Hi novice in need of some wisdom

[Megalo]

Hi guys from New york I'm new to the forum and it looks nice , I've been working out for about 8 or 9 months and ive only been able to gain about 10 or 13 pounds. I haven't changed since then I've taken the holiday week off the gym to try to figure out a new routine and breakthrough a plateau I have in mass which is around 160 pounds. Though my strength was building, it was way to slow. I was hoping someone could drop some knowledge onto me for some sort of new routine that will help me build mainly strength, with mass on the side. I'm guessing my initial gains were only newbie gains and I'm only 17 years old btw about 5'11. So i've been all over the internet looking at different workouts and different opinions from different people with different results, but I can't seem to find one thats right for me so I found this site after a few google searches and just decided to ask for help myself. Thanks for any info you guys can give.

[JThaR3ason]

to gain mass there is more to it than just the lifting aspect, you need to up the caloric intake. What does your diet consist of? What is your current split?

[Megalo]

Thanks for the reply
My diet is pretty much eating anything and everything and more so things with protein and lots of water , i try to make sure to have 160grams of protein a day or more but since whey is expensive I try to get most of it through food everyday. I'm more mesomorphic in nature so i don't worry about fat as much.

What i used to do was an increase of weight every set working my way up until failure or very close to it.
Standing Triceps 5x10
Shoulder Shrugs 5x20
Reverse Curls 5x10
Bench 5x10
Standing Dumbbell flys 5x5
Pec machine/upper flys 5x10
Abs and some cardio then after a day of rest

Squats 5x10
Deadlifts 5x5-10
Leg press 5x5-10
Standing Calf Raises 5x12
more abs and cardio then repeat after some rest

[Newtonselite]

If your chasing mainly strength try starting strength, 5x5 or 5/3/1. there some great programs to begin with, Im an avid fan of Jim Wendler and his 5/3/1 methods but im going to suggest starting strength or 5x5 first because you will progress faster on 1 of those 2 programs.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224 - (Starting Strength)

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5...ining-program/ - (5x5)

[Megalo]

[quote=Newtonselite;2700125]If your chasing mainly strength try starting strength, 5x5 or 5/3/1. there some great programs to begin with, Im an avid fan of Jim Wendler and his 5/3/1 methods but im going to suggest starting strength or 5x5 first because you will progress faster on 1 of those 2 programs.



I'm wondering with my experience if I'd still be able to gain some strength and mass with the starting strength routine. maybe I should do the Advanced version of it?

[omni]

The reason most people don't achieve there goals is this, they bounce from this workout to that workout and don't eat enough of the right food. Here's my advice. Always eat 6 times a day. Eat 2 times your body weight in protein. For example, this week you need to eat 320 grams of protein every day. Every day! Next week might be more. Next, pick a style of lifting(HIT, 5X5, volume training, whatever) Just pick one and stick with it for at least, at least 2 years. Also go to the gym with a plan. Use a journal and write down what you do and then beat your numbers the next week. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. WISDOM is applied knowledge.

[FL3X MAGNUM]

I'd like to add, 13 pounds in 8 months is decent...
When I was 17, I think I put on about 10 pounds in a year, then my senior year in highschool I went from 165 up to 175, and then gains kind of slowed down.

And they're right, you want to stick to a certain workout long enough to know if it's working.

[Megalo]

I'd like to add, 13 pounds in 8 months is decent...
When I was 17, I think I put on about 10 pounds in a year, then my senior year in highschool I went from 165 up to 175, and then gains kind of slowed down.

And they're right, you want to stick to a certain workout long enough to know if it's working.

Really? I've talked to people who say they go up like 30-40 pounds in a few months...and thanks Omni I think i'm going to try to do some sort of Advanced version of starting strength and work it for a year or two and eat even more but man I already eat hell of a lot my stomachs gonna explode. I just ate a 25 ounce filet/steak at outback steakhouse with loaded cheesefries clam chowder and mashed potatoes. I just bought a small notebook i'm going to write in too thanks!

[omni]

Really? I've talked to people who say they go up like 30-40 pounds in a few months...and thanks Omni I think i'm going to try to do some sort of Advanced version of starting strength and work it for a year or two and eat even more but man I already eat hell of a lot my stomachs gonna explode. I just ate a 25 ounce filet/steak at outback steakhouse with loaded cheesefries clam chowder and mashed potatoes. I just bought a small notebook i'm going to write in too thanks!

Outback!! Dude you suck! LOL Thats my favorite place!

[Megalo]

Outback!! Dude you suck! LOL Thats my favorite place!

Lol its mine too when my wallet is fat, but thats rare.

[Newtonselite]

follow the road to getting JACK M8! lmao
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggiC8F7z2Ls"]YouTube - EliteFTS.com - The Road to "The Jack"[/nomedia]

[Megalo]

follow the road to getting JACK M8! lmao
- EliteFTS.com - The Road to "The Jack"[/url]

Is that Australia in those videos? I would guess from all the tans,I watched a few of those videos and those guys are funny and I see your point lol. Kind of Ironic I went to Outback Steakhouse this new year.

[Megalo]

I've been thinking of doing the mad cow routine its not to far off the Starting strength routine but I think it has the extra exercises i need. This is geared mainly toward strength right?

[Newtonselite]

Is that Australia in those videos? I would guess from all the tans,I watched a few of those videos and those guys are funny and I see your point lol. Kind of Ironic I went to Outback Steakhouse this new year.

Na not Australia man, no idea but its where ever Jim wendler lives i assume lol..... Yea all those blokes are funny as!

5x5 is geared towards stength and size. Its a good program to run as you said for a year or more just keep upping them weights until you can lift some respectable numbers.

[Megalo]

Na not Australia man, no idea but its where ever Jim wendler lives i assume lol..... Yea all those blokes are funny as!

5x5 is geared towards stength and size. Its a good program to run as you said for a year or more just keep upping them weights until you can lift some respectable numbers.

I see, thanks for the info Newton and thanks to everyone else as well I'm going to start the Madcow routine this Monday.

[JudoJosh]

5/3/1 is awesome for strength gains..

my advice will be to learn patience. Lifting is a life long journey not a weekend thing. 13 pounds in 8 months comes to what, like 2.something lbs a week. This sounds about right bud. You arent gonna gain weight magically overnight. Learn some patience and keep working hard at it and you will reach your goals.

[Megalo]

5/3/1 is awesome for strength gains..

my advice will be to learn patience. Lifting is a life long journey not a weekend thing. 13 pounds in 8 months comes to what, like 2.something lbs a week. This sounds about right bud. You arent gonna gain weight magically overnight. Learn some patience and keep working hard at it and you will reach your goals.

How would you compare the 5/3/1 to the Madcow Routine? And thanks I know it takes awhile, I just thought 13 pounds was low for someone working out for 8 or 9 months.

[Newtonselite]

I personally run 5/3/1 myself for everything!

these would be the more major differences,

5/3/1 based on a 4week cycle - After you finish the first cycle, you add five pounds to your 1RM calculations for the two upper-body lifts and 10 pounds to your 1RM for the squat and deadlift.

Madcows 5x5 - weekly increases of 2.5% of your top set of 5 on Monday. So you do 100lbs for 5 on your top set on Monday. Then on Friday you do a triple with 2.5% more, or 102.5. The next Monday you come back and do 102.5 for your heavy set of 5, that Friday the triple is 105 and so on. For the non-squat Wednesday lifts you just increase by the percentage week to week.

[JohnRock]

Really? I've talked to people who say they go up like 30-40 pounds in a few months...and thanks Omni I think i'm going to try to do some sort of Advanced version of starting strength and work it for a year or two and eat even more but man I already eat hell of a lot my stomachs gonna explode. I just ate a 25 ounce filet/steak at outback steakhouse with loaded cheesefries clam chowder and mashed potatoes. I just bought a small notebook i'm going to write in too thanks!

If they did 30-40 lbs in a few months, a lot of it was fat. 10-15 lbs natural in a year is great. At that speed, it's very likely you won't even need a cut, because almost all of your gains will be muscle. You're 17...if you keep that up for 5 years, you'll finish college looking like a Mac Truck in a t-shirt.

I liked the advice about sticking with a program for a while. I think at least 6-8 months if you're on a solid program. Don't just go in and wing it, apply some structure. That's not to say you can't mix up the lifts now and then, but it shouldn't be random.

Regarding diet, everyone harps on protein, but as a natural lifter, you honestly don't need ridiculous amounts of protein. Sure, you don't want to skimp, but make sure you get a steady supply of complex carbs and stay away from the sugar. If you do that and you're in a calorie surplus, you'll keep growing.

Don't make it complicated, just be happy you're improving at ANY pace. Magazines, TV, movies, and people who don't know what they're talking about want you to believe you can bulk up in the time it takes to watch a cheesy montage, but that's all a load of crap. If you're better now than you were 6 months ago, than you're doing something right. It doesn't matter how much you improve, only that you keep doing it.

[Megalo]

If they did 30-40 lbs in a few months, a lot of it was fat. 10-15 lbs natural in a year is great. At that speed, it's very likely you won't even need a cut, because almost all of your gains will be muscle. You're 17...if you keep that up for 5 years, you'll finish college looking like a Mac Truck in a t-shirt.

I liked the advice about sticking with a program for a while. I think at least 6-8 months if you're on a solid program. Don't just go in and wing it, apply some structure. That's not to say you can't mix up the lifts now and then, but it shouldn't be random.

Regarding diet, everyone harps on protein, but as a natural lifter, you honestly don't need ridiculous amounts of protein. Sure, you don't want to skimp, but make sure you get a steady supply of complex carbs and stay away from the sugar. If you do that and you're in a calorie surplus, you'll keep growing.

Don't make it complicated, just be happy you're improving at ANY pace. Magazines, TV, movies, and people who don't know what they're talking about want you to believe you can bulk up in the time it takes to watch a cheesy montage, but that's all a load of crap. If you're better now than you were 6 months ago, than you're doing something right. It doesn't matter how much you improve, only that you keep doing it.

I guess that could make sense the guy who was gloating was of the more husky type. I've been doing a mish mash of my own routine with a routine I found in a Mens Health Big Book of Exercises It went well for awhile but I think I gotta change. I've been eating a lot of wheat because I like wheat bread better then others as well as wheat cereals I hope thats enough carbs. I am pretty happy at the change my body has made since I started but I know I can get much better. Thanks I'm gonna change my routine and stick with it for about a year and then maybe do a few months of a bodybuilding exercise.