Just got back from the gym and im pissed. i felt so weak today. then i look at my body in the mirror and i look like shit. im so dissapointed in myself (dont worry im not suicidal) i dont know what to do. im a 6 foot 6 piece of ectomorph shit who isnt gettting stronger or bigger like he is suposed to. so discouraged. i was so pissed that i told my partner to hit me in the head while i was on the incline if i didnt put it up 6 times by myself and he did cause im a pussy. seriously guys,… am i being to hard on myself? am i suposed to see huge results if i started in november? i find it hard to belive that “max bench” (just an example dont flame) is 190 and im 6 foot 6 and weight 215 what the funk…
Ever heard the expression “Rome wasn’t built in a day?”
Be patient. It’s going to take longer to get results when you get started…while you can generally make your best gains your first six months of training…if you don’t have the “foundation knowledge” you won’t see the real progress until down the road. And with all due respect, judging by your questions, you have a LONG way to go…but don’t feel bad. I went through the very same thing when I got started, as did many of us. I did everything WRONG that you could imagine. It wasn’t until about four years in that I started to “get a clue” about diet and training. Keep in mind that I didn’t have access to a place like T-mag or people where I live that really knew anything.
We all doubt ourselves at times…even crafty veterans like myself, so take that frustration and use it to make you work harder, but just remember to work SMART. Don’t overtrain…I repeat…DON’T OVERTRAIN…get a good foundation diet to accompany your training and keep “doing your homework” and if you really are willing to put your all into it, a few months from now you will look back at all this and laugh, guaranteed. Good luck, my friend.
Oh and the answer to your PM…NE is Nebraska, right in the heart of the Midwest. Husker-ville (although that’s not such a great thing to admit anymore).
…and BTW you’re complaining about being 6 ft. and 215??? Hell, I’m only 5’7" and 157 right now, so you literally dwarf me! My pic is on the photo section if you’re interested in seeing. I doubt you’re doing as bad as you think you are!
Yeah first piece of advice is RELAX!
To much mental stress can actually hinder muscle and strength gains. Secondly what does your current program look like? Is over training a possible issue? Also diet and sleep are the Key it took me almost 10 years before i figured out how important proper food is and how much sleep can make or break a week of training. So let’s start there. I, and the rest of the guys here at T-mag i am sure are behind you but for now have a cup of Chamomile Tea, relax answer those few questions and lets see if we can’t figure this out.
You know, T-mag does has a column just for beginners. It’s called Dawg School. You should perhaps go read them. There are 6 or 7 of them in previous issues. There’s also an article for teens called ‘Youth Gone Wild’.
Taller guys tend to have light max lifts compared to shorter frames due to “poor” boimechanics due to long lever arms (not nessecarilly arms, could be legs 
). so thats not something you can change. you are also going to have to eat more than the average guy being the size/height you are and being an ectomorph, like shit load more. look at the good points, you’ll probably never be fat! and if you do get fat you could go be a pro wrestler!
Anyway, just get a program and diet (massive eating is good for bulking) and get into the gym and start eating
Oh and check out dawg skool and t-mag FAQ
My friend is 6 foot 7 and 200 pounds. Does that cheer you up. I will just take time in his case he started at 165 pounds of course that was after a car accident and long lay off.
MOnty he said “6 foot 6” not just 6’
Question, are you in it for the long haul, or are you tryin to get “rock hard abs in 6 weeks?” Because the truth is, the iron game isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon that takes years of dedication. It’s good you’re frusterated, it means you’re hungry, but don’t believe the hype of most muscle magazines, if this stuff were easy anyone could do it.
You’ve been training for 6 months. That’s a good start, but in the scheme of things, that’s not very long. How about keeping a log of your progress over the next six months. That’s enough time to do a couple programs, stick to them and check your progress in October. 1 year down, a lifetime of lifting to go. Good luck.
I’m just wondernig something here, Bobo…
Do you EVER bother to reply to the people who take the time to answer your questions? I mean really.
yes i do i reply to everyone in a private message usally thanking them for their advice and/or support. i have manners sir. my momma didnt raise no fool.
have any of you guys ever put on loose clothing and not looked in the mirror for a while to notice gains? is this helpful?
Char-Dawg,
I know what you mean. Yeh, he does, but he asks so many rhetorical questions that he’s really answered them himself before he reads what others have to say anyway.
Sorry bobo., but listen to what people are saying, and just chill out dude.
Get stuck into the iron game, and learn to LOVE IT like the rest of us do. The main thing I feel I get out of a workout is enjoyment and relaxation. (Don’t get me wrong, I put 100% into it. But it’s that feeling of exertion that makes strength training so great, and takes me away from my other “troubles” in life).
If you really find working out so stressful, then maybe you should take up chess or billiards or something. SRS
Guys…give him a break. I know how frustrating it is to have to repeatedly answer what we consider basic questions, but we’ve all been there. If it really bothers you that much, then simply don’t respond. Yes he is asking a lot of questions, and admittedly at times without using appropriate searches, but he is just eager to learn. He is doing some “homework” so just be patient.
Char…to answer your question, yes he does bother to reply to some of us. I’ve received a handful of private emails expressing appreciation for helping out.
I think the frustration many people have with body transformations is that they start off ‘like a bat out of hell’, then when they don’t get the results for their efforts they get discouraged.
I think that most people’s mistake lies in them being too gung-ho. Don’t take on the most difficult training schedule and the most deprivating nutritional regiment [read: quasi-keto], believing they will quick fix years of inactivity and poor nutrition.
Regardless of how smart you train and how well planned out your diet is, we’re all limited by our physiological capability to alter our bodies. Long story short… it’s slowwwwwwwwwww [especially for non-newbies].
So sum up: take on an effective training and nutritional regiment that you know you can continue for an extended period of time without suffering too much. Work hard, play hard, stay positive… and smile!
When I started lifting seriously (about 6 months ago), i was about 5’9 (maybe 5’10) 147 lbs. Two of my three older brothers gained massive muscle when they lifted. I’m 18, and was just as skinny as everyone else in high school.
In about 2 months time, I jumped up to 160lbs, and i’m now up to 173. I read somewhere that nutrition is 80% of the gains. If you want to get big, EAT. I’m not a calorie counter (although it was helpful to do for a week just to see how much I was really eating). Eat small to medium sized meals every 2 hours (be strict on yourself if you’re serious about getting big). Eat a lot of protein and carbs. Eat enough so you’re NEVER hungry, but don’t eat to the point where you’re so stuffed you can’t walk. Keep yourself at a constant level where your body is maintained.
At first, it’s really hard to do. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of determination to do. Nobody wants to eat every 2 hours, unless they’re serious about gaining muscle.
Have a good pre-workout meal (get some carbs) a good hour or so before working out, and make sure you have a really good post-workout meal (I read this was one of the most important (if not the most important) meals of the day). Don’t half-ass any of your workouts, and don’t listen to anyones criticisms.
People used to make fun of me over summer when I told them I was goign to the gym. . . again. When school started, everyone I know asked me if I had been lifting weights. Not just the few friends that knew about it, but pretty much everyone who hadn’t seem me over summer.
I know exactly how you feel. In these last months I’ve hit plateus and it sucks. Everybody’s been there. Don’t get discouraged. Just remember that it takes a lot of determination and hard work. But seriously, nutrition is so important. I recommend taking a few protein shakes a day and getting protein from food sources also, not just powder. You can take creatine if you want, but honestly, the best “supplment” for getting big is eating right, and eating a lot. Your muscles can’t grow if they’re not properly fed. Check out the nutrition articles at bodybuilding.com, and make sure to eat like crazy and work hard.
Cgraz
Bobopunx: Are you eating enough calories to equal approximately your bodyweight x 18? That’s a good start. Also, try Mag-10. It worked wonders for my frame. I’m not as tall as you (I’m 6’2") but I’ve gained about 23 pounds since the first of the year doing simply what I just told you to do.
i wont touch any supplements as strong as mag-10 till i see a no gains for a while. i am very serious about what i put into my body (insert the dirty jokes). i barely drink (once every few months and not really at all lately and no drugs).
Bobo da Clown…I don’t think we’ve heard anything about your diet. If it’s of any consolation to you, I was a very scrawny bastard for about three years. Yep, I stuck with my training and nutrition through and through despite zero gains in size and similar gains in strength. I was 6-foot and a buck fifty or a buck sixty that entire time. Granted I was ripped, but does that matter when you’ve got no muscle to show for it? Nah.
Finally, I realized that I wasn’t pushing the nutritional envelope enough. Some of us just have to take that to the next level when we’re trying to get huge. For others, dieting is the more difficult part. But for guys like yourself and I, packing on the mass is what takes courage, determination and discipline.
I suggest you go back and read JB’s Appetite for Construction where he talks about his eating plan to get huge (can someone give a brother a hand with the link?).
Now, I’m going to drop a strategy on you that will definitely increase your size and strength. Hold on because this is going to violate some of the rules that you’ve heard before. That’s okay, because sometimes you just have to make your own rules. After your training sessions, make sure you drink a post-workout drink like Surge. About an hour or less later, I want you to begin feasting with massive amounts of protein and carbs for the next hour. That’s right, as much carbs–and some protein–as you can in the next hour. Then, continue normal feeding throughout the day–both before and after training.
If you’re not willing to push your nutritional game to the edge, then you’re not willing to make the gains.