Any weightlifters here??

[tightmaniac]

I've been lifting for less than a year and am really trying to gain weight more than anything. Although I have gotten a little bigger, I cant gain weight for the life of me. I am just wondering if anyone knows of any SAFE supplements I could possibly take.

[Wayfare]

Protien three-four times a day (half serving at morning / night, afternoon, and after workout), extra food in general, especially meat. And lift harder. Compound lifts and large muscle group workouts to increase testosterone.

www.mensfitness.com (http://www.mensfitness.com) / www.menshealth.com (http://www.menshealth.com)

Really need more specifics about what you eat and what you do in your workout.

[tbach24]

1. Make your workout as efficient as possible.

2. I haven't done it, but my bro did and he loved it: Creatine.

[offTopic]

[ QUOTE ]
Although I have gotten a little bigger, I cant gain weight for the life of me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eff You...no, seriously. Eff You. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[peachy]

i lift weights....but im a girl so i do it more for cut/tone...not pure build up. I lived with 4 guys who worked out for about 4 hrs a day together though, and they lived off a ton and i mean a TON of tuna and other protiens and made protein shakes using real fruit and what not...made me mad though b/c they would always use all my strawberries GGRRRR and i hate the smell of tuna!! They would literally make a 1ft wide 1ft deep bowl of tuna daily ::gags:: but all of them were very cut to HUGE

from what i understand from them real protiens like those u get out of foods r more important that drinking shakes (like just the shakes alone wont do) but that both together r good....along with alot of hrs put in the gym

[bosoxfan]

Ask Sup Bro to be your personaal trainer

[Allan]

What does your diet look like? There is a big possibility that what you actually need is a good diet and not supplements.

Also, what is your routine?

Allan

[willie]

[ QUOTE ]
Ask Sup Bro to be your personaal trainer

[/ QUOTE ]

you'll gain weight, strength, sex appeal, and tackles for loss

[billyjex]

Protein shakes are good. Get whey protein.

[mcb]

I use nlarge (cheap whey) and betagen (creatine) daily. This plus a decent routine should help you put on some decent muscle.

[housenuts]

creatine doesn't appeal to me. just get protein, and eat well. tuna is good.

[AEKDBet]

I was in your shoes 4 years and 60lbs ago. Do this.

1) Plan out 6 to 8 meals per day. The most important thing is KNOWING you are getting enough calories. Take your bodyweight and multiply by 18-19 for a good target for gains. Most of these should be complex carbs. The ideal macronutrient ratios for weight gain are 30% protein, 55% carbs, and 15% fat (give or take 5% either way). If you are always "too full" eat less solid foods and more shakes.

2) Focus around the big 3 lifts - deadlift, squats, bench.

3) Creatine works, and is actually good for you. Link (http://www.dpsnutrition.net/product_information.asp?number=AS060&back=yes&dept =1005&last=1005)

3) The importance of rest (http://www.stumptuous.com/rest.htm)

4) Mix up your routine. Periodization (http://www.stumptuous.com/periodization.html)

The internet is your friend - search around, look through misc.fitness.weights. If you have a question chances are very good it has already been answered somewhere.

good luck bro.

[jokerthief]

[ QUOTE ]
The most important thing is KNOWING you are getting enough calories. Take your bodyweight and multiply by 18-19 for a good target for gains.

[/ QUOTE ]

According to THIS (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm) web site, I need 24 times my weight in calories each day to break even and 28 for weight gain. I'm currently designing a nutritional plan to gain weight like the OP. I would like to hear your opinion, AEKDBet, on whether this site is legit for us to design a plan around. Your recommendation is 47% less calories per day than the site I referenced. Is THIS (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm) site exagerating?

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ask Sup Bro to be your personaal trainer

[/ QUOTE ]
you'll gain weight, strength, sex appeal, and tackles for loss

[/ QUOTE ]

and when you go all-in they'll know it!

[lucas9000]

[ QUOTE ]
2. I haven't done it, but my bro did and he loved it: Creatine.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'll second that. creatine is great. i recommend cell-tech, grape flavored.

[beerbandit]

[ QUOTE ]
i'll second that. creatine is great. i recommend cell-tech, grape flavored

[/ QUOTE ]

fruit punch



cheers

[aflaba]

www.ast-ss.com (http://www.ast-ss.com)

I use their suplements and think they're great, although they are pretty much all I've ever used.

They have good articles on their web site.
Excersize execution.
A training approach, Max-OT, that I use in a modified version when training.

[AEKDBet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The most important thing is KNOWING you are getting enough calories. Take your bodyweight and multiply by 18-19 for a good target for gains.

[/ QUOTE ]

According to THIS (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm) web site, I need 24 times my weight in calories each day to break even and 28 for weight gain. I'm currently designing a nutritional plan to gain weight like the OP. I would like to hear your opinion, AEKDBet, on whether this site is legit for us to design a plan around. Your recommendation is 47% less calories per day than the site I referenced. Is THIS (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/berardi41.htm) site exagerating?

[/ QUOTE ]

Probably. Find out what your maintenance level is by one of those online calculators (they best ones use height, weight, age, sex, and body fat %)
I think 10-20% above maintenance is a fine starting point. Then make
adjustments based on real world body composition changes. So measure
every 2-4 weeks and see what is happening. If you aren't gaining
anything, raise calories another 10% for 2-4 weeks and remeasure. At
some point, you will start gaining weight in some proportion of fat and
muscle. If you want to experiment, you can raise calorie again at this
point and see if that changes what you gain (proportionally). At some
point, you'll find that extra calories will result in mostly extra fat
gain with no extra muscle gain. That's too many. So a mathmatical example.

Say maintenance is 2000 cal (to make hte math easy)
2200 cal/day for 4 weeks: change = 0. Raise calories.
2400 cal/day for 4 weeks: Gain 1 lb muscle, 0.5 lbs fat.
2600 cal/day for 4 weeks: Gain 1.5 lb muscle, 1 lb fat
2800 cal/day for 4 weeks; gain 1.5 lb muscle, 1.5 lb fat

That would tell you that optimality was in the range of 2400-2600
cal/day and which you choose would depend on how much fat gain you were
willing to accept. But raising past 2600 only results in more fat gain,
so that was too high. Note: this is ONLY AN EXAMPLE.

for the record, your average individual isn't going to gain much more
than maybe 2 lbs muscle per month. That is unless you are like Berardi and prob have some juice in your blood.

[Bill Murphy]

Don't take supplements. Just do more squats and deadlifts & less curls and flyes; eat more frequent moderate sized meals; and get plenty of sleep.

[gvibes]

I am a vegetarian, so I supplement a lot of protein. It's a necessity for me.

Totally anecdotal, but I just started creatine in mid January, and that stuff is ridiculous. My squat (255-315) and deadlift (285-335) have each increased by an assload. I'm also able to do a lot more dips and pullups, in spite of the increase in weight.

And if you aren't gaining weight, it is probably because of some combination of:
a) not enough calories, or protein
b) doing weenie lifts. Bench, squat, deadlift

[AEKDBet]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't take supplements.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is incorrect if you want better and faster results.