Newbie questions about getting bigger

"Steve Freides" <steve.TakeThisOut@fridayscomputer.com> writes:

> "Wa" <wa.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Tuqlf.1525$Ys4.1097@twister.nyc.rr.com...
>> I'm a guy, 18 years old, 5'9" tall, and weight 175 lbs. I'd like to
>> start working out to put on some muscles and "get big" (I'm kinda
>> skinny). You could say I'm starting my '05 New Years resolution late,
>> but I like to think of it as starting my '06 one early.
>>
>> In my possession, I have a decent set of free weights and a bench. I
>> plan on joining a gym in the spring, so these'll have to do for now.
>>
>> My questions:
>>
>> 1. Can anyone outline for me a regimen that will allow me to workout
>> my upper body? (exercises, # of sets, etc).
>>
>> 2. What should I eat to increase mass? Is protein the only thing I
>> should be concerned with? Should I eat before or after a workout?
>>
>> Any other advice would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
> Google
>
> Super Squats
>
> Buy it, read it, do it, because it's the classic mass-gaining
> routine. Get a power rack if you don't have one already, and don't
> even think about only working on your upper body. Squat.

If you don't have a power rack and want to start right away learn to
deadlift, power clean, and the front squat. In fact, the workout that
I recommend for beginners is Dan John's "Rapid Ascent" program. You
can find it in his free ebook "From the Ground Up" at this link:

http://www.danjohn.org/book.html

The only downside to this workout is that you have to learn to Power
Clean (which is a little technical). The upside is that A) it works,
and B) you only need a bar.

Good Luck,
Jason
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger 

1. Everyone has a regimen that works for them. A lot of it is
trial-and-error. Since I am a hard-gainer, I don't put on mass very
easy. I found that training heavy 4-6 reps, with compound exercises,
such as bench press and dead-lifts, to work the best in terms of gain.
More isn't necessarily better, and the max-time I stay in the gym is
about an hour.

2. The MOST important thing is eating, and timing is very important.
I don't take protein bars or any supplements, considering I only wanted
a few additional pounds of muscle. Even when I did take protein bars I
did not find them effective. This most likely was because supplements
often were substituted for whole meals instead of additional food
during the time I was taking them. Even when I did get the gains I
wanted by eating a properly BALANCED meal, I had no need for protein
bars. The point is that TIMING is more important in terms of gaining
weight. Eat five meals a day, and I try and time it so I eat a full
meal immediately after working-out.

3. Sleep. You gain when you rest.
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger 

asimmehmood.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com wrote:

>2. The MOST important thing is eating, and timing is very important.

Agreed. Was the ONLY way that I could gain muscle weight. Near
force-feeding on the regular. Never allow yourself to be hungry. A
blender really helped me consume mega calories at a go rather than
eating a thousand, I could quickly drink a thousand cals.

>I don't take protein bars or any supplements, considering I only wanted
>a few additional pounds of muscle. Even when I did take protein bars I
>did not find them effective. This most likely was because supplements
>often were substituted for whole meals instead of additional food
>during the time I was taking them. Even when I did get the gains I
>wanted by eating a properly BALANCED meal, I had no need for protein
>bars. The point is that TIMING is more important in terms of gaining
>weight. Eat five meals a day, and I try and time it so I eat a full
>meal immediately after working-out.

I went with a quart of orange juice immediately after working out.

Remember reading in one of those bodybuilding mags from my teen years
that following the workout, it's better to allow the blood to flood
your muscles or power your pump rather than be redirected to process
food. To wit(?):

"At the junction of the esophagus and stomach, there is a ringlike
valve closing the passage between the two organs. However, as the food
approaches the closed ring, the surrounding muscles relax and allow
the food to pass.

The food then enters the stomach, which has three mechanical tasks to
do. First, the stomach must store the swallowed food and liquid. This
requires the muscle of the upper part of the stomach to relax and
accept large volumes of swallowed material. The second job is to mix
up the food, liquid, and digestive juice produced by the stomach. The
lower part of the stomach mixes these materials by its muscle action.
The third task of the stomach is to empty its contents slowly into the
small intestine." From: http://www.nutristrategy.com/digestion.htm

/Google fun

>3. Sleep. You gain when you rest.

Agreed again.

And, amen on the Squats book mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
Strossen's book is basically a collection of other authors' writings
but a collection well worth the read, imo. See:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0926888005/qid=1134007022/sr=8-1/ref=...bbs_1/1

Oh, damn. What the hell am I ~*DOING*~???

Guns, taxes, yadayada, Bush, troll, etc.

There. Much better. I almost strayed entirely into the fitness.weights
area. Hooo, that was CLOSE!

--
Curt
http://curtjames.com/
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger 

On Tue, 6 Dec 2005 22:40:10 -0500, "Steve Freides"
<steve.RemoveThis@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in misc.fitness.weights:

>"Wa" <wa.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:Tuqlf.1525$Ys4.1097@twister.nyc.rr.com...
>> I'm a guy, 18 years old, 5'9" tall, and weight 175 lbs. I'd like to
>> start working out to put on some muscles and "get big" (I'm kinda
>> skinny). You could say I'm starting my '05 New Years resolution late,
>> but I like to think of it as starting my '06 one early.
>>
>> In my possession, I have a decent set of free weights and a bench. I
>> plan on joining a gym in the spring, so these'll have to do for now.
>>
>> My questions:
>>
>> 1. Can anyone outline for me a regimen that will allow me to workout
>> my upper body? (exercises, # of sets, etc).
>>
>> 2. What should I eat to increase mass? Is protein the only thing I
>> should be concerned with? Should I eat before or after a workout?
>>
>> Any other advice would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks.
>
>Google
>
>Super Squats

Gillingham's 5X5 squat program is probably better for both mass and
strength.

>
>Buy it, read it, do it, because it's the classic mass-gaining routine.
>Get a power rack if you don't have one already, and don't even think
>about only working on your upper body. Squat.
>
True. You can gain upper body size just from squatting.
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger 

"John Hanson" <jhanson.DeleteThis@northernlinks.com> wrote in message
news:4j8gp1hors09f05ua9ssapnrmj2vk15r2a@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 6 Dec 2005 22:40:10 -0500, "Steve Freides"
> <steve.DeleteThis@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in misc.fitness.weights:
>
>>"Wa" <wa.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>news:Tuqlf.1525$Ys4.1097@twister.nyc.rr.com...
>>> I'm a guy, 18 years old, 5'9" tall, and weight 175 lbs. I'd like to
>>> start working out to put on some muscles and "get big" (I'm kinda
>>> skinny). You could say I'm starting my '05 New Years resolution
>>> late,
>>> but I like to think of it as starting my '06 one early.
>>>
>>> In my possession, I have a decent set of free weights and a bench.
>>> I
>>> plan on joining a gym in the spring, so these'll have to do for now.
>>>
>>> My questions:
>>>
>>> 1. Can anyone outline for me a regimen that will allow me to
>>> workout
>>> my upper body? (exercises, # of sets, etc).
>>>
>>> 2. What should I eat to increase mass? Is protein the only thing I
>>> should be concerned with? Should I eat before or after a workout?
>>>
>>> Any other advice would be appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>
>>Google
>>
>>Super Squats
>
> Gillingham's 5X5 squat program is probably better for both mass and
> strength.

Have a link? A quick Google found me Brad's DL program that discussed
all 3 lifts but not a 5x5 squat program.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com


>>
>>Buy it, read it, do it, because it's the classic mass-gaining routine.
>>Get a power rack if you don't have one already, and don't even think
>>about only working on your upper body. Squat.
>>
> True. You can gain upper body size just from squatting.
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger 

On Thu, 8 Dec 2005 09:48:53 -0500, "Steve Freides"
<steve.TakeThisOut@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in misc.fitness.weights:

>
>Have a link? A quick Google found me Brad's DL program that discussed
>all 3 lifts but not a 5x5 squat program.
>

No I don't but it's on his deadlift DVD. Hell, everyone is doing that
program these days. It's spreading like the Westside program did a
few years ago.
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie questions about getting bigger