Hardgainer Newbie with questions???

[scottsdale816]

New here, so please go easy on me if I ask questions that probably have been answered times before, tried to search them but wasn't finding the straight answers I was hoping for. I'm a 40 year old that has always been small build about 5.5 and weigh between 117-119 lbs since I was 15 years old. I'm trying to gain some muscle mass and have read about increasing calorie intake and understand that but when it comes to training I'm finding differences of opinions. Some people are saying to build mass that I should lift heavier weight but with fewer reps, while others are saying to do a "pyramid technique" which requires lots of reps and sets. Also some say train all areas at one time/ 3 days a week(heavy lifting fewer reps), other take one day and do shoulders and legs, another day to do chest and abs, then last day to do arms and back(pyramid technique) Given that I'm a hardgainer and relatively new to all this what would some of you suggest? Thanks for all the advise in advance as I'm sure I'm going to have many more question along my way of this journey.

[Get-n-fit]

OK..here's the deal....and semi straigth answer......they are all right! lol.... I know it's not the answer you're looking for, but it is true. For them, that is what worked. Everyone's body is different and responds different to stimulus. Check out the beginners programs, pick one that's appealing and try it for 3 months, if that doesn't work change the routine and try again, when you figure out what your body responds to stick with that, but you'll eventually need to change that since it will probably get boring and your body will grow accostumed to it and stop responding. I don't recommend making up your own routine as you'll probably end up with less than pleasant results. Good luck!

[w8killer]

Start here with nutrition - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

Learn these - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=118920551

Basic workout routine here - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=148036063

Enjoy.

[HoosierHardGain]

OK..here's the deal....and semi straigth answer......they are all right! lol.... I know it's not the answer you're looking for, but it is true. For them, that is what worked. Everyone's body is different and responds different to stimulus. Check out the beginners programs, pick one that's appealing and try it for 3 months, if that doesn't work change the routine and try again, when you figure out what your body responds to stick with that, but you'll eventually need to change that since it will probably get boring and your body will grow accostumed to it and stop responding. I don't recommend making up your own routine as you'll probably end up with less than pleasant results. Good luck!

Pretty much this. Pretty much do a search for caloric intake calculators to get a ballpark estimate where your calories should be. Check out some of the stickies for routines that were written by respected authors, and most importantly get started.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Hi,

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=136691851

Have some good basics on composing nutrition plan to gain muscle.

Regarding your question on workouts, yes all those work. Picking the perfect plan is less important than starting and progressing. You will probably change plans and rep ranges many times, as things progress. Some good basic programs.

Stronglifts 5x5, Allpro's

[scottsdale816]

Thanks for all of the replies, I will continue reading, researching and getting started. I was also concerned about some of the articles I read about "over training" as the articles suggest that you do more harm than good when trying to build muscle mass. Is there really something I should be concerned about?

[desoto]

Before you start ,take photo's of your current shape........

[w8killer]

Here is how I look at overtraining-

I work at a job where I'm moving around most of the tme, lifting stuff, etc. I lift 4 days a week. It was 5, but I compressed it down to 4 instead because of time issues.

I like to do 4 on, 2 off, 4 on, 3 off, then I take a week off when I start to feel like I should.

My motivation and energy are awesome pretty much all the time. I don't like to take days off, but you NEED to. I'm just saying what works for me. If you start off on most pre-done programs, they usually have recommendations for time away, or deloading, to keep your body from getting rundown.

After all that, just be realistic and don't train every day of the week. Listen to your body and if you start to feel down take a little break.

[2nd_chance]

Newbie and Hardgainer don't belong in the same sentence.

[Corbi]

New here, so please go easy on me if I ask questions that probably have been answered times before, tried to search them but wasn't finding the straight answers I was hoping for. I'm a 40 year old that has always been small build about 5.5 and weigh between 117-119 lbs since I was 15 years old.

Do you eat actual food? No offense man but most 5'5" woman are a lot bigger than that. You need to eat more as well as train, without a proper food intake there is no way in hell you will gain.

[scottsdale816]

Do you eat actual food? No offense man but most 5'5" woman are a lot bigger than that. You need to eat more as well as train, without a proper food intake there is no way in hell you will gain.

I eat but it has never added no weight on me, I can pretty much eat anything and however much of anything and never gain, been that way for past 25 years.

[EB68]

You really need to track your calories daily. Most people who do this for the first time are surprised at how little they eat compared to how much they think they eat. You will need to eat at a surplus every day. If you set a calorie goal and hit it daily for two or three weeks with no weight gain raise it a couple hundred calories per day and see where that gets you. You will gain weight if you eat enough, there is no way around it. I would also suggest that you buy a food scale and either weigh or measure everything you eat for accuracy.

[MazberryDelight]

If you want to gain ,you need to eat till your uncomfortable and be consistent in your workouts, can't workout for a month then take a month off. Consitsncy over years. It's taken me almost 5 years to gain 10-12 lbs of muscle, good luck with it

[RetBodyBuilder]

New here, so please go easy on me if I ask questions that probably have been answered times before, tried to search them but wasn't finding the straight answers I was hoping for. I'm a 40 year old that has always been small build about 5.5 and weigh between 117-119 lbs since I was 15 years old. I'm trying to gain some muscle mass and have read about increasing calorie intake and understand that but when it comes to training I'm finding differences of opinions. Some people are saying to build mass that I should lift heavier weight but with fewer reps, while others are saying to do a "pyramid technique" which requires lots of reps and sets. Also some say train all areas at one time/ 3 days a week(heavy lifting fewer reps), other take one day and do shoulders and legs, another day to do chest and abs, then last day to do arms and back(pyramid technique) Given that I'm a hardgainer and relatively new to all this what would some of you suggest? Thanks for all the advise in advance as I'm sure I'm going to have many more question along my way of this journey.

So you are 5'5" tall, 119 lbs.

How is your strength?

Example - how much do you bench press and how many reps?

Based on this and maybe a few more questions I'll answer you.

[drudixon]

I eat but it has never added no weight on me, I can pretty much eat anything and however much of anything and never gain, been that way for past 25 years.

I thought that too. Stayed at 145-150 for decades, then learned that I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I did.

[thelastjoker]

I thought that too. Stayed at 145-150 for decades, then learned that I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I did.

And me! I suggest the op signs up to my fitness pal and tracks intake for a week. It's quite a wake up call (was to me anyway).

[Grailer]

I eat but it has never added no weight on me, I can pretty much eat anything and however much of anything and never gain, been that way for past 25 years.

Trust me , if you track calories keep adding 500 calories a week and eventually your weight will go up. But if you need more than 5000 calories go see doctor you might have worms or issue with over active thyroid

[jpnvzgm]

Newbie and Hardgainer don't belong in the same sentence.

qft.

[scottsdale816]

So you are 5'5" tall, 119 lbs.

How is your strength?

Example - how much do you bench press and how many reps?

Based on this and maybe a few more questions I'll answer you.

My strength is okay I guess, have always done physical work( steel fabrication work, autobody shop and mechanic). I just got a Powertec WB-LS setup the other day, choose it because I don't have anybody to spot me. I know the weight amount lifted is off because of it being leverage type setup but here are some of my numbers. This is first time I have done any weight lifting since high school back in 1986.

Max Flat Bench Press = 220
The following was in workout other night with doing 3 sets of 6 reps:
Squats= 160
Bentover Rows= 140
Incline Bench = 100
Shoulder Press = 90
Lat Pulls with small "V" shaped handle = 70

[scottsdale816]

I thought that too. Stayed at 145-150 for decades, then learned that I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I did.

Yea I have been checking calories and what I thought was eating "a lot" is nowhere near what I need to eat to gain anything. I going to have to build my calorie intake up gradually though , I can't eat that much right off.

[EB68]

For extra calories and not too much volume you can eat nuts, peanut butter, avacados, olive oil, whole fat milk, these will get you alot of calories and n0ot have to stuff yuorself.

[azstrengthcoach]

Look up a program called PHAT by Layn Norton. Follow that plus eat plenty of food and you'll bulk up nicely.

[RetBodyBuilder]

My strength is okay I guess, have always done physical work( steel fabrication work, autobody shop and mechanic). I just got a Powertec WB-LS setup the other day, choose it because I don't have anybody to spot me. I know the weight amount lifted is off because of it being leverage type setup but here are some of my numbers. This is first time I have done any weight lifting since high school back in 1986.

Max Flat Bench Press = 220
The following was in workout other night with doing 3 sets of 6 reps:
Squats= 160
Bentover Rows= 140
Incline Bench = 100
Shoulder Press = 90
Lat Pulls with small "V" shaped handle = 70

Bench pressing almost twice your bodyweight is pretty impressive.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...0937543&page=1

I saw one guy who was 5'5" and 120lbs who could do things like that or even more and was shredded. He said he could never put on weight any amount he ate. He was a real ectomorph.
How is your musculature? Are you shredded too?
If you are like him, you can only try eating as much as possible and more and get lots and lots of rest.

[thelastjoker]

Yea I have been checking calories and what I thought was eating "a lot" is nowhere near what I need to eat to gain anything. I going to have to build my calorie intake up gradually though , I can't eat that much right off.

think about using digestive enzymes too - it will help you process the food better and not leave you feeling bloated

[scottsdale816]

To help get my calorie intake up, would anybody recommend I try some of the Mass Gain Supplements until I can increase my intake on regular food? Just having hard time eating so much to begin with, going to have to slowly increase food amount. I didn't know if the Mass Gain Supplements really work or even which one to buy?

[EjnarKolinkar]

To help get my calorie intake up, would anybody recommend I try some of the Mass Gain Supplements until I can increase my intake on regular food? Just having hard time eating so much to begin with, going to have to slowly increase food amount. I didn't know if the Mass Gain Supplements really work or even which one to buy?

Maltodextrin the source of most of the extra calories in "Weight gainers" can also be purchased separately on this site and added to a protein drink, or whatever else. It's just refined corn, nothing special about it. Do you enjoy milk, or is it not a regular part of your foods?

[Montourage]

I was the same as you having an ectomorph body type in high school weighing 160 at 6'2". Very low BF through my 20's. Then I started working out and gained about 10lbs per year up to 230lbs at 10% body fat at 30. Now I've fattened up a bit as it seems my fast metabolism has changed nearing 34 and I'm at 263 having not worked out consistently in three years. About to enter that transformation challenge.

So having been where you are I can sympathise. What worked for me was focusing on eating the proper amount of protein to ensure muscle growth. I found making myself eat and drink 200-250 grams per day didn't leave much room for crap food.

As far as workouts go this worked for me for years. Start the week on your weakest body part. For me first day back and bi's, next day legs, then chest and tri and so on. Notice I attempt to alternate upper and lower body too. So you do two muscle groups per day that work together. For instance when you do back you will be working out your bi's as it's a pulling motion. Therefore ending a back workout with bi's makes sense because it doesn't take as long to hit muscle failure.

As for supplements I'd always stick to the basic. Creatine, L-Glutamine, Protein Powder. 2-3 protein shakes per day but definitely a pre-workout drink and post-workout. By no means was it easy but I must say my biggest gains personally came while taking Nano-Vapor before workouts and Cell-Tech after. A few months in people were joking about thinking I was on steroids. I never have but the right supplements and hard work can produce pretty amazing results.

[scottsdale816]

Maltodextrin the source of most of the extra calories in "Weight gainers" can also be purchased separately on this site and added to a protein drink, or whatever else. It's just refined corn, nothing special about it. Do you enjoy milk, or is it not a regular part of your foods?

Not a real big milk drinker, have problems with migraine headaches, anything real sweet tends to set them off.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Not a real big milk drinker, have problems with migraine headaches, anything real sweet tends to set them off.

Weight gainers are probably a poor choice then. They are on the sweeter side of milk. Previous advice in this thread of fat sources are an option, until you become accustomed to eating more. For example a 1/4 cup serving of Walnuts has 190 calories. Just adding a serving of those a day, which is a low volume would be a big caloric addition by the end of the month. As stated before by EB68 avacdo, nut butter, fattier cuts of meat like salmon or fattier steaks like ribeye pack a big calorie punch.