im not sure which topic to put this under but i have a question. people say that you should gain at most 1-2 lbs per week. and im wondering for all the skinny guys who got big here. how did you possibly tell if you gained 1 lb per week. my weight fluxuates about 2 lbs per day let alone over an entire week. and yes i weight myself in the morning before i eat any food and after i take care of any bathroom business i have to do.
obviously anyone really really skinny like me, (i was 127 lbs in a 5' 11" frame when i started a few months ago) went through a phase of putting on a lot lot lot of weight very quickly over a few weeks and then things slowed down to a grinding hault. but my question is again how can you be so sure youre doing everything right for gaining weight and strength if the scale will only move 1 lb per week. and if that seems small lets say someone stays on top of that 100% and ups their calories 500/day every time a week passes and a pound isnt gained. that would mean that they would gain 52 lbs in a year. i find it hard to believe most guys who start at 125 ish lbs are about 180 after a year of lifting,
i mean for guys that got to a good lean 165 or so in their first year of lifting how did you even gauge if you were eating right for weight gain? that would only be 0.6 lbs per week. and i highly doubt anyone can say when they weight themselves once a week or whatever that its not unusual to be off barely a half a pound.
the frustration of this comes from the fact that this is how things always happen for me. i get to about 150 from 125 ish or so lbs in about 3 months, and then no matter if i eat 3500 or 7000 calories a day the scale no longer moves.
and i guess my ultimate goal here is to see a breakdown of how much weight a "skinny to mass" guy put on like per month. like maybe 10 lbs for the first two months but then 3 lbs a month after.
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01-19-2013, 07:41 AM #1
for all skinny guy who got a lot bigger...breakdown your weight gain / month for me
I woke up this morning still breathing. Might as well take advantage of it.
Working every day to be just a little stronger, healthier, or smarter than yesterday.
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01-19-2013, 08:35 AM #2
Sure, weight fluctuates a few pounds depending on hydration etc. But you are looking for a trend:
If you gain 12lbs in a year, you gained at an average rate of a pound a month. So what's the problem?
I was 130 for years in school, college, and in my forties(illness). Took me a year to get from 130 to 140 after a health collapse.
Recovery included lots of walking, calisthenics, isometrics etc. Built up to 160 without lifting anything heavier than my daughters could handle.
In my fifties, started serious training. Took two years to get nothing much except a lot of injuries since I started too aggressively and fcked shoulders and knees on smith machine. Took two years after that to bulk from under 170 to over 200, mainly by getting my dead(stiff leg style, knee issues) from empty bar to four plates by training progressively:
Got my reps in decent form. Rewarded myself by adding a little iron next session. By the time it was getting heavy, had to microload.
One advantage I had/have over most(in spite of my age), is I am not afraid to eat enough to keep gains coming as long as possible. I obviously pay no attention muscle mags. Ghost written articles by supplement salesmen(who don't look like they even lift) won't help anyone get big and strong.
If you want to see what I am doing now to get stronger at 60(in spite of joint problems):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...8519323&page=6Beginners:
FIERCE 5:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631
Beyond novice, 5 3 1 or see above:)
Unless it is obvious to anyone who isn't blind that you lift weights, you might still benefit from a little more attention to big basic barbell exercises for enough reps:).
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01-19-2013, 08:40 AM #3
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01-19-2013, 08:41 AM #4
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01-19-2013, 08:59 AM #5
I started at 140. I gained 12 pounds in 12 weeks exactly. Mostly muscle. Mad strength gains.
Then the weight and strength gains stalled. It's been a fight for every pound since.
I'm up to around 165 now, but I've put on a little more fat these last 10 pounds.
The main thing is- fuk what you heard- everybody's body is NOT the same and WILL not respond like everybody else's.
Just eat to the scale goes up- every night. That's what I did the first few months.----------start -------------- current
squat---135x5----------------265x5
bench---135x1---------------230x1, 195x5
dead----155x5---------------325x1, 305x5
military-70x5----------------130x5
chins----BWx8--------------+70x2
dips-----BWx14------------ +80x5
BOR -----115x5--------------205x3
db row---55x8---------------100x7
inc DB press------45x5------80x3, 75x7
seated DB press--35x5------60x4
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01-19-2013, 09:14 AM #6
You don't. Weight will fluctuate enough from one day to the next (especially in thin beginners) that daily weigh-ins are useless. Stop weighing yourself every day. If you must, weigh yourself once per week on the same day every week/same time of day.
... how can you be so sure youre doing everything right for gaining weight and strength....
Beginner bodybuilding program:
*Routine: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
No requirement for supplements at your level; learn how to eat first. This thread will explain all the steps to figure your baseline of required protein, fat, carbs, and calories:
*Emma-Leigh's calorie/macro thread: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981
Buy an inexpensive digital food scale (~$30 at any big-box discount store), weigh your portions, and track them here: http://fitday.com
Once you have your calorie/macro baseline figured, weigh/measure/track your food every day, stick to your plan like glue, and then evaluate where you're at after 3-4 weeks. Forget about daily weight fluctuations. Make adjustments at that time based on where you're at as opposed to where you want to go.
I've been where you are now. I started out as a 130 pound string bean at age 45. There's a 'before' pic of me posted on my Bodyspace. I made all the mistakes you're making now, plus a bunch more before I got on the right path. You can profit from my errors and avoid them by following my advices above.No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
Ironwill Gym:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=629719403&postcount=3388
Ironwill2008 Journal:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=157459343&p=1145168733
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01-19-2013, 10:13 AM #7
to ironwill2008:
im not making huge mistakes ha im actually well versed on nutrition its has always just been a matter of my bank account not willing to support the lifestyle of bodybuilding. im more or less looking for a trend among people who packed on a lot of mass, weight wise and strength wise. eating properly for a month and lifting hard for a month and not knowing if you are working to your optimal abilities is a little frustrating. im at an age, a life situation, and a financial situation, where i can finally dedicate myself fully to this.
thanks guys. all good responses. im for sure still gaining strength. the reps are getting easier week to week near the end of my reps. along what kool skool said i think we're in the exact same boat. i gained very fast to start but stall right around the 150 mark. so i guess ill start taking the approach of staying around the 3500 cals mark and check my weight back in every two weeks.
im still very torn on the A B A type routines over hitting the muscles once per week. i feel progressively more tired during the week but after my sat and sun rest i destroy mondays workout. so i feel like im still on the right track but i feel as if when i put on more mass ill have to switch at some point to hitting the muscles once per week needing more rest between destroying the same muscles.
thanks again fellas and its great to come on these forums and get these responses. getting help and more info keeps me informed and more motivated.Last edited by mrc19888; 01-19-2013 at 10:18 AM.
I woke up this morning still breathing. Might as well take advantage of it.
Working every day to be just a little stronger, healthier, or smarter than yesterday.
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