Gaining One Pound a Week for a Year?

Training Bodybuilding
141

[quote]josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1. [/quote]

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-

142

Yeah I bet you’re one of those big guys yourself right?

You weigh 190 at 12.5% BF, after 9 years of training. Which means that, following your logic, you put on 90+ pounds of MUSCLE ever since you first touched a weight right? Putting you at 100 before starting, or less. You sure as hell were a lean bitch!

Maybe you’re past beginner level in Nunavut but not anywhere else, please get off your high horse.

143

I actually started at 115#, and have maxed out at 210 @ 8%. That’s what, almost double bodyweight? Regardless, 190 is a much better fit.

And it’s not a high horse; it’s merely tall because it’s legs grow every time I’m correct.

[quote]Kataklysm wrote:

You weigh 190 at 12.5% BF, after 9 years of training. Which means that, following your logic, you put on 90+ pounds of MUSCLE ever since you first touched a weight right? Putting you at 100 before starting, or less. You sure as hell were a lean bitch!

Maybe you’re past beginner level in Nunavut but not anywhere else, please get off your high horse. [/quote]

144

[quote]Vash wrote:
I actually started at 115#, and have maxed out at 210 @ 8%. That’s what, almost double bodyweight? Regardless, 190 is a much better fit.

And it’s not a high horse; it’s merely tall because it’s legs grow every time I’m correct.
[/quote]

Haha well turned. I’m giving you the benefit of doubt but if your stats aren’t made up, how in hell did you lose 25-30 pounds of muscle?

145

[quote]Kataklysm wrote:
Vash wrote:
I actually started at 115#, and have maxed out at 210 @ 8%. That’s what, almost double bodyweight? Regardless, 190 is a much better fit.

And it’s not a high horse; it’s merely tall because it’s legs grow every time I’m correct.

Haha well turned. I’m giving you the benefit of doubt but if your stats aren’t made up, how in hell did you lose 25-30 pounds of muscle?
[/quote]

Total calorie decrease, almost total replacement of carbs wih vegetables. Was putting in around 5,000kc. To maintain at 190, takes around 3,500.

I have a good bit of back damage, and other issues which make 190# a better fit for me. Am not overly concerned with bf at the moment, so long as it stays about where it is. Trying to get my body accustomed to not having a yo-yo battle to either keep weight on or have it slough off.

But to reiterate, diet is the single most important factor in bodyweight control, REGARDLESS of training and genetics. If you’re not eating correctly for your goals, you deserve not but failure.

146

[quote]Vash wrote:
Kataklysm wrote:
Vash wrote:
I actually started at 115#, and have maxed out at 210 @ 8%. That’s what, almost double bodyweight? Regardless, 190 is a much better fit.

And it’s not a high horse; it’s merely tall because it’s legs grow every time I’m correct.

Haha well turned. I’m giving you the benefit of doubt but if your stats aren’t made up, how in hell did you lose 25-30 pounds of muscle?

Total calorie decrease, almost total replacement of carbs wih vegetables. Was putting in around 5,000kc. To maintain at 190, takes around 3,500.

I have a good bit of back damage, and other issues which make 190# a better fit for me. Am not overly concerned with bf at the moment, so long as it stays about where it is. Trying to get my body accustomed to not having a yo-yo battle to either keep weight on or have it slough off.

But to reiterate, diet is the single most important factor in bodyweight control, REGARDLESS of training and genetics. If you’re not eating correctly for your goals, you deserve not but failure.[/quote]

I agree about dieting. My point was simply that it’s not remotely common to gain 10 pounds of raw muscle a year, past your beginner years, assuming no steroids.

I’ve only been training for 2 years and I’ve gained much more than that, I’m basing my opinion on a bunch of people I’ve observed, that train very intensively, follow strict diets and don’t come close to building 10 pounds a year after having trained for a decade or so. They’re actually satisfied with 3 to 5 pounds.

Anyways it’s useless to have a debate like this over the internet because anyone can bullshit their stats (not saying you are, but it’s a certitude that alot of people are).

147

[quote]Lorisco wrote:
josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1.

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-
[/quote]

Its a lack of effort, and also a lack of knowledge.

If a small guy trains like a big guy, but trains for years and gets no where… he is missing the key to the whole thing.

That the big guy got big…

Theres a guy in my gym, always being weird asking people questions. Well one day he was bugging me so I spent half a hour talking to him. Helped him out allot.

I had him try out kroc rows, basically dumbell rows with a little cheating. I thought it would be good for him, because most people can use allot of weight, an get stronger pretty fast on them.

He worked up to 135x6 in his right arm and 135x4 in his left. It looked like he could have easily done 10-15 reps with the same effort I put into those rows.

two months later he is bugging me again so I ask him how the rows are going.

He was now up to 120’sx3

No joke, he was up to 120’sx3. Do you know anyone who has ever gone from doing a set of 5 with their 15rm to a set of 3 with their 20rm in 2 months? Muchless the person having never trained that lift before!

He tells me “some days Im just not strong, Im very inconsistent”…

I always get pissed off just thinking about this stuff.

148

To the OP:
If you want to find out if YOU can gain 1lb a week for a year, why don’t you TRY it?
You can monitor your progress, if you gain to much fat adjust something (sensibly!) and keep going.
Just DO something instead of yapping about it!

Get back with your results & conclusion next year!

149

[quote]Mega Newb wrote:
Lorisco wrote:
josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1.

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-

Its a lack of effort, and also a lack of knowledge.

If a small guy trains like a big guy, but trains for years and gets no where… he is missing the key to the whole thing.

That the big guy got big…

Theres a guy in my gym, always being weird asking people questions. Well one day he was bugging me so I spent half a hour talking to him. Helped him out allot.

I had him try out kroc rows, basically dumbell rows with a little cheating. I thought it would be good for him, because most people can use allot of weight, an get stronger pretty fast on them.

He worked up to 135x6 in his right arm and 135x4 in his left. It looked like he could have easily done 10-15 reps with the same effort I put into those rows.

two months later he is bugging me again so I ask him how the rows are going.

He was now up to 120’sx3

No joke, he was up to 120’sx3. Do you know anyone who has ever gone from doing a set of 5 with their 15rm to a set of 3 with their 20rm in 2 months? Muchless the person having never trained that lift before!

He tells me “some days Im just not strong, Im very inconsistent”…

I always get pissed off just thinking about this stuff.

[/quote]

Yeah that would frustrate the hell out of me…nice of you to take the time to “try” to help him though. Some people just don’t have what it takes to push themselves, which is why X is constantly saying this isn’t for everyone.

150

[quote]Mega Newb wrote:
Lorisco wrote:
josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1.

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-

Its a lack of effort, and also a lack of knowledge.

If a small guy trains like a big guy, but trains for years and gets no where… he is missing the key to the whole thing.

That the big guy got big…

Theres a guy in my gym, always being weird asking people questions. Well one day he was bugging me so I spent half a hour talking to him. Helped him out allot.

I had him try out kroc rows, basically dumbell rows with a little cheating. I thought it would be good for him, because most people can use allot of weight, an get stronger pretty fast on them.

He worked up to 135x6 in his right arm and 135x4 in his left. It looked like he could have easily done 10-15 reps with the same effort I put into those rows.

two months later he is bugging me again so I ask him how the rows are going.

He was now up to 120’sx3

No joke, he was up to 120’sx3. Do you know anyone who has ever gone from doing a set of 5 with their 15rm to a set of 3 with their 20rm in 2 months? Muchless the person having never trained that lift before!

He tells me “some days Im just not strong, Im very inconsistent”…

I always get pissed off just thinking about this stuff.

[/quote]

I’ve seen similar…to the point that I don’t help people anymore unless they are clearly already making above average progress and they specifically ask me something. Just like the kid you described, most don’t even push themselves. More times than I can count, I have worked in with someone else on an exercise and been able to push them to use MUCH heavier weight than they were before I got there. Why the hell didn’t they push themselves while they were alone?

These are the same ones who think you somehow get 20" arms and quads over 30" by using light weights. Even when you tell them that is not how you get big, they would rather listen to some skinny personal trainer with a book to sell who calls them all hardgainers than they would someone who actually built themselves up.

No, bodybuilding is not for everyone.

Everyone wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weight.
-Ronnie Coleman

151

oh well, I guess some people just have to suck in order to make us look better.

I have pretty much gave up on helping people my self. so many times I have gone way out of my way to help people only to have them ignore everything I said.

This reminds me of a thread on here a little while ago where some random guy came on here asking if anyone wanted to fully train him and write him a diet for 12 weeks.The reward for the many hours of work and consulting? He would post before and after pictures…

Not only that but the guy put so little thought process into the thread that he didnt even think to post his stats or anything about him self at all really.

In other words he wants people to spend many many hours writing programs, diets, consulting him, motivating him etc. But he didnt even put in enough effort to think about it enough to write his body weight/height and experience in the thread.

Maybe Im strange but this to me sounds like a real douche bag. Sort of flipped out on the guy and I think pissed some posters off. I should dig that thread up and see how things are going for him. Probably disapeared off T-Nation when he found out that no one was gonna do the workouts for him.

[/hijack]

152

[quote]Mega Newb wrote:
Lorisco wrote:
josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1.

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-

Its a lack of effort, and also a lack of knowledge.

If a small guy trains like a big guy, but trains for years and gets no where… he is missing the key to the whole thing.

That the big guy got big…

Theres a guy in my gym, always being weird asking people questions. Well one day he was bugging me so I spent half a hour talking to him. Helped him out allot.

I had him try out kroc rows, basically dumbell rows with a little cheating. I thought it would be good for him, because most people can use allot of weight, an get stronger pretty fast on them.

He worked up to 135x6 in his right arm and 135x4 in his left. It looked like he could have easily done 10-15 reps with the same effort I put into those rows.

two months later he is bugging me again so I ask him how the rows are going.

He was now up to 120’sx3

No joke, he was up to 120’sx3. Do you know anyone who has ever gone from doing a set of 5 with their 15rm to a set of 3 with their 20rm in 2 months? Muchless the person having never trained that lift before!

He tells me “some days Im just not strong, Im very inconsistent”…

I always get pissed off just thinking about this stuff.

[/quote]

At that rate this guy will eventually not be strong enough to lift his own arm. I don’t get it. Why is he even in the gym?

153

For a beginner gaining a pound a week for one year doesn’t seem to be implausible. I’ve gained over 50 pounds the past year (obviously I had to sacrifice my abs) and I sure as hell don’t think I have good genetics, it just takes dedication and consistency with both training AND diet, something that nearly everyone in the gym lacks (especially in my gym since it’s a school gym).

For new lifters to start getting interested in the sciences behind muscle synthesis and how the maximum muscle you can put on in a month is “2 pounds” if you do everything perfectly is ridiculous, it will just hinder your progress in the future. Aim to be the odd man out and you will be satisfied with your progress, don’t settle for being mediocre or you just might be mediocre a few years down the road.

154

Damn this thread is stupid. My take is that it would be impossible (unless you use steroids or have great genes) to gain over 0.8672314 lbs per week (with a 2% margin of error)

155

[quote]Player wrote:
Damn this thread is stupid. My take is that it would be impossible (unless you use steroids or have great genes) to gain over 0.8672314 lbs per week (with a 2% margin of error)[/quote]

2%!!! nonononono you have to be more accurate than that, we can’t have that kind of sloppiness around here, this is the INTELLIGENT pursuit of muscle for pete’s sake! .05% margin of error at most

156

[quote]Player wrote:
Damn this thread is stupid. My take is that it would be impossible (unless you use steroids or have great genes) to gain over 0.8672314 lbs per week (with a 2% margin of error)[/quote]

You forgot to carry the 1, otherwise your calculations are spot on.

157

[quote]Lorisco wrote:
Mega Newb wrote:
Lorisco wrote:
josh86 wrote:
Mega newb I know exactly what you’re talking about. When I started at my gym I was around 140lbs and I’m up to about 210…and at least 90% of the people in there that I have been seeing since day one are still there almost every day, looking exactly the same as they did on day 1.

So is their failure one of effort or technique?

The reason I ask is that some think most guys in the gym, all following what the big guys do, don’t make gains because of a lack of effort. However, I personally feel that it is a lack of correct technique. Everyone following what everyone else does and no one stops to think - is this working?-

probably because he has nothing better to do.

Its a lack of effort, and also a lack of knowledge.

If a small guy trains like a big guy, but trains for years and gets no where… he is missing the key to the whole thing.

That the big guy got big…

Theres a guy in my gym, always being weird asking people questions. Well one day he was bugging me so I spent half a hour talking to him. Helped him out allot.

I had him try out kroc rows, basically dumbell rows with a little cheating. I thought it would be good for him, because most people can use allot of weight, an get stronger pretty fast on them.

He worked up to 135x6 in his right arm and 135x4 in his left. It looked like he could have easily done 10-15 reps with the same effort I put into those rows.

two months later he is bugging me again so I ask him how the rows are going.

He was now up to 120’sx3

No joke, he was up to 120’sx3. Do you know anyone who has ever gone from doing a set of 5 with their 15rm to a set of 3 with their 20rm in 2 months? Muchless the person having never trained that lift before!

He tells me “some days Im just not strong, Im very inconsistent”…

I always get pissed off just thinking about this stuff.

At that rate this guy will eventually not be strong enough to lift his own arm. I don’t get it. Why is he even in the gym?

[/quote]

Probably has nothing better to do

158

i just found this thread out of the blue and well, this fucking thread gets me pumped, i wanna smash the gym right now, but well it is 10pm and well the gyms um closed so im going to go eat and wait till dawn, hum diddlee ho hum

159

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
you can only gain 10 lbs a year, and after your 3rd year you can only gain 2 pounds. you can quote me on that. [/quote]

I’ve put on 40lbs with barely any noticable fat gain in 16 months. all compound lifts up around 100lbs. Keep your limitations to yourself.

160

For the OP, yes some gifted guys with lots of effort, guys comming off an injury have done that. But striving for 235 at 185, 20%bf is not the best idea.