Gaining muscle

[HairyTXdude]

Ok so for like the past year I've been trying to gain muscle mass Id just be happy being toned So i started running and lifting weight at home no change in my physique. So this past January I signed up for a weight lifting and physique class at my college. We lift weights every other day, I'm lifting as much as the other guys, sometimes more(but not to often). All the other guys are gaining noticeable muscle mass even the girls are getting toned, my body? It still hasn't changed. I'm feed up with it, I eat pretty healthy Lots of proteins average fats, Take my vitamins and I've even tired creatine, my testosterone lvls are fine, I had em check. I'm at a loss and feed up. Alright buff guys and gals mold me plz!

 

[darius2000ad]

You proably have a reasonaly high metabolism. Running and muscle building are opposed to each other. In other words if you try to run hard and increase mileage while trying to increase muscle mass you are working agaisnt your self. I tried this for about a year. I knew it was not a great idea. The result was I put about 4 lbs , got ripped , and got stronger but it would have been more efficient for me to pick one and do less of the other. www.fourworkweek.com

Google "Tim Ferris blog muscle build" Iwould add the link but for some reason I am having trouble. He claims to have added 34 lbs in 4 weeks. Before having a melt down on his claim try it. If does not work try something else ( Pavel as in www.Powerbypavel.com ) or www.crossfit.com

Take notes and pay attention to what works and what does not. There is no failure only feedback. Soon you will find out what does work for you.

Pavel , crossfit, or Ferris proably have a good routine for you. Just look through them and remember that most bodybuilding routines like splits routines were designed by drug users for drug users.

My opinion only.
Good luck .

 

[HairyTXdude]

You proably have a reasonaly high metabolism. Running and muscle building are opposed to each other. In other words if you try to run hard and increase mileage while trying to increase muscle mass you are working agaisnt your self. I tried this for about a year. I knew it was not a great idea. The result was I put about 4 lbs , got ripped , and got stronger but it would have been more efficient for me to pick one and do less of the other. www.fourworkweek.com

Google "Tim Ferris blog muscle build" Iwould add the link but for some reason I am having trouble. He claims to have added 34 lbs in 4 weeks. Before having a melt down on his claim try it. If does not work try something else ( Pavel as in www.Powerbypavel.com ) or www.crossfit.com

Take notes and pay attention to what works and what does not. There is no failure only feedback. Soon you will find out what does work for you.

Pavel , crossfit, or Ferris proably have a good routine for you. Just look through them and remember that most bodybuilding routines like splits routines were designed by drug users for drug users.

My opinion only.
Good luck .

My metabolism is pretty good, I eat like 5 or more meals a day and never really gain anything...

 

[B_R_I_E_F]

Patience. (seriously - not trying to be a smart ass)

Keep at it. You will get bored with the workouts. I suggest you change your venue to keep things interesting. Lifting weights is boring, in my humble opinion. I get new music, and that kind of helps. A change in scenery is the best though.

Don't monitor everyone else. This is about one body - yours. Listen to it. Work with what you've got. The longer you lift, the more results you'll see - in time.

You want overnight success - get on TV, or invent something. You want a better body? Workout daily. It's the mind fuck you've gotta get over. The body will respond eventually.

 

[D_Sir Fitzwilly Wankheimer III]

You proably have a reasonaly high metabolism. Running and muscle building are opposed to each other. In other words if you try to run hard and increase mileage while trying to increase muscle mass you are working agaisnt your self. I tried this for about a year. I knew it was not a great idea. The result was I put about 4 lbs , got ripped , and got stronger but it would have been more efficient for me to pick one and do less of the other. www.fourworkweek.com

Google "Tim Ferris blog muscle build" Iwould add the link but for some reason I am having trouble. He claims to have added 34 lbs in 4 weeks. Before having a melt down on his claim try it. If does not work try something else ( Pavel as in www.Powerbypavel.com ) or www.crossfit.com

Take notes and pay attention to what works and what does not. There is no failure only feedback. Soon you will find out what does work for you.

Pavel , crossfit, or Ferris proably have a good routine for you. Just look through them and remember that most bodybuilding routines like splits routines were designed by drug users for drug users.

My opinion only.
Good luck .

no one can put 34 lbs of muscle on in 4 weeks. 34 lbs maybe but 34 lbs. of muscle no way that would be hard to do even if you were on the sauce. Tour right running is bad (any cardio) if your are trying to build. if you are going to run do it on days you don't lift. the key is to put more calories in your body than you burn daily. you also need protien. if you don't have protien you won't build muscle. 1 1/2 grams per lb of ody weight.

work you r legs, squats, and deadlifts. they are hard and most people won't tough them but thats why they are small. you legs and but have the biggest muscles in your body stimulate them and it affects all of your muscles. besides deadlifts require just about every muscle you have. technique is key though. keep you eyes looking up and keep your back arched at all times. (that goes for any exercise)

splits have nothing to do with drugs. you want to work similar muscle groups at a time. ie bench , shoulder press and triceps all work together. work them all on one day. don't work them again until you are no longer sore. pulling actions another day. curls, rows, deadlifts etc.,

when you are sore you've torn miuscle fibers. thats how you grow. the muscle patches the tear with more fibers. after you been lifting a while if still way too ore after a workout then you need more protien. a little sore is good. if you're not sore at all than you haven't worked hard enough.

 

[HairyTXdude]

Patience. (seriously - not trying to be a smart ass)

Keep at it. You will get bored with the workouts. I suggest you change your venue to keep things interesting. Lifting weights is boring, in my humble opinion. I get new music, and that kind of helps. A change in scenery is the best though.

Don't monitor everyone else. This is about one body - yours. Listen to it. Work with what you've got. The longer you lift, the more results you'll see - in time.

You want overnight success - get on TV, or invent something. You want a better body? Workout daily. It's the mind fuck you've gotta get over. The body will respond eventually.

Coach wont let us listen to personal music while lifting, "its a safety risk" X_X

 

[dajunglee786]

take a weight gainer, theres loads on the market. runnin alot and lifting weights? obviously you wont gain muscle by doing cardio :/ either u want 2 lose weight (in which case do cardio) or gain muscle by eating shit loads of calories a day, including a lot of protein as u said u do, and take a weight gainer along with that. doing cardio will just burn calories therefore ur not gonna gain anything cos ur burning it off. you gotta decide your main goal; lose fat or gain muscle. its pretty damn hard to do them in the same time as their opposite extremes.

 

[HairyTXdude]

noone can put 34 lbs of muscle on in 4 weeks. 34 lbs maybe but 34 lbs. of muscle no way that would be hard to do even if you were on the sauce. Tour right running is bad (any cardio) if your are trying to build. if you are going to run do it on days you don't lift. the key is to put more calories in your body than you burn daily. you also need protien. if you don't have protien you won't build muscle. 1 1/2 grams per lb of ody weight.

work you r legs, squats, and deadlifts. they are hard and most people won't tough them but thats why they are small. you legs and but have the biggest muscles in your body stimulate them and it affects all of your muscles. besides deadlifts require just about every muscle you have. technique is key though. keep you eyes looking up and keep your back arched at all times. (that goes for any exercise)

I do only run on my off lift days

 

[D_Sir Fitzwilly Wankheimer III]

take a weight gainer, theres loads on the market. runnin alot and lifting weights? obviously you wont gain muscle by doing cardio :/ either u want 2 lose weight (in which case do cardio) or gain muscle by eating shit loads of calories a day, including a lot of protein as u said u do, and take a weight gainer along with that. doing cardio will just burn calories therefore ur not gonna gain anything cos ur burning it off. you gotta decide your main goal; lose fat or gain muscle. its pretty damn hard to do them in the same time as their opposite extremes.

actually adding muscle does burn fat. 50 calories per day even at rest per lb of muscle. 5 calories per for every lb of fat. pro body builders eat 10,000+ calories per day just to maintain their muscle. that's alot of food!

 

[bigred0818]

You sound like you have the same kind of body as I do.

I found out that I need to do the very minimum of cardio. Literally, 3 minutes on the tread mill to get the blood pumping before a work out. NO MORE!!!. Go for high weight and low reps with 4 - 5 sets. Work the legs and core muscles always, as these help the isolated muscle groups to work too, as do large muscle groups, like your back.

On your off days, REALLY take them as an off day, and rest as much as possible. NO CARDIO!

As far as gaining weight, you need to eat high calories and high proteins. Porridge for breakfast, then just before you leave the house, peanut butter on wholewheat toast. Eat a banana on the way to school/work. Snack as much as possible with nuts, especially Almonds. Cottage cheese is great for lunches. Have pasta for dinner and more peanut butter on toast before bedtime. Plus, get yourself a crash weight gainer powder. Maximuscle, or Weider, or Muscle Milks. Have 2 - 3 everyday in the middle of main meals with your snacks.

LOAD ON THE PROTEIN! Chicken, fish, beans, chic peas, cottage cheese, nuts, peanut butter, eggs.

The thing you have to remember is this... Everyone has a body type. Endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph. You cant change that, be happy with what you have and use it to your best advantage.

 

[HairyTXdude]

when you are sore you've torn miuscle fibers. thats how you grow. the muscle patches the tear with more fibers. after you been lifting a while if still way too ore after a workout then you need more protien. a little sore is good. if you're not sore at all than you haven't worked hard enough.

The next day after i lift, im sore as hell, like "omg i dont wanna move" sore

 

[hud01]

At 20 I would eat three normal meals and then two or three cheeseburgers and a large milkshake every night for three months to gain a little bit more than 10 lbs.

As has been said weight gain drinks. Add another 1500 to 2200 calories to your diet.

 

[hud01]

The next day after i lift, im sore as hell, like "omg i dont wanna move" sore

Are you stretching enough before? Are you taking a nice hot shower in the morning to loosen you up?

 

[TallGuyIE]

come on guiys, more responses!!
i havent laughed this hard in years!!
thank you

 

[HairyTXdude]

come on guiys, more responses!!
i havent laughed this hard in years!!
thank you

Whats so funny?

 

[tibookx]

eating 6x/day
working out everyday.... 4 days cardio, 3 days weights

meals consist of lean protein, vegetables, and carbs.

ya need to eat after ya lift. protein to fuel muscle rebuilding.
eating is a pain, but trust that its the right thing to do

hit me up and ill tell ya more bro.... no worries. on the same path of gaining muscle, shedding fat.... gonna show the damn GET FIT club who is boss.

 

[D_Leotols Toy]

If you want to gain muscle, lift hard and eat even harder. You'll need to eat more than what you burn or metabolize and in some cases this will come with a little fat or a lot depending on your bulk (dirty or clean).

But if you're lifting correctly and not seeing results, then you're not eating enough. Simple as that.

If you're trying to gain muscle or bulk up, doing a lot of cardio is counter-productive. A little is ok, but not a lot.

My answer to your problem: EAT MORE EAT MORE EAT MORE.

 

[Lex]

Ok so for like the past year I've been trying to gain muscle mass Id just be happy being toned So i started running and lifting weight at home no change in my physique. So this past January I signed up for a weight lifting and physique class at my college. We lift weights every other day, I'm lifting as much as the other guys, sometimes more(but not to often). All the other guys are gaining noticeable muscle mass even the girls are getting toned, my body? It still hasn't changed. I'm feed up with it, I eat pretty healthy Lots of proteins average fats, Take my vitamins and I've even tired creatine, my testosterone lvls are fine, I had em check. I'm at a loss and feed up. Alright buff guys and gals mold me plz!

If you are exercising and your body is not changing then you are either not eating enough, you are eating the wrong things, or you are over-training your body (and not giving it enough time to recover).

The saying goes that if you are not seeing progress you are either "a wimp in the gym or a wimp in the kitchen."

People have told you to eat more. Specifically, you need to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is. Once you know how many calories you need for your age, height, weight and activity level to maintain your current size, add 500 calories per day. This puts you at a 3500 calorie surplus per week, which equals one pound gained per week (on average).

Use this to calculate your BMR and then your Harris Benedict:
Harris Benedict Equation

You will need to work out an eating plan to get your calories. You will need the right combination of proteins/carbs/fats to grow. Google will be your friend in figuring it all out. Eating them in the wrong ratio will put more fat on you than muscle.

Then, you will need to choose a good exercise program. Monitor your lean muscle versus fat gain by examining your body fat percentage about once per month and adjust diet accordingly.

Lifting heavy shit + eating right + rest = getting huge (I used to be 175, now at 202).

Supplements like creatine will do nothing for you if you are not lifting right and eating enough (enough being more than you need to).

Also - people have told you that cardio will limit gains. A few key points:

Before you run or lift, you need to have a lot of complex carbs (from brown pasta, oatmeal, bismati rice) in your system so that you body will use carbs for fuel instead of protein.

If you run in the morning, first thing, you can get away with no carbs as this will force your body to burn fat, but I would not chance it.

Another thing you can do it eat heavier on your heavy exercise days to offset the caloric deficit created by running.

Oh, and keep a log of everything you eat and do (exercise wise). Google Calorie or nutrition counters for help. There are also free sites to help you do this.

The next day after i lift, im sore as hell, like "omg i dont wanna move" sore

This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and is natural.

Sorry for my rambling. I felt like I kept forgetting something.

Good luck.

 

[B_Nick4444]

first thing you should look at is your body type -- that will determine what program you should follow if you want to gain mass

for example, I'm a combo ectomorph & endomorph; because of the ectomorph character, I didn't start to see substantial mass gains until I changed to a program of very, very heavy weights and partial movements

a buddy of time that started at the same time as I did, but of an ectomorph body type, was doing full range of motion with light weights and gained explosively

first thing you want to do is read more (I'm surprised the thread went this far before anyone mentioned this)

 

[TomCat84]

If you are exercising and your body is not changing then you are either not eating enough, you are eating the wrong things, or you are over-training your body (and not giving it enough time to recover).

The saying goes that if you are not seeing progress you are either "a wimp in the gym or a wimp in the kitchen."

People have told you to eat more. Specifically, you need to find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is. Once you know how many calories you need for your age, height, weight and activity level to maintain your current size, add 500 calories per day. This puts you at a 3500 calorie surplus per week, which equals one pound gained per week (on average).

Use this to calculate your BMR and then your Harris Benedict:
Harris Benedict Equation

You will need to work out an eating plan to get your calories. You will need the right combination of proteins/carbs/fats to grow. Google will be your friend in figuring it all out. Eating them in the wrong ratio will put more fat on you than muscle.

Then, you will need to choose a good exercise program. Monitor your lean muscle versus fat gain by examining your body fat percentage about once per month and adjust diet accordingly.

Lifting heavy shit + eating right + rest = getting huge (I used to be 175, now at 202).

Supplements like creatine will do nothing for you if you are not lifting right and eating enough (enough being more than you need to).

Also - people have told you that cardio will limit gains. A few key points:

Before you run or lift, you need to have a lot of complex carbs (from brown pasta, oatmeal, bismati rice) in your system so that you body will use carbs for fuel instead of protein.

If you run in the morning, first thing, you can get away with no carbs as this will force your body to burn fat, but I would not chance it.

Another thing you can do it eat heavier on your heavy exercise days to offset the caloric deficit created by running.

Oh, and keep a log of everything you eat and do (exercise wise). Google Calorie or nutrition counters for help. There are also free sites to help you do this.



This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and is natural.

Sorry for my rambling. I felt like I kept forgetting something.

Good luck.

I need to get in touch with you.