Can someone post me a boring diet and exercise routine for mass gain

sports_brah

sports_brah

sports_brah

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Hi there, just wondering if someone can give me some advice (was on the misc, but its not a sfw site and i came across here) on a diet for the new year.

My goal is to increase size.

A lot.

An awful lot.

Currently I am 189cm tall and weigh 77kg. This is not in muscle, I am skinny fat (11" arms, some fat on stomach and behind my hips).

I have tried different diets in the past to increase my size, but this was not backed up with a good exercise regime, and my diet ended up going to hell because I am a poor cook with very little time.

So could someone post me a diet that will allow me to make maximum gains by the summer. Having some definition would be nice, but its not mandatory. As long as I increase my upper torso that's good enough for me.


Now here is the kicker. I have been very sedentary for a long time, and I wish to improve my cardiovascular fitness.

I understand that this means I have to eat a lot more to make up for what is burnt?

Does just doing cardio mean that you will not put on as much, regardless of how much you eat?

I'm not a picky food eater (my diet for the past year has been that of pizza's, fried food, you name it, I've eaten it), so will eat what is required.

I can go running a couple times a week (got given a present of running shoes with some gait analysis), and I can fit the gym in 3 times a week.



So in summary:

What kind of weight can I put on by June, with the next milestone being a year?

What exercises to improve my posture, chest arms and back?

What food and what amount of calories to be eating?




Also, some people mentioned taking supplementation such as testosterone stating it gave them excellent progress. Is such stuff safe to use, or can it really make you infertile?

Thank you very much.
 
Dietwise I was thinking:

Breakfast: Eggs
Break: chicken/bacon/meat in general (portions that I can take with me)
Lunch chicken and salad.
Dinner chicken with broccoli and sweet potato
snack: nuts.

supplementation: protein powder for convenience?
 
Can't help with Diet but I'm sure someone will be along to advise soon. But there is a massive diet thread and a supplement thread with so much information its mind blowing.

Also, Starting Strength would suit you down to the ground. Don't be put off by squatting and wanting to work your upper body so you look buff. The body likes to grow in proportion.

I would say keep at SS for at least 8-10 weeks before changing things about. Though you'll be able to find when you start stalling on lifts before anyone.
 
Thank you for replying.

You reckon starting Strength? Is that purely designed for mass? I know it sounds vain, but I am 23 years old and I have a very poor body. I wish to improve my aesthetics considerably, then when I look better, I can afford to take things slower.
 
Ooof... Lots of questions!

And it does not seem like you know or understand very much about building strength, nutrition or much else, but we can help with that. :)

First off, read through Steedie's excellent intro to the New Year's Resolution... This is probably the single most important thing you can do for yourself and your new gym regime. Understanding what you're doing and why you're doing it is critical so you don't make mistakes and set yourself back.

Once you understand this, we can talk about the rest.

To answer two of your specific questions, however:

1) I understand there is a theoretical maximum of around 2kg/month of mass possible for males with ultimate nutrition, regime and genetics, but most people should be happy with initial gains of 1kg/month. So assuming you go crazy on all counts, you might put on 5/6kg, with a lot of factors depending and a silly number of caveats.

2) You do not need any supplementation, and you certainly don't need to be taking steroids. Just as a warning: discussion of steroids and performance enhancing drugs is not permitted on this forums.

But one thing you MUST remember is that the physiques you see in magazines or on here were not build in 6 months or even a year, but several years. Building your body to where I suspect you want to be is a long term lifestyle change. It is possible, but it will require huge amounts of commitment, determination and a willingness to learn about what your body goes up to. :)

So do some reading, and then we'll talk. ;)
 
1) I understand there is a theoretical maximum of around 2kg/month of mass possible for males with ultimate nutrition, regime and genetics, but most people should be happy with initial gains of 1kg/month. So assuming you go crazy on all counts, you might put on 5/6kg, with a lot of factors depending and a silly number of caveats.

2) You do not need any supplementation, and you certainly don't need to be taking steroids. Just as a warning: discussion of steroids and performance enhancing drugs is not permitted on this forums.




-------------------

5/6kg by the summer is a good start. If I could do that I'd be chuffed!

Apologies, did not realise performance harming drugs were not allowed. sorry.


I understand that I'm not going to look like something from a mens magazine, all I'm looking for is to bulk up to the point where I don't look worse than my 15 year old brother....

So size is the goal for me above strength etc. With as little fat as possible though I understand its inevitable to a degree.
 
Read through the link to Steedie's NY resolution thread.

As a side point, if you decide something is 'boring' before you go into it, you're going to be less likely to succeed :)

kd
 
Now as I said: 5/6kg might be if you get EVERYTHING sorted and STICK TO IT like you want to be an elite athlete.

Practically speaking, it's achievable, but you need to put a lot of effort in even before you hit the gym.

- Get reading.
- Learn the principles behind resistance training and hypertrophy;
- Learn about what food you stick inside your body and why your diet is just as important than the weights you lift.

There is no magic bullet for this. Physiques are built by a huge amount of hard work over years. You will make what are described as 'noob gains' in your physique over the first few months whilst your body gets used to a good diet and a good training regime.

However, you may well be somebody that does not put on mass particularly easily, simply through genetics. This would suck, and there are ways around it, but you really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really have to understand that there is a very big difference between wanting to be buff and getting buff.
 
Welcome to sports arena :D Bag loads of info on here and plenty of people who can advise you. My simple answers below:

sports_brah said:
What exercises to improve my posture, chest arms and back? Oh lordy, someone who doesn't just want bigger arms and chest! Well done for thinking of posture and also your back :D
Compound lifts are what you want, a few threads have been recommended for basic routines, make sure you take a good look at them :)

What food and what amount of calories to be eating? You have a decent pair of trainers, take advantage of them while running but leave them for when you are doing weights. I'd imagine they wont be the best footwear.
Eat - everything. Lots of good proteins, fats and carbs.




Also, some people mentioned taking supplementation such as testosterone stating it gave them excellent progress. Is such stuff safe to use, or can it really make you infertile? test and steroids are not for you, not yet at least. Unfortunately this being a "family friendly" forum no one can advise you on them or really talk to much about them. This is no bad thing though as, like i said, you don't need to even be thinking about them for a long time yet :)

Thank you very much.
Click to expand...
 
Okay, could someone please critique my plan of action for bulking up:


I'm doing intermittent fasting, that is not eating from between the hours of midnight and 4pm. Water and Tea only. Hopefully this will promote some fat loss?

Diet after 4pm up til midnight consists of eating 3,000 calories (sedentary lifestyle, 189cm 77kg) which will be derived from:

Protein powder (due to cheapness above all else)
Milk (whole or semi skimmed?)
Eggs
Chicken breast
Salad
Sweet potatoes/
Salami (in particular chorizo)
Baked beans
Range of sauces
Broccoli

(I'm looking to keep my diet as simple as humanly possible as I am too busy to be cooking grandiose meals).

Eg

Whole egg salad with chicken breast
Chicken breast pieces in a sauce (with chorizo?)
Chicken breast dinner, sauces with sweet potatoes, broccol baked beans?
Protein shake to bring up the figures with a litre of milk



Training is going to consist of:

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength

I'm not sure if it's ideal for gaining mass, so if anyone wants to add some input to this I'd appreciate it.

Week 1

Monday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
1x5 Deadlift

Wednesday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
3x10 Back Extension
3xFailure(15 max) Chin-ups

Friday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
5x3 Power Clean

Week 2

Monday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
3x10 Back Extension
3xFailure(15 max) Pull-ups

Wednesday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
1x5 Deadlift

Friday
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
3x10 Back Extension
3xFailure(15 max) Chin-ups

I'm looking for some core stabilisation muscle work as well (to help my posture), along with exercises that target the arms and shoulders specifically. (I want my shoulders to be noticeably wider than my hips, and my arms to increase from 11")



Personally I reckon my stamina to be quite low, so I think that training regime is goin to be very intensive indeed.

Cardio will be taking a slightly backstep, but I'd like a couple sessions of a few miles a week just to give me a base platform of cardiovascular health (I've never been sporty so am woefully out of shape internally).



Any problems that anyone can spot?
 
Looks good though personally I would want to include an exercise opposite to Bench Press to avoid imbalances over time. Maybe add Bent Over Rows?

You may also find that 3000 calories isn't enough. Be prepared to go to 3500 or even 4000 if you aren't seeing a lot of gains.

And your decision to limit cardio is a good one. There's no point doing a bulking routine and then doing cardio that will slow done your mass gains. The Starting Strength routine will increase your cardiovascular health anyway.
 
I.F. is kewl (do it myself) but ultimately the energy balance (i.e. over/under/eating to maintain) has the biggest effect, followed by the macro distribution of those calories, followed by meal timing. The biggest advantages of I.F are IMO more satisfying meals when cutting as you can reduce the meal frequency to make the individual servings bigger, improved concentration/more alert during the fasted period and it seems to have a high adherence % (that is, people who take it up find it easy to stick to, and the diets that get the best results as the ones people can stick at long term). It also helps you feel comfortable with things that bro-science would normally freak out at in terms of meal frequency, fasted training, and some other stuff.

Ultimately you'll get some fat loss via noob gainz but if you're on a bulking diet 24/7 then after a while it'll be a case of the 'cleanliness' of your bulk dictating how much fat you put on. One thing I.F. is good for is rapid fat loss though, so you could probably bulk till near summer than go on a Leangains style cut and have your gains pop out a bit more. Alternatively you could look at the recomp style plans where you over-eat on training days and under-eat on rest days (-20/+20 is popular), Eat Stop Eat style 24hr fasts (I've started doing one on Sundays if I train Mon/Weds/Fri as an experiment), or there's the whole CBL Carb Back Loading which a few people on here are doing.

Starting Strength is all about strength/mass gains btw. I'm a bit iffy about a beginner's program having power cleans in though, it's something I'd want personal instruction on more than say, the squat or deadlift which are easier to pick up.
 
MrSnuggleBump said:
Looks good though personally I would want to include an exercise opposite to Bench Press to avoid imbalances over time. Maybe add Bent Over Rows?

You may also find that 3000 calories isn't enough. Be prepared to go to 3500 or even 4000 if you aren't seeing a lot of gains.

And your decision to limit cardio is a good one. There's no point doing a bulking routine and then doing cardio that will slow done your mass gains. The Starting Strength routine will increase your cardiovascular health anyway.
Click to expand...


You recommend Bent over rows? Where should I insert that in?

Should I start with 3,500 calories as a compromise, and see how it goes from there?

Somnambulist said:
I.F. is kewl (do it myself) but ultimately the energy balance (i.e. over/under/eating to maintain) has the biggest effect, followed by the macro distribution of those calories, followed by meal timing. The biggest advantages of I.F are IMO more satisfying meals when cutting as you can reduce the meal frequency to make the individual servings bigger, improved concentration/more alert during the fasted period and it seems to have a high adherence % (that is, people who take it up find it easy to stick to, and the diets that get the best results as the ones people can stick at long term). It also helps you feel comfortable with things that bro-science would normally freak out at in terms of meal frequency, fasted training, and some other stuff.

Ultimately you'll get some fat loss via noob gainz but if you're on a bulking diet 24/7 then after a while it'll be a case of the 'cleanliness' of your bulk dictating how much fat you put on. One thing I.F. is good for is rapid fat loss though, so you could probably bulk till near summer than go on a Leangains style cut and have your gains pop out a bit more. Alternatively you could look at the recomp style plans where you over-eat on training days and under-eat on rest days (-20/+20 is popular), Eat Stop Eat style 24hr fasts (I've started doing one on Sundays if I train Mon/Weds/Fri as an experiment), or there's the whole CBL Carb Back Loading which a few people on here are doing.

Starting Strength is all about strength/mass gains btw. I'm a bit iffy about a beginner's program having power cleans in though, it's something I'd want personal instruction on more than say, the squat or deadlift which are easier to pick up.
Click to expand...

Power cleans have me wary as well, especially since guidance will be minimal in my gym.

Have you any substitute?

Also, any exercises for targeting in particular: Arms (upper and lower) and shoulders? I know compound is cited as being the way forward, but I feel that due to the very poor nature of my body, that these areas I particularly want to focus on.

Thanks
 
Swap over complicating and over thinking for hard work in the gym.

Seriously.

Jumping straight into IF as a guy with zero training or dieting history isn't the best idea. Depending on your reliance on carbs, some sort of low carb phase/carb cycling might be of some use (this is an important aspect of IF, btw.), but as you start training it's far more important that you support your initial training adaptations with enough food. You are 77kg and 6'2", you need to grow.

I'm not saying that you SHOULDN'T do IF, but if you get caught up in trying to lean out now you'll end up wasting your time and end up under eating. Read the nutrition threads on the forum.

If you train hard and hit enough intensity, your body will be adapting like crazy. Your current shape is because you've conditioned your muscles not to respond to calories.

Targeting muscle at this stage is a complete false economy, for two reasons:
1) You are unlikely to make them grow significantly faster.
2) If you do manage to make them grow faster, you will look ridiculous. You are 77kg, you need everything to grow in proportion.
 
icecold said:
Swap over complicating and over thinking for hard work in the gym.

Seriously.

Jumping straight into IF as a guy with zero training or dieting history isn't the best idea. Depending on your reliance on carbs, some sort of low carb phase/carb cycling might be of some use (this is an important aspect of IF, btw.), but as you start training it's far more important that you support your initial training adaptations with enough food. You are 77kg and 6'2", you need to grow.

I'm not saying that you SHOULDN'T do IF, but if you get caught up in trying to lean out now you'll end up wasting your time and end up under eating. Read the nutrition threads on the forum.

If you train hard and hit enough intensity, your body will be adapting like crazy. Your current shape is because you've conditioned your muscles not to respond to calories.

Targeting muscle at this stage is a complete false economy, for two reasons:
1) You are unlikely to make them grow significantly faster.
2) If you do manage to make them grow faster, you will look ridiculous. You are 77kg, you need everything to grow in proportion.
Click to expand...


So I'm over complicating things?

Fair enough, I don't really have a clue what I'm doing.

From what I can garner, you're saying hit the gym hard and eat a lot?

The reason for trying to hit arms and shoulders in particular is because at the moment they are ridiculously out of proportion. I understand that I'm not "big" in terms of weight, but even so, 11" arms and pokey shoulders is no fun!


So to summarise, what should I change about my diet, and what should I change about my proposed gym routine?

With all of this is the want to also improve my posture. I reckon standing up straight without muscular pains and tightness and will work miracles for my vanity. However I'm unsure of how to go about this.

My shoulders are fairly rounded and I have the classic "sat at the pc for too long look". I saw someone (physio/chiropator) about it, who said that not much could be done. I have slight kyphosis in my upper back but nothing serious. He said putting my chin down and back and pulling my shoulders back should solve it in a few years.
 
Well you're in danger of over complicating things. Sometimes newbies obsess over the details at the expense of actually doing anything. This is obviously not the most productive approach!

I can't say what to change about your diet without knowing what you eat :p

All of the resources you need are on the forum :)

Look up the mobility thread for postural stuff. Again, the information you have provided isn't sufficient to provide specific advice for.

You major problem is that you don't know enough to ask the questions that will get you the most productive advice for you. Get reading! Be careful about information you find in general on the internet. It might sound strange for a computer forum, but the information here is some of the best you'll find anywhere.
 
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