trying to bulk...having issues gaining weight

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  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    6-8 sets of 3-5 reps each. Again, EAT MORE.
    Should I be going up in weight after each set or just staying with the same weight?

    do warm up sets, increasing each set until you get to your working sets. your working sets will typically be at the same weight. then on the next session, try to increase the weight.

    you would do best to do some detailed reading about the lifting programs i mentioned above, instead of putting it together with the bits and pieces we're giving you.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Try slower and fewer reps, with heavier weights, fewer sets, and good form. You want to totally exhaust the muscles that you are training. Make sure those muscles get 48 hours of recovery or you will over train. Change your routine about every 6 weeks, it surprises your body. Eat more calories in the right types of meals than you need for you to maintain your weight, you will gain while loosing body fat. Don't do so much cardio, but make sure you warm up, cool down, and stretch. I see too many guys who think that is bull ****, but it is a proven science. Good luck!
    ACSM Certified Trainer

    Power Lifters do the same exercises for yeeeears and see gains. You don't have to change all exercises. Just find the few you like for body parts and cycle through them every now and then. Not to mention it's hard to see strength gains when you're constantly changing lifts. Muscle growth is from overload, not confusion.

    Indeed. Unless "steadily increasing weight every week" counts as "switching things up" :)

    Which it does.

    Sure, but he specifically said routine to surprise your body. I don't think he simply meant progressive over load. He meant like most trainers, change the exercises for the body parts so the muscle can't adapt.
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    I'm agreeing with you Jenn. Progressive overload is still "switching things up". If he wants to believe everything Tony Horton tells him, far be it from me to keep him from his daily DOMS.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I am tryimg to bulk up with muscle but I keep loosing weight. I am 180...strength train 6x a week, run 3x a week, and eat about 3000 cals a day. I get about 200g of protein a day. Any suggestions? I dont want gain fat...also what should my goals should be set at as far as protein/carbs/fat? I think right now they are set at 40/30/30.


    First your not doing any justice by running 3x a week if your bulking. Would be wise to start tapering the cardio down, whilst slowly increasing food. Unfortunately fat gain is unavoidable, but if done right you can increase muscle mass with minimal fat gain. I would probably also recommend that you follow a strength routine that gets you in the gym 3 or 4 days a week instead of 6. Pick a routine and stick with it for at least 8 weeks. This will allow you to gain the benefit of the program as well as accurately track your progress. Good luck!

    **** Shawn, why taper? Cold turkey! Fat gain is the hardest part psychologically -- I'm about to go in a non OP intended direction haha. Embrace the fat. It's inevitable, like he said ;-)
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    I'm agreeing with you Jenn. Progressive overload is still "switching things up". If he wants to believe everything Tony Horton tells him, far be it from me to keep him from his daily DOMS.

    This morning I used a new technique called Meal Confusion (tm) to keep my body guessing. I was out of eggs so I had a shake instead; and didn't have eggs until 2pm. That is going to Shock My Metabolism into efficiently burning fat! :bigsmile:
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I'm agreeing with you Jenn. Progressive overload is still "switching things up". If he wants to believe everything Tony Horton tells him, far be it from me to keep him from his daily DOMS.

    @ 6 days it sure will be daily :P
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I'm agreeing with you Jenn. Progressive overload is still "switching things up". If he wants to believe everything Tony Horton tells him, far be it from me to keep him from his daily DOMS.

    This morning I used a new technique called Meal Confusion (tm) to keep my body guessing. I was out of eggs so I had a shake instead; and didn't have eggs until 2pm. That is going to Shock My Metabolism into efficiently burning fat! :bigsmile:

    hahahahah. Bet you're a pound down tomorrow!
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    Just 1Lb? Nope. Now that he's found a trademarked diet plan, he'll lose 5% body fat and gain 10lb muscle in a week. Keep us posted?
  • FairuzyAmanuzy
    FairuzyAmanuzy Posts: 221 Member
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    My husband is 180 and trying to get to 215. His trainer said to eat more than 4000 calories a day, no cardio and strength train 7 days a week. You will have to gain a little fat with the muscle most likely, and then go into a cut cycle to trim it back but keep all the nice new muscle.

    I wouldn't lift 7 days a week heh. Where's the time for recovery for the body??

    I told him he should have rest days, but he wants to stick with what his trainer is telling him for now I guess. He targets different body parts everyday....one day legs, one day arms, one day chest....etc
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Just 1Lb? Nope. Now that he's found a trademarked diet plan, he'll lose 5% body fat and gain 10lb muscle in a week. Keep us posted?

    Just needs a good name ....hmmmmm. Wait. If you ate the whole egg, bets might be off.
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    My husband is 180 and trying to get to 215. His trainer said to eat more than 4000 calories a day, no cardio and strength train 7 days a week. You will have to gain a little fat with the muscle most likely, and then go into a cut cycle to trim it back but keep all the nice new muscle.

    I wouldn't lift 7 days a week heh. Where's the time for recovery for the body??

    I told him he should have rest days, but he wants to stick with what his trainer is telling him for now I guess. He targets different body parts everyday....one day legs, one day arms, one day chest....etc

    Off topic or wrong thread.
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    My husband is 180 and trying to get to 215. His trainer said to eat more than 4000 calories a day, no cardio and strength train 7 days a week. You will have to gain a little fat with the muscle most likely, and then go into a cut cycle to trim it back but keep all the nice new muscle.

    I wouldn't lift 7 days a week heh. Where's the time for recovery for the body??

    I told him he should have rest days, but he wants to stick with what his trainer is telling him for now I guess. He targets different body parts everyday....one day legs, one day arms, one day chest....etc

    If there aren't letters behind your name, your opinion isn't worth anything :) We know that's better than like full body daily haha. But some rest would still be beneficial
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    My husband is 180 and trying to get to 215. His trainer said to eat more than 4000 calories a day, no cardio and strength train 7 days a week. You will have to gain a little fat with the muscle most likely, and then go into a cut cycle to trim it back but keep all the nice new muscle.

    I wouldn't lift 7 days a week heh. Where's the time for recovery for the body??

    I told him he should have rest days, but he wants to stick with what his trainer is telling him for now I guess. He targets different body parts everyday....one day legs, one day arms, one day chest....etc

    Off topic or wrong thread.

    No she replied earlier about her husband. He has a bad trainer.
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    Just 1Lb? Nope. Now that he's found a trademarked diet plan, he'll lose 5% body fat and gain 10lb muscle in a week. Keep us posted?

    Just needs a good name ....hmmmmm. Wait. If you ate the whole egg, bets might be off.

    Yes, we'll have to wait to see what percentage of the yolk he ate to give it a proper name.
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
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    Well she was in the wrong thread earlier then, and should have posted her own thread about her husband. Better yet, have her husband post his own thread. AAAAAANNNNNDDDD ........boom goes the dynamite.
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I am tryimg to bulk up with muscle but I keep loosing weight. I am 180...strength train 6x a week, run 3x a week, and eat about 3000 cals a day. I get about 200g of protein a day. Any suggestions? I dont want gain fat...also what should my goals should be set at as far as protein/carbs/fat? I think right now they are set at 40/30/30.
    Up your calories to 3500 and track wight and bodyfat over the next month.

    That should do it, but if not, up calories another 250....repeat....

    Good Luck:drinker:
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    Well she was in the wrong thread earlier then, and should have posted her own thread about her husband. Better yet, have her husband post his own thread. AAAAAANNNNNDDDD ........boom goes the dynamite.

    No one likes you. BOOM.
  • BoxingCoachMo
    BoxingCoachMo Posts: 420
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    Try slower and fewer reps, with heavier weights, fewer sets, and good form. You want to totally exhaust the muscles that you are training. Make sure those muscles get 48 hours of recovery or you will over train. Change your routine about every 6 weeks, it surprises your body. Eat more calories in the right types of meals than you need for you to maintain your weight, you will gain while loosing body fat. Don't do so much cardio, but make sure you warm up, cool down, and stretch. I see too many guys who think that is bull ****, but it is a proven science. Good luck!
    ACSM Certified Trainer

    Good advice above. I am an advocate of rest. If you worked out 7 days a week you would exhaust your central nervous system!!
  • stephenatl09
    stephenatl09 Posts: 186 Member
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    if you want to bulk 86 the cardio for now. Do compound exercises with heavy weight 4-6 reps 3 sets. You gain mass by tearing the muscle down and rebuilding it. Rest is as important as working out. The muscle only grows during rest. you need to eat more but eat clean if you do not want to gain fat. Lean protein, use protein powder as needed to increase your protein to at least 1.5 your body weight. Good complex carbs like brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc. and lots of veggies too. Oh and left off an important part GOOD fats !!! i.e. olive oil, flax seed oil, etc. I make a sweet potato protein shake post workout that is awesome..be creative !!! Most trainers say to get protein into you within 20-30 mins or so post workout, but I have seen those that say it isn't that important. I do because I'm HUNGRY after a workout ..lol !!
  • makhno
    makhno Posts: 9
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    As long as your intake is higher than your expenditure you'll gain wait. Just increase the amount of calories you are consuming as mentioned. Maybe consider homemade shakes if you cant stomach the idea of more meals

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