| Message | Im at 175 now and 5'7 at the age of 17. And wondering if i ran 1 mile three days a week would affect my mass building growth. Cause i suddenly dropped 4 pounds in one day. weighed that night and the next night i was at 175 bein 179 the other night. Just wanted some tips on how to put some weight on and keep movin up. Not down!! Oh i work out 4 days a week. And wonderin if I gave my bi's and' tri's another day of rest instead of goin the next day. Heres my workout schedule: Monday: bi's, Tri's, Wrist, Abs with weights Tuesday:Legs, abs no weight (Am askin should i take this day off for my arms to have more time to recover. Wensday:Off, abs no weight Thursday:Traps,Shoulders, abs with weight Friday:Chest, Back, Deltoids Sat:off Sun:off
Thx so much for your help. Its real important to me.
Jeff's Reply
Jeremy,
Thank you for writing.
I first want to applaud you for seeking assistance, as well aas already having a workout program at 17.
Regarding your questions, #1, personally I am not a big fan of running cardio for those trying to develop mass for a number of reasons. One being that running can be hard on the joints, effects recovery time, and can affect your performance in the gym. I would suggest concentrating on your diet, keeping the intensity up in the gym, and when doing cardio, stick to moderate intensity cardio such as the elliptical machine, stair stepper or stationary bike. A good 45 minute fast paced walks is also good. I would also suggest following a 4 day on 1 day off routine, such as the following:
back/bi/Rear delts (day 1)
Quad, calfs, abs, elliptical or bike cardio at no more than 60% max heart rate (day 2)
Chest Hams, cardio elliptical or bike cardio at no more than 60% max heart rate (day 3)
Shoulders/Traps/Triceps (no carbs after 6 pm on this day)
Day 0ff (am cardio start carbing up in the PM, with your protein meals of course)
Be consistent in and out of the gym (with your diet and nutritional plan). You have to be consistent with your mass building program for it to work. Come in once a week or after a layoff and try to start where you left off and you are sure to injure yourself. Building muscle is hard work and it takes sweat equity through hard work and consistency to build quality mass. It is important to remember the building quality muscle naturally is a slow process and will takes several month before you will see quality results.
Some other suggestions I would like to give you are (1) Set small goals for yourself in the gym. These goals can be to gain a certain amount of weight, to add 2 inches to your chest, to gain strength in certain areas. Just the act of setting goals increases performance. To assist in goal accomplishments I find that writing down the goals hold me accountable. The goals should be definable small goals will help you achieve the larger goals. It's also very important that you periodically monitor and adjust your goals on an ongoing basis. I have found that making short term (3 month) immediate term (6 month) and longer term (1 year) goals have worked for me.
Also start a a Nutritional Plan by writing down your food intake. This will serve several purposes. First you will see what you are eating now, and how many calories it takes to maintain your current physique. Two it will serve as a reminder to eat. Many people do not eat enough calories or enough protein at the right times.
Also you should understand the principle of food timing and try to not only eat right, but eat at the proper time. Eating to gain also includes eating at the right time, and NOT missing meals. Remember you should always have 40 grams of protein and carbs as close to when you finish a hard workout. Side note: You can adjust your diet to eat smaller meals and increase cardio to develop abs while you gain mass, but realize only advanced bodybuilders tend to be successful at this. Most people are not successful at doing both at the same time and as a result it takes the longer to meet their goal. For this reason I suggest eating clean and well, but not worrying about a few extra pounds until we do a 50% evaluation.
Also Increase food quality (and quantity if needed). In order to build muscle mass you must eat a lot of food in order to have the available calories to support muscle growth. The info derived from item 1 after 3 weeks will provide a good basis as to structure our diet for gains. In general terms a good lean muscle building our diet should consist of 40 -50 of high quality protein (turkey, chicken, tuna, etc.) every two to three hours. Shoot for 5 to 6 protein meals. Your diet should also include good quality low glycemic index carbs (brown rice, oatmeal, fibrous vegetables, beans, etc. and some good fats (MCT or UDO oil is a good supplement) for the needed calories. Also remember to minimize the empty calories (sugars, alcohol, soda, etc.) which do not help muscle repair. Empty calories (such as any processed will only just raise blood sugar which will result in a crash and burn and a later binge. Eat healthy foods that contain the needed nutrients to repair the muscles your broke down while raining intensely.
Finally consider adding some high quality supplements to your diet, like a good multi vitamin with minerals, and a high quality protein supplement. Today because of high processing to many foods, not all required vitamins and minerals are easily obtained through food sources
Lift Smart. This is not as simple as it seems. If you don't work the muscle in the correct manner you are not going to grow the way you should. You also run the risk of injury. Also, if you over train the muscle, you will not grow. The key is to find the best way to work the muscle without overtraining and without putting unnecessary stress on the joints. Use full ranges of motion to increase the load on the muscle; organizing body parts in such a manner that you do not over train. This is where smart lifting comes in. See the routine I have suggested for you.
Use basic movements (squat, leg press, bench, deadlifts, dumbbell and barbell presses, etc.). Power movements, especially squats, deadlifts, barbell presses will stimulate growth throughout your whole body. These movements are very important to developing a dense, muscular physique. Most successful bodybuilders were power lifters at one point in their career. Many still rely on the core lifts (squat, leg press, bench, deadlifts, dumbbell and barbell presses, etc.). to maintain dense, quality muscle.
While the number sets and reps will depend on your genetics, I suggest trying to lift heavy while performing a moderate range of reps (6 rep range) every third workout. If this does not work for you experiment with different reps and sets that works for you. When using a moderate weight workout or light day increase intensity by minimizing rest between sets and adding additional sets or exercises. Stick with a 4 on 1 off when lifting to gain mass.
Also consider getting a good, competent, consistent and motivating training partner. A good training partner is dependable, focused, and can assist you when you want top lift heavy, need a spot, etc. A said a good dependable partner because anything less to me, is a negative. It is why most of my career I have trained solo. I would also suggest looking for someone stronger. Your incentive is to catch/match him. Training with stronger and more advanced partners will get you to your goals quicker. It is a trick I used when I was younger. Besides no one wants to look weak or like a quitter to someone with drive, success. Do not under estimate the value of this suggestion.
Last but not least get good rest. Weight lifting tears the muscle tissue down. Your diet provides the necessary fuel and material for repair. Your sleep provides the environment for muscle repair, recovery and growth. Remember, that no matter how hard you train or how much you eat, if you don't get the rest you need, your workouts will slow to a standstill. Without adequate sleep the body becomes weakened and your risk for injury increases dramatically. Remember: It is during sleep that most muscle growth and repair occurs, not during your training.
Remember, building muscle is hard work, but it comes to those who are have goals, train hard, eat well, and get good rest.
Oh before I forget, the 4 pound loss you experienced over night was water weight, so do not be concerned. Hydrate up, and eat some good carbs every 2 hours and that weight will come back supplying water to your muscles making them fuller.
Anyhow, I hope these few tips help. I will post more info for you at jeffbehar.com, so check it out.
Take care and train hard!! Jeff Behar |