Not Sure What Direction to Go

Just a few suggestions here:

-shoot for mass, but do it slowly, fat is an evil monster that must always be kept at bay, read Shugart’s articles for his perspective there. Maybe do some sprinting, sled dragging, or just short rest intervals between lifting sets from time to time. I’m a current,and former fatboy and it seems to come back like a boomerang.

-I don’t see any EFAs, add some good fats to your diet, particularly later in the day. Eat protein at every meal but keep fats n carbs seperate (see John Berardi)

-You could probably get away with a bigger breakfast. Also eat a big meal after training.

-keep your lifting basic and heavy, focus your training around the power lifts and olympic movements

-don’t overdo the bench press, and do more upper back than chest movements. your shoulders will thank you some day.

[quote]Spike9726 wrote:
Just a few suggestions here:

-shoot for mass, but do it slowly, fat is an evil monster that must always be kept at bay, read Shugart’s articles for his perspective there. [/quote]

I disagree with this. This kid is at a prime time in his life to gain the most muscle mass. Why would he waste that by trying to make gains as slowly as possible?

[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
Ramo wrote:
Don’t waste your most productive muscle-building years by cutting. If you stay in the iron game for any length of time, you will regret the wasted opportunity down the road. I promise you.

All the best.

I promise you too. The clock is chasing us all and I would give anything to have your years back. You saw how willingly the fat you’ve already dumped went away. For God’s sake man build some muscle.

–Tiribulus->[/quote]

I don’t understand why so many seem to not see things this way. While we all plan on lifting for a lifetime (I hope, if you are on this site) you don’t have “forever” to take advantage of natural increases in hormone levels.

I am VERY glad I bulked up in college and tried to make the most progress during that time. I am VERY glad I didn’t try to gain “slowly”. It would have put me YEARS behind my current development. I would probably still be trying to break 200lbs.

I suppose if your goals are so minimal that you strive to look like an average person who no one can tell lifts weights if you wear anything bulkier than a Hanes t-shirt, then fine…take 10 years to gain 20lbs of muscle.

[quote]Spike9726 wrote:
Just a few suggestions here:

-shoot for mass, but do it slowly, fat is an evil monster that must always be kept at bay, read Shugart’s articles for his perspective there. Maybe do some sprinting, sled dragging, or just short rest intervals between lifting sets from time to time. I’m a current,and former fatboy and it seems to come back like a boomerang.

-I don’t see any EFAs, add some good fats to your diet, particularly later in the day. Eat protein at every meal but keep fats n carbs seperate (see John Berardi)

-You could probably get away with a bigger breakfast. Also eat a big meal after training.

-keep your lifting basic and heavy, focus your training around the power lifts and olympic movements

-don’t overdo the bench press, and do more upper back than chest movements. your shoulders will thank you some day.[/quote]

Along with the above your total intake is LOW more than likely. Ive become pretty good at counting the k/cals in the amounts of food and what you listed is about 2200 k/cals total minus any dressing etc on the salad. Thats bird feed brotha are you gaining off that??

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Ramo wrote:
Don’t waste your most productive muscle-building years by cutting. If you stay in the iron game for any length of time, you will regret the wasted opportunity down the road. I promise you.

All the best.

I promise you too. The clock is chasing us all and I would give anything to have your years back. You saw how willingly the fat you’ve already dumped went away. For God’s sake man build some muscle.

–Tiribulus->

I don’t understand why so many seem to not see things this way. While we all plan on lifting for a lifetime (I hope, if you are on this site) you don’t have “forever” to take advantage of natural increases in hormone levels.

I am VERY glad I bulked up in college and tried to make the most progress during that time. I am VERY glad I didn’t try to gain “slowly”. It would have put me YEARS behind my current development. I would probably still be trying to break 200lbs.

I suppose if your goals are so minimal that you strive to look like an average person who no one can tell lifts weights if you wear anything bulkier than a Hanes t-shirt, then fine…take 10 years to gain 20lbs of muscle. [/quote]

Its simple it boils down to your life our economy. everything is NOW fast. No time vested in anything any longer we are a market society you want it no matter waht it is you go buy it. That has leeched its way into any and everything. The mind set is such that its habit a horrid one at that.

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
My diet I have been doing for the last 5 months has been this

Meal 1: 1 cup oat meal 2 scoops Whey
Meal 2: Salad, Boneless Chicken Breast
Gym 2 scoops whey
Meal 3: 1 cup rice chicken breast 1 cup green beans
Meal 4: 1-2 cans tuna
Meal 5: 2 scoops whey (dinner)

Really I should be adding something more shouldnt I? Got any ideas? More rice, or any type of carb?
[/quote]

That is a mind numbingly borring diet. There is a whole universe of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and lean meats out there.

That diet may have worked to lose weight, but it wont work to gain muscle.

Which at the time that is what it was for I was a fat 230 like i said i had to loose weight. I will change my diet to get some more everything another question if you dont mind has any one heard anything good about these products? I dont know if there worth it or not.

www.mgdevelopment.com/mgf-1.htm
www.mgdevelopment.com/mgf-2.htm

Thanks

Who ever said that they use to be fat knows what its like is right. That made me think thats why I am scared to double my cal’s I DONT WANT TO BE FAT AGAIN!! But as long as its healthy food I will be ok?

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Who ever said that they use to be fat knows what its like is right. That made me think thats why I am scared to double my cal’s I DONT WANT TO BE FAT AGAIN!! But as long as its healthy food I will be ok?[/quote]

Let me clear this up for you for the rest of your life. Calories are not your enemy. Fat is not your enemy, not even saturated fat in sane amounts. Meat is not your enemy. Carbs are not your enemy either.

Shitty, prepackaged garbage “food” IS your enemy. Trans fatty acids ARE your enemy. Sitting on your ass IS your mortal enemy. The most deadly enemy of all though could be a fear of food that paralyzes both your mind and your body. Without enough quality calories, your metabolism will stall, your strength will fade, thus killing your muscle growth and your health will NEVER be what it could.

You’ll find yourself starving yourself further because you won’t think your lean enough and the cycle will continue. If you even stick with it long enough to get to that point.

You will have plenty of early warning before an excess of intake will be of any of danger to you. EAT!!! EAT A LOT!!! Train like an animal and keep learning. I promise you on my daughter’s soul you will never be a fat slob again, but you have to grow some muscle.

Think about this simple universal truth. The more of you there is the more you can eat without getting fat, indeed the more you will have to eat to avoid being an emaciated stick person.

Yes, I know what being a disgusting, sweaty pig feels like and I also understand the indescribable exhileration of realizing that it doesn’t have to be that way. I guarantee if you spend the next couple of years eating and training like a champion you will be on here telling other guys who are where you are now the same thing.

–Tiribulus->

Bigr0ss07 - I’m confused as to why you are looking into those supplements. You are posting on T-Nation, which has some of the best available, all backed by scientific reasoning.

If you just buy from T-Nation and follow the instructions on the bottle, you won’t even have to learn about when you should be taking in whey versus casein - the thinking has already been done for you. (I think you should learn, but I’m just saying you’ll start out by doing the right thing).

Some of the excellent products here are (and no, I don’t work for T-Nation or anything, but I do buy their stuff):

  • Flameout (healthy fats, designed for men, huge doses, cheaper than store for the same amount of active ingredients)

  • Surge - absolutely required during and after working out. Replenishes what you need to put on muscle and keep your body functioning optimally.

Very good, but less important if you don’t have enough $$$:

  • BCAAs
  • Metabolic Drive (protein powder)

Very good, less important than above if you don’t have $$$:

  • ZMA
  • Carbolin 19

Some people will quibble about how I have ranked them, but it is slightly subjective. In my last order I also got free Metabolic Drive bars because I spent over $50.

You got fat because you sat on your ass and didn’t lift weights. Your diet is appropriate for a 16 year old 120lb girl.

If you want to get big, then there will be a time when you will not be able to see your abs even while flexing. You’re not going to get to be a “fat ass”, but you will have to face the fact that you will be “soft” for a while before you have anything to show.

Ok so this is what I am going to do thanks for the help guys. Going to keep reading up and try to find a good diet to bulk up on. Then next summer when I go to my trip to florida about 8-12 weeks out then do a cut and after that bulk back up :slight_smile: thanks for all the help.

If anyone by chance has a sample of a diet they have used and like let me know I am going to go back to my reading up on some diet plans. I have seen good results from what I have been on, now that I am going to be eating the right way can’t wait to see how much faster I am going to grow!!

THANKS SO MUCH! -John-

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Ok so this is what I am going to do thanks for the help guys. Going to keep reading up and try to find a good diet to bulk up on. Then next summer when I go to my trip to florida about 8-12 weeks out then do a cut and after that bulk back up :slight_smile: thanks for all the help.

If anyone by chance has a sample of a diet they have used and like let me know I am going to go back to my reading up on some diet plans. I have seen good results from what I have been on, now that I am going to be eating the right way can’t wait to see how much faster I am going to Grow!!

THANKS SO MUCH! -John-[/quote]

If you wanna really scare yourself check the thread in the supplements and nutrition area called “My Experience on the Anabolic Diet”. With solid training you will be shocked at what and how much you can eat without getting actually “fat”. Especially at your age friend.

Nobody (I don’t think) is going to tell you to eat without any limits, but it’s tough to gain optimally if you’re constantly worried about a pinchable layer of storage over your abs for a while.

You just wait until you’re carrying 20 or 30 pounds, or maybe even more, of additional meat around to burn it off. You think you got lean this time? Oh to be a kid again!!!

One day you’re going to look back and see that you’re probably eating as many calories overall as when you were fat just to keep your energy up and keep from losing muscle. I smell a winner in you for some reason, keep us posted on your progress.

–Tiribulus->

Thanks man, I am glad to see someone has faith in me. I need to take some pics of me, for 5 months of the training I have had and the little diet i was on I think I have made some damn good gains I will try to get some pics this weekend.

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Thanks man, I am glad to see someone has faith in me. I need to take some pics of me, for 5 months of the training I have had and the little diet i was on I think I have made some damn good gains I will try to get some pics this weekend.[/quote]

It’s not that anybody else doesn’t have faith in YOU, personally. Most of these guys have been coming here a lot longer than I have and they’ve seen a veritable parade of people who are gung ho for about a half hour and then disappear. Or they come to a site named “Testerone Nation” asking questions calculated to help them win the Boy George invitational and then get pissed when somebody tells them to eat like a man and move some heavy weight around.

I’m sure it’s not personal at all, but that’s what you sounded like at first. I think you’ve caught the bug though and at 18 just eating like a man and moving some heavy weight around is all you need for now. Like the guy on the previous page was saying. Do you want to show off your nifty little 6 month old abs now or would you rather wait a while, pay some dues and unveil an overall impressive physique, including highly developed abs? One which you can keep for most of the rest of your life?

I was 18 once chief. I know what that word… <<>> sounds like. Just keep your shirt on (was that a pun?) you’ll be there sooner than you think, but you’ll never get there being afraid to eat.

–Tiribulus->

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
Thanks man, I am glad to see someone has faith in me. I need to take some pics of me, for 5 months of the training I have had and the little diet i was on I think I have made some damn good gains I will try to get some pics this weekend.[/quote]

Take pics now and save them 'til this time next year. Then show us the after pics. I would recommend the anabolic diet as well for a FFB (former fat boy).

Check out Precision Nutrition. Most of the guys here either use it directly, use something similar to it, or just try to use whatever they can find from Berardi’s articles. It makes since, it is based on science, and is pretty cutting edge. Pretty much everything you need to know in one planned package.

[quote]Bigr0ss07 wrote:
My diet I have been doing for the last 5 months has been this

Meal 1: 1 cup oat meal 2 scoops Whey
Meal 2: Salad, Boneless Chicken Breast
Gym 2 scoops whey
Meal 3: 1 cup rice chicken breast 1 cup green beans
Meal 4: 1-2 cans tuna
Meal 5: 2 scoops whey (dinner)

Really I should be adding something more shouldnt I? Got any ideas? More rice, or any type of carb?
[/quote]

um, yea. pretty much double that, and then maybe even add some more. seriously, are people getting fucking stupid? the only thing in your “meal plan” here that doesnt literally have the calories printed right on its label would be the chicken breast. for that, itll be on the label in 3oz portions, but even that shouldnt be too hard to figure out. now, add all those calories up and tell me, are you even breaking 2000? if you are, you got your math wrong somewhere.