To make a long story short, i need diet/supplementation advice on how to put on some size. im 18 and have super-human metabolism; i have about 8% body fat, im 6’1" and about 175 lbs. ive already cut cardio, and i eat 5 meals a day, as much protein as i can get my hands on, and drink an N-Large high protein shake after i lift. creatine is an unlikely option for me, cuz ive heard it gives you acne (which im already prone to) and id rather be skinny and have clear skin. ive heard about lowcarb diets that can increase your testosterone production, but dont know much about them. i also dont know much about amino acid supplementation. most importantly, i dont know what else is out there - any suggestions? by the way, i made initial gains when i started lifting (about a year ago) of 10-15 lbs, but lost most of it during lacrosse season (lots of running) and have only been able to gain some of it back since june. now i feel like im getting nowhere…help…
My guess is that your not eating enough. Search for an article titled Massive Eating. Creatine, causes acne? That’s a new one. Well I guess along with muscle tears, kidney and liver failure what’s a little acne. Come on creatine does not cause acne. Eat more lift more.
chris,
You’ve stumbled upon a goldmine here. You’ve got a lot of reading to do before you can begin to explain why you aren’t gaining weight.
This mag and this forum are the best resource you’ll come across so make use of it. Once you get a handle on your problem we will all help.
You sound very ignorant in regards to lifting. You need to start with Testosterone #1 and work your way to the present.
Try a search for the Get Big Diet, The Pound-O-Week Diet or Massive Eating articles. Any one of these will give you a lot of information as well as sample menus. Good luck.
If you truly have a fast metabolism, and are a true “ectomorph”, your best bet would be to start eating very calorie dense foods. Don’t be so worried about consuming so much protein. Don’t get me wrong, you need to consume enough, but 1-1.5 grams/lb. of bodyweight should be adequete. Protein has a very thermal effect so consuming an excess we speed your already fast metabolism. Try consuming food such as red meat, whole eggs, etc. Things that contain some fat. That will be the best way to increase your calories thus put on some mass. Remember you have to eat more calories then you burn to put on weight, plain and simple, no matter what those calories consist of. As far a creatine is concerned, don’t believe everything you read or hear, it would have to cause a certain hormonal response to cause acne which it doesn’t. Best of Luck!!
Read Shugart’s article called ‘the missing ingredient’ and then read the ‘diet manifesto’. I’ll bet you’ll find your problem after reading those articles
My guess is that you’re pretty new to weight training (and proper eating) and don’t have a clue as to what to do. That’s okay because many of us were like that in the beginning (and some still are!) before we undertook this lifestyle - and that’s what it is: a 24/7 lifestyle. Read as much as you can on proper nutrition, training, and supplementation and then find what works for you. This could take years of experimentation (I’m still learning!) and times of little to no progress. Learn from your mistakes and keep in mind that the process is a slow one. T-Mag is a great place to start (there is at least one good Canadian e-mag as well - ahem) and can save you lots of time. Ian Kings book “Get Buffed” is a superb training guide.
PS Creatine does not cause acne, but you’ve probably researched this since you last posted - at least I hope you did.
ok chris, its obvious that youre interested in learning, and thats the most important step. any one of us can throw you random advice, but getting the big picture takes hours upon hours of reading and talking to the right people. most importantly, it takes experience. now, for the random advice: 1) eat and sleep more. ive found that eating the right foods before bed can increase size because your muscles are more likely to grow during sleep. 2) ive also heard from people who have experienced it that creatine may cause acne, but no one’s sure, and it doesnt make sense because creatine does not affect your hormones like steroids or some other supplements. with that said, creatine, glutamine (a nonessential amino acid), and protein supplementation will facilitate your results, but THERE IS NO SUBSTITUE FOR EATING CORRECTLY. 3.) change your workout every few weeks. you may feel like youre getting nowhere because youve ‘plateaued,’ in which case changing the type, order, and tempo of your exercises might be beneficial. for example, try slowing down your negatives and concentrating more on your form. slower negatives increase tiny muscle tears which lead to hypertrophy, or muscle growth. also, focus more on compound movements: squats, deadlifts, bench press, military press, and lat pulldowns, in order to stimulate the larger muscle groups as well as the stabilizer muscles. but the most important thing to remember is that by changing your workout, you prevent your body from adapting to your old workout and your force yourself to progress by shocking your muscles with different stimulants. 4.) cutting cardio is a good thing, because with your metabolism you need all the calories you can get to put on some size, and as an athlete you probly wouldnt have any trouble getting into cardiovascular shape in a matter of days, so put that aside for now and concentrate on bulking up. again, keep lifting, listening, and reading, and DONT GIVE UP! youre only 18, your body might just not be ready to support serious muscle mass, but within the next 3 years youll see yourself put on remarkable size as your body matures. for now, concentrate as much on getting stronger as getting bigger, because you can always get stronger and the pounds will come sooner or later, whether you like it or not. good luck…