When Was The Last Time You Worked Out At The Gym

[CFD]

There are genetic freaks who can get real big without roids but they are far and few between.

As far as diet goes putting on weight is like filling your car with gas, you can put low grade low octane fuel in it and your tank is full but the results are not the same as high grade high octane fuel. Diet is key be it weight loss or muscle gain, in fact, the two diets are not that far apart with the exception of caloric intake and some adjustments to macro's.

Eat clean, work hard and expect success.

[kalimus]

Well while we're at it, there are very few who will work on increasing their mass size at the same time as breaking their spring records and becomming an MMA champ. Genetic freaks, once again. The more exercise you do outside of the gym (while trying to put on size), the more you have to eat ON TOP of the extra calories you're already eating. While I put on mass, I keep my cardio activities to... well it depends if I'm dating or not. If I'm NOT dating, I only do about 20-30 minutes of cardio twice a week.

I see a lot of people that complain they can't get any bigger. They lift 5 days a week. They do cardio for 30 minutes each of those 5 days after they lift, and then go hiking and etc on the weekend. If you can't eat enough because of your body, or because your stomach is always too full to keep eating, you need to back your cardio down. Mass gain is a result of excess calories. No exception. If a person isn't getting any bigger, they aren't eating excess calories. There are only two options:

1) back off your energy expendature
2) eat even more food.

That's it. Mass gaining is positively effected by the "less is more" concept. Lifting 5-6 days a week, working out the same muscles twice a week... these things aren't going to get you there. Stop reading "Ahnold" articles. HE could do that because he was on TEH RHOIDS!!! Not to mention that you body produces the most HGH while you're sleeping, which is why many bodybuilders shoot for 10 hours of sleep a night. If you're only getting 6... it's time to rethink your strategy.

Overdoing protein is also a common mistake. I hear all the time "Aw you need 2-2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight". That's nonsense. That comes from a study done over in the EU somewhere, and the study concluded the most benefit for a male was 2-2.5 grams per KG of bodyweight. I.E about 1 gram/pound. Extra isn't going to be bad, but you certainly don't need double that. For mass gaining, almost all of your extra bump of calories should be coming from healthy fats and carbohydrates. Emphasis on carbs. You can back those down for leaning out, but to keep them low for muscle building is complete insanity. You want your muscles to work as hard as possible, so you want to give them the fuel that they will get the most out of: mmmmmmmmcarbs. And why healthy fats? It increases testosterone levels. That's kind of a big deal too

[Dznts]

Originally Posted by kalimus

Well while we're at it, there are very few who will work on increasing their mass size at the same time as breaking their spring records and becomming an MMA champ. Genetic freaks, once again. The more exercise you do outside of the gym (while trying to put on size), the more you have to eat ON TOP of the extra calories you're already eating. While I put on mass, I keep my cardio activities to... well it depends if I'm dating or not. If I'm NOT dating, I only do about 20-30 minutes of cardio twice a week.

I see a lot of people that complain they can't get any bigger. They lift 5 days a week. They do cardio for 30 minutes each of those 5 days after they lift, and then go hiking and etc on the weekend. If you can't eat enough because of your body, or because your stomach is always too full to keep eating, you need to back your cardio down. Mass gain is a result of excess calories. No exception. If a person isn't getting any bigger, they aren't eating excess calories. There are only two options:

1) back off your energy expendature
2) eat even more food.

That's it. Mass gaining is positively effected by the "less is more" concept. Lifting 5-6 days a week, working out the same muscles twice a week... these things aren't going to get you there. Stop reading "Ahnold" articles. HE could do that because he was on TEH RHOIDS!!! Not to mention that you body produces the most HGH while you're sleeping, which is why many bodybuilders shoot for 10 hours of sleep a night. If you're only getting 6... it's time to rethink your strategy.

Overdoing protein is also a common mistake. I hear all the time "Aw you need 2-2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight". That's nonsense. That comes from a study done over in the EU somewhere, and the study concluded the most benefit for a male was 2-2.5 grams per KG of bodyweight. I.E about 1 gram/pound. Extra isn't going to be bad, but you certainly don't need double that. For mass gaining, almost all of your extra bump of calories should be coming from healthy fats and carbohydrates. Emphasis on carbs. You can back those down for leaning out, but to keep them low for muscle building is complete insanity. You want your muscles to work as hard as possible, so you want to give them the fuel that they will get the most out of: mmmmmmmmcarbs. And why healthy fats? It increases testosterone levels. That's kind of a big deal too

Once again well said! Many people just dont seem to understand that you have to increase your calorie intake to gain mass. Its that simple. Sleep is also a very important part of the process. You need the sleep to rebuild! As far as protein intake, I have always lived by the 1gram/1lb of body weight.

[CFD]

Originally Posted by kalimus

Well while we're at it, there are very few who will work on increasing their mass size at the same time as breaking their spring records and becomming an MMA champ. Genetic freaks, once again. The more exercise you do outside of the gym (while trying to put on size), the more you have to eat ON TOP of the extra calories you're already eating. While I put on mass, I keep my cardio activities to... well it depends if I'm dating or not. If I'm NOT dating, I only do about 20-30 minutes of cardio twice a week.

I see a lot of people that complain they can't get any bigger. They lift 5 days a week. They do cardio for 30 minutes each of those 5 days after they lift, and then go hiking and etc on the weekend. If you can't eat enough because of your body, or because your stomach is always too full to keep eating, you need to back your cardio down. Mass gain is a result of excess calories. No exception. If a person isn't getting any bigger, they aren't eating excess calories. There are only two options:

1) back off your energy expendature
2) eat even more food.

That's it. Mass gaining is positively effected by the "less is more" concept. Lifting 5-6 days a week, working out the same muscles twice a week... these things aren't going to get you there. Stop reading "Ahnold" articles. HE could do that because he was on TEH RHOIDS!!! Not to mention that you body produces the most HGH while you're sleeping, which is why many bodybuilders shoot for 10 hours of sleep a night. If you're only getting 6... it's time to rethink your strategy.

Overdoing protein is also a common mistake. I hear all the time "Aw you need 2-2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight". That's nonsense. That comes from a study done over in the EU somewhere, and the study concluded the most benefit for a male was 2-2.5 grams per KG of bodyweight. I.E about 1 gram/pound. Extra isn't going to be bad, but you certainly don't need double that. For mass gaining, almost all of your extra bump of calories should be coming from healthy fats and carbohydrates. Emphasis on carbs. You can back those down for leaning out, but to keep them low for muscle building is complete insanity. You want your muscles to work as hard as possible, so you want to give them the fuel that they will get the most out of: mmmmmmmmcarbs. And why healthy fats? It increases testosterone levels. That's kind of a big deal too

Something that we usually don't talk about is rest. Muscles do not repair(grow) while they are working but grow when resting. If you read articles by people like Poloquin on mass gaining workouts should never exceed 45-60 min in duration, 3-4 times weekly depending on the program WITH NO ADDITIONAL EXERCISE. After 60 min or so of strenuous exercise the body goes from an anabolic to a catabolic state, that is why the gym is not a social hour, you get in and get out.

Protein intake is very important for muscle growth but your energy comes from carbs, restricting carbs except when cutting will not get the results wanted and as Kalimus mentioned excessive protein is not needed. The body can only process 25-30 g of protein at a time( again varies slightly from person to person). THE BODY DOES NOT STORE PROTEIN like it does carbs or fats. I always suggest to people be it weight loss or muscle gaining is to always start with your protein. You should eat protein with every meal 6 times a day, this will allow a steady supply at a rate the body can utilize, this is where supplimentation with a whey protein is beneficial, sometimes eating protein with every meal is not practical, also nutrient timing is important, eating high protein high carb meals an hour or so before lifting gives adequate energy for your workouts, consuming a high glycemic carb and high protein post workout gets the protein in your system for muscle synthesis when it's most needed. Taking or eating a casein protein befor bedtime also insures an adequate supple of protein while sleeping/growing.

[kalimus]

Originally Posted by Dznts

Once again well said! Many people just dont seem to understand that you have to increase your calorie intake to gain mass. Its that simple. Sleep is also a very important part of the process. You need the sleep to rebuild! As far as protein intake, I have always lived by the 1gram/1lb of body weight.

I live by 1gram/1lb of target body weight when gaining. For instance right now, I'm 182. My target weight by the end of the year is 220, so I shoot for about 220g per day. As CFD said divided by 6 meals a day so about 37g/meal. Some meals I exceed that a little, and some I'm a little less.

Originally Posted by CFD

Something that we usually don't talk about is rest. Muscles do not repair(grow) while they are working but grow when resting. If you read articles by people like Poloquin on mass gaining workouts should never exceed 45-60 min in duration, 3-4 times weekly depending on the program WITH NO ADDITIONAL EXERCISE. After 60 min or so of strenuous exercise the body goes from an anabolic to a catabolic state, that is why the gym is not a social hour, you get in and get out.

Rest is super important. I get at LEAST 8 hours a night. I would like to get more, but my schedule won't allow it. And no, sleep is not talked about nearly enough, and is a big deal both for building and cutting. And less is more (daily and weekly duration) is important too. I lift 4 days a week, although some of my sessions go about 90 minutes. I use a watch, and I time 90 seconds between sets, and two minutes between different exercises, plus 10 minute warmup/stretch and 10 minute cooldown/stretch. Additionally I shoot for a 2 second contract, 1 second hold, 2 second detract lift (2-1-2 rep timing). So you figure that a set of 10 will take you about 2 1/2 minutes per set with the rest.

Timing is important for the lifts... and even more so than the amount of weight lifted. Slower rep timing will keep muscles under load for longer, and as a consequence, will reduce the amount of weight you're lifting. There are many different rep timing techniques to use, but I use this one because it forces a controlled lift and keeps it going at a good pace.

I'm waiting for the "lean muscle in a pill" science breakthrough. There's too much to keep track of...

[WheelmanSS]

Originally Posted by kalimus

Well while we're at it, there are very few who will work on increasing their mass size at the same time as breaking their spring records and becomming an MMA champ. Genetic freaks, once again. The more exercise you do outside of the gym (while trying to put on size), the more you have to eat ON TOP of the extra calories you're already eating. While I put on mass, I keep my cardio activities to... well it depends if I'm dating or not. If I'm NOT dating, I only do about 20-30 minutes of cardio twice a week.

I see a lot of people that complain they can't get any bigger. They lift 5 days a week. They do cardio for 30 minutes each of those 5 days after they lift, and then go hiking and etc on the weekend. If you can't eat enough because of your body, or because your stomach is always too full to keep eating, you need to back your cardio down. Mass gain is a result of excess calories. No exception. If a person isn't getting any bigger, they aren't eating excess calories. There are only two options:

1) back off your energy expendature
2) eat even more food.

That's it. Mass gaining is positively effected by the "less is more" concept. Lifting 5-6 days a week, working out the same muscles twice a week... these things aren't going to get you there. Stop reading "Ahnold" articles. HE could do that because he was on TEH RHOIDS!!! Not to mention that you body produces the most HGH while you're sleeping, which is why many bodybuilders shoot for 10 hours of sleep a night. If you're only getting 6... it's time to rethink your strategy.

Overdoing protein is also a common mistake. I hear all the time "Aw you need 2-2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight". That's nonsense. That comes from a study done over in the EU somewhere, and the study concluded the most benefit for a male was 2-2.5 grams per KG of bodyweight. I.E about 1 gram/pound. Extra isn't going to be bad, but you certainly don't need double that. For mass gaining, almost all of your extra bump of calories should be coming from healthy fats and carbohydrates. Emphasis on carbs. You can back those down for leaning out, but to keep them low for muscle building is complete insanity. You want your muscles to work as hard as possible, so you want to give them the fuel that they will get the most out of: mmmmmmmmcarbs. And why healthy fats? It increases testosterone levels. That's kind of a big deal too

This might be the smartest thing I have read on this forum, pound-4-pound.

[CFD]

Originally Posted by kalimus

I live by 1gram/1lb of target body weight when gaining. For instance right now, I'm 182. My target weight by the end of the year is 220, so I shoot for about 220g per day. As CFD said divided by 6 meals a day so about 37g/meal. Some meals I exceed that a little, and some I'm a little less.



Rest is super important. I get at LEAST 8 hours a night. I would like to get more, but my schedule won't allow it. And no, sleep is not talked about nearly enough, and is a big deal both for building and cutting. And less is more (daily and weekly duration) is important too. I lift 4 days a week, although some of my sessions go about 90 minutes. I use a watch, and I time 90 seconds between sets, and two minutes between different exercises, plus 10 minute warmup/stretch and 10 minute cooldown/stretch. Additionally I shoot for a 2 second contract, 1 second hold, 2 second detract lift (2-1-2 rep timing). So you figure that a set of 10 will take you about 2 1/2 minutes per set with the rest.

Timing is important for the lifts... and even more so than the amount of weight lifted. Slower rep timing will keep muscles under load for longer, and as a consequence, will reduce the amount of weight you're lifting. There are many different rep timing techniques to use, but I use this one because it forces a controlled lift and keeps it going at a good pace.

I'm waiting for the "lean muscle in a pill" science breakthrough. There's too much to keep track of...

I don't consider warm up/ cool down as time spent when lifting. I also use various rep ranges, weight loads and timing depending on if I'm working on hypertrophy or strength. Generally speaking I will do the concentric part of a lift quicker for hypertrophy, obviously with less weight, always slower on the ecentric part, I try not to hold at the end of the ecentric ( I call that resting lol) but do on the concentric part. I always lower slowly and with control, this gives for maximum TUT. Generally I lift in the 5-6 rep range for stength and 10-12 for hypertrophy.

The lean muscle pill will be right behind the no diet no exercise weight loss pill.

[Dznts]

Originally Posted by CFD

The lean muscle pill will be right behind the no diet no exercise weight loss pill.

[kalimus]

Originally Posted by WheelmanSS

This might be the smartest thing I have read on this forum, pound-4-pound.

Thanks! Lots of reading, trial and error. Reading is highly under-rated.

Originally Posted by CFD

The lean muscle pill will be right behind the no diet no exercise weight loss pill.

Oh, you mean all the weight loss drugs don't really do that? Hm. That explains some things...

Originally Posted by Dznts

Yeah laugh it up. When I create this miracle of science... I will be able to take over the world. Plus I'll look like a super-stud 24/7 without having to lift a finger. Bazinga.

[Dznts]

Originally Posted by kalimus

Yeah laugh it up. When I create this miracle of science... I will be able to take over the world. Plus I'll look like a super-stud 24/7 without having to lift a finger. Bazinga.

dont forget me when you get it created. i am always looking to try new supplements

[CFD]

Yeah laugh it up. When I create this miracle of science... I will be able to take over the world. Plus I'll look like a super-stud 24/7 without having to lift a finger. Bazinga



Good luck with that, I'm getting older so step on it please.

[snizzle]

I hate the gym this time of year. And if one more person asks me how many sets with my noise cancellation headphones on in mid set I swear.......

[WheelmanSS]

Anyone else here have "digestive" issues with supplements?

I really only take protein powder, and it's on the days I lift. I recently have been using MaxPro by Max Muscle. It's very efficient, low cal and low fat. But man, it makes me run to the john and evacuate my contents.

As much as I workout and train, I really don't take much. On lifting days, I take the above. On cardio and interval and sparring days, I drink a homemade natural smoothie: Spinach, plain greek yogurt, bananas, strawberries, and blueberries.

You would be surprised at how much a "natural supplement" like that smoothie can do for you!

[CFD]

Originally Posted by snizzle

I hate the gym this time of year. And if one more person asks me how many sets with my noise cancellation headphones on in mid set I swear.......

And that my friends is one of the reasons I have a home gym, people.