A Little Help for a Beginner, Please?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

750×1000 88.3 KB

Hey guys, I’m new here. I was at the Gym today and met a gentleman (1morerep) who recommended I give this place a try for no bulls*it honest answers, to honest (seemingly stupid) questions.

So let me just get this out of the way before anything else.

When I was 16(I’m 21 now), I started lifting. I started at 105 pounds. I ate and ate, I lifted heavy, and drank so many protein shakes that I had actually damaged my liver. I did this because I lost my mind, and didn’t see any progress, and I had literally went psychotic for awhile. I had to take a break due to this reason. However, I never really “stopped” I continued to lift at home, and just, yeah because I enjoyed it so much. I just never lifted heavy, or progressed as one would say.

Anyways, I digress let’s continue.

Present time. I’m 5’5-1/2, 21 years old Male, and ready to build muscle. I had joined this gym (LaC) where I had met Joe(1morerep) about a month ago now. When I started this new gym, I weighed 116 lbs. I just weighed myself today, and I weigh 122. I don’t notice any fat gain so, I just marked it off as water weight for the most part. (because I think it’s impossible to add 5 pounds of pure muscle in a month?)

I work as a BMW Detail for cars, so I’m always walking, I’d say about 7-10 hours a day. My diet consists of
Protein - Almonds, Natty Peanut Butter, Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Tuna, Salmon, Greek Yogurt, and Eggs. I just recently found out of lactose intolerant, that sucks because that’s how I got in most of my calories but, I found other ways.

Carbs - My carbs are complex… Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, and Whole Grain/Wheat English muffins. I try to stay away from sugar as much as I can.

Fats - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Egg Yolks, Almonds, Natural Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Cashews, etc. Pretty much anything with high amounts of mono fats.

My “supposed” BMR is about 1,500 calories. I however find this as garbage, because I’ve always been super skinny, and used to consume like 2 Ben and Jerry’s Pints, with junk food when I was younger, and not gain any fat. However, scientists know more then me, so, I listen. With the Tdee, about 2,400 calories a day for me to consume. I try to get about 3,000 calories a day, 3,500 if I walked, and trained that day. (probably NOT a good idea but I continue it until told otherwise.(hint hint)

I got a personal trainer I see every Tuesday once a week. He measure my bodyfat about 2 weeks ago. I stood on the machine with my socks off, and it came out to be 6.6% bodyfat. I’m not sure how accurate that is, so I brushed it off, and I guess myself to be around MAYBE 10%. I always 24-7 have 2 prominent veins under my abdomen, as well as all over my body. I’m not sure if I just have really good vascularity, or if I am, infact, low bodyfat. The thing is, I see my top 2 abs all the time, but my lower 6, yeah, nothing. When I flex them, it just looking like I have a block of wood on both sides. No definition at all. However, when I press on my intestines where the abs “should be” It feels hard, it doesn’t feel like fat. It almost feels like I’m just pressing on my guts. However I CAN infact grab about 1 inch of skin from my lower abs when standing. I have to really dig deep to grab the skin, but when I do, I can pull it out for about a little under an inch. (let’s move on)

My training consists of 8-12 reps, as heavy as I can possible lift, 3 times a week. Tuesday-Thursday- and Saturday. The only difference is my trainer has me do a 10-8-6 on Tuesday. Which is The first set is 10 reps, then 8, then 6. He increase the weight by 5 lbs on my last set (6). I try to do a split… something like back and biceps Monday, Chest and Triceps Thursday, then legs Saturday. I however am a stupid noob, and have no idea if this is going to help me or not.

Anyways, here is a picture of me flexing my abs, and overall just an idea of my body type, and bodyfat%. I honestly don’t have a clue, and maybe you do. Personally I think(and hope) the reason I don’t see those bottom abs is because I don’t have them built/defined enough. Does anyone have an idea on how to add size to abs? Lately when I try to work my lower abs, I literally start to feel like I’m going to ejaculate in my pants. Gross, I know. How do you think I feel? Rumor has it that it’s high Testosterone… but… I’m just going to go ahead and say I’m putting too much pressure on my other-region muscles, and I’m forcing it myself. (no homo)

Thanks again guys. Like I said, I’m a noob so, please take it easy on me. I didn’t know where to post this so, if it needs to be moved, please move it. However, I would love some advice I need it badly, and the people at BB.com are just… awkward…

Thanks again guys.

… oh yeah, 1 last thing my Macros are
Protein - 190g MINIMUM
Carbs - 310g MAXIMUM
Fats - 70g MINIMUM

= 2630 calories on off days.

Thanks again guys, please help me out here, lol. I really want to put on muscle finally tired of being the skinny guy at 5’5… =(

2

9/10 - would read again

3

[quote]MickyGee wrote:
9/10 - would read again[/quote]
Sorry man, I have just, never been here before and I wanted to cram as much information as I could so no one was left in the dark about ANYTHING. Seriously though, I doubt you read it, and that’s fine, but I really am serious, I really want to go on the right track.

4

Maybe you should drink olive oil… INSTEAD OF WATER.

ARE YOU SHORE the shakes wrecked your liver ? ARE YOU SHORE(.) Lol i can guaran-damn-tee that i have eaten more protien powder than you in the same timespan (like 5-6 lbs a week)

…everybody is different though i guess.

I think you probably got one of them inferior …short digestive tracts

5

[quote]Field wrote:
Maybe you should drink olive oil… INSTEAD OF WATER. Liquid calories=own.sauce

ARE YOU SHORE the shakes wrecked your liver ? ARE YOU SHORE(.?)

Cause every time i walk in the damn kitchen i eat myself some dry protien powder out of the bag.
Realisticly, its been 5-6lbs a week of chocoloate protien powder for at least 4 years. (Im 25)

[/quote]

Yeah, I’m allergic to Whey Protein. I know, your thinking “It’s freaking just milk!” well I found out I was lactose intolerant by being bloated 24-7 drinking milk. I ordered some Elite Protein from Dynamtize. It was Whey/Casien mixed. I took it before bed, and thought nothing of it. Woke up at 10 PM with horrible pain in my kidney’s. Noticed white lines on my finger nails the next day, and apparently it damaged my KIDNEY’s that night. 1 scoop. That’s it. That’s all it freaking took. This was about 2 1/2 weeks ago. When I eliminated all the Whey from my diet, I’m not as bloated now, and I don’t have any pains in my kidneys.

So I’m just going to go with the thought that I’m allergic to SOMETHING in Milk. I drink Egg White Protein Isolate from ON for my shakes… which usually consist of 1-2 scoops of Egg Protein Powder, 1 Banana, 2 Table spoons of Natural Peanut Butter, and 2 cups of Almond Milk. All-in-all 600 calories.

6

Just learn the basic lifts squat bench deadlift overhead press . Don’t go crazy over your diet just eat a lot of protein carbs and somewhat healthy and her on some sort of program like 5x5 or starting strength

7

[quote]bdocksaints75 wrote:
Just learn the basic lifts squat bench deadlift overhead press . Don’t go crazy over your diet just eat a lot of protein carbs and somewhat healthy and her on some sort of program like 5x5 or starting strength[/quote]

So the fact I went up 7 lbs in 3 weeks is… ok?.. I mean I hope I didn’t gian any fat. I still see my veins on my arms clear as day, as well as on my abs. I did eat A LOT of red meat though. Could it be just water weight from the Creatine?

Also, so continue eating 3,000 calories a day, and see what comes of it?

8

Yeah you should just eat and gain as much weight as possible your pretty Damn skinny , if you gain some fat don’t worry about it

9

Welcome to the forums :slight_smile: There’s a huge amount of info freely available on the site here, definitely take time to read through the articles as well as the stickies at the top of the Beginners and Bodybuilding forums.

10

1- get on a proven program. I would suggest reading up on the following, and picking the one you like best, and following it as written:

5/3/1
WS4SB
Juggernaut Method
Texas Method

2- perform conditioning on a regular basis. Stuff like sprints, weighted sleds, timed 1 mile runs, strongman conditioning, anything that is hard and will make you awesome.

3- eat well. Take a simple approach, because eating isn’t complicated.

Eat a large portion of meat or eggs
Eat a serving of vegetables
Eat a serving of complex carbohydrates
You can’t drink milk, so wash that down with a protein shake

Do that 4 times a day. Simple. Effective.

Don’t forget to stretch.

Good luck.

11

Dude, you’re just skinny and lean. It’s better than skinny-fat, lol.
Seriously, you should probably list 4 times a week, focusing on the basics like bdocksaints75 said. Learn how to do pull ups, dips and barbell rows with good form as well. Don’t bother with isolation shit. And eat. A lot. Maybe have a double egg white shake with each meal. You will gain some fat while adding mass, but for real, I don’t think this is something for you to worry about. Oh, and those lower abs you can’t see? That’s because they aren’t there, you need to build them.

12

[quote]Chris87 wrote:
1- get on a proven program. I would suggest reading up on the following, and picking the one you like best, and following it as written:

5/3/1
WS4SB
Juggernaut Method
Texas Method

2- perform conditioning on a regular basis. Stuff like sprints, weighted sleds, timed 1 mile runs, strongman conditioning, anything that is hard and will make you awesome.

3- eat well. Take a simple approach, because eating isn’t complicated.

Eat a large portion of meat or eggs
Eat a serving of vegetables
Eat a serving of complex carbohydrates
You can’t drink milk, so wash that down with a protein shake

Do that 4 times a day. Simple. Effective.

Don’t forget to stretch.

Good luck.[/quote]

Just in case you miss it. Also, different proteins out there. Look into pea or beef protein.

13

Oh, and try almond milk as a lactose-free alternative if you miss using normal milk for anything.

14

Do somethingmore interesting with your life. Set goals, a 5 year plan of where you want to be. Make lifting just a thing you do 2 or 3 times a week. Don’t let it become your whole life.

There has to bemore to life than vanity.

15

I think that you should think of almonds and peanut butter as fat sources, rather than protein sources, if you want to categorize your foods into macro groups.

The programs listed by chris87 are great, but I feel the need to throw Waterbury’s ABBH in the mix as well. Completely changed my way of thinking about lifting.

I don’t thing you should set a MAXIMUM for yourself for carbs. Fucking eat up. Insulin is the most anabolic hormone.
I think you’ll find that white rice and white potatoes are a lot less filling than their “healthier” counterparts and taste a lot better as well, meaning you can cram more down your throat.

16

Listen and follow whatever advice gives you 1mr he knows his stuff.

A good article esp Defranco’s advice…

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/roundtable_the_cure_for_skinny

17

Thank you guys, 1morerep said I wouldn’t be disappointed… and I am not.

Thank you for everything guys. Seriously. I’m about to roll off to work so, I’ll read all this when I get back. Again guys, and thanks for the warm welcome.

Also, Leon, God Bless man, and thank you as well. The whole reason I want to get “bigger” is so I can go into BJJ. When I lived in Boston for awhile, I went to a place that taught Pradal Serei, BJJ, etc. It was in Lynn (City of Sin.) I fell in love with it, but my frame was just so weak I couldn’t stand up to it. Also, I fell in love with Brazilian Culture in general. I even learned Portuguese while I was there, I was emersed. Estou Apredendo Lentamente, Tchau Leon.