Been Trying to Bulk Up for the Past Year

hey fellas. ive been trying to bulk up for the past year and im struggling on whats best. im 180lbs and want to bulk to 220 in one year. i know i should eat eight meals per day but of what calories and such. please help. and excercise.

my routine.

Monday - chest and back

benchpress 5x5
decline press 5x5
cross overs 5x5
incline db press 5x5

deadlifts 5x5
rows 5x5
lat pull downs 5x5

tuesday - biceps and triceps

Ez bar curls 5x5
hammer curls 5x5
preacher curls 5x5

press downs 5x5
tricep bench 5x5
overhead ext 5x5

wednesday is off

thursday - shoulders and forarms

shruggs 5x7
upright rows 5x5
side raises cable 5x5
front raise 5x6
military press 5x5
delt rows 5x5

wrist curls standing 5x7
sitting wrist curls 5x5

Friday - legs

leg press 5x5
squatts 5x5
hack squatts 5x5
ham string curls 5x5

if anyone can help with my questions and maybe help with a new routine exc… it would be great :slight_smile:

Read the stickies. The Best of.

You just need to eat.

Don’t try to reinvent the goddamn wheel.

Pick a program here on the site (there are about 80000000000 of them).

Your exercise list looks like an eclectic pile of shit, the shit part gets added for thinking deadlifts after 20 sets of pressing/chest exercises is a good idea.

Just go read the stickies.

I think people will start making more progress when they realize how insignificant the program is and how much other factors are involved in growing.

If everyone on this site did this program some would drastically stand out, some would make some progress others none. Again I think these plans are such a small part of a big equation.

why is every exercise 5x5? try throwing in some sets of 8-12 and 12-15. especially shit like cable crossovers, cable laterals, and wrist curls shouldnt be 5x5 imo.

Seriously, 5x5 for every exercise? Try thinking outside the box a LITTLE, please.

Like austin said, “other factors”…things like diet, sleep, intensity, attitude, etc, have a much greater bearing on progress imo than some magical program using magical rep ranges and set schemes. If you wanna gain weight, simply eat more, and try not to dirty up the diet TOO much. Not much more complicated than that.

lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must

[quote]roger1111 wrote:
lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must[/quote]
Most of those “funny guys” have been seriously at this game for many many years, and have the pics to prove it, whereas you’ve been at it for a year, have no pics, and constantly say stupid shit, like trying to combine WS4SB with 531. But what do they know, right?

[quote]Meal Ticket wrote:

[quote]roger1111 wrote:
lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must[/quote]
Most of those “funny guys” have been seriously at this game for many many years, and have the pics to prove it, whereas you’ve been at it for a year, have no pics, and constantly say stupid shit, like trying to combine WS4SB with 531. But what do they know, right?[/quote]

Actually, Joe DeFranco has been using the WS4SB3 template while incorporating 5/3/1 principles. Just sayin…

[quote]Mateus wrote:

[quote]Meal Ticket wrote:

[quote]roger1111 wrote:
lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must[/quote]
Most of those “funny guys” have been seriously at this game for many many years, and have the pics to prove it, whereas you’ve been at it for a year, have no pics, and constantly say stupid shit, like trying to combine WS4SB with 531. But what do they know, right?[/quote]

Actually, Joe DeFranco has been using the WS4SB3 template while incorporating 5/3/1 principles. Just sayin…[/quote]
I don’t doubt it. But is that what you would recommend for a beginner?

At 180 lbs. your calorie level should be between 3,600 and 4,000 per day. About 250g protein, 450g carbohydrate, and 125g fat. Others have commented on your routine. Focus on simple goals…Squat 2.0x bodyweight for reps, deadlift 2.0x bodyweight for reps., Flat Press 1.5x bodyweight for reps, O.H. Press 1.0x bodyweight for reps, Bent Row 1.5x bodyweight for reps., etc.

Squat-Press-Pull-Row

[quote]Meal Ticket wrote:

[quote]roger1111 wrote:
lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must[/quote]
Most of those “funny guys” have been seriously at this game for many many years, and have the pics to prove it, whereas you’ve been at it for a year, have no pics, and constantly say stupid shit, like trying to combine WS4SB with 531. But what do they know, right?[/quote]
Ive actually been training for 2 years and put on nearly 30kg in that time. So i think i would a thing or two about bulking. As i said, the needsize 5x5 program in my experience has been the best while on a good diet. not once did i try to incorporate WS4Sb and 5 3 1 lol ur delusional. And why would i put pics of myself up for a bunch of guys to see on a website? im not a homo

[quote]roger1111 wrote:

[quote]Meal Ticket wrote:

[quote]roger1111 wrote:
lol these guys are funny. The best program ive ever used and still use for bulking and even strength is called needsize 5x5. if u like 5x5 then do this. Google it, u wont be dissapointed. But also eat alot, thats a must[/quote]
Most of those “funny guys” have been seriously at this game for many many years, and have the pics to prove it, whereas you’ve been at it for a year, have no pics, and constantly say stupid shit, like trying to combine WS4SB with 531. But what do they know, right?[/quote]
Ive actually been training for 2 years and put on nearly 30kg in that time. So i think i would a thing or two about bulking. As i said, the needsize 5x5 program in my experience has been the best while on a good diet. not once did i try to incorporate WS4Sb and 5 3 1 lol ur delusional. And why would i put pics of myself up for a bunch of guys to see on a website? im not a homo[/quote]

No you don’t. People that know about bulking don’t ask basic questions. And you went from 120 to 180? Thats called puberty.

If you think that posting a picture has anything to do with being h

[quote]roger1111 wrote:

Ive actually been training for 2 years and put on nearly 30kg in that time. So i think i would a thing or two about bulking. As i said, the needsize 5x5 program in my experience has been the best while on a good diet. not once did i try to incorporate WS4Sb and 5 3 1 lol ur delusional. And why would i put pics of myself up for a bunch of guys to see on a website? im not a homo[/quote]

Wait…two whole years?

Are you over the age of 18?

I HATE it when people act like they gained “x” amount of weight only to leave out the fact that they were 12 years old when they count how much they gained.

I was 95 fucking pounds as a high school freshmen yet you don’t see me claiming a 200lbs gain in body weight because I only count what I gained since the age of 18 because I stopped growing in height. Had I known everyone else was counting since the start of puberty, then I can now claim to have gained more than anyone else here.

You talked about experience. Can we see some current progress photos of your development?

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
At 180 lbs. your calorie level should be between 3,600 and 4,000 per day. About 250g protein, 450g carbohydrate, and 125g fat. Others have commented on your routine. Focus on simple goals…Squat 2.0x bodyweight for reps, deadlift 2.0x bodyweight for reps., Flat Press 1.5x bodyweight for reps, O.H. Press 1.0x bodyweight for reps, Bent Row 1.5x bodyweight for reps., etc.

Squat-Press-Pull-Row [/quote]

I am a little worried that you were that specific about food intake without joking.

Why are you doing so many sets?? your doing the old arnold 70’s type of workout. google DC training sometime. you need to cut your workout in half or even more. You do more sets in just one exercise that i do for the whole bodypart. Trust me, i know what works. doing high volume, sure it might work, but not nearly as well as a low volume, higher frequency type program.

5x5 is mostly for strength gains. only doing reps isn’t nearly enough time under tension for max size gains. personally, i never go below 8 reps. anything below that is working more the nervous sysmem and strength not size. sure, you might get some size, but its not the best way to gain size.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
At 180 lbs. your calorie level should be between 3,600 and 4,000 per day. About 250g protein, 450g carbohydrate, and 125g fat. Others have commented on your routine. Focus on simple goals…Squat 2.0x bodyweight for reps, deadlift 2.0x bodyweight for reps., Flat Press 1.5x bodyweight for reps, O.H. Press 1.0x bodyweight for reps, Bent Row 1.5x bodyweight for reps., etc.

Squat-Press-Pull-Row [/quote]

I am a little worried that you were that specific about food intake without joking.[/quote]

Yep. 180lbs without knowing height and having a picture for body composition really means nothing.

Further, without knowing anything about OPs metabolism makes those numbers a pure guess.

I think the part that should stand out most is not the routine but where you mention that you have been trying to bulk for a year and are struggling. Speaking from experience, I am willing to bet it boils down to one thing: consistency. Either consistently pushing yourself in your training, consistently not missing training, consistently eating what you need, and so on. I was one of those “I eat a ton but I just can’t gain weight” folks until I sat down and looked at what I ate. If you aren’t gaining, I am betting that’s where you should start. To give you an example of how just sticking to something and working at it can be that simple, I always liked this post of HeavyThrower(a member here)

[quote]try this sometime and tell me how it works.

monday: A1 front-squat atg 5x5
A2 dips 5x5 add weight if needed

wed: A1 power-clean 5x5
A2 bench press 5x5

friday: A1 conventional deadlifts 5x5
A2 military/push press 5x5

the first 1-2 sets of 5 should be warmups, the 3 should be moderate, the 4th challenging, the 5th and all out effort, if you can complete all five reps on this set you need to up the load. for example, the way I would do the power cleans would be thus: bar x a lot, 135x3, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5, 245x5. i can clean around 300lbs for a single. the next week i might go like 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 235x5, 255x3-4. get it?

this workout will work, if you eat and sleep enough, it will put slabs of muscle on you. its pretty low volume so it leaves something in the bank if you want to do some gpp or HIIT training or play some recreational sports from time to time.

it WILL work, but you will NOT do it, it is is too simple, and to really work it would require you to bust your fucking ass. simple and hard, this is something 90% of recreational lifters out there cannot do.

no need for additional core work if doing all this RAW, oh, and if you ask where you can fit in some bicep work and rear delt and hamstring stuff i WILL slit my own throat and mail a picture of the bloody aftermath to Professor X.
[/quote]

[quote]roguevampire wrote:
5x5 is mostly for strength gains. only doing reps isn’t nearly enough time under tension for max size gains. personally, i never go below 8 reps. anything below that is working more the nervous sysmem and strength not size. sure, you might get some size, but its not the best way to gain size.[/quote]

Just thinking about last night together makes a part of me gain size…so rogue when you coming down to devon again to punish me ?