Posted: 12/30/2006 11:03:42 AM EDT
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Hey guys, I've been lifting 3x a week and doing some limited cardio since about October now and starting to see good results...as in I'm getting some definition back and strength is definitely higher. I'm probably in as good shape now as I was 6 years ago in high school. Problem is, I'm a major ectomorph with a hyperactive metabolism! 5'7" and 131 lbs.--the most I've ever weighed was 141  I'd really like to see a solid 150 by fall. And no matter how much I eat, it all burns off! I've just about eaten myself sick the past couple of weeks with no weight gain! Add to the problem I frame houses six days a week.I always had good results using weight gainers, along with homemade shakes, but looking at bodybuilding.com's guide there are so many choices. Which weight gainer have you tried that tasted good and didn't blimp you into a fatty? I'm looking for at least 800 cals a serving, with 1000+ preferable, and not a whole lot of fat. TIA! |
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Fellow ectomorph here. I never heard it called a shit factory but your right. I'm a shitting machine and three meals a day means three (at least) sit-downs. I can't eat as much as I should with the lifting I do so I tried several weight gainers. The one I'm sticking with is (in response to the OP) is muscle milk. Great flavor, mixes easy in a shaker and gives over 650 extra calories.I tried a small tub first and drinking 2 a day and amping up my food intake gave me about 6 or 7 solid pounds. I've now gained a few more (I always sans clothes in the AM,) and am consistantly above 190 for the first time in my life. I'm 6'2 and pretty lean. I'm proud of my gains because before I started lifting seriously about a year ago I would sometimes dip below 180. That's about 10 pounds in a year and it may not sound like much but I can drink beer and eat potato chips all day and not gain anything.It's been a lot of work. My goal is around 205 and I figure at least another year and a half.That will get me where I've always wanted to be just in time to turn 40.For perspective I was about 6'1 and 145 pounds when I graduated high school.I guess I was a late bloomer! OP If you drank three servings a day and used skim milk it would give you about 1800 extra calories. |
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Weight gainers/protein powders are a waste of money. They are full of additives and preservatives that are toxic to the body. Also when the powders are made the gov. requires everything must be sterilzed. That equals treating it with high heat. When youdo that you lessen the amount of protein in the product and it denatures the protein. Therefor your stomach will not be able to absorb it and it will be wasted. The only thing I see happen with these guys that take these protein powders is they get belly fat easier and no muscle. This is the shake I drink: 2 cups whole milk, 2 large scoops of peanut butter, organic chocolate powder, a banana, 2 raw eggs, coconut oil. You are prob. thinking I am weird/nuts/ and that would taste aweful..... the eggs you dont taste and if the shell is not broken then there is less than a 1% chance you will get sick from it. i personally like the way the shake tastes especially compared to some of these powders that go tme nowhere but lost cash I could have spent on ammo or somethinghake Also another fact, the gut can not absorb more than 30 g of protein at once so all these powders claiming 50-80 grams of protein, don't worry about it, it will be in the toilet about 7 hours later hock.gif |
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Sorry all for the late response...just came off my first rotation with the police dept. that just hired me...see my new thread in the LEO forum for that story. Anyway, here is the deal: I started eating 6-7xa day last Sunday--as in at least 4K calories a day. As of Wednesday I had gained approx 5.8 lbs. Bad eating habits from 4 12 hour shifts at the LPD have reduced that about a pound. Machy, I have been making a shake similar to yours that tastes great but is super rich (normally runs between 900 and 1100 calories). My workout is chest/shoulders/legs, then back/legs, then arms. again each of those is 1x a week. I normally rest a day in between each workout. I have limited equipment so here is my workout: Chest: Bench press 3x8-10, sometimes dumbbel flyes 3x8-10 Shoulders: Dips 3x10-12, barbell press 3x8-10, front/lateral raises 2x8-10 Back: Pull-ups 3-5x max each set, upright row 3x8-10, shrugs 3x15-25 Biceps: Barbell curl 3x8-10, dumbell curls 3x8-10 Triceps: Tricep press 3x8-10, dips 3x8-10 *My leg workout consists of bodyweight/calisthenics exercises since I have neglected them for a while. Right now my whole system (and diet/exercise plan) is screwed up from the new job, but I should settle in within a couple weeks. |
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Your legs are your largest and heaviest muscles. You need to lift HEAVY on them to maximise your weight gain. Bodyweight anything is not going to add mass to your largest muscle group. Your second largest muscle group is your back. You need to do a heavy low row to add mass. Seated cable rows, bent over one armed DB rows, etc. You are neglecting the second best mass building exercise to gain weight. Pull ups alone wont do diddly IMO. I would also consider deadlifts as its a great overall exercise for someone needing to gain mass everywhere. Also get bloodwork done. Its highly likely that you are hyperthyroid. My cousin had the same problem and high thyroid levels kill your GH levels. He was prescribed HGH and his metabolism went back to normal and he gained an enourmous amount of muscle, almost 40 lbs in 2 years. Stanozolol (Winstrol) is not legal for humans to take in the United States. Its a vet only drug here. The only human prescribable anabolics in the US to my knowledge are testosterone cypionate (Depo Testosterone), nandrolone decanoate (Deca Durabolin), oxandrolone (Oxandrin) and oxymetholone (Anadrol). Usually reserved for hormone replacement therapy for those over 30 and with low testosterone (testosterone), anemia (anadrol), or HIV induced wasting (all). You might find a doctor to prescribe an anabolic but it is highly unlikely if you do not have clinically low testosterone. Getting your thyroid hormones in check will be more effective for you than any anabolic if that is the problem. |
| I always uused optimum nutritions serious mass. It tastes good and its pretty damn cheap at bulknutrition.com. I feel your pain. After lifting for 4 years I had to increse my calories to about 7000 a day to get from 195 to 205 over the course of 4 months. I haven't been lifting at all for the past year and I'm back down to 175 @ 6'3, and I'm 26 years old. It sucks to be a hard gainer. I cann't possibly eat that much whole food in a day to keep my weight up so I always loved shakes. Food is expensive and its hard to eat constantly. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Maybe it will be the inspiration i need to get my ass back in the gym. |
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Thanks DevL for the thyroid thing--if I ever get a physical or go to the doc I'll have them check that. As for the lifting program, again I have limited equipment at home and with my career change from business owner to law enforcement, the self-advancement fund has run pretty low. With the police academy in the future I also don't want to hurt myself and be gimped up when I start. I have incorporated rows into my workout, and I'll be using weights with my leg workouts very soon (next week or so), as they are lagging way behind my upper body. As for weight gain, two weeks of riding in a patrol car 8-10 hours a day (along with discounted fast food) has caused a 4 pound gain, with very little resultant fat gain. I'm finding that 2,000 to 3,000 cals/day is enough to cause decent weight gain. I've also stepped up my workouts so I'm doing calisthenics (push-ups and pull-ups) in between my normal weightlifting days for those body parts. It doesn't take but a few minutes and from the comments I've been given it's doing well. |