[THIS IS FROM AN ANONYMOUS PM - I AM POSTING THIS TO HELP ALL OF YOU OUT THAT MIGHT HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM]

QUESTION

Hi,

First of all thanks for the help, its much appreciated !

So, i'm 5 foot 6 and weigh about 132 Lbs ( i think )

I recently started working out becoz i think i'm to skinny..
So think i've been doing this for about 6 months now..
At first i didn't really know what i needed to do so i started to look on the internet for a guide of some sort for my legs and arms etc

Now i've noticed that my legs and calves don't even grow a milimeter..
While my upper body seems to be growing at normal speed since my arms ar now the same size as my calves.. ( they aren't big, more like toothpicks )

I start out like this:

20 - 30 minutes before working out i eat a bowl of cereals for the energy ( atleast i think? )
Then when i enter the gym i start with a 'warm up' exercise on a bike for about 10 - 15 minutes ( my speed normal to high wich is allready draining most my leg energy )
Then i go with my last energy to a machine where basicly u sit down like a normal chair and u lift a weight ( arround 20 - 25 kilos or 44 - 55 lbs ) with the 'triceps from ur leg' ( don't know how this is named sry
Then my final exercise is another sitting one where u sit down and push urself away while u add some weight ( here i can do about 264 lbs )
After that i try to work out my calves but the only thing i can do is another sitting exercise where u put the top of your foot on a plate and lift up your knees with your calves ( about 33 lbs )

Basicly when i'm done i'm exhausted and i can hardly walk from that calves exercise
I try to do this once a week like i read on the internet since i think u need 4- 6 days to recover for ur muscles

After i eat normal food mostly (becoz i live alone and don't know how to cook very well ) i eat pasta like lasagna, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, stuff with lots of carbohydrates to help my energy back up ( or atleast thats what i think )

I had an accident with my car about 1 year ago and i broke one of my back whirls ( sry if this isn't the correct word again ) so basicly i can't do any squating things..
I was wondering if i should work out my legs more during the week or should i just buy some proteine drink things to drink after i work out my legs or does the proteine drink affect your entire body?

I hope that you kind of understand what i mean and that u can give me a tip or something that can help me grow bigger on my legs ( they seem to be important to me )

Thank you at advance !
Regards


ANSWER


Hey there - your problem is easy to fix.

First of all, keep eating lots of carbohydrates...this is a good step to getting bigger. However, in order to make your muscles grow - you will need a LOT of protein to go with those carbs. I reccomend eating a lot of lean meat (like chicken, eggs, tuna, turkey, steak, hamburger, fish, etc). However, protein shakes are VERY easy to drink and give you perfect protein also - I recommend them.

Next - if you want your legs to grow and you feel that you're too skinny you are going to have to change your workouts.

First of all NO MORE CARDIO WARMUPS!!! That means when you go to the gym you will NOT do any bike warmup at all. Instead you will stretch, and then begin your workout with the following exercises::

1. Leg Press - these - http://www.building-muscle101.com/images/Leg_press.jpg

2. Leg extensions - these - http://www.building-muscle101.com/images/leg_extensions.jpg

3. Leg Curls - these - http://www.building-muscle101.com/images/leg_curl.jpg

4. Standing calf raises - these - http://www.building-muscle101.com/images/standing_calf_raise.jpg

5. Seated Calf Raises - these - http://thetlab.com/images/seated_calf_raises.jpg


Do all sets with lower reps and higher weight. Try to do no more than 5-8 reps with 4-5 sets with each exercise.


Drink a protein shake before and after each workout. Also eat a lot of carbs about 1 hour before working out.


All of this will definitely help you build mass in your legs....MUCH more quickly than what you are doing now!

Take care! Hope this helps!

This post was edited by SKCRaynor on Aug 28 2008 11:35am

TIP OF THE DAY -


Eating Food burns more calories than drinking protein shakes and eating protein bars. It is best to eat a lean meat instead of protein shakes except for before/after a workout (when fast protein absorption is key). Always opt for whole food instead of shakes and bars where possible for optimal calorie burning, quality lean gains, and overall well-being!

TIP OF THE DAY -

Taking Enzyme supplements before eating meals can help assist in maximum macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates, fats) absorption. The more macronutrient absorption, the greater gains you will see from all your hard work at the gym!

I just want to hear your thoughts, opinions, and advice on increasing your vertical leap. i dont want you to search google or w/e and post a bunch of facts, just what you know if nething at all and any personal experience with it. If you don't know alot that is fine just like to see others peoples p.o.v's on this topic.

In all honesty - vertical leap - like any other simple or compound movement requires three major things -

1. Improved strength in the muscle groups used (in this case, the quads, calves, and hamstrings - as well as the joints) - for strength do exercises that accentuate the vertical leap movement while still building muscle - example, grab some dumbbells and jump as high as you can while holding them at your sides and when you come back down collapse your knees with your ass almost touching the floor and then explode up again. This is just one example of MANY different exercises you can do.

2. Constant practice of the movement (in this case the veritcal leap itself) - practice over and over, hours and hours each week.

3. Increase flexibility in the muscle groups used for the veritcal leap - try long stretching exercises such as hanging from a bar with a dumbell between your feet pulling you down. Also do standard stretches to keep up flexibility - but the true key is long stretching motions which accentuate the form of the vertical leap.


I have worked with some of my actual clients (in real life of course) and have got quite a few college basketball players down here to gain 2-3 inches on their vertical jump in only about 3 weeks using these methods.

Also - good nutrition is absolutely key in reaching the performance you need. Don't ever forget to eat properly and supplement as necessary.

hope this helps =)

Hello I just started working out because I'm fairly skinny (115 5' 8) and I'm not sure what types of food to eat.
(Trying to gain muscle xO)!!

Should I be eating meats,breads,veges?



Yeah Im 100% New >.>'..


Help is appreciated !

okay i bought this and started using it earlier today.


yet when i asked the workers this store and stores without, they both recommended a fat burner called hydroxicut hardcore. so i was wondering this one is truely better right?

also how long do u think it would take for me to see results?

i do maybe 3-4 hours total of cardio and weight lifting.

also i actually seem to be sweating less with this sooo what is up with that?

ALSO HOW LONG DO THE EFFECTS LAST? such as it says take 1-3 before running etc before working out.

so how often do i take it?
lets say i work out and run at the same time but different time periods (like running in the morning and working out at night)

sorry for bombarding you with questions but im seriously curious now that i bought it.

hydroxycut hardcore is a bunch of bullshit and hype. Its overpriced garbage that doesn't work. Thats my experience. The very original hydroxycut worked because it was made with ephedrine which is now banned unless its being used in bronchiodilating meds for asthma.

anyway...heres what u need to do.


Wake up - pop 3 jet fuel and then eat 30 minutes later (this reinacts morning cardio without actually doing it)
Pre-workout - 10 mins before a workout pop 3 jet fuel

Do cardio at the END of every strength workout to maximize fat loss.

hope that helps!

hey there - well to be honest the best advice I can give you is...stick to whole foods...and eat at least 2,000 calories a day (for your bodyweight and height).

eat the following whole foods every 2-3 hours without fail.

meats - chicken, fish, beef, pork, turkey, tuna, eggs, dairy
whole grains - wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta, crackers, whole grain cereal, buckwheat, etc.
vegetables & fruits - all kinds.

make sure you eat a good balance of foods.

I'm sorry if this isn't very descriptive but given the info that you gave me this is the best that i can recommend at the moment =)

TIP OF THE DAY -

Swimming a mile (nonstop) in 8-12 minutes burns roughly 500 calories for a 170 lb man.