I got alot of questions!!

[Davegrun]

Whatsup, i just registered and i have a few questions. This is my situation as it stands. About a month and a half ago, i weighed 160 at 5'7. I am 17 now, and have been skinny all my life until about a year ago. I got very chubby for some reason, and decided to get in shape. I did a modified atkins diet, combined with running everyday, and light lifting with alot of reps at the gym. About 2 months later, now, i weigh about 130. I still have some flab on my stomach, but i am as thin as i want to be. The problem is, i am still losing weight. I have resumed eating as i used to, a pizza every other day, but i am still losing weight. My goal is to get to 150, but in muscle, not in fat. I changed my workout about a week ago, to try to gain weight back.

This is my workout, i have a day one and a day 2 workout that i alternate every other day during the week.

Day one - Treadmill for 10 minutes, about 1 mile

1.Bicep Bar curl - 3 sets starting with a set of 8 reps, then 6, then 4-5. I start with 50 on the first set, then 55, then 60

2. Lat pull down - 3 sets of 8 reps, 6, 4-5. I start with 90. then add ten lbs each set

3. Dumbell curl - 3 sets of 8, 6, 4-5. Start 20 in each arm, than 25, than 30.

4. Low Row - Same. Start with 80, than 90 than 100.

Day 2 - Same treadmill time

1. Skull Krushers - Same. Start with 35, than 40, than 45.

2. Machine Butterfly - Same. Start with 60, 70, 80.

3. Tricep Machine push downs - Same. Start with 80, than 90, than 100.

4. Dumbell press - Same. Start with 30, then 35, then 40.

(After treadmill, the first thing i do on both days is bench press, starting with 90, then 100, then 110. )

The problem is, after all the weight i lost, i am weak as hell now, and haven't benifited that much from the gym. I have only been doing this new workout for about a week now, so i am not sure how good it is. I am scared to eat alot to gain more mass, because i am worried i will put the weight back on, but in fat, not in muscle. How can i prevent this? Also, i drink 2-3 protein shakes a day, I was using designer protein, and today, i bought low carb isopure. I want to get stronger, but i also don't want to get chubby again. I was debating the use of creatine, but have no idea what kind to get, when and how to use it, like in shake or juice? I need your advice guys, like how i should eat to ensure i put on muscle, not fat, and how i can ensure i will stop losing weight and getting weaker. Thanks alot.

 

[t3c]

hey man...at 130lbs...don't worry about flab...just worry about packing some pounds on to your frame

do a clean bulk...no junk food. Just lots of good food...don't get technical with the break downs. just get your meat, pasta, vegitables, breads, ect. try to eat 6x a day. Don't forget milk is your friend


protien shakes are great but they are NO SUBSTITUTE for real food. have it along with meals or inbetween them.

do heavy compound lifts: squat, deadlift, bench. These lifts add mass ALL over. They will make you bigger and stronger

a good routine for you would be this:

day 1
squat 5x5
leg press 2x10
hamstring curl 2x10
abs

day 2
bench press 5x5
flys 2x10
dips 5x5
skull crushers 2x10

day 3
deadlifts 5x5
military press 5x5
pull ups 2x10
dumbbell rows 2x10

I have my friend on that routine who is about your weight and he is gaining weight and strength RAPIDLY.

keep in mind his diet is in check (eating 6x per day)

ditch the cardio before you lift...walk a mile or so on your off days. You can't gain weight doing that kind of cardio

 

[The Red Dragon]

Status quo = eating your maintenance calories

Those exercises will not do. You need heavy compounds such as bench press, squats and deadlifts. There have been studies showing those exercises increasing lipolytic (fat burning) and anabolic hormones. You'll also get a hell of a lot stronger...deadlifts and squats will increase each other and increase your bench press. If possible try using free weights when you can. IE lat pulldown can be replaced by pullups, machine rows can be bent over rows, close grip bench press can replace those pressdowns. Check the stickies at the top of the forums for a viable routine...You won't pack on fat unless you have a surplus of energy...trust me, at 17 I ate more, probably 500-700 calories more than I used to and I'm still losing weight (well it stopped). I'm a 5'7 185 lb'er at 17 yrs. Also do cardio after your workouts if you're going to do them at all...cardio before lifting is fine as a warmup but not as a whole cardio session. Anyway that's my two cents.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Wow, where to start...definately stay on here and keep asking questions.
Lets start with some dietary advice. You need to put on ALOT of size if you are 130, but if you got fat, you have a predisposition to gaining fat. So my advice, and people are going to argue with me on this one, is to keep the carbs in moderatation. I'd shoot for at least 3000 cals a day. Eat alot of steak and NATURAL peanut butter, and alot of green veggies. Eat no carbs outside of that, or a few grams in your protien shakes. Isopure is expensive go to www.protienfactory.com and custom make your own protien powders for alot less money. Every 7 days, eat one or two heavy carb meals, even a whole pizza if you want. But just spend a couple hours eating these meals, then stop. Continue to do your cardio, but limit yourself to 2 or 3 sessions a week, but don't exhaust yourself doing and, and don't do it immediately before or after lifting.

 

[The Red Dragon]

A CKD? Can you grow well on those? I know those are great for maintaining mass and shedding off fat. BTW watch out for transfat and remember that calories are not calories. Try HIIT cardio or sprinting too, those are great fat burners and muscle preservers.

 

[Davegrun]

I know little to nothing about fitness, so excuse my ignorance. I was under the impression that "carbs were the enemy", and my diet revolved around low carbs. I am paranoid that if i resume eating carbs and even eating high carbs, i will get fat again. Also, i don't want to get huge and be a monster, for now, i just want to fill out some more so i don't look sickly skinny as i do now and people tell me i am starting to look like. Also, is creatine a good idea, or should i stay away from that? I have been going to the the gym about every other day, and i take a break from weekends. Also if you guys have a good daily breakdown of what i should eat, or if any of you are in a similar situation as me, please, let me know. Alot of people have been telling me to do squats and dead-lifts, so i will DEFINATELY incorporate that into my workout. I would do more heavy bench pressing, but i can barely put up more than 110 on it. It is pissing me off how weak i am now, and that with every pound i lose unintentialy, my hard work at the gym is going to waste and i am still getting weaker. I think for my size, i can curl an acceptable amount for , about 65-70, but i am SO DAMN weak at bench pressing, it is embarrasing. Finnally, the only time i run, is at the gym, is right before lifting. I run for 10 minutes for about 1.2 miles. Should i stop, or is that important to keep doing?

 

[Deleted member 33117]

Ok, now your routine. You won't gain 20 ibs of muscle on that routine. The only thing that might grow will be your arms. You are doing biceps before back. That is a big no no. Your biceps are often times the weak link in your back excercises (pull-downs, row etc), so they are exhausted by the time you get to your back. They will be so tired that they will fail before your back gets a good workout, thus your back will grow little if any. The same with your chest routine. Your triceps are going to be the weak link in your presses. Thus, your chest is going to get minimal stimulation. Also, where is the leg work. You'll gain the 20 ibs twice as fast if you are training quads, hams and calves also. Bear in mind, all of the serious bodybuilders are not going to take you seriously if you have no legs. 2, most of the girls at the gym, even the one's who don't train that seriously themselves, make fun of the guys who have nice upper bodies, but chicken legs. Trust me, I hear it every day, and I get alot of complements on my legs from the ladies. As far as routines go, read everything you can on here, look at suggested routines all through the training board, and start using some of them. You'll actually be making adaptions to your lifts and routine for the rest of your life, if you continue to train. In any event, you need to build a foundation with compound movemenst. The following are yoru bread and butter lifts. They're known for adding the most weight (I mean muscle weight) to a newbie in the shortest time possible:
squats
dead lifts
leg press
barbell rows
chins
bench press
weighted dips
military press
barbell curls
shrugs
close-grip presses

You probably won't need any other lifts but these for a few months. Get some of the more experienced guys are your gym to teach you how to do them. Write them down and take a list with you. Make sure you do some calf work too.

 

[Davegrun]

Also, remember i am a complete newb, abbreviations mean nothing to me.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

A monster? Gees man, do you think it is that easy? Assuming you have the genetics to even get big, its going to take years of brutal training, and steroids to look like what you probably consider to be a monster. I'd honestly be will to be you money that you couldn't do it if you tried in the next two years. So don't worry about getting too big. Click on my gallery and tell me if I'm too big or not, because people have very different ideas of what big actually is, then I'll tell you what it takes to be where I am.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

RD, yeah bro, a modified CKD. Those of us who were fat boys before we started training gain lbm just fine on them. Trust me, I have to keep my carbs in check year round or I'll blow up to 16 or 18% bf. But I can gain very little body fat on 6000 cals if my carbs are pretty low and I eat clean, except for my cheat morning one day a week. I gain muscle faster than most guys I know, even who are on higher doses of steroids that I am.