I Need Experienced Help!!

question for everyone. I’m 22 yrs old, 5’5 @ 155 lbs-yes a little guy. I’ve been working out hard (2hrs a day, 5 days a week) and eating very well for 3 years, i’ve barely missed a beat.But I am the definiton of the hard gainer. I recently got a part time job at a nutrional store to cut down my supplement costs. Whenever I ask for help in my plans people assume i am unexperienced, please dont make this assumption! With the help of supplements (protien, Mag10, oils etc.)i wont to get up to 165. I have tried almost every plan.Please give me advice on the hardest, most hardcore plan(5-6days/wk), with details.THANKS GUYS!!(AND THE LADIES OFCOURSE)

how many calories and grams of protein do you eat per day?

Why are you training 2 hours per day 5 days each week? Is this 2 hours comprised of nothing but weight training or weight training + cardio + stretching etc? I’m not going to say you’re overtraining but it is a possibility. Nevertheless, if you expect to put on any size training that much you better be eating like a horse. Read “Massive Eating” in the previous issues of t-mag and figure out what your caloric intake should be and slowly build up to that level. You’ll probably find that when you do you aren’t such a hardgainer after all.

you are an idiot.

Your primary problem is right here: "…working out hard (2hrs a day, 5 days a week) "

How do you expect to make any gains from this type of routine? You are not the definition of a hard-gainer - but someone who is maybe a "overtrainer". You also provided a brief summary of your supps - but what FOOD are you eating? Do you keep a food log so that you are fully aware of how many calories you're consuming?

As for the "hardest, most hardcore plan" that is 5-6 days a week?! Is there such a thing? I say tone it down to 3 days (4-days MAX) a week. What are you doing in terms of "big lifts"? Like, squats, deads, etc.?

Sorry, but you are unexperienced (and not well-read.) Luckily, you have found T-mag.

Sorry, but are you NUTS? Lifting 2hrs, 5X a week? Try 3. 4 max. 1 and 1/5 hr. max each.

Cut your volume down. Try a 5X5 program for a couple of months. No more than 3 sets 4 times per week. 12 sets of 5 reps in total. 3 for chest, 3 for back, 1 for shoulders, 1 for Bi’s, 1 for tri’s and 3 for lower body. No more than 45 minutes per workout. You might be amazed.

However many calories you’re eating, it’s not enough to support your training. Eat more healthy foods, if you come back and have gained 5lbs of fat and no muscle, then you can complain. By the way, I’m not usually one to suggest overtraining, but 2hrs per workout may be a bit too much and could be depriving you of the calories you need to grow.

A 5X5 program is 5 sets of 5 reps a piece for each exercise. Though you wouldn’t use many excerises in this type of program. Poliquin has a good bit on this in one of his old “Question of Strength” articles on how you should approach this type of training.