Why Can't I Gain Muscle?

Training
281

shit, why not reply? apoloogies for my inexperienced questions, as i have some, im young. i have to ask people like urselves, my elders, about things that don’t have a precedent in my world. when i was in school i didnt listen. now im studying something else. but i love to train, especially applying something tha t works, and that might need some help.

shit, if u want some advice in return about sumthin i know well, im there. fuck just fucking eat. that leads to big man tits. id prefer to know whats worked for someone before. saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.

its tricky, we need guidance. if a question i ask in the future seems stupid, sorry. if u tell me why, i’ll surely fill in the gaps. if u want to reply. the coolest shit iv seen is threads like the one with all beginner read this type stuff

282

This is my bulking diet i have been told it pretty crap or needs work i wish to stay leanish and still build some quality muscle, my body fat is 7% as i have just fininshed dieting

weight 84 kilos and am 5foot 11

7am:
185g (2 cups)Porridge with one handful rasins
1 bagel
small amount low fat low sugar jam

10am
185g (1 tin)Tuna
200g(1 packet) uncle bens express rice

1pm
200g jacket potato
1 chicken breast

4pm
1 Pure protein shake (usn)
1 high protein flap jack
1 muller rice

7pm
1 chicken breast
bowl mixed veg

10pm
kippers or tuna or mackrel
8-9 scrambled egg whites

Supplements after Training:

Take 50g Breezer(like iso pure)
50g PSP(High carb Powder)
1 Alpha Lapoic Acid
8 HMB Tablet
Glutimine

Doing Cardio 3 times week in the mornings and weights 4 times a week what would you change about the diet?

283

[quote]dannyrat wrote:
saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.
[/quote]

So…what’s the problem?

284

I think wannabebig has a medical condition (or psychological).

Evidence:

  1. his brother gains but he doesn’t, so there must be some effective knowledge in the family, and genetics almost certainly ruled out (unless wanna is a woman)

  2. he can’t possibly be doing things THAT incorrectly, he does seem to have some idea

  3. he gained fat, so perhaps he isn’t eating enough, but he isn’t exactly starving himself either

There are a number of conditions that could be screwing his progress. Could be celiac, who knows. Could have food allergies, undiagnosed. etc… all these things put a strain on nutritional needs. Heck, maybe his sleep is shite because he snores. WHO KNOWS.

But it is unfair to dismiss everything he says and assume he isn’t eating enough or training correctly. I find that very hard to believe. Especially since his brother is NOT training/eating incorrectly.

285

Until this person posts his REAL NUMBERS in his OWN!!! thread we dont know if he’s really eating a lot, if he’s really training with any intensity and if he’s really eating to gain muscle.

286

[quote]Professor X wrote:
dannyrat wrote:
saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.

So…what’s the problem?[/quote]

What the fuck? Thats one of the best ways to learn. Pick a subject and read and research it.

“Hmm I want to learn about computers. What should I do? Ok, I’ll start by searching the net for articles on how computers work.” Like X said…whats the problem?

287

[quote]PGA200X wrote:
Professor X wrote:
dannyrat wrote:
saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.

So…what’s the problem?

What the fuck? Thats one of the best ways to learn. Pick a subject and read and reasearch it.

“Hmm I want to learn about computers. What should I do? Ok, I’ll start by searching the net for articles on how computers work.” Like X said…whats the problem?[/quote]

I used to look up books on bodybuilding, powerlifting and strength training at the library during study breaks while studying for exams. Then again, that was before I could afford regular internet service.

Do people really expect for other people to do all of their research for them? We live in a world where you can provide someone with all of the knowledge they need, give them the tools to look for it…and they will STILL complain because you didn’t hold their hand and walk them through each and every piece of info personally? This world is full of pussies.

I can’t believe anyone would write, “saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.” as if it were a bad thing. People like that drag the rest of us down.

288

[quote]Professor X wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
Professor X wrote:
dannyrat wrote:
saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.

So…what’s the problem?

What the fuck? Thats one of the best ways to learn. Pick a subject and read and reasearch it.

“Hmm I want to learn about computers. What should I do? Ok, I’ll start by searching the net for articles on how computers work.” Like X said…whats the problem?

I used to look up books on bodybuilding, powerlifting and strength training at the library during study breaks while studying for exams. Then again, that was before I could afford regular internet service.

Do people really expect for other people to do all of their research for them? We live in a world where you can provide someone with all of the knowledge they need, give them the tools to look for it…and they will STILL complain because you didn’t hold their hand and walk them through each and every piece of info personally? This world is full of pussies.

I can’t believe anyone would write, “saying read the articles is like saying heres a library, learn.” as if it were a bad thing. People like that drag the rest of us down.[/quote]

If I relied on people to hand me things or received all of my education by waiting until people told explained it to me I would be one dumb ass I can quarantee that. Unless you do the footwork yourself you will NEVER be as intelligent as you can be and you are destined to fail in life. Unless you’re a silver spoon that didnt know how to boil water or didnt know where to buy hamburger meat. Yes those two events actually DID occur! Thats quite sad…

289

The thread was started as a call-out to those who can’t seem to reach their goals, for whatever reason. Telling someone not to post on this thread, about this topic, is kind of silly.

No, I don’t skip over the psych stuff. But the man said he went that route for two years and it didn’t help. Given two years of professional psyche help (which seemed not to help at all), and exactly zero addressing of the question of absorption, I turn the question around to those (Prof X et al) who asked it in the first place: are you going to dismiss the possibility of absorption sight unseen? In my experience, absorption issues are a hell of a lot more common than psyche issues when it comes to someone not being able to gain for long periods of time.

The question of “steroid abuse” isn’t an issue at all here. If he used steroids prematurely, okay, it was probably a mistake. But who do you know who has had his training and nutrition more or less correct and NOT gained when doing a cycle? Use of steroids would only tend to make him gain more, not hold him back. The problem lies elsewhere.

I notice that no one has responded to my question about experience in training others. And I find that telling. This is why I came down a little hard on PGA (and I apologize for that; it was unwarranted). To the best of my knowledge, he’s a golfer who has never really devoted any time to training people in bbing (for all that he’s posted here a lot). Yet somehow he seems to think that he knows exactly what is wrong with people despite this lack of hands-on experience. (Others, too.) It’d be like me telling a group of people the TWO things that are wrong with their golf swing, with my only qualifications being that (a) I read a golf forum for a while and (b) I’d managed to make some progress in my own swing.

Long story short, people react differently to weights and eating. Sure, I’ll agree that in a lot of I-can’t cases it’s a matter of being a pussy, either in the gym or at the dinner table. But it’s not anywhere near ALL cases. There are plenty of people who simply don’t get much out of weight training. Hell, you’ve got someone like Charles Poliquin saying that two of his five types simply don’t respond very well to weights, and they should take up some other sport or hobby. Are you going to argue with him as well? Tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about?

Personally, I think that weight training and proper nuntrition can benefit anyone. But there are limits to that benefit that depend on individual factors. Saying (for example) that “anyone” can get to be over 200lbs of LBM if he’s six feet tall is simply not true. Doesn’t mean anyone shouldn’t try, doesn’t mean that weight training is a dead-end. It just means that he’s not going to weight as much as someone else. He can still make improvements in health, looks, and strength. He can still be far better than average. He just won’t be Mr. Olympia. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

290

[quote]char-dawg wrote:
The thread was started as a call-out to those who can’t seem to reach their goals, for whatever reason. Telling someone not to post on this thread, about this topic, is kind of silly.

No, I don’t skip over the psych stuff. But the man said he went that route for two years and it didn’t help. Given two years of professional psyche help (which seemed not to help at all), and exactly zero addressing of the question of absorption, I turn the question around to those (Prof X et al) who asked it in the first place: are you going to dismiss the possibility of absorption sight unseen? In my experience, absorption issues are a hell of a lot more common than psyche issues when it comes to someone not being able to gain for long periods of time.

The question of “steroid abuse” isn’t an issue at all here. If he used steroids prematurely, okay, it was probably a mistake. But who do you know who has had his training and nutrition more or less correct and NOT gained when doing a cycle? Use of steroids would only tend to make him gain more, not hold him back. The problem lies elsewhere.

I notice that no one has responded to my question about experience in training others. And I find that telling. This is why I came down a little hard on PGA (and I apologize for that; it was unwarranted). To the best of my knowledge, he’s a golfer who has never really devoted any time to training people in bbing (for all that he’s posted here a lot). Yet somehow he seems to think that he knows exactly what is wrong with people despite this lack of hands-on experience. (Others, too.) It’d be like me telling a group of people the TWO things that are wrong with their golf swing, with my only qualifications being that (a) I read a golf forum for a while and (b) I’d managed to make some progress in my own swing.

Long story short, people react differently to weights and eating. Sure, I’ll agree that in a lot of I-can’t cases it’s a matter of being a pussy, either in the gym or at the dinner table. But it’s not anywhere near ALL cases. There are plenty of people who simply don’t get much out of weight training. Hell, you’ve got someone like Charles Poliquin saying that two of his five types simply don’t respond very well to weights, and they should take up some other sport or hobby. Are you going to argue with him as well? Tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about?

Personally, I think that weight training and proper nuntrition can benefit anyone. But there are limits to that benefit that depend on individual factors. Saying (for example) that “anyone” can get to be over 200lbs of LBM if he’s six feet tall is simply not true. Doesn’t mean anyone shouldn’t try, doesn’t mean that weight training is a dead-end. It just means that he’s not going to weight as much as someone else. He can still make improvements in health, looks, and strength. He can still be far better than average. He just won’t be Mr. Olympia. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all.[/quote]

I was a personal trainer for 2 years. Field sucked and was full of backstabbers. So yes, I have had a hand in training OTHERS personally, a lot of females too. I have had a 100% success rate with changing peoples strength levels and body composition. This was when I was getting paid for it and doesnt include the friends that trained along with me then and now.

These people did NOTHING different (the ones paying) diet wise. Some added a PWO shake but most did not. Not one single persons strength or body composition stayed the same. So I do have a little experience and am not just a golfer posting a lot on the T-Nation but thanks for assuming though.

291

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Post a picture. I am tired of hearing about how perfect your entire routine and diet is. If it was perfect, you would be making progress.[/quote]

and around we go again…

you just dont want to believe me do you?

no matter what i say, you’ll just think Im bullshitting - no point in conversing with anyone like this.

you’re ignorant mate, just pure ignorant.

diet:

meal 1

100 grams of oats
50 grams of whey
1.5 tablespoons of flax oil
1 yogurt
glass of fruit juice

meal 2:

2 tins of tuna
75 grams of wholmeal pasta
tomato sauce
25 grams of nuts*

meal 3:

200 grams salmon
150-200 grams of potatoes
peas
broccoli
cauliflower

—TRAIN— (sipping some simple carbs)

Post workout:

35-50 grams maltodextrin/35-50 grams dextrose
50 grams whey

1 hour later

150-200 grams chicken
potatoes+veg
banana

meal 5:

32 grams of liquie egg whites
4 slices of wholemeal bread

meal 6:

20 grams casein
20 grams of whey
25 grams of cashew nuts

the training below is what Ive been using, but no doubt this form of training is totally wrong, sint it proff?

training: - reps in the 10-6 rep range.

MONDAY:

chest+triceps

bench press - 5 sets - 1-2 sets to F
incline press - 5 sets - 1-2 sets to F
skull crushers - 2 sets
close grip bench - 2 sets

WEDNESDAY:

back+biceps

Deadlifts - 5 sets - last 2 sets to F
bent over dumbell rows - 5 sets, last set to F
barbell curls - 3 sets

FRIDAY:

shoulders

overhead press with dumbells - 5 sets - last set to failure
upright rows - 4 sets
side lat raises 2 sets

SATURDAY:

legs:

SLDL - 5 sets, last set to F
SQUATS - 5 sets, last 2 sets to F
leg extension, singles - 4 sets, last 2 sets to F
Leg curls - 4 sets

now Ive tried the above routine taking now sets to failure and it hasnt worked. I just seemed to get really fat.

I’ve also tried loads of other different routines.

I could list the routines Ive tried but I dont wanna bore everyone to death, plus the list would be as long as I am tall.

that routine above has been used by my bro, worked well for him.

292

[quote]char-dawg wrote:
.[/quote]

I agree with char-dawg and I repeat, I think there is something wrong with wannabebig, because he claims his brother does fine, and he cannot make gains as well as his brother, he either got the short end of the stick with genetics or he has some problem that isn’t diagnosed (or, he is just plain nuts, or lying, which I doubt).

But this thread was not aimed at the small % of people who really struggle to gain muscle, but the hundreds of idiots who eat like birds and complain they cannot gain, who train like monkeys and complain it ain’t working, who exercise 5x a week with weights, play basketball for 2 hours a day, 3x a week, skip breakfast, party on the weekend etc… and so forth.

And worse, those who won’t read the material, and try to argue against it, or ask for advice, then complain it is wrong.

Those nitwits need a slap in the face, here is the thread to do it.

wannabebig might not have what it takes to be a huge muscly guy, but he might make an excellent marathoner. Who knows. But at least he has tried all avenues and given it a good shot.

293

[quote]Magarhe wrote:
I think wannabebig has a medical condition (or psychological).

Evidence:

  1. his brother gains but he doesn’t, so there must be some effective knowledge in the family, and genetics almost certainly ruled out (unless wanna is a woman)

  2. he can’t possibly be doing things THAT incorrectly, he does seem to have some idea

  3. he gained fat, so perhaps he isn’t eating enough, but he isn’t exactly starving himself either

There are a number of conditions that could be screwing his progress. Could be celiac, who knows. Could have food allergies, undiagnosed. etc… all these things put a strain on nutritional needs. Heck, maybe his sleep is shite because he snores. WHO KNOWS.

But it is unfair to dismiss everything he says and assume he isn’t eating enough or training correctly. I find that very hard to believe. Especially since his brother is NOT training/eating incorrectly.

[/quote]
thank you mate!

I think that is the most sensible post on here so far.

can I just add - my brother actually comes to ME for advive - Im the one who does all the reading/research, he just trains, doesnt even wathes what/how much he eats - he stays lean, and gains great muscle mass.

294

[quote]Magarhe wrote:
char-dawg wrote:
.

I agree with char-dawg and I repeat, I think there is something wrong with wannabebig, because he claims his brother does fine, and he cannot make gains as well as his brother, he either got the short end of the stick with genetics or he has some problem that isn’t diagnosed (or, he is just plain nuts, or lying, which I doubt).

But this thread was not aimed at the small % of people who really struggle to gain muscle, but the hundreds of idiots who eat like birds and complain they cannot gain, who train like monkeys and complain it ain’t working, who exercise 5x a week with weights, play basketball for 2 hours a day, 3x a week, skip breakfast, party on the weekend etc… and so forth.

And worse, those who won’t read the material, and try to argue against it, or ask for advice, then complain it is wrong.

Those nitwits need a slap in the face, here is the thread to do it.

wannabebig might not have what it takes to be a huge muscly guy, but he might make an excellent marathoner. Who knows. But at least he has tried all avenues and given it a good shot.
[/quote]

cheers buddy - glad that some people can see the difference between me and the ‘nitwits’

I’ll continue to try new ways of training. there’s a guy I know who traines each muscle group just once every 11 days, he’s huge, bigger than my bro. I’ve never tried waiting that long - the longest Ive done is 8-9 days.

I might give that a crack and see what happens.

295

[quote]maxx power wrote:

well, I did get upto about 180lbs and Im now about 160-165lbs but still cant see my abs - Id need to lose another 15- 20lbs or so to be ‘lean’.

Im comfortable at this weight even though Im not exactly lean. used to be a 28 inch waist, Im now 33 inch waist and have been as high as a 36.5 inch waist.

I’ve been as high as 30% bodyfat and that was just way too much for me, when I start to get near 25% then I cut.

Ok, i am sorry but i dont believe your stories.

If you actually made it to 180lbs for the first time in your life, why in hell would you cut?

Then… not only did you cut, you cut right down to ALMOST where you started.

Im sorry bro, your full of shit and you dont know how to train.

Go eat, get back up to 180, MAINTAIN that 180 for a few months while it leans out, rinse and repeat.

Like i said in my previous posts, sounds to me like your afraid of any wieght gain, you cut at 180 when you just fuggin got there.
OMG a whole 20 pounds MAX.

Here is my suggestion.
A- Start a new thread called “im gonna gain” and post your photo and current diet/food log.
B- Post your training log.

Wait a month, evaluate the numbers, repost and listen to the advice.

It sounds to me like you are not comfortable gaining wieght needed to bulk. It also sounds to me like you train to hard.
It also sounds to me like you are focusing far to much on this shit.

Post a new thread, because you destroyed this perfectly good one.[/quote]

lol dont give a shit if you dont believe me - Im telling the truth, why the hell would I lie? what’s the point in me lying?

“If you actually made it to 180lbs for the first time in your life, why in hell would you cut?”

well, when you take caliper measurements, and tape measurements, and you compare pics and the evidence suggests that 99% of what you have gained is fat, what would you do? I was fat as hell and Im not talking about a bit of blubber Im talking about ALOT.

I was on gear at the time when I did the cutting.

christ - I saw a thread about people posting about not being able to gain muscle, and suprise suprise, I dont gain muscle, so it stands to reason that i post in this thread, doesnt it?!

296

[quote]PGA200X wrote:
I was a personal trainer for 2 years. Field sucked and was full of backstabbers. So yes, I have had a hand in training OTHERS personally, a lot of females too. I have had a 100% success rate with changing peoples strength levels and body composition. This was when I was getting paid for it and doesnt include the friends that trained along with me then and now.

These people did NOTHING different (the ones paying) diet wise. Some added a PWO shake but most did not. Not one single persons strength or body composition stayed the same. So I do have a little experience and am not just a golfer posting a lot on the T-Nation but thanks for assuming though.[/quote]

His “three years” stipulation is why I ignored his post. I was a personal trainer. I did not do it for three years though because it wasn’t a career I was going into. As far as this guy, I see a lot of problems and I would bet his psychology is more of an issue than any digestive problems. His drug use is a huge sign post for that.

297

[quote]Professor X wrote:
PGA200X wrote:
I was a personal trainer for 2 years. Field sucked and was full of backstabbers. So yes, I have had a hand in training OTHERS personally, a lot of females too. I have had a 100% success rate with changing peoples strength levels and body composition. This was when I was getting paid for it and doesnt include the friends that trained along with me then and now.

These people did NOTHING different (the ones paying) diet wise. Some added a PWO shake but most did not. Not one single persons strength or body composition stayed the same. So I do have a little experience and am not just a golfer posting a lot on the T-Nation but thanks for assuming though.

His “three years” stipulation is why I ignored his post. I was a personal trainer. I did not do it for three years though because it wasn’t a career I was going into. As far as this guy, I see a lot of problems and I would bet his psychology is more of an issue than any digestive problems. His drug use is a huge sign post for that.[/quote]

That field sucked major ass. It got boring real quick. Its got as many backstabbers as the DJ business, which I was in for 5 years. I actually had other trainers talk shit behind my back because I was having someone doing a Westside routine. I believe the quote was “Westside sucks. He (Louie) got lucky with some strong guys and now he’s famous for it. That method sucks.”

I’ve never seen anything psychologically wise that has prevented someone from not making any gains, not saying it doesnt happen just that I’ve never seen it personally. Some of the women I trained had a stress level above anybody I have every been around, everything from problems with the family to dealing some major life altering decisions. They had a hard time just dealing with life rather than worrying about how and what to eat, yet they made strides and major strides at that.

298

[quote]wannbeBIG wrote:
christ - I saw a thread about people posting about not being able to gain muscle, and suprise suprise, I dont gain muscle, so it stands to reason that i post in this thread, doesnt it?!
[/quote]

I suggest another thread because your need will get specific attention being on its own. People may overlook this thread as they have already seen the discussions we’ve been having in here.

299

[quote]wannbeBIG wrote:
well, when you take caliper measurements, and tape measurements, and you compare pics and the evidence suggests that 99% of what you have gained is fat, what would you do? I was fat as hell and Im not talking about a bit of blubber Im talking about ALOT.
[/quote]

First of all. Ok man, again you dont listen. I am not here to piss you off, I am trying to help.

Post a new thread because your going to need it.
Post your pics.
Post your diet.
Post your training log.

Secondly…
You went from a lean 160 to a QUOTE “FAT AS HELL” 180. Gimme a break.

Unless you are 5’2, I doubt anyone at 180 is fat as hell.

Do like the other 100 or so others have in recent months.
Post a new thread.
Post your pics.
Post your diet/food logs.
Post your training logs.

Regards,
mp

300

yeah, you’re right guys.

I’ve posted another thread.