I am 23 years old and weigh 150. I have a fast metabolism and exercise regularly (run 2.5 miles a day or bike around 10, and am involved in the martial arts). I am fit, but at 5' 9" and 150 pretty trim.  I would like to gain about 10 pounds in muscle mass (or more) over the next few months so as to bulk up a little for strength and appearance. I am not aspiring to look like Arnold did back in the day, just  to make some noticable progress.

What recommendations would all you fitness gurus make for me? I am joining the gym tomorrow and so far am under the impression that the best way to build muscle mass is to lift free weights and eat a dump load of protein each day. Does this sound about right?

-What kind of diet do I need to support these goals?
-About how many times each week do I need to lift to see results?
-How long can I expect before actually telling a difference?
-What should I not do?

Thank you all for your help!

I would start by reading some of the articles at www.wannabebig.com and www.abcbodybuilding.com

They are pretty good, and give more sound advise than I could offer in one post.

I can tell you that you will need to stick to it for longer than 3-4 months to put on that kind of muscle. I have been lifting for a few years with many setbacks along the way, and I am having a good year if I put on 10lbs. of muscle.

Dont neglect the carbs when trying to bulk up. They really help you grow.

Good luck.

Quoted: I would start by reading some of the articles at www.wannabebig.com and www.abcbodybuilding.com They are pretty good, and give more sound advise than I could offer in one post. I can tell you that you will need to stick to it for longer than 3-4 months to put on that kind of muscle. I have been lifting for a few years with many setbacks along the way, and I am having a good year if I put on 10lbs. of muscle. Dont neglect the carbs when trying to bulk up. They really help you grow. Good luck.

Yep, base your diet on a lifting routine will help build mass, but 10 lb. will take a while. I started seeing mass/definition at about 6 months into lifting.

My friend has a build like yours and never tried to bulk up.  When he went to the Police Academy he put on 10-15 lbs by time he graduated with just the basics, sit-ups, push-ups & pull-ups.  

when i graduated i was 5'10 and maybe a 100 pounds.  3 years later ive put on 60 pounds from weight lifting. I didnt change anything about my life except i  hit the gym 2 hours every other day. Low reps and by low i mean 3 of the heaviest wieght you can lift. Keep the weight heavy and the reps low. i still do this and i see improvement about every 3-4 months.

I was you in college.  The secret I learned, was how to rest.  You cannot overwork muscle groups and expect growth, and due to your already described activity, I would assume that would be your problem too.  

Eventually, I got down to three aerobics sessions a week, and 2 days a week per body part. (4 days total weight workout)

And I got good results with high reps, unlike the previous poster.  Go figure.  Each person's body is different, and each individual's body changes with time, as well.  Bodybuilding is an art, not a well-defined science.

OBTW, I am 5'9" 205, 41 years of age, and have a six pack and runners girdle.

lots of reps of light weight can build vascular tissue which will make your muscles look more tone, but don't ignore the higher weights with lower reps for stregnth.  Eat a lot of food too.  Learn about creatine if you want to cheat a bit,

Alot of good advice here for you.  The basics will go along way.




If you really want to bulk up, get sent to prison and let the others know you like dick.  You will get muscles real quick fighting off your suiters.

Quoted: Alot of good advice here for you.  The basics will go along way. If you really want to bulk up, get sent to prison and let the others know you like dick.  You will get muscles real quick fighting off your suiters.

whats wrong ARDunstan that not work out for you?

If you decide to try low reps, be sure to warm up for each and every exercise by doing lower weight reps first.  I started trying low reps and just continually injured myself.  Later, I discovered my body responded better to high reps, but we aren't talking low weight.  I'd worked up to 3X10 230 pound bench, and 3X10 310 pound squats.

In fact, if all you are interested in is body mass, just do the basic exercises, such as bench press, pull-downs and squats.  That will hit all your major muscle groups without burning additional calories to do other things.  If I were going to add two additional exercises for vanity, I'd pick curls and military press, with rows in third place.

if your doing that many reps it is to low of weight for you. If you want muscle mass keep the reps low, do bench, triceps, biceps and pull ups for upper body and squats for lower.

Quoted: whats wrong ARDunstan that not work out for you?

It must have worked wonders for you I'll bet.

You, like me, are a classic Ectomorph and as such we require very specific workout habits to get any sort of muscle mass gains.  The first thing I would do is to stop running so much, maybe completely. I know that sucks, as Ectomorphs running is something that we naturally do very well at, but it's counterproductive to putting on large amounts of muscle. I worked out 4-6 times a week for 6 months doing nothing but weight training, I was eating right and gobbling up all sorts of protein shakes and weight gainers, know how much I gained? 3lbs! I said screw it and went back to running, but I enjoy running, it makes me happy. I am still seeing my muscles become more defined but in a different way, they are built for endurance not for short bursts of strength.
Some good articles about body types and workouts for Ectomorphs I found by googling 'Ectomorph':
bodybuildingpro.com/bodytypeinformation.html
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm
www.teenbodybuilding.com/mclane15.htm

I guess no-one else asked the question, but because you are at the theoretically "ideal" body weight for your height and weight, Why do you want to gain body mass?  Why not work to increase strength and muscle tone, and just accept any increase in mass that comes your way?  You are going to increase mass as you grow older, and if you lift regularly, you will have a body most folks would envy.

As far as reps vs. weight, anyone who tells you there is only one way to gain strength is either not very experienced, or an idiot.  I know for a fact that my body responds to reps.  I have been as big as 5'9" 234 pounds.  To say that I'm doing too many reps with not enough weight is incomprehensible.  How much bigger was I supposed to be?

I'll tell you, my knees like me better at 205 than 234.  

'nuff said, really

Find out  your "one repitition maximum" is for each excercise. Then do 5 reps of 3 to 5 sets of 80% of your max for each excercise.  3 to 4 week cycles of this.

Then do pyramids. Starting with 80% for the first set, then add weight for each set while decreasing reps for each set you add weight, ending with 1 rep of your max or 95% of it. (if you can)Do this cycle for 2 weeks.  Then find out what your new one repitition maximum is again. (you`ll be stronger)

Start again with your new 80% max with the 5x5 routine, then pyramid etc etc..

2 grams of protien per pound of body weight, per day, or close to it. (it is harder than it seems)

Cut way back on the cardio.

Get lots of rest, and take naps if possible.

Eat, or comsume a protein shake or bar, every 3 hours.

Set alarm for midnight to down a protien shake and go back to bed, you want a continuous flow of protien in your body.

Since you`re cutting much of your cardio out, keep your diet as lean as possible, don`t just pile on the junk and empty calories.

ETA. Working one major muscle group per week will do, if you hit a sticky point and can`t seem to gain or progress, just change it up for a couple workouts. Do some 2 a days, or do some burn outs ( going to failure) here and there to shock your muscles. Someone at the gym i`m sure will be helpful, tel them what your specific plans are, they will probly work you up a program to go by.

And eat big after workouts.

Eat all you can, especially with a high metabolism. Do the basics for bulking up: cleans, squats and deadlifts. Get as much sleep as you can. And probably the most important, don't over train(general rule of 48 hours for muscle to recover), you don't get big if you train alot, you just get fit. I know it probably sounds counter productive, but if you are running alot, you are not going to build the mussle mass you sound like you want. Sometimes you need to limit the cardio to get muscle gains, if you must include cardio, alternate a training system over a couple of weeks or try the HIT style of weight training.

Here is a simple but very effective bulk routine, the first exercise is done very heavy (5 reps max, say 5 sets with at least 2 minutes recovery, power lifters sometimes go 4 to 5 minutes rest between their heavy sets) the others are done moderate weight (say 80 percent) for a max of 8 reps.
Monday: Cleans(heavy), Squats, Deadlift
Tues: easy abs routine
Wensday: Squats (heavy), Cleans, Deadlift
Thurs: easy abs again and some bench press for reps not weight
Friday: Deadlifts(heavy), squats, cleans
Saturday: if you must, train some arms, but don't worry about going heavy

With a routine as above, you are not going to be able to do this long, the back is taking a beating and that is why you need to do some abs to supplement balance. You might do this for 5 or 6 weeks. Remember, you need to build the base before worrying about how much you can bench or curl. These exercises will bulk you up and give you explosive syle strength. Don't underestimate the gains you will get from cleans, they really build up the structure. You might on a light clean day do the entire motion and put the weight over you head.

Good luck.

The same was as a 'big' guy!

Thanks for all of your advice guys! Hopefully in a few months I will have a good update.

gvidon212

Quoted: Heavy weights.    Whether free weights or machine weight,  resistance is what you need. I do an 8-12 rule.   If I can do 12 reps,  I need more weight.  If I can't do 8,  it's too much weight. I don't do multiple sets of any given exercise IF I'm doing many different exercises. (For example, do the full machine circuit.  There will be enough overlap that you only need to do them once.) Heavy weights build strength and muscle mass. But you have to feed yourself properly to get best results.  You NEED carbs for energy and protein to build on.  A gram of protein per pound per day is desirable.

that worked great for me i can tell ya! heaviest weight possible that you can lift 8 times for the first rep. do 3 reps. do this every other day and on the off days do stretching and cardio (which you seem to have locked on with your running, biking, and martial arts). eat regular meals of veggies and meat, drink lots of water and milk. works for big guys AND little guys!