Gain Weight and Muscle (3 Viewers)

[JonathanM]

Was quite fit prior to VCE but pretty much stopped all exercise apart from one or two 30 min cycling sessions a week and random light weight sessions for 2 years. I'm quite underweight as I have a fast metabolism (although I don't look particularly skinny) - I'm 180cm and weigh 56-59kg (my weight pretty much varies depending how much I've eaten and shat that day it seems).

For the past 6 weeks I've been picking up my exercise regime - I'm doing just over an hour work out 4 times a week, it's basically what I remember a personal trainer once setting me, sorry if I don't remember the names of stuff, just remember how to do them. It entails:

1. cycling (stationary bike) 20 mins, I go at 55kph on an easier setting
2. light weights (5kg). 3x10 of two different types of bicep curl, 3x10 of two different types of shoulder exercises, 3x10 pushups, 3x10 tricep pull ups
3. core work, bridge for 3x1 minute. some crunches
4. stretches

I also go surfing most weekends.

My diet is as follows, I eat quite well and avoid junk food. I eat quite a lot:

1. breakfast: if i don't go out for eggs i'm a skipper, usually up and go, sometimes weetbix, I prefer soy milk over normal milk
2. lunch: sandwhich, pasta, meat, it's always different
3. chicken breast, pasta or rice w/ meat
4. snack throughout the day: fruit, up and go, vita brits, soy milk (love the stuff)

I want to gain some more weight and muscle, advice on a new exercise regime/diet?

 

[JonathanM]

Cheers for the advice. Will increase the number of curls I'm doing and do more push-ups. How does lengthening the amount of time you curl the dumbbell help?

Also, anyone have more advice on the diet? I know the obvious stuff, like have more protein, but what's the best form, and is there anything else I can eat to help?

 

[Omie Jay]

you'd wanna increase your weights and lower your reps to somewhere between 5-10 if you wanna gain muscle mass.

focus on compound exercises (deadlift, bench, squat), rather than isolated stuff, but dont completely ignore isolated exercises either, do them after your compound ones.

eat lean meats, beef, chicken, turkey, try to cut down on all fats, eat your fruits and vege's (vitamins and stuff r gud 4 u), replace sugary and chocolaty snacks with nuts, replace sugary drinks with water or juice (but mainly water). This will make sure you dont gain a whole heap of fat as well, since gaining muscle requires you to consume more calories than you burn, meaning you WILL gain some amount of fat, but you cycle and stuff, so that's good.

all you really need to do is pump heavy weights, low rep range, focus on compound exercises, and eat a good amount of meat everyday.

and NEVER skip breakfast

edit: about pushups, i dont actually know how beneficial they are or what they do, i guess they sorta help tone up your shoulder/chest area (sorta what happened with me), but since you're always 'pushing up' your same bodyweight (unless you add some weights onto your back) i dont think it would actually *build* muscle, but try to make a habit of doing a set amount of pushups everyday.
I used to do this a few years ago when i started doing weights for school sport when i was in year 11. I'd do 20 pushups 3 times a day, not slow ones, sort of quick, i guess around 3 pushups per 2 seconds. Few months later i stepped up to 40 pushups twice a day, then 50 twice a day, then 70, and i went up every few months.
By year 12 i was doing 100 once a day, and its kinda good for endurance (tho im not actually 100% sure what it actually does, i think tones your shoulders? lol)

quik might know...

 

[Omie Jay]

not at all, heavy weights + rep range between 6-10 = gain in mass.

even ask quik or oliver04 or loquasagacious, those 3 basically own the exercise department of bos.

read quik's massive exercise thread, it'll answer everytyhign.

http://community.boredofstudies.org/718/fitness-health/213567/weightlifting-size-strength-basics.html

 

[A High Way Man]

8-12 reps per set, moderate weight for muscle. Pushups won't do much because you adapt to them quickly. Stick to weights. If you are serious about bulking up then ditch the cardio as its scientifically impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

6 small meals per day, main meals should include lean meat such as chicken. Each meal should include at least 20 g of protein. If you can't do this then get shakes to help you out. Eat every 1.5 hours, use almonds, yoghurt, peanut butter, tuna to help. If you are willing to bulk up dirty then there is always Maccas but not all the time. My suggestion: go to the Woolies/butcher, buy chicken breast, buy marinade. Stick it in the oven/fry and you're done. George Foreman grill also good

Basically you need a caloric excess to gain muscle.

 

[JonathanM]

Thanks guys, all very helpful, especially quik's thread.

I only own the 5kg weights and don't really have time/money to go to a gym. Can anyone suggest some compound exercises apart from pull ups which don't require equipment?

Will dig the blender out of the cupboard and start my protein shakes again xD

 

[Omie Jay]

lol, 5kg of weights will do nothing at all!

do heaps of pushups and chinups, but if you wanna actually gain weight, you'll need to buy some weights or hit the gym.

 

[JonathanM]

Ok, I've decided on my course of action.

Exercise:

I'm going to continue as before with the cycling, someone wrote here that it's contradictory to what I want, which it is, but I do also want some general fitness and I think it's good to have a warm up before I start.

I'm going to focus on compound exercises using my own weight - chinups, close grip pushups and dips. I don't have much access weights so I'll just increase the number of reps I'm doing. I'll finish off the exercise with some ab and core work until I have proper access to weights for some isolated exercises.

Will take the random trip to gym as well every now and then.

Diet:

Much the same, I'll just be more conscious about the protein I'm consuming and try to eat more. Will also start having protein shakes after a work out.

 

[Omie Jay]

re: your pushups/chinups/dips - slow and controlled.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

lol, 5kg of weights will do nothing at all!

do heaps of pushups and chinups, but if you wanna actually gain weight, you'll need to buy some weights or hit the gym.

hey i only got 5kg weights...haha...but thats because im not exactly big...imma use them than add maybe 3 more kgs...but at the moment sticking with 5kg...and they are working...

 

[Omie Jay]

you must be quite literally a stick for 5kg to do anything at all, lol.

i started off pretty low (i was in yaer 10 then, 15 yrs old), but not THAT low.
Not even sure what 5kg weights are for... housewives and their lounge room in front of the tv excercise shows etc?

 

[JonathanM]

Just finished first new workout. Mmm, feels good

 

[Crestwood's_G]

lol, you must be quite literally a stick for 5kg to do anything at all, lol.

i started off pretty low (i was in yaer 10 then, 15 yrs old), but not THAT low.
Not even sure what 5kg weights are for... housewives and their lounge room in front of the tv excercise shows etc?

well i am a stick...so yeah...never done weights b4 in my life...so yeah i wouldnt mock people really...its pretty immature

 

[Omie Jay]

im not mocking, im just saying that that's an extremely low weight, and you'll barely gain muscle with it.

but everyone starts off low i guess, i did.

 

[Crestwood's_G]

im not mocking, im just saying that that's an extremely low weight, and you'll barely gain muscle with it.

but everyone starts off low i guess, i did.

well...im not really huge so i aint gonna be gaining a lot of muscle...i just wanna look ok for my size...and i said i will move up the weights...but im not gonna go crazy and do 20kgs cuz sum1 on the internet said to...

 

[addikaye03]

well...im not really huge so i aint gonna be gaining a lot of muscle...i just wanna look ok for my size...and i said i will move up the weights...but im not gonna go crazy and do 20kgs cuz sum1 on the internet said to...

Look, listen to omie. 5kg for the great majority of exercises will not do shit all. If you think curling 5kg will be in anyway effective then good luck to you. There are tiny women at the gym doing 9kg, this is just merely for toning/tighten.

9.1kg (20lbs) would be about minimum if you want increases muscle mass/definition.

Your choice i suppose, no skin off our nose either way. Do what you like

 

[Crestwood's_G]

Look, listen to omie. 5kg for the great majority of exercises will not do shit all. If you think curling 5kg will be in anyway effective then good luck to you. There are tiny women at the gym doing 9kg, this is just merely for toning/tighten.

9.1kg (20lbs) would be about minimum if you want increases muscle mass/definition.

Your choice i suppose, no skin off our nose either way. Do what you like

well if youd like to make me stronger id do 20kgs...but unfortunately...i cant

 

[addikaye03]

not at all, heavy weights + rep range between 6-10 = gain in mass.

This.

Remember the term "heavy weight" is relative to the individual. For me, it's 6RM (that is i can lift the weight 6 times and no more, this is about 90%+ of my maximum). For instance, for me that is 20kg dumbrell curls. For you, 90% may be 15kg, or it could be 30kg.

 

[HalcyonSky]

5kg is a bit light man regardless of how skinny you are

a 13 year old ethiopian should be able to curl 5kg for more than 10 reps

 

[Crestwood's_G]

5kg is a bit light man regardless of how skinny you are

a 13 year old ethiopian should be able to curl 5kg for more than 10 reps

well maybe cuz i dont really know how to use them...as i dont know what "curl" is? please explain