Quote (youngemerican009 @ Dec 16 2009 07:49pm)
yo
i am looking for some advice on how to get a little bigger / stronger (looking to gain around 20 lbs of what i would prefer to be muscle)
pm me for details good sir.
20 lbs of muscle?
If you are talking pure muscle...not water/fat/muscle but PURE Muscle...this will take approximately 2 years of hard training and diet.
I also can not pm anyone at this moment. I am way too busy to do private counseling on here.
As far as a solid bulking cycle goes....you are going to need to do the following
1. Eat 500-600 more calories a day than you burn but all from clean sources.
2. follow a bulking diet along the following parameters:
a. 1.5g protein / lb bodyweight (stick to lean meats like chicken/turkey/tuna/eggs/lean beef)
b. 2g complex carbs / lb bodyweight (brown rice/whole grain pasta/whole grains other/oatmeal/etc)
c. 80g good fats per day (avocados, olive oil, fish, flax or fish oil supplements, eggs (the yolk is the fat))
3. Eat 6 meals a day (every 2-3 hours)
4. take creatine (optimum micronized creatine), multivitamins (NOW! Adam)
5. follow a good bulking plan as illustrated below
5x5 PLAN for Strength and Size
The 5x5 plan is basically 5 reps for 5 sets of a particular exercise for most days. Other exercises will be 5 sets of 8-12 reps. You will do at LEAST 20 total sets per day. It will be used in the following manner for 5x5:
Set 1 – 5 reps of 50% max weight
Set 2 – 5 reps of 55% max weight
Set 3 – 5 reps of 60% max weight
Set 4 – 5 reps of 65% max weight
Set 5 – 5 reps of 75% max weight
So if you can bench press 155 lbs for 1 rep, your set would look like this –
Set 1 – 77.25 (rounds up to 80) [155 x 50%]
Set 2 – 85.25 (rounds down to 85) [155 x 55%]
Set 3 - 93 (rounds up to 95) [155 x 60%]
Set 4 - 100.75 (rounds up to 105) [155 x 65%]
Set 5 – 116.25 (rounds up to 120) [155 x .75]
In order to determine your max, however, grab a spotter at the gym, and load up weight until you can only do 1 unassisted rep. That is your 1-rep max from which you will be able to get your 5x5 plan started.
Don’t forget, its best to use a spotter no matter what, but if you can’t the 5x5 is fine to do without one. As for the 5x8-12, you will do moderately heavy weight for optimal burn and pump.
I realize you will be only doing a Mon/Weds/Fri split – but I have itemized your routine for all 5 days should you choose to do that. If you are doing just a 3 day plan – you will have to split Chest/Back as well as Shoulders/Arms.
Day 1 (Monday) - Chest
• Bench Press - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Incline Bench Press - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Decline Press - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Cable Crossovers – 5 sets of 8-12 reps (do not use 5x5 for this!)
OTHER CHEST EXERCISES INCLUDE: Dumbbell Bench Press, Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Decline Bench Press, Dumbbell Flies, Pec Deck, Weighted Pushups, Wide Chest Press, Overhead extensions. You can use any of these exercises instead of the 4 I have mentioned if you want to change it up or have difficulty doing any of those 4.
Day 2 (Tuesday) - Back
• Barbell Deadlift - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Lat Pulldown - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Seated Cable Row - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Dumbbell Rows - 5 set of 8-12 reps
OTHER BACK EXERCISES INCLUDE: Lower Back Extensions, Underhand High Cable Rows, Rack Pulls, Good-Mornings, Dumbbell Deadlifts, Close-Grip Pulldowns, or Barbell Rows. You can use any of these exercises instead of the 4 I have mentioned if you want to change it up or have difficulty doing any of those 4.
Day 3 (Wednesday) – Legs
• Barbell Squats - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Seated Machine Leg Extensions - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Seated Machine Leg Curls - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Standing Calf Raises 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated Calf Raises 5 sets of 8-12 reps
OTHER LEGS EXERCISES INCLUDE: Dumbbell leg lunges, Leg Hip Abbduction Machine, Leg Hip Adduction Machine, Laying leg curls, Front Squats, 1 Leg Squats. You can use any of these exercises instead of the 4 I have mentioned if you want to change it up or have difficulty doing any of those 5.
Day 4 (Thursday) - Shoulders
• Military Press - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Presses - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Dumbbell Front Raises - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
OTHER SHOULDERS EXERCISES INCLUDE: Lateral Dumbbell Raises, Barbell Shrugs, Arnold Presses, Straight Bar Cable Pulldowns, Herculean Pulls. You can use any of these exercises instead of the 4 I have mentioned if you want to change it up or have difficulty doing any of those 5.
Day 5 (Friday) - Arms
• EZ-Bar Curls - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Concentration Curls - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Olympic Bar Curls - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Weighted Dips - 5 sets of 5 reps
• Tricep Cable Pulldowns - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks - 5 sets of 8-12 reps
OTHER SHOULDERS EXERCISES INCLUDE: Lateral Dumbbell Raises, Barbell Shrugs, Arnold Presses, Straight Bar Cable Pulldowns, Herculean Pulls. You can use any of these exercises instead of the 4 I have mentioned if you want to change it up or have difficulty doing any of those 5.
Day 6 – (Saturday) Rest
Day 7 – (Sunday) Rest
NOTE::: Every other day at the gym (3 days a week) you will be doing abs!! You will need to work into your schedule 100-200 reps of ab workout into 20-25 rep sets.
Ab exercises:
Crunches, Hanging Leg Raises, Broomstick Twists, Roman Chair Situps, V-Crunches, Decline Situps, & Knee Raises.
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO A PARTICULAR EXERCISE MENTIONED ABOVE…GO TO THIS WEBSITE:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm