I'm lost

[jadedandwitty]

So I'm 19, 5'4", 130lb-ish. I've been lightly working out for about 3 years, and my body goes from mild six-pack visibility to a mild belly, usually as my lifestyle and stress levels change (more cut when I'm in school, less when I'm on break). I'm on summer break right now, and want to get pretty fit over the next four months. I don't need to get massively cut, and I actuallly don't want to gain a ton of weight, but I wouldn't mind pushing my bench up 10-15lb and getting a six-pack going.

On the workout side, I try to make it to the gym a couple times a week, hit big muscle groups, and get some cardio in.

On the supplement side, what exactly should I be doing? I'm on an EC and occasionally geranium stack for thermogenesis, but it's not doing much for appetite suppression, and I notice that there are some other supplements that get tossed around this forum as "must-have" starters, like omega-3 oils and PEA. I can't really sort out exactly what all of them do, and which matter to someone on the less-intense side of the workout curve.

 

[DreamWeaver]

Diet and exercise regime are the key area's of focus without a good diet and good exercise plan, your just pissing your money away on supps. You can't have a half azzed attitude towards your lifting regiment and expect results. You have to plan. You have to do your research. You need to learn how to diet. Then after you have achieved some amazing relults on just protein powder and sound diet, (maybe some vitamins) and you have started to reach plateaus and you have a lot of research under your belt from months of months of reading, you can then start to plan what types of supplements might help you push through plateaus. Be carefull though because plateaus may not be real plateaus you very well could get a lot more out of changing your style of training or making adjustments in your diet.

 

[TexasLifter89]

my suggestions:

Diet
try a low carb dietm high carb diet, anabolic diet
training
popular strength and mass gaining techniques are the mad cow bill starr 5x5, HIT, german volume training. Try taking long negs on each rep. this will tear the muscle fiber and cause strength and mass increase. also get proper sleep


any questions feel free to PM me brotha:dance:

 

[jadedandwitty]

sorry, I guess that post made it sound like I really do half-ass the gym routine. I feel like I've got a pretty solid gym plan, but let me know if it's majorly flawed:

-6x/week: commuting across the city on bike, about 45min each way.
-2-3x/week: 45-60 min jogging

2-3x/week: weight training
-bench
-squats
-seated row
-wide pull-ups
-bicep/tricep curls
-ab work (sometimes sit-ups, sometimes hanging torso curls...this is the place I've been looking to get a little more focused about)

I tend to do 8-12 reps with one muscle group, then go hit another, and end up doing three circuits of the gym. it usually goes bench->seated row->squat->pull-up->abs, and I get the bicep curls and tricep curls in at the end.

I also try to eat frequently, low-carb, and low-calorie, for the most part. lots of nonfat yogurt, lean meat, diet coke, etc.

I was more looking to figure out whether there are any supplements that have a really high cost/effectiveness ratio- something where a deficiency could be holding me back a lot in terms of weight loss/muscle-building. I'm basically just doing a multivitamin and an EC stack at the moment, which is pretty economical and definitely helps me in my cardio and strength sessions.

 

[TexasLifter89]

looks to me you ahve hit a plateau because you follow a similar workout daily. try to mix it up. I dont think anyone will really recommend a supplement until they are comfortable noting your plateau. I would recommend Intrastack by AEN, RPm/Neovar/Drive by AN, stoked by AI, SizOn/Superpump250 By gaspari.

 

[DreamWeaver]

A workout routine is generally only good for 4 or 5 weeks. Then you have to change your routine. Reps, exercises what body parts you do.

 

[papapumpsd]

Diet and exercise regime are the key area's of focus without a good diet and good exercise plan, your just pissing your money away on supps. You can't have a half azzed attitude towards your lifting regiment and expect results. You have to plan. You have to do your research. You need to learn how to diet. Then after you have achieved some amazing relults on just protein powder and sound diet, (maybe some vitamins) and you have started to reach plateaus and you have a lot of research under your belt from months of months of reading, you can then start to plan what types of supplements might help you push through plateaus. Be carefull though because plateaus may not be real plateaus you very well could get a lot more out of changing your style of training or making adjustments in your diet.

:goodpost: LISTEN TO THIS GUY!