Building up muscle mass?

H

Heliøs

0
Okay, so I'm 16, and I like to think I'm in reasonably good shape (), although I've never done any really serious training before apart from a daily exercise routine. My problem is putting on weight to build muscle.

Right now I'm 5'8" and I weigh 121lbs, but my weight fluctuates quite a lot. I can eat constantly for days on end and reach 123lbs, from there I simply can't put anything else on, or if I slow my eating down I can reach lows of 117lbs. Not sure what my BF% is, but you might be able to judge from the pic. My bicep is just under 12" (11.8 to be exact).

My diet is fairly balanced
Fruit- apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pineapples...everything.
Vegetables- Carrots, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, sprouts, brocolli.
Carbs- Wholemeal breads, pasta, rice, cereals.
A daily serving of meat, usually white, sometimes red. A serving of tuna once a week, and a snack once a day.

Should I be making a change to my diet, or just try to increase the amounts that I eat? If I do more exercise will the weight just put itself on?

Thanks for any help. :)

EDIT: Oh, and if anyone could explain what a crunch is, it would help. I've tried to do it going from what I've been told before, but I don't feel anything from it, I'm obviously not doing it right.
 
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You definately need to eat more. And more. and more. Not much more else to it. You should be getting 6-8 meals a day in and about 500-1000 calories above your daily caloric needs. You should be focused on getting a lot of protein in, as well as good carbs and fats. This means about 1.0x - 1.5x grams of protein to your weight. The key is just to eat a lot and training hard.

Oh, and this is basically a crunch, just weighted.
 
On the little animated picture, where the guy is doing a crunch, he looks like he is pulling his head as he comes up. Don't do that. Your hands are by your ear, with only the finger tips touching the side of your head. Force the abdominal muslces to do the work, do not use any leg power. And the top of the crunch, contract (tighten) your abs as much as you can.

Once you get good, you can do weighted crunches. Just hug a plate and do them like you would before, remembering to keep your back straight as well.

P.S. Eat!

-Roek
 
Thanks for the replies. :)

So I take it that proteins and carbohydrates are the two most important parts of a diet for bulking? Regardless I'll start eating a lot more of everything.

Are crunches a good exercise for working on obliques aswell?
 
malkore said:
eat 30-45g of protein at every single meal, 6 meals a day.

eat, eat, eat some more.
Click to expand...

Damn, that's a load of protein. Could you give me some examples of food which have high amounts of protein? I've just been searching through my kitchen reading through the food labels, and even things which are supposed to contain lots (cheese, yoghurt, milk, fish), don't seem to have enough to reach that amount.
 
High protein sources

Tuna
Crab
Chicken Breasts
Whey Protein Powder
Ground turkey (low fat)
Cottage cheese
Buffalo
Salmon
Lean ground beef

All those usually carry a good 20 or more grams of protien per 4-5 ounce serving.
 
Thanks!

Can Whey protein powder be bought from supermarkets or will I have to go to a specialist retailer? Or is it just what protein shakes are made from?

I'll try to stop asking so many questions soon. :eek:
 
You can usually get Whey Powder at a Supermarket/Superstore like walmart or target, though you will find better deals sometimes at a Vitamin Shoppe or online. I suggest anything be ON (Optimum Nutrition).
 
^I'll keep a look out for it. :)

Should I be doing lifting right away or should I wait a week or two until after I've put on some more weight?
 
theleip said:
High protein sources

Tuna
Crab
Chicken Breasts
Whey Protein Powder
Ground turkey (low fat)
Cottage cheese
Buffalo
Salmon
Lean ground beef

All those usually carry a good 20 or more grams of protien per 4-5 ounce serving.
Click to expand...

and eggs. eggs is the highest natural source of protein :D
 
Start lifting now. But instead of hitting the weights as hard as you can, for the first few days just take it easy and try to get proper form on all your exercises. You know? Just get familiar and comfortable with all the gym equipment.

Like adam77 mentioned, eggs are another good source of protein, I believe it is 3 grams per egg if you eat only the white part. The yolk has high cholesterol so many people avoid it. I personally boil the eggs because it is easier to separate the yolk and you don't have to tend to the eggs and stir them. You can let them boil while you prepare the rest of your meal. Those who choose to fry the eggs often fry a few egg whites and one yolk for flavor and they fry with a spray and not with cooking oil. That way they avoid the massive amounts of fat oil contains.

-Roek
 
Roek said:
Start lifting now. But instead of hitting the weights as hard as you can, for the first few days just take it easy and try to get proper form on all your exercises. You know? Just get familiar and comfortable with all the gym equipment.
-Roek
Click to expand...

Sure, I'll do that.

Thanks for the advice everyone! :D
 
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