Reply
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
Results 1 to 30 of 61
  1. #1
    The Dude the_fake_webmaster's Avatar
    Join Date: Aug 2002
    Location: Nampa, Idaho, United States
    Age: 40
    Posts: 9,178
    Rep Power: 9189
    the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000) the_fake_webmaster is a name known to all. (+5000)
    the_fake_webmaster is offline

    WEEK FORTY-SIX :: How Can You Gain As Much Mass As Possible?

    -------------------------------------------------------------

    TOPIC :: How Can You Gain As Much Mass As Possible?

    For the week of: Oct 13th - Oct 20th
    (Wednesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut).

    -------------------------------------------------------------

    How Can You Gain As Much Mass As Possible?

    What is the best workout for the biggest mass gain?

    What is the best diet for gaining mass?

    What are some good mass gaining supplements?


    BONUS QUESTION: With proper training, diet, and supplementation, how much muscle mass can one expect to gain during a 6 month bulk?

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

    The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

    Thanks,
    Will
    Webmaster
    Bodybuilding.com
    twitter.com/i_am_the_goat
    Reply With Quote

  2. #2
    Banned mike15prepster's Avatar
    Join Date: Aug 2005
    Location: FLORIDA
    Age: 34
    Posts: 421
    Rep Power: 0
    mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10)
    mike15prepster is offline
    To gain a lot of mass,it consist of 4 things

    They are:

    1. Eat Lots of Good, Clean Food.
    2. Work-Out Hard.
    3. Supplement Properly.
    4. Sleep Long.

    Even if you are not trying to get the pro bodybuiler physique all this is a good example of what your list to gain your results you want

    You may see ads on the computer or on television that says "Gain 25 lbs in 3 weeks" or "Gain 3 inches of muscle on your arms in 3 workouts".Although most of these ads have "real" transformation,nearly all are frauds.Building muscle takes a long time and patience counts.

    You may have have heard the phrase"Rome wasn't built in one day" and this is true with your muscles..

    Nutrition

    This is the most important factor in gaining muscle mass. Remember this: IF YOU DON'T EAT MORE CALORIES THAN YOU BURN YOU WILL NOT GAIN MASS NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRAIN.

    Diet is very important in any type of weightlifting.But for gaining the MASS you want then your diet needs to consist of alot of calories.Growth processes demand a lot of calories and you have to do this EVERY DAY. In fact this is where almost everyone fails when it comes to building muscle mass. Don't worry about getting fat. If you're skinny and training hard you will burn the calories easy.

    How much calories are we talking about?As a rule you have to eat 20-22 calories per pound of bodyweight.When you gain weight this number will rise.The amount of carbs should come from,carbs/fats/protein,Carbs/ protein/ fats should be 55/25/20%.If you don't gain weight, try to add 500 calories per day. If that isn't enough, add 500 more and so forth.

    How many meals?3?9?16?No mostly a bodybuilders diet plan consist of 6-7 meals.3 big meals plus 2-3 smaller meals each day, 3 hours apart.I you eat more than 3 hours apart the body goes into a catabolic state, which means that it is burning muscle for energy!

    Your breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You have been fasting for 8-10 hours and your body is in a catabolic state (eating muscle) so you need to feed it with a lot of food

    Here is a example of a breakfest meal

    Oatmeal, 16oz w/ milk
    Protein shake
    5 eggs (whole or just white)
    French toast or Hot cakes (4)
    Skim milk

    TRAINING

    Be sure to write down all training routines you do.

    Now and then you will have to change your routine,so the muscles don't get use to the same routine.

    Tain on monthly cycles. The first month train every other day half the body on the first day, rest day two, second half of the body the third day, rest on day four and so on.Nxt month train 3 on, 1 off, training the whole body over 3 days then taking a day off.The third month go back to training like the first month and so on.

    The reason for this is that it keeps up the training intensity and keeps you brning out. If you train 5-6 days a week all year long, you at some point risk burning out or loosing interest in training.

    Here is a example:

    Training Program First Month

    Training split 1 on, 1 off
    Day 1: Chest/shoulders/arms
    Day 2: Rest
    Day 3: Back/legs/waist
    Day 4: Rest
    Day 5: Chest/shoulders/arms
    Day 6: Rest
    Day 7: Back/legs/waist
    Day 8: Rest
    And so on...

    Day 1

    Chest:
    Bench press: 5x12,10,8,6,4
    Incline bench press: 4x12,10,8,6
    Dumbbell pullover: 3x15,15,15

    Shoulders:
    Military Press: 4x12,10,8,6
    Bent over laterals: 4x12,10,10,8

    Biceps:
    EZ preacher curl: 4x10,8,6,5
    Alternate dumbbell curl: 4x10
    Incline dumbbell curls: 4x8,8,6,6

    Triceps:
    Pulley pushdowns: 4x12,10,10,8
    Lying French press: 4x10,10,8,6
    Close grip bench press: 4x10,10,8,6

    Forearms:
    Wrist curls: 3x15,15,15

    Day 2

    Rest

    Day 3

    Back:
    Wide grip pull downs to the front: 4x15,12,10,8
    T-bar rows or one arm dumbbell rows: 4x10,10,8,8
    Pulley rows: 4x15,12,10,8
    barbell shrugs: 3x10,10,8

    Legs:
    Squat: 5x15,12,10,8,6
    Leg press: 4x12,10,10,8
    Leg curls: 4x12,10,8,8

    Calves:
    Standing calf raises: 4x15,12,10,10
    Seated calf raises: 4x15,12,10,10

    Waist:
    Crunches

    Second Month

    Training split 3 on, 1 off
    Day 1: Chest/arms
    Day 2: Legs/waist
    Day 3: Back/shoulders
    Day 4: Rest
    Day 5: Chest/arms
    Day 6: Legs/waist
    Day 7: Back/shoulders
    Day 8: Rest
    And so on...

    Day 1

    Chest:
    Bench press: 5x12,10,8,6,4 (Last 3 sets perform partials with heavy weight)
    Incline dumbbell bench press: 4x12,10,8,6
    Decline bench press: 4x10,8,8,6 ( If you have problem with your shoulders avoid this exercise and swap to Decline Flyes)

    Biceps:
    Alternate dumbbell curls: 4x10,8,6,5
    EZ-Barbell curls: 4x10
    Incline dumbbell curls: 4x8,8,6,6

    Triceps:
    Pulley pushdowns: 4x12,10,10,8
    Lying French press: 4x10,10,8,6
    Close grip bench press: 4x10,10,8, 6

    Forearms:
    Wrist curls: 3x15,15,15

    Day 2

    Legs:
    Squat: 5x15,12,10,8,6
    Leg press: 4x12,10,10,8
    Leg extensions: 4x12,12,12,10
    Leg curls: 4x12,10,8,8

    Calves:
    Standing calf raises: 4x15,12,10,10
    Seated calf raises: 4x15,12,10,10
    Donkey calf raise: 4x12,10,10, 8

    Waist:
    Crunches

    Day 3

    Back:
    Wide grip pull downs to the front: 4x15,12,10,8
    T-bar rows or dumbbell rows: 4x10,10,8,8
    Superset:
    Pulley rows: 4x15,12,10,8
    Dumbbell pullover: 4x10,10,9,8
    Deadlift: 3x8,6,4

    Shoulders:
    Upright rows: 4x12,10,8,6
    Bent over laterals: 4x12,10,10,8
    Barbell shrugs: 3x10,10,8

    NOTES

    1. Each workout should last no longer than 1 hour.
    2. Take no more than 2 minutes rest between sets.
    3. Always try for more weight or reps but NEVER sacrificing good form in your exercises.
    4. Keep a training journal, this way you can keep track of your gains in strength.
    5. When you train don't just try to lift the weight, try to feel how the muscles work as well - this will increase the intensity. Remember bodybuilding is about making the muscle work as hard as possible, not lifting as much weight as possible these are two different things
    Last edited by mike15prepster; 10-13-2005 at 07:48 PM.
    Reply With Quote

  3. #3
    Banned mike15prepster's Avatar
    Join Date: Aug 2005
    Location: FLORIDA
    Age: 34
    Posts: 421
    Rep Power: 0
    mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10)
    mike15prepster is offline

    Page 2

    Supplements

    Creatine, glutamine, and protein are 3 of the top supplements for gaining lean muscle and strength.EFA's and a good multi-vitamin is also possible

    Creatine-Best taken 1/2 hour or so BEFORE a workout and again RIGHT after a workout.

    What most people do is take a creatine/juice/protein drink about a half hour before a workout and than another shake right after.

    This "bracketing" technique helps set up an anabolic (muscle-building) state for your muscles and helps prevent muscle breakdown from a workout (catabolism).

    Other than these 2 opportune times, you can add another creatine serving or two any time throughout the day.

    I usually recommend 25 to 30 grams of creatine on a loading phase and 10-20 grams a day on a maintenance phase.

    Glutamine-Definitely take glutamine right before bed.

    This is where the overwhelming research shows the value of glutamine raising growth hormone levels significantly by taking 5 grams before bed.

    Also, another great time is upon waking, when your muscles have been without significant nutrition for up to 6-8 hours.

    Another good time for glutamine is about a half hour or hour after working out.

    This helps in the recovery/recuperation process from demanding workouts.

    So, creatine definitely before and after your workout and glutamine right before bed and right upon waking.

    Protein-The best times to take ANY protein drink or protein supplements are as follows.

    When Should You Take It?


    The most important time is right after a workout.
    Your muscles are like a sponge and need instant nutrition for muscle recovery and growth.

    Right before bed.
    You're about to sleep for 6 to 8 hours. That's a long time without protein.

    Could you imagine going throughout your day (when awake) not eating 6 to 8 hours?

    Right before bed is important.


    Right upon waking.
    Same thing, you've just gone 6 to 8 hours without proper nutrition. Your body needs protein quick.


    Half hour before a workout.
    This sets up the "anabolic window" before your workout and provides your muscles with adequate nutrition so that the effects of weight training (weight training breaks down muscle-called catabolic) are not as severe.

    These are the best times for protein. It can be regular whole food or protein supplements, again, based on what you can afford. Protein supplements may be better than whole food in these times because its digested quicker.

    Make sure to start at the top and work down. If you can afford 4 servings, you'll really notice the difference in muscle gains and fat loss.

    Sleeping
    Here is a article that I first read when I visited this website


    Sleep & Muscle Growth
    By: Brent Vlcek

    Probably the most important part of the recovery cycle is sleep. But how many of you get enough sleep? Work, parties, homework and studying try to attack your sleep patterns. A way to tackle this problem is time management, but that is not the subject for this article. Nonetheless, recovery, which is the period during which muscle growth occurs, will not take place without enough sleep.

    First, what does rest mean? Rest is the period in between workouts that includes low energy loss activities. Each body part requires a different number of days to recover. Hypothetically speaking, every time you workout, you should be stronger than the previous time, given you have allowed yourself enough rest. It may appear that your muscle have grown during a workout. That pumped feeling is just rushing blood and stretched muscle fibers. How much should one get? That answer is totally up to the individual. So where does sleep equate with the phenomenon of rest? The number one reason sleep is important is because Growth Hormone rises during deep sleep, which often begins about 30-45 minutes after falling asleep. The amount of sleep is also another individualistic temperament. Generally, 6 to 12 hours of sleep are sufficient. As long as you feel rested the next day, then your accomplishments in the sack have paid off (no pun intended). I once read that if you had enough sleep, you should not need an alarm clock to wake up. Also, there's a myth that if you get more hours of sleep before midnight, your sleep will be more fulfilling - something worth trying out. So what can be done if your alarm clock is annoying the $#*@ out of you?

    If you had a bad nights sleep, make it up the next time. If you absolutely need to stay up late, take naps during the day. Some of the best bodybuilders in the world take naps, so it's not corny. Twenty minutes of nap time is, as heard from some source, equivalent to 2 hours of sleep. Do not drink caffeine or water before bed. If you must drink something, have a glass of warm milk. There is a chemical in milk, that if activated by heat, causes the body to become soporific. Water will make you go to the bathroom and drinking caffeine before bed is self explanatory. Speaking of water, a warm shower will also aid in your quest to achieve the best sleep possible.

    Probably my favorite supplement is ZMA. After taking one ZMA before bed, I wake up, regardless of the number of hours I slept, feeling refreshed and recharged. Claimed to increase testosterone, this supplement is a must in any bodybuilders arsenal. Thermogenics are not going to help your sleep process. If you are taking thermogenics, it is best to take them early in the morning.

    Sleep can be broken down into 4 stages - First Stage, Second Stage, Third Stage and Fourth Stage. The 3rd and 4th stages are the most important stages during sleep because they pertain to physical activity. The stages are "completed" with relation to time in sleep. For instance, say a person slept for an hour, they probably would have only reached stage 1. Getting more UNINTERUPTED sleep is key to reaching stages 3 and 4. Furthermore, during slumber, the brain enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, so called because the eyes dart back and forth under the lids. During REM sleep, the brain resets chemicals in the emotional centers and clears short-term memory banks, where the day's events are stored temporarily. Without enough REM sleep, people become cranky and depressed; their memory and judgment are impaired; and they perform poorly on tests of reaction time (US News & World Report).

    An interesting study found that sleep deprivation caused the body to lose the hormone leptin. "Leptin tells the body when it should feel full; when leptin levels drop, the body craves carbohydrates. That's what happened after a week of sleep deprivation, Van Cauter found. "With the low leptin levels of sleep debt, your body will crave carbohydrates even though you've had enough calories," she says (US News & World Report).

    With all this information, the importance of sleep should not be overlooked. Sleep plays a role in protein synthesis, the release of GH and gives you the necessary energy needed for another day in the gym. Although it may be hard to find time during the week to get enough sleep, make it up on the weekends. Follow the above tips and tricks of getting your Zs and you should be one the road to recovery which eventually intersects with Muscle Growth Street.

    All of this information will get you gaining lbs of muscle and bigger mass,but remember the sayin"Rome wasn't built in one day".

    ,Mike Kramer
    Reply With Quote

  4. #4
    Banned mike15prepster's Avatar
    Join Date: Aug 2005
    Location: FLORIDA
    Age: 34
    Posts: 421
    Rep Power: 0
    mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) mike15prepster has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10)
    mike15prepster is offline

    Bonus

    Just forgot this.

    Arms + 1 1/2"
    Chest + 1 3/4 inch
    Quads + 1 3/4 inch
    Calves +1 3/8 inch
    Weight + around 35-40 lbs
    Reply With Quote

  5. #5
    Registered User bigsmellypoppa's Avatar
    Join Date: Sep 2005
    Posts: 3
    Rep Power: 0
    bigsmellypoppa has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    bigsmellypoppa is offline
    Good post, your workout is poorly balanced though.
    Reply With Quote

  6. #6
    Banned belmont316's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: United States
    Posts: 8,460
    Rep Power: 0
    belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500) belmont316 is a glorious beacon of knowledge. (+2500)
    belmont316 is offline
    in my very humble opinion, for me the best way to gain mass is to imagine yourself as a ravenous beast with a perpetual thirst and hunger for protein. the power of the mind induces a craving. i think for gaining mass diet is the biggest part so when i wake up everyday, in my fog, i say to myself. unleash the beast, devastate the feast. that means inhale as many quality foods as you can as often as you can handle it. that and eating before workout and after also something i supplementthat helps me is twinlab amino fuel before and after working out i keep it in my car i take it right before i go in and right after, so its convienent. other than that u must lift like a f'ing savage, with no mercy for anything. u must really learn to motivate yourself, think of all the fat people, the weaklings, the beta males, whatever fuels your desire to lift. for me i just always envision the day that i will be the most ruthless, the most devastating, most ferocious and freakishly powerful son of a b*tch at my gym. that and girls motivate me, sometimes when i lift im only thinking of boobs and moving the weights as if i were moving my hands closer to the boobs. that works for me lol.

    anyway, in summary. EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, THINK BIG, GET BIG. thats the program. now get with it.
    Reply With Quote

  7. #7
    Registered User mlaracuente's Avatar
    Join Date: Jan 2003
    Location: Houston,TX
    Age: 52
    Posts: 112
    Rep Power: 260
    mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) mlaracuente has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    mlaracuente is offline

    Wink

    Does anyone else find it disturbing to see 15 year olds giving advice on these boards?? I would think 5-10 years of experience would be required to actually have tried everything for themselves before recommending anything to the public.
    Reply With Quote

  8. #8
    there are no shortcuts sword chucks's Avatar
    Join Date: Mar 2004
    Location: on the grind
    Posts: 10,490
    Rep Power: 549
    sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250) sword chucks has a spectacular aura about. (+250)
    sword chucks is offline
    no i think its ok, its good to get different viewpoints from people plus alot of what us kids know is learned from people with experience
    Reply With Quote

  9. #9
    Knee deep in oats image101's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: North Carolina
    Age: 39
    Posts: 797
    Rep Power: 418
    image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50)
    image101 is offline
    Originally Posted by belmont316
    that and girls motivate me, sometimes when i lift im only thinking of boobs and moving the weights as if i were moving my hands closer to the boobs. that works for me lol.

    Wtf?
    Reply With Quote

  10. #10
    Registered User thebutcher01's Avatar
    Join Date: Jul 2005
    Posts: 0
    Rep Power: 0
    thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) thebutcher01 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    thebutcher01 is offline

    Talking Gaining MASS

    Eat Big but clean, lift heavy, use lots of compound movements, drink 2 gallons of water, supplement properly, and steroids never hurt if done right!
    Reply With Quote

  11. #11
    Registered User lawdog10's Avatar
    Join Date: Sep 2005
    Posts: 2
    Rep Power: 0
    lawdog10 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    lawdog10 is offline
    Steroids are you f--king crazy if you can't do it clean don't bother doing it period
    Reply With Quote

  12. #12
    Registered User lilDEX2112's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Posts: 2
    Rep Power: 0
    lilDEX2112 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    lilDEX2112 is offline

    Thumbs up Sweet Post

    Originally Posted by belmont316
    in my very humble opinion, for me the best way to gain mass is to imagine yourself as a ravenous beast with a perpetual thirst and hunger for protein. the power of the mind induces a craving. i think for gaining mass diet is the biggest part so when i wake up everyday, in my fog, i say to myself. unleash the beast, devastate the feast. that means inhale as many quality foods as you can as often as you can handle it. that and eating before workout and after also something i supplementthat helps me is twinlab amino fuel before and after working out i keep it in my car i take it right before i go in and right after, so its convienent. other than that u must lift like a f'ing savage, with no mercy for anything. u must really learn to motivate yourself, think of all the fat people, the weaklings, the beta males, whatever fuels your desire to lift. for me i just always envision the day that i will be the most ruthless, the most devastating, most ferocious and freakishly powerful son of a b*tch at my gym. that and girls motivate me, sometimes when i lift im only thinking of boobs and moving the weights as if i were moving my hands closer to the boobs. that works for me lol.

    anyway, in summary. EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, THINK BIG, GET BIG. thats the program. now get with it.
    Dude that advice is sweet. Couldnt have said it better myself. Keep pumpin dem weights!
    Reply With Quote

  13. #13
    Registered User tregun's Avatar
    Join Date: Mar 2002
    Location: NY State of Mind
    Age: 67
    Posts: 218
    Rep Power: 0
    tregun has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10) tregun has a little shameless behaviour in the past. (-10)
    tregun is offline
    Originally Posted by lawdog10
    Steroids are you f--king crazy if you can't do it clean don't bother doing it period
    One word: naive.
    you can do it for the money
    you can do it for the fun
    you can do it 'cause you like it
    just make sure you get it done!
    - tregun

    What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. What makes me stronger makes me harder to kill.
    Reply With Quote

  14. #14
    old school old fool perldog007's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: Swinging Kettlebells in the garden
    Age: 62
    Posts: 821
    Rep Power: 247
    perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    perldog007 is offline

    Gaining Mass

    How Can You Gain As Much Mass As Possible?


    There are countless ways to gain muscle mass. Various athletic pursuits and vocations will add muscle to the human frame.

    I know a man who exclusively overeats. Aged in his late thirties he has not exercised since high school football practice. At 6'5" and 560 lbs he is a monster, capable of freakish displays of strength. He must have about 290 or so pounds of solid muscle. Most of us would not want to carry the rest of that five hundred and sixty pounds in fat just to have that kind of strength.

    What we are after here is optimum muscle mass gains in the shortest amount of time while adding the least amount of fat. Let's look at Arnold and Franco Columbu. Both won the Sandow, and both started as powerlifters.

    In fact, both of them wrote about how important powerlifting was to their foundation and how the big three ( squat, deadlift, and bench press) continued to be important to their bodybuilding.

    What is the best workout for the biggest mass gain?


    Now this is a great question. The best workout for Lee Priest may not be the best program for Dorian Yates.

    Specifics aside, there are some principles that will apply to all.

    Heavy compound movements like the squat and deadlift performed with free weights are known to increase testosterone. These mass builders should be a cornerstone of any program to build serious muscle. Arnold reccomends taking one of the Big Three (Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press) to a one rep max once a week.

    Because these movements are impossible or at least of limited value with an injured or weak lower back, we must train the lower back specifically at least once and some would say twice a week.

    Heavy weights and relatively low reps are needed. In order to recruit fast twitch fibers and make them bigger, some ballistic lifting will be helpfull. Negatives, the cheating principle and sets to failure will be enlisted. Free weights are considered to be better than machines for developing stabilizer muscles, and dumbells have similiar advantages over barbells.

    Stretching before and after working out is beneficial. Stretching the muscle before lifting readies the muscle for action. Stretching after helps the blood gorged muscle grow by making the fibers expand. Arnold knew that stretching his pecs with dumbell flys' after getting a good pump would greatly develop his chest. Even today approaching retirement age, the man has a great chest.

    Some bodybuilding.com readers are MMA fighters or practicioners of other martial arts. They have seen people eat three squares (or less) a day, do psycho cardio, and put on muscle without lifting. Could all that stretching have anything to do with it?

    If you don't know a good stretching routine, most karate schools can teach you one. Some will even let you take a free class! Arnold's "Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" also has a good stretching tutorial.

    The body can adapt to almost any routine so the best workout for gaining muscle is one that is constantly evolving.

    Drop sets are well suited to mass gaining.

    Cardio counts . Both Arnold and Franco wrote about how they use running to increase heart and lung capacity and capillary function to build bigger muscles.


    So let's take a shot at a serious mass building program for a 6 month off season. Here is an example routine for six months that adheres to the principles we have discussed.
    Reply With Quote

  15. #15
    old school old fool perldog007's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: Swinging Kettlebells in the garden
    Age: 62
    Posts: 821
    Rep Power: 247
    perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    perldog007 is offline

    gaining mass part 2

    Before beginning;
    1. consult with your doctor!
    2. measure yourself, arms, thighs, calves, chest, waist, forearms, neck
    3. weigh yourself
    4. document your one rep max of squat, deadlift, and bench
    5. if possible know your bodyfat
    6. after your physical, record your blood pressure and resting heartrate
    7. write down your goals for this program, be specific and think big

    Month 1 & 2

    1. Week 1 , do heavy squats working up to one rep max.
    2. Week 2 , do bench press working up to one rep max.
    3. Week 3 , do heavy squats working up to one rep max.
    4. Every workout, pick one exercise for exaggerated negatives.
    5. Pick one more for cheating extra reps after failure.
    6. Use 70% of max for all sets, reducing only if needed to preserve form.


    1. Day one -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Barbell Bent Over Rows - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Bench Press - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell flys - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated calf raises - 15 reps, 4 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 25 reps.
      After workout - hang from chin up bar, front bends, one favorite stretch.
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)
    2. Day two -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Leg Curls - 15 reps, 3 sets
      leg Extensions - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Squats - 12 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 25 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends.
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    3. Day three -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Ez-bar Curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Triceps Pulldowns - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Ez-bar Reverse(pronated) Curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated Barbell Triceps Extensions - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Standing calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 25 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    4. Day four -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Barbell Shrugs - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Military press - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Deadlifts - 10 reps, 3 sets
      Lateral side raises - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Standing calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 25 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    5. Day five -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before cardio - full body stretch routine
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    6. Day six -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before cardio - full body stretch routine
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      OPTIONAL! 2 exercises for one lagging bodypart -
      If done, add 1 serving Muscle Milk to daily intake
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    7. Day seven -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      While relaxing - gentle full body stretch routine
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)


    Month 3

    Key Points
    • We will focus on Dumbells to ward off adaptation and enhance stabilizer muscles.
    • On day 6 we will get in a bicep workout because everybody wants big guns.

    1. Day one -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell Hammer curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell triceps kickbacks - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Pronated dumbell curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Lateral side raises - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated overhead dumbell triceps extensions - 8 reps , 3 sets
      Arnold Presses - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 35 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    2. Day two -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell Lunges - 15 reps, 3 sets (both sides)
      Dumbell squats - 12 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell side lunges - 15 reps, 3 sets (both sides} {_duh_)
      Standing Dumbell calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 35 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, good back stretch
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)
    3. Day three -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      One arm rows - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Incline db press - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell flys - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell shrugs - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 35 reps.
      After workout - hang from chin up bar, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    4. Day four - db deadlifts, stiff legged deadlifts, lateral raises, arnold presses, wrist curls

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell deadlifts - 10 reps, 3 sets
      Lateral raises - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Dumbell stiff legged deadlifts - 10 reps, 3 sets
      Arnold presses - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 35 reps.
      After workout - hang from chin up bar, hurdler stretch
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)


    5. Day five -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before cardio - full body stretch routine
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)
    6. Day six -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell hammer curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      reverse (pronated) curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Concentration curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      After workout - Hurdlers, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)
    7. Day seven -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      while relaxing - full body stretch routine
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)


    Month 4

    Key Points
    • Alternate between warming up, and pyramiding to max/or drop sets from 80%.
    • Full body stretching before and after every workout
    • Crunches and Superman exercises on cardio days along with stretching


    powerlifting this month
    1. Day one - squat
    2. Day two - cardio (30 minutes max, 70-80% of age adjusted maxmimum heart rate)
    3. Day three - bench press
    4. Day four - cardio
    5. Day five - deadlift
    6. Day six -
      heavy bag - one minute rounds, 1.5 minutes rest until;
      1. the bag's corner throws in the towel
      2. the bag gets knocked out
      3. you score three knockdowns
      4. the bag taps out.

      Seriously keep track of how many rounds you can do, throw at least one punch a second. I think you will be surprised at how far you progress in one month of powerlifting and light cardio.

    7. Day seven -
      rest
    Reply With Quote

  16. #16
    old school old fool perldog007's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: Swinging Kettlebells in the garden
    Age: 62
    Posts: 821
    Rep Power: 247
    perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    perldog007 is offline

    gaining mass part 3

    Month 5 & 6

    These two months are very similiar to Months 1 &2
    1. Week 1 , do heavy squats working up to one rep max.
    2. Week 2 , do heavy bench press working up to one rep max.
    3. Week 3 , do heavy squats working up to one rep max.
    4. Every workout, pick one exercise for exaggerated negatives.
    5. Pick one more for cheating extra reps after failure.
    6. Use 70% of max for all sets, reducing only if needed to preserve form.
    7. All cardio should be done first thing in the a.m. on an empty stomach.

    1. Day one -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Barbell Bent Over Rows - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Incline Bench Press - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Incline Dumbell flys - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated calf raises - 15 reps, 4 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 25 reps, 2 sets
      After workout - hang from chin up bar, front bends, one favorite stretch.
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    2. Day two -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Leg Curls - 15 reps, 3 sets
      leg Extensions - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Barbell Lunges - 10 reps, 3 sets
      Squats - 12 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 45 reps.
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends.
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    3. Day three -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell Concentration curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Triceps Pulldowns - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Ez-bar Reverse(pronated) Curls - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated Barbell Triceps Extensions - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Standing calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball crunches 25 reps, 2 sets
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    4. Day four -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Before workout - full body stretch routine
      Dumbell Shrugs - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Seated Military press - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Deadlifts - 10 reps, 3 sets
      Lateral side raises - 8 reps, 3 sets
      Standing calf raises - 15 reps, 3 sets
      Swiss ball reverse crunches 25 reps, 2 sets
      After workout - hurdler stretch forwards & leaning back, front bends, side bends
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    5. Day five -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before cardio - full body stretch routine
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      Swiss ball crunches - 25 reps, 3 sets
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    6. Day six -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      Before cardio - full body stretch routine
      Cardio- 30-45 minutes, 70-80% of age adjusted maximum heartrate
      OPTIONAL! 2 exercises for one lagging bodypart -
      If done, add 1 serving Muscle Milk to daily intake
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)

    7. Day seven -

      First thing in the morning - Read 6 month program goals out loud (mind training)
      While relaxing - gentle full body stretch routine
      Before going to bed - read 6 month goals out loud (mind training)
    Reply With Quote

  17. #17
    old school old fool perldog007's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: Swinging Kettlebells in the garden
    Age: 62
    Posts: 821
    Rep Power: 247
    perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    perldog007 is offline

    gaining mass part 4

    What is the best diet for gaining mass?



    The law of caloric balance states that we must consume more calories than we burn to gain muscle mass. Exceptions to this rule exist, but they are beyond the scope of our discussion here.

    Traditional bodybuilding demands that a builder bulk in the off season (winter) gain alot of weight, fat and muscle, then shed the fat in a cutting cycle before competition.

    Thirty years ago, Arnold figured out that something was not quite right with this program. Arnold quit dieting a week out from the show, while others starved right up until seconds before going onstage. Meanwhile the Oak had been getting carbs for a week. The results speak for themselves.

    In his book "Winning Bodybuilding" also way back in the Seventies, Franco Columbu also disagreed with the unabashed bulk. He advocated a more temperate approach than the traditional six month bulk, stating that it attracts fat which is "about as welcome as a shark at a shipwreck".*

    Fast forward to the mid 90's. TjorgBjorg Ackerfeldt is interviewed by Bill Phillips in Muscle Media 2000 online. Ackerfeldt talks about his Anabolic Cycle of Diet and Exercise. According to Ackerfeldt many diets such as high carb, low protein, high fat, low carb, etc all had scientific backing. Ackerfeldt noticed that all the studies were for thirty days or less and hypothesized that the human body responds to change.

    Bill Phillips follows the ABCDE program and writes an article proving to the world that this plan is the WORD. TjorgBjorg is never heard from again, possibly abducted by aliens near St. Paul. Many people have a hard time dieting strictly for two weeks, some can't overeat for two weeks, some can't do either. Those that can and do seem to get results.

    Fast forward to the 21st Century. Tom Venuto is the author of the number one diet e-book in the world. Tom tells us that the zig zag method of caloric cycling is the way to go. Alternating high and low calories keeps the body from adapting to a regimen. Prolonged periods of low calories cause muscle sparing in an attempt to protect fat stores. Neither is what we want here.If caloric intake is high for very long, the body begins to gain more fat than muscle.

    If we just wanted pure mass at any expense we could do what my huge 560 pound friend does, eat like hell and not worry about it. There are very few bodybuilders who are going to beat him in a deadlift. There are no posing trunks made for his 65 inch waist. He does draw a crowd at the beach, and certain twisted little chicks dig that sort of thing. Anybody want his to follow his program?

    The goal is to find your ideal macronutrient ratio and cycle calories. Since we are after mass gain here we want to go heavy on days that we lift and light on rest and cardio days. The zone diet of 40/40/20 is a good macronutrient ratio to start with. Endomorphs can be a bit insulin sensitive and may need less carbs, ectomorphs may need more. Perversely, endomorphs may also need more fat.

    It is exactly at this point that a meticulous diet log comes in handy. If you don't know where you have been, you can't know where you are going.

    The science behind this approach is relatively simple. After a period of caloric deficit the body is primed to take in large amounts of nutrients and put on some muscle. After gaining some strength, the body will store fat in anticipation of some lean times. When faced with an abrupt deficit in calories, the body will use fat for energy. With adaptation, the body will lower the metabolism by eating it's own muscle and guard it's fat supply.

    By not letting the body adapt to high or low calories, we can constantly gain muscle and keep fat at bay. Here is a sample diet for a 180 pound bodybuilder in off season shape with 10% bodyfat. Or an athlete of any size with 162 lbs of lean body mass.

    Of course we will keep to six meals a day, and drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of bodyweight at a minimum.

    With the workload we have perscribed, our 180 pound bodybuilder with 10% bodyfat needs 3430 calories per day to maintain his weight. We want him to gain muscle, and we want to keep fat bulking to a minimum.

    Here is our Smart Bulk Plan

    For the first twelve weeks the formula is simple. We want our man to consume 4430 calories per day on the four lifting days, then go down to 2930 on the non-lifting days. This will give us a 30,000 calorie surplus in three months.

    In month four it gets a little crazy. Our builder is powerlifting and we want him to eat 4340 calories every day, except on his day of rest, he will only consume 2400 calories. Now our man has consumed 50,000 extra calories since beginning his bulking program. He has gained almost 14 pounds.

    In month five, we want our trainee to consume 4100 calories on his lifting days and cut back to 2800 on cardio only days. In four weeks he will lose a few ounces but improve his bodyfat back to below 10%. In month six we want him to consume 4600 calories on lifting days and 3100 on cardio only days.


    A sample 2800 calorie day
    • Meal one - one cup blueberries, 1/2 cup oatmeal with one scoop vanilla Solid Muscle whey 398
    • Post workout shake - one cup blueberries, one scoop SOlid Muscle, one scoop designer whey 338
    • meal two - 6 oz lean eye of round, 4 oz potato - 437
    • meal three - eas Myoplex carb sense MRP bar - 250
    • Meal four - 2 scoops designer whey - 180
    • Meal five - one cup brown rice, 8 oz lean eye of round, one tomato. 602
    • Meal six - one slice whole wheat bread, 3 oz pouch alabacore tuna - 210
    • snacks 3 oz lean eye of round, 2 ounces light string cheese - 281

    A sample 4500 calorie day
    • meal one - 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 6 oz lean eye of round steak, 1 tbsp flaxseed oil - 701 calories 8:30
    • meal two - 1/2 cup oatmeal, 3 egg whites, 1 egg- 275 calories 11:00
    • meal three - one bowl mixed field greens with 2 tbsp e.v. olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 8 oz grilled boneless skinless chix breast - 518 cakories 1:45 p.m.
    • post workout drink - 16 oz 1% milk, 1 serving muscle milk - 458 calories
    • meal four - one bowl mixed field greens with 2 tbsp e.v. olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 8 oz grilled boneless skinless chix breast, one GNC MRP pack, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 3 oz chunk light tuna in sunflower oil -963 calories - 4:30 p.m.
    • meal five - TWO SLICES WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, 3 oz chunk light tuna in water- 270 cals - 7:10 p.m.
    • meal six - Hardee's low carb thickburger, 4.25 oz roasted cashews - 1270 calories - 10:30 p.m.

    What are some good mass gaining supplements?


    As always, the best supplements are good food and water. If you don't have a solid nutritional base the effects of your workout, and your supplements are going to be diminished.

    In keeping with the principle of adaptation, we will identify some supplements as basic and others to be cycled.

    Basic Supplements -

    Supplements for Months 1,2,4, & 6 -
    Supplements for Months 1,3, & 5 -
    • Ecdysterone - 1.2 grams per day, taken in 300 mg doses with high protein meals.
    • Methoxy-7 - at least 600 mg. per day, divided doses.
    • Ipriflavone - 1.2 -2 grams per day divided into four doses.
    • HMB - manufacturer's dosage.

    BONUS QUESTION: With proper training, diet, and supplementation, how much muscle mass can one expect to gain during a 6 month bulk?


    On our Smart Bulk our man has gained 14 lbs of muscle and 2 pounds of bodyfat. This will leave our man with 10.21% bodyfat and an easy "cut" to get below 10% with plenty of new muscle left.



    * Quote taken from "Winning Bodybuilding" by Franco Columbu.
    Last edited by perldog007; 10-17-2005 at 09:02 PM. Reason: bad spellcheck substitution
    Reply With Quote

  18. #18
    Registered User richirich_99's Avatar
    Join Date: Aug 2005
    Location: Nevada
    Posts: 3
    Rep Power: 0
    richirich_99 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    richirich_99 is offline
    There is not one way to gain mass taht will work for everyone, but there are a few basic guidelines that will definalty help with putting on mass. THe first is to eat, and eat lots and often. Eat as many clean calories as you can handle. You should try to eat at least 5 times a day, if not 7-8 times. Dont go more than 2 1/2 to 3 hours without eating. Your body will begin to go into a catbolic state. To gain the most mass possible, you have to have your body in an anabolic state as much as possible. For the eating, eat at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight, better yet eat 1.5 to 2 grams per pound. Carbs should come from good clean sources such as brown rice, yams, whole-wheats. Try to eat at least 3 to 4 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. The only times that you really need to eat simple carbs is before and after your workout. Also, dont be afraid of fats, eating healthy fats will tremendously help with gaining mass. good sources include nuts, olive oil, flaxseed, salmon, or you can also take it in supplement form. Just remember, to gain mass you MUST eat more calories than you burn.

    Following eating, you MUST train like a madman. When you go into the gym, be mentally and physically focused. Stick to the basics compound movements such a squats, deadlifts, bench. You workout should revolve around these movements. Also, to gain mass, you have to lift heavy and explosive. Dont be afraid to do a few isolation exercises at the end of your workout to completely blast your muscles. Your reps should be in 6-10 range, if you can lift a weight for more than 10 reps its too light. Dont completely avoid cardio, but dont overdo it either. Doing cardio once or twice a week will actually help you gain more mass; just remember to eat the additional calories that you burned doing cardio.
    Next is supplementin properly to maximze lean mass gains. The number one supplement must be protein, taking a protein supplement first thing in the morning, right before and after lifting, and before bed are the most crucial times to take it. Another must have supplement is creatine. I would suggest taking about 20 grams while loading, and 10-15 grams every day after that. The best times to supplement with creatine are first thing in the morning, before, and after lifting. Glutamine is a must have supplement as well. Taking glutamine will greatly enhance your gains. Many protein supplements these days have glutamine, which is great, but you can still supplement with it if you feel the need, or your protein supplements dont have it, or if you cant afford protein supplements and are relying on whole foods which is fine. Taking glutamine first thing in the morning, after working out and before bed is the best time to take it. Another very important, and highly overlooked supplement is a good multi vitamin. You should take this every morning to help with muscle gains and overall health. If you feel the need you can also add an EFA supplement.
    The next requirement for gaining mass is sleep! You must sleep, and sleep as much as you can. Your muscles dont actually grow while working them, they grown during rest. Sleep at least 8 hours every night, more if you can. Also, if you can take a nap during the day.The more sleep the greater your gains will be.
    With the proper supplementing, diet, training, one could expect to gain about 20 to 30 pounds during a six month bulk. Beginner could experience ever more than that. Always remember to mix up your workouts, but never leave out the basics. Mix things up every 4 to 6 weeks or so, otherwise your body will adapt and your gains will tapper off. mixing things up will ensure that your gains will steadily continue.
    Reply With Quote

  19. #19
    Registered User lawdog10's Avatar
    Join Date: Sep 2005
    Posts: 2
    Rep Power: 0
    lawdog10 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    lawdog10 is offline
    Originally Posted by tregun
    One word: naive.
    You can think whatever you want,I would have thought you would know better but guess not. I may be naive but I am also clean. enough said!!!!!
    Reply With Quote

  20. #20
    Im a very nice guy Maddawg's Avatar
    Join Date: Jul 2005
    Location: In the gym (OHIO)
    Posts: 382
    Rep Power: 239
    Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10) Maddawg is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    Maddawg is offline
    Sleeping long can really help you grow faster and more? I get 6 and a half hours of sleep a day.
    Age:17
    Bench: 250
    Squat:405
    weight: 180
    height: 5'11

    Just lift for fun

    My goal: Get beefy. Not to cut. Look big. For me, its about how much it looks like you could lift not actually lift.
    Reply With Quote

  21. #21
    old school old fool perldog007's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: Swinging Kettlebells in the garden
    Age: 62
    Posts: 821
    Rep Power: 247
    perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10) perldog007 is on a distinguished road. (+10)
    perldog007 is offline

    Thumbs up Not disturbing at all

    Originally Posted by mlaracuente
    Does anyone else find it disturbing to see 15 year olds giving advice on these boards?? I would think 5-10 years of experience would be required to actually have tried everything for themselves before recommending anything to the public.
    I respectfully have to disagree, one old timer to another. Many of these young bucks have a lot of knowledge. Can't you remember when you were fourteen and knew everything ? . I will sit here all night and read advice from teenagers happily rather than read the newspaper or watch the news and hear about how they got hurt, overdosed, got arrested, etc.

    Besides, I have noticed that these days there are quite a few high school aged atheletes getting big and gaining serious mass without gear. My nephew for one. They must be on to something.

    All you youngbloods, stay strong, stay clean, and keep posting. My son is a nineteen year old Marine with a decent build. If he had a post, I would read it.

    If you young 'builders are getting big, go ahead and let us old timers know what is working for you. We might accidently learn something.
    Last edited by perldog007; 10-17-2005 at 10:07 PM. Reason: add icon
    Reply With Quote

  22. #22
    Registered User tylerb456's Avatar
    Join Date: Oct 2005
    Location: United Kingdom (Great Britain)
    Age: 37
    Posts: 38
    Rep Power: 0
    tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0) tylerb456 has no reputation, good or bad yet. (0)
    tylerb456 is offline

    Three Days A Week and you will see the Gains

    People Will tell you to tape yourself and weight your self. IF you want to gain mass only thing you need to worry about is the weight you stack on the bar each time. I went from 185 to 255 three times in a course of 2 and half months with no supplements.I went from 135 to 185 in the power cling and I went from 225 to 275 in the squat. 25 to 50 on hammer curls and went from 80 to 150 in the tri press down. So it worked for me and i hope it works for you. Always remember to work on form, if you have trouble with an exercise add it to the end of you'r routine and pratice form with liter weights, use the exercises you are most comfortable with for the intenity part of the program.


    My routine is a three times a week routine . I call my workout the Push Pull, Legs HIT (High Intensity Training)program. So if you aren't motivated don't use this workout. This workout is a great workout because anyone can do it and you can change everything up. But There are a few Rules. First Rule 1.) No more than one hour and 10 minutes in the gym. only 50 minuted deciated to the weights. Second Rule 2.) You must add atleast 2.5 lbs to each lift each week Third Rule 3.) Never and I mean Never Quit.

    One other thing that need to be explained before you see the schedule is the plate workout. I ot this from a friend who wrestled in high school. It takes 10 to 15 minutes. You will start with 16 reps then each set you will work down. You get a plate 25 or 35 pounds. You do 16 incline press,16 shoulder raises, 16 tricep press, 16 squats, 16, aroudn the worlds, 16 side to side, and 16 bent over rows then 100 jump ropes or 100 crunches, bicycles. Then you drop to 15. then to 14. Then the Next week it is 16, 15, 14, 13 until you get down to being able to go all the way down then up the weight. if you need help i have a video that i can show you.

    1.)" All Exercises will be performed with weights that are only able to be lift 3-6 times, no more no less. Add 2.5 lbs each week. Only MAX OUT ONCE A MONTH

    ( Sets and Reps)5 sets of 3 reps or (4 sets of 4 reps this one works the best), or 3 sets of 5 reps

    Day One ( Push exercises) Monday
    1.) Bench Press
    2.) Seated Miliatary Press
    3.) Tricep Press
    4.) Chest Fly's
    5.) Plate work out w/ strechting
    6.) 5-10 minutes in the Heat Room
    7.) Drink Meal replacement shake

    Day Two (Pull exercises) Wenesday
    1.) Hammer curls or Incline Hammer Curls
    2.) Triceps pull downs on cable machine
    3.) Trap Uprow
    4.) Cable Cross Over
    5.) Power Clinq
    6.) 1 mile run or 15-20 minutes on bike 2/strechting
    7.) 5-10 minutes in the Heat Room
    8.) Drink Meal Replacement shake

    Day Three ( Legs) Friday
    1.) Squats
    2.) Calf Raises
    3.) Dead Lift w/ shrugs
    4.) Leg press
    5.) plate workout w/strechtes
    6.) 5 -10minutes in Heat Room.
    7.) Meal Replacement Shake

    Everything can be eplained. Three days, One day a rest in between to give the muscle time to rest and heal, then two days on the weekend to rest and heal, you can play basketball or run but no weights, watch some football. 4-6 lifts not two many cause over working the body hurts.Also doing on 3 to 6 reps at the most weight that you can do the reps is good because if fully tars the muscle. Cardio or plate work out provides oxygen then strechting keeps you from injury. The heat room sweats all the sodium and bad stuff out and helps the body and mind relax. the meal replacement shake if take with 30 minutes of workout end puts back everything the body needs. Make Sure that you get 6-8 hours of rest every night. Have 3- 4 meals a day and make sure one meal is 45-60 minutes before workout, this meal should have most of you'r daily carbs and protein. Always Eat first meal of the day with 30 minutes of awakening and I suggest Oatmeal. Drink Lots of Juices, and Water. This is a great workout for people who want to gainmass quick easy and don't want to be in teh gym countless hours spending countless amount of money on supplements

    Diet.
    1.) 3 to 4 meals.
    a.) first meal with 30 minutes of weaking up. Suggested oatmeal with little, brown sugar, Fruit, Juices and some milk
    b.) second meal lots of protien few carbs and juice or water, Have some Cake, chocolate have a nice snack but not alot of it.
    c.) third meal 45-60 minutes ahead of workout. Lots of colorful food, lots, of carbs and protein. Lots of water and fruit.
    d.) Meal replacement shake after workout then maybe a extra lite snack before bed atleast one hour before going to sleep.

    Supplements:
    1.) Suggested you take none do it all naturally.
    But the ones i will recommend is Thermo Gain, and Some form of creatine( good with the replacement shake). You should not need to take protein you should eat enough of it.


    Well Thanks for letting me share my thoughts hope you like it and hope it works. Don't be embrassed of how much weight you are lifting most guys lifting heavy weights have been lifting for some time. and don't be afraid to try new things.
    Reply With Quote

  23. #23
    Knee deep in oats image101's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: North Carolina
    Age: 39
    Posts: 797
    Rep Power: 418
    image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50) image101 will become famous soon enough. (+50)
    image101 is offline
    What's a power clinq?
    Reply With Quote

  24. #24
    Ho ho_124's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: British Columbia, Canada
    Posts: 10,340
    Rep Power: 6978
    ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000)
    ho_124 is offline

    Thumbs up Page 1

    How Can You Gain As Much Mass As Possible
    Every guy has probably dreamed of it or at least thought of it. It is probably one of the top goals for a guy, to get big and ripped. I can almost assume that many males, youth, adults and whatever has gone to the gym in hopes of getting big but sometimes with no real results. Or they could just be some gym rat who spends his whole life in the gym but hardly gets any results. And what’s their excuse for not getting that big? “Well I don’t take steroids” or “My genetics are limiting my gains.” There should be no excuse if your doing everything right, if you spend time in the gym and do everything correctly there is no reason why you can’t gain muscle mass. However, it’s not just as easy as taking a walk in the park. You have to watch all elements of your life carefully to ensure muscle growth. This means taking into account your diet, training, sleep ect. Even your diet can be divided into smaller categories that you have to be careful about, for example you have to watch how much water you take in or how many carbs you consume. The diet is probably one of the most important things. More attention should be spent on diet than training. If you think about it training is straightforward. You have a good program, you go to the gym, do the exercises and it’s done. Also when you train you know if you got a good workout. But in your diet, there are so many things that you have to take into account. You have to balance all your foods so you get proper ratios and get proper amounts of food. You also can’t really tell if your eating right unless you realize your not gaining any mass. Therefore you should place more emphasis on nutrition.




    What is the best workout for the biggest mass gain?
    You’ve probably heard this but, there is no best workout. If there was a best workout then it would be posted everywhere and everyone would use the same workout. Maybe you respond well to certain exercises and you don’t work well with other exercises. Everyone’s body is different. That’s why you have to make your own workout schedule that you like and that works for you. I can only suggest certain techniques and exercises that might work for you, but in the end it will be you changing your workout and picking new exercises. That’s why I don’t like personal trainers (no offence to them, I don’t mean that by hate them personally), they give you a program that is not specific to your needs, so you end up wasting some of your time. You don’t need someone to tell you what to do (unless bodybuilding is like quantum physics to you), its not that hard to make your own workout program if you spend some time reading, all you need to know is the basics. Even if your program is mediocre, your diet will carry you the rest of the way. Basically I will tell you some good techniques for mass gain as well as workout that I like personally. Remember don’t copy it because it might not be best for you. Don’t use everyone one of these techniques I will list below, just use a few and incorporate it into your workout program.

    1. Forced reps
    - This is a technique where someone helps you complete a rep that you would not be able to complete without their assistance. However don’t overuse this technique. If you do this for every set then you will run a high risk of over training sine these reps really stress your recovery systems.
    - These should be done on the last few sets where you are most fatigued. Don’t use them right at the start of your workout. The reasoning is that the last few stressful reps stimulates the building of muscle since it tries to adapt to the stress by becoming stronger and bigger. Doing an extra one or two reps will somewhat “enhance” and take the stimulation further so the muscles grow stronger and bigger than if the trainee had never done the forced reps since it needs to adapt to more stress.
    - To use this effectively the person helping shouldn’t help the trainee to a point where the person doing the exercise hardly has to do work. The helper should get the trainee to do most the work to make this method work effectively.

    2. Partial reps
    - This is a training method where a person does an exercise but only a part of it because that person is to fatigued to do a full repetition. However, don’t take this to the extreme and do eight partials. The very max you should do is 3 maybe even 2. If you do to many partials, you won’t be getting the full range of motion for your muscle and it might not develop properly. You might also run the risk of over training by putting your body under too much stress. Another good this about this is that you don’t need a spotter.
    - Again like forced reps, the reasoning behind this is at failure when a trainee can’t do another full rep, the partial rep will take the muscle building stimuli further by taxing the muscles even more than if the partial rep was never executed. It is also useful in helping a person perform an exercise at a higher weight. They shouldn’t be done every set but near the end sets to avoid over training.
    - You still must maintain good form.

    3. Cheating
    - Probably the most known technique for mass gaining. This is similar to partials. This is where you recruit other body parts to help you complete a rep hence the name cheating. They can be useful to further fatigue your body so that your muscles will recover bigger and stronger. It can also help you train at a higher weight. For example if Mr. Guy’s curl is at 40 pounds and he wants to move it up to 45, then cheating will help him do the same amount of reps for 45 pounds than he could perform with 40 pounds.
    - Never overuse cheating. Only use on the last few reps at the very max three to two and on the last few sets where you are fatigued. Overuse of cheating can result in injury and overtime if used too much and incorrectly, it may injure and damage body parts. For example if you cheat too much and incorrectly while doing curls, overtime your lower back will get so screwed up and you will have back problems for the rest of your life.
    - You should never cheat excessively. By this I mean if your doing curls, then you should never jerk your back too much to help you. It should only be a slight jerk that helps you complete the rep at the hardest part. If you use bad “cheating” form then I can already tell you that you will have problems in the future.

    4. Supersets, tri-sets, and giant sets
    - These techniques aren’t really mass gainers, but they are good if you have limited time. They don’t really take much away from the effectiveness in which you train, and that’s a good thing.
    - To perform this you take two, three or four+ (Superset = 2, tri-set = 3, and giant set = 4+) exercises and do them in a row without rest. Then after that you take a rest and do it again.
    - There are a few ways to do these kinds of sets. The first way is to work different body parts for each set. There isn’t a muscular building advantage but it saves time and gives you practically the same workout. This is best done with supersets. With supersets the first set does get you a bit tired but it won’t affect the next set that much. When you get near three and four exercises without rest your performance will suffer. (I like supersets for my arms, if I do biceps it keeps my arms warm and vice versa).
    - Another technique for these kinds of sets is doing exercise that target one body part. So if I was doing super sets or tri-sets for my pecs, I would do two or three exercise that works the muscle. This is kind of like pre-exhaust training where sets are done for a certain body part to fatigue it and the reasoning is that if you tax the muscles more, then they will grow back bigger and stronger like some of the techniques above.

    5. Pre-exhaust training
    - This is a technique where an isolation exercise is performed followed by a compound movement or an exercise that requires at least two muscles. The thought behind this is that it pushes a certain muscle harder and on the second set of the compound movement it recruits the secondary muscle more effectively. Some of you probably have no clue what I said so lets take the hamstrings and lower back for example. If I want to push the hamstrings harder then I do an isolation exercise for it like hamstring curls. Then I do a compound exercise for it like the deadlift. This will push the hamstring harder and let it grow back bigger and stronger. Also since the hamstrings are already fatigued, it recruits the lower back muscles more so the lower back also gets trained harder.
    - This can be done throughout your whole workout.

    6. Drop sets
    - This is a good technique for exhausting the muscle. There are a few ways to do this. The first way is doing one set to failure or very short of it. Then doing another set to failure or nearly short of it. You can do this to two or three sets. I wouldn’t recommend going over four sets. This also saves time and exhausts the muscle so that it grows back stronger and bigger. The second way of doing this is by doing one set only. But lets say you want to do ten reps. So you select a weight you can do maybe five times. Then once you reach failure you go to a lower weight and keep going lower until you reach ten reps. This really exhausts the muscle so that it will stimulate your body to make your muscles grow and get stronger.
    Reply With Quote

  25. #25
    Ho ho_124's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: British Columbia, Canada
    Posts: 10,340
    Rep Power: 6978
    ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000)
    ho_124 is offline

    Thumbs up Page 2 continued

    7. Rest pause training
    - This is another good technique. To do this you pick how many reps you want to do for an exercise. So if you pick ten reps then you pick a weight that you can only do lets say 4-5 times. Then you drop the weight and wait for about 15 seconds. Then you pump out maybe two more reps and drop it and wait for another 15 seconds. Do this until you get to your target rep range. This works like all the other techniques, it exhausts the muscle more than not doing rest pause training so your muscles grow back… you know.

    8. Burning out the muscle
    - This is an awesome technique for further enhancing the muscle building stimuli by exhausting the muscle even more. To do this after you finish a set you take a weight that is a lot lower than what you use. For example if you curl 40’s then you take 15’s at the end. Then you do a bunch of quick but controlled reps with the lighter weight until you totally burn out the muscle.

    9. Negatives
    - This is a similar technique to forced reps. This technique concentrates on the eccentric movement (negative movement, for bench press this means lowering the weight). You do an eccentric movement down slowly, then since you can’t lift weight up again, someone helps you lift it up slowly.
    - You should do at the very max 4 maybe even 3 negative reps. It should also be at the last sets to avoid over training.

    10. Strip sets
    - This is almost exactly like drop sets but done with barbells on such exercises as bench press or squats. When you complete one set get two people to quickly strip some of the weight off and do another set. I wouldn’t recommend going over 3 sets of these. This also saves time and exhausts your muscle so it can grow back bigger and stronger.

    - Basically these techniques work to exhaust the muscle so that it taxes the body more physically. The body responds by building the muscles back stronger and bigger since it is put under more stress than if these techniques weren’t used


    Now here are some other things you can use to incorporate into your mass gaining program to get better gains.
    1. Compound movements
    - This is huge and you might have heard it a lot but it is true. Using compound movements (exercises that recruit a few muscle groups rather than one) will help you put on more mass. The reason is simple, because you work more body parts than if you just do isolation exercises. So for example if you do bench for chest then your triceps get hit as well. Because of this your triceps get worked more so they will grow than if they never were worked while doing chest.
    - I would do about 60-70% of your exercises compound movements while doing the other 30-40% isolation exercises. So for chest if you have three exercises do dips, bench press, then maybe flyes. Also for something like biceps it impossible to find compound exercises. The only way is curls so keep that in mind. You shouldn’t do one arm rows to workout your bicep just because it’s compound. Some body parts you can only work using isolation exercises.

    2. Change your workout ever 1-2 months
    - A lot of people keep the same workout for like a year. This is the worst thing you can do for yourself if your trying to gain mass since your body will adapt to the exercises and you will plateau. This means your gains will drop. Changing up your exercises and doing different movements ensures your body is always being challenged so it will always be trying to grow bigger and stronger to handle the stress. Think about it if I did the same math problem over and over again eventually it would do nothing for me. But if I did different math problems I would get a lot better at math.

    3. Change your rep range
    - Changing your rep range also ensures that your body won’t adapt to performing a certain amount of reps. This isn’t as big as changing your workout but it still is kind of important. For hypertrophy rep ranges are anywhere from 6-12 reps. So change it up. So if you do bench for 12 reps then maybe next workout change it to 8 reps.

    4. Rest between sets and total time in the gym
    - First of all your rest between sets should be somewhere from 30 seconds to the max 1 minute and 30 seconds. Most people go by one minute. The reason is that this amount of rest between sets is ideal for hypertrophy or muscular growth while longer rests are best for strength. That’s why power lifters rest for 3-5 minutes. Also spend at the most one hour in the gym. This is good for two reasons .First of all it allows you to go intense for one hour. If you spend two hours on your workout your intensity on the exercises after the one hour will go down since you get tired. If it is kept under and hour it ensures that you worked each body part you were planning to work, effectively. If you spend one hour on chest then another hour on back, your back won’t develop to it’s full potential since you will be too tired in the second hour to work the back for best results. Secondly it prevents over training. If you train over an hour you run the risk of over training. Training over an hour puts the body under a lot of stress, and if all your workouts are over one hour your body won’t be able to recover properly paving the road for over training.

    5. Sleep at least 8 hours
    - This is kind of unrelated so I’ll make a short point of it. SLEEP AT LEAST 8 HOURS. The reason is because while sleeping your growth hormone is at it’s highest concentration. So if you don’t sleep enough then your body won’t grow to it’s full potential even though you’ve done everything right. Also sleeping properly allows your body to recover properly. Lack of sleep believe it or not is a major reason for over training other than training too much.


    Now for the actual workout. There are two workout schedules to give you a better idea how to change up your workout plan. The basic idea is that you want to work the parts of a body part for full development. By this I mean that your pectoral is divided into four parts the upper, lower, inner, and outer parts. You don’t want to neglect any of the parts or else your muscle won’t develop properly or it won’t have a good shape. So if you didn’t work the lower chest in one workout plan incorporate it into your next workout plan. For more detailed information on this go to an article I wrote on an all dumbbell workout in the workout of the week. I highly recommend you read it because it will give you an awesome idea of certain body parts that you should be concerned about. It will tell you the different parts of the muscle that you should worry about. Again I want to stress that my ideal workout will not always be the best for you. Make one that you like and one that makes sense (by this I mean don’t make a workout plan that only works your upper pectorals because that would be stupid). Don’t just follow some 6 month program because your too lazy to make one yourself.

    WORKOUT CYCLE - 1

    Monday – Biceps, triceps (Super set for arms), and abs
    - Alternating dumbbell curls: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This works the main bicep area
    - Concentration curls: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This also works the main bicep area and forces you not to cheat
    - Barbell outer bicep curl: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This works the outer bicep area
    As you might notice, the inner biceps and lower biceps aren’t worked here, but they will be worked next workout.
    - Close grip bench press: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This works two heads of the tricep
    - Tricep variation dips: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This works all heads of the tricep
    - Skull crushers with EZ barbell: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – This also works all three heads of the tricep

    - Decline sit ups: 8-15 reps x 3 Sets – Works upper abs (You should know this)
    - Decline reverse crunches: 8-15reps x 3 Sets – Works lower abs
    - Dumbbell side bends: 8-15 reps x 3 Sets – Works oblique muscles

    Tuesday – Legs and lower back (You can superset between calves and lower back to save time)
    - Squat medium stance: 6-12 reps x 5 Sets – Works main quad area. Also go all the way down to ensure that the upper quads are worked as well as the hamstrings. Don’t let your knee go over your toes or your knee’s will get carved like Christmas ham.
    - Stiff legged deadlifts: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets
    - Lunges: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – You should know what this works, if not get a personal trainer now
    - Hamstring curls (Optional if you have time): 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – If you don’t know what muscle this hits then… you need to read ALOT.
    - Hyperextensions: 6-12 reps x 2 Sets
    - Standing barbell calf raise: 8-12 reps x 3 sets - Calves
    - Calf raises on leg press machine: 8-12 reps x 3 sets -

    Wednesday – Rest

    Thursday – Chest and back
    - Incline bench press: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – Works the upper pectorals
    - Dips, pectoral variation: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – Works lower pectorals
    - Flyes on flat bench: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – Works outer and inner pectorals

    - Pull ups: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets– Compound exercise that works general upper back area
    - One arm rows: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – Compound exercise that works general upper back area
    - Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row: 6-12 reps x 3 Sets – Compound exercise that works general upper back area
    - Seated rows: 6-12 reps x 2 Sets – I like to add an forth exercise since the whole general back area gets worked in these back exercises. The forth exercise ensures that all the muscles are fatigued. If you still don’t understand it’s like this. The pectorals get hit very well on dips, bench press, and flyes. However certain muscles in the back might not get hit as well since it’s almost impossible to isolate those back muscles. Doing 4 exercises ensures that they will get worked effectively.
    Reply With Quote

  26. #26
    Ho ho_124's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: British Columbia, Canada
    Posts: 10,340
    Rep Power: 6978
    ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000)
    ho_124 is offline

    Thumbs up Page 3 continued

    Friday – Rest

    Saturday – Shoulders, wrists, and traps (I like to superset with wrists and traps)
    Shoulder press: 6-12 reps x 4 sets – Works the anterior head more also works the lateral head
    Lateral raises: 6-12 reps x 2-3 sets – Works the lateral head
    Bent over laterals: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works the posterior head

    Palms up wrist curl: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    Palms down wrist curl: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    Behind the back wrist curl: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    Wrist roller: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    - One note, doing more than this or your wrists would probably be over kill for them.

    Behind the back shrug: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works upper traps
    Barbell shrug with barbell infront of body: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works upper traps

    Sunday - Rest


    WORKOUT CYCLE – 2
    Monday – Biceps, triceps (superset for arms), and abs
    Hammer curls: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works the main bicep area
    Inner bicep curl on bench: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works inner biceps
    Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works lower biceps
    - See how I put the lower and inner biceps here? That’s because I didn’t do it in the previous workout so it all balances out

    Bench press: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Hits two heads of the triceps
    Incline Barbell Triceps Extension: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Hits all heads of the triceps
    Single-Arm Reverse-Grip Pushdowns: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Hits two heads of the triceps

    Weighted sit ups: 8-15 reps x 3 sets – Upper abs, put something on your feet to keep you down
    Flat bench lying leg raise: 8-15 reps x 3 sets – Lower abs
    Barbell Side Bend: 8-15 reps x 3 sets – Oblique

    Tuesday – Legs and lower back (You could superset between calves and lower back to save time)
    Wide stance squats: 8-12 reps x 2 sets – This works the inner quads
    Close stance squats: 8-12 reps x 3 sets – This works the outer quads
    Standing leg curl: 8-12 reps x 3 sets - Hamstrings
    Traditional deadlift: 8-12 reps x 3 sets – For hamstrings and lower back
    Good mornings: 8-12 reps x 2 sets – For hamstrings and lower back
    Seated calf raises: 8-15 reps x 3 sets – Calves
    One legged calf raises: 8-15 reps x 3 sets - Calves

    Wednesday - Rest

    Thursday – Chest and back
    Decline dumbbell bench press: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works the lower pectorals
    Incline flyes: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works more of the upper pectorals, works a little bit of the inner and outer pectorals
    Bent arm barbell pullover: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Works the general pectoral area

    Close grip chin ups: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Compound movement for upper back muscles
    Bent over rows: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Compound movement for upper back muscles
    Wide grip lat pull down: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Compound movement for upper back muscles
    Seated rows with wide grip bar: 6-12 reps x 2 sets – Compound movement for upper back muscles

    Friday - Rest

    Saturday – Shoulders, wrists, and traps (Superset for wrists and traps)
    Seated military press: 6-12 reps x 4 sets – Works more of the anterior shoulder as well as the lateral shoulder
    Palms back lateral dumbbell raise: 6-12 reps x 2 sets – Lateral shoulder
    Seated rear deltoid row: 6-12 reps x 3 sets – Compound movement for your posterior shoulders

    Barbell palms up wrist curl: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    Barbell palms down wrist curl: 6-12 reps x 2 sets
    Wrists twists: 6-12 reps x 2 sets – Works all parts of the forearms

    Incline bench shrugs with dumbbells: 6-12 reps x 3 sets
    Dumbbell shrug: 6-12 reps x 3 sets

    Sunday – Rest

    For me the workout lasts four months. You shouldn’t copy it unless you really like it and there’s really no point in putting a six month workout plan. This is just to give you a general idea on how to change up your workout plan and how to hit different parts of a muscle.


    What is the best diet for the biggest mass gain?
    You must understand a few things about gaining mass. It’s not all about workout out. Lifting weights will only carry you so far, the diet will do the rest for you. It will either make or break your mass gain program. If your diet sucks and doesn’t work I guarantee you won’t gain as much mass as you want to. One thing you must understand about gaining mass is bulking. This is a technique used by bodybuilders to effectively gain muscle mass. It has nothing to do with training, but it’s all about nutrition. That’s why eating right is so important. Below I will list important things to keep in mind while bulking, or putting on mass. You must keep all of these things in mind.

    1. To bulk you have to count your calories.
    - Bulking is basically eating about 500 calories over your maintenance level. If you don’t eat over your calorie maintenance level or just maintain it while training, your gains in muscle will come very very slow. That’s why all those guys you see spending hours in the gym but eat fries and burgers in the cafeteria make slow gains. And if they have some decent definition it took a few years for them to get. So the basic concept to bulking is eating about 500 calories over your maintenance level for muscular gain. However the unfortunate thing about this is that fat gain also results. It can be limited by watching your diet and eating cleanly but it’s something that will happen when mass gaining muscle. So calculate your calorie maintenance level and try to eat 500 calories above it. A general rule of thumb is to calculate your weight in pounds by 17-20. However there are other good ways to calculate it more accurately. Recalculate your calorie maintenance level every two weeks and eat according to your new calorie level.

    2. Keep a log of what you eat
    - Keeping a log of what you eat is super important. You have to count what you eat in each meal and how many calories it has including the macronutrient breakdown. This is very important to ensure your getting enough calories and ratios and amounts of certain things like protein and carbs. If you don’t write down what you eat then if there is a problem with your diet then you would have no clue since nothing is written down. Writing everything also ensures that you know how much to each day and how much more you need to eat each day.

    3. Eating 6 meals a day
    - Three meals a day won’t cut it now. First of all your body needs constant nutrition to create an ideal environment for your muscles to grow. Eating this many meals also ensures that you will store less fat than if you ate three meals a day. The reason is because it keeps your blood sugar levels more stable. Also if you wait too long between meals, your body stores fat as a defense against starvation. Another reason is that if you eat three bigger meals, you might store some of it as fat since your body takes in so much food all at once and can’t metabolize it all. So the basic reasons to eat six meals a day is to keep the fat away and supply your muscles with proper nutrition to grow which puts you in an anabolic state.

    4. Getting proper macronutrients and proper ratios
    - The three basic things you need for your muscles to grow are carbohydrates, protein, and good fats.
    - A good ratio would be 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 20% good fats. Now for a review of the macronutrients. So in your 6 meals 50% of the calories should be carbs, 30% of the calories should be protein and 20% of the carbs should be good fats.

    Protein – This is essential for growth. Without it you couldn’t grow muscle and it is one of the most important macronutrients to feed your muscles with amino acids to build muscle. A general rule of thumb is to take 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Some people go 1.5 and even 2 grams per pound of body weight. Good sources of protein include:
    - Lean cuts of meat
    - Chicken breasts
    - Fish and sea food
    - Eggs
    - Nuts
    - Peanut butter
    - Cottage cheese
    - Milk
    - Low fat cheese

    Carbohydrates – Carbs are another important macronutrient since they provide the body with the proper energy they need for workouts and recovery. They also spare muscle breakdown. Without carbohydrates the body will look for other places for energy. This means your muscles might be broken down for energy. Carbs are rated on a glycemic index. This measures how fast the carbohydrates are digested. A high G.I carb will result in an insulin spike and your body will store fat. They also supply your body with a short bursts of energy. Low G.I carbs will cause a minimal insulin spike and fuel your body for a longer time. You want to eat low G.I carbs during the day and only eat high G.I carbs after a workout. However fruits are alright during the day, just don’t go crazy on them. A good combo is using fruit with a low G.I carbohydrate source for quick and sustained energy. Good sources of low G.I carbohydrates that should be eaten during the day are:
    - Whole wheat breads
    - Potatoes
    - Sweet potatoes
    - Brown rice
    - Oatmeal
    - Vegetables
    - Whole wheat pasta
    - Apples

    Fats – Of the three things, fats are least important, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored. You should be eating good fats while limiting bad fats. They are important for hormone synthesis and have a variety of other benefits. This means getting your EFA’s or essential fatty acids. These fats include omega 3-6-9. Those are the basic fats you should be eating each day to ensure proper muscular gain. Other fats that are good to eat are MCT’s. They aren’t as important and have a few benefits. Basically you should be concentrating on getting your EFA’s. Omega 3 and 6 are the most important of the three. Some good sources of good fat are:
    - Fish
    - Olive oil
    - Flax seeds and oils (These are huge)
    - Fish oils
    - Seeds
    - Nuts
    - Corn
    - Soybeans
    Reply With Quote

  27. #27
    Ho ho_124's Avatar
    Join Date: May 2005
    Location: British Columbia, Canada
    Posts: 10,340
    Rep Power: 6978
    ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000) ho_124 is a name known to all. (+5000)
    ho_124 is offline

    Thumbs up Page 4 continued

    5. Drink at least 10-12 cups of water each day. If you can drink more
    - This is a small point but you should be drinking a lot of water. Don’t drink so that your bloated though. Water helps flush out wastes and toxins inside your body. It also helps in metabolic functions and chemical reactions that require water. Water is also especially important if you are on supplements like creatine. To know if your getting enough water see if your pee is clear. If its very yellow you need more water.

    6. Eat cleanly
    - Eat healthy foods. If you eat burgers because you decide the bread has carbs and the burger has protein then you mise well forget muscle gain. The only thing you will gain is fat if you bulk dirty. Bulking cleanly ensures that you gain minimal fat. This makes it easier when cutting, so you have less fat to get rid of. If you don’t eat right then you will waste time cutting away fat and losing muscle in the process.

    7. Eating before bedtime
    - Eating before bedtime is important. Think about it our going 8 hours without protein and carbs. This sets you up for muscle breakdown. So to avoid this drink 2 cups of milk or have some cottage cheese. The slow absorbing protein will last you most of the night and the carbs in milk are slow absorbing so they will also last you through the night.

    8. Post workout nutrition or post workout shake
    - This is so important. What you have right after your workout could affect the state your body goes in. Basically after a workout you want to replenish glycogen stores, stop muscle breakdown, and boost protein synthesis. This is what you should put into your post workout shake.
    - First of all for glycogen stores you want to replenish them quickly. This is the only place where you should consume high G.I carbs. Replenishing them rapidly ensures that your body will use the carbs for energy to recovery and not use muscle for energy. You should consume about 40-80 grams of simple sugars to quickly replace glycogen stores. You should use dextrose and maltodextrin in a 50/50 split. Using just dextrose is also fine. You can find both of these sugars in a wine and beer making stores surprisingly. Consuming high G.I carbs also promotes and insulin spike. An insulin spike is also very important which is something I will cover next.
    - The second thing is stopping muscle breakdown. This is where the protein comes in. Protein combined with simple sugars work together to rapidly raise insulin levels. Insulin stops muscle breakdown right after a workout which is essential. Protein also supplies your body with amino acids to repair and build muscle. You want to add somewhere from 20-50 grams depending on your size. You don’t need 40 grams if your 120 pounds. That’s how the companies make money. Getting you to take all that protein when you don’t need it so you have to buy more. If you consume 40 grams if your 120 pounds then you will just pee it out. It is also an anabolic hormone which brings me to the next point.
    - Protein synthesis means building muscle. Insulin also does this because it is anabolic. That’s why insulin is so important. Another thing that also raises protein synthesis is BCAA or branched chain amino acids. Although I don’t like to use them you might want to give them a try.
    - So basically your post workout shake should look like this (The stuff you need)
    - 2-3 cups of water
    - 20-50 grams of protein depending on size
    - 40-80 grams of dextrose/maltodextrin depending on size

    - Here are things you can add into your post workout shake
    - BCAA- Help in protein synthesis
    - Creatine – Help replenish ATP stores after a workout
    - Glutamine – Some people swear by it but I think it’s a scam since your diet already provides you with a whole bunch. Do whatever you want to do though, I’m not your mom.


    That’s basically it for what your diet should look like. Remember to take into account every little piece of your diet so you don’t screw up. I would say almost 90% of all bulking screw-ups are made in the diet part. If you want I would say you can have 1 cheat meal a week. At the very most 2 cheat meals. This means you can eat one unhealthy meal. Don’t go overboard or else you will totally do the opposite of gain muscle and gain fat. Also if you eat more cheat meals, you might be inclined to have a few more. So try to stay away from them as much as possible.




    What are some good mass gaining supplements?
    Supplements help with mass gaining muscle. They are good for post nutrition in stopping muscle breakdown and increasing muscle building. They also make meals more convenient. However you have to draw a point with supplements. I would say take at the most 4 supplements. You should need to take 6 or 8 supplements a day for mass gain. Try to go as natural as possible, God made plants and animals but not protein so I trust that the plants and animals will do me good. You don’t need all that crap that people and companies suggest you take where you don’t even know what the words mean. One reason is because these things are relatively new. In a few years down the road these things can have major side effects that weren’t anticipated. Your probably like yea yea your full of crap right? Well take for an example cigarettes. At one point they thought it was good for you and it helped with sore throat. Well it turned to be the most harmful things you can do to your body. Need another example? How about aspartame. It was an alternative to sweetening foods without adding sugar. But now they are finding major side effects to consuming aspartame. Trust me on this one, you don’t need all those complicated supplements. You could be doing yourself so much harm without even knowing. You think those companies care about you? They just want to make money they don’t give a rats ass if you get cancer in a few years. Just try to go as natural as possible. I can almost guarantee you that someday certain supplements will be found to have horrible side effects to them since there are thousands to them. You might not know now, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. I see people taking all these supplements like vitamins, chromium, testosterone and other names I can’t even pronounce. But that’s how it is in North American culture. They don’t even know how it’s made or what’s in them. Sometimes they hardly know the science behind it, not everything companies tell you is true. For example if it says helps build lean mass what do they mean by lean mass? They can get away with it even if it helps you build 1 gram of lean muscle mass (trust me I’ve studied marketing techniques and scams in an in depth media course). And if you tell someone there are taking to many supplements and it could cause them harm, they just laugh at you and call you an idiot. So before you get into using a supplement know what’s in it

    The basic supplements when mass gaining
    1. Whey protein
    - This is so helpful after a workout. It supplies your body with the protein you need to stop muscle breakdown and increase insulin. It also helps you get protein when your in a crunch. The best proteins are the trusted companies. My top two picks are:
    1. Optimum whey protein
    2. Higher power whey protein

    2. Creatine
    - This is also another useful and popular supplement. It increases ATP stores so you can push yourself harder in the gym and it also is the ultimate lean muscle gainer. You don’t need creatine to make magnificent gains. I go without creatine since as I said above I like to go as natural as possible. Two good creatines would be:
    1. Higher power micronized creatine
    2. BSN No-xplode

    3. Multi-vitamins
    - These are something I trust. Multi-vitamins have been around so long and are actually recommended by doctors. They provide your body with the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to build muscle and stay in an anabolic state. However again, they aren’t essential to making mass gains but they do help. Two good multi-vitamins would be
    1. Higher power one a day
    2. Optimum Opti-men
    3. AST Multi Pro 32X – One thing I don’t like is the amount of iron it has. It has almost 100% of the recommended amount you should have each day. Too much iron can cause your blood vessels to rust and it can also cause cancer.

    4. Meal replacements
    - Meal replacements are also another thing I use. The concept has been around for some time and it uses ingredients that have been around for some time. They are also useful when you need a meal on the go if you don’t have time. However, don’t rely on meal replacements. Like I said the best thing is natural food, which is something you can trust. Four good meal replacements are:
    1. EAS Myoplex Deluxe (New Formula) – My favorite, it’s unreal
    2. AST Ny-Tro Pro-40
    3. Muscle milk
    4. Anabolic infusion




    BONUS QUESTION: With proper training, diet, and supplementation, how much muscle mass can one expect to gain during a 6 month bulk?

    It varies for everyone. Some people might respond very well to training and the diet and some people might not which is where genetics come in. Just like how genetics limits how tall you can grow, genetics determines how much muscle you can gain when bulking. This is assuming that everything is in check including diet, supplementation, and training.
    Generally I would say if you did everything right you could gain about 25-30 pounds maybe even forty pounds. Of course this won’t all be muscle and some of it will be fat. A good clean bulk will maybe consist of 5-8 pounds of fat gained. It could even be 3 pounds if you’re lucky. Again fat gain depends on genetics. Some people never gain fat and some people gain fat like no tomorrow. That’s why you got to watch your diet if your susceptible to fat gain more than others.
    Reply With Quote

  28. #28
    Banned DSM18's Avatar
    Join Date: Apr 2005
    Location: The Power Rack
    Age: 37
    Posts: 775
    Rep Power: 0
    DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50) DSM18 will become famous soon enough. (+50)
    DSM18 is offline
    How long left do I have to post?

    Thanks
    Reply With Quote

  29. #29
    there is no offseason mivi320's Avatar
    Join Date: Mar 2003
    Posts: 12,388
    Rep Power: 11013
    mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000)
    mivi320 is offline
    How can you gain as much mass as possible?


    Bodybuilding isn't an easy sport. In fact, bodybuilding can seem rather frustrating at times. Despite our absolute best efforts in the gym and the many sacrifices we make, some of us are simply getting nowhere in this game of bodybuilding. Are you tired of being frustrated? Are you tired of being skinny? Are you ready to add some mass? Let's get started!


    Goal Setting!

    Ask yourself this - why exactly do you want to add some mass to your frame? Is it because you're tired of being a skinny guy who fails to get recognized by the opposite sex? Or is it because you're a competitive bodybuilder trying to move up in weight class? Whatever your situation may be, one thing is clear. You need to set your goal! Goal setting is an effective and proven method that helps you decide what you want to achieve, and then move step-by-step towards achieving these goals! Below are some helpful guidelines that will help you set effective goals:


    Be Positive!

    State your goals as a positive statement. For example, don't say my goal is to "try and add some lean body mass to my frame," but rather "add as much lean body mass to my frame through hard work and dedication!" Being positive about your goals will ensure that your attitude is positive also, which will go a long way in achieving your goals!

    Set realistic goals!

    It is very important to set goals that you can achieve. Setting a goal to gain 45lbs. of muscle in one month is clearly a goal that is not sensible. Setting high goals is often counterproductive, and shies the goal setter away from achieving the particular goal.

    Do not set goals too low!

    It is just as important not to set your goals too low, just as it is extremely important not to set your goals unrealistically high. People tend to set their goals too low because they're simply afraid of failing to obtain these goals.


    Calories, Calories, Calories!

    In order to gain mass, a calorie surplus must be established. That is, you must eat more than what you burn. In order to do this, we must find out our maintenance caloric level. The equation is rather simple. Take your bodyweight and multiply it by 15. For example, a 150lb. bodybuilder's maintenance caloric level is 2,250 calories because:

    150lbs. x 15 = 2,250 calories.

    After finding the maintenance caloric level, simply add an additional 500 calories to the maintenance caloric level. Going back to our 150lb. bodybuilder, he would need 2,750 calories a day to gain lean body mass because:

    150lbs. x 15 = 2,250 calories.

    2,250 calories + 500 calories = 2,750 calories.

    A good rule of thumb is to eat the number of calories needed to gain lean body mass for a week, and monitor your progress. If you're not gaining, increase your calories by 300-500 to ensure proper growth!
    Last edited by mivi320; 10-19-2005 at 05:41 PM.
    Reply With Quote

  30. #30
    there is no offseason mivi320's Avatar
    Join Date: Mar 2003
    Posts: 12,388
    Rep Power: 11013
    mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000) mivi320 is a splendid one to behold. (+10000)
    mivi320 is offline
    Quality Foods = Quality Muscle


    Quality food, nutrient, and mineral intake will guarantee quality gains is muscle mass (given you're eating above maintenance caloric levels). Shoving junk food down your pie hole will get you massive too. In the waistline, that is. Therefore, it's vital to eat "clean" to ensure quality gains in lean body mass while keeping body fat gains to a minimum! Below is a list of "clean" foods that should be eaten regularly when trying to add some serious size:

    1. Complex Carbohydrates

    Complex Carbohydrates take much longer to digest and are usually chock full with vitamins, fiber, and minerals. They are superior to simple carbohydrates, which are digested very quickly. Mostly all simple carbohydrates are refined (meaning they have undergone some major processing), and contain hardly no vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Aim to get 2-3 grams/pound of bodyweight of complex carbohydrates during your mass gaining phase. Below is a list of complex carbohydrates that should be consumed when adding mass!

    Whole grain cereals
    Beans
    Brown Rice
    Oatmeal
    Cream of Wheat
    Whole grain Bread
    Whole grain Pasta
    All Fruits
    All Vegetables
    Potatoes


    2. Proteins

    Proteins are essential for muscle building. They will provide your body with amino acids, and ultimately aid in your recovery and growth process! The protein requirements for a mass gaining diet are 1.5-2.0g grams protein/pound of bodyweight. Below is a list of proteins that should be included in your mass gaining program:

    Lean Beef
    Eggs
    Egg Whites
    Chicken Breasts
    Fish
    Steak
    Milk
    Turkey
    Pork
    Cottage Cheese
    Protein powders

    3. Fats

    Contrary to popular belief, fats are needed in a well-structured nutrition program. The "good fats" have been shown to improve cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease. They will also aid you in your recovery from workouts, and guarantee massive gains in size! Bottom line: Fat should not be avoided. Emphasis should be placed on obtaining adequate essential fatty acids (EFA). The following is a list of "good" fats that should be included in your mass gaining diet plan!

    Nuts and Seeds
    Natural Peanut Butter
    Fatty Fish
    Olive Oil
    Fish Oil
    Flaxseed

    What is the best diet for gaining mass?

    Well, with the recomemndations I have provided above, one can easily construct a diet plan that is suitable for gaining mass! There is no set "standard" diet for gaining mass that applies to everyone. However, with the recommendations I have provided and with the help of the following guidelines, one can easily construct a diet plan that will pack on some serious size!

    The Importance Of Meal Frequency

    Bodybuilders and folks looking to add mass should be eating 4-6 times per day, no excuses. The typical "3 square meals a day" protocol simply does not cut it for gaining mass. Spreading your calories out by eating 4-6 times per day also makes it easier to get your recommended quota of calories in for the day. Eating more frequently keeps a steadier flow of nutrients into the body, encourages anabolism, keeps body fat levels in check, increases metabolic rate, and even improves cholesterol levels! Eating 4-6 meals a day, each meal 2-3 hours apart ensures massive size gains!
    Last edited by mivi320; 10-19-2005 at 05:40 PM.
    Reply With Quote

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts