getting serious about lifting

[mike09]

i used to lift while i was in school last spring and into the summer months, but because i was so busy i wasn't able to get into a rhythm so to speak. but when i get back to school i intend on getting serious and making time to hit the gym.
i understand that diet is a huge part about gaining good mass. i'm a hard gainer, and any weight i put on, fat or muscle gets lost real quick. case in point, i just got back from living in italy for a few months, eating like crap most of the time and doing little than walking around as exercise. needless to say, i lost any size i gained over the past few months.

i'm not sure what i need to develop in terms of a program, but i was thinking about maybe a 4 day total body, and on the 3 off days doing cardio.
other than adonis's 4 day total body plan in the "best of..." section, is there anything else you guys can recommend in terms of a program.

i know i'm going to need to eat like there is no tomorrow, but i plan on getting a protein powder to supplement. should i invest in both whey and casin protein. one for post workout, and the latter for before bed, or is it unnecessary.

and anything else you think i'm missing in here.
also, i'm 20 years old, and weigh somewhere in the range of 155-160 lbs and i'm 6'0"-6'1". basically i'm a lanky skinny kid.
thank you in advance

[baltic viking]

buy protein powder with bcca's in it. whey is for postworkout/during the day and casein is for before you sleep. Eating is important but stuffing yourself will make you want to quit your regime. When people mention eat big it's because they are training so hard that their body cannot recover and grow when eating normally. Yes you will get bigger results faster but its hard to maintain and you eventually reach a point where the amount of food you eat does not necessarily help in shortening recovery time which will then lead to overtraining. If your a hard gainer you don't really need to do 3 days of cardio as you probably have low body fat. What i think is more important is you stick to your regiment of exercises. You can't do weights for a short period of time then stop, once you stop you regress to your prior state. Just keep punching in at the gym everyweek, have a week or 2 rest every now and then if you want to or need to from overtraining.

[tooncesthecat]

You could add creatine to the supplements. Also check here:

Bodybuilding.com - Workout Programs Articles!

[taisabaki]

Originally Posted by mike09

i used to lift while i was in school last spring and into the summer months, but because i was so busy i wasn't able to get into a rhythm so to speak. but when i get back to school i intend on getting serious and making time to hit the gym.
i understand that diet is a huge part about gaining good mass. i'm a hard gainer, and any weight i put on, fat or muscle gets lost real quick. case in point, i just got back from living in italy for a few months, eating like crap most of the time and doing little than walking around as exercise. needless to say, i lost any size i gained over the past few months.

i'm not sure what i need to develop in terms of a program, but i was thinking about maybe a 4 day total body, and on the 3 off days doing cardio.
other than adonis's 4 day total body plan in the "best of..." section, is there anything else you guys can recommend in terms of a program.

i know i'm going to need to eat like there is no tomorrow, but i plan on getting a protein powder to supplement. should i invest in both whey and casin protein. one for post workout, and the latter for before bed, or is it unnecessary.

and anything else you think i'm missing in here.
also, i'm 20 years old, and weigh somewhere in the range of 155-160 lbs and i'm 6'0"-6'1". basically i'm a lanky skinny kid.
thank you in advance

Get Rippetoe's Starting Strength, 2nd edition (get it from Amazon) and stick to it for a year.

httx://www.startingstrength.com/

Eat like a mule while you are at it. Although you'll need supplements, keep it simple: BCAAs, glutamine and a protein shake/meal replacement. While you are at it, read this article and stick to it. Follow it like the word from God:

httx://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm


Don't fall into the trap of trying to micromanage your diet. Just eat like an animal, keep your supplements simple and read the article just mentioned above.

Also, don't fall into the crap they sell in men's health and bodybuilding magazine. Most of it is just stupid shit articles that rip off a pro-bodybuilder's routine and cramps it into a a few pages without mentioning all the other stuff the aforementioned athlete has to do to make his routine work FOR HIM.

Stick to Rippetoe's book for a year and check the articles, videos and stuff being provided online by Westside Barbell and the Diesel Crew.

httx://www.dieselcrew.com/

httx://www.westside-barbell.com/

httx://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside.htm

But even as you look at those other resources, stick to Rippetoe's work. Stick to it, stick to it, and stick to it. Don't let your mind wander into other material. Stick to it for a year and eat like a mule.

Will you get huge? Maybe, maybe not.

Will you get strong and capable to take your training to the next step in an intelligent manner? Hell yes.

[mike09]

Originally Posted by taisabaki

Get Rippetoe's Starting Strength, 2nd edition (get it from Amazon) and stick to it for a year.

httx://www.startingstrength.com/

Eat like a mule while you are at it. Although you'll need supplements, keep it simple: BCAAs, glutamine and a protein shake/meal replacement. While you are at it, read this article and stick to it. Follow it like the word from God:

httx://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm


Don't fall into the trap of trying to micromanage your diet. Just eat like an animal, keep your supplements simple and read the article just mentioned above.

Also, don't fall into the crap they sell in men's health and bodybuilding magazine. Most of it is just stupid shit articles that rip off a pro-bodybuilder's routine and cramps it into a a few pages without mentioning all the other stuff the aforementioned athlete has to do to make his routine work FOR HIM.

Stick to Rippetoe's book for a year and check the articles, videos and stuff being provided online by Westside Barbell and the Diesel Crew.

httx://www.dieselcrew.com/

httx://www.westside-barbell.com/

httx://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside.htm

But even as you look at those other resources, stick to Rippetoe's work. Stick to it, stick to it, and stick to it. Don't let your mind wander into other material. Stick to it for a year and eat like a mule.

Will you get huge? Maybe, maybe not.

Will you get strong and capable to take your training to the next step in an intelligent manner? Hell yes.

thanks. i'm going to look into getting that book, and some protein with bcca's in it.