Not Seeing Results

Training Beginners
1


Hi,

I’ve always tried to gain weight and build up bulk but I can never seem to improve.

My trouble areas have always been my back and chest as my Triceps always seem to take over.

I’ve considered doing kettlebells to try and develop my strength and then try it again.

I was thinking of following this program but I wanted to ask for your thoughts on it.

I’ve always wanted to have a beach-fit with muscular tone but I’m not sure which direction I should go in my quest to greatness.

I’ve included a picture of how my body shape is at the moment and I wanted to ask for opinions on what I can do to reach my desired level.

If you see in the photos, my stomach seems to extend more outwards than my chest?

Please help!

SG

2

eat. eat. eat. eat and eat.

3

Its pretty much that easy. If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not eating enough.

Kettlebells aren’t the answer, a heavy barbell and food is.

Post your current routine and what you eat on an average day.

4

[quote]SpirosGyrosAU wrote:
Hi,

I’ve always tried to gain weight and build up bulk but I can never seem to improve.

My trouble areas have always been my back and chest as my Triceps always seem to take over.

I’ve considered doing kettlebells to try and develop my strength and then try it again.

I was thinking of following this program but I wanted to ask for your thoughts on it.

I’ve always wanted to have a beach-fit with muscular tone but I’m not sure which direction I should go in my quest to greatness.

I’ve included a picture of how my body shape is at the moment and I wanted to ask for opinions on what I can do to reach my desired level.

If you see in the photos, my stomach seems to extend more outwards than my chest?

Please help!

SG[/quote]

Please tell me you are going to read the beginners articles posted at the top of this forum

Read them all and you won’t need any more information.

Plus there is no such thing as a problem area in a beginner. You are just small.

5

[quote]SpirosGyrosAU wrote:

If you see in the photos, my stomach seems to extend more outwards than my chest?
[/quote]

Do some mobility exercises to activate your glutes. Squat/bench/press/pull a really heavy barbell. Do some lumbar-friendly ab exercises. Stretch your hamstrings. Eat a lot of good food (then, eat some more, since you still aren’t eating enough). Get plenty of sleep.

Repeat as necessary.

6

You need to eat lots of good food and lift heavy weights (as others have stated). Get stronger on a selection of exercises that works your whole body and you will build muscle and look a whole lot better.

7

Your posture sucks. Do some glute activation work and stretch your hip flexors frequently to help fix your anterior pelvic tilt. Train abs as well.

This, plus what everyone else said.

8

first thing you should do is avoid ever using the word “toned” again

you can’t be “toned” without muscle mass and you have none

9

I think this BB.com workout you have looks retarded.

(1) You’re Squatting Once a Week
(2) You’re Working your Shoulders
Every Time You Lift.

Don’t worry about weak points right now. And don’t worry about your Triceps taking over while pressing either. This is how your body should work.

You need to redefine your definition of what eating for muscle mass means. You need to find out what the really big guys are eating. I thought I was eating a lot until I started talking to guys much bigger than me, reading the training logs of top level powerlifters and bodybuilders, and just finding out what’s different between what the best are doing and what I’m doing.

For example, you might think that eating 4 meals a day with protein in each meal is eating a lot of food. You might think that 2 scoops of protein is filling. You also might think that a 200 pound bench press is impressive. If this is true, then you need to change your perspective.

In the mean time, concentrate on getting stronger and bigger. So you see Victor Martinez doing 70 pound 1-Arm Dumbbell Extensions and you think “Hey, if I want big triceps I need to be doing that!” But how the fuck are you going to use that much weight if you can’t even Close-Grip Bench 365?

Raising your Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Military Press, and Weighted Chin will raise the ceiling on the amount of muscle you can put on your frame. If you can’t move big weights in these lifts, you can’t expect to cause any noticeable training effect by doing pushdowns and curls at the end of your workout.

Get away from Leg Presses, Hammer Strength Presses, and other substitutes. From personal experience, I’ve discovered that you can quickly pile on the pounds with these machines without gaining any strength or size. 50 pounds added to a Hammer Strength Decline Press might not do jack shit to your physique or to your other lifts. But if you add 50 pounds to your Front Squat or Military Press, you will see big changes.

Don’t buy ANY supplements until you can explain exactly how they work and justify their expense. Taking the company’s advertisement as sufficient explanation isn’t enough - especially if it uses made up terms that you never see used anywhere else outside of that particular company’s advertisements.

10

judging by your pics, you’ve grown a foot taller - well done!

i have nothing else to add

11

Yep, EAT. Eat until you feel like you are going to throw up. Then eat more about 3 hrs later. I used to think I was a “hardgainer” but now I know I used to eat like a F’n bird. Drink lots of whole milk.

Another think is to fix your posture. Search “anterior pelvic tilt”. There are some REALLY good articles on here to fix this. Good luck, don’t give up.

12

I used to think I was a hardgainer because I didn’t eat well or enough and I did shit like 9 sets of bicep exercises in a workout and 3 for my entire lower body.

Then I learned about training smart and I’ve been packing on muscle so fast I make Barry Bonds look like a hardgainer. Learn what is good to eat, eat whenever you aren’t completely full, and lift the big lifts. Squats and deadlifts are huge. Listen to the guys on this board they know their stuff.

13

[quote]SpirosGyrosAU wrote:

My trouble areas have always been my back and chest as my Triceps always seem to take over.

SG[/quote]

dont think your triceps are taking over lol

EAT

COMPOUND MOVEMENTS

REST

14

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
I think this BB.com workout you have looks retarded.

(1) You’re Squatting Once a Week
(2) You’re Working your Shoulders
Every Time You Lift.

Don’t worry about weak points right now. And don’t worry about your Triceps taking over while pressing either. This is how your body should work.

You need to redefine your definition of what eating for muscle mass means. You need to find out what the really big guys are eating. I thought I was eating a lot until I started talking to guys much bigger than me, reading the training logs of top level powerlifters and bodybuilders, and just finding out what’s different between what the best are doing and what I’m doing.

For example, you might think that eating 4 meals a day with protein in each meal is eating a lot of food. You might think that 2 scoops of protein is filling. You also might think that a 200 pound bench press is impressive. If this is true, then you need to change your perspective.

In the mean time, concentrate on getting stronger and bigger. So you see Victor Martinez doing 70 pound 1-Arm Dumbbell Extensions and you think “Hey, if I want big triceps I need to be doing that!” But how the fuck are you going to use that much weight if you can’t even Close-Grip Bench 365?

Raising your Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Military Press, and Weighted Chin will raise the ceiling on the amount of muscle you can put on your frame. If you can’t move big weights in these lifts, you can’t expect to cause any noticeable training effect by doing pushdowns and curls at the end of your workout.

Get away from Leg Presses, Hammer Strength Presses, and other substitutes. From personal experience, I’ve discovered that you can quickly pile on the pounds with these machines without gaining any strength or size. 50 pounds added to a Hammer Strength Decline Press might not do jack shit to your physique or to your other lifts. But if you add 50 pounds to your Front Squat or Military Press, you will see big changes.

Don’t buy ANY supplements until you can explain exactly how they work and justify their expense. Taking the company’s advertisement as sufficient explanation isn’t enough - especially if it uses made up terms that you never see used anywhere else outside of that particular company’s advertisements.

[/quote]

lol yeah I agree. I use to think 200 grams of protein and 5 meals was an insane amount.