tall and skinny. (photos included) I'm determined to change, but I need help!

[F!DELITY]

Ok, University has finished for 4 months. I am determined to use this summer break to totally bulk up. I have tried before, but haven't been able to commit fully, but now im GONNA DO IT!!

I'm 6ft 5in. My weight is 12 stone (approx. 168Ibs).

As you can imagine; that makes me skinny and lanky..and rather unappealing physique wise.

This needs to change!! (note im more concerned about bulking up than my strength..though I imagine the two will go hand in hand?)

I dont want to join a gym particularly. I have weights at home.

I understand a huge part of this is going to be changing the way I eat.

(ATM, I dont eat too much; a breakfast cereal, a light lunch (sandwich and crisps etc.), and a main dinner (usually meat and veg and potatos).

If people could tell me exactly what I am going to have to do/eat to bulk up that would be great. (I am from UK, so products available may be slightly different to those available in America). - and also how long will it take to see results?

Sorry if I am askin a lot, but I don;t know too much about calories, carb foods, protein etc. etc.

I do have whey protein powder though if that helps.

Anyway, there are some photos, so you can see how skinny I am considering my height:-

http://img228.imageshack.us/g/image216o.jpg/ - - - suffice to say - I need help! lol

Many thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to help.

 

[CaptainJ]

Do you have a power cage/squat rack with a 7ft barbell and plenty of weights at home? I thought not. Get your ass down to a gym, make sure they have a power cage.

Look at the sticky, go with option A. In order to get big, you should be squatting 3x a week and eating a sh1tload. Drink lots of milk.

 

[Drum&Bass]

I have tried before, but haven't been able to commit fully, but now im GONNA DO IT!!

FIRST before you start any training program or get overly complex about anything..You need to enjoy exercising and being healthy as part of your life stlye.

You can start off by doing body weight exercises everyday (push ups, pull ups, squats etc.. Once you start to see a change in your body you can progress onto lifting odd heavy objects outside or at your house (try doing 20 squats while holding a chair in your arms). It will cost you ZERO dollars, get you healthy and you will learn the KEY FUNDAMENTALS before you start jumping into advanced shit right off the bat.

The MOST important thing is to start SLOW and develop a genuine love for working out as part of YOUR lifestyle.

 

[F!DELITY]

I appreciate you are saying it is better to start off slow, but I really want to do quite the opposite.

For once, I've got the time to commit fully, so I intend to make the most of that.

drum&bass, is it possible for me to bulk up without joining the gym?

 

[Drum&Bass]

Absolutely !!!! You will have to invest in some low cost home made objects for weights and browse craigslist for a few items but you can absolutely build a muscular physique without a gym.

Start off by eating lots of food and educating yourself on basic diets for building muscle. As time progresses and you get bigger and stronger start asking questions and learning about vitamins. You dont need a whole lot of supplements besides protein.

As for tools, all you need is

a playground

a pull up bar
Sandbags (tons of youtube videos on how to make them)
dumbbells
A barbbell
a few plates
and a sturdy bench

at some point in time it would be a helpful to you to invest in a cheap powercage for 300 bucks or less (craigslist).

 

[F!DELITY]

awesome.

So should I exercise and diet along the lines of the rippetoes?

e.g - monday, weds and fri workout....and eat sh!tloads constantly?

And how long before results would be seen?...or is it hard to say?

Thanks

 

[kingsam]

awesome.

So should I exercise and diet along the lines of the rippetoes?

e.g - monday, weds and fri workout....and eat sh!tloads constantly?

And how long before results would be seen?...or is it hard to say?

Thanks

its ok to make your own routine (day/ time wise ) that fits your life

make sure you calorie count - you will be suprised how little you eat - it will be difficult to eat that much first but you'll get used to it!

motivation
its good to have some have some kinda "end goal" - for example mine was going on holiday being buff and so banging chicks coz of it - which happened to an extent - and was like a amazing motivator. every time i went to the gym i thought about bangning hotties.
OR acheiving a particular size would do too

find some body images you want to be like as well ()
take full body pics now to compare against in the future!
--------------
mixing improved physical appreance (body, clothes hair,body confidence) and game will be killer
-------
i suggest maximuscle suppliments (will PM you about this)

 

[Fuglydude]

Based on your pics you look fairy ectomorphic... This means your metabolic rate is probably on the higher side. Working out is 80% diet... if you're eating like a bird, you'll look like a bird... You have to increase calories and protein.

I'm 5'8" - 170 lbs at the moment and I need over 4000 calories on a regular basis to bulk up. I'd recommend that you work your diet up to 4000 calories/day w/ at least 220 g protein. If you're eating 6 times a day, that's around 700 calories per meal and 40 g/protein per meal. You should be eating every 2-3 hours. 4000 calories is quite a bit considering your current diet, so slowly increase to that.... maybe try 500 cals per day for a week til you get to 4000.

Do your best to incorporate whole natural unprocessed foods. Yamns, whole wheat pasta, whole grain breads, brown rice are good natural carb sources. Fruit/veges should be incorporated in every meal you eat. For protein sources try chicken, fish, beef, bison, whey, eggs, and milk. Fats are in many animal products and I'd also recommend flax and omega 3 fish oil supplements.

As far as supplements go, stick w/ the basics for now: protein powder, omega 3's, multi vits and maybe a good anti-oxidant supplement. Your diet should be your biggest focus, not supplements. If you're serious about doing this, you're gonna have to come with a diet yourself, post it and have us critique it. Some guys on this site are nice and will make up a diet for you... I'm not one of them.

As far as working out goes. Stick with big compound (multi-joint) movements at the start. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench, Shoulder press, Dips/Chins should be the foundation of your training. I wouldn't lift more than 3-4 times a week until you figure out what combination of diet/training works to maximize gains. As captain J said, unless you have a nice big 7 foot squat cage and good quality olympic bar and several hundred pounds of free weights, you're probably not gonna succeed.

I've been training for over 12 years and have been at jobs where you get paid based on your physique and looks. Trust me, the world is a much different place when you're jacked.... It does take a lot of work, but man, is it ever worth it in the end!

 

[EFFORT]

I appreciate you are saying it is better to start off slow, but I really want to do quite the opposite.

For once, I've got the time to commit fully, so I intend to make the most of that.

drum&bass, is it possible for me to bulk up without joining the gym?

If your fully committed and want to make the most of the time joining the gym is step one imo. Once you join a gym we'll take it from there.

 

[Drum&Bass]

So should I exercise and diet along the lines of the rippetoes?

e.g - monday, weds and fri workout....and eat sh!tloads constantly?

And how long before results would be seen?...or is it hard to say?

I don't know what the best routine is for you but you should be doing, ALL variations of Squats, Push ups, Pull Ups, Dips, Rows, inverted push ups, deadlifting, Ab exercises and Odd Object lifting. If you have a NUMERICAL GOAL (like a 225 bench or 315 squat) then you will need a gym to safely support the weights and reduce the chances of accidents. If your goal is to become muscular and strong without having a numerical goal, then you wont need a gym...but the more equipment you invest in, the more tools you will have to develop your physique.

Results should happen fairly quickly within 3 - 8 months. All depends on how many times you train through out the day. If you buy a barbell and two 45lb plates, squat 135lbs 60 times through out the day for a year increasing variables like reps, tempo and bar positioning you will develop strong muscular legs and supportive erector muscles for your back

The key to training without a gym is frequency and intensity. The more you train with light/moderate weight through out the day / week / months, the more muscular and stronger you will become. Plus you will have the bonus of having equipment around you at all times more so than a gym, so you can bang out 15 squats, watch TV or whatever for 30 mins and bang another 15 squats, etc...

Eating for maintenance - performance and recovery will be very important...but its not rocket science...the bigger and stronger you become the hungrier you get...just make sure to eat, its simple.

you're probably not gonna succeed

What won't he succeed in doing ?

 

[CarlitosWay]

Look it's not that hard to scrounge up some money, find some lazy **** who doesn't work out anymore and let himself go to sell you a bench and a power rack. Some adjustble dumbbells and a barbell as you get stronger you buy more plates to increase increments.

Start buying lots of ground beef, it's cheap. Start eating lots of pasta/oatmeal/potatoes/sweet potatoes. All that **** is cheap. Eggs to, lots of ****in' eggs. If you can get raw milk go for it. Shredded cheese is nice to add to eggs and beef for extra calories and is very delicious.

Hell I'm about to make up some sauteed roma tomatoes, olive oil and slice mozzarella with some basil sprinkled on top for a pre bed meal, probably will add some peanut butter to that too.

Don't hesitate to take down a burger or some pizza/bread sticks here or there. This is about forcing your body to get into a bodyweight it what's nothing to do with as your body is doing everything in its nature to KEEP you at your current weight as it's less taxing, easier to maintain. Yet if you work hard eating and train hard at least 4-5 times a week with serious weights and give your body no excuse not to grow, YOU WILL GROW.

If your abs start to smooth out some who gives a ****, I don't care what anyone says unless your using steroids it's going to be tough to not put on a **** load of muscle with out fat gain. Accept this and remember the key is to put on a **** load of muscle with "minimal" fat gain. Yet don't obsess over the miniscule ****, worry more about stacking a nice sized plate of dead animals and carbs, some veggies here or there. piece of fruit or two in the morning ...yet just STAY ON TOP OF IT.....

in 3-4 months that's a pretty small time frame (you will gain a decent amount since you're a newbie, but depends on how hard you work). Put your foot down either join a real gym or get what I mentioned, aim to get stronger for more reps or with more weight... No excuses, just ****in' do it for the next year or two, day in day out, week after week. You can thank me later when you actually look bigger than most girls who train in my gym.

Next thing I can tell you, is just READ READ READ...post up pics of the physique that inspire you all around yourself...on a wall, on your desktop wallpaper.... it'll help.

now read some of this

FIRST PICK YOUR MAIN GOAL. Sounds like your main goal is SIZE and strength is secondary.....That's fine, you'll want to look more into how a natural bodybuilder trains....

Routines catered more towards size are on the second page, more time training in the gym and not neglecting muscles = a hungrier you, leading to a bigger more developed you....

HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OWN DAMN GOOD PROGRAM
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_.../how_to_design_a_damn_good_program_part_1&cr=


HOW TO DESIGN YOUR OWN DAMN GOOD PROGRAM 2
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_.../how_to_design_a_damn_good_program_part_2&cr=

Here's a very good trip, follow the damn program!!! Put your blood, sweat and tears in the son of a ***** and reap the benefits...It literally takes months upon months and years to see huge differences in strength/size
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/tips/follow_the_program_052307&cr=

Don't just lift weights and go through the motions like most people, You want to feel muscles contracting and working hard. You want to use weights that challenge you very well but at the same time you can still control it some what and feel the muscles stretching and contracting against the weight. Muscle damage + lots of food = growth. I don't care what people say a bigger muscle has more potential to be a stronger muscle, so don't believe all this hype about "functional training" it's all bull**** said by small people.

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/tips/dont_lift_weights_042407&cr=

TRAINING FOR NEWBIES PART 1 http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_...g_performance/training_for_newbies_part_1&cr=

I'd rather see someone doing a low incline barbell movement though as the flat bench is over rated unless one is going to be competing in powerlifting.

TRAINING FOR NEWBIES PART 2
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_...g_performance/training_for_newbies_part_2&cr=

Engrave that #4 into your skull DON'T NEGLECT ANYTHING!!! Doesn't matter if it's your calves back, legs, shoulders/arms or chest.....HIT em HARD.

NUTRITION FOR NEWBIES PART 1
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_..._performance/nutrition_for_newbies_part_1&cr=

NUTRITION FOR NEWBIES PART 2
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_..._performance/nutrition_for_newbies_part_2&cr=

Yeah think of adding musce/size for the next few years, not in terms of "months" lol c'mon now

Also here's this website, you can literally search up any exercise you like. Very simple instructions and another thing is always talk to any bigger/stronger people than you. You can always learn something from some one.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/SearchExercises.html

I hooked you up, now please don't let me ponder if I wasted my ****1n time ok, cause that would be a freakin' load of bollocks....

 

[morepoonplease]

lol, i think the op wants to get huge in 4 months... not happening... i'll agree with everything above this post.