how to get bigger muscles and gain weight

[gutsyjam]

I weight 155 and my goal is to hit 185 or 190. I have been working out everyday I take protein shacks and creatine for the past 3 mouths and i have not gained one pound all i have been getting is more defined muscles. I want to get big and defined what should I take or do?

 

[FL3X MAGNUM]

Definitely need to eat more calories otherwise your supps are gonna go to waste. You are going to tell me that you already eat a lot, but then I'm going to tell you to eat even MORE. Start with an extra 300 for a few days, then go to 500 extra cals. If you're gaining weight and still looking very defined at this point, add another 200, so on so forth.
then come back for some supplement advice.

 

[mattrag]

Definitely need to eat more calories otherwise your supps are gonna go to waste. You are going to tell me that you already eat a lot, but then I'm going to tell you to eat even MORE. Start with an extra 300 for a few days, then go to 500 extra cals. If you're gaining weight and still looking very defined at this point, add another 200, so on so forth.
then come back for some supplement advice.

This man speaks the truth.

Eat more

And enjoy it. Cutting weight sux. If you not eating all the supps in the world won't matter when trying to pack on slabs of lean mass.

 

[R1balla]

eat your butt off and train hard. plain and simple

 

[waynaferd]

You say everyday......you grow when you rest.....

I like FST-7 for a good mass routine so get Googling!!

 

[newman897]

4000-4500 Cals a day of good food

 

[Chico222]

Forget supplements

Once you do your fair share of supplement trying, you'll find that 90% of what's out there doesn't work. Supplements are the icing on the cake. After you are eating enough and find yourself gaining some good weight, that's probably when you should introduce supplements. For now, eat more food. You may not be used to eating a lot, which is fine, so to get more food in througout the day you'll have to eat more often. If you are busy this may be a challenge, so find what works for you.

You also want to be healthy so don't eat 1000calorie big macs and think you got your bases covered. You may find yourself feeling like poo if you go that route. Eat good food like oats, eggs, peanut butter, MEAT, chicken, and lots of milk...among other things.

Know that it's not easy or simple as people put it. It takes some conditioning and good planning to be able to get in as much food as its required to get big, so expect that you will have to take a couple of weeks to adjust.

Also, stop training so much. 3 days a week and get plenty of rest. You don't grow in the gym so beating your body up everyday is counter-productive. And don't be one of those people that goes to a machine and does a set, then moves to another machine and does another set there, and keeps wandering the gym doing sets here and there. Find a good (proven) weight training program and follow it. Don't make up your own.

Bodybuilding is a marathon not a sprint.

My 2 cents. Good luck!

 

[Docmattic]

What flex said is right. You dont want to eat any more than 500 cals over maintenace a day though or your gains will just be fat.

To start with do this:
Work out your daily maintance calories (there are calculators online that can help do this)

Then add 500calories to that and you will start to grow. Make sure you get good quality food.

 

[mich29]

I weight 155 and my goal is to hit 185 or 190. I have been working out everyday I take protein shacks and creatine for the past 3 mouths and i have not gained one pound all i have been getting is more defined muscles. I want to get big and defined what should I take or do?

as the other guy said shoot for 4000 to 4500 calories a day and 200 grams of protein a day.I wouldn't worry about getting fat for hardgainers its alot easier to drop fat then to put it on.

 

[skindog101]

Chico222

One of the best posts iv read on this site hands down, it's posts like that and ppl like u that make this site what is it a world of knodge from sauces that really have been there and know the proven methods and what works n what doesn't.
because as every one knows there ALOT of here say and GIMIC SUPS in bodybuilding!cheers mate

 

[thsearfoss]

Nothing like some good ol' fashioned knodge from sauces! Ha

 

[R1balla]

i seriously need to somehow create a sticky or something. we answer this question all the time lol

 

[R1balla]

Gaining weight/putting on muscle is actually a simple goal to achieve. There are a few points that I am going to speak on. These will include diet, training, and supplements. I will also answer the all time question: Should I do cardio while bulking???the answer is yes. it increases your endurance during lifts. I am not reliable for how your body reacts with any type of diet, training, or supplements that I suggest. Consult a physician. I will not go into detail on each part. There is a reason google was created. So lets get this thing started.
The first thing you have to answer for yourself is whether you want to do a clean bulk or a dirt bulk. A clean bulk is preferred IMO. You wont add too much fat and you will be healthier. A Clean bulk consists of eating around 4000k (depending on your current size) of clean foods. By clean, I mean lean meats like chicken, quality carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats. Another bulking tip, clean or dirty, is drink a lot of milk. Now you don’t have to go GOMAD, but drink plenty of milk (1/4 of a gallon/day is fine). This gives you protein and calories needed for bulking. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. No matter what your goals are, water is very important! During a clean bulk, you can still eat burgers and stuff….just limit them to only maybe twice per week. What I like to do is have Sundays as my cheat days when bulking. I eat ANYTHING I want. Dirty bulking consists of eating whatever you want all the time. As long as you are getting plenty of healthy fats, protein, and carbs.

Training isn’t as important as diet, but its still very important. The MOST important thing about training is CHANGE. You MUST constantly change your routine, number of reps, number of sets, what machines/exercises you do. Rule number 2. Ditch the tricep kickbacks. They are pointless and most people do them wrong anyway. Stick to compound lifts with a mix of accessory lifts. I like to lift only 3x/week while bulk. The more rest the better. I like DC training and 5x5 as my two main routines during bulking. I can type on training for hours but ill stop here. Any specific questions just ask.

Supplements- pretty basic. Creatine, whey protein, BCAAs, fish oil, multi, and if you want, a pre workout. 5g of creatine per day, no need for loading.

 

[Chico222]

Gaining weight/putting on muscle is actually a simple goal to achieve. There are a few points that I am going to speak on. These will include diet, training, and supplements. I will also answer the all time question: Should I do cardio while bulking??? I am not reliable for how your body reacts with any type of diet, training, or supplements that I suggest. Consult a physician. I will not go into detail on each part. There is a reason google was created. So lets get this thing started.
The first thing you have to answer for yourself is whether you want to do a clean bulk or a dirt bulk. A clean bulk is preferred IMO. You wont add too much fat and you will be healthier. A Clean bulk consists of eating around 4000k (depending on your current size) of clean foods. By clean, I mean lean meats like chicken, quality carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats. Another bulking tip, clean or dirty, is drink a lot of milk. Now you don't have to go GOMAD, but drink plenty of milk (1/4 of a gallon/day is fine). This gives you protein and calories needed for bulking. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. No matter what your goals are, water is very important! During a clean bulk, you can still eat burgers and stuff....just limit them to only maybe twice per week. What I like to do is have Sundays as my cheat days when bulking. I eat ANYTHING I want. Dirty bulking consists of eating whatever you want all the time. As long as you are getting plenty of healthy fats, protein, and carbs.

Training isn't as important as diet, but its still very important. The MOST important thing about training is CHANGE. You MUST constantly change your routine, number of reps, number of sets, what machines/exercises you do. Rule number 2. Ditch the tricep kickbacks. They are pointless and most people do them wrong anyway. Stick to compound lifts with a mix of accessory lifts. I like to lift only 3x/week while bulk. The more rest the better. I like DC training and 5x5 as my two main routines during bulking. I can type on training for hours but ill stop here. Any specific questions just ask.

Supplements- pretty basic. Creatine, whey protein, BCAAs, fish oil, multi, and if you want, a pre workout. 5g of creatine per day, no need for loading.

Great input. Take notes!

 

[Chico222]

Chico222

One of the best posts iv read on this site hands down, it's posts like that and ppl like u that make this site what is it a world of knodge from sauces that really have been there and know the proven methods and what works n what doesn't.
because as every one knows there ALOT of here say and GIMIC SUPS in bodybuilding!cheers mate

Right on brother! Just doing my part. I know that I've gotten a lot of help on these forums, so it's nice to be able return the favor.

 

[malou]

I'm eating around 4000 cals a day gain a pound every 3 days here's what I do..
A meal before bed another one after I wake up then a protein shake 2 3 hours later a meal on my lunch break @ work then a shake b4 the gym. I'm only 150 .
I play soccer and have and extremely fast metabolism so by saturday the weight is gone..
Also they are not huge meals but every little counts.
Someone said it is not as easy to eat, these guys have genetics working for them so it is easy for them to say eat eat then eat some more. Just plan your meals, small ones eat often. Oh yea creatine and plenty water if you don't mind water weight.

 

[T-Bone]

I weight 155 and my goal is to hit 185 or 190. I have been working out everyday I take protein shacks and creatine for the past 3 mouths and i have not gained one pound all i have been getting is more defined muscles. I want to get big and defined what should I take or do?

Eat more food. Protein shacks and creatine aren't gonna do it. Eating an entire shack made out of protein will only give you gas.

 

[T-Bone]

I weight 155 and my goal is to hit 185 or 190. I have been working out everyday I take protein shacks and creatine for the past 3 mouths and i have not gained one pound all i have been getting is more defined muscles. I want to get big and defined what should I take or do?

Also stop working out every day. You grow when your resting, not when your working.

 

[T-Bone]

Start with This.

 

[AaronJP1]

Gaining weight/putting on muscle is actually a simple goal to achieve. There are a few points that I am going to speak on. These will include diet, training, and supplements. I will also answer the all time question: Should I do cardio while bulking??? I am not reliable for how your body reacts with any type of diet, training, or supplements that I suggest. Consult a physician. I will not go into detail on each part. There is a reason google was created. So lets get this thing started.
The first thing you have to answer for yourself is whether you want to do a clean bulk or a dirt bulk. A clean bulk is preferred IMO. You wont add too much fat and you will be healthier. A Clean bulk consists of eating around 4000k (depending on your current size) of clean foods. By clean, I mean lean meats like chicken, quality carbs like sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats. Another bulking tip, clean or dirty, is drink a lot of milk. Now you don't have to go GOMAD, but drink plenty of milk (1/4 of a gallon/day is fine). This gives you protein and calories needed for bulking. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. No matter what your goals are, water is very important! During a clean bulk, you can still eat burgers and stuff....just limit them to only maybe twice per week. What I like to do is have Sundays as my cheat days when bulking. I eat ANYTHING I want. Dirty bulking consists of eating whatever you want all the time. As long as you are getting plenty of healthy fats, protein, and carbs.

Training isn't as important as diet, but its still very important. The MOST important thing about training is CHANGE. You MUST constantly change your routine, number of reps, number of sets, what machines/exercises you do. Rule number 2. Ditch the tricep kickbacks. They are pointless and most people do them wrong anyway. Stick to compound lifts with a mix of accessory lifts. I like to lift only 3x/week while bulk. The more rest the better. I like DC training and 5x5 as my two main routines during bulking. I can type on training for hours but ill stop here. Any specific questions just ask.

Supplements- pretty basic. Creatine, whey protein, BCAAs, fish oil, multi, and if you want, a pre workout. 5g of creatine per day, no need for loading.

This is good advice. A lot of guys can get away with eating what ever they want as long as they are working out hard and doing the occasional cardio.

 

[thsearfoss]

Like many of the previous posts above, nutrition and recovery are where muscles are built. Think of it like school. You go to a class to gain new information but it is at home, away from class, when you study that you actually learn how to use that knowledge.... You must also "pay" your muscles with proper nutrition. Training hard and not giving your muscles rest or a variety of nutrition is like asking someone to build you a house without enough materials. And don't worry about the scale. Use the mirror or a tape measure(to see if your arms, chest, ect. Are growing) as a guide. Eating, stress, water, sleep patterns, ect. will make your weight fluctuate every single day just about. Use the mirror. If you feel you are losing definition and putting on fat then maybe add another interval cardio session or change up your macronutrients ratios some. Don't get in a rush, if you want to stay lean and gain muscle mass it takes a very long time. If you do out on a little weight from fat, don't worry about it. It's not hard to loose. If you have the dedication to pack on pounds of muscle then you definitely have what it takes to loose a little fat. It takes time to figure out how your metabolism will react to types of training and eating. Ask many of the guys in here that you see are in very good shape. They will probably all tell you it took time to figure out how there body best responds to the training and diet. Once you figure that out, then you can develop a solid training routine and diet based on your goals at the time. And I almost forgot one of the most important pieces of advice...........Get enough sleep! When you sleep your body finally has the time to put all of its energy into repairing(BUILDING) mode.

Keep us all updated with what kind of training and type of nutrition you plan on doing. I'm always interested so see peoples results. Right now I'm just kind of cruising, eating a little over maintenance and slowly adding some muscle. After Christmas I plan on doing the same as you. Changing up my nutrition and training to start adding some mass and then slowly cutting some fat to tone up in time for summer.( can't be going to the pool looking soft now can we). Good luck with all of it man and like I said let us know how you are doing. Great thing about the people on here is that the knowledge you can gain and share is limitless and everyone is so eager to help out.

 

[T-Bone]

Stop spoon-feeding guys. Let him do research on his own. Google is only a click a way.

 

[AaronJP1]

Stop spoon-feeding guys. Let him do research on his own. Google is only a click a way.

People just helping others nothing wrong with that

 

[thsearfoss]

What's the use of a advice forum if there is just google then. Or for nutritionists, trainers, doctors, ect. Just use google right? It's one on one communication. People tend to forget how to do that. Personal experience is best learning tool. Not a thousand pages of conflicting ideas that you have no idea where tl start with.

 

[AaronJP1]

brb I'm about to go take a shít :32:

 

[T-Bone]

What's the use of a advice forum if there is just google then. Or for nutritionists, trainers, doctors, ect. Just use google right? It's one on one communication. People tend to forget how to do that. Personal experience is best learning tool. Not a thousand pages of conflicting ideas that you have no idea where tl start with.

You mean like what you get when ask a question on a forum?. I could see if it was a certain specific question about a supplement which was asked in that sponsors sub-section. Yes that would be a good question to go with. But if you ask a loaded question that is extremely general in nature than you are definitely going to get thousands of individual answers to that one question depending on the person who responds. At least with a book or an article you can check out the author and his or her credentials before you blindly take the advice. This board is more geared towards supplements and supplement questions and less on actual training and nutrition. For training and nutrition I have always done my own research, just going on a message board and asking around isn't going to get you very far and is the easy way out without any actual work involved.


*Note:Don't anyone get their panties in a bunch based on my opinion. It is just an opinion, we all have them including me which was kind of my point of this post. Try not to take offense to how I feel about or use this board.

 

[thsearfoss]

I'm not getting mad and I agree with you completely T-Bone on how the Internet is a great place to start If you are looking for a place to start for such a broad question. I'm just saying its good to at least present ideas to someone newer to the world of fitness. Then I agree with you, it is up to them to formulate their own research and conclusions from that research to apply to their routine

 

[AaronJP1]

You mean like what you get when ask a question on a forum?. I could see if it was a certain specific question about a supplement which was asked in that sponsors sub-section. Yes that would be a good question to go with. But if you ask a loaded question that is extremely general in nature than you are definitely going to get thousands of individual answers to that one question depending on the person who responds. At least with a book or an article you can check out the author and his or her credentials before you blindly take the advice. This board is more geared towards supplements and supplement questions and less on actual training and nutrition. For training and nutrition I have always done my own research, just going on a message board and asking around isn't going to get you very far and is the easy way out without any actual work involved.

*Noteon't anyone get their panties in a bunch based on my opinion. It is just an opinion, we all have them including me which was kind of my point of this post. Try not to take offense to how I feel about or use this board.

I don't take offense Bone, you're my buddy. So far so good I value your opinion.

 

[R1balla]

T bone, then whats the point of a forum? if i google how to get big, muscle tech will probably pop up. dont want the dude to have diabetes now do we....

 

[hextech]

eat more calories than you spend, only way to increase your weight.
there are many people who call themself "hardgainers", but the fact is that most of those are not eating enough to gain.

 

[MuscleGauge1]

I weight 155 and my goal is to hit 185 or 190. I have been working out everyday I take protein shacks and creatine for the past 3 mouths and i have not gained one pound all i have been getting is more defined muscles. I want to get big and defined what should I take or do?

Eat Eat Eat! And also, make sure the protein you take is a Mass Gainer as opposed to just a standard Whey. It should have at least 300 cals/serving or so

 

[burnstacp]

I'm not sure if someone mentioned this because I didn't feel like reading through every post.

One thing that has helped me is to download a calorie counter app for my iphone. It has a search function for all sorts of foods and a scanner that will use the barcode and download the nutrtion facts then you adjust your serving size and track it on your phone. You can set daily goals and all sorts of stuff. Without it I can definitely say I wouldn't be eating all my calories every day. Having it is more than just a reminder to eat. It's also a method to help reach attainable daily goals that lead to achievement of long term goals.

 

[malou]

Yea I had it to, very helpful but couldn't measure home cooked meals now I just keep track of my weight with it. One good one is myfitnesspal.

 

[AaronJP1]

Yeah hard balance I have the weight gain over fat, debating on lowering my carb intake heavily....

Maybe about 150g a day wonder if that would work....
Just takes weeks at a time tweaking to see what works.

 

[musclehead24]

hey gutsyjam, whats your routine like right now? whats your intake like? what types of foodsare you eating? carb? amounts? what are your stats? whats your body type? let me know and i will try and help you out as much as possible.

 

[thegodfather]

Once you do your fair share of supplement trying, you'll find that 90% of what's out there doesn't work. Supplements are the icing on the cake. After you are eating enough and find yourself gaining some good weight, that's probably when you should introduce supplements. For now, eat more food. You may not be used to eating a lot, which is fine, so to get more food in througout the day you'll have to eat more often. If you are busy this may be a challenge, so find what works for you.

You also want to be healthy so don't eat 1000calorie big macs and think you got your bases covered. You may find yourself feeling like poo if you go that route. Eat good food like oats, eggs, peanut butter, MEAT, chicken, and lots of milk...among other things.

Know that it's not easy or simple as people put it. It takes some conditioning and good planning to be able to get in as much food as its required to get big, so expect that you will have to take a couple of weeks to adjust.

Also, stop training so much. 3 days a week and get plenty of rest. You don't grow in the gym so beating your body up everyday is counter-productive. And don't be one of those people that goes to a machine and does a set, then moves to another machine and does another set there, and keeps wandering the gym doing sets here and there. Find a good (proven) weight training program and follow it. Don't make up your own.

Bodybuilding is a marathon not a sprint.

My 2 cents. Good luck!

Doesnt get any more cut and dry than this. EXCELLENT advice!

 

[cg123]

To gain weight. I can't cook eggs. Would it be the same to blend them raw?

 

[AaronJP1]

To gain weight. I can't cook eggs. Would it be the same to blend them raw?

Go to the store in the dairy isle they have pasteurized egg whites in a carton

 

[PVL]

Go to the store in the dairy isle they have pasteurized egg whites in a carton

dude, eat frickin WHOLE EGGS, its not gunna make u fat.........what makes u fat is fast food/processed crap

 

[AaronJP1]

dude, eat frickin WHOLE EGGS, its not gunna make u fat.........what makes u fat is fast food/processed crap

Fuk u telling me for!
He said he can't cook eggs I told him to get the eggs whites in a carton....
I personally don't like the taste of eggs that's why I use the eggs whites

 

[PVL]

Fuk u telling me for!
He said he can't cook eggs I told him to get the eggs whites in a carton....
I personally don't like the taste of eggs that's why I use the eggs whites

lmao!!!! stop being a ***** about the matter.........

dude if he doesnt like eggs, just eat some cottage cheese with some fruit........it aint rocket science bro........lol

 

[cg123]

I like eggs. I just can't cook them at the moment do will I get the same benefits from putting it in a shake?

 

[AaronJP1]

lmao!!!! stop being a ***** about the matter.........

dude if he doesnt like eggs, just eat some cottage cheese with some fruit........it aint rocket science bro........lol

Man sit cho country ass down and :bryce:

I just gave him advice that I use.
Myself I usually wake up in the am and mix a gainer shake in milk 20oz with a banana and p butter, low fat/cal ice cream, egg whites (carton liquid) and a banana. That's well over 45g protein, 1000 or so cals and 40g fats and about 150g carbs roughly.
That's what I do.

 

[AaronJP1]

I like eggs. I just can't cook them at the moment do will I get the same benefits from putting it in a shake?

Yes. Egg whites are eggs whites.
Like I said they are 100% natural buy them and use it.

 

[PVL]

Man sit cho country ass down and :bryce:

I just gave him advice that I use.
Myself I usually wake up in the am and mix a gainer shake in milk 20oz with a banana and p butter, low fat/cal ice cream, egg whites (carton liquid) and a banana. That's well over 45g protein, 1000 or so cals and 40g fats and about 150g carbs roughly.
That's what I do.

hahahahahahah! dont hate..........

i wake up drink like 3 cups of strong coffee, maybe a tangerine or 2 and walk for about 45 minutes.......then come back and chow down......

 

[AaronJP1]

hahahahahahah! dont hate..........

i wake up drink like 3 cups of strong coffee, maybe a tangerine or 2 and walk for about 45 minutes.......then come back and chow down......

I know right gotta round up them horses and cattles right homie?

That 45 minute walk sounds fun, may give it a go tonight.

 

[PVL]

I know right gotta round up them horses and cattles right homie?

That 45 minute walk sounds fun, may give it a go tonight.

lmao!!!!! ive been known to tackle a cow or 2 though.........

 

[AaronJP1]

lmao!!!!! ive been known to tackle a cow or 2 though.........

Where u from?

 

[PVL]

Where u from?

europe.........had a 26 acre farm before coming to the states and growing up in a rural town turned city.........sorta blows.........used to be all orchards and country folks........now its nothing but snobby engineers...........

 

[TheMaharaja]

i used to always call myself a hard gainer until i realized i wasnt eating enough.

eat more! eat til you feel like puking, then eat an hour later. and if you do puke, damn well better make up the calories!