Hello everyone, my name is Eric, i joined this forum a few minutes ago in hopes of finding some information on how to meet my goals. First my goals are to put on some more weight, in the form of muscle. I have been working out for almost 3 years and i seem to have hit a plateau. I am 28 years old, 5-9 167lbs. I cant seem to get past the 170lb mark. I am somewhat cut but not what i want. I go the to the gym 3-4 times a week, alternating chest, arms, back & leg work outs. I just cant seem to get bigger or stronger. Any tips or pointers on how to put on some more muscle and get a bit more cut in the process? What should i be eating or not eating and how should i workout when i go to the gym?
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Tips for newbie
- Thread starter Frdtrtnfx4
- Start date
Mainly isolation workouts. One day i will work strictly arms, one day chest, one day back. Right now i am trying to eat anything, except greasy foods. 2 protein shakes a day, lots of tuna, steak....
Eric,
Good luck and I think you are on the right path; Stay positive with your body and workout. We all want to get stronger. Maybe just focus on being grateful alittle. Diet is also a big deal. Less fat and more good stuff; Jeff
I just bought a pair of jeans and my waist is 34; I am feeling good about my program today;
Good luck and I think you are on the right path; Stay positive with your body and workout. We all want to get stronger. Maybe just focus on being grateful alittle. Diet is also a big deal. Less fat and more good stuff; Jeff
I just bought a pair of jeans and my waist is 34; I am feeling good about my program today;
The post about training the big lifts is correct. When you are trying to put on muscle mass, your workouts should stimulate the release of anabolic hormones like testosterone. Testosterone release is highest during weight training when large amounts of muscle fibers are activated. So complex, multi joint exercises are critical to putting on muscle mass (squat, deadlift, bench,). You should be performing one of these exercises everyday you go to the gym. Also, you need to be consuming protein before and after workouts. Whey protein is best for pre and post workout supplementation because it is released into your blood stream quickly and has a high bioavailability.
What are big lifts considered? Should i abandon the smaller workouts?
I did 5 sets of 8 reps each of dead lifts and squats Friday night, let me tell you I have never been so sore in my life!!! Saturday morning I woke up and couldnt get down the steps... My legs, rearend are very sore. Here it is almost 72 hours later and I am still feeling it. I will be down the gym tonight doing some bench press reps and some shoulder exercises.
here are some tips to get your muscles grow bigger.goodluck.
1. Max out the power of full body workouts every 48-hours, 3x a week before progressing to a 2-day or 3-day or 4-day split.
2. Multiply your body weight by a factor of 15 to determine how many calories to consume to gain muscle weight.
3. Perform only 1 exercise per body part each full-body workout but perform a different exercise for each body part every workout. By the end of the week you’ll have hit each muscle group three times from three different angles.
4. Digest a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after your workout in liquid form.
5. Use a training journal and track your progress.
6. Perform each set to muscular failure.
7. Strive to drink 4-liters of water a day.
8. Vary your rep and set schemes more frequently than any other training variable.
9. Focus on exploding up on the pushing (concentric) portion of your movement and taking 3-4 seconds for the lowering (eccentric) portion of your routine.
12. Focus on compound movements for 80% of your workouts.
13. Alternate between dumbbells and barbells every 2 weeks.
14. Only change an exercise when you plateau on two workouts in a row.
15. Enter a fitness model or bodybuilding show or transformation contest to keep you motivated.
16. Follow a program for at least 12-16 weeks before trying your next one.
17. Pyramiding your sets to consistently increase your strength 5% each week.
18. Consume a variety of whole eggs, chicken, lean beef, fish and whole-milk throughout the day for high quality (bioavailable) muscle building protein.
19. Use a training partner for motivation and an extra push to experience faster muscular growth.
20. Never train hungry if you want to build muscle fast.
21. Concentrate your carbohydrates when your body needs them most – breakfast, pre workout and post workout.
22. Ensure you do the squat and the deadlift each week to increase the release of growth hormone and testosterone.
23. Hire a personal trainer if you have never received professional coaching on technique and form.
24. Stretch at least half the amount of time that you lift. If you lift 3 hours a week, schedule at least 1.5 hours of yoga or static stretching.
25. Train a muscle group through it’s entire range of motion to stimulate muscle size.
26. Use a 3-day a week 20-minute interval cardio plan, post-workout, to maximize the muscle to fat ratio while bulking.
27. Train your most underdeveloped muscle group first in each workout.
28. Avoid processed food, packaged food and fast food.
29. Avoid protein bars and any muscle building supplement that has sucrulose, aspartame, or other artificial or natural sweeteners.
30. Get at least 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
31. Don’t be afraid to overload your ]muscles [/URL]with maximal resistance and miss your goal reps.
32. Consume a combination of olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil, mixed nuts and natural peanut butter each day to make sure you get ample healthy fats for testosterone and other muscle building hormone production.
33. Take a complete week off after 12-16 weeks of training.
34. Get a spotter to help you with your heaviest set.
35. Have a training program. Never go to the gym without a plan.
36. Perform 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching before each weight training workout.
38. Cold shower after every intense weight training workout. It sucks, but it works.
39. Eat at least 1.5 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.
]40. The core of your workout should revolve around squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, pull ups, dips and weighted core work.
41. Train with someone bigger and stronger than you. You’ll be challenged and motivated to work out harder.
1. Max out the power of full body workouts every 48-hours, 3x a week before progressing to a 2-day or 3-day or 4-day split.
2. Multiply your body weight by a factor of 15 to determine how many calories to consume to gain muscle weight.
3. Perform only 1 exercise per body part each full-body workout but perform a different exercise for each body part every workout. By the end of the week you’ll have hit each muscle group three times from three different angles.
4. Digest a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein after your workout in liquid form.
5. Use a training journal and track your progress.
6. Perform each set to muscular failure.
7. Strive to drink 4-liters of water a day.
8. Vary your rep and set schemes more frequently than any other training variable.
9. Focus on exploding up on the pushing (concentric) portion of your movement and taking 3-4 seconds for the lowering (eccentric) portion of your routine.
12. Focus on compound movements for 80% of your workouts.
13. Alternate between dumbbells and barbells every 2 weeks.
14. Only change an exercise when you plateau on two workouts in a row.
15. Enter a fitness model or bodybuilding show or transformation contest to keep you motivated.
16. Follow a program for at least 12-16 weeks before trying your next one.
17. Pyramiding your sets to consistently increase your strength 5% each week.
18. Consume a variety of whole eggs, chicken, lean beef, fish and whole-milk throughout the day for high quality (bioavailable) muscle building protein.
19. Use a training partner for motivation and an extra push to experience faster muscular growth.
20. Never train hungry if you want to build muscle fast.
21. Concentrate your carbohydrates when your body needs them most – breakfast, pre workout and post workout.
22. Ensure you do the squat and the deadlift each week to increase the release of growth hormone and testosterone.
23. Hire a personal trainer if you have never received professional coaching on technique and form.
24. Stretch at least half the amount of time that you lift. If you lift 3 hours a week, schedule at least 1.5 hours of yoga or static stretching.
25. Train a muscle group through it’s entire range of motion to stimulate muscle size.
26. Use a 3-day a week 20-minute interval cardio plan, post-workout, to maximize the muscle to fat ratio while bulking.
27. Train your most underdeveloped muscle group first in each workout.
28. Avoid processed food, packaged food and fast food.
29. Avoid protein bars and any muscle building supplement that has sucrulose, aspartame, or other artificial or natural sweeteners.
30. Get at least 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
31. Don’t be afraid to overload your ]muscles [/URL]with maximal resistance and miss your goal reps.
32. Consume a combination of olive oil, fish oil, coconut oil, mixed nuts and natural peanut butter each day to make sure you get ample healthy fats for testosterone and other muscle building hormone production.
33. Take a complete week off after 12-16 weeks of training.
34. Get a spotter to help you with your heaviest set.
35. Have a training program. Never go to the gym without a plan.
36. Perform 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching before each weight training workout.
38. Cold shower after every intense weight training workout. It sucks, but it works.
39. Eat at least 1.5 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.
]40. The core of your workout should revolve around squats, deadlifts, rows, presses, pull ups, dips and weighted core work.
41. Train with someone bigger and stronger than you. You’ll be challenged and motivated to work out harder.