Small guy looking to gain weight
- Thread starter Salvicx
- Start date
Duality29
Member
I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago man. I made it from 135 to 160 in a matter of 2 months dirty bulking (at age 18). Much of that was fat with little strength gains but I tried my best to keep it relatively lean. I have recomped since then weighing in at 177 today, 20 years old.
I don't advise it, but I had my usual 3 meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, as well as a mass gainer shake (GNC 1250 Mass), between each of those meals. I took preworkout before each lift, and a 2 scoops of protein with 5G creatine after.
There's no magic supplement that will help you gain, however from my experience, I've learned better. Lifting heavy using *proper* form(I screwed up my back trying to ego lift back then), and a clean, high carb/protein dense diet will help you see gains quicker.
Good luck man!
I don't advise it, but I had my usual 3 meals- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, as well as a mass gainer shake (GNC 1250 Mass), between each of those meals. I took preworkout before each lift, and a 2 scoops of protein with 5G creatine after.
There's no magic supplement that will help you gain, however from my experience, I've learned better. Lifting heavy using *proper* form(I screwed up my back trying to ego lift back then), and a clean, high carb/protein dense diet will help you see gains quicker.
Good luck man!
hairygrandpa
Legend
Food, more food.
Anabolic Goat
Member
How old are you? I remember when I was 19 I weighed 130 and now I am 21 at 155. Just keep eating consistently man, it'll take time.
Salvicx
New member
Thanks guys. I'm 20, my first plateau was at 120 in highschool. Creatine helped me out quite a bit (half could be placebo) I eat healthy, no GMOS or any artificial anything. I keep my sugar intake low (no sodas). I sleep well 7-10 hours a night. I've already began raising my calories so hopefully that will do it for me. I'm not looking for a magic pill I know it's the diet and work you put in that matters. I didn't know if there was something that could give you a boost like creatine.
CompeteNPC
Banned
Clean Mass. Look it up online under that name. The company that makes it is solid and it has the best profile on the market for mass gainers. Great ingredients with no garbage fillers like so many out there.
If you want to save money, and want the best nutrition, get some steel cut oats with some good quality natural peanut or almond butter and make your own with your favorite Whey protein of choice. Add some blueberries and flax seed in there along with some Kale or spinach and a banana along with some almond/cashew milk and ground cinnamon and nutmeg. That will give you all the carbs you need and calories. A cup and a half of steel cut oats packs a whopping 900 calories on their own. Thats how I make my gainers when I am bulking. I'm a big fan of making sure that you are still taking in solid wholesome quality carbs even when bulking with the occasional cheat meal thrown in here and there. This will keep you focused, energized and motivated to be in the gym. Along with increasing your strength and performance. Worst thing you can do is eat a bunch of processed crap if you want to perform and look your best. The choice is up to you though.
If you want to save money, and want the best nutrition, get some steel cut oats with some good quality natural peanut or almond butter and make your own with your favorite Whey protein of choice. Add some blueberries and flax seed in there along with some Kale or spinach and a banana along with some almond/cashew milk and ground cinnamon and nutmeg. That will give you all the carbs you need and calories. A cup and a half of steel cut oats packs a whopping 900 calories on their own. Thats how I make my gainers when I am bulking. I'm a big fan of making sure that you are still taking in solid wholesome quality carbs even when bulking with the occasional cheat meal thrown in here and there. This will keep you focused, energized and motivated to be in the gym. Along with increasing your strength and performance. Worst thing you can do is eat a bunch of processed crap if you want to perform and look your best. The choice is up to you though.
Anabolic Goat
Member
Yeah I would give creatine monohydrate a shot man, everything else looks good to go with your diet. Everybody will tell you something else, but it really comes down to being consistent and patient.
StatePlan1425
Member
As mentioned on other thread. More calories. If you want to gain muscle and not a little fat at the same time it's incredibly, incredibly hard especially with your frame and metabolism. Don't worry about a little fat because far easier to lose fat than gain muscle. Take a look at this fun video as an extreme example. Invalid Link Removed
The_Old_Guy
Well-known member
Open this in Internet Explorer: Invalid Link Removed
Put in your stats and change it to "Cal. Increase" Put in a number over TDEE (maintenance). You're going to gain fat, so accept it - best case fat gain minimization is usually a generic 70% : 30% muscle to fat gain, or Dr. Mike Israetel's 0.5% to 1% weight gain per week, depending on how paranoid you are. Daily weight flucuations can swing widely, so I'd only measure once every 2 weeks to see a trend. Here is your data with a 500kcal increase:
Put in your stats and change it to "Cal. Increase" Put in a number over TDEE (maintenance). You're going to gain fat, so accept it - best case fat gain minimization is usually a generic 70% : 30% muscle to fat gain, or Dr. Mike Israetel's 0.5% to 1% weight gain per week, depending on how paranoid you are. Daily weight flucuations can swing widely, so I'd only measure once every 2 weeks to see a trend. Here is your data with a 500kcal increase:
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MARK_
Well-known member
What is your current calorie intake? How are your macros broke down? Of course you need to eat more. But how much more and of what?
TrainerTone
Well-known member
What are your current daily calories and macros looking like? At what rate are you gaining weight weekly would you say? If you're not gaining at your current calories then that means the surplus is not enough and you need to increase calories.
R1balla
Board Sponsor
First off, you made the right decision to come in here and ask before jumping to a random supplement that probably won’t do too much for you.
You say that you have been raising your calories. Is that working? If it’s not, they you need to keep raising them. I’m about to go to sleep so I didn’t read the other comments, so I’m sorry if I’m saying what others have asked or said already...
Can you give us an example of your daily diet and training?
Here are some quick tips for now until I hear back from you
1) focus on compound lifts - bench, squat, row...etc. execute perfect form with as much weight as you can
2) drink whole milk with nearly every meal. This alone will put weight on you. Also try to eat a P&J after every meal. If you do that with the milk, you will def gain weight unless you have some type of medical condition that you didn’t mention.
3) stay hydrated by drinking water
It’s going to feel like a second job to you, but it’s worth it once you start seeing results.
As far as supplements go, I would only suggest using the basic staple supplements for now until you get your diet and training down. These include (but not limited to) multi vitamin, protein, creatine, pre workout ...etc. If you need any suggestions on what staple supplements to use, we are here to help. A lot of us also know what websites offer the best deals at any given moment so it may save you a few bucks.
I wouldn’t exceed 5g of creatine a day. Some may argue that 3g is enough for saturation. More isn’t always better.
Stay away from pre made weight gainers and make your own. Something like this
Whole milk, ice cream, one or two fruits of your choice, evoo, raw oats and your protein powder along with ice.
Hope this helps get you started.
Salvicx
New member
Thank you everyone who gave me advice. I've started making shakes in the morning before work which consist of.
- Rolled oats(1 cup)
- 2 eggs
- banana
- almonds (half cup)
- peanut butter (7 tsp)
- whole milk (2 cups)
- ice
This adds up to about 1100 calories.
Ive raised my daily calories to 3200
I take 5g of creatine daily even on days I don't lift.
I bench and do squats (and isolated lifting for my arms and abs and calves)
Are there any other exercises I should be doing for mass? Thank you again.
- Rolled oats(1 cup)
- 2 eggs
- banana
- almonds (half cup)
- peanut butter (7 tsp)
- whole milk (2 cups)
- ice
This adds up to about 1100 calories.
Ive raised my daily calories to 3200
I take 5g of creatine daily even on days I don't lift.
I bench and do squats (and isolated lifting for my arms and abs and calves)
Are there any other exercises I should be doing for mass? Thank you again.
booneman77
Legend
These guys covered almost all of it.
1) Food - as much as you can stomach. Carbs and protein around and intra during workouts too
2) Lift hard and heavy. This doesn't mean kill yourself every day, but don't half-ass it either
3) Rest and recover!!! don't forget to get plenty of sleep. You grow OUTSIDE the gym, not while you lift. Lift hard, recover harder, come back bigger and stronger
4) Supplements:
Creatine mono (sounds like you've got this)
SNS Xgels (natural, scientifically proven to build mass) - pair these with Soy Lecithin granules (which add cals too!) for their phosphaditic acid content for the ultimate natty stack.
CEL Epi-Plex (natural, epicatechin product, open label, single ingredient)
1) Food - as much as you can stomach. Carbs and protein around and intra during workouts too
2) Lift hard and heavy. This doesn't mean kill yourself every day, but don't half-ass it either
3) Rest and recover!!! don't forget to get plenty of sleep. You grow OUTSIDE the gym, not while you lift. Lift hard, recover harder, come back bigger and stronger
4) Supplements:
Creatine mono (sounds like you've got this)
SNS Xgels (natural, scientifically proven to build mass) - pair these with Soy Lecithin granules (which add cals too!) for their phosphaditic acid content for the ultimate natty stack.
CEL Epi-Plex (natural, epicatechin product, open label, single ingredient)
R1balla
Board Sponsor
3200 will probably produce slow lean gains if you are a hard gainer like myself. But we all are different.
What’s your routine like (be more detailed like what exactly do you do each day).
warbird01
Well-known member
Just eat big and take creatine. Once you put on some pounds then try something a little more advanced like X Gels (see this thread for details: http://anabolicminds.com/forum/supplements/246394-arachidonic-acid-help.html)
Salvicx
New member
Alright, I wake up after 7-10 hrs of sleep. Begin making my shake(1300 cals) and creatine. I do labor for work(carrying lumber, sackcrete, digging holes) so I drink my creatine as I work. I'll bring snacks like a banana and trail mix and a jug of water. Lunch I eay meat(sausage, hamburger, chicken) mostly in a veggie wrap with shrooms, peppers, onions, and garlic. Then I'll lift for at most 45 mins. Yesterday I did my arms for example.
Around 5pm
-Stretched
-Curled 80lb straight bar 4 sets 10 reps
-Skull crushers 50 lbs 4 sets 10 reps
-Curls with a dumbell 35lbs 3 sets
-Dips for 3 sets
-Fore arms with a dumbell 35lbs 4 sets
-I'm not sure the name of the exercise but I lift one end of the dumbell up to my nipple to work the outer side of my arm with 35lbs only 2 sets.
-17 pull ups simply out of my love for them
Dinners are always different but they involve meat and a side. By then I'm close to my caloric goal within 300 calories so I'll eat snacks like dark chocolate or these natural cool ranch doritos I found at Aldis oh man I'm addicted.. I don't eat artifical dyes or flavorings so I hadn't had them in years. But yeah that's roughly a arm routine.
Around 5pm
-Stretched
-Curled 80lb straight bar 4 sets 10 reps
-Skull crushers 50 lbs 4 sets 10 reps
-Curls with a dumbell 35lbs 3 sets
-Dips for 3 sets
-Fore arms with a dumbell 35lbs 4 sets
-I'm not sure the name of the exercise but I lift one end of the dumbell up to my nipple to work the outer side of my arm with 35lbs only 2 sets.
-17 pull ups simply out of my love for them
Dinners are always different but they involve meat and a side. By then I'm close to my caloric goal within 300 calories so I'll eat snacks like dark chocolate or these natural cool ranch doritos I found at Aldis oh man I'm addicted.. I don't eat artifical dyes or flavorings so I hadn't had them in years. But yeah that's roughly a arm routine.
R1balla
Board Sponsor
Seems like you need more food. And everybody is different, but for me, I don’t need a day dedicated to only arms. Sometimes I do (to change it up) but you can hit (for example) a few sets of biceps after your back workout. I suggest looking into a routine that hits your muscles twice a week. Something like PHAT or create your own.
Side note, you don’t NEED creatine while you work. It’s all about saturation
Side note, you don’t NEED creatine while you work. It’s all about saturation
StatePlan1425
Member
Agreed on the different approach to the workout. I personally am drawn to programs like the Starting Strength family, 5x5, 5/3/1 etc.