Gaining muscle

[cdog204]

That seems to me a pretty dubious claim.

It does sound a bit dubious, yes, but I can guarantee the guy is legit. He was about a 40 year veteran psych prof who made his career on studying sleep. He was also one of the most well-respected members of the faculty at a very science-heavy Ivy League University for his entire career. His research showed that the human body, and most particularly the brain, functioned most optimally at 9.25 hours sleep per night; most Americans get around 7. He also had empirical evidence proving the effectiveness of naps of two specific lengths - 20 minutes and 90 minutes - that could manipulate your REM cycle to make you feel less tired.

Edit- despite this knowledge I rarely get more than six hours of sleep. I'm a busy guy. I also don't ever really feel all that tired.

Also, Patreus's regimen above reads like a great plan. I just wonder how anyone can practically follow it. I also can't imagine how I could stomach 4 eggs, especially after eating oatmeal. And Whey is a dairy product and there usually is quite a bit of lactose in those supplements, which I for one can't do with. That would just cause weight loss if you catch my drift...

 

[BigDallasDick8x6]

1 -- Cut out the cardio if you have a high metabolism already.

2 -- Eat more. What works for a lot of young guys with who are "hard gainers" is to have a peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk and go right to bed. Not a half hour later, right then. Sounds funny but try it for a month and see what happens. You'll be surprised.

3 -- Get good quality sleep MINIMUM of 8 hours per night. If you wake up in the night and get a drink, make sure it's milk. The protein in the milk will help prevent your body from breaking down muscle for its protein needs.

4 -- Cut out all stimulants, they only raise your metabolism. No Cokes, coffee, or energy drinks.

 

[HairyTXdude]

1 -- Cut out the cardio if you have a high metabolism already.

2 -- Eat more. What works for a lot of young guys with who are "hard gainers" is to have a peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk and go right to bed. Not a half hour later, right then. Sounds funny but try it for a month and see what happens. You'll be surprised.

3 -- Get good quality sleep MINIMUM of 8 hours per night. If you wake up in the night and get a drink, make sure it's milk. The protein in the milk will help prevent your body from breaking down muscle for its protein needs.

4 -- Cut out all stimulants, they only raise your metabolism. No Cokes, coffee, or energy drinks.

I can't do without caffeine, I need it for my A.D.D and I'm pretty allergic to milk...

 

[289]

Really? You think basic concepts which are easily explained with 5 second Google searches and online tools that do the work for you are "not useful" or somehow "too difficult" for everyday people?

Not understanding calories and macronutrients (fancy word for proteins, carbs, and fats) is why most people can not lose weight, get fit or gain muscle.

I don't get your insinuation that someone can or should try to reach a goal without being properly educated on what exactly it takes to get there.

That's like saying, got lift a dumbbell, but don't worry about form, because near-perfect reps are a waste of time and only benefit advanced lifters. This would be irresponsible advice as it would lead to injuries, just as your advice (to ignore sound advice) will lead to no gains and frustration.

Just saying.

1) Ordinary people should speak to a professional when modifying calorific intake ie sports instructor or a medical professional rather than relying on potentially unreliable and dangerous "web calcualtors"
2) You don't get my "insinuation" because you are misinterpreting my post- ie i wasn't making an insinuation
3) Comparing my advice to lifting weights in an unsafe fashion is ludicrous and fallacious .


The essence of what I was saying is don't ignore the basics- to repeat, many people have given good advice, but it can be difficult to see the woods for the trees. In case YOU don't understand that,Lex, its a metaphor. Don't want you thinking I'm advising woodland running for muscle hypertrophy (thats when it gets bigger) and giving me your "two cents" on it.

 

[haulthat]

I disagree. Not with the fact that genetics play an important role, but because I think more often than not people point to genetics first and other factors last. Your genes determine what your limit is once you have developed as much as you possibly can as far as muscle goes, they determine the shape they will end up, and to some degree yes how easily it will be for you to reach your best. No one, outside of disability (and even then I have been to bodybuilding shows where they had a separate category for people with disabilities, yes they cant compete on the same level of everyone else but they look better than the average joe and didn't let it stop them), is genetically limited from getting in good shape. Does everyone have the genes to be a model? Hell no. A decent six pack isn't enough to be a model though, and while it ain't impossible ya its gonna be rough getting there. The reality of it is that some people think of going to the gym as like a pet project to reach a goal, not a permanent lifestyle change that will probably take years to get what they want.

Genetics is far more important than people will have you beleive......

 

[fri2219]

Bodybuilding is like any other sport- it's 90% you and 10% your genetics. If you don't do the 90%, the 10% isn't going to help much, and if you're going for brass ring, you'll need the 10%.

That said, the three things that matter the most for the 90% are:
1) Persistence
2) Sleep
3) Nutrition

 

[HellsKitchenmanNYC]

Don't go by me. I'm a complete ectomorph. I worked w/a trainer for nine months and nothing. I doubled my calories from 220 to 4200. DId the whole food diary, worked and trained and NOTHING! I bet the mesos and endos have way better luck than I did!

 

[Fardunda]

Just want to back up the simple is best approach. You can get seriously bogged down in detail, but truely there are only 4 things you need to know:

1. Lift heavy.
Focus on compound movements. Squats, deadlifts, rows, bench etc. Ignore the biceps curls and calf raises. Mix up your workout frequently.
2. Eat. A lot. Most people completely underestimate how much food they need to ingest.
3. Rest. Your body needs time to recover and grow.
4. Train with intensity. No 20 minute phone calls between sets.