need some workout advice

[-Jayson-]

ok im 5'11" 135lbs of skinny nothing. I used to be a track and cross country runner and i was very good at it. The downside was because of running so much daily i never really built up muscle mass. My muscles are somewhat strong, just not big. I used to work out and maxed my bench at 150lbs and curls at 90lbs. Then i got sick and just fell out of the workout routine. Well im starting again. This time i really want it to stick to the workout and see some serious results. In the past ive tried weight gainers, i took 1850, the whole bottle in less than a week, i gained 2 pounds which i lost as soon as the bottle was empty. So weight gainers dont work for me. I take protein shakes after i work out. And im taking N02. Ive taken N02 in the past, and this seems to be the only thing that really makes a difference in mass for me. I managed to gain 5lbs in month on N02, the month before i wasnt on it and didnt gain squat. You can take N02 with creatine, should i try a small dosage of creatine? Ive never taken it before, but i am aware of its side effects. As for a work out routine, i usually work out 4-6 times a week. Sometimes more. My body doesnt really tire like other peoples. I can work out hard for a whole day and the next day i wont feel the least bit tired. Ive been thinking about doing two 30 minute work outs each day. One in the morning and one at night. I have a gym in my basement with a full machine and weight bench.

Well this is getting kinda long sorry. So im curious as to what you guys would recommend to start building some serious muscle mass and weight?

[Implode]

You are probably just not eating enough. You should be eating a meal at least every three hours. How much protein are you getting? You should be getting at least 1 gram ber lb of your weight. You may be overtraining... What do your workouts look like? Are you doing squats, deadlifts etc...? How much sleep are you getting?

[pnoiSR20]

Eat food high in calories.

[Porsche]

You need to work harder, heavier, and with less reps. Your body is conditioned for endurance, you'll subconsciously choose weight that isn't heavier enough. Most men use less weight than what they should be.

Find your one-rep maxes for the common exercises and work from there. 70% of your one-rep max is a decent start point for working sets, and increase it if you're getting any more than 8 reps.

I wouldn't recommend N02 quite yet, since you should probably build up some muscle mass first and learn your body. If you know your body (this usually takes about a year or so of regular training) you'll know how it responds to workouts and you'll know what to do to get the most out of something like N02.

I'm considering it myself, but it's sorta expensive and I won't do it until I know I have the time to dedicate to making good use of it. Since it helps deliver more oxygen to your muscles, you should typically expect a extra few reps.

But, like I said, you'll have to know your body before you'll get good results from N02. Stick with protein for now.

[-Jayson-]

ive gotten results from N02, like the only thing that did. FOr me i found out that working out almost everyday was the best way for me. But as far as what techniques i should be using iss where i get lost. Im gonna try the high weights and low reps for a month and see how that goes. Normally i do 4 sets, and each set goes reps like this, 8,10,12,14 if i can do 4 sets of that i move my weights up.

[Porsche]

4 sets is a good start, that's a good way to maintain and slowly build muscle mass. If you want to build mass though, you should be doing four sets of 10,8,6,4 or something like that, make sure you can't put out more than a few on your last sets.


I'm lost as to why the N02 works so well for you, but if it does, stick with it I guess.

[-Jayson-]

it does, i dont know why either but its the ONLY thing and i mean only thing that works for me. Working out with just protein wont do anything, i get more toned and defined but thats it. Weight gainers wont do anything either. Im gonna stop at crispy cream donugts tonight, that should get me some calaroies.

[Porsche]

lol, right idea, wrong place. Donuts are empty calories.


Protein won't likely show you any results. It's designed to help your body repair muscle tissue. To keep it simple, when you work out, you damage tissue, a high protein intake facilitates tissue recovery and aids in overall muscle growth but it's by no means a true supplement. It's more of a building block that should always be there.

Think of it as an air intake on an engine. You may not notice the results with normal amounts of air, but as soon as you crank up the air flow a bit, you'll notice more power, to an extent. You can't have too much protein going into you, or else your body will just waste the excess stuff it can't process.

Eat a lot of fish, chicken, pork, red meat, nuts, eggs and, dairy products to ensure a good protein intake.

Lastly, carbs are not the evil bady guy the atkins diet makes them out to be, you need to ensure a high carb intake since you're likely to burn a lot of energy, which carbs more/less translate into.

[-Jayson-]

ok so how does this sound for workout/eating.

Im gonna do the high carbs and dairy, i usually try and do that anyways. As for working out, im gonna try the lots of weight with short slow reps. Im going to try and work out atleast once a day. This along with N02 daily, and protein after the workout. Is it better to take the protein before or after working out?

[Implode]

It would be better to take it after working out. Your not working out the same muscle every day are you?

[-Jayson-]

no i try and rotate

[Porsche]

Sounds good to me.

[-Jayson-]

should i let my muscles rest a day even if they dont feel sore or tired?

[WhiteLine Civic]

the best advice i can give is do what worked for me. in high school i wrestled at the 125 weight class. I wanted to bulk up so I sat on my ass for like 2 months and ate shit like pasta, chicken, pork chops, more pasta. then i worked out hardcore now i'm a cut 165 thats the only thing that worked for me. oh and most importantly stay away from krispy kream, micky'ds, and all that fast food shit its all just empty calories.

[-Jayson-]

so far everything seems to be going good, im adding weights almost every other workout right now and im up 1.5 Lbs. 160 here i come!