Hey guys, I use to work out some and was in pretty good shape until about 2 years ago. I'm not in horrible shape now. 5'10" 195lb. I want to get big as in mussel mass. My goal is 220. Yeah I know, at my height I'll be a freakin tree trunk!! I have wanted to put on mass for some time now but, finances haven't allowed for a gym membership until now! I will have a lot of questions a I go along but, here are a few to start with. What proteins and recovery products do you use or what is best for muscle mass?? Do you do mostly free weights? That's what I plan on doing but, my biggest weight gain in the gym was when I did 30min of cardio before I started hitting the weights. What advise do you have for a 33 year old getting back to it? Remember, I did work out some but, only serious for about 6 months before finances forced me to stop 2 years ago.
I'm 5'11" and got close to 230 one time... Lots of soda and eat whatever and whenever you want... Plenty of "mass". :D
In the grand scheme of things, you'd be better off trying to maintain your current weight while changing the shape of your body.
Shoot ome roids......... Seriously I agree with Greg........tone up and keep close to current weight. You may regret adding the extra weight as you get older.
Don't waste your money on Protein shakes, they often lead to higher Cholesterol and aren't friendly on the liver. If you do take them do so right after your workout and make sure you take one that has a good Carb/Protein balance. The best recovery is at least 8 hours of rest per night and do not over-train your muscle groups unless you are shooting up and eating like a horse. In regards to food make sure you get at least a gram of protein per pound of body weight. You body can usually digest up to 40-50 grams of protein at a time. Eating every three hours is a general rule that I always hear the disciplined guys preach. Considering that look at 40 grams 5-6 times a day and you should see good results. I eat 6 eggs for breakfast every day, then eat every three to four hours mixing between beef, chicken, fish and pork. I hate cardio though and my wife often orders pizza or wants to go out at night, it keeps me beefy Make sure you get your Cholesterol tested once-twice a year. I have maintained a 188-201 total reading for the last four years and I eat like a horse. The LDL is the primary issue along with Triglycerides. My LDL came back at 111 recently, well within range considering all the meat I eat. Stay away from Trans-Fats and fast food! I am a tree trunk I'm 5'11 and weigh 270# with a 56' chest and 38-40' waist. Currently I'm altering my workout with the intention of getting down to a 36" waist. The old rule of thumb is not to do long periods of cardio before the workout, it drains your energy and you lift less. Less weight generally equals less muscle gain if you are using good form in your lifts. My best results have always been 30-60 minutes of treadmill at a 15 degree incline at 3.6-3.8mph, you will burn at least 500 calories in a half hour generally or more if you weigh more. As far as lifting I have shifted away from free weights and do most of my lifts on the pulley racks or Hammer Strength machines. I'm big on the negative part of the lift and find that free weights make it harder unless you have a spotter. If you are looking for supplements to add mass that are legal, and sometimes there is a very fine line I would look at the following three. Finnaflex 1-Andro Finnaflex 550 xd RPN Havoc Halovar All the above will get banned by the FDA by the end of the year most likely, there is a revolving door of supplements that come out and then get banned. Halovar should be banned again but is still out there I think. A guy I have been training put on 15# of Muscle Mass and lost two inches in his waist taking the Finnaflex 1-Andro and another buddy is claiming the RPN Havoc is even better. Last but not least you should make sure that you reduce alcohol intake and drink a lot of water, those two kill me!
I went from 165lbs to 215lbs in two years when I first started working out. I was in the "big house" making big rocks into little rocks with a sledge...............ok kidding about the rocks but serious about the weight gain. I ate six times a day, not super healthy stuff but plenty of calories, PLENTY OF REST and recovery. I gained all that with no supplements due to the fact they didn't sell any in there. I keep it simple now with the supplements, a daily dose of multi vitamin, fish oil and flexamin for joint strength. Most of the products on the shelves are designed to just get your money. They throw a picture on the front of some jerk who's more than likely using roids and have consumers thinking they will look like Mr Olympia by next week Keep in mind A VERY HUGE PART OF BODY SHAPE IS GENETIC !!!!!!!!!! No matter how hard some people train they might never look like the people splattered across magazine ads and tv. I ate tons of food and lifted heavy and I did steadily gain weight, I've been 225 for a few years now. I hit the gym 3-4 days out of a week if my schedule can allow me. My first hobby I love is weightlifting and have been doing it solidly for almost 10 years. My newest obsession/passion is BOWHUNTING
Obviously it's your choice to do what you want, but I'm in the camp of just changing your body composition & not adding weight.
^^This for me too.^^ I have done the opposite of what you are asking and have lost from the 220s down to the 170s. I stopped eating/drinking garbage and began exercising more. To gain weight, you have to eat lots of calories. 3500 surplus calories equals 1 pound. Your base metabolic rate burns somewhere between 1500 and 2000 calories for most people. To gain weight, you'll have to exceed that and as you lift/exercise you will also be burning calories. Do the math, and realize that it will take time to gain weight properly because I am assuming you don't want to gain fat but muscle. That takes way more than calories, it takes nutrition, exercise, rest and time. I am with those who say, tone what you have and keep working out for fitness and let the weight settle in where it does when you eat and exercise sensibly.
Biggest issue to gaining mass (muscle) is..you have to dedicate yourself to that lifestyle....you take alot of mass gainers (from GNC, internet etc...) and once you experience burnout (which you will) all that turns in fat thus all that effort down the drain....I have never been a weight lifter (only in school for Weight training class) all I do is run on a Treadmill 5 days a week and do 100 push ups and 100 sit ups thorughout the day and eat anything I want in moderation...5 meals a day 3hrs apart with breakfast, lunch and dinner being bigger then the 2 snacks times and I've stay 175-180 for ever....5' 11....be careful imho with wanting weight gain by muscle, some can, most don't sustain it though
i think you can make your body look like whatever you want to. key word is WANT. a lot of pain, suffering and dedication goes into that, which most people dont want. its doesnt feel good to hurt but those people who look like "that" have went thru pain to get there. i like the incline treadmil for cardio. push yourself to where you can get 40mins plus. i'd say only after working out or do it first thing in the morn and lift at night/afternoon. only way to get big is to lift big/heavy. and if you dont have a partner its gonna be tough. like stated above dont waste your time with all the supplements (just leads to expensive piss) if you must try endurox r4. the guys at GNC will try to sell you on a bunch of other stuff but dont listen. a fish oil is good and some sort of multi vitamin. REST/SLEEP cant be stressed enough and plenty of water!!!!!!!!!! see if you can finish a gallon size in one workout! genetics is a big part too, dont get down on your self and pic a goal or a pic of someone you wanna look like. give up the booze and get yourself a bad a$$ playlist to jam out to. your friends and family will ask what the hell you are doing and no big deal if you miss one workout or eat like crap and drink all night. guess i'd say think to what your workout is gonna be like the next day.... you gotta have some fun too. good luck
3-4 days a week. I plan to lift 4 but hit cardio every day, just remembered where I put our treadmill yesterday
Doug, if you want to be 220 and put on muscle mass, then go for it. It is your choice. After it is all said and done, make it simple. I could go on and on about what you need to do to gain mass but I won't. Here is the formula... 1) Eat about 500-1000 more calories a day, preferably fat and protein. 2) Pick 1-2 large muscle group exercises for areas like chest, back, and legs and do them hard for 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. Lift 3-4 days a week, hard. Again, make it simple....do two upper body workouts per week and two lower body workouts per week. After 3-4 months, reevaluate and readjust. Within six months you should be 20-25 lbs heavier, and actually leaner from the exercise.
I agree with Brett,,,food is alot of it as well as compound exercises, and to me its harder eating right than working out. I find that If I get at least 7 hours of rest then im good to go, some recover better than others. I was 230 lb of lard 7 years ago, started loosing weight and lifting. I was down to around 195,,started p90X and dropped to 179 and hated it. I look better with weight (good weight) I started eating more, yeah I still cheat some and could thin the waist a bit more but lift heavy and low reps. Im currently 5-10 weigh 210 and have a waist in between 33-34" but am very comfortable where im at now. Id like 220 also and keep current waist line.
I was 6'2' 150lbs when I was was 18 and started working out when I was about 20 and put on 50lbs by the time I hit 25. I'm now 49 and about 215lbs but would like to be 205lbs. As mentioned before, don't waste your money on protein shakes and that stuff. I wouldn't even pay for GH I would just workout regularly and eat five healthy meals a day but make your workouts fun so you have a good time doing it and don't burnout. Also, at 33 you'll soon be at the age where you really don't want to carry around extra weight and muscle if your not using it.
And be forewarned, as your body shape changes and you invest time in you, loved ones will likely be criticizing your new passion... (Your health). I hear from (obese) loved ones how they think I must be sick or something because I have gotten too thin even though I am following my physicians instructions. They don't know about the three small meals I eat at work and the exercise I get when they aren't around. Get fit for you, hopefully you'll have some encouragers, but be prepared for the nay-sayers. I'm in your corner if you are working to become more healthy. By the way, a great snack recipe I have discovered: 1/2 cup dry oatmeal 150 cal 1 Tbsp low fat peanut butter 90 cal 1 Tbsp Jelly 50 cal Stir it together and it makes little granola clumps that are quite tasty. I eat this several times a day when I get a little hungry before and after working out (swimming) especially.
1-1.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh in your daily diet. Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
