Advice needed, please.

**cfok** · 06-10-2009, 09:06 PM

I have been working out for about 4 years daily, never missing more than a day or two... though up until four months or so ago, I'd been forced to focus on a lot of cardio in my line of work, so weight gain was never a possibility, especially taking my fast metabolism into account.

So here's the basic help I need;

I have been lifting daily for four months, without more than one day of cardio per week, and even that is a light jog for about 2 miles. I want to gain A LOT of muscle, and though I'm making large gains in my lifts, I'm not seeing physically the results I'd want. (I.E. My dumbbell curls have increased from 30lbs/8reps to 50/8reps. Benching I've increased from 135 to 185.) So essentially I want to bulk up A LOT and after discussing with various friends and acquaintances, I wound up here.

I am currently 152 lbs, and at my 'plateau'. I cannot gain anymore weight no matter how many days I force myself to eat 8000 calories and drink MASS XXX or the like shakes. I have 6% body fat, and again I find it near impossible to increase this, even with said 8000 calories, large amounts of protein before and after workouts and high-carbs. (On the occasions when I find myself weighing about 158, I find it right back to 152 when I wake up in the morning.)

Any advice? I've read the rules and hopefully this final comment won't violate them; I've been looking into a good homebrew or Anadrol 50 or the like, if anyone can PM me for advice that can't be spoken about in-forum.
Thank you.

**johnnybigguns** · 06-10-2009, 09:17 PM

You should lay out your diet here.
You can always gain weight you just have to eat more

**_CrossroadS_** · 06-10-2009, 09:22 PM

Unless you're 5'5, you aren't near your potential.

Age and height?

And post this 8000 calorie diet? I'd like to see what you ate to get there...

**cfok** · 06-10-2009, 09:27 PM

I'm 5'8'-5'9' . 21 years old.

Here is my usual daily diet AND supplement use:

7AM: Chicken and salad. Couple eggs. Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)
10AM: Protein Bar or a couple nutri-grain bars + Protein Shake
11AM: No-Xplode, Amplified Creatine, --workout for one hour-- + BIG MEAL afterwards. (Meat, Breads, anything I can get ahold of.)
4PM: Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)
8PM: Some meat, usually red meat and vegetables. Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)

Most of the calories come from the Mass Gainer at 1000+ calories per serving.

**cfok** · 06-10-2009, 09:40 PM

Here are recent pictures (today). Obviously my chest is a major area that needs work but I feel grows slowest for me.

**ottomaddox** · 06-10-2009, 09:51 PM

I'm not trying to be mean, but your diet sucks. Too many shakes and not enough REAL food. Check out fitday dot com and enter in your food for the day and I think your going to be very shy of your 8000 calorie mark.
This is a maintenance diet for me:

My BMR: 2160.95
Harris Benedict equation to calculate maintenance calories for an athlete:
If you are moderatly active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55= 3350 calories.
Protein 47g. Per meal
Carbs 47g per meal
Fats 12g per meal

Protein: 1340 calories /4= 335 grams
Carbohydrates: 1340 calories /4= 335 grams
Fats: 670 calories /8= 84 grams

Totals P C F
Meal 1: 547Cals. 58/54/13
½ cup egg whites = 26g. Protein
1 ½ cups Brown Rice = 60g. Carbs 6g. Protein 3g. Fats
2 oz Chicken Breast = 26g. Protein
½ ounce Pecans/Nuts 10g. Fats

Meal 2 550/5/85/43
4 oz Chicken Breast = 52g. Protein
1 cup Brown Rice = 40g. Carbs

ETC..... Meal3, 4, 5, 6, 7......

Unless you know exactly what your taking in you're just guessing, time to get out the scale and put the thinking cap on and figure out a correct diet, then you'll be able to make the gains you want.

Originally Posted by cfok

I'm 5'8'-5'9' . 21 years old.

Here is my usual daily diet AND supplement use:

7AM: Chicken and salad. Couple eggs. Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)
10AM: Protein Bar or a couple nutri-grain bars + Protein Shake
11AM: No-Xplode, Amplified Creatine, --workout for one hour-- + BIG MEAL afterwards. (Meat, Breads, anything I can get ahold of.)
4PM: Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)
8PM: Some meat, usually red meat and vegetables. Mass Gainer (1000+ calories)

Most of the calories come from the Mass Gainer at 1000+ calories per serving.

**cfok** · 06-10-2009, 09:58 PM

On select days I have added the caloric intake of my diet together and have been close to 8000 (with included shakes) though I do admit that I replace things often (such as a protein bar being replaced with nutri-grain or two chicken breasts replaced with steak) so it is very well possible that on some days I'm close and some days I'm probably far off. I wouldn't be in complete shock if I were as low as 5500 on some days... But wouldn't that STILL be INCREASING my weight rather than it ALWAYS staying the same? I'm just curious.

And I appreciate the help very much Ottomaddox.

**_CrossroadS_** · 06-10-2009, 10:03 PM

You have the potential...you are young, and not eating right, that's all.

Stay away from drugs until we get you eating right...post diet stats and goals in the diet forum

**ottomaddox** · 06-10-2009, 10:13 PM

This is not a game, I take it seriously. I've been at it for over 20 years. I've made many mistakes and have many accomplishments as well. I guarantee you that you diet is the problem. Ask anyone else that's been a member here for a while and they'll tell you how important it is to have you diet completely dialed in. Figure out what your goals are: Bulk, Cut, Model body, etc....
Look up what your BMR is and what calories are needed for your body type and energy load for your specific goals and then design a diet around it. By just randomly eating food throughout the day you have no idea how much protein vs carbs vs fats that you are actually taking in. You need to have that figured out or else your just wasting your time and energy.

Originally Posted by cfok

On select days I have added the caloric intake of my diet together and have been close to 8000 (with included shakes) though I do admit that I replace things often (such as a protein bar being replaced with nutri-grain or two chicken breasts replaced with steak) so it is very well possible that on some days I'm close and some days I'm probably far off. I wouldn't be in complete shock if I were as low as 5500 on some days... But wouldn't that STILL be INCREASING my weight rather than it ALWAYS staying the same? I'm just curious.

And I appreciate the help very much Ottomaddox.

**cfok** · 06-10-2009, 10:17 PM

Thank you very much - apparently I'd been given poor advice in the past and told to just, "eat eat eat", so I will definitely heed your advice, switch over to the diet forum and keep a strict log of what I eat tomorrow and ensure that I eat along that basis again and again. Again, thank you.

**ottomaddox** · 06-10-2009, 10:37 PM

You've got to start somewhere and the diet forum is the best place.

Originally Posted by cfok

Thank you very much - apparently I'd been given poor advice in the past and told to just, "eat eat eat", so I will definitely heed your advice, switch over to the diet forum and keep a strict log of what I eat tomorrow and ensure that I eat along that basis again and again. Again, thank you.

**youngerlion** · 06-11-2009, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by cfok

Thank you very much - apparently I'd been given poor advice in the past and told to just, "eat eat eat",

to eat, was not the bad advice bro. you need to eat. you have been consuming only a couple meals a day. you cannot rely on those shakes so much for your calories. even if you were drinking 5 a day it sounds like you are no where near 8000 calories.

**1bigun11** · 06-13-2009, 09:21 AM

You are probably overtraining also, which is the other half of the equation. Cut your exercises and sets in half from what you are doing and work out only 3-4 days a week instead of everyday. If you consume more than you burn you have to gain weight. I would attack the problem from both sides by eating more and training less. Train heavy, but less sets and exercises. You will grow.