Hey guys, my name is C.S Collins and I am 20 years old, and was wondering if you guys think at current weight 128lbs and height 5'7", will I be able to gain at least 12 more pounds to reach 140lbs by this coming fall? Currently I am taking Weight Gainer 2200, I am eating roughly 3500 cals per day, and 120 grams of protein. I work out for 4 times a week, working out on a body part, that I want to improve on twice for the week. I have been working out for about maybe 3 months now, so I m a newbie to it but not truly because I used to work out in high school but stopped when I went into college. Below are some images of me now.

Before
http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/form.gif

http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/armbefore3.gif

After
http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/arm.gif
http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/newer/6act.gif
http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/newer/armsize1.gif

Sorry for the blurry images, it just gives you a based idea of what I am working with. I will post some better ones if this isn't good enough.

:rolleyes:

you may be able to gain 10 pounds by christmas. your diet is going to be a major factor in whether or not you will be able to reach your goals.

how many meals are you eating?
what kinds of food are you eating?
how much water are you drinking?
how much sleep are you getting?
what are your training splits like?
how long are you in the gym per session?

answer these questions first. then, we will be able to help more. please do not be vague. the more detail, the more we can help.

you may be able to gain 10 pounds by christmas. your diet is going to be a major factor in whether or not you will be able to reach your goals.

how many meals are you eating?
what kinds of food are you eating?
how much water are you drinking?
how much sleep are you getting?
what are your training splits like?
how long are you in the gym per session?

answer these questions first. then, we will be able to help more. please do not be vague. the more detail, the more we can help.


Well, the reason why I asked is because in 3 months I had gained 13lbs. I know they said it was kinda not healthy to gain so fast, but it wasn't fat at all. I went from 115lbs to 128lbs in about 3 and a half months.

I am currently eating about maybe 3500 calories per day along with maybe 100 and something grams of protein.

I will answer your questions with these:

how many meals are you eating?

I am eating about 7 meals per day, sometimes 6. So I be hitting about 3500 calories or more.

what kinds of food are you eating?

I eat steak, lean meat, brown rice, whole grain bread, omega-3 eggs, peanut butter, fruit, protein shake, yogurt, cereal with skim milk, bacon... (I got this diet from

My meal will be like:

Sunday - Monday - Tuesday (off days from work)

10:00 am - 3 eggs, 2 omega-3 eggs, 2 whole grain toast, juice, vitamin and fish oil (meal 1)
11:30 am - pre-workout protein shake and a fruit.
12:00 am - drink juice and workout
1:00 pm - drink post-workout protein drink
1:30 pm - creatine 14g and juice
3:00 pm - snack = 3 tbls of peanut butter on 2 slices of whole grain bread / yogurt (240)(2) / chicken sandwich and or protein shake (meal 2)
5:00 pm -* lunch, and if not another protein shake (meal 3)
7:00 pm - cereal with skim milk (meal 4)
9:00 pm - fruit salad / protein shake / sandwich… (meal 5)
11:00 pm - another snack consisted of lean meat or cereal (meal 6)

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday (work days)

10:00 am - 2 boil eggs, bacon / steak / ham / chicken, with juice, vitamins and fish oil (meal 1)
10:30 am - pre-workout protein shake
11:00 am - juice and workout
12:00 am - post-workout shake and juice
2:00 pm - yourt (240 cal) / protein shake / sandwich with 3 scoops of peanut butter (2:00 pm or 2:30 pm or 3:00 pm) (meal 2)
5:00 pm - yogurt (240), protein shake/bar (300) (meal 3)
7: 00 pm - lasagna / 2 chicken sandwiches / spagetti and lean meat (or meatballs) / brown rice and lean meat / bacon (2) sandwich plus yourt / (whatever meal was made the night before) (meal 4)
10:00 pm or 10:15 pm or (9:00 pm) - protein shake
11:45 pm - lean meat and brown rice or pasta (meal 5)
12:45 pm - chicken sandwich / cereal with skim milk / protein shake (meal 6)


how much water are you drinking?

I drink about maybe a bottle of water per day (propel), and if not I would drink it during my work outs.

how much sleep are you getting?

I get nearly 8 hours of sleep, sometimes even more.

what are your training splits like?

My split goes something like this:


Monday - chest, biceps, abs, back

Tuesday - legs, chest

Wednesday - off

Thrusday - shoulders, traps, abs, biceps

Friday - off

Saturday - back, triceps, abs, chest

Sunday - off/ legs


how long are you in the gym per session?

I do 10 minutes of cardio and about 50 to 60 mins of a weight training.


Hope this is sufficient! :rolleyes:

I think you got a pretty good start, and seem to know what you're doing. I don't think GNC 2200 is the greatest weight gainer out there, but that's another topic.
You just need to keep up what you're doing.

1. Lots of food

2. Lots of rest

3. Compound Exercises

I do think your schedule will perhaps need some tweaking in the future. The main question I have is...why chest 3 times/week?

M $

thank you for answering all my questions in detail.

ok...lets get started.

your food consumption...for bulking, it's fantastic. the fact that you're 20, eating like this, and trying to really grow is just awesome. keep in mind that your bodyfat may increase. if it does, try adding some 25-35 minute sessions of cardio in the morning. when you do the cardio, make sure it's on an empty stomach. the reason you do cardio on an empty stomach is because you will get better fat loss. during sleep, your body will burn simple sugar (glucose) for breathing, regulating correct body temp, etc. then, you will tap into your (glycogen, stored in your liver) sugar reserves. then, your body will use some fat for energy. so, with all of that being done at night, you're already 3 steps (burn what's in your stomach, glucose, glycogen) ahead. this makes your morning cardio into a 10 hour cardio session, metaphorically speaking. if you're not worried about your bodyfat right now, don't worry about it. also, keep in mind that cardio releases hdl cholesterol, the good cholesterol. so even 15 minute sessions can help your overall health.

type of food that you're eating...it's great you're eating all this food. let's try to clean it up a little. for your eggs, bacon, etc. do not fry them in olive oil, canola oil, or anything like that. use pam and pan fry them. try to avoid cooking them in the extra grease because it will increase your ldl cholesterol, the bad cholesterol. you will be getting enough of this from all the meat we all need. yea...shitty trade off, huh? haha! surprisingly, that's about it on this topic. good job.

your water intake...okay, here is a major problem. this will probably be hard for you, at first. then, it will become a walk in the park. you drink one bottle of propel a day. that's bad. do a search for "importance of water" and read the hell out of that thread. you need to increase your water intake to AT LEAST one gallon. try your best to increase it to one and a half gallons a day. i personally drink 2 gallons a day, and it's a peice of cake. so, trust me, it will get easier over time.

your sleep...that's great you get 8 hours. now, try to get 10 hours, if you can. the more you sleep, the more you can recover and grow. there is so much that your body does on a molecular level for your body. recooperation, hormones, etc. sleep = better health, growth, and more.

your workout splits...hmm...we need to work on this. before i do, i have some questions.

where did you get this routine?
why did you choose it?
what are you training for? just adding muscle? be a little more specific.

Wow man thanks for that extensive response. I am trying to bulk up and gain a lot of mass. Didn't like being the small one amongst everyone. Not only that I used to work out in high school but stopped and the confidence level was definitely much higher due to working out.

To answer your questions, same format as before.

where did you get this routine?

I posted this routine on forum and they said it was okay. I added the workout of chest and other parts of the body twice or 3 times for the week because I am seriously lagging on that part. I am soon going to have a 3 split routine. Workout 3 days rest 4. But I am just finishing off this routine, if it's not good then I would be glad to revamp it and use the new one you give me until the end of the month.

why did you choose it?

I chose the routine because I was working out 6 days a week and of course I wasn't getting any rest so the gains were very slim. I then narrowed it down a bit, and placed 3 days of rest in there so I can grow. The people at the forum told me that I shouldn't work out legs with other parts of the body. But of course it's a forum and I read in magazines where people were working out on their legs with other parts of the body on the same day, so that's why I placed chest with legs.

Also like answered in the above question, I did it because certain parts of my body are lagging. Cest, and back and shoulders. But, if of course you guys can assist me and I revamp my routine, I will work with it until the end of the month and switch to my 3 day split.

what are you training for? just adding muscle? be a little more specific.

I am training to look very very bulk. I am gonna post a picture of a guy from another forum and show you what I want.

This is my body frame now

http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/new/body.gif

(sorry for how blurry the above image is but it gives you an example of my frame)

This is what I want to look like

http://muscle-bound05.com/wp-images/likethis.gif

And about the water, damn, I hate water that's why I am drinking propel new little thing they have. It's awesome, but what is the gallon of water a day pertain to? Like why do I have to drink so much?


Thanks for the detailed help! I truly appreciate it.

let's try this split:

day 1 - chest/triceps
day 2 - back/biceps/forearms
day 3 - abs/core
day 4 - shoulders
day 5 - legs/forearms
day 6 - abs/core
day 7 - rest

i don't think that you working out six days a week will phase you. the reason why i think this is because you really only have 4 main days in the gym. the other two, you can be in and out in less than 35 minutes.

what do you think of this split? are you down?

as for water...you can use wyler's light, crystal light, propel, etc. the point is that you need to drink a lot of water. please look at that thread as well. your body consists of water. drinking water will actually help you in many ways. your metabolism will increase, you will retain less water weight, joints stay lubricated, the list can go on even more.

i don't care for the split either, i suggest one body part per day~

Monday~legs
Tuesday~shoulders/abs
Wednesday~back/hamstrings
Thursday~arms
Friday~chest

if you take note, there is always a "smaller" bodypart inbetween training a larger one. there is no way you should be able to train chest and legs on the same day, legs, chest and back are your big workouts.

also, stick (for the most part) with compound movements. start out with an isolation movement to get blood in the muscle you are training, but your workout should be (for the most part) heavy, compound movements.

eg~chest
pec dec
incline bench
flat bench
weighted dips

4 sets of each, 8-10 reps, depending on weight being used.

when you want to grow, you need to lift heavy, isolation movements are really of no use (except as i mentioned to get the blood flowing)

QOD

I agree with QOD on this as well. The routine you posted is at best bunk, and for the size increase you want you need to rest as much as you need to train. Remember that it's when you rest that the muscles grow. Training is just the stimulus used to get a growth response.

Hmm, how come you guys want me to work out 6 times a week....I thought that wasn't good enough? Do you think the routine I have will allow me to get anymore muscle growth? Anyways, I am thinking I will stick with my workout routine until the 29th, and then I will start a new rooutine based on what you guys have told me! Hm, but I am way confused on why in one case people tell me to not work out so much but in another case they tell me that my old routine is basically the right routine, the routine for 6 days.

Thanks again guys!

Well, at this point in your lifting, you're new to it. You'll likely grow with a variety of routines. As time progresses, you'll need to adjust your routine to what works for you.

Personally, I could never grow for shit training 6 days/week. But that's just me. I gained almost all my strength doing 3-4 days/week. Hell, I even did 2 days/week for a while, and made some gains with that program.

Then again, there are plenty of people who pull 6-7 days a week, and seem to have great results. So try a few different routines, see what works for you.

Stop reading magazines.

M $

Everybodys body is not the same. so each body will react differently to different styles of training, different routines etc. the key to success is to find what works for you. however this doesnt mean if someone gives you tips and someone else gives you different advice you can say one persons wrong and the others right. you kinda follow me? I get my best gains from going on a 3 day split routine. however Bio or Queeny may do best with a different routine. I know that johnnyb likes the 6 day split routine alot and it obviously works for him. If you want to get big stick with the compound movements like the others have said. they work the bigger muscle groups. an example would be squats (works lower back, quads, calfs, basically a complete lower body excersize). Isolation movements help work the smaller muscles and bring in definition. Bulk up and than Cut in short. thats my little piece, hope it helps and best of luck, feel free to correct me if I said something wrong bro's and bra's. lmao.

K&P

Okay, quick quick glance at things. My advice:

Switch to a 4-day split:

--------------------------------------------
Back
--------------------------------------------

Barbell Deadlift
BB Bent-Over Row
Cable Seated Row
Cable Front Pulldown
Barbell Shrug

--------------------------------------------
Chest
--------------------------------------------

Incline Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Barbell Bench Press
Weighted Dips

--------------------------------------------
Legs
--------------------------------------------

Barbell Squat
Smith Hack Squats
Lever Seated Leg Curl
Barbell Straight Leg Deadlift
Leg Press
Standing/Seated Calf Raises

--------------------------------------------
Arms [+ Shoulders]
--------------------------------------------

Cable Pushdown
Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Skullcrushers)
Seated Triceps Dips
Barbell Curl
Cable Curl
Lever Seated Preacher Curls
Military Press


Okay now for my diet advice. I'm playing the devils advocite here, but -- Forget about eatting clean! This is the best advice anyone could have given you. You're 128Lbs! Eat McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut - Whatever man! Forget counting calories and just eat until you can't eat no more. Also, reduce the amount of meals during a day. Switch to the 4-6 meal range depending on serving sizes.

Oh yeah, again you're a lightweight. You're abs are going to be vascular already so there's not need to abs. Trust me.

Good luck.

Okay, quick quick glance at things. My advice:

Switch to a 4-day split:

--------------------------------------------
Back
--------------------------------------------

Barbell Deadlift
BB Bent-Over Row
Cable Seated Row
Cable Front Pulldown
Barbell Shrug

--------------------------------------------
Chest
--------------------------------------------

Incline Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Barbell Bench Press
Weighted Dips

--------------------------------------------
Legs
--------------------------------------------

Barbell Squat
Smith Hack Squats
Lever Seated Leg Curl
Barbell Straight Leg Deadlift
Leg Press
Standing/Seated Calf Raises

--------------------------------------------
Arms [+ Shoulders]
--------------------------------------------

Cable Pushdown
Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Skullcrushers)
Seated Triceps Dips
Barbell Curl
Cable Curl
Lever Seated Preacher Curls
Military Press


Okay now for my diet advice. I'm playing the devils advocite here, but -- Forget about eatting clean! This is the best advice anyone could have given you. You're 128Lbs! Eat McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut - Whatever man! Forget counting calories and just eat until you can't eat no more. Also, reduce the amount of meals during a day. Switch to the 4-6 meal range depending on serving sizes.

Oh yeah, again you're a lightweight. You're abs are going to be vascular already so there's not need to abs. Trust me.

Good luck.

agreed with the diet. there is NO need to watch your caloric intake when you are an ectomorph (which you clearly are) you can get away with assuming large amounts of fats without gaining as your metabolism runs so high.

one must gain weight to increase one's size. you have to "bulk" up then diet off and (once again) see where your weak areas are....and start again.

it's a very slow process, it takes years of hard training to build a physique, you aren't going to do it in a few months.

so, eat BIG, train BIG and stop worrying about what kind of foods you are eating. start a "see-food" diet. you "see" food....well you eat it;) just make sure to keep your protein high which is easily done by slamming protein shakes inbetween meals throughout the day.

Hmmm...the split looks good. I guess I will use that because it seems good. As for the diet eh, I have reached a point in my life where I can't consume fast food without feeling like throwing it up. So, I don't know I guess I will just continue eating like a pig like I have been doing, and get those protein shakes in, alright thanks!

I dont think anyone mentioned your protine should be about 350-400g Everyday. This will be your major fact for growth.

Qod's workout will be right on the money.

I dont think anyone mentioned your protine should be about 350-400g Everyday. This will be your major fact for growth.

Qod's workout will be right on the money.

I think that's a miss type. That's almost the range I'm at, and he's half my size!

Just aim for 175-250 grams of protein a day.

the general rule bro is for every pound you weigh you consume double that in protien every day.

K&P

good read we got going here

the general rule bro is for every pound you weigh you consume double that in protien every day.

K&P

Okay cool, I thought the 300 something to 400 something gram of protein scared me a little. I know I need to take it slowly anyways. So I should be taking 256 grams of protein per day? I mean I only get about maybe 90 from my protein shake, where else am I to get that amount per day?

Thanks again guys, you are very enthusiastic about assisting me, I give this forum props definitely!

you want to make sure that when your using protien shakes that there not meal replacements. supplements. I dont even use protien shakes ot be honest. I just eat about 6 smaller meals a day of clean food. meats such as chicken and steak have a good amount of protien. also, your going ot get chubby while you do this. like queenie said, bulk and than get cut up. your well on your way, lift smart, lift hard.

Heres a post by our man johnnyb with different sources of protien etc.
http://www.freakzonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30672&page=1&pp=20

K&P

Sorry Johnny I didnt know what I was thinking. And 250-300 will do you good.

Thanks again guys. Seems I am saying this so much but doesn't seem to show how much I appreciate your input. All good, and definitely will be taken into consideration. :)

Sorry Johnny I didnt know what I was thinking. And 250-300 will do you good.

damn right you didnt! lol.

K&P

your training routine is definitely going to be trial and error. we can give you ideas, which we are. you must take these ideas, use them, listen to your body, and then apply what works best with you. i believe we have given you enough information for you to even come up with a routine yourself. i'm not saying that you should. i am merely saying you could.

two books you should pick up that will help you tremendously for working out:

arnold schwarzenegger's encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding
and
stuart mcrobert's the insider's tell all handbook to proper weight-training technique

about the diet...for you to eat all the junk food like wendy's, taco bell, shit junk food, etc....i disagree. yes, you need to eat a lot more food than you are eating. you need to be sure that you get plenty of good fats, carbs, and protein. although, if you were to eat this fried junky food, you kind of are hurting yourself. i'm just looking at this from a healthy view here. you will consume a huge amount of saturated fat, your cholesterol will skyrocket, your bodyfat could increase more than you want. i mean, you can bulk, eat a lot of food, keep it somewhat clean for health reasons, and still bulk like hell.

your choice...it's just something to think about.

I'm not saying make a diet surrounding fast food, I'm saying don't be afraid binge.

Fast food is not an issue when you're that light. Hell, haven't you seen Lee Priest eating a bucket of Kfc? Man, people are too pussy when it comes to their diet.

I'm not saying make a diet surrounding fast food, I'm saying don't be afraid binge.

Fast food is not an issue when you're that light. Hell, haven't you seen Lee Priest eating a bucket of Kfc? Man, people are too pussy when it comes to their diet.

i understand that he cannot surround his diet around junk food. i was just hoping we weren't steering him to that. i know lee priest eats like a fucking weirdo to get all the extra calories, carbs, etc. it's cool for him to eat some shit food a few times a week. it will help him stay sane. i'm just saying, if he were to eat too much all the time...his cholesterol levels will rise. like i said, it's just something to think about.

this is just my perspective on the topic.

Hm, I must agree BioHazard03. Thanks for the advice. I was wondering, when my abs start coming in can I bulk and still keep my abs intacked? I mean I want to get huge, even as huge as you johnnyb, some day of course. But the picture of the guy that I showed you, I want to get like that by christmas. So you know, I need to know if that is possible. Also, wanna do it all natural ( if you know what I mean ). Anyways thanks again, you guys are more helpful than the peeps over at bodybuilding.com.

*Also cool picture on bodybuilding.com johnnyb!

I know you have huge hoeps but that big by christmas is pushing it bro. Bodyu building definately takes some time, hell ive been at it now for about a year and have only seen about 50 pounds of gain, but thats alot of consistency, and training hard. also, keeping abs while bulking probably wont happen. when you bulk you get chubby and thats just part of it. also abs are made in the kitchen, excersises can do a little to help em come out but its mostly just cutting down till yah see em but thats a different story.

K&P

*Also cool picture on bodybuilding.com johnnyb!

Aha, thanks! My Bb.com promotion worked.

abs are made in the kitchen. what this means is that your diet will depend on how much your abs will come in. of course you will need to actually do ab workouts. the main factor will be your diet. as for your goal...you weight 125 and you want to get to 185, roughly. no, i do not think this is realistic. you might be able to make it by next fall. it will really depend on you. you are the person who is going to make sure you eat correctly, train enough, train correctly, sleep enough, etc. just because we think that your goal is unrealistic, do not let that phase you. re-think your goal, then stick to it. the point of your goal is to get bigger. so, do just that.

good luck on your quest. read, learn, and use the knowledge because knowledge is power.
:yeah

abs are made in the kitchen. what this means is that your diet will depend on how much your abs will come in. of course you will need to actually do ab workouts. the main factor will be your diet. as for your goal...you weight 125 and you want to get to 185, roughly. no, i do not think this is realistic. you might be able to make it by next fall. it will really depend on you. you are the person who is going to make sure you eat correctly, train enough, train correctly, sleep enough, etc. just because we think that your goal is unrealistic, do not let that phase you. re-think your goal, then stick to it. the point of your goal is to get bigger. so, do just that.

good luck on your quest. read, learn, and use the knowledge because knowledge is power.
:yeah


Thanks guys but I want to reach 140 by August which is just 12 lbs more and I seem to gain pounds easily, and I want to be like the dude I posted who he said in the forum I took it off that he's 152, but yet he is of course 5'3". You think maybe me at 5'7" by christmas can be at 165? I mean I am slowin right now as my online trainer told me that I gained the weight a little fast, hm.

Thanks guys but I want to reach 140 by August which is just 12 lbs more and I seem to gain pounds easily, and I want to be like the dude I posted who he said in the forum I took it off that he's 152, but yet he is of course 5'3". You think maybe me at 5'7" by christmas can be at 165? I mean I am slowin right now as my online trainer told me that I gained the weight a little fast, hm.

it could be quite possible. i really could not say because i have not seen your progress, and i do not have enough information. take the infomation from a set time to now and see if you made the same gains if it is possible to reach your goal by august or christmas.

Alright, I guess the next time I post something it will be a progress picture so you can compare. Thanks again.

also, remember, that search link up top is full of helpful information.

Thanks, I will do that.

Just remember to weigh yourself once a week if your not gaining from week to week then your not eating enough calories, the more you weigh the more calories you need just to maintain and even more to gain. Add some extra virgin Olive oil to your shakes start with one Tablespoon in each shake and add extra as needed.

I know you have huge hoeps but that big by christmas is pushing it bro. Bodyu building definately takes some time, hell ive been at it now for about a year and have only seen about 50 pounds of gain, but thats alot of consistency, and training hard. also, keeping abs while bulking probably wont happen. when you bulk you get chubby and thats just part of it. also abs are made in the kitchen, excersises can do a little to help em come out but its mostly just cutting down till yah see em but thats a different story.

K&P

You gained 50 lbs. in a year? How much of this was quality muscle and how much was fat. I'm not asking this to bust your chops, I just dont want anyone giving newbies unrealistic goals. Especially if they are an ectomorph/hardgainer.

Ahhhhh shit...just noticed this is an old thread.....never mind