Anyone here know about bulking up?

[dankok8]

I'm 5'11'' 160 lbs (72 kg) and want to bulk up to about 170 lbs (76 kg) but I want to put on that weight as muscle. I figure I should eat what I currently eat since I'm maintaining plus intake an extra 500 cals through protein powder to fuel muscle growth. Does anyone have a good workout plan for arms/shoulders/ chest/back? These are the muscle groups I want to focus on. I think my goal is realistic to achieve in 3-4 months.

[diamenz]

keep it simple - presses, pulls, squats and deadlifts in moderation, three days a week. increase weight by small increments each week.

just eat dude. cut down the fat later. unless you have the patience and tolerance to eat shit like chicken breast and rice all day.

[8Ball]

I've bulked up from my skinny ass days of 5'11, 134 lbs to a now 185lbs.


- You won't gain 10 lbs in 3-4 months of muscle unless you use steroids. You will only put around 3-4 lbs of muscle in 1 year naturally max. You can gain 10 lbs in a year but it will be a mixture of mostly fat and part muscle. Trust me on this.

- It may take even longer if you are focusing only on upper body.

- You need to be in caloric surplus. So 500 extra calories is of lean protein / lean carbs is good.

- If you want size, you need to hop on a hypertrophy weight training style. Everything 6-10 reps or 8-12 reps. At least minimum 8-10 sets per body part / per week that you are trying to grow.

- FOCUS on full range of motion and contracting the muscle through the movement. This is super important since muscles grow primarily through time under tension and contracting from a stretched position.

- Start with linear progression (add 5 lbs per workout and progress), and when linear progression stalls, do double progression (add more reps per exercise until you hit 12-15 reps and then you add more weights)

Pick 2-3 exercises from below for each muscle. Do minimum 8 total sets for each muscle, max 12. You aren't advanced enough yet to do more than 12 sets, nor do you need to.

Biceps - Everything full range of motion, slow and controlled on eccentric and concentric. No jack rabbit sets.

Barbell Curls
Dumbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Cable Curls

Triceps - Everything full range of motion, slow and controlled on eccentric and concentric. No jack rabbit sets.

Cable Rope Pushdowns
Single arm Rope pushdowns
Overhead rope extensions
Skull crushers (if your elbows allow it)
Close grip bench press

Shoulders - Everything full range of motion, slow and controlled on eccentric and concentric. No jack rabbit sets (I hope you get the idea now)

Seated overhead press
Seated overhead Dumbbell press
Standing Overhead Press (OHP)
Bench Press (only hits the front of the shoulder)
Lateral raises - This is for the middle head of shoulders

Chest - Everything full range of motion, slow and controlled on eccentric and concentric. No jack rabbit sets.
Bench Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
Slight incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Chest dips
Chest Flies with DB or
Pec Deck machine

Back:

Pullups - Non negotiable, do these. Full range of motion, no cheat reps. Full stretch at bottom, contract through and try to go chest to bar.
Lat Pulldown
Seated Rows
Dumbell Rows
Barbell Rows

Pullups and pulldowns build the lats primarily, rows help with building back thickness.

Throw in deadlifts in there to build overall mass in the back.


For legs:

Romanian deadlifts 100% to build hamstring size.
Squats 100% to build quads.



For routines / workout plans, google any kind of 3-4 day upper / lower split and get started.

[diamenz]

^that's too much isolation and singular focus for a beginner. he's better served just sticking to compound lifts.

[8Ball]

^that's too much isolation and singular focus for a beginner. he's better served just sticking to compound lifts.

Problem with just sticking with compounds is that it doesn't have body building focus. So, yes he will gain muscle size, but the areas where he wants to gain size in won't gain in size with just compounds.

If you want bigger arms - you have to do curls and tricep isolations.


The benefit with sticking with compounds like Starting Strength program is that its simple and easy to get started with.

[Axe]

Don't use steroids, op. It's much better to bulk naturally.

[KNOW1EDGE]

Have you heard of the nine ancestral tenants?

[AlternativeAcc.]

Perfect Bulk meal:

1 pound of ground beef 80/20
2 medium sized avocados
Fist of brown rice
Fist of black beans
Mexican cheese blend
Onions, peppers, seasoning


Melt avocados slightly at end of cooking beef. Mix all in bowl and cover with your choice of hot sauce


Eat twice a day.

[dankok8]

Some golden stuff in here especially from 8Ball who wrote a long post. :applause:

Thanks a lot guys!

[Lebron23]

Post a picture of you.

[Lebron23]

Don't use steroids, op. It's much better to bulk naturally.

OP is almost 40. Why does he needs to bulk up?

[dankok8]

https://i.postimg.cc/t7STD2H4/328338240-705078751225419-6340692554078207405-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7STD2H4)

https://i.postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT/328342330-587521003195633-6740107249208817765-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT)

My pecs are non-existent. Those will take the most work.

And I'm 35. Why does it matter? I want to level up and my current girl and I are doing it together. In fact I've formulated a workout plan based on what some of my friends said. 8Ball's post I really appreciate as it was full of good info. Thanks bud. :rockon:

This forum should probably have a fitness thread that is stickied though. Anyways I'll post some progress pics in a few months hopefully.

[Axe]

OP is almost 40. Why does he needs to bulk up?
Idk. Maybe because football?

[Lebron23]

https://i.postimg.cc/t7STD2H4/328338240-705078751225419-6340692554078207405-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7STD2H4)

https://i.postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT/328342330-587521003195633-6740107249208817765-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT)

My pecs are non-existent. Those will take the most work.

And I'm 35. Why does it matter? I want to level up and my current girl and I are doing it together. In fact I've formulated a workout plan based on what some of my friends said. 8Ball's post I really appreciate as it was full of good info. Thanks bud. :rockon:

This forum should probably have a fitness thread that is stickied though. Anyways I'll post some progress pics in a few months hopefully.


Fair enough. Just posts to Bodybuilding forum. But alternative account gave a good advise. I think he is a bodybuilder/fitness guru in real life.

[AirBonner]

Axe knows about bulking up. Guy is fully bulked

[8Ball]

https://i.postimg.cc/t7STD2H4/328338240-705078751225419-6340692554078207405-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/t7STD2H4)

https://i.postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT/328342330-587521003195633-6740107249208817765-n.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gXMYSkQT)

My pecs are non-existent. Those will take the most work.

And I'm 35. Why does it matter? I want to level up and my current girl and I are doing it together. In fact I've formulated a workout plan based on what some of my friends said. 8Ball's post I really appreciate as it was full of good info. Thanks bud. :rockon:

This forum should probably have a fitness thread that is stickied though. Anyways I'll post some progress pics in a few months hopefully.

You have good biceps. Lagging triceps and small shoulders and your top chest needs work.

Remember that hypertrophy training is not necessarily the same as strength training, even though you do get stronger by having larger muscles. You won't start quickly throwing up a 225 bench via training the way I told you to train, but you will be building the muscle size. Trust the process. It will be slow, you might get frustrated that some skinny 140lb peanut is benching more than you. But don't worry about it. That skinny peanut will stay a skinny peanut for life unless he drops his ego and starts doing hypertrophy training.


You can mix up your training cycle later on to specialize on strength and higher intensity. But I believe weight training beginners need to build the foundation of muscle + tendon strength first before trying to chase numbers. Pure muscle gains are slow and tendon strengthening is even slower. Build the muscle base.



I know you play basketball and that is good for legs, especially the sprinting part, but do not skip leg workouts. If you don't like training legs too much, then you can do it 1x a week.

But train your hamstrings. Do romanian deadlifts (the superstar hamstring mass builder) and leg curls 1x a week if you want to give balance. Hamstring strains come from imbalance between quads and hamstrings. Sprinting is predominant a quad / knee extension movement. The weaker your hamstrings, the less it can balance the pulling force from the quads during sprints, then pop.

[highwhey]

You have good biceps. Lagging triceps and small shoulders and your top chest needs work.

Remember that hypertrophy training is not necessarily the same as strength training, even though you do get stronger by having larger muscles. You won't start quickly throwing up a 225 bench via training the way I told you to train, but you will be building the muscle size. Trust the process. It will be slow, you might get frustrated that some skinny 140lb peanut is benching more than you. But don't worry about it. That skinny peanut will stay a skinny peanut for life unless he drops his ego and starts doing hypertrophy training.


You can mix up your training cycle later on to specialize on strength and higher intensity. But I believe weight training beginners need to build the foundation of muscle + tendon strength first before trying to chase numbers. Pure muscle gains are slow and tendon strengthening is even slower. Build the muscle base.



I know you play basketball and that is good for legs, especially the sprinting part, but do not skip leg workouts. If you don't like training legs too much, then you can do it 1x a week.

But train your hamstrings. Do romanian deadlifts (the superstar hamstring mass builder) and leg curls 1x a week if you want to give balance. Hamstring strains come from imbalance between quads and hamstrings. Sprinting is predominant a quad / knee extension movement. The weaker your hamstrings, the less it can balance the pulling force from the quads during sprints, then pop.

Are you my middle eastern brother they call j$?

[dankok8]

You have good biceps. Lagging triceps and small shoulders and your top chest needs work.

Remember that hypertrophy training is not necessarily the same as strength training, even though you do get stronger by having larger muscles. You won't start quickly throwing up a 225 bench via training the way I told you to train, but you will be building the muscle size. Trust the process. It will be slow, you might get frustrated that some skinny 140lb peanut is benching more than you. But don't worry about it. That skinny peanut will stay a skinny peanut for life unless he drops his ego and starts doing hypertrophy training.


You can mix up your training cycle later on to specialize on strength and higher intensity. But I believe weight training beginners need to build the foundation of muscle + tendon strength first before trying to chase numbers. Pure muscle gains are slow and tendon strengthening is even slower. Build the muscle base.



I know you play basketball and that is good for legs, especially the sprinting part, but do not skip leg workouts. If you don't like training legs too much, then you can do it 1x a week.

But train your hamstrings. Do romanian deadlifts (the superstar hamstring mass builder) and leg curls 1x a week if you want to give balance. Hamstring strains come from imbalance between quads and hamstrings. Sprinting is predominant a quad / knee extension movement. The weaker your hamstrings, the less it can balance the pulling force from the quads during sprints, then pop.

Honestly I could care less about how strong I am. Just concerning with how the body looks lol

I really have no excuses for the next few months. Work schedule is light about 5-6 hours per day so I've got plenty of time and energy to work out.

[ArbitraryWater]

brother dankok you are on a good path.


i myself am also looking to bulk, get bigger.

[diamenz]

just remember this... if you're not increasing weight or reps weekly or biweekly you're not gonna gain strength or mass. also, if you're not eating more than what you normally do, you're not going to grow or gain.

beginner gains are straightforward and as long as you're doing those two things, no matter how good or bad your lifting regimen is, you'll make progress.

also, 8ball - not trying to argue with you here, but beginners will gain more arm mass from press & pull compounds than they will with iso exercises like curls & kickbacks. in addition, in theory, if you were to do ONLY squats for say, six months, you'll see some arm gains just due to the high release of growth hormones that those heavy lifts release. curls & kickbacks can be utilized later on if necessary at all.

[ArbitraryWater]

https://i.gyazo.com/f8cae734f9556e8b8aa329e7e9d96774.png


last summer, definitey skinnier



https://i.gyazo.com/0df501e4ff746df461678ae2bd239f7e.jpg



slighty getting there

[8Ball]

just remember this... if you're not increasing weight or reps weekly or biweekly you're not gonna gain strength or mass. also, if you're not eating more than what you normally do, you're not going to grow or gain.

beginner gains are straightforward and as long as you're doing those two things, no matter how good or bad your lifting regimen is, you'll make progress.

also, 8ball - not trying to argue with you here, but beginners will gain more arm mass from press & pull compounds than they will with iso exercises like curls & kickbacks. in addition, in theory, if you were to do ONLY squats for say, six months, you'll see some arm gains just due to the high release of growth hormones that those heavy lifts release. curls & kickbacks can be utilized later on if necessary at all.

They will for like first few months and then they will stall.

If you want max arm size, start doing both.

[diamenz]

Honestly I could care less about how strong I am. Just concerning with how the body looks lol

.

this is contradictory. while this may be true for more advanced lifters (think bodybuilding vs strongmen), again for beginners - strength = mass.

[diamenz]

They will for like first few months and then they will stall.

If you want max arm size, start doing both.

true.

[8Ball]

https://i.gyazo.com/f8cae734f9556e8b8aa329e7e9d96774.png


last summer, definitey skinnier



https://i.gyazo.com/0df501e4ff746df461678ae2bd239f7e.jpg



slighty getting there

How much weight gain between first and last pick?

I'd say you gained about 10 lbs?


Just my opinion, but you have a good body type to throw muscles on. I'd say about 15-20 more lbs and you will be gucci.

How much you weigh now? I'm guessing 160lbs 6 ft?

[ArbitraryWater]

How much weight gain between first and last pick?

I'd say you gained about 10 lbs?


Just my opinion, but you have a good body type to throw muscles on. I'd say about 15-20 more lbs and you will be gucci.

How much you weigh now? I'm guessing 160lbs 6 ft?


Im actuay a itte taer. Im about 186m which is ike 610?

According to a basic converter, im about 172-174 lbs now. I was like 3-4 kg lighter when the first picture was taken, I think.

I truly have the hardest time adding weight.

I guess I have to eat more and eat more and eat more.

[8Ball]

A 6 foot 1 inch dude (186cm) would look great and lean at about 190lbs or 86 kgs. Bulky and yoked at 90kgs+

3-4kg in a year is absolutely fine. Don't try to add more than that per year or else you will just start "filling out" with added fat.

[Axe]

https://i.gyazo.com/f8cae734f9556e8b8aa329e7e9d96774.png


last summer, definitey skinnier



https://i.gyazo.com/0df501e4ff746df461678ae2bd239f7e.jpg



slighty getting there
How ta are you?

[ArbitraryWater]

A 6 foot 1 inch dude (186cm) would look great and lean at about 190lbs or 86 kgs. Bulky and yoked at 90kgs+

3-4kg in a year is absolutely fine. Don't try to add more than that per year or else you will just start "filling out" with added fat.

I think a lot of my weight is on my legs and knees. I wanna get more towards the upper body and shoulder/neck.


How ta are you?

ike 6ft 1

[Axe]

I think a lot of my weight is on my legs and knees. I wanna get more towards the upper body and shoulder/neck.



ike 6ft 1
:cheers:

[8Ball]

https://i.postimg.cc/JnjxjFRv/Screenshot-20230131-182256-Whats-App.jpg


This is my upper back about 4-5 months ago.

The fat hanging around my lower waist is from me bulking too much too fast. 10 lbs a year = too much.



To you skinny dudes, its better to bulk up slowly, 4-5 lbs of muscle a year, rather than quickly and bring along the fat with you.

I'd have a much yoker looking back if there wasn't a sheen of fat all over the place.

[ArbitraryWater]

oh yea.

youre big, but now you need to cut. you probably are.

[8Ball]

Yup, I'm at a minor caloric deficit now. Doing a "recomposition". I only have a 4 pack abs now from a 6 pack.

Goal is to lose 10 lbs of fat in 1.5 years, while gaining 6-7 lbs of muscle during that time so I can stay at the same body weight.

I have normal breakfast, heavy lunch with clean carbs and protein, large protein shake at 4pm, and pea soup for dinner. Stomach stays light at night.

[highwhey]

the fitness/nutrition industry is one filled with a shitload of conmen, but lyle mcdonald speaks the truf. worth picking up a book of his and read it from cover to backpage.

[AirBonner]

the fitness/nutrition industry is one filled with a shitload of conmen, but lyle mcdonald speaks the truf. worth picking up a book of his and read it from cover to backpage.
Fitness advice is a little out of your wheelhouse

[Axe]

Alejandro just couldn't stop following highwhey hmmm. Dude must be on aspergers. :ohwell:

[SaltyMeatballs]

Keep it simple. You weigh 160 lbs so I would aim for 160-175g of protein per day

Get your protein from clean sources
- chicken
- fish
- lean beef
- eggs
- oats
- protein powders

Eat good carbs
- rice
- oats
- potatoes
- whole grain pasta
- quinoa

Eat plenty of veggies

Since you're bulking, I would eat about 200-300 more calories than your maintenance amount.

Workout 4-5x a week. Push, pull, legs is the most efficient split.

Eat clean. Track your calories. Stay disciplined. Stay patient.