I'm a beginner hoping to make big gains

[colef21]

Hey everyone,

I'm 19 years old and currently 5'10" weighing at just over 150 lbs. My whole life i've been pretty skinny but athletic. I love playing baseball and basketball, and also recently started playing tennis frequently. I also recently decided that i wanted to get bigger and add weight, while gaining strength. And since i have free access to my college's weight room, i figured i may as well utilize that. I've been lifting for a month now and have started to see some results. But since i'm kinda a lifting newbie, I was wondering if maybe there were ways i could get better or faster results (or just any tips), and I figured you guys would be a big help.

Since i started lifting a month ago i've been doing an upper/lower body split routine 4 days a week.

Monday:
Bench press 3x10
Upright row 3x10
Dumbbell curls 3x20
fly 3x10
seated row 3x10
tricep pulldown 3x10
pulldown 3x10

Tuesday:
squat 3x10
leg extensions 3x10
leg curl 3x10
calf raises 3x20
deadlift 3x10

Wednesday:
rest

Thursday:
bench press 3x10
shoulder press 3x10
fly 3x10
tricep extensions 3x10
barbell curls 3x10
shrugs 3x10
chin up 3x10

Friday:
run 1 mile
squat 3x10
leg extension 3x10
leg curl 3x10
calf raises 3x20

Saturday/Sunday:
rest

There is my routine. Like i said earlier, my focus is to gain muscle mass and strength and i can see a bit of results. Feel free to critique or even tear my routine apart. I dont care, i just want some help on how to get the best possible results. So any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[lee thompson]

Hi are you training for the Olympia?

[colef21]

hey haha no..is that too much?

[JayFive]

Originally Posted by colef21

hey haha no..is that too much?

It might be, though not as bad as some on here. I'd recommend splitting the lower portion into squat day and deadlift day as it can be rough doing both on the same day (or at least put DL first on it's day so you get the most out of it).

Oh, and maybe get rid of the shrugs and flies and do another set of upright rows and put in some chest dips.

[lee thompson]

Originally Posted by colef21

hey haha no..is that too much?

At your height and weight i would stick to heavy compunds like squats,deads,shoulder press and bench just til you put some weight on. cheers.

[mitchcumstein]

Originally Posted by lee thompson

At your height and weight i would stick to heavy compunds like squats,deads,shoulder press and bench just til you put some weight on. cheers.

I agree. That routine he posted is not suited for a hardgainer. A 3 day split would be best. Id also throw in weighted pullups and weighted dips and rows. Forget everything else.


Oh, and eat. Eat alot.

[JayFive]

Oh and remember that you can lift all you want but if you aren't eating to match, you'll get little to no where. And if you respond telling me what kind of foods you eat, I'll snap so help me. How many calories are you getting each day?

Edit: Damn, mitch hit the submit buttons seconds before I did lol.

[colef21]

Originally Posted by JayFive

Oh and remember that you can lift all you want but if you aren't eating to match, you'll get little to no where. And if you respond telling me what kind of foods you eat, I'll snap so help me. How many calories are you getting each day?

I'm one of those guys that has a high metabolism. It blows cuz i can eat and eat and eat and i wont see any weight gain. But right now im eating just over 2,000 calories and most day ill make a shake outta this weight gain supplement i have which is about another 1,000. So i'd say im getting around 3k calories a day.

[lee thompson]

Originally Posted by colef21

I'm one of those guys that has a high metabolism. It blows cuz i can eat and eat and eat and i wont see any weight gain. But right now im eating just over 2,000 calories and most day ill make a shake outta this weight gain supplement i have which is about another 1,000. So i'd say im getting around 3k calories a day.

3000 calories is not enough,try nearer 5000,with a good basic routine as suggested you will make progress.

[colef21]

Alright well thanks lee and thanks fellas for helping out a new guy.

[lee thompson]

Your welcome,keep posting!

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by colef21

Alright well thanks lee and thanks fellas for helping out a new guy.

Stick around colef, you will do well with the advice of these guys.
Good luck

[mlopres]

Originally Posted by lee thompson

3000 calories is not enough,try nearer 5000,with a good basic routine as suggested you will make progress.

Isn't 5000 calories a bit much? Especially from someone thats only eating around 3000 at the moment? I would say try increasing by 500 at first, and keep moving up if you need. And further more 5k calories is just rediculous especially for someone who weighs only 150lbs.

[JayFive]

Originally Posted by mlopres

Isn't 5000 calories a bit much? Especially from someone thats only eating around 3000 at the moment? I would say try increasing by 500 at first, and keep moving up if you need. And further more 5k calories is just rediculous especially for someone who weighs only 150lbs.

I'd rather start him out on 5k and then adjust in the future than have him steadily increase his diet and maybe slow his prgress. With his metabolism, he's gonna have to get used to eating and I'd bet he's going to cut pretty nicely. Say he eats 5k a day and gains a few lbs of fat that he wouldn't have otherwise; if he really has the hard-gainer, super speed metabolism that he described, when he cuts he'll cut very easily by reducing his cals. If he sees 5k is too much, he can adjust accordingly but at least he's eating. You're way and lee's way aren't wrong in either sense but both of them have different points. For someone that seems genetically pre-disposed to NOT gain weight, I think lee's way would be the best while your way would be better for someone who more easily holds onto fat and keeps it.

[vassille]

Originally Posted by colef21

I'm one of those guys that has a high metabolism. It blows cuz i can eat and eat and eat and i wont see any weight gain. But right now im eating just over 2,000 calories and most day ill make a shake outta this weight gain supplement i have which is about another 1,000. So i'd say im getting around 3k calories a day.

You need more than that....think 4-6k a day if your metabolism is reved up.
Breakfast should be 1k and the rest of the day just stuff you face with food if you wana gain weight

Here is a breakfast that I love and pretty much eat every day
2 full eggs/10 egg whites/ (I use Jumbo eggs)
1/2 cup grits(cooked) and 2 tbs of oil and you can add a piece of fruit
Scramble all together touch of salt and enjoy. I think this is about 1000 calories per serving

[lee thompson]

Originally Posted by mlopres

Isn't 5000 calories a bit much? Especially from someone thats only eating around 3000 at the moment? I would say try increasing by 500 at first, and keep moving up if you need. And further more 5k calories is just rediculous especially for someone who weighs only 150lbs.

This is Bodybuilding mate not starvation.want results get the food in,simple.
cheers.

[PhiSigPhi]

Originally Posted by vassille

You need more than that....think 4-6k a day if your metabolism is reved up.
Breakfast should be 1k and the rest of the day just stuff you face with food if you wana gain weight

Here is a breakfast that I love and pretty much eat every day
2 full eggs/10 egg whites/ (I use Jumbo eggs)
1/2 cup grits(cooked) and 2 tbs of oil and you can add a piece of fruit
Scramble all together touch of salt and enjoy. I think this is about 1000 calories per serving

That sounds awesome. How much do you workout though Vass? I'm sure your LBM is near 200 to eat that much food.

[JaimeA]

I noticed you do 10 or 20 reps in each set. It should be between 6-8
reps. 10 is pushing it and 20 is just way too much.

[HammerTech]

Originally Posted by JaimeA

I noticed you do 10 or 20 reps in each set. It should be between 6-8
reps. 10 is pushing it and 20 is just way too much.

She's got a point. If you're trying to put mass on especially, I'd be putting some weight on the bar for your compound moves (squats, deads, bench especially) to where you're in the lower rep ranges (anywhere from 5-7 is my personal preference but Jaime is right also). Iso moves if you even do any, like curls, etc., think in sets of 10, maybe 12. Those high reps are doing nothing for you in my opinion as well.

Think in terms of more recruitment of fibers. You've got the key exercises in there - squats, benching, deads - you just need to be doing them in a more advantageous way to put mass on.