@andersq...your body doesn't actually reach it's peak until you're 23-25 but in about two years or so you start to lose the naturally "limber" stature that you enjoy at your present age if you don't make it a point to stay that way. At your age, you're sure to beef up more in the next couple of years. You're at a rough age in a way ... guys don't seem to physically mature as evenly as girls do. Guys often get either tall and thin as a reed before the beef up or they stay short first and get (seemingly) fat which is really tough on the teen-aged ego until they start to put the height on as they do eventually but many (not all) but many teen-aged guys grow in disproportioned ways but only over the space of two or three years until the ol' hormones even everything out. I mean, this happens with girls too, but nowhere near to the same degree. I was a lot like you at your age...I got to 5'11 but weighed about 130 pounds. I looked like a healthier version of those starving third world country pics you see commercials for on TV. I was all skin and bones and my voice didn't change until after all my friend. I felt like a freak at that age ... but so do so many. It all evened out as it always does with all guys. I'm 54 now and still waiting for a decent beard to set in though lol!
I perform aerobic exercise (on my bowflex rowing machine) for about 15 minutes before my workout, then 10 minutes after. Durring the summer, as long as it is not raining, I also hit my pool for 30 minutes to an hour after my workout. I swim moderately on most days, but after my arm/chest day I usually swim hard laps. Like Gerry said, muscle needs time to recover if you want to bulk. My routine for moderate build consists of 2 sets (1 minute between sets) of 8-12 reps, 3 days on, 1 day off. For heavy bulking you will want a similar routine, but you will want 5-8 reps 60-90 second rests. When I specify reps, that means you set your weight so you can do more than the minimum, but you absolutely cannot do more than the maximum for both sets. Any exercise routine using lifting (other than maintainance) should work reps to muscular fatigue failure. I divide my 3 days exercises like so: 1) Arms/chest (many chest exercises also work triceps so I suggest joining the 2) 2)Shoulders/Back 3)Legs/Trunk NEVER snap lift, as this can cause injury and does not work the muscle correctly. Always make slow, smooth contractions and extentions. My routine consists or 3 seconds duration for contraction and 3 more for extention. The slower the motion the more completely the exercise works the muscle. PAY ATTENTION TO FORM!!! Protine shakes do work (as does peanut butter on a spoon ). Protien is essencial to building mass.
@Sand38 ... you know your stuff, my friend. It was remiss of me not to mention that some aerobics (not enough to fatigue you) but SOME is important BEFORE exercise because it gorges the muscles with blood providing both the nutrients and oxygen needed by the muscles during the workout. You're certainly right about form and I can't tell you how many guys I've seen hurt themselves for life in the hope of getting fit for life! This is especially true of free weights but all exercise equipment runs the risk if not properly used. "Throwing the weight" not only deprives you of the full benefit of the exercise but is EXTREMELY dangerous. When you throw the weight, the simple power of enertia will double that weight in the moments when it jumps back ... you'll feel the "slam" as you push against the settling weight and that can do enormous damage...if fact, Nautilus had an exercise for the neck that caused so much damage that it nearly bankrupted them and that one thing is why you must now sign a statement when you join a gym accepting full responsibility for any physical injury. Around 1979-1980, the had this machine that was supposed to build the muscles around the neck. You were sitting and put your forearms under this wide flat bar that you lifted up and down with the underside of the forearm which will flex the neck muscles if the arm is parallel to the floor. Guys would throw the weight instead of lifting if slowly and it would go up but slam back down into the forearm. This would put an enormous slam into the discs and vertabrae in the neck and caused a lot of spinal injuries. It wasn't the machine at fault but the users but they discontinued its use; some people ended up paralyzed.
Yeah, I didn't purposely change my eating habits or anything for that matter I just hit a growing spurt and lost all the weight when I stretched out.
@ gerry. average? Lol. ha ha ha fatties Thats class. I have no real contribution to this thread sorry, i just found a few things funny. Although, i have put on a bit of flab recently cause.....i couldnt be @rsed to do sit ups and press ups like i normally do, recently. Hopefully the shame of swimming and stuff when i go to portugal tomorrow and everyone seeing a bit of flab, will get me back into the routine lol. Oh yeh, i wont be on aD for two weeks cause of portugal. Hey gerry, you said you did it in the marine corps and u seem to know what your on about, i dont suppose you could make a a diet sheet or something could you please? My football coach reccommended we all made one, but i have no idea....
Yeah I've been weight training for about a year. There's a gym that's in walking distance so I go there. I am 5'6 155 but I want to get to 180 or 190. With muscle bulking Diet is SO important. Here are some guidelines I go by: 1.) For every pound you weigh get about 30 calories a day. for me 155x30=4650 2.) For every pound you weigh get 1 gram of protein a day. for me 155g Protein 3.) Eat 5 or 6 small meals a day and do not eat anything 2 hours before bed 4.) Drink 1 gallon of water 5.) Drink lots of whole milk and Juice Like someone above mentioned a good split workout is crucial! Work each major muscle group only once a week but work it intensly! When going for size and strength low rep I heavy weight is usually best. When going for definition and endurance do high reps light weight. Also dont do the exact same routine week after week you got tokeep your body guessing! This could includes changing the weight you are lifting the amount of reps you do etc. Another thing to note is you can't bulk up and get ripped at the same time. When you bulk up you will get stronger and bigger but will also lose some definition and gain some body fat. After you bulk up thats when do a lot of cardio and lowering the amount of calories you intake and thus you get "ripped"! Also it will also be to your advantage to look into some supplements: 1. Protein Powder - I use MET-RX 2. A weight gainer - http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/pl/large.html 3. Creatine - I use N0-Xplode http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/xplode.html One final thought and i do not recomend this(I don't do it myself). Some people take Pro-hormones which higher your testerone. Now before you scream "Steroids!" they're not... exactly. First of all they are legal but they do have the same side effects as steroids. The differnce is that Pro-hormones in their natural state is not testosterone anabolic steroids are! Pro-hormones undergo a chemical conversion to become testosterone. For more info see this http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Pro-Hormone_FAQ/m_1927/tm.htm Use them at your own risk...
i came across this, thought it was interesting. i do think 4650 is quite high, but im not an expert http://www.hpathy.com/healthtools/calories-need.asp
To bulk up you do NEED a caloric surplus. The only way to get bigger is to eat which means more calories. Not everyone needs 30 calories per pound. The average person needs about 20 per pound http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/...Includes_Quick_Spreadsheet_Too/m_45013/tm.htm to gain weight. I'm naturally ecto/meso morph and have a fast metabolism so its hard for me to gain weight that's why when bulking I need a larger calorie intake than the average person. If you see you are gaining to much unwanted fat then lower the amount of calories(or layoff the junk foods), if you see that you're not gaining weight higher it. Everyones body is different so you just gotta play with it until you find the right amount. The point is that if your not fat and you want to build muscle you need a lot more calories than you normally get.
Whao, what a thread!! I used to be very into body building, I recently started again, here is a copy of my workout: Week 1: Monday - Workout A Wednesday -Workout B Friday - Workout A Week 2: Monday - Workout B Wednesday - Workout A Friday - Workout B For the actual workouts read below: Note: This doesn’t include warm-up sets **Means this is OPTIONAL** Workout A 3x5 Squat 3x5 Bench Press 1x5 Deadlift Workout B 3x5 Squat 3x5 Standing military press 3x5 Pendlay or Bent Rows (or power cleans) Works really, really well. I'm thinking of piling on some mass, to do this I'll need the aid of supplements, which I have never used before. If anyone can reccomend me some powders or tablets that would be great. Cheers.
ok, so. I've decided to get myself in better shape....although "round" is technicly a shape I went for a physical about 4 years ago and the doc told me that I needed to get fiter or else I face heart problems in about 10 years. Now that I have 2 wonderful daughters I figured that I want to be around for aslong as I can be. I am 189cm tall which is 6.2ft tall and roughly 125kg's which is about 275lb's. Aparently I should be abround the 80 - 85kg mark for my height. Bearing in mind that I don't have enough cash to go to a gym(courtesy of my daughters. lol), what do yall recomend?
@Ireland, Lol, a "chill pill", I didn't know thoose things existed @andersg, I need supplemets to pile on mass, if you train a lot, there comes a point where you can eat and eat and not put on much, supplemets give you loads of protien and other nutrients to help you with your workout, I've seen them work well. I think its time to nip down to Holland & Barrat and grab me some, time to up the level on the workout's I think, I'll keep to the current sets I do though, 3 sets (1 set = how many you can do in 30 sec) x5 is a good work out! @Bubba, Hey buddy, Considering your height, you should do the exact same work out as me (that is if you want to build), first, you should start cutting. Cardio Vascular work will do wonders for you, you don't need a gym, just go for a jog every morning, in no time you will be able to see the benifits. As well as that, EAT RIGHT! Healthy eating is essential, watch what you eat and jog regulary, keep at it and you'll meet your goals in no time! Just don't miss a session, if you start missing sessions you won't get anywhere, stick to it and you'll get your weight down. Good Luck!
Rav, my friends brothers a machine and he has alot of supplements. THink its way powder or something. But ill ask him what it is, and he gets it from holland and barratt. Ill get back to you.
Hi all. I work out most afternoons during the week in my local gym. Here's some things I've learned, but feel free to disagree... Exercise is about 25% of it diet 75%. If you want to change your shape or put on muscle you have to change your diet. Get instruction. Watching people lift weights usually makes me cringe. No technique with bodies all over the place. The big mistake is overloading the bar. Drop the weight and get the technique right and ask someone who knows how to do it. Two important things: keep the weight on the muscles not on the joints. Keep the weight off the joints. Don't arch your back when lifting. Keep your back flat with the weight off it. Protein is all I take - Dymatise Elite Whey protein which I think comes from the States. Go for a natural look. I've seen people who look like mutants and the girls don't like it. Stay away from chemicals - the looks unnatural, you sweat a lot, get acne across your shoulders and it destroys your health. Regards...
I take the same protein, great stuff imo. As for getting the form right, I am with you 100% on that. no point working out if you aint doing it right. You will just end up hurting yourself. It also helps to do a good cardio workout first. PS: There is a product out that is called "Anabolic Stack", you do get amazing results from this stuff...BUT it is easily the most aweful thing you will ever taste. you mix 2 vials of stuff together and drink the result. I have seen a guy dry reach for over an hour from the stuff.
Hi Bubba 1982. Yeah that Elite is good stuff with some good flavors. I've tried other brands and mostly they taste awful. Cyclone is one that comes to mind. This type of protein - quickly absorbed - I take within 20 mins after a workout. I take it other times, but try to rely on slowly absorbed forms of protein such as fish & eggs - not a great fan of dairy. I start with 10 mins cardio, then weights, then 25 mins cardio, then abs 3 times a week. In between I do cardio & abs. Abs I think can be done every day when training. Everyone seems to have a different view on when to do cardio - before during & after weights, but most weight trainers I've seen do very little. Yeah bad technique leads to injury. Take the lat pull down. I've seen people using it leaning forward with bent necks - ouch - or leaning backwards excising their chests! when doing a lat exercise... Not heard of "Anabolic Stack" - sounds like fun!
