I can't grow!

[TheStuff]

I've been lifting for maybe 1/2 a year right now. I am 15 (16 in 14 days) and am trying to grow in weight and in muscle mass. I have been going to the gym atleast 2 times a week and workout for atleast 1-2 hours and when I get home I take a GNC Weightgainer Gold 2200 suppliment. I can notice some growth, but it seems like I have been at the same size (muscle wise) for a while now and I don't know why I am not growing more. Here is my routine...

Chest:
Cable Cross Over
4-5 sets of 10-12
Bench Press
4-5 sets of 6 or 8
Decline bench Press
4-5 sets of 6 or 8
Dumb Bell Bench Press
4-5 sets of 6 or 8
Dumb Bell Flys
4-5 sets of 6 or 8

Bicep/Triceps:
Bicep curls
7-8 sets of 8
Preacher Curls
7-8 sets of 8
Cable Pull downs
7-8 sets of 8

What to do

 

[lean_n_76er]

I think you need to break up your routine a little bit and add legs. Go to the gym 3 days and do a 3 day split. Another thing I would to is drop the weight gainer, and simply eat more and maybe add a protein supp.
Suggestion:

Monday - Chest/Shoulders/Tricep
Wednesday - Back/Bicep/Forearms
Friday - Quads/Hams/Calves

You can get a lot of information in the Online Diarys. Take a look here and see what others are doing as far as exercises. You can also post here in the training for recommendations. Good Luck!

 

[KataMaStEr]

I would try to hit the gym a minimum of 3 days a week, split your workout, and if u want to get big u got to eat big. So eat foods high in protein. Take your own food to school from home. I know for us high school students it gets hard sometimes to maintain a good diet. Specially if u on a school like that one I go to which is pizza and cheeseburgers all year long, yeah sometimes they switch it around but for nothing any better.

 

[Arnold]

Well, that routine kind of sucks....you're doing 25 sets for chest (way too much for chest), 8 sets of pull-downs for back (not enough for back), so no rows and you do not work your legs.

I am afraid to ask what your diet consists of!

First of all take a look at this routine to get a better idea of how to train for mass.

Second, hop over to the Diet & Nutrition forum and read.

Thirdly, post a sample of your daily diet.

 

[Brian_m35]

You can do all the lifting that you want, but if you don't have the proper diet you won't grow. You need to be taking in more calories than you're expending. You also need to make sure that it's a good diet. No junk food and other crap.

 

[wheete]

Good posts...yes try and hit the gym about 3-4 times a week.
I do mon,tue,thu,fri myself. Drop the weight gainer and buy some good whey protein and mix in stuff yourself, like with flax seed oil, bananas, fruits, whip cream etc if you want, it would be cheaper for you and healthier. Most weight gainers are just protein+sugars. Add some creatine if you can afford it, it does help a little bit. Definatly do heavy leg exercises, hit your biggest muscle groups heavy to promote and raise your hormone levels in your body, thus making you grow. Also remember that you are 15-16 years old. I had limited growth myself at that age, but I started growing heavily when I hit 16-17 and exploaded when I hit 18, this is different from person to person though. Eat atleast 5-6 times a day(this includes protein drinks) if you can. Also get used to eating alot of chicken , check the diet sections on this website for great tips on that.

 

[blargh]

Bump on everything mentioned here. Make sure you add squats and deadlifts into your routine. They're both proven mass builders.

 

[CDWetzelberger]

Yeah no offence but you???re routine sucks. Fact is no matter how much you work your arms and chest once they reach your potential for that weight they won't grow much. You have to add total body weight to make them grow. That means adding squats or deadlifts. Those are the only real exercise that cause a total body growth response.

I second the fact you???re doing way too much chest work. Drop all but the basics, Bench or Dip with maybe a second exercise like Flys or cable crossovers. A lot less sets and more intensity. Add an overhead pressing movement. You want to grow keep one thing in mind. Only progressive resistance on basic compound exercise will make you grow. How much extra work you can do depends on how good your genetics are for lifting. Save most the isolation movements until you have enough mass. Try to keep your work outs to a hour max. After that most peoples bodies start to release catabolic hormones.

 

[mick01]

SQUAT! HARD!

EAT BIG! REST MUCH!

DEADLIFT! HARD!

EAT BIG! REST MUCH!

Then throw some chest/shoulder/arm stuff in and you'll grow!!!

Simple......

Mick

 

[KataMaStEr]

Originally posted by blargh
Bump on everything mentioned here. Make sure you add squats and deadlifts into your routine. They're both proven mass builders.

Yes you are right on squats and deadlifts. But it is also proven that if u don???t eat u DON???T grow.

 

[LittLe FraNk]

ya like he said i read that dealifts squats are needed to stimulate some homrones or some shit that are proven to make you grow like homie said hes right i think... me and u are maybe on clsoe to same level...im 15yrold how much do you weigh im 142-150..

 

[TheStuff]

Yes, exactly like me, I'm 15 and 140 lbs, and scottythebody or whoever else has the url, what's the site where it has all the exercises and shows how to do it?

 

[ZONE]

Originally posted by mick01
SQUAT! HARD!

EAT BIG! REST MUCH!

DEADLIFT! HARD!

EAT BIG! REST MUCH!

Then throw some chest/shoulder/arm stuff in and you'll grow!!!

Simple......

Mick

Good advice Mick ... also go read this:


http://www.cyberpump.com/training/trainhard/sense.html


Great article from Cyberpump.com.. Home of HIT

 

[mick01]

Cyberpump is a great site!

 

[Scotty the Body]

Here's the site your looking for TheStuff:
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

 

[Willy]

Like some of the others said, you probably won't grow any huge muscles till your around 18-20, your body is probably working on hight more than size right now but that doesn't mean you should stop lifting, just don't let it get you down.