New to T-Nation. Any Tips?

Training Bodybuilding
1

.Hi im new to T-Nation and i need advice from those that have been there and done that.

I am 24 yrs old 206 lbs and have been lifting for 1 and half years off and on but just recently got into it consistently this past 2 months. I want to bulk up some more maybe to 220lbs and gain more strength.

Supplements i started taking are creatine, glutamines, and endothil-cr(placebo pill waste of money) and i also took t-bombII.

I am considering taking prohormones but im completely unexperienced with it only that i read here the older you get the lower your t-levels will be. Any inputs would be greatly appreciated and thank you for reading my post.

http://www.T-Nation.com/forum_images/mytphotos/fullSize/e726d-06-06-06_0027.jpg

2

If you’ve only been into things consistently for a few months, then you probably shouldn’t have prohormones on the mind yet.

Look into the nutritional advice and so forth on the site, especially how much you probably need to be eating.

3

[quote]vroom wrote:
If you’ve only been into things consistently for a few months, then you probably shouldn’t have prohormones on the mind yet.

Look into the nutritional advice and so forth on the site, especially how much you probably need to be eating.[/quote]

I don’t know Vroom…did you see the pics? At first I would say a few months isn’t nearly enough time to start getting into prohormones…But after looking at the pics, I’d say go for it.

4

[quote]lostinthought wrote:
But after looking at the pics, I’d say go for it. [/quote]

He looks decent, sure. But I’d like to see if we can tweak his training and nutrition before getting into supplements.

Max, two things:
1 - Exactly how are you lifting right now (exercises, sets, reps, etc) and exactly how are you eating right now (what, when, how much)?

2 - I suggest reading through Dr. Berardi’s 7 Habits:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459493
It’s a pretty good starting place for any nutrition plan, either for adding mass or cutting up. Also, Chris Shugart’s recent Quality Mass Diet:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1021940
had some great ideas about bulking up without getting all soft and squishy.

5

Thank you for your replies. Well i think my diet is ok. I try to stay away from unhealthy fats like chips etc. and eat fish like sushi alot. Its hard to stay away from fried food in that my culture eats very oily food and alot of fried delicacies. My problem is that when i think im gaining a few pounds, i hit the gym my weight goes down to about from 206lbs to 202lbs. I eat whole grain bars for snacks and 2 full meals a day, no breakfst. For my exercise regimen, i hit the gym 5 times a week.

Day 1: Chest and triceps
Flat bench(dumbels) 190 lbs X10
210 lbs X10
220 lbs x10
Incline bench(dumbels) 140lbs x10
150 lbs x10
160 lbs x 10
dumbel flys
and other chest workouts dont know the names but i work on chest maybe for 1 hour and half then triceps.

decline bench (dumbels) 170lbs X10
180lbs x10
190lbs x10
dips(own body weight 3 sets of 10)
seated dips(hammer machine) 180 lbs x10
230 lbs x10
320 lbs x 6
320 lbs x 6
skull crushers 3 sets of 10

Day 2: Upper back and shoulders
I dont know the names of the exercises but i also use the hammer machines.

Pulldowns: I heard that pulling lower down more by the sternum area increases the width of your lats, so that what i do.

Military press( behind the neck)
Shoulder press(dumbels) 140lbs x 10
150lbs x10
160lbs x 10
Shoulder pulls( i think that what its called…)

Day 3: Chest and biceps
flat bench(bar) 3 sets of 10
incline bench(bar)
decline bench(bar)

dumbel curls 60 lbs x 10
70 lbs x 10
80 lbs x 7
dumbel Preacher bench same weight
hammer curls 80lbs x10
90lbs x10
100 lbs x10
other curls not sure the names are but all 3 sets x 10 reps

Day 4: traps and “abs”(i try to lol)

shrugs and hammer machines and other traps exercise dont know the names.

crunches and sit ups

Day 5: Lower back and legs
stiff legged Deadlifts 185lbsX 10
225lbsx 7
235lbsx7
Lower back raise?? i think
lower back extension machines

Squats( olympic style) 135lbsx10
145lbs x10
185lbsx7
and another lower back exercise but i also dont know the name.
Leg press 270lbs x10
360lbsx10
450lbsx10
calves standing raise machine(3 sets of 10)

I apolgize for my confusing information.

I think for my weight size, my strength is not that great, that is why i want to increase some more.

Hey lostinthought, what would you recommend for prohormone and the cycle that i should do. Also any preventive measure for my body before doing it.

ive also been looking at T-Nation store and contemplating on TRIBEX-gold and Alpha Male. Any advice on these?

Thank you.

6

I think im also one of those fbb former fat boys because ive been chubby since childhood. So thanks for the links minotaur. very informative.

7

Im contemplating on sd but ax has discontinued it ive checked around for replacements ive seen Revenge sdx is that good?

8

[quote]mvxiimus wrote:
Well i think my diet is ok. I try to stay away from unhealthy fats like chips etc. and eat fish like sushi alot. Its hard to stay away from fried food in that my culture eats very oily food and alot of fried delicacies. My problem is that when i think im gaining a few pounds, i hit the gym my weight goes down to about from 206lbs to 202lbs. I eat whole grain bars for snacks and 2 full meals a day, no breakfst. [/quote]

Your diet is not OK. If you want to get to 220, you’ll have to eat at least five meals a day, especially breakfast! If you don’t feed your body as soon as you get up, it’ll start tearing down what you’ve built to repair what you most recently broken down. In other words, you won’t gain any size or strength.

I’d guess you need at least 3500-4000 calories daily. Work at gaining a pound a week. If you gain more, either do some cardio, or eat a few hundred calories less. If you’re not gaining any weight, you’re not eating enough.

9

Oh, and you’re young enough to not need any sort of prohormones or steriods. Eat and sleep!!!

10

[quote]kroby wrote:
mvxiimus wrote:
Well i think my diet is ok. I try to stay away from unhealthy fats like chips etc. and eat fish like sushi alot. Its hard to stay away from fried food in that my culture eats very oily food and alot of fried delicacies. My problem is that when i think im gaining a few pounds, i hit the gym my weight goes down to about from 206lbs to 202lbs. I eat whole grain bars for snacks and 2 full meals a day, no breakfst.

Your diet is not OK. If you want to get to 220, you’ll have to eat at least five meals a day, especially breakfast! If you don’t feed your body as soon as you get up, it’ll start tearing down what you’ve built to repair what you most recently broken down. In other words, you won’t gain any size or strength.

I’d guess you need at least 3500-4000 calories daily. Work at gaining a pound a week. If you gain more, either do some cardio, or eat a few hundred calories less. If you’re not gaining any weight, you’re not eating enough.

[/quote]

Amen to both parts.

Your diet sucks. I’m sorry, but only two meals a day and no breakfast is barely enough to feed a 150lb pencilneck.

I think you may need more calories than kroby’s suggestion, as I’m cutting on 3000 cal or so, but then my metabolism is relatively high. I split mine over 6-8 meals a day. It’s an individual thing in any case as far as calories go, but there is no excuse for missing breakfast or the other meals you should be eating. Ask yourself, how bad do you want to gain that muscle? Kroby gives good advice on adjusting dietary intake and on signs to look for. Eat clean, or you’ll pack on more fat than necessary.

I have a few questions about your training, but I’ll leave that to others as I have things to go do now, to prepare for work tomorrow.

And, in my personal opinion, you’re not too young for prohormones (too young would be below 20, IMHO), you’re too inexperienced with serious weightlifting. There is a difference. Besides, if you’re smart about your nutrition and training, you could get WAY over 220 without ever needing them. Natural t-boosters? Biotest makes the best. But of course, I’m biased.

11

Thank you for your inputs. I do agree that my diet is not that good, my problem is that i have a slow metabolism, if i eat as adviced i would gain so much weight and im afraid that it would be a flabby weight not the weight that i want. My peak weight before working out like i do now is 225lbs. But i will do my best to follow the guide that was provided by minotaur. As for your t-booster advice, im going to try the TRIBEX-gold and Alpha Male.

I noticed a little gain when i tried t-bombII, hopefully the same results or maybe even greater gains from TRIBEX and AM. As for serious weightlifting, I agree with you that i am too inexperienced but that is why i am here to try to get some insights to some of what experienced lifter have done and hopefully gain some knowledge and smarts to improve my strength and phsyique not necessarily to become a serious bodybuilder.

12

Best things you can do here are:

Read, Read and Read (search)
Give requested info
Be humble
Listen to Advice (ask if something does not make sense)

Lots of people here want to help others succeed. Welcome to T-Nation.

13

thank you for your advice and welcoming gesture. I sure will search and read. T-Nation is great source of material for people like me who wants to learn more about proper nutrition and proper supplements to attain the physical goal that we desire.

14

Hey mvxiimus about your metabolism being slow, I’m in the same boat. So what you need to do is slowly up your calorie intake. Your metabolism can be retrained into being faster. If you were to just jump into a diet of 4000 cals you would gain to fast. But if every week you add say 500 cals to your diet your metabolism would adjust to it and you would be better off.

15

[quote]mvxiimus wrote:
Day 1: Chest and triceps
Flat bench(dumbels) 190 lbs X10
210 lbs X10
220 lbs x10[/quote]

You are dumbell benching 220 for reps?

I don’t think anybody needs to be giving you advice.

16

[quote] Jtrinsey wrote:
You are dumbell benching 220 for reps?

I don’t think anybody needs to be giving you advice.[/quote]

I’m thinking he’s either adding the dumbbells together when stating the weight, or he’s using the barbell and just got confused.

Also, Max, as others have said: Phase one, step one of any diet plan is eating breakfast. Not eating breakfast is a very good way of adding fat, though. If you’re not eating something within an hour of waking up, there’s really not much point in taking a hormone-boosting supplement.

17

Thank you for your help. I started eating breakfast now and with a hardboiled egg sometimes to add some proteins. For dumbel bench its actually 110lbs each dumbels, so i added it to 220lbs. For some reason im too used to dumbels and flat bar bench is harder for me. And ive also started eating every i would estimate 4 hours.

For my size what would you guys recommend.
Im thinking of just using t-booster such as Alpha Male instead of prohormones. Im postponing prohormones till i gain more knowledge about it and use it responsible and carefully because of the side effects.
Thank you.