T Nation

Advice? Critique?

Beginners
#1

Lifting for 169 days, kept a diet/exercise journal during that time, currently trying the ‘Blending size and strength, v 2.0’ routine. Before some early entries only had two meals a day with plenty of coffee, I submitted my photos and figured my greatest weakness is mass-gain.

Stats:
Current Weight: 155lbs
Height: 5’9"-5’10"
Bench Press: 195lbs (3rm)
Squats: 235lbs (3rm)
Dead-lift: 170lbs (3rm)

Typical Day as of February, switched to mass-gain routine
Supplements: Fish Oil (3 soft gels), Multivitamin (1)
Meal 1 (1000): Egg(1), Whites (2), Oatmeal, Coffee (Black)
Snack 1 (1130): True-Mass (1sc), Protein Whey (1sc), skim milk
Meal 2 (1210): Wild Rice, Pork 12oz, Vegetable stir fry
Snack 2 (1425): 20oz Steak, Mineral water
Pre-workout (1545): NOxplode /w water
Workout (1615-1720) Day 2, light lower body
Meal 3 (1730): Meat sub /w lettuce, red pepper, mustard
Snack 3 (1815): True-Mass (1sc) /w water
Snack 4 (2100): True-Mass (1sc), Protein Whey (1sc), skim milk
Supplement: Cellmass /w Water
End of day

#2

I just really want to optimize my routine so I appreciate any advice. Such as if I should get any different supplements or try some different foods or Biotest’s Superfood. Or anything else I might be overlooking

#3

Lifting for 169 days you say… but how many hours and minutes? j/k

Advice: Give us a good front shot, back shot and most importantly a LEG shot.

Else people will just complain and flame you.

What they will tell you: Where’s the leg shot, you look lean but build some overall mass.

#4

Leg Shot (Calf, Quad) - Front Shot
Looking at the other pictures of legs, I should have taken it farther away, so people could see the physique proportions for next time.

#5


Chest, front shot.
This shows another one of my flaws, my chest is disproportional, one side seems to cut in to the center more than the other. Someone mentioned it was probably due to bad form, one end of the weight leaning on one side more than the other, I’ve tried to rectify this the last few weeks, no results yet.

#6

Here’s the back. I see a need for a lot of lat development. Still any advice that I might be overlooking, I’d greatly appreciate.
Thanks

#7

Flaaaaaaaame!!! FLAAAAAMMEEE!
Just joking.
Its good to see you have joined the forum. The It looks like you have diet in order, so we dont have to flame you for not reading the stickies at the top of the beginners page ><
You are about where I am at as far as lifts and body weight AND height. I started at 130lb, and that was half a year ago, so you can see that for us ‘skinny bastards’ it can be done! I will follow your progress if you update us every few months, or if you make a log.

If you need advice don’t be a troll, look it up yourself using the search function. IF that doesn’t work there are many experienced lifters who would be more than willing to answer your questions. :smiley:
GLHF

#8

Thanks, Ive read a few topics, so I can see the flame rate and as I know I’m not a top lifter or physique, I know my place but I’d definitely like to improve.
Thanks for the tip on not being a troll too, I’m not out to get a bad rep. I’ll keep ya posted.
T

#9

Have you actually counted the calories of you’re average daily diet? It will help alot for advice. Protein powder will do a bit, but not as much as it could if you are under-feeding your body in the first place. By complimenting your diet I meant you were on the right track, but you could be only eating about 2500 cals for I know. To start gaining weight I had to work up to eating about 3800 cals! My problem was too much of the 3800 was carbs and I started getting fat (which is no biggie because I was a skeleton). The point is balance and amount. You should roughly count how many calories of fats, carbs and protein you are eating and post them here.

Have you read the ‘Massive Eating’ article series?

#10

What are you talking about? His diet isn’t in order.

If his diet was in order he would be getting bigger. Just off the top of my head:

eat the whole fucking egg, my grandma eats more for breakfast than you do, your peri-workout nutrition sucks, you need to eat more whole food.

1: You need to learn how to eat.
2: Drop all of the junk supplements that you have (NO Explode, mass gainer, cellmass), and
3: train for your body type.

hope that helps.

Read the beginner’s stickies and educate yourself.

#11

[quote]forevernade wrote:
Have you actually counted the calories of you’re average daily diet? It will help alot for advice. Protein powder will do a bit, but not as much as it could if you are under-feeding your body in the first place. By complimenting your diet I meant you were on the right track, but you could be only eating about 2500 cals for I know. To start gaining weight I had to work up to eating about 3800 cals! My problem was too much of the 3800 was carbs and I started getting fat (which is no biggie because I was a skeleton). The point is balance and amount. You should roughly count how many calories of fats, carbs and protein you are eating and post them here.

Have you read the ‘Massive Eating’ article series?[/quote]

What % of your diet is carbs now? I think I might be eating too many carbs in an attempt to get in all my calories.

Do you have a before picture? That will give us some context for your progress.

#12

I agree with Pozzska, your diet is your weak link.

You need carbs and fats. Get your carbs from high calorie veg and fruit and whole grains. Get your fats from olive oil, nuts, fish oil. Drink more milk. If you have no dairy alergy drink at least 1 litre/day. Why are you eating a 20oz steak for a snack? Cut it in half, add some carbs and eat it again in the afternoon. I’m confused over your protein supplements. You speak of true-mass and whey like they are 2 different things. If I’m wrong and True-mass is a high sugar weight gain product, have it right after your workout. That’s about the only time it’s any good. Other than that, take your protein upon waking and just before bed. Otherwise get your food from food.

#13

be9c5-Franco.jpg350×540 43.5 KB

[quote]TimothyJamesF wrote:
Chest, front shot.
This shows another one of my flaws, my chest is disproportional, one side seems to cut in to the center more than the other. Someone mentioned it was probably due to bad form, one end of the weight leaning on one side more than the other, I’ve tried to rectify this the last few weeks, no results yet.[/quote]

Other people have asked this before and the answer is the same for you, unfortunately it is down to genetics. Some people just have odd kinks in their chests or wherever. Once you add some mass you won’t really notice it, just train and eat well and it won’t be a problem.

Franco Columbo had some strange ‘kinks’ in his chest but it didn’t do him any harm when he won the Olympia!

Try and eat more ‘real’ food than supplements and get rid of the NO Xplode, it doesn’t have the ‘magic’ ingredient that BSN claim it does. They are being sued or something…there’s a thread on here somewhere if you do a search.

#14

The point i was making about his diet was that it was healthy, despite the sups. Then I was making the point that the sups and protein would do nothing if hes eating too little.

At least hes eating 7-8 times a day and roughly knows whats bad for you and whats good. A lot of people dont even know that for starters.
Yeah he needs way more fats. I dont even know what is in true-mass or NOxplode.
EG

Typical Day as of February, switched to mass-gain routine
Supplements: Fish Oil (3 soft gels), Multivitamin (1) with 100g of peanuts or peanut butter
Meal 1 (1000): Egg(5), Coffee (Black)
Snack 1 (1130): 100g Oatmeal, Protein Whey (1sc), full cream milk
Meal 2 (1210): Wild Rice, Pork 12oz, Vegetable stir fry
Snack 2 (1425): 20oz Steak, more milk, two potatoes
Workout (1615-1720):Whey with some carb additive.
Post workout: Whey with some carb additive.
Meal 3 (1730): Meat sub /w lettuce, red pepper, mustard with a big glass of milk
Snack 3 (1815): Meat sub /w lettuce, red pepper, mustard witha big glass of milk
Snack 4 (2100): Protein Whey (1sc), milk
Snack 5: 4 tablespoons of an oil (extra vergin), 100g of peanuts
End of day

Now THATs a bit more like it. Not perfect, but its easy to follow and hard to eat. Took me 5 mins to write, so obviously NOT perfect. Figure something like that out for yourself.

#15

I would add Surge post workout if I were you.

#16

[quote]TimothyJamesF wrote:
Lifting for 169 days, kept a diet/exercise journal during that time, currently trying the ‘Blending size and strength, v 2.0’ routine. Before some early entries only had two meals a day with plenty of coffee, I submitted my photos and figured my greatest weakness is mass-gain.

Stats:
Current Weight: 155lbs
Height: 5’9"-5’10"
Bench Press: 195lbs (3rm)
Squats: 235lbs (3rm)
Dead-lift: 170lbs (3rm)

Typical Day as of February, switched to mass-gain routine
Supplements: Fish Oil (3 soft gels), Multivitamin (1)
Meal 1 (1000): Egg(1), Whites (2), Oatmeal, Coffee (Black)
Snack 1 (1130): True-Mass (1sc), Protein Whey (1sc), skim milk
Meal 2 (1210): Wild Rice, Pork 12oz, Vegetable stir fry
Snack 2 (1425): 20oz Steak, Mineral water
Pre-workout (1545): NOxplode /w water
Workout (1615-1720) Day 2, light lower body
Meal 3 (1730): Meat sub /w lettuce, red pepper, mustard
Snack 3 (1815): True-Mass (1sc) /w water
Snack 4 (2100): True-Mass (1sc), Protein Whey (1sc), skim milk
Supplement: Cellmass /w Water
End of day

[/quote]

You call that a mass diet? By just reading your breakfast it’s nowhere near a mass diet, 1 egg??? Try 5 or 6… update your diet, ADD MORE FOOD, and repost

#17

Thanks for the sample diet Forevernade and I’ll check out the massive eating articles next. And for the advice everyone, I’ll start calculating my carbs, calories, protein and fat.
I’ll upload a before picture soon and get a diet routine outline prepped up, thanks again.