Gaining muscle (need feedback)

[Rex]

OK, so my main goal is to gain more weight and muscle.

I try to go to the gym four days a week.

I usually do this:


Monday: Chest and Back

dumb bell bench press

declined dumb bell bench press

lat pull down on machine

Rows

Chest Flies on machine

Delt Flies on machine



4 sets of each exercise


Tuesday: Legs and Shoulders

Squats on a machine type thing where the bar is held in place

Leg press on machine

Calf Raise on that same machine where the bar is in place

Arnold Presses with dumb bells

Front Raise with dumb bells

Shoulder Shrugs


4 sets of each


Wensday is an off day


Thursday: Back


lat pull down on machine

Rows

Bent Over Row

Delt Flies


4 sets of each


Friday: Arms and Chest

Bench Press on machine

declined dumb bell bench press

Bicep curls

Tricept curls on a machine

Forearm curs with a barbell


4 sets of each



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Ok before I work out I do about 5-7 min or a warm up on the elyptical. I do about 5-7 min of stretching after that. My entire workouts take about one hour and thirty minutes. Sometimes longer. I know I'm probably resting too long inbetween sets sometimes but I'm working on it.

I don't really get sore anymore from work outs.

I try to push myself as hard as I can but I'm sluggish sometimes.

My sets are usually like this.


Set 1 = 12-15 reps

Set 2 = 10-12 reps

Set 3 = 8-10 reps

Set 4 = 6-8 reps



I've toned up but I haven't gained weight really. I do look better but I'm not seeing the results I want. I want to bulk up more.

I have a gut too and I should probably do cardio but I hate cardio and only do it sometimes. I'm more worried about gaining mass. I'm starting to drink protien shakes but I don't calculate how much a day.


I'm 5'6 about 130 lbs which I think is very small. I have a lean build and not really any fat except in my gut.

With the right lighting and in the pic here I like the way it looks but truthfully I feel small. I want to gain like 10 lbs of muscle but I'm finding it very hard. How long should that generally take if I work out 4 days a week?

I just feel like I'm doing something wrong. I know people say you need to really work yourself hard to gain results and I feel like I do but I'm not seeing the results I want. I defenitely feel stronger and look more toned but I want to see more. I see the most results in my chest but I feel like my arms, my shoulders, and my back are still way too small from where I want them to be and I'm just overall not happy with my body right now and starting to get frustrated because I see so little results.


Can anyone offer me some advice?

 

[KaraBulut]

The other part of the equation:

What's your diet like? Are you taking any supplements?

 

[Rex]

No suppliments.

I take protien shakes but probably don't eat enough protien.

I did some reading and I think I'm not using heavy enough weights.

My form will probably be off if I use heavier weights but I think that's what my main problem is, and I need to eat more. So now I'm going to try and log the amount of lbs I'm lifting per exercise and set and try to increase it, use no machines and stick to free weights, and focus more on big lifting exercies like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and military presses.

Does that sound like what I need to do?

 

[moto]

is it okay to continue smoking when your working out?

 

[hothunk222]

Awesome. Post some workout results later! So we can see how you are progressing. I've been working out too and I love it! I feel healthier and sexier each week. lol.

 

[Telstra]

i don't think protien shakes are good.
Why not eat fresh protein like roast or fry meat? taste nicer.

 

[Rex]

i don't think protien shakes are good.
Why not eat fresh protein like roast or fry meat? taste nicer.

I don't have a big enough appetite to get all the protien I'd probably need through natural foods.

is it okay to continue smoking when your working out?

Actually it's been well over a month since I've quit smoking. I just never updated it in my profile but I've made a "quit smoking" thread in this section too.

 

[Brandus]

IF you don't have a calorie excess then you won't grow muscle period. Your body won't dedicate resources to building new muscle unless you have an abundance of calories with plenty of protein. Find out how many calories you are eating daily, I found www.fitday.com useful for that. Your workout routine looks fine.

 

[KaraBulut]

Your body looks good. What you're ready to do is work on symmetry and balance.

Your chest and anterior delts look very good. You've got a nice peak on your lower pecs.

You might want to add side lateral raises to hit your side delts. Bent-over flys or upright rows will hit your rear delts. Miltary press with dumbells instead of the Arnold presses will also help for all-around delts- just roll those shoulder back and don't slump when you're lifting the dumbells.

You're doing a lot of decline chest work. You might also vary in with incline and flat chest work to hit your upper pecs.

You're doing back and chest together- you might give some thought to splitting those into separate days. Instead, alternate chest/triceps and chest/shoulders together. Do back and biceps on a different day.

Do legs on a day by themselves (or you can also do legs with arms). One of your weak areas is your biceps- so maybe do an extra day of biceps on the same day as legs.

There's another thread where there's a discussion about trying different combinations of weight versus reps until you find the combination that triggers your body to respond. You may have to try different combinations.

I have a friend who is middle eastern who responded well to alternating 2 weeks of cardio in cycle. So, in weeks 1 and 2, he does lighter weights (ex: M-W-F) and with days of intensive cardio (e.g. T-Th). On weeks 3-4 he only does 10 minutes of warmup cardio before his M-W-F higher weight work and no cardio-only days.

On your diet, you might look at amino-only protein supplements. They provide protein without extra carbs. If you're doing protein supplements, use whey or egg protein and don't waste money on casein or soy protein supplements.

 

[RichardHouston]

sweet post!!! thanks for the tips and links

 

[Latimer]

For getting ripped, if that's a goal:

Try Tabata, the 4-minute (actually 3 minute 20 second) Japanese cardio workout, better at burning fat than endless hours on an elliptical trainer, which--unless your doing a HIIT session--is useless in that regard.

It's simple:

8 exercises as intense as you can manage at 20 seconds each, separated by 7 rest periods of 10 seconds each.

The exercises can be any you choose: they can be all the same exercise, alternating exercises, or different exercises: AAAAAAAA; AAAABBBB; ABABABAB; ABCDABCD; ABCDEFGH. You get the idea.

If this looks interesting, search "Tabata" or Japanese cardio for information. You Tube has videos also.
I hate cardio with a passion, but I love Tabata, and begin all my workouts using it, and sometimes end my workouts with it as well.

You never know what to believe in workout magazines, but I've read that Henry Calvin uses the system.

 

[Benvolio]

One supplement will get you immediate and noticeable results is Creatine a white powder available in any health food or muscle store. The very next day you will be a little stronger and get better pumps. It will not keep making you bigger and stronger, but you will continue to be better than without it.
The are several studies on the internet which suggest that you watch some porn before your work out. Don't jack off, just get turned on. This will raise your testosterone level as much as 400% and you will be stronger in you work out. Probably has a longer term muscle building effect, but that has not been proven, to my knowledge.Here is one such linkhttp://www.medicaldaily.com/forget-steroids-watching-porn-may-enhance-athletic-performance-male-weightlifters-242051

 

[Latimer]

Thanks for the tip!
I find also that, having returned home after a workout, I have an overwhelming need to jerk-off looking at myself naked in a mirror, turned on by the image and feel of my pumped muscles. I've known other guys, both gay and straight who report doing the same.