Thread: 165lbs starting

Read the stickies on top of this section. They're very informative.

And the stickies in diet + nutrition.

Remember: mass is made in the kitchen.

Read the stickies in all Sub-Forums. here are some tips

1. train Movements
2. Focus on Compound movements over Isolation
3. whatever your goals are- gettin Ripped or Huge or etc. Diet is the MAJOR solution.
4. Don't spend over 45-60minutes training.
5. Isolation has its place at the end of workout but limit it.

there are some simple tips. also since you weigh 165 i suggest you up your calories to 3,000-3,500cals aday to gain LBM.

I used to be skinnier than you at 6"3 and about 160-165 pounds when I was 24yrs old. Once I dedicated myself to a relatively decent full body workout, I had some pretty great newbie gains. Better than some, worse than others Im sure. After one year I put on about 20-25lbs I think. Diet probably played the biggest role, though being dedicated to getting in the gym was important as well. I also supplemented with creatine, but in hindsight Im not sure if that was really necessary since I was a newbie.

Even though I dont remember how much muscle/wt I added at the 3 month mark, my experience might be a little informative as to what you can expect over a year. (Currently Im 220lbs after a couple of years of training and actually trying to cut down to 10% bf or less, which I suspect would be around 210lbs). Over 3 months, I sort of doubt you could get up to 190 but who knows.


Im not nearly as knowledgeable as some of the others on this board, so listen to people like cowpimp and pfunk if they chime in. That said, I would say that you will want to train in the 8 to 12 rep range as opposed to the 4-6 rep range you are planning. 8-12 I think is ideal for hypertrophy,and 4-6 is better suited for gaining strength. If your main goal is to gain weight, then go for 8-12. As for your split, Ive had my best gains with a 3 day a week full body plan (see stickies). You may see some results with your current plan since you are a newbie, but I personally never liked the "one or two bodypart a day" splits.

Beyond training, diet is really important of course. Make sure you read the stickies in the diet and nutrition section. I think 150 grams of protein is a little on the low side. A general rule of thumb is to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of your bodyweight. So I would eat at least 165 grams a day, if not a little more.

A breakdown of the specific exercises you have planned would be also useful.

Originally Posted by 165lbs

Hi i'm 17, 5'11 and currently 165 pounds. I just started lifting this sunday(03/11/07) and i was wondering if anyone could give me tips on simply gaining mass more than anything. At 5'11 im kinda skinny and i really want to be 190 or maybe more. I'm trying to gain as much muscle as i can before mid june.(but i will continue to lift all through the summer) Here is my routine, critiques and tips would be very helpful.(Skip La Cour's training schedule)
Day 1(Sunday):Chest-3 exercises
Day 2(Monday):Back-6 exercises
Day 3(Tuesday):Quadriceps-5 exercises
Day 4(Wednesday):Arms-2 exercises(biceps) 3 exercises(triceps)
2 exercises(forearms)
Day 5(Thursday):Shoulders-4 exercises
Day 6(Friday): Hamstrings and calves-4 exercises(hamstrings)
2 exercises(calves)
Day 7(Saturday): Rest
All exercises are done with 2 sets with 4-6 reps each. My warm ups are 3 sets of 10-12(light weight) with only the very first exercise of that day. I always train with heavy weights and to failure. I've been consuming about 150 grams of protein and 2500-3000 calories a day. It's only been about a week so i know i won't see any results for a while. I just have one question. How much muscle is it possible to gain within a 3 month span with a mass building routine like this? I hope to gain at least 15. Would this be possible in 3 months or would it take me an entire year, even if i was consistent with this routine?

Working out 6 days a week? You need to REST MORE.

Read the diet section and understand it. I went from 6' 153 to 6' 170 in three years with a couple injuries forcing time off. You gotta eat and kepp track of it.
Protein powder is good. Know when and how much to take by reading the stickies. Just recently I added creatine and am seeing satisfactory gains in my
workouts and size. Stick to compound lifts and after your newbie plateau shows up, look into the p/rr/s plan. It works. Keep a good journal of your workout progression and strive to better it in someway everytime you're in the gym.

Don't forget to rest. The routine you posted looks like way to much "on" and not enough "off." At 17 you still have some growing to do naturally I would think.

Good luck!