Gaining muscle

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Work out how many calories you need to be eating and download myfitnesspal to track it. It can be quite surprising how much you actually have to eat. Google "IIFYM" and "Scrawny to Brawny", I found these websites really helpful.

Re the workouts, another vote for Stronglifts 5x5, theres a phone app for it which is brilliant.
 


Yuri said:
I've just joined the gym and looking to add muscle and weight. Just tired of being skinny really so has anyone got any good guides for this?
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Eat 5-6 times a day. I would be classed as "skinny" and this worked for me, gained about 1.5 stone in just under 2 months or summit but then i stopped eating as much and training and haven't really lost any of the weight, started training again this week.

Just play about with the amounts and all the food, weigh your pasta etc so you know how much you are eating.

This is one of my meal plans that I put together to give you some idea of what to eat.

Meal 1 = nataural yoghurt with almonds, blueberries and honey + bowl of weetabix with milk (these are 2 sepreate things but both are meal 1

Meal 2 = 2 slices of brown toast, 3 poached eggs, baked beans.

Meal 3 = Pasta, diced chicken breast, spinach, avacado.

Meal 4 = rice cakes, peanut butter and banana.

Meal 5 = beef, potatoes, brocolli

Meal 6 = protein shake with milk, with blitzed quaker oats

I trained 1 thing per night, I found I could get a better workout this way instead of doing chest/tri on the same night

I don't claim to be some expert and I'm sure people have some criticism but thats pretty much what worked for me.
 
Mackem Chris said:
Eat 5-6 times a day. I would be classed as "skinny" and this worked for me, gained about 1.5 stone in just under 2 months or summit but then i stopped eating as much and training and haven't really lost any of the weight, started training again this week.

Just play about with the amounts and all the food, weigh your pasta etc so you know how much you are eating.

This is one of my meal plans that I put together to give you some idea of what to eat.

Meal 1 = nataural yoghurt with almonds, blueberries and honey + bowl of weetabix with milk (these are 2 sepreate things but both are meal 1

Meal 2 = 2 slices of brown toast, 3 poached eggs, baked beans.

Meal 3 = Pasta, diced chicken breast, spinach, avacado.

Meal 4 = rice cakes, peanut butter and banana.

Meal 5 = beef, potatoes, brocolli

Meal 6 = protein shake with milk, with blitzed quaker oats

I trained 1 thing per night, I found I could get a better workout this way instead of doing chest/tri on the same night

I don't claim to be some expert and I'm sure people have some criticism but thats pretty much what worked for me.
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Sounds legit - ca 10kg in 8 weeks for an untrained novice is feasible.

However, you could have spent less time in the gym, ate nicer food and achieved the same results :lol:
 
Charmless Man said:
Sounds legit - ca 10kg in 8 weeks for an untrained novice is feasible.

However, you could have spent less time in the gym, ate nicer food and achieved the same results :lol:
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I'm open to suggestions, only train in the house anyways and just got information from the internet really.
 
Charmless Man said:
I suppose it's less hassle if you're in the house. What equipment have you got?
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Barbell, dumbells, bench.

I've got a medicine ball and kettle bells but generally use these for f***ing about doing different workouts.

I've got one of them iron gym things anarl, normally use that to warm up if I'm training bicep, chest, or tricep
 
I went for a dirty bulk before, and just ate everything I could whenever I was hungry. I put a stone on in about a month, though some of this was belly fat. My strength gains were class. I've recently started using myfitness pal to track calories and macros, there's a good thread on here about macros
 
Mackem Chris said:
Barbell, dumbells, bench.

I've got a medicine ball and kettle bells but generally use these for f***ing about doing different workouts.

I've got one of them iron gym things anarl, normally use that to warm up if I'm training bicep, chest, or tricep
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I now train in the house and have a crappy set of weights, a pull up bar and some home made gym rings. A fucked up back and collarbone means my exercise pool is a bit limited. Current routine is as follows,

Session A: upper body tri-set

Dumbbell Floor press x 8
Inverted row on rings x 8
Face pull with external rotation on rings x 16

Currently repeating 3 times with 2 min rest between each tri set; however, rather than increase weight (as the dumbbells are maxed out) I'm going to reduce time between tri sets to nil over a few weeks by shaving thirty seconds off the rest periods. After this, I might add reps or sets.

Session B: lower body tri set

Same format as above, using the following,

Goblet squat x 16
Hip bridge x 8
Calf raise x 8

Nothing earth shattering, but it's working.
 
Mackem Chris said:
Barbell, dumbells, bench.

I've got a medicine ball and kettle bells but generally use these for f***ing about doing different workouts.

I've got one of them iron gym things anarl, normally use that to warm up if I'm training bicep, chest, or tricep
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How come you can't train at a gym mate? Time, cost?
 
Mackem Chris said:
Barbell, dumbells, bench.

I've got a medicine ball and kettle bells but generally use these for f***ing about doing different workouts.

I've got one of them iron gym things anarl, normally use that to warm up if I'm training bicep, chest, or tricep
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How many kg in plates?

maygo said:
I went for a dirty bulk before, and just ate everything I could whenever I was hungry. I put a stone on in about a month, though some of this was belly fat. My strength gains were class. I've recently started using myfitness pal to track calories and macros, there's a good thread on here about macros
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It's the way to do it if you want results fast. You will get stronger if you just eat.
 
Charmless Man said:
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It's the way to do it if you want results fast. You will get stronger if you just eat.
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How do people stay lean but get stronger? Or is it all a bit fake i.e. you'd be one of the dehydrated and half starved Men's Health cover boyz?

I don't think that I'll ever have a 'big' build as I'm naturally quite slim but I do want to have more muscle mass and still be able to sprint away from the bullies for 10k. Without accumulating fat around the belly and moobs.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
How do people stay lean but get stronger? Or is it all a bit fake i.e. you'd be one of the dehydrated and half starved Men's Health cover boyz?

I don't think that I'll ever have a 'big' build as I'm naturally quite slim but I do want to have more muscle mass and still be able to sprint away from the bullies for 10k. Without accumulating fat around the belly and moobs.
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Milder deficit. Some people say that those who stay fairly lean and gain muscle are always on gear which is bullshit. Lower deficit and slower weight gain will result in leaner gains.

It can be done fairly easily; look at the amount of weight class restricted athletes. However people tend to think they're making no gains because the extra fat they accumulate on aggressive bulks contributes to making you look bigger to an extent
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
How do people stay lean but get stronger? Or is it all a bit fake i.e. you'd be one of the dehydrated and half starved Men's Health cover boyz?

I don't think that I'll ever have a 'big' build as I'm naturally quite slim but I do want to have more muscle mass and still be able to sprint away from the bullies for 10k. Without accumulating fat around the belly and moobs.
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They don't if they dirty bulk no matter what people will claim. Very few people are big build and cut, unless you fancy eating tins of tuna every day when you cut.

Nowt the matter with a bit of dirty bulk just don't take it too far, seen two lads at Pure just piling their trolly with coke, doughnets, ket. Trying to dirty bulk but they were just fat with minimal muscle mass just flab.

Titus said:
It can be done fairly easily
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Think that's a bit modest mate, of gym goers I reckon 1 in 10 have the discipline to do it. Majority of people in weights have a bit timber like including me.
 
Banks said:
They don't if they dirty bulk no matter what people will claim. Very few people are big build and cut, unless you fancy eating tins of tuna every day when you cut.

Nowt the matter with a bit of dirty bulk just don't take it too far, seen two lads at Pure just piling their trolly with coke, doughnets, ket. Trying to dirty bulk but they were just fat with minimal muscle mass just flab.



Think that's a bit modest mate, of gym goers I reckon 1 in 10 have the discipline to do it. Majority of people in weights have a bit timber like including me.
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I meant providing you know how to go about it mate. It's not a difficult task just requires more discipline
 
You can bulk and not put fat on, but when you do that there is a chance you are missing out on potential muscle growth by not eating enough calories, There for its best to have that extra few 100 calories to ensure proper muscle growth.
 
supersesh said:
You can bulk and not put fat on, but when you do that there is a chance you are missing out on potential muscle growth by not eating enough calories, There for its best to have that extra few 100 calories to ensure proper muscle growth.
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When I've lost my beer belly and excess weight would you be able to provide a sample meal/macro plan for bulking up without getting porky please? I'll make another donation to your fundraising of course (was it enough last time)? PM me if this needs to be off board. Cheers.
 
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