BoostedLT5

iTrader: (1)

Giving yourself a cheat day is a necessity if you are going to stick with it. I had to go through the opposite and lose weight while trying to keep muscle. I started at 305lb and in 5 months i was 245. I had lost a little in my bench, but my squat and deadlift stayed pretty regular. I also did lots of power excersices and made sure to eat right, you can lose weight and still eat enough to maintain your muscle.

MaSTi

LOL +1 here. I lift my keg into the kegorator, after that it 16oz curls matched with chips and burgers.....sometimes nachos. That I'm I'm still only 5'8" and 160.

Back in college I used to lift 3 times a week on top of 6-10mile runs. I could out bench most of the people I lifted with, now a days I couldn't lift my body weight.

JosephIV

iTrader: (14)

It's great that you're enjoying lifting. Do it for yourself and don't worry what the meatheads are lifting or how big they are.

I'm pretty big but have been away from the gym for nearly 7 months. I was a solid 218 now I'm a chubby 235. I'm going to cancel my current membership and go back to my old gym.

Most of what people have said can be taken at face value and some of it is solid advice. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle protein, if you are already supplementing with Whey you don't really need them.

The easiest way to increase size is to get plenty of protein, increase your caloric intake, challenge your muscles, and get the rest that you need each day.

Muscle Milk is a good tasting supplement, 2 scoops offers 32 grams of protein and 250 calories in 2% milk.

It also has L-Glutamine, L-carnitine, and plenty of Vitamins and potassium. Check it out online. DPS Nutrition has the best prices.

Arnold's Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding is still a good read. I recommend it.

Just remember that everyone is different and what works best for someone else may not be the best for you. Listen to your body, set goals, and enjoy what you're doing.

bad94sup

iTrader: (12)

I've been lifting pretty steadily for 11 years now and will agree with what Nostang said. (What's up Matt!!?) I also consider myself to fall under the powerlifting side. Here are some highlights of what has worked for me (Now 226 lbs 8% BF) over the years:

-Focus your time on the core stuff first (Deads, squats, bench, rows, cleans)

-When beginning expect to make HUGE gains the first year but increase
weights much slowly after you have stopped progressing. Take your time with increases and don't let your ego get the best of you.

-If you are looking to get considerably bigger and stronger make sure you get the calories suited to your goals. I'm not sure if I agree completely with needing the 'standard' 1 to 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight, but for damn sure you're going to need at least 500 calories over your regular caloric intake.

-When it comes to supplements stick to the essentials (Protein/Glutamine/Multi-Vitamin/Creatine) but the majority of the nutritional background should come from your base meals. There is a reason they are called 'supplements'

- Check out the forums over at bodybuilding.com and find a workout program that works for you. Look into 5x5 programs to start with, they've worked really well for me. Stick with your program of choice for at least 4-6 weeks (provided no injuries or problems), then try something else once you've stopped progressing.

- The #1 mistake that myself and others I've worked out with have made is over training. Read up on this to look for symptoms.

- If possible, find a workout buddy or two to keep motivation levels high

- Keep a log for yourself and track your progress monthly

- Pick a gym with hot chicks to give yourself something to look forward to! (essential)

Feel free to hit me up for any questions.

Good luck!

Andrew

Frans96SS

iTrader: (15)

hahahaha HALARIOUS..... shutsky i joined that new gym.... its not as bad as i had thought. They have most of the machine prime time had and its only 19 a month.

bad94sup

iTrader: (12)

I'll have to check that place out sometime next week when I'm home. I've got most of what I need in the basement now so I have no excuse for slacking!

98Z28MASS

iTrader: (6)

I have been lifting consistently for the past 7 years (mostly for college sports) and the best thing id suggest is to start with circuit training and go from there. This will get you the most ripped and in the best shape of your life. I used to strictly lift heavy weights (multiple set of low reps, max 3-5 reps per set) and although i was strong the muscle wasnt that functional. Now I vary my workouts. I will work multiple body parts with moderate weight in a row and do multiple circuits of these exercises. For example, I will start with the rowing machine and do 1.5 mins hard (after a warmup of course), then i will go straight to either push-ups/flat bench/dumbell chest press and do say 10-12 reps with weight or approx 25-30 pushups, then I will do an ab exercise such as bicycle crunches for approx. 25 reps, then dumbell lunges (12-15 reps), dumbell curls (10-12 reps), kettle-bell swings (15-20 reps), standing dumbell shoulder presses (10 reps or so), then finally as many pull-ups as i can do. After this ill take a break for like 3-5 mins and go through that cycle again as many times as i can before im gassed. Ill do this workout every other day for about a month, then I will switch gears and for a month I will do heavier lifting, which usually consists of 1-2 body parts per day using weights that i can rep max 3-5 times per set. By doing this you keep your muscle confused and you will not get bored with your workouts. When I did strictly heavy weight lifting I was approx. 270 pounds ( I am 6'8" and pretty thick so it was proportional) and was pretty damn strong but didnt look all the great and since I am a basketball player it wasnt functional in the least. Now, since changing my workouts to include both circuit training and heavy weight lifting I have dropped to approx 250 pounds, look much much better, and feel so much better/more athletic. As someone else also stated working out is great but nutrition is a HUGE factor. I eat pretty clean, with most of my meals consisting of lean meats, vegetables, whole grains such as oatmeal (huge portion of my diet!), fish, etc, so make sure you adjust your diet as well as your gains will be amplified even more. I get enough protein from my diet so the only other supplement I will take is a Creatine/Nitric Oxide product that helps get me energized and aids a little in strength gains. Good luck though man and keep it up!

CamaroRacing12

iTrader: (5)

thx guys its hard when ur a lazy *** college kid but i have been goin 5 days a week for about 3 weeks and i have seen some small gains which im happy

02BEAST

iTrader: (8)

Don't get too big or you won't see that 12.0 pass lol!

CamaroRacing12

iTrader: (5)

lol i was thinking that lol... i have gained a lot of weight both a little fat and muscle lol.... prolly about 20lbs in the past year and a half and im pissed my raceweight is going up!

White.Lightning

iTrader: (53)

These guys have been nailing it on the head. Nutrition will yield the most results followed by a good lifting routine. I used to lift for strength when I wrestled in high school. I was into bodybuilding and did a show during college. That was a different style of lifting which focused on looks/symmetry more so than actual strength. And as of late, even though I have been slacking, I am noticing my metabolism slowing which is forcing me to eat right and get back into the gym.

A couple pointers I could give are:
Eat right
Don't lift too heavy (gym ego) and hurt yourself
Set short term and long term goals
Track progress in a log book
Measure your weight and body part dimensions monthly and snap photos for reference
And last but not least- HAVE FUN!

Good luck
Andy

MTBSully

iTrader: (7)

since ive got to college ive been trying to lift every day as well, but i havent really gotten into the whole protein shake thing yet.




WHERES THE ******* PROTEIN MOM! I ASKED YOU TO BUY SOME ******* PROTEIN!

99bowtieZ

^^Haha

I try and lift as much as possible. Sometimes I put my car on a lift and just raise it up and down to try and get the perfect height. That can be really hard work, they are some stubborn buttons. Sometimes I leave it up there for a couple hours for a solid workout. I'd recommend it to anybody ...

CamaroRacing12

iTrader: (5)

lol yea that one works my tibia

98Z28MASS

iTrader: (6)

Hey Andy, were you doing Amature Shows or working towards a Card? I tried for a while working towards shows but just couldnt put on the mass necessary to compete. I wanted to do it naturally, ie only basic supps like creatine and such, but at 6'8" I couldnt put on enough lean mass to compete with anyone lol. Im much happier now though doing a mix of circuit training for a month then strength training the next month. Seems to have worked pretty well and I hear you on the metabolism aspect! No more college sports = must eat right!

ynkssws6

iTrader: (1)

Try out this site: http://powercorenutrition.com/catalog/

A buddy of mine started it, prices are competitive with bodybuilding.com

White.Lightning

iTrader: (53)

It was an amateur natural show. This was right out of high school. I was in the teen lightweight category. My stage weight was 119 lbs @ 5' 7". I now am 183 lbs and 5' 8". Since that was my first show, I did not know how to manage the percentages of my diet. I went on stage "flat" but shredded like all hell. I had a solid 8 pack in the abdominal region, obliques like no other, and striations that were good for my age and weight. The muscles weren't developed enough and since I was so strict with the diet the package wasn't as good as I had hoped.

Now my plan is to bulk up over the winter and get to 195 eating somewhat lean. Then come March/April diet for 8 weeks to get the beach body ready.

ynkssws6

iTrader: (1)

My plans exactly but I gotta start getting lean earlier, gunna go to vegas in/ around then. I have put on a good 30+ pounds since I met you, Andy. lol 210 lbs now, 186 then.

Purevil is a big guy, he should chime in on this thread.

White.Lightning

iTrader: (53)

Have we met before?

ynkssws6

iTrader: (1)

haha yup years ago. I bought a T-maxx off of you in philly, you had a clean white z at the time.