Hey guys, I'm brand new to this forum. I just watched a documentary by a weightlifter called Chris Bell who investigates steroid use . The documentary has opened my eyes in a sense to some of the realities of steroid use. Anyhow...a little bit about myself. I'm 23 years old and 6'2" I used to weigh 175 lbs, but have now gone up to 187 and not in the good way. I noticed that when I turned 22 my metabolism slowly began to drop off and I began to imperceptibly let myself go. I have never been a serious weightlifter, but I've worked out at the gym sporadically between the ages of 20-22 in intervals of a few months at a time. My goal between those years was to affect the physical appearance of my upper body (bigger). Currently, I have not been to the gym in the last year. Here are a few photos from this evening of what my body looks like now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo14.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo15.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo16.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo17.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo18.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo19.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ro/photo20.jpg

Big arms and chests do not run in my family. We are all relatively small when it comes to muscled appearance. This is something I've always struggled with. I don't think I'm a terrible looking guy...but I would like to be bigger...it's a personal confidence thing. It's very hard to be at a summer pool party around a bunch of guys who are big when you are clearly the one with the smallest arms. I would say I have tried many different things to achieve bigger arms, but that would be false. Having almost no conventional knowledge on smart workouts, I have bought a few books with excerices in them showing target muscle groups and things of that nature. Like most people I've tried protein shakes (never quite know the amount I really need). I've also tried Creatine. While I was happy with the look I got with creatine...I could never tell if it was muscle or just simply water weight.

It has been many months since I've lifted weights in a gym and my exercise these days mostly consists of good, arduous tennis games three times a week (each game is usually an hour and a half of cardio). I intend on going back to the gym...but I'd really like to go back with more of a clue and strategy as to how I can get what I want....or whether it's even possible. I'd like to get rid of the excess fat around my midsection (something that has really been bumming me out...love handles and all those wrinkles and rolls that appear when I'm sitting). In the past, my exercise routine looked something like this:

3-4 times/week
10-15 minutes of running to get my blood flowing
Dumbell Incline Bench Press 2 x 15-20 reps with 35 lb dumbells
Dumbell Pull-Over 2 x 15-20 reps with a 60 lb dumbell
Dumbell Fly 2 x 10-13 reps with 25 lb dumbells
Dumbell Bicep Curl 2 x 20 reps with 20 lb dumbells
Dumbell Lateral Raise 2 x 10 reps with 10 lb dumbells
Tricep Kickback 2 x 10-15 reps with a 10 lb dumbell
Lying Triceps Extension 2 x 10-15 reps with a 10 lb dumbell
One Arm Row 2 x 12-15 reps with a 35 lb dumbell


I know that it's not a lot of weight, but I'm not a big guy. I also prefer to work with dumbells as opposed to on the machines. I don't really want to gain weight (at least the bad kind of weight) because I'm concerned about being overweight. The last time I checked the charts, 193 was considered overweight for a person my age and height. I know it's a lot to ask, but I would be greatly indebted to anyone who is able to assemble a workout for me that will make my arms noticeably bigger (description of workout plus number of sets and target rep range as well as incremental increases in weight over a span of time). Also, if you could give me an idea of the amount of protein I should be taking in as well as perhaps some tasty meal ideas (carbs, protein, just good workout meals) I could easily fix up for myself (including information about calorie count, things of that nature), I would be even more indebted.

I know this is jumping the gun to ask this, but the documentary got me thinking and I am wondering if I am a candidate for anabolic steroids . I realize that consumption of steroids without working out won't help, but I'm just really tired of having tiny arms. Hope to get some guidance. Thank you for reading if you made it this far.