and grow.

Don't go circuit style. If you're trying to get bigger, workout to get bigger. Don't worry about cardiovascular work or fat loss at the same time, it is just going to be counterproductive.

 

[CarlitosWay]

I would ditch your current routine. I also think you are doing way to many leg exercises.

Someone mentioned it already - the simplest way to go about this is to do Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Rippetoe.

3 sets across of 5 reps for Low Bar Below Parallel Squat, Press, Bench Press.
1 set of 5 for Dead lift.
5 sets across of 3 reps for Power cleans.

Day 1 - Squat, Bench, Deadlift
Day 2 - Squat, Press, Clean
Day 3 - Squat, Bench, Deadlift

Day 1 - Squat, Press, Clean

and so on. Add a small amount - 2.5 to 10 pounds to the bar each workout.


Multiply your bodyweight by 18, 19 or 20. That is how many calories you should consume.
Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
The rest of the calories, split up between carbs and fat in whatever ratio you like.
Take a vitamin supplement.
Take a fish oil supplement - 3 to 5 grams in plenty.
Eating is a part of training.

Take creatine if you'd like.

Keep it simple. If you don't want to do this, there are other ways. Just ask.

All those lifts are good for a newb to learn except "cleans". What's the point of those? Not to mention most people don't even know how to properly do a body weight squat and people expect them to learn a clean?! **** cleans seriously, rows are so much better in every aspect.

If some one eats enough daily and can work out 4-5 times a week, I can't see why not, it will definitely not hurt him in any way.

 

[waynejohn]

All those lifts are good for a newb to learn except "cleans". What's the point of those? Not to mention most people don't even know how to properly do a body weight squat and people expect them to learn a clean?! **** cleans seriously, rows are so much better in every aspect.

If some one eats enough daily and can work out 4-5 times a week, I can't see why not, it will definitely not hurt him in any way.

It is easy to teach the clean. And it is a great exercise. Cleaning the closet is much harder. People have an irrational fear of doing power cleans.

You have to teach people how to row, too. It is easy to cheat on a row.

There are many ways to do this or that. The 3 day a week linear progression beginners program by Rippetoe happens to be the most efficient.

 

[Amazing]

I would go 4 times a week and eat like an animal

I did 3 and got fat

I did 4 and got big

 

[CarlitosWay]

I would go 4 times a week and eat like an animal

I did 3 and got fat

I did 4 and got big

Nah you liar!!! I call shenanigans, anyone who trains over 3 days a week either "overtrains" or is on "steroids"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Amazing]

LOL.

I remember what i was doing: ladder 8-6-4-2 sets, only big lifts, with very very little iso, like 1-2 sets...i had all the food i could eat, id gain like crazy - like 2 lbs per week.the problem was it was a lot of fat!

I couldn't believe that! I went from 170 to 190 and thought i was big, but i was a fatty with a developing gut.


then i cut down again, and did 4 times a week, more iso, and did 2 weeks low reps two weeks high reps switch, gained well people were giving me compliments ... and brushing it off with "that's all the protein he eats.."


so if you can do it, go 4.

 

[CaptainJ]

All those lifts are good for a newb to learn except "cleans". What's the point of those? Not to mention most people don't even know how to properly do a body weight squat and people expect them to learn a clean?! **** cleans seriously, rows are so much better in every aspect.

If some one eats enough daily and can work out 4-5 times a week, I can't see why not, it will definitely not hurt him in any way.

Cleans give you monster traps, and work the back well. Plus you develop explosive strength so they are necessary if you are athletic in any way. Also explosive strength developed from cleans carries over into your squat and deadlift.

 

[CaptainJ]

use this routine: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dougs-4-day-split-workout.html

Check out the squat technique video there. He doesn't even hit parallel. How can you trust a routine off a site that is promoting bad squat technique?

 

[CarlitosWay]

Check out the squat technique video there. He doesn't even hit parallel. How can you trust a routine off a site that is promoting bad squat technique?

Yeah he could go a tad deeper if people were to get anal but you're way out of line to say "bad squat technique". Hell I don't see most people go even that deep or use form that good. He's still hitting his quads decently though. OMG OMG he went just shy of parallel!!! BAD SQUAT TECHNIQUE!!!

Who are you to call him out? I bet this guy puts your physique to shame. Either post up a pic or vid of your "great squat technique" to back up your big talk or hush.

 

[waynejohn]

Who are you to call him out?

When a math professor makes a mistake, another math professor does not magically appear to correct him. His students correct him.

Just because I don't have a PhD in math does not mean I can't tell a mathematician that 2+2=4 and not 5.

Regardless, I don't care how other people train. I only care about my own efforts.

 

[CaptainJ]

Yeah he could go a tad deeper if people were to get anal but you're way out of line to say "bad squat technique". Hell I don't see most people go even that deep or use form that good. He's still hitting his quads decently though. OMG OMG he went just shy of parallel!!! BAD SQUAT TECHNIQUE!!!

Who are you to call him out? I bet this guy puts your physique to shame. Either post up a pic or vid of your "great squat technique" to back up your big talk or hush.

Who am I to call him out? It wouldn't make a difference if I were a day one noob, or the next Konstantinov, a squat is not a squat unless you go below parallel. It's simply a nothing otherwise. I don't need a great physique to know that. Hell I don't even need good squat technique to know that. Are you actually advocating that people are not allowed to critique someone's technique unless they have a better physique than the guy, or I have posted a video to prove I have good technique myself? Hell I guess that makes about 99% of the things people say on this forum pretty void, even the all the advice you have given.

And it's not a case of 'OMG OMG he went just shy of parallel!!'. When you are posting a technique video for instructional purposes, you make damn sure that you are nailing the technique perfectly, or you are going to give people the wrong idea. Cool, he may still be hitting his quads, but he's neglecting his glutes and hamstrings, which creates a muscle imbalance, and will lead to knee problems.

CarlitosWay, you need to remove that stick from your ass.

 

[CarlitosWay]

When a math professor makes a mistake, another math professor does not magically appear to correct him. His students correct him.

Just because I don't have a PhD in math does not mean I can't tell a mathematician that 2+2=4 and not 5.

Regardless, I don't care how other people train. I only care about my own efforts.

Yeah but in the world of sports/bodybuilding/powerlifting . Videos/pictures speak volume. If I want to get to 230-240 lbs relatively lean or I want to squat "x" amount of weight properly. Am I going to listen to a stranger over the net with nothing backing him up or some one who was at my stage who'll will actually post videos or pictures to at least show me he knows SOMETHING? CaptainJ is a newbie, has he even been lifting a year?

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/stiff-leg-deadlift-aka-romanian-deadlift.html Look at that guy he's a pretty big guy and for a newbie to call out a pretty good training video for a squat "bad technique", when I saw good form but not an ass-to-grass. Well is just plain naive.

I love how all the people who rail on others for improper form/technique or for not going bad ass style "ass-to-grass" don't ever have videos or pictures or worse have only trained for a few months.

I consider these good enough, yet some people who don't even have physiques/strength close to these guys will pick them apart for not going an inch lower......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt9jP5I9FUU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nEJAlEVDo

 

[waynejohn]

Relying on more than one person is a recipe for disaster. Learn from everyone, but only have one plan/philosophy.

I have a coach, he's a USAW senior international coach and I'm lucky to have him. My form is good, and I'm not interested in proving that to anyone.

But this is about giving correct knowledge, and that is not dependent on a person's physique. There are plenty of jacked, bodybuilder type guys who do 1/2 squats and leg presses. There are athletic/performance enhancement coaches who are very good at marketing why the full squat is bad.

If a relatively newbie says something, the content of what he says should be examined the way the content of a "professional" is examined.

 

[CaptainJ]

Yeah but in the world of sports/bodybuilding/powerlifting . Videos/pictures speak volume. If I want to get to 230-240 lbs relatively lean or I want to squat "x" amount of weight properly. Am I going to listen to a stranger over the net with nothing backing him up or some one who was at my stage who'll will actually post videos or pictures to at least show me he knows SOMETHING? CaptainJ is a newbie, has he even been lifting a year?

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/stiff-leg-deadlift-aka-romanian-deadlift.html Look at that guy he's a pretty big guy and for a newbie to call out a pretty good training video for a squat "bad technique", when I saw good form but not an ass-to-grass. Well is just plain naive.

I love how all the people who rail on others for improper form/technique or for not going bad ass style "ass-to-grass" don't ever have videos or pictures or worse have only trained for a few months.

I consider these good enough, yet some people who don't even have physiques/strength close to these guys will pick them apart for not going an inch lower......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt9jP5I9FUU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nEJAlEVDo

Wow, you are calling me a newb when you don't even know what a squat is. All those videos you showed, sure they have heavy weights, and they are positioned well, but they aren't squatting. It's not a squat unless you go below parallel. This isn't my own opinion either, ask any powerlifter or olympic lifter, they will corroborate me. I'm not demanding atg squats, i'm demanding the minimum of below parallel, otherwise you are training improperly, inflating your ego and setting yourself up for injury down the road.

I've been training for a year and a bit, and i would still consider myself a beginner (not for long though), yet I am definetly NOT a newb. I have slain myself in the weight room, researched thoroughly and repeatedly deloaded weight, to make sure I learnt the proper technique for the squat. Get off your high horse CarlitosWay, learn what a squat is before you attack people. Don't judge how much someone knows about weightlifting based on how big they are, that is just naive and ignorant.

 

[waynejohn]

i'm demanding the minimum of below parallel

I agree.

For a person who has no injury issues and what not, if he or she is squatting, then they must strive to hit below parallel.