collegeguy_24 Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Here is the thing, I wan to gain muscle, and yes I am desperate. But before I can ask for help, let me explain myself a bit. I am 6ft 4in tall, and underweight, at around 135 pounds. as you can imagine I am super skinny. My problem is that have a really high metabolism and when I went to the doctor, he said that its so high that it not only eats away at all my ft, but my muscles as well. This past summer I tried working, I spent an hour each day for 4 months, and yet I couldn't gain a single pound of muscle, no improvement at all. I even took the protein drink that is recommended, but nothing. My ultimate goal is to have the body of Patrick Swayze from the movie Road House. Thats a good body, but I can't even dream of that, if I can't even gain a single pound. Any and all help is welcome. Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 For someone like you with a high metabolism, less is more in the terms of training. You should be focusing primarily on gaining strength. 3-4 days per week of hard training should be your target. More than that and you might cut into your recovery (which hinders muscle growth). A good program for introducing progressive overload would be something like Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. http://jcdfitness.com/2008/11/starting-strength-a-beginners-strength-training-program/ It will teach you the basics of strength training. You will likely need to increase your caloric intake by a lot. Adding 1,000 additional calories per day should be a priority. Don't waste your money on supplements. A whey protein shake post workout is fine, but otherwise, you'll get better results (and have more money for other things) by eating whole foods. Shoot for getting between 1.0 to 1.3 grams of protein per lb/desired bodyweight per day. For example, if your goal is to weight 200 lbs eventually, make sure you're getting at least 200 grams of protein per day. What does your diet look like right now? How about your training? Link to post Share on other sites
PegNosePete Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 They say that getting a six-pack is 70% diet, 25% working out and 5% determination. An hour a day is too much exercise. You're burning calories, have little body fat so your muscles are being burned. I would cut back to half an hour, 3 (non-consecutive) days a week. Don't do too much cardio (that will burn calories but not gain much muscle), make sure to do weights that exercise your core muscles. A few heavy reps is better than loads of light ones. By the end of your set you should be struggling to finish. I do 2x 12 reps on 6 machines followed by 20 minutes swimming, I think I have it about right. Diet is all about the protein. You need to eat a metric shed-load of it. Drinking the protein drink will only work if it's supported by the rest of your diet. As tman said aim for 1-1.2g protein per lb. That is a LOT of protein! Eat this every day, not just workout days. If you want to use shakes to make up this amount then do so, but be sure the majority of it comes from natural sources. Cottage cheese is your friend. Also be sure you're getting enough calories, a lot of the "get ripped" advice is to lose weight but you need to gain it so eat full fat cottage cheese etc. Keep track how many calories you eat per day and be prepared to cut back when you reach your goal. Avoid alcohol, especially after working out. Alcohol deters muscle repair. Get plenty of sleep, sounds silly but it does affect it also. Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 They say that getting a six-pack is 70% diet, 25% working out and 5% determination. An hour a day is too much exercise. You're burning calories, have little body fat so your muscles are being burned. I would cut back to half an hour, 3 (non-consecutive) days a week. Don't do too much cardio (that will burn calories but not gain much muscle), make sure to do weights that exercise your core muscles. A few heavy reps is better than loads of light ones. By the end of your set you should be struggling to finish. I do 2x 12 reps on 6 machines followed by 20 minutes swimming, I think I have it about right. Diet is all about the protein. You need to eat a metric shed-load of it. Drinking the protein drink will only work if it's supported by the rest of your diet. As tman said aim for 1-1.2g protein per lb. That is a LOT of protein! Eat this every day, not just workout days. If you want to use shakes to make up this amount then do so, but be sure the majority of it comes from natural sources. Cottage cheese is your friend. Also be sure you're getting enough calories, a lot of the "get ripped" advice is to lose weight but you need to gain it so eat full fat cottage cheese etc. Keep track how many calories you eat per day and be prepared to cut back when you reach your goal. Avoid alcohol, especially after working out. Alcohol deters muscle repair. Get plenty of sleep, sounds silly but it does affect it also. I have to respectfully disagree about the alcohol consumption. Moderate alcohol consumption (post workout) could actually be beneficial to helping him gain weight. While you're correct about alcohol slowing the rate of protein synthesis, this only becomes significant after a lot of booze. Managing stress effectively is also critical in maximizing muscle gain, fat loss, and just about every other fitness goal. While I wouldn't recommend using alcohol as a primary method of stress relief, having a drink or two a day will probably not hurt the OP, especially since he's trying to bulk up. Otherwise, great advice! Check this out: http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html Link to post Share on other sites
PegNosePete Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Ah excellent, cocktails for me tonight then! Link to post Share on other sites
Author collegeguy_24 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Whats the best way to increase my calorie intake? My appetite is very small and if I eat to much I puke : ( Should I post a picture of my body on here so you guys can see what I'm dealing with? Also, my family has a home gym, should I show you guys whats in it so we can find what better suited for me? As for regular food, heres the thing. My family is over weight, yet I am the only skinny one. We usually eat whats available because of work schedules, but quirk food like stuff that comes in a box, or something that can be put into a crock pot is what we eat. Link to post Share on other sites
skydiveaddict Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I was in the same boat as you my friend,(several years ago). A sports doc put me on a very carbs intensive diet. Pasta, bread, fruit, along with some protein. Then heavy, intense weight training. I mean all out. You will gain the muscle and body you are looking for. Link to post Share on other sites
PegNosePete Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I think the first step would be to make a food diary. If you can get a picture of exactly how much you eat and what the nutritional content is, then you can see what to improve. It's quite hard to visualise that just from rough guesswork. So I would recommend you write down everything that passes your lips, and count the amount of calories, fat and protein in it. Link to post Share on other sites
Owz600 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 You won't be able to gain muscle unless you have enough carbs. For a high metabolism you will need loads of carbs! How many meals per day to you eat and what food do you eat? Link to post Share on other sites
USMCHokie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Curls. Lots and lots of curls. And just curls. Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Whats the best way to increase my calorie intake? My appetite is very small and if I eat to much I puke : ( If you start working out hard, you will find your appetite increases. In the meantime, work on increasing how much you eat at each meal bit by bit. You need to train yourself to eat. This means havign breakfast every day, for instance (a meal many people skip). Yu may not feel hungry at first, but once your body comes to expect food each morning at 7am (or whenever), you will find yourself getting hungry at 7am. Also, eat frequent meals if this is easier than eating fewer larger meals. By the way, what you say here -- "my appetite is very small" --- directly contradicts what you wrote in your opening post, which stated that your metabolism is very fast. Either way, though, the solution is to eat more. Also, my family has a home gym, should I show you guys whats in it so we can find what better suited for me? This is a starting point. As for regular food, heres the thing. My family is over weight, yet I am the only skinny one. We usually eat whats available because of work schedules, but quirk food like stuff that comes in a box, or something that can be put into a crock pot is what we eat. Looks like you'll be learning how to cook. There is lots of good, healthy food you can eat that does not require a culinary course to make: eggs, chicken, tuna (from the can, no less!), oatmeal, brown rice, baked potatoes, steamed veggies, etc. Ask your mom or whoever does the shopping tostart adding in these items. Better yet, offer to do the shopping yourself. You're 24, right? Start owning your life! Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Curls. Lots and lots of curls. And just curls. lulz. Curls to get the girls, brah! OP: an "easy" way to add a lot of calories would be the GOMAD method, i.e. Gallon Of Milk A Day. Literally, drink a gallon of whole milk a day. This will add an enormous amount of protein, carbs and fat to your diet (all of which you need). If you're not a big eater to begin with, you're likely going to have to split up your meals over the course of the day to get enough calories in. It's a pain to eat this much, but nobody said bulking was easy. The exact meal frequency does not matter, as long as you're meeting your intake requirements (shoot for 4,000 or 5,000 calories cal/day). Don't shy away from pizza, hamburgers, chicken wings, potatoes, eggs, etc. If you're living at home and eating what the rest of the clan is eating, then you're probably not going to get to choose. In this case, you'll just have to work around your normal family meals. Here's the other thing: if you don't train hard, eating like this will do nothing but get you fat. You absolutely have to train hard in the gym. While you shouldn't go overboard on cardio (especially while fasted), some steady state cardio could help stimulate your appetite. Your family's home gym is likely not enough to give you any appreciable stimulus. As skydiveaddict said earlier, you will have to train with intensity, which requires you to constantly be pushing yourself. Focus on learning and improving the major compound lifts: deadlifts, squats, various presses, rows/pullups. The rest is icing on the cake. A gym doesn't have to be fancy, but it does need heavy weights available. You can usually find gym memberships for around 30 bucks a month. Using the dusty bowflex and 20 lb dumbbells in the garage isn't going to cut it. While the Starting Strength program I posted earlier is great, there are also other very simple (and free) programs out there. Many of them revolve around simple 5x5 templates. Getting your routine from the "muscle mags" such as Flex or Muscle and Fiction (Muscle and Fitness) is a great way to get nowhere fast. Stick to the basics. Split your training up into 3 days per week to start. Have a 5x5 deadlift day, have a 5x5 squat day, and have a 5x5 bench/row day. Always pair any pressing movement you do with a same-plane pulling movement, and double the volume (number of reps you do) on the pulling. This will help you build a big back, along with helping you maintain your shoulder health. Not doing so is a common mistake that can lead to shoulder instability (along with injury, surgery, etc.) down the road. A good warm up is crucial to preventing injury and maximizing your performance. Warming up should include activities that increase heart rate and blood flow to the muscles, but don't overexert. Examples include things such as dynamic stretching (use Google), push ups, burpees, air squats, etc. Light static stretching is fine to add in too. Link to post Share on other sites
USMCHokie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 lulz. Curls to get the girls, brah! A boy can dream... Here's the other thing: if you don't train hard, eating like this will do nothing but get you fat. You absolutely have to train hard in the gym. While you shouldn't go overboard on cardio (especially while fasted), some steady state cardio could help stimulate your appetite. I'd like to reemphasize this. The method and intensity in which you train is far more important than your caloric intake. I have read several studies which all show a pretty rapid rate of diminishing return with drastically increasing caloric intake. The body can only build muscle so quickly, as genetics plays a key part of your body's limits. The key is to train hard. Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I'd like to reemphasize this. The method and intensity in which you train is far more important than your caloric intake. I have read several studies which all show a pretty rapid rate of diminishing return with drastically increasing caloric intake. The body can only build muscle so quickly, as genetics plays a key part of your body's limits. The key is to train hard. Agreed. BUT. He weighs 135 pounds at 6'4". He needs to put on weight. There's nothing on him to make muscle out of! Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 A boy can dream... I'd like to reemphasize this. The method and intensity in which you train is far more important than your caloric intake. I have read several studies which all show a pretty rapid rate of diminishing return with drastically increasing caloric intake. The body can only build muscle so quickly, as genetics plays a key part of your body's limits. The key is to train hard. I definitely agree with this. OP: if you notice that you're putting on more fat than you're comfortable with, you'll can back off on the calories (not from protein). Maintaining a caloric surplus is needed to gain muscle, but the rate at which you put on muscle is not dependent on the surplus size. Whether it's 200 calories or 1,200 calories, it won't make a difference. However, trying to gauge exactly where you stand with regards to caloric deficit/surplus is a fairly subjective and difficult thing to estimate. Bottom line: eat a lot more, but if you notice yourself putting on a lot of grease, then back off on the calorie intake without compromising your protein intake (shave off calories from carbs/fats). Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Agreed. BUT. He weighs 135 pounds at 6'4". He needs to put on weight. There's nothing on him to make muscle out of! Haha I also strongly agree with this. At 135 and 6'4", it'll probably be a few years before the OP needs to even worry about how much of a caloric surplus he needs to pay attention to.. Link to post Share on other sites
USMCHokie Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 At 135 and 6'4", it'll probably be a few years before the OP needs to even worry about how much of a caloric surplus he needs to pay attention to.. At 135 and 6'4", I doubt OP will have to worry about getting fat...just eat...a lot...I have a feeling it will be a long road ahead, but you'll eventually get there... Link to post Share on other sites
Author collegeguy_24 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 yeah, the most I can do is eat I guess. This morning I had a single donut, and in about an hour or so I'll get another one. What about cottage cheese, didn't someone say thats is a good idea as well? Also, I can't really pay for much, I just started my new job and I won't get payed till March, and even then, most of my money is being saved up for a down payment on a car as well as an apartment. At our home gym we have a lot of weights, treadmill, elliptical machines, medicine balls. I can do plenty of heavy lifting with what we have. Are there any specific foods you guys recommend? Link to post Share on other sites
tman666 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 yeah, the most I can do is eat I guess. This morning I had a single donut, and in about an hour or so I'll get another one. What about cottage cheese, didn't someone say thats is a good idea as well? Also, I can't really pay for much, I just started my new job and I won't get payed till March, and even then, most of my money is being saved up for a down payment on a car as well as an apartment. At our home gym we have a lot of weights, treadmill, elliptical machines, medicine balls. I can do plenty of heavy lifting with what we have. Are there any specific foods you guys recommend? Re-read your thread. Link to post Share on other sites
johnachillies Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I know about ur problem it is usually due to the over weight and and this problem is serious, I was in same condition before six month and couldn't get rid from this because due to busyness can't do much exercise and due to which, skin haven't amuse the sweating but if your weight will overcome then you 'll overcome on you skin problems too, So , for this i did go for medicice from Prohcgdiet.com that showed realy great results i 'll suggest you too Link to post Share on other sites
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