For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

[WTF]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Building mass, I'd go w/ the heaviest weights you can stand, w/ lower repetitions. That's how I've been able to increase my chest. I'm also reading into this R.O.B. method, standing for Rest Only Briefly. Pretty much, you take the heaviest weight you can muster... do as many reps as you can... rest for a minute. Go down a slight amount of weight, do as many reps as you can... rest for 45 seconds... lower weight... do as many reps as you can... rest for 30 seconds, etc. They say mix one of those workouts in every few weeks to maximize growth. I haven't started it out yet though.

[FlyingFinn]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Thanks for the advice Finn. So what you are saying is because of my body type its hard to achieve the barrel chest look? Or do I have to build up my upper chest more? That was the only part I misunderstood.

I have been doing a dumbbell bench press on my chest days, but wasn't seeing the best results (probably due to not using heavy weights). But I will try with what you said about the incline.

Yeah, by building your upper chest more your chest will look much bigger.

[Money99]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Building mass, I'd go w/ the heaviest weights you can stand, w/ lower repetitions. That's how I've been able to increase my chest. I'm also reading into this R.O.B. method, standing for Rest Only Briefly. Pretty much, you take the heaviest weight you can muster... do as many reps as you can... rest for a minute. Go down a slight amount of weight, do as many reps as you can... rest for 45 seconds... lower weight... do as many reps as you can... rest for 30 seconds, etc. They say mix one of those workouts in every few weeks to maximize growth. I haven't started it out yet though.

This is what I thought at first as well. But recently, I've read that for strength training you want to do 4-6 reps, whereas if you want mass you need to do 8-10 reps. (I think Muscle and Fitness just had an article on this recently).

I generally try to rest 1-2 minutes between each set depending on how heavy I go and how many reps I want.

Recently, I stopped doing barbell flat bench alltogether. My shoulders were really feeling it. I only do dumbell presses anymore and they feel much better. Especially since I can control how far I want my elbows to go down. Once I realised that you should never have your elbows go down lower than your chest, I changed this up and my shoulders have thanked me for it.

Spear, there are some excercies you can do to build up your chest, but none of them will be nearly as good as presses. That's the meat and potatoes of building mass and strength. Free weights will always trump cables (in most cases).

But if you want to build up your chest without presses you could try cable-cross overs, the peck-deck, weighted dips or pushups. But if you want a big chest and strength you better add some presses in there.

And I 2nd FlyingFinn's recommendation of only doing 1 body part a week and not overdoing it. When I first started working out I did chest and arms twice a week. It was fine at first because I was young and my body was fresh. But after a while I hit a serious plateau and didn't move up in weight in over a year. As soon as I dropped down to doing everything only once a week I went right through the plateau.
I only do 12 sets for each body part (except for Tris - 15 and legs - 21) and I'm usually done weight lifting after 20-30 minutes. I'll then do some cardio for 30 afterwards. In a pinch, I'll do 10 minutes on the stationary bike using HIIT. That really burns my legs and makes me sweat.

[MagicBucsWsoxFan]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

How is this plan for eating?

7am - Oatmeal or a protein bar

1030am - fruit or yogurt

1pm - Healthy choice microwave meal, and a protein shake

4pm - fruit, yogurt or protein/substitute bar

630 or 7pm - Some sort of meat and veggies. Or possibly another healthy choice meal.

9pm - Protein shake

[ehh]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

How is this plan for eating?

7am - Oatmeal or a protein bar

1030am - fruit or yogurt

1pm - Healthy choice microwave meal, and a protein shake

4pm - fruit, yogurt or protein/substitute bar

630 or 7pm - Some sort of meat and veggies. Or possibly another healthy choice meal.

9pm - Protein shake

That's probably no where near enough. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

[WTF]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

And what are you trying to accomplish? Muscle Mass, cutting, etc?

[MagicBucsWsoxFan]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

That's probably no where near enough. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

Im 5'8 158. Im pretty thin, but I dont have much muscle or tone. Im trying to build up my abs and upper body. Im not talking body builder type or anything, but just some definition.

My goal would be this


This is a pretty crappy picture because its blury and far away. This is all I can find as an example on my photobucket account since im at work right now. So this is my "body type". As you can tell I have noodle arms, hah.



I signed up for a gym 2 months ago, but im just getting into the habit of going regularly. I know I need to make a plan for my work outs, but so far its just consisted of crunches, leg presses and upper body machines (bicept, tricept, chest, shoulders) I dont know the exact names of the machines or anything since im a newb.My cardio has come from pick up basketball and football on the weekends. I might hit the tredmill soon enough though.

[ehh]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Im 5'8 158. Im pretty thin, but I dont have much muscle or tone. Im trying to build up my abs and upper body. Im not talking body builder type or anything, but just some definition.

This is a pretty crappy picture because its blury and far away. This is all I can find as an example on my photobucket account since im at work right now. So this is my "body type". As you can tell I have noodle arms, hah.

Read the quoted info below.

Doing some quick math on your stats...

66 + (6.3 x 158) + (12.9 x 68) - (6.8 x 20)

66 + 995.4 + 877.2 - 136 = 1,802 calories. That means if you woke up and just laid in bed all day doing nothing but breathing you would burn 1,802 calories.

1,8.02 x 1.55 = 2,794 calories. That means on your typical day, you should be eating that many calories for your daily maintenance. If you're lifting on top of that, you'll want to add anywhere from 200-500 per day (opinions on this vary greatly). If you're eating less than that you will not put on muscle. Your muscles need enough food to allow them to grow during repair.

As far as workouts go, I wouldn't aim for just your upper body and abs (you can't train your abs w/o doing lower body). If I were you I would be mainly focused on squatting and dead lifting - it'll pack on the most muscle throughout your body and help out your core/abs a ton. The best lifting book on the planet that I've found is this......

http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lift...8127468&sr=8-1


If you're serious about wanting to put on muscle, buy it and do everything it says.

Clean Eating

Caloric Requirements
Before we talk about "clean eating", let's discuss caloric requirement.
One way to calculate your caloric requirement is with the Harris-Benedict Formula:
I use the following formula(for males):

66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

This gives you your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Now that you know your BMR, multiply your BMR by your activity multiplier from below:

Activity Multiplier
Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)
Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)
Extr. active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job

Your BMR X Activity Level = Calories Needed for maintenance : what you need to sustain your body at status quo. If you want to lose weight, subtract 500 calories a day to lose 1 pound per week. Subtract 1000 to lose 2 pounds per week. It is not recommended to go below a 1000 calorie deficit. It is also not recommended to go below 2000 calories a day if you are trying to maintain / build muscle mass. I recommend you start out a fat loss program at a 500 calorie deficit, try that for a couple of weeks, then, if you arent getting the results you want, cut 250 off, try that for a couple of weeks, and repeat until you find the level that works for your body. After a few months, change it; your body will become accustomed to a caloric level and needs it to be altered once in a while.

To set up your macronutrient ratios:
Protein is 4 calories per gram.
Carbohydrates are 4 calories per gram.
Fat is 9 calories per gram.
Alcohol is 7 calories per gram.


First, set your protein requirement. A good protein requirement for most people is 0.9 grams per pound of body weight. After getting your protein intake in grams by this formula, multiply it by 4 to get your daily protein requirement in calories.
Subtract that number from the daily calorie target you've calculated.
The remaining number divide by two to get your carb calories and fat calories. Divide that by 4 and 9 respectively to get grams per day.
You can play with the ratios if you want. Many people losing weight go for 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat. Some go for 33 / 33 / 33. You can experiment to find what works for you.

Note: There are many theories on caloric requirements. I suggest you use the Harris-Benedict as a starting point, and experiment with different caloric intakes til you find the correct ratio for your body. Just don't vary your intake by more than 250 calories: i.e. start at your HB ratio, say 3000 calories, then if you're not losing fat after two or three weeks, drop to 2750, try that for two or three weeks, then drop again if you have to. Everybody's metabolism is different, and everyone needs to find their own maintenance requirement.

Eating clean

" Eating clean" means, basically, eating the right kinds of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are an important energy source for your body and your brain. Some are better than others. The Glycemic Index describes how quickly your body metabolizes foods into sugars. High G.I. foods turn into sugars quickly, causing an insulin spike. Low GI foods metabolize slowly. Try to keep your carbs lower than 75 GI. You can find the GI ratings here: http://diabetes.about.com/library/me...mendosagi.htm, or http://www.glycemicindex.com, or various other sources.
Examples of Low GI Carbs:
Vegetables, Mixed Beans, Oatmeal, Bran, Whole Grain Breads, Whole Grains, Barley, Brown Rice, Low GI Fruits
Lowfat Milk, Lowfat Yogurt (note: while these dairy products have a low GI, they have a high Insulin Index (the reaction your body produces to the metabolizing of these products), so use in moderation)
White Rice (note: while having a higher GI, these have a low Insulin Index, so again, use in moderation)
High GI Carbs to Avoid:
White Bread (includes "wheat bread ( must say "whole wheat" or "whole grain") this means bagels, tortillas, pitas, and all other forms of bread
Potatoes (the worst - very high GI) (sweet potatoes are OK)
High GI fruits (watermelon, dates, raisins, ) and fruit juice - eat raw fruits instead (one glass of orange juice has over three oranges in it, without the benefits of the fiber in the raw orange)
Sugar and processed food with sugar or its many forms (high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, molasses, etc)
Pastas (use in moderation, and never with saturated fats, e.g. fettucine alfredo)
Most breakfast cereals (stick to whole grain / bran cereals if you must eat cereals)

Note: There is a whole other subject, called "glycemic loads", describing the value of the entire item you are eating, that can be taken into consideration, but it is simply too extensive and undeveloped to go into at this time. Look into it yourself at http://www.mendosa.com (now http://diabetes.about.com/library/me...nmendosagi.htm) if you're interested.

Proteins: Eat lean proteins, low in saturated fats.
Examples of Good Protein Sources:
Lean Beef (90% lean ground beef, lean steak)
Chicken (particularly white meat)
Turkey (particularly white meat)
Lean pork (tenderloin, lean ham)
Lowfat dairy products, in moderation
Cottage cheese (highly recommended form of casein protein)
Whey protein
Fish, particularly tuna, salmon, and cod
Eggs, particularly egg whites (yolks in moderation)
Soy and soy products, while very good sources of protein, have also been shown in some studies to have potential for causing high estrogen levels and a possible potential for sexual dysfunction. I suggest using these in moderation until testing is completed and a conclusion has been reached. Caveat Emptor. (Many people eat soy with no ill effect)

Proteins to avoid:
Fatty meats (non-extra lean ground beef, fatty pork (bacon, ribs, etc)
Fatty dairy (whole milk, most cheese, ice cream)

Fats: Fats, which have been vilified, are an essential ingredient in our diet. Poly and monounsaturated fats must be included in your daily plan. A small amount of saturated fats are also needed. Minimize saturated fats, maximize monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Try to get good Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6's. No more than 1/3 of your fat calories should be saturated fats (if you are on a 40/30/30 plan, 10% of your calories may come from sat fats)
Examples of good fats:
Fish and fish oils - polyunsaturated, best source of Omega 3's - cold water fish tuna, salmon, cod
Flaxseed oil - some Omega 3, good Omega 6
Olive Oil - monounsaturated fat
Avocados - monounsaturated fat
Nuts - mono, poly, and omega 6s best are walnuts and almonds

Bad fats:
Saturated fats - from animal products (fatty beef, pork, milk, etc)
Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats (trans fatty acids) - Wicked Bad Stuff. (margarine and Crisco are trans fatty acids)
Most vegetable oil and corn oil - use Canola oil if you must use oil, and use in moderation - try not to cook in oil if you can avoid it. If you cook with oil, use an oil with the appropriate smoke point.

Water:
Water is a compound we can't do without for more than only a few days. The human body is about 60 to 75 percent water, and the brain is said to be about 85 percent water. Even bones are about 20 percent water. The body needs water. Nothing substitutes for water; coffee, tea, alcohol, are not the same as water. Drink at least 10 glasses of water a day. Note: The more caffeine you drink, the more water you must drink. Caffeine is a diuretic and flushes water out of your system.

Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins and Minerals play a vital role in maintaining the proper biological functioning of everything from muscles to memory. Nutritionists will tell you that they are unnecessary if we consume a properly balanced diet, but few of us consume a "properly balanced diet". It is highly recommended to consume a good quality multivitamin/mineral supplement daily. It is very difficult to obtain protective levels of some nutrients solely from diet.

Special notes:
1) Avoid mixing high GI carbs with fats
2) Avoid all processed / prepackaged foods
3) Read labels! Be on the lookout for bad stuff!
4) Eat your veggies!
5) Do not eat too little. Your metabolism will slow to a crawl and you will stop burning fat.
6) Do not eat too much. You will store excess as fat.
7) Alcohol, if required, must be kept to a minimum. When you drink alcohol, your body uses the alcohol as an energy source instead of burning your fat stores.

"Clean Eating" for the 52 Day Challenge:
1) Keep your caloric intake around your computed requirement - not too low, not too high
2) Keep your macronutrient ratios per your computed requirement, say within 10% - track them on http://www.fitday.com if possible
3) Eat low GI carbs, lean proteins, mono & polyunsaturated fats
4) Eat your veggies! Eat your veggies! Eat your veggies!

[Coach Bryant]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Some of us are born with muscle, and size. My wife says I'm a damn phenom!

[oakfan162]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Read the quoted info below.

Doing some quick math on your stats...

66 + (6.3 x 158) + (12.9 x 68) - (6.8 x 20)

66 + 995.4 + 877.2 - 136 = 1,802 calories. That means if you woke up and just laid in bed all day doing nothing but breathing you would burn 1,802 calories.

1,8.02 x 1.55 = 2,794 calories. That means on your typical day, you should be eating that many calories for your daily maintenance. If you're lifting on top of that, you'll want to add anywhere from 200-500 per day (opinions on this vary greatly). If you're eating less than that you will not put on muscle. Your muscles need enough food to allow them to grow during repair.

As far as workouts go, I wouldn't aim for just your upper body and abs (you can't train your abs w/o doing lower body). If I were you I would be mainly focused on squatting and dead lifting - it'll pack on the most muscle throughout your body and help out your core/abs a ton. The best lifting book on the planet that I've found is this......

http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lift...8127468&sr=8-1


If you're serious about wanting to put on muscle, buy it and do everything it says.

I went and got the book, been on the break in program for about a week. The first couple of days, im not going to lie, I was sooo soar i couldn't walk up my stairs. . Its doing amazing things for me. Thanks for the recommendation.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

So I did that formula, then multiplied the BMR by 1.2 (for little to no exercise) and got 2286.12. Does that mean that I have to eat that much to maintain my body weight? I don't want to gain or lose weight right now. No muscle mass, either. I just want to know if I'm eating enough for general nutrition.

[XboxRocks1991]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

How big are some arms on here?

Im 16 years old, about 5'8 140 pounds even and I have 13 inch arms.

Ive never weight lifted in my life. Thats all from swimming, a couple of dryland exercises at practice, and whey protein.

[XboxRocks1991]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Also are there any workout routines that are boxing specific?

As a swimmer I dont mind all the cardio eating away at muscle, i care more about the body fat, Im trying to keep it at 5% or so. I want to be as lean as possible.

Im looking for conditioning mostly but most importantly I need to maintain my flexibilty.

[skitch]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

How big are some arms on here?

Im 16 years old, about 5'8 140 pounds even and I have 13 inch arms.

Ive never weight lifted in my life. Thats all from swimming, a couple of dryland exercises at practice, and whey protein.

You're freaking tiny, dude.

[XboxRocks1991]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

You're freaking tiny, dude.

?