# Finding it difficult to gain size - Please help



## ShibbyFly (Jan 19, 2011)

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could help me please.

 I'm 26 years old, 6ft and 13st. I've been training for just under a year and a half now. Going to the gym 5 days a week, Monday to Friday, for an average of 45 minutes per session.

I've always been a skinny guy with more of a natural incline towards endurance over pure power and strength. I am desperately trying to gain more muscle mass and generally bulk up my frame but I'm finding it difficult. I'm not sure if it's down to the weight, reps and sets I'm using or my daily diet. My mates and the girlf say they've noticed me getting bigger and I agree with them but over the past 3 months that growth has stopped. My biceps are the most annoying area because when I go to the gym and have a good session I'm happy with the results but a day later they pretty much disappear. I'm starting to find it hard to keep up my motivation when I don't see the results I'd like for the amount of effort put in.

*Daily Diet*

For the past year I've been taking three protein shakes a day. I take one about 45 minutes before my lunchtime gymage session, one directly afterwards and one before bed. On top of that I'm taking glutamine tabs in the morning after my breakfast.

My day's food intake consists of:

*7.30am* - 3 poached eggs on two pieces of brown toast.

*10am* - An apple and a banana

*11.30am* - A bowl of wholegrain porridge and a protein shake.

*12am - 1pm* - Gym session

*1.00pm* - Protein shake.

*1.30pm* - Two large Tuna and cucumber sandwiches

*3.30pm* - A large handful of pumpkin seeds and dried mixed fruit and an apple.

*6pm* - Main meal - usually healthy with lots of veg, chicken, sweet potato's etc.

*10pm* - Protein shake and a bowl of cereal

I've often wondered whether I'm eating enough, especially since I've got a pretty fast metabolism but I wouldn't want to eat loads more as I fear that it will just turn into fat. But if I'm not eating enough or if this diet is all kinds of wrong please let me know.

*Work Out Routines*

I've recently changed my training program because I though the reason I wasn't seeing the results I wanted was down to doing to much isolation exercises and not enough compound exercises. I've been on this new program for a few weeks now due to a mate telling me that to get big, I needed to lift heavy (for me) and do less reps. This routine does change week to week depending on what exercises, in this case incline bench would be substituted for decline. (Note I've not included the added weight of the bar):

*Monday - Chest & Shoulders*

Flat bench press (60kg - 4 sets 6 reps)

Decline dumbbell fly's (25kg - 4 sets 6 reps)

Dumbbell pull-over (30kg - 3 sets 8 reps)

Shoulder press (35kg - 3 sets 6 reps)

Side raises superset (15kg - 3 sets x 6 reps)

Front raises superset (15kg - 3 sets x 6 reps)

Triceps pushdowns (30kg - 3 sets x 8 reps)

*Tuesday - CV and Core*

Usually plank, crunches and general mat work on top of a cycle and a row.

*Wednesday - Legs*

Squats (70kg - 3 sets x 8 reps)

Dead lifts (80kg - 3 sets x 6 reps)

Leg Extensions (86kg - 3 sets x 6 reps)

Calve Raises (120kg - 3 sets x 16reps)

Shrugs (30kg - 3 sets x 12reps)

Front Squats (35kg - 3 sets x 8reps)

*Thursday - CV and Core*

Usually plank, crunches and general mat work on top of a cycle and a row

*Friday - Back & Bicep's*

Wide grip pull-ups (3 sets x Failure)

Barbell Rows (40kg - 3 sets x 7reps)

Latbar pull down (86kg - 3 sets x 6 reps)

Reverse dumbbell curl (17.5kg - 3sets x 6 reps)

EZ-bar Bicep Curls (40kg - 3sets x 6 reps)

*Saturday - DAY OFF*



*Sunday- mess around*

Chin ups (3 sets x failure)

Wide arm press ups (3 sets x failure)

Close arm press ups (3 sets x failure)





So that's it really. Sorry if I went off on a bit of a rant but I wanted to get everything down so you guys have more information to work with. I've literally spent hours / days researching on the web for advice, tips etc but all the information kind of contradicts itself as everyone is different. I thought it was time to hit the forums and get some advice from people who know what they are talking about and know my daily diet and training routine's.

Any information, guidance or constructive criticism would be massively appreciated.

Cheers

Jonny

P.s) Sorry is this post is in the wrong forum section


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## lazy (May 5, 2010)

Eat more, a lot more! that looks like a cutting diet to me.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Eat more fat: milk, eggs, real butter, cream, cheese, olive oil, mayo, nuts.

Don't ne afraid to eat fats, including saturated fats - you need them to make your testosterone work and gain muscle mass.

Eat a minimum of 2 grams protein per kg actual bodyweight per day, mainly from real food - meat, fish, eggs - and top up with shakes as necessary.

You sound like you can eat quite a lot of carbs. Eat big slalds, fruit and ordinary potatoes. Wholemeal bread, pasta and rice are OK but only if you're not getting porky.

If you start to get porkier, back off the carbs first, not the fats.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

Mate, try a weight gainer as well if u struggle to eat too much, you have probably eaten enough to gain what you have gained, but now your bigger u need to eat more to gain more. Time to up the game, btw if u are worried about putting fat on, it won't happen overnight, if u start to notice fat gain dial it back a bit. It's all about finding what's best for u and knowing your body.


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

fatmanstan! said:


> Mate, try a weight gainer as well if u struggle to eat too much, you have probably eaten enough to gain what you have gained, but now your bigger u need to eat more to gain more. Time to up the game, btw if u are worried about putting fat on, it won't happen overnight, if u start to notice fat gain dial it back a bit. It's all about finding what's best for u and knowing your body.


Sorry but I disagree.

Weight gainers are full of cheap carbs, with all the problems I spoke of above.

It's much better and easier to eat the fats I mentioned.


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## iron head case (Jul 2, 2008)

welcome


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## Soul keeper (Jul 7, 2010)

Hello mate


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## essexboy (Sep 7, 2008)

your not training hard enough.your training too often, with too much volume, too many exercises.Base your w/o around squats, dips chins ohp, and deadlifts.one or two sets of each twice a week to total failure.If you think you want or need more, your not doing it hard enough,use perfect form and make sure your progressing,ie getting stronger.forget your arms, they will grow IF you work on the compounds.Eat 3/400 hundreds calories aday above you mainteince.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

Prodiver said:


> Sorry but I disagree.
> 
> Weight gainers are full of cheap carbs, with all the problems I spoke of above.
> 
> It's much better and easier to eat the fats I mentioned.


Notice I said if u are finding it hard to eat as much- not everyone can. If you have a fast metabolism and can't eat much- what's the problem with 'cheap carbs' whatever u mean by that anyway. Either get ur calories that way or make yourself sick force-feeding yourself!


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## fboy123 (Jan 19, 2011)

Your not lifting enough weight dude! Im 5ft6, and i weight 10 stone and im bench pressing 100kg for 8 reps, my chest sessions only consist of 5 excercises and then 1 or two tri excercises! Also your on a cuttng down, maybe a bit too much carbs for cutting but you need to be eating ALOT more!


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## ShibbyFly (Jan 19, 2011)

Cheers for all the advice fella's. By the sounds of things I need to get munching and slightly tweak my exercises. So i need to cut down slightly on the carbs and eat more fats and protein? Big tuna / chicken salads etc? Fboy123, I'm benching 80kg if you include the bar and sometimes I can add on an extra 10kg. I'm not very consistent though, I think my focus let's me down when I'm lifting out of my comfort zone. Only seems to happen on free weight bench though.


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## Squeeeze (Oct 2, 2007)

Eat more, rest more, train smarter.  You need time to recover and adapt.

Why not look at something like stronglifts 5x5.


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## Fletch68 (Mar 17, 2013)

Prodiver said:


> Sorry but I disagree.
> 
> Weight gainers are full of cheap carbs, with all the problems I spoke of above.
> 
> It's much better and easier to eat the fats I mentioned.


 I use a muscle/weight gainer but only on training days and then i have only one. Just as a supplement only to real food, milk etc. Folk who down 3 gainer shakes a day are heading for fat city.


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## ILLBehaviour (Dec 20, 2014)

Get the myfitnesspal app and use it to help calculate your daily calorie requirements and work from there. Keep protein to 2g per kg as mentioned and jump on stronglifts 5x5 or similar and keep pushing the weights up each session.


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

ShibbyFly said:


> Hello,
> 
> I was wondering if anyone could help me please.
> 
> ...


Personally I don't think the workout program is too bad. I'd swap out dumbbell press for standing military press and would start with decline bench and move onto an incline movement and drop the flys. In regard to food you are light on cals but you don't have to go mental on cals or you will just get fat. For your evening meal up your cals slightly. Eat more potato or swap chicken out for mince and have a chili with rice instead. In one of your shakes crack in 3 raw eggs and blend it. Those slight changes might be all you need. Also drop the Sunday session you don't need that and drop the cv session while you are trying to gain size. Focus on progressive overload too. Not groundbreaking information but it will help


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## RocoElBurn (May 31, 2010)

Edited because so old - why on top feed guys?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

This thread is over 4 years old...


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Ultrasonic said:


> This thread is over 4 years old...


Haha oh yeah


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Ultrasonic said:


> This thread is over 4 years old...


Geezer is probably huge by now. :laugh:


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## dannythinx (Oct 4, 2014)

Smitch said:


> Geezer is probably huge by now. :laugh:


Or doing exactly the same thing and not changed at all


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## fafaz (Dec 16, 2014)

try counting calories for a few weeks, it will open your eyes, other than that your sets and reps look good to me  . download MyFitnessPal


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## Naylor (Mar 29, 2015)

6ft 13st, training the majority of the 7 day week.... That diets not matching the your lifestyle at all.


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## DrZaius (Jul 23, 2014)

I am sure this will have been mentioned but EAT!!!  I'm your height and about half a stone heavier and am also struggling to put on weight so I can empathise.


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## ironman1985bcn (Mar 3, 2010)

Prodiver said:


> Sorry but I disagree.
> 
> Weight gainers are full of cheap carbs, with all the problems I spoke of above.
> 
> It's much better and easier to eat the fats I mentioned.


but eating cheese, cream and butter is the way forward I take? what about lactose (form of sugar, hard to digest for some, could bring up intolerance)

Fats yes, cheese creams and sh*te like those? never... use those kcal for bettter foods. at his lvl, he can bring up the calorie and fat intake much easier with more productive food, id rather have him have spoonfulls of olive oil rather than having those mate. Not saying you are completely wrong but for the lvl the OP is I would choose other options by a mile...

there are weight gainers and weight gainers, I find some ptetty usefulll for the beginner tbh... weight gainers with MCT, and "good" carbs... taken at the right time and moment of course.

never the less, to the OP, your diet needs checking pretty seriously


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

Let's ignore the fact that the bloke obviously hasn't been active on the forum for a good few years and continue to give him the advice, shall we :lol:


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## Dana (Mar 24, 2015)




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