Originally posted by maryjean
Dolomite,I told you to talk to Ed first because of the results I have witnessed personally by those he has trained.You can witness them to.Go to
www.edsgym.com and actually review ALL of the pages,not just click on supplements.In particular look at the Mem,ber of the Month and the ON LINE MEMBER of the month-then make up your own mind.Unlike the information you have been getting with your thread we train real people at Ed's Gym and on line and are resposible directly for the results.Ed has a mass building program that has been very successful with everyone who has used it(300 to date)You won't find it in any magazine,or from any of the members on IronMagazine .Regarding your supplements' they show a lack of planning and integration into a well designed program to build mass.As for the price we advertize "reasonable prices".We know that on any given product we will be higher than some,but lower than most.But of course you can go back to the store you bought your product from as often as you need and they'll be glad to answer all of your training needs.Also,I wasn't trying to sell you supplements in my response.If you read it you'll see I was offering what we do best-helping little men turn into big men.Good luck.MaryJean
You're joking right? Dolemite, you do not need to go to this "Ed" person, nor do you need all those supplements. Getting bigger is actually quite simple when you're a beginner. Here are a few things you should read:
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"How do I get big?"
I don't know how many times I have heard that question. Want to know how to get big? EAT MORE! That is the ONLY way to gain weight. No supplements, no training routine, and not even Anabolic Steroids will make you gain weight if you are not eating enough!
"But I have a fast metabolism, I eat all the time but I still can't gain any weight"
Look. No matter how fast your metabolism, you can gain weight. Its all just a matter of finding the amount of calories you need to consume on a daily basis. Here's how to find out: For one week, record EVERYTHING that you eat or drink...everything that you goes in your mouth. Calculate how many calories, protein, carbohydrates (carbs), and fat are in each meal. Add up these numbers to get your daily total. If your weight didn't change at all this week, then you have just found your AMR (active metabolic rate). In other words, this is the amount of calories you need to consume on a daily basis to stay at your current weight. In order to gain, you have to add calories to this number...500 should do the trick. If not, add another 500. Keep adding until you start to gain (1 pound a week is a good amount to shoot for, any more than that and you are adding some fat). Pretty simple, huh?
Macronutrient Ratio's
The three macronutrients (macro's) are carbs, protein, and fat.
Each macronutrient has a caloric value...
Protein-4 calories
Carbs-4 calories
Fat-9 calories
My favourite, and usually a very effective macronutrient breakdown for gaining muscle is:
40% carbs
30% protein
30% fat
That's 40% of calories from carbs, and 30% from fat and protein.So a person taking in 3000 calories per day would consume 300g of carbs, 225g of protein, and 100g of fat. Don't be afraid of carbs, they are not the evil the media and many other writers make them out to be.
Most of your protein should come from animal sources, beef, fish, eggs, and milk are some good quality protein sources. Carbs should come from grains, oats, and veggies, but try to stay away from simple sugars. Fats from non-saturated sources...oils, eggs, and peanut butter are all very good sources of fat, try to avoid saturated fat as much as possible (solid at room temperature).
Remember, to gain weight...you have to eat more calories than you burn off. As your weight increases, so will your caloric requirements. To keeps gaining, you have to keep adding the calories.
Training To Gain Muscle
Now that you have a basic understanding of nutrition for weight gain, i will teach you the basics of weight training to gain muscle. If you eat to gain weight, and don't weight train, you are going to get fat. I'm sure muscle weight gain is your goal, so you have to train, and you have to do it right.
Weight training is very simple, but most people make it much more complicated than it really is. First things First, put down that muscle magazine! The training routines outlined in these mags are those of elite bodybuilders, who have years and years of training under their belt. They are poor routines for a natural (without Anabolic Steroid use), and certainly are not suited for a beginner.
OK, now that that is out of the way, i will tell you the basic principles of training for muscle growth...
Train no more than 5 times a week, 3-4 would be best. This allows for maximum recuperation and prevents burn-out (overtraining).
Train each muscle group only once a week. This provides the muscle group with plenty of time to rest and grow.
Overload. In order for your muscles to grow, you must get stronger. Try to add weight, or a rep EVERY workout.
Train your whole body. Don't neglect any bodyparts, especially your legs...since your legs alone make up half of your body!
Use a full Range of Motion (ROM) on every rep of every set. Never sacrifice ROM for heavier weight.
Don't overlap muscle groups. Ex. when you train back, no matter how well you "isolate" it, your biceps will be involved to some degree. Therefore, don't train your biceps the day after back, or vice versa. Same rule applies to chest, shoulders, and triceps....and Quads and Hams.
Utilize free weight exercises as much as possible.
Utilize compound exercises as much as possible. Compound exercises are exercises that involve more than one major muscle group. Examples of compound exercises are:
Squats
Deadlifts
Bench Press
Chin Ups
Rows
Overhead Press
Parallel Bar Dips
Train to failure. This means training until you can't possibly do one more rep during a set. If a training program tells you to do 10 reps, then you should reach failure on your 10th rep. DO NOT stop just just because your only supposed to do 10 reps, just make sure to add weight on your next workout.
Don't exceed 20 sets per day training. This is just generally speaking,but it is a good guideline. I recommend 6-12 sets for large bodyparts (chest, back, legs), and 4-6 sets for small bodyparts (biceps, triceps, calves, traps).
Use a 6-12 rep range most of the time. This has been shown to be the ideal rep range for muscle growth.
More isn't always better. Don't make the mistake of thinking that's the more you train, the more you will grow. This is not the case. Remember, training is just a stimulus for growth...you grow outside of the gym.
Rest
Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep EVERY night. This is one of the few areas of bodybuilding where more is actually better.
Conclusion
I have just outlined a basic guideline more muscular weight gain. You must understand that your diet is the most important aspect when trying to gain weight (and any other time). But, in order to gain muscular bodyweight, all three factors must be present and well planned. Master Nutrition, Weight training and recuperation...and you will be on your way to you bodybuilding goals.
Written by Justin Frank - wannabebig.com
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and:
"So, you wanna be big?
It isn't rocket science. As a matter of fact, contrary to what some may tell you, it isn't particularly complicated at all. You don't need any formal training in physiology, or a degree in nutrition.
So, what DO you need?
You need to understand and accept that gaining muscle is simple. Training compound movements with a focus on progression, solid nutrition, and rest are the main things you have to get right. If you think about it, none of them are particularly complicated. You may notice some things you think are important that have been left out. They are not really important. Get these three things down, and you'll get bigger and stronger. (Please notice, I said simple, not easy)
The training basics are not difficult to understand. Use compound movements as the base of your routine. Focus on increasing the poundage of those compound movements every time you train. Don't worry about your 'training split', don't focus on hitting all the different angles. Worry about working hard - harder than you think you can work. Don't sweat the details, certainly not as a beginner. You need to know that your success is directly related to how hard you can push yourself.
Various routines work for various people, but hard work is the common factor.
People spend lifetimes trying to figure out the optimal diet. Counting calories, weighing grams, cutting fat and sugar... all of it to no avail. Why? They make it too difficult. Certainly there are ways to optimise your feeding. If you are going to get into details, this is the one area I would encourage it. But you don't need to be an expert.
Wanna get big? Eat more. Follow these simple guidelines:
Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight
Split the rest evenly between carbs and fats
Eat immediately after training
Eat whole foods/avoid processed foods
If you are hungry, you need to eat.
Sure, you can time your meals, weigh everything you put in your mouth, and record it all. That might help. But the basics you need are listed above.
Rest is the final component. How difficult is it to rest? Get as much sleep as you feel you need. 8 hours is a normal guideline. Take a nap if you are tired. Try to stick to a normal schedule of going to bed and getting up. Time away from training is key as well. You won't grow if you don't let your body rest, and that means taking time away from training. If you are working hard, you won't be capable of progressing without the appropriate rest. That is the best test of the right amount of rest for you. If you continue to progress, and you know you are working as hard as possible, then you are getting enough rest.
Simple, effective items to focus on. Basic movements done as hard as you can, attention to what you eat, and proper rest. Get them all in line, and you will succeed."
Written by Paul Stagg - wannabebig.com
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Dolemite, read those two articles. I guarentee you that if you follow whole heartingly the advice, you
will get bigger.
