Hardgainer after a Winning Plan

[ECMEISTER]

Here's the basics. 6'3, 70kg Australian Uni Student. Never been really lean to show off enough definition but that's beside me, I need to gain a decent amount of mass, eg 15kg before I worry about this. I have pretty large thighs, I am almost confident I would have a 6-pack if I lost the layer of fat in front. I do need a stronger back. I'm after bigger arms and shoulders, as my natural stance makes my neck look long and shoulders taper off down a small angle.

Currently not using any supplements as I'm on something to get rid of acne so can't have vitamin A. I did have a protein powder but that had all sorts of added vitamins to it. Some days I do find it difficult to eat a lot, I'm not sure why. Currently I only have dumbbells for equipment, but I'm planning to get more. I don't have a lot of room at the place I'm currently staying at, once I move though I should have enough room for anything.

Also did meat ever have 40-50% protein content or is my memory just messing around with me? I say this as I've read a few labels and I'm seeing 18-24% protein content.

What I'm after is 3 things.

1. Recommended equipment to buy. I'd like to keep it under $500 but can stretch if need me.

2. A sample diet plan. I've heard oats, eggs, tuna is great but unsure of how to actually put together a bunch of different meals that would see me gaining a lot. I'd be getting some sort of protein powder as well.

3. A workout routine to complement said equipment. I've been doing different dumbbell exercises and haven't really worked on my legs.

I'd appreciate any help from anyone. Even if that involves posting links under subheadings that I brought up. This is a forum after all, I'm not expecting a full writeup, just something nicely organized and easy to follow. :006:

 

[jakellpet]

I recommend you familiarise yourself with the search function on this site - you will find all the answers right here.

I would also recommend you join a gym - good for motivation.

If you can spare the cash, invest in a few sessions with a Personal Trainer, who will set you up with a programme to achieve your goals and also point you in the right direction diet-wise.

Good Luck!

 

[thetouch11]

i agree with the above poster, joining a gym is MUST. you will have very restricted workouts otherwise unless you plan on investing a decent amount in equipment. while it is true that you can do a huge variety of exercises with dumbells, you will find that you cannot do many movements, and i am guessing you have a small set (not one that increments from 10 - 75 lbs for instance).

plus, having a gym at home is a bit counterproductive... i say this because of the lack of motivation it requires. when you go to a gym, it is easier to stay for a full workout and press yourself, plus you will always see people bigger than you and that is somewhat motivating. i've never approached these dudes and asked them for advice, but if i see them doing a unique movement i might take a mental note and do a little research on it, and possibly incorporate it into my workout.

i would absolutely against a personal trainer. unless you are an athlete, it is not a good investment. you can save yourself good money by just reading up on a lot of things, and creating an organized regimen.

for supplements, i would recommend some whey and multivitamins. i can't really tell you a diet, but you listed a lot of elements that would be beneficial to include in one.

oats, eggs, tuna, nuts, lean beef, chicken, pb&j... just constantly eat if you are a hard gainer, and avoid fast food (probably will help for your acne too), and other foods high in fat / sugars. just to expand on this, let me say that if you are a college student who does not cook regularly, you probably won't be having your most enjoyable meals if you are serious about getting ripped. the key is to EAT BIG, so consume foods high in protein low in fat/sugars... even if it means eating the same stuff over and over again.

 

[Jotan]

Hi,

Although I'm new here I have trained a lot over the years. If you want mass then have a look at smoething like stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program. It helped me a lot.

It has enabled me to gain 5kg of lean over 2 years; I could have gotten more but I've been slacking.

It's a nice simple workout base don 6 compounds and a couple of others. All you need is a barbell and a power rack. Or a gym.


Food wise here is an e.g
7am. Eggs with veggies (omlette) or porridge
10am. Quark cheese with fruit.
1pm. Tuna, brown rice & pineapple.
4pm. Mackerel, brown rice & apple.
5pm. Workout.
6pm. Post workout protein shake.
7pm. Meat or poultry with potatoes & veggies.
10pm. Cottage cheese, berries, flax seeds & fish oil.
Bedtime. Slow release protein shake.


Hope that helped, also there are some 5x5 dumbell workouts but you'll need a heavy set, or a gym.

 

[dedlifter1]

As far as diet goes, search "gaining mass in a nutshell (a big nutshell)" on this site, great information. Joining a gym is also a good idea, so you can preform compound lifts until you get your weights sorted out. The 5x5 mentioned earlier is a great place to start. Happy hunting.:wave2:

 

[quigley]

mate work out your legs...work them out heavy... why? u wont get unpropotional legs, trust me, alot of people think their legs r already big enough but their meant to be a large muscle group and you dont want to turn out top heavy.

More important than aesthetics, however, if the fact working out your large muscle groups like legs and back with heavy, compound lifts will increase your testosterone and make your body grow.

You can do bench presses and bicep curls and dumbell rows all day...you'll grow...but not evenly, and not very fast. Workout your entire body evenly with compound moves such as squats, deadlifts, military press, bench, lunges, pull ups etc. Lift heavy, always try to improve each time your in the gym. 3 sets with between 8-15 reps will be fine...lower reps will get you strength and in turn that will eventually result in size, reps between 12-15 wont give you as much strength but will result in hypertrophy and you'll grow.

Your diet is 80% of it for a hardgainer. your daily intake to maintain your weight is around 2700 calories, so try eating 3200 calories a day and see how you go. Do as much research on diet as possible. Eat clean...no junk (except for on cheat days)

Once your calories are up and your lifting heavy, your body will grow if you keep it up. You dont need an amazing routine or any fancy supps at your weight.

Regards,
Nathan

 

[jakellpet]

^^^^top advice.

A workout partner can help with motivation etc.

 

[washingtonirvin]

Question: does your university have a gym you could use?
Also, I'm not sure what your genetics are like, but 6'3" and 145 pounds is pretty slim. I would say focus on compound movements like bench-squat-deadlift. As for "natural stance makes my neck look long and shoulders taper off down a small angle", the push press was made for you. Actually, my very favorite exercise is deadlift-to-reverse-curl-to-push press.

See a little video of the push press here:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/PushPress.html

Washingtonirvin