Skinny guy bulking

[steveT95]

Okay so I am a very typical Ectomorph or 'skinny guy'

I came on here for advice a few months ago and I am back because the weightlifting forums are full of nob heads.

 

I don't have specific weight yet but height is 5'11", I am quite thin and a few months ago I was underweight.

 

I have got a barbell and 2 dumbbells. Will be getting a chinning bar soon. I can't get any more gear because of lack of space and money. But I know it is possible to achieve what I want to with just this gear.

 

I currently lift the barbell with 5kg on each end. I can do it with 7.5 kilos but it isn't comfortable.

 

I currently have a set that I work on the hopefully works everything. I do sets of 10 of each: Bicep Curls, shrugs, lunges, squats and the military press.

 

As far as diet goes I tend to eat quite starchy meals I guess. In the evening I tend to eat a lot of apples, biscuits and crisp.

I am looking for a diet for bulking that doesn't bung me up.

 

As you can probably tell, I am a total beginner so would like so advice on my workout and diet.

 

Suggestions on some very easy snacks that I can binge in the evening to increase calories and protein intake would be great.

 

 

Thank you for taking your time to read this

Edited July 10, 2013 by steveT95

[thefooloftheyear]

Couple of things, if you are truly beanpole like, you might not gain much muscle, but just about everyone can improve so dont let that discourage you, just throwing it out there as a lot of guys seem to not understand the most important part of achieving sucsess at any exercise regimen...Genetics..Pure and simple..Hard work is important as well, but your genetic potential can limit you or take you to the moon,-its depends on which hand you were dealt when your parents decided to conceive you.

 

Ill relay this quick story regarding genetics..I notice 3 young kids at the gym as they are always there at the same time I am..They were all noobs when they first started. Judging by their technique I could tell none of them knew anything about weight training. They were all about the same size..Two of the kids are white and one is black...They all do the same regimen every time..They have been at it for about 8 months or so..The black kid is absolutely leaving the white kids in the dust. Its not even close. So, point is, here are 3 examples..all doing the same thing at the same intensity level...with different results..

 

OK..sounds like you might need more equipment,,,If you are bucks down, Here is an idea..Go to a scrap facility that scraps steel/iron..People are scrapping old iron dumbells bars, etc for scrap money..If you go there and ask if they have any they will likely give it to you for nothing or the equivalent scrap value. If that doesnt pan out, try Craigslist...People are just about giving the stuff away just to get it out of their house.

 

As for snacks/meals..Stick with the basics...Beans, lean ground beef, chicken, brown rice, oatmeal, milk..eggs..etc..Many of these staples are very cheap..I make a dish of sauteed ground beef , brown rice and black beans..Its a killer high protein meal that is easy to make and cheap..Drink milk with every meal for calories and protien. If you cant tolerate the lactose, try skim milk..but for you I would go whole milk or 2%.

 

Dont worry if you put on a little fat along with the muscle...Its virtually impossible to gain all lean muscle without a little fat along the way....You can trim the fat later. Putting on real muscle is usually a "two steps forward and one step back process"..

 

Good luck to you...Perhaps some of the other posters will chime in..There are some very knowledgeable people on here that know way more than I do..

 

TFY

[steveT95]

Thank you! That is quite helpful.

So what you're saying about genetics is, I should become black to achieve more? Haha I joke. I don't think my genetics are too bad. I can go quite broad shouldered and stocky and so is my Dad and brother. It's in there, I just need to get it out again.

 

For now, I think the weights I have will do me. I have spoken to some family members with experience and they only used these and are quite big now. I would love to have a bench though.

 

Question: Should I lift heavier weights but with less reps or lighter weights with more reps?

 

Cheers

[thefooloftheyear]

Thank you! That is quite helpful.

So what you're saying about genetics is, I should become black to achieve more? Haha I joke. I don't think my genetics are too bad. I can go quite broad shouldered and stocky and so is my Dad and brother. It's in there, I just need to get it out again.

 

For now, I think the weights I have will do me. I have spoken to some family members with experience and they only used these and are quite big now. I would love to have a bench though.

 

Question: Should I lift heavier weights but with less reps or lighter weights with more reps?

 

Cheers

 

Haha...Actually they ran Jimmy the Greek(Us sportscaster) out of his job for basically saying what I just did. Like its a crime to say that as a race they are superior in many sporting events??..Its the truth frankly..Its not a coincidence that the NBA, NFL and other events are pretty much dominated by those of African ancestry.. Even look at someone like Serena Williams..She doesnt win every event but her body type is so much more dominant than any of the other women..Its hard to compete against that type of physical specimen...Anyway..

 

I would do no more than 8-10 reps..Go as heavy as you can so that you are REALLY working to get to the last two reps..Not so much that you fail to maintain proper form mind you, but it needs to be heavy enough that it really challenges you on the last few reps..If you can just do the set and put the weight down, you wont get that much out of it...Its probably the most common mistake I see people make. The body just "adapts" if it isnt being pushed hard. When you "adapt" you wont grow..Its as simple as that.

 

Good luck..

 

TFY

[steveT95]

Brilliant, thanks!

 

I won't start some PC war here but I think it is awful how people feel they need to tread on eggshells when talking about race. People are of different decent. It is a fact. Black people do tend to dominate the sporting field. Yes, I am calling them out on a race specific feature but I am doing it in a positive way! Rant over.

[hppr]

It's kind of trial and error for diet.

 

Don't fall for the gimmick sports drinks/shakes they don't replace a meal.

 

Rice, potatos, chicken, beef, pasta, the main thing to remember is 5 meals a day.

 

For your workout pick a routine and stick with it. Don't get ADD and try different **** every other week or stop one thing and start another. It takes time to see any sorts of gains.

 

Probably best just doing pushups, situps, crunches, then your barbell exercises.

 

When I started with just barbells it was 25lbs in each hand for overhead/military and 15lbs for curls and I was 5'11 and 145lbs. Now I am 180 and it is a little over double for each. So if you are thin you can gain to at least a normal weight range. However once you get there you will have to maintain your diet and workout regime otherwise you will shrink back up.

[steveT95]

I have some protein shakes that I drink occasionally, mainly as a supplement rather than anything to be relied on.

I know what you by having to maintain the lifestyle, last year I was actually pretty big but as soon as I left work, my appetite went and so did my build.

 

Should I be calorie counting and measuring my precise intake or protein ect or can I just shove as much food in me as I can find?

[soccerrprp]

So what you're saying about genetics is, I should become black to achieve more? Haha I joke.

 

I wonder what compelled you to even joke in this manner? Adding "haha I joke." doesn't diminish the fact that you thought it somewhat safe to use a clearly sensitive subject of comparison for your needs.

 

Other than that, go lift, be safe and eat healthy, lot's of protein. Good luck.

[EasyHeart]

For young guys trying to bulk up, I still think the best formula is the old one of "Squats and Milk". Those two things will put meat on your bones.

 

You really should do some kind of chest exercise. Can you rig up something to dip with? When I was in high school, I used to do dips between two kitchen chairs back-to-back!

 

Food wise, you need nutritious food, not just calories. No more "biscuits and crisps" (lol, some of you people talk so funny!) Get rid of sweets completely. Others have given good suggestions on basic diet ideas, so I'll just add these two: (1) Eggs are the perfect snack. They're cheap and tasty and have a nice blend of protein and fat. Hard-boil them by the dozen and have one whenever you get peckish. (2) Back in the olden days when we had no money, we drank powdered milk. It tastes like crap, but it's dirt cheap and very nutritious. As good or better than most protein powders and a tenth of the price.

[thefooloftheyear]

I wonder what compelled you to even joke in this manner? Adding "haha I joke." doesn't diminish the fact that you thought it somewhat safe to use a clearly sensitive subject of comparison for your needs.

 

Other than that, go lift, be safe and eat healthy, lot's of protein. Good luck.

 

 

Lighten up, Francis..

 

I have several black friends...We have spoken of this topic on different occasions.. NONE would be the slightest bit offended by anything in this thread..

 

TFY

Edited July 11, 2013 by thefooloftheyear

[steveT95]

I wonder what compelled you to even joke in this manner? Adding "haha I joke." doesn't diminish the fact that you thought it somewhat safe to use a clearly sensitive subject of comparison for your needs.

 

I find it is only middle class white people that find this a sensitive manner. I also have a number of black or Asian friends and we all throw racial slurs at each other. No one cares about it. And been told your race is better at sport is a compliment.

"haha I joke" was stated to make it clear that I understood I could not pull of a Michael Jackson and change my ethnicity for personal gain.

 

For young guys trying to bulk up, I still think the best formula is the old one of "Squats and Milk". Those two things will put meat on your bones.

 

You really should do some kind of chest exercise. Can you rig up something to dip with? When I was in high school, I used to do dips between two kitchen chairs back-to-back!

 

Food wise, you need nutritious food, not just calories. No more "biscuits and crisps" (lol, some of you people talk so funny!) Get rid of sweets completely. Others have given good suggestions on basic diet ideas, so I'll just add these two: (1) Eggs are the perfect snack. They're cheap and tasty and have a nice blend of protein and fat. Hard-boil them by the dozen and have one whenever you get peckish. (2) Back in the olden days when we had no money, we drank powdered milk. It tastes like crap, but it's dirt cheap and very nutritious. As good or better than most protein powders and a tenth of the price.

 

That's really helpful, thank you

[tman666]

Since you're basically starting out, my humble opinion is that you'll want to capitalize on your "newbie" gains as much as possible.

 

In order to do this, you will need plenty of food and hard, balanced training.

 

I recall that you've posted before about starting up, but I would again recommend that you find a well equipped gym. You can make a home gym setup work, but it is typically easier to simply join a good gym.

 

As far as what exercises, how many reps, how many sets, etc., it really depends on what your goals are. If your goal is size, my experience is that it's better to do more reps with somewhat lighter weight.

 

Please note that this isn't an excuse to lift like a pussy. Even if you're hovering between 8 an 15 reps per set, you should be lifting as heavy as you can (and still getting your reps). It should burn and be a struggle.

 

My observation is that there seems to be a trend right now towards "minimalist" training being prescribed to newbies. Unfortunately, it seems like most of their gains are pretty minimal as well. Singles, doubles, triples, etc. are an essential part of your training if you goal is to become an Olympic lifter or powerlifter, but for size, you need significantly more volume. Working with very heavy weights will certainly put on size, but you will be limited in the amount of volume you can train with since you'll simply be too roasted to complete that many reps.

 

With all of that said, without getting stronger, you won't get very far either. It's a bit of a common misconception when people state that "bodybuilders are weak". While they tend to train with relatively lighter weights, the successful bodybuilders I know would still smoke your average trainee in a strength contest, and probably do fine at most powerlifting competitions as well (even if they didn't sweep the competition).

 

As such, I've always preferred a "combined" approach, as both goals (strength and size) tend to compliment each other well.

 

In my experience, this is best accomplished by either alternating "heavy" days with "volume" days (Chad Waterbury's ABBH-1 program is an example of this), or by simply doing your heaviest compound lifts first in the workout and then finishing off with lighter work.

 

Of course, if you don't eat well, you won't be able to reap the rewards of training. Listening to people argue about diet advice (and training advice for that matter) gets tiresome since different people tend to respond better or worse to different things, but I'd recommend starting out with a 40/40/20 macronutrient split (Protein/Carbs/Fat). Try to eat from "clean" sources 90% of the time (lean meats, potatoes, rice, olive oil, avocados, beans, veggies, some fruit, greek yogurt, etc.) but don't be afraid to enjoy some treats once in a while either, especially since you're bulking.

 

Eating mostly cleanly will help you maximize your nutrient intake, maximize your satiety, and help you perform better in the gym. While there are those who swear that as long as your food intake fits within your macronutrient allotments (If It Fits Your Macros or IIFYM), my personal experience is that I tend to perform better and feel better when I eat "clean" most of the time.

 

Total calories matter as well. If you're not in a caloric surplus, you won't grow. Pure and simple. As far as a starting point for total calories, there are a lot of ways to calculate your caloric requirements. All of these ways tend to have a lot of opportunity for error, and I wouldn't recommend racking your brain with it too much.

 

Since you're a self-described ectomorph, you'll likely need more calories than less. I would start with 20 kcal/lb with at least 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight. For example, if you weight 140 lbs, you'd be shooting for at least 2800 calories per day, 140 grams of which would be protein. Keep in mind that you may need more or less calories depending on how your body responds. If you start getting fat, you might need to back off a little bit. If you aren't making progress, then add more calories.

 

The fastest progress you'll make is when you're a beginner. While it's not necessary to get everything 100% correct right now, you will be amazed at the progress you make if you're consistent with eating and training like a behemoth.

[thefooloftheyear]

Since you're basically starting out, my humble opinion is that you'll want to capitalize on your "newbie" gains as much as possible.

 

In order to do this, you will need plenty of food and hard, balanced training.

 

I recall that you've posted before about starting up, but I would again recommend that you find a well equipped gym. You can make a home gym setup work, but it is typically easier to simply join a good gym.

 

As far as what exercises, how many reps, how many sets, etc., it really depends on what your goals are. If your goal is size, my experience is that it's better to do more reps with somewhat lighter weight.

 

Please note that this isn't an excuse to lift like a pussy. Even if you're hovering between 8 an 15 reps per set, you should be lifting as heavy as you can (and still getting your reps). It should burn and be a struggle.

 

My observation is that there seems to be a trend right now towards "minimalist" training being prescribed to newbies. Unfortunately, it seems like most of their gains are pretty minimal as well. Singles, doubles, triples, etc. are an essential part of your training if you goal is to become an Olympic lifter or powerlifter, but for size, you need significantly more volume. Working with very heavy weights will certainly put on size, but you will be limited in the amount of volume you can train with since you'll simply be too roasted to complete that many reps.

 

With all of that said, without getting stronger, you won't get very far either. It's a bit of a common misconception when people state that "bodybuilders are weak". While they tend to train with relatively lighter weights, the successful bodybuilders I know would still smoke your average trainee in a strength contest, and probably do fine at most powerlifting competitions as well (even if they didn't sweep the competition).

 

As such, I've always preferred a "combined" approach, as both goals (strength and size) tend to compliment each other well.

 

In my experience, this is best accomplished by either alternating "heavy" days with "volume" days (Chad Waterbury's ABBH-1 program is an example of this), or by simply doing your heaviest compound lifts first in the workout and then finishing off with lighter work.

 

Of course, if you don't eat well, you won't be able to reap the rewards of training. Listening to people argue about diet advice (and training advice for that matter) gets tiresome since different people tend to respond better or worse to different things, but I'd recommend starting out with a 40/40/20 macronutrient split (Protein/Carbs/Fat). Try to eat from "clean" sources 90% of the time (lean meats, potatoes, rice, olive oil, avocados, beans, veggies, some fruit, greek yogurt, etc.) but don't be afraid to enjoy some treats once in a while either, especially since you're bulking.

 

Eating mostly cleanly will help you maximize your nutrient intake, maximize your satiety, and help you perform better in the gym. While there are those who swear that as long as your food intake fits within your macronutrient allotments (If It Fits Your Macros or IIFYM), my personal experience is that I tend to perform better and feel better when I eat "clean" most of the time.

 

Total calories matter as well. If you're not in a caloric surplus, you won't grow. Pure and simple. As far as a starting point for total calories, there are a lot of ways to calculate your caloric requirements. All of these ways tend to have a lot of opportunity for error, and I wouldn't recommend racking your brain with it too much.

 

Since you're a self-described ectomorph, you'll likely need more calories than less. I would start with 20 kcal/lb with at least 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight. For example, if you weight 140 lbs, you'd be shooting for at least 2800 calories per day, 140 grams of which would be protein. Keep in mind that you may need more or less calories depending on how your body responds. If you start getting fat, you might need to back off a little bit. If you aren't making progress, then add more calories.

 

The fastest progress you'll make is when you're a beginner. While it's not necessary to get everything 100% correct right now, you will be amazed at the progress you make if you're consistent with eating and training like a behemoth.

 

 

I gotta agree here...Gyms are soo cheap nowadays in comparison to ther activities..I belong to a fully equipped gym that charges 300/yr..Its clean and has everything..If you go nearly every day as I do, then it works out to pennies a day...There are gyms that are even cheaper, but they are the chain variety and are just packed with kids and floundering fools..

 

Good luck

 

TFY

[tman666]

I gotta agree here...Gyms are soo cheap nowadays in comparison to ther activities..I belong to a fully equipped gym that charges 300/yr..Its clean and has everything..If you go nearly every day as I do, then it works out to pennies a day...There are gyms that are even cheaper, but they are the chain variety and are just packed with kids and floundering fools..

 

Good luck

 

TFY

 

QFT.

 

If OP can find a hole in the wall, "underground" bodybuilding gym with a few monsters in it, keep an open mind, his mouth shut, and show that he's willing to listen and work his ass off, he'll probably be bigger than you and me both in a year or two.

[thefooloftheyear]

QFT.

 

If OP can find a hole in the wall, "underground" bodybuilding gym with a few monsters in it, keep an open mind, his mouth shut, and show that he's willing to listen and work his ass off, he'll probably be bigger than you and me both in a year or two.

 

 

Aint that the truth...

 

Frankly I wish I could find a place like that myself..I belonged to a gym like that in the mid 80's..Spitting on the floor, arguments/fights..It was a bit intimidating, but it was awesome,,If you were a noob, the heavies just threw you off the equipment when they wanted it....You didnt set foot in that place unless you had a 315 bench and a 405 squat..They even had satin jackets that they gave members like you were in a gang or something.

 

The place I am at now started off kinda like that then they decided they needed to make money so its a little more "feminized now"..

 

Thanks for all your informative posts. Just proves I dont know shyt about whhat the hell I am doing, but I do try...

 

TFY

[tman666]

Aint that the truth...

 

Frankly I wish I could find a place like that myself..I belonged to a gym like that in the mid 80's..Spitting on the floor, arguments/fights..It was a bit intimidating, but it was awesome,,If you were a noob, the heavies just threw you off the equipment when they wanted it....You didnt set foot in that place unless you had a 315 bench and a 405 squat..They even had satin jackets that they gave members like you were in a gang or something.

 

The place I am at now started off kinda like that then they decided they needed to make money so its a little more "feminized now"..

 

Thanks for all your informative posts. Just proves I dont know shyt about whhat the hell I am doing, but I do try...

 

TFY

 

What you talkin' bout Willis?

 

I think your posts are great man! Just because I have a habit of writing a rambling wall of text when it comes to this stuff doesn't mean that my posts are more valuable than other people's input. It's great to see people chiming in with their experiences.

 

It's hard to argue with results, which is why I like hearing the experiences of others (like you) who have "been under the bar" for a while and have seen the results.

 

There seems to be a trend of over complicating fitness topics, something which I am likely a supreme offender.

[Emilia]

There seems to be a trend of over complicating fitness topics, something which I am likely a supreme offender.

Actually your posts are quite simple: lift heavy and eat lots

[tman666]

Actually your posts are quite simple: lift heavy and eat lots

 

I lift things up and put them down.

[eddyctv]

There are plenty of websites/forums where you can do some research on this subject.

 

If you are skinny and want to bulk up, you have to eat a TON of food. Its not just about weight lifting. You can lift weights all day and nothing will happen if you don't chow down.

 

i read an article about the actor who played Superman in the new Man Of Steel movie...he worked out for a year to get his physique for the movie - he also ate 5000-6000 calories a DAY to get like that.

 

Thats pretty insane!

[steveT95]

Oh man, when I saw Man of Steel I thought he had the perfect body. No homo. It would just be awesome to have that capability.

 

'Hole in the wall' gym? What's that? I'm hoping it doesn't have holes in the toilet walls...

 

So do I need to be taking notes on 'macronutrients' etc and really watching what goes in me?

[tman666]

Oh man, when I saw Man of Steel I thought he had the perfect body. No homo. It would just be awesome to have that capability.

 

'Hole in the wall' gym? What's that? I'm hoping it doesn't have holes in the toilet walls...

 

So do I need to be taking notes on 'macronutrients' etc and really watching what goes in me?

 

You might want to log your food intake/calories for a week or so to get a visual idea of how much and what you're eating. Beyond that, you should be able to make the necessary adjustments to your diet without constantly logging your calories.

 

Like emilia said, a lot of this really just boils down to "eat a lot/lift heavy things".

[thefooloftheyear]

Next time you start to overanalyze your workout plan, just take a look at this video...Now, in fairness this guy is just a genetic freak..I think I have pretty good genetics, but I am nowhere in this league..I do know a few guys who are..its crazy..

 

 

TFY

[tman666]

Next time you start to overanalyze your workout plan, just take a look at this video...Now, in fairness this guy is just a genetic freak..I think I have pretty good genetics, but I am nowhere in this league..I do know a few guys who are..its crazy..

 

 

TFY

 

Kali Muscle is a fuggin' beast! LOL @ all of the "big guys" who use their size as an excuse not to be able to do pullups.

[steveT95]

That video is awesome. Love his response to being offered steroids. Suck it, Arnie!

[thefooloftheyear]

That video is awesome. Love his response to being offered steroids. Suck it, Arnie!

 

 

Seeing a guy like that is either inspirationsl or aggravating, depending on your mood.. Makes it look easy...You need to put that in perspective..A guy with those type of genes is one in a million..A freak..

 

I once knew a guy like that..Id say he was 5'6" and about 195#. Italian guy..He was basically a homeless person. In and out of jail constantly and always in trouble..No money, no home, no job...etc..He did like to work out though and was ridiculously strong for his size..

 

He could walk into any gym and crank out 455 lb bench presses and 650 lb squats like a walk in the park:cool:...Eat right? He scabbed food from whoever he could mooch off of at the time. Everyone suspected him of juicing, but he always denied it..Frankly I dont see how he could afford it..

 

He went to an advanced powerlifting competition at the urging of one of the guys at the gym...He never trained a single day for the event, yet still managed to finish second in his weight class...And this was an event that had serious powerlifting competitors that were all juicing and trained specifically to do well at the event..If he put just a half assed effort into it he would have blown everyone out of the water...

 

He died some time ago..he was only in his late 30's...RIP Tony C....

 

TFY