[THIS IS FROM AN ANANYMOUS PM BUT I AM POSTING TO HELP ANYONE ELSE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION!]



QUESTION:

Hey I am currently looking for a work out plan, and i saw your post in the forums.
some info about me

5ft 7'
133 lbs

I have access to a full gym when i head back to college in two weeks and i can spend about 50$ a month on supplements (not counting how i would change my diet/what food i would eat)

Eventually I would like to be around 150, and have toned look. I can spend around 2 hours four days a week at the gym, and i am willing to change my diet, but not to the extreme.

I was wondering if you could give me a full body work out plan, a diet consisting of what types of foods and how many meals/sizes, and what supplements i need to take, and im assuming ill need some weight gainer because i have trouble maintaining 133 lbs because i have a very fast metabolism and i play basketball for like 10 hours a week.



ANSWER:

Hey there -


Now lets get down to business - in order to gain 20 solid pounds of lean mass, you need to go on a bulking cycle followed up by a cutting cycle.

You will be doing a clean bulk because you play basketball and have an already fast metabolism - and this way there's a possibility that your bulking cycle will yield a 20 lb gain of lean mass without gaining fat.

Ok so lets begin - I will start with the Nutrition Basics:

A very active male at 5'7 133lbs such as yourself burns 1,600 calories a day just in your basal metabolism. This means that you are going to want to take in at least 2,100-2,500 calories (+500 to +800 cal a day for clean gains). But you are going to want to separate your nutrition into many smaller meals spread out 2-3 hours apart.

You are going to want to eat at least 2grams of protein per pound of bodyweight - so in your case take in 270-300 grams of protein per day (also spread out equally, taking care to not eat more than 40-45 grams per meal...any more will be stored or wasted)

Make sure to get plenty of good fats (HDL) - these can be found in foods like - Fish, Avocados, Olive Oil, Flax Seed, Eggs, Tuna, EFA Supplements, etc...the easiest way to get lots of good fats is to use extra-virgin olive oil in all of your foods for flavor and/or lubrication for the fan (use olive oil instead of butter to fry something etc)

Also watch your sodium - try not to eat more than 2,000mg of sodium per day. Also it would be best to balance it with 4,000mg of potassium (which can be found in foods like sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, bananas, etc.)

Cut down the sugar! Instead of sugary sodas and dessert items, opt for diet sodas and fresh fruits.

Eat lots of WHOLE FOODS (meats veggies dairy grains....but avoid processed shit like soups, fast food, and frozen meals)


DRINK ICE WATER WITH EVERY MEAL, AND MAKE SURE TO DRINK NOTHING BUT WATER/DIET SODA DURING THE DAY!! AT LEAST 1 GAL OF WATER PER DAY!


Buy Cytosport Cytogainer weight gainer/protein supplement (from bodybuilding.com if u want the best price, or vitaminshoppe/GNC if you want it right away) It tastes amazing, and works phenominally.


OK now here's your sample DIET


Breakfast - 1 cup cooked oatmeal w/ fruit and 3 whole eggs (about 250 calories and 25 protein)

Meal 2 - Cytogainer w/ fruit (about 600calories and 54 protein)

*WORKOUT*

Meal 3 - Another Cytogainer w/ fruit (600 calories and 54 protein)

Meal 4 - Grilled Chicken Breast, Broccoli, and Brown Rice (400 calories and 40 protein)

Meal 5 - Sliced Turkey/Chicken/Roast Beef with cheese and a couple crackers (250 calories and 20 protein)

Meal 6 - Cottage Cheese and mixed nuts (right before bed) (200 calories and 20 protein)

Total of 2,300 calories (+700 calories), 213 protein, no sugars/simple carbs (white flour, white rice, soda, etc)
Note: this meal plan is for a workout day...on non-workout days, have only 1 cytogainer early in the day, and replace the 2nd cytogainer with a small meal, reducing your calorie intake for the non-workout day.


You can modify and chance this daily meal plan per your own tastes...just remember the core principles -


Cytogainer before and after workouts, lean meats w/ veggies and complex carbs after workouts and before bed, heavy complex carb and light protein meal in the morning (like oatmeal, whole grain cereal, etc w/ eggs).

All dairy items should be skim milk (2%)

Lean meats include - Chicken, Turkey, Tuna, Eggs, Lean Beef, Fish, Shellfish, Protein Shakes, etc.

All complex carbs include - brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, buckwheat, beans, vegetables, whole grain crackers like triscuits, Sweet Potatoes, Oatmeal, Granola, etc.


Now we move onto the EXERCISE PLAN

To bulk up the way you want without gaining excess fat and being a lean 150-155, you will need to focus on individual muscle groups...here is an example

Monday - Chest + abs
Tuesday - Back + abs
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders + abs
Friday - Arms + abs
Saturday - REST
Sunday - REST

This 5 day routine is the best for gaining size and strength while giving all muscle groups plenty of time to rest.

Some great exercises for each muscle group include -

Chest - Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Dumbell Flies, Cable Flies, Wide Chest Press/Board Press, Pec Deck, and Pushups.

Back - Deadlifts, Good-Mornings, Dumbell Rows, Barbell Rows, Cable Rows, Lower Back Extensions, Lat Pulldowns, Close-Grip Pulldowns, and Pullups

Legs - Squats, Leg-Press, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Standing Calf Raises, Seated Calf Raises, Leg Lunges, HackSquats, Hip Abduction and Hip Adduction.

Shoulders - Military Press, Dumbell Shoulder Press, Arnold Presses, Front dumbell Raises, Lateral dumbell Raises, Dumbell Shrugs, Barbell Shrugs, Behind-the-neck presses.

Arms - EZ Bar Curls, dumbell curls, concentration curls, cable curls, hammer curls, tricep pulldowns, machine dips, tricep kickbacks, and skullcrushers.

Abs - V-crunches, situps, leg raises, alternating crunches, and knee-lifts.


You can pick any 4 exercises out of these lists (except abs) and do 5 sets of each (for a total of 20 sets not counting abs each day). The number of reps you do should depend on how much weight you use. The best method is to start lighter (do about 15 reps first set, and finish doing 6 reps on the final set with heavier weight)

For abs, do about 100-200 reps a day of and two of the exercises listed.


FOR A COMPLETE PICTURE/VIDEO EXPLANATION OF EACH EXERCISE, GO HERE! - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

There are even other great exercises there to choose from to add into your schedule.


LASTLY - SUPPLEMENTATION!



Besides buying cytosport Cytogainer to take before and after workouts - I would reccomend the following:

NOW! Adam Men's MULTIVITAMIN

Micronized Creatine (any brand)

HMB (preferably scifit brand but any brand should work)

Arginine/Ornithine (NOW! Brand)

Omega 3-6-9 (NOW BRAND, take with every meal)


those 4 things, you can buy anywhere, but bodybuilding.com is the best. Those products will help you achieve your goals faster than without using anything at all.

The total cost monthly should be around: $45 cytogainer + $10 multi + $10 creatine + $20 HMB + $10 arginine + $10 Omega 3-6-9 = $105 / month.

If you can't afford that I'd reccomend just sticking with the cytogainer and the multivitamin (afterall the cytogainer provides you with 2 meals a day, and the multi is cheap and extremely important)



Ok that about does it...if you need anything else, please feel free to PM or POST.

This should definitely help you, and you will see results sooner than you think. Just remember to stay true to the diet and exercise plan, take heed to the nutritional advice, and if possible supplement with the stuff I listed.

Ok, hope this works out! Stay Safe!

Donations are greatly appreciated =)

-SKCRaynor

Hey there...the best advice I can give you is to direct your attention to my last post on the thread....it has all the information you'll need! =)

let me know if this helps

is there anything you reccomend besides running and dieting for getting rid of love handels

oh and

hi guildy

Ah, good, you decided to join Agony after all. I pm'd John about trying to invite you right after you answered my question, I had hoped you'd accept his offer. Welcome

Anyway, for routine, would you consider this satisfactory for a semi-new lifter trying to just gain bulk [140 lbs..] and strength?



My workout would be Rippetoe's starting strength guide. Found here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224

hey there =D

for getting rid of love handles is pretty much just diet and exercise....BUT certain exercises can definitely help aid in fat loss and muscle gain in that area from thermal breakdown....although spot reduction is a myth...you can build muscle in those areas....which results in increased body temperatures there, which can in fact accelerate overall fat loss. Also, further muscularity in areas will make fat look diminished.

I'd reccomend doing some love handle work with some exercises you can see here - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Abdominals

Ok hope it works out!

hey there...

although this sounds pretty good, I am slightly opposed to only 3 days per week. You could give it a shot and see how you feel...but I would reccomend some light pumping workout days inbetween to try and build vascularity and size to go along with the strength increases. (high reps, slow controlled movements, a lot of focus on the PUMP)

with that in mind that workout sounds pretty good for building size for a beginner. Go for it!

pump is overrated, doesn't do much to the muscles.

oh okay ty for responding

Every single professional bodybuilder would probably have to disagree with you, especially greats like Arnold, Franco, Jay, Ronnie, and markus.

Pump actually DOES do something to the muscles...scientifically and mentally speaking. First of all the more "pump" you have, the more blood, oxygen, and nitrogen you are flooding into your muscles. The constant pump will flood your muscles more and more leading to great intense burning (from the release of lactic acid). If you continue pumping certain muscles over and over, eventually they swell up in size. However, the size gradually starts coming down with post-workout atrophe which is why eating a substantial post-workout meal and shake are essential, as well as glutamine and arginine supps.

Pump builds size rather than strength, but can be used in conjunction with strength training to make muscle groups look thicker and fuller and more bodybuilding competition ready.

I know from personal experience that pump is also good mental training because it allows you to actively envision yourself getting larger as you feel the muscles swelling up. As Arnold said in "Pumping Iron" the movie, he imagined his biceps filling up the gym as he felt the pump during his bicep routine. This combination of visualization + application will yield more gains than just application alone....that's a scientific fact for most of us who respond well to visualization.

I hope this helps out...but never forget...everyone is different...but for the most part (the vast majority) pump and visualization both work in harmony and yield to great muscle size gains.

Here you have a study about vasodilatory mechanisms in contracting skeletal muscle (PUMP): http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/97/1/393 (167 references) If you have time you should definitely read it, it's a great piece

The blood volume which is higher when you have a pump is nice when it comes to nutritients, because of the higher bloodvolume you will get more of these in the muscle. This means a faster recovery and also the milkacid gets out of the muscle faster (the soreness).Also it gives you some more O2 for the growth of ST fibers. All in all it doesn't do much more then helping you recovering faster after a workout. OFc the mental thing is there but it doesn't do much to me at all...that might be just me though. Pump does something to your muscles indeed...but doesn't help them growing.

The pump is an indication to things, just remember it is just an indication and nothing to train specifically for.

just my 2 cents

This post was edited by Rogier on Jul 31 2008 02:33pm