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[Easywayout03]

Hi there , was just hoping I get could some advice .
Stats 6'1 , 155lbs

My goal is to reach 180-190 lbs and maintain my low body fat.
I start work fairly early (5:00am) and usually do my workouts after work ( 10:00am). Right now im just rotating two workouts between days.

Bench Press 5x5
Incline Bench 5x5
Deadlifts 3x12
Military 3x8
Wrists Curls 3x10
One arm row 3x8
Shrugs 3x12

My off days I just do an ab workout

I have a very basic bench, barbell and dumbells. I know my routine could use alot of tweaking, any and all advice is much appreaciated.

Thanks for your time.

[SAINT_X]

By the time I have afew minutes to reply with something more thoughtful you're going to get alot of great advice on here from some very knowledgable people. So I'll utilize the few free moments I have to remind you not to forget one of the simplest elements to all this, get plenty of sleep. Muscles require rest for growth. I mention this because I noticed your schedule.

[tooncesthecat]

OK, I'm confused. First of all, how old are you? Do you do the exercises you listed every other day, twice per week? Not sure what you meant by "just rotating two workouts between days". Additionally, are you doing anything for your legs? I realize you are limited to a home workout with very little weights. I would suggest you do a search on this site for "home workouts" or simply browse the sticky about "members' workouts"

[wil]

Right off the bat, you need to add squats.

[Insex]

As the others have mentioned, how old are you? Are you a 6'1" 155 lbs. teenager? Or are you a 6'1" 155 lbs. senior citizen? Age is probably the most important factor here.

Also, just as Saint_X pointed out, sleep is important for promoting rest and recovery. Since you're waking up by 5:00 AM, I hope you're getting to bed by at least 9:00 PM.

I know that with a home workout set, it's difficult to perform all of the same exercises that you would normally do in a gym. How many weights do you have (what is the total weight)? Do you have enough to perform Squats and Deadlifts? If your goal is to put on 30 pounds of muscle, you have to realize that your legs are your largest body part. Your back is your second largest body part, so you should pay special attention to those two areas. It's going to be extremely difficult for you to put on 30 pounds of solid muscle on just your chest, shoulders, and arms (without the use of AAS). Gains will be more achievable and realistic if you put the right amount of work in the right places.

Last (but definitely not least), what are you eating? In order to gain 30 pounds (of muscle) you need to eat a lot nutrient-rich foods. By nutrient-rich foods, I'm referring to nutritious foods that give you more bang for your buck. Examples include foods that you would normally cook in your own kitchen, like:

- Chicken.
- Fish.
- Red meat.
- Eggs.
- Oats.
- Brown rice.
- Fruits.
- Vegetables (especially the dark-green kind).
And the list goes on...

Examples of foods that you want to stay away from because they'll help you put on 30 pounds of fat are foods that are lacking in essential nutrients that don't give you more bang for your buck. This is because you can eat enough of these foods to the point where you are full, but be lacking in important nutrients that your body needs in order to grow and maintain itself. Besides being insufficient in essential nutrients, these foods are also excessive in other nutrients that your body doesn't need or only needs in small amounts. Examples include:

- Junk foods (anything that is packaged).
- Fast foods.
- Microwaveable foods (contains a lot of preservatives).
- Even fluids such as sodas, energy drinks, and high-sugar juices.

I hope all of this information helps paint a good picture for you to see and understand from. You need lot's of rest to promote recovery. You need to prioritize your workout program. You need to eat plenty of nutritious foods that will supply your body with the macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) it needs, without overloading your body with certain nutrients. You also need to drink plenty of fluids (mostly in the form of water).

Hope that helps.

[DEALER]

Hi there , was just hoping I get could some advice .
Stats 6'1 , 155lbs

My goal is to reach 180-190 lbs and maintain my low body fat.

6'1", 155lbs is exactly the size I was a little over two years ago. I was under nourished and under developed. Many years of late nights bartending, booze guzzling and babe hounding took it's toll on me. At some point I became tired of being the "skinny one" and decided to make a change in my life no matter what the cost.

I was under the impression that if I trained hard and eat properly, that I would maintain my low body fat%, I was wrong. I began to train in my basement and found that as I trained my appetite also increased. I began do develop, shooting up to 190lbs in a little over a year. However, along with the muscles came a little bit of fat. I was uncomfortable at first, any amount of "pudge" around my belly was new to me and I didn't like it.

I came to realize that if I wanted to get "big" I would have to learn to live with the slightly higher body fat%. When I am well fed, I can work harder in the gym. For now, I'm more concerned with building mass than retaining my old pant size. But don't get me wrong, I work hard to keep the body fat to a minimum, but I realize my ribby, slender look of old is gone.

I retired the home weight set and joined a gym 10 months ago. I'm happily weighing in at a solid 196lbs. People are commenting on how good I look daily. Thats 41lbs in less than two and a half years, mostly muscle. That's all natural, (usually) good healthy eating and lots of hard work in the gym. Sometimes I miss the sleeker mid-section but that will come back when the time is right.

If your goal is to put on 30 pounds of muscle, you have to realize that your legs are your largest body part. Your back is your second largest body part, so you should pay special attention to those two areas.

I have to agree with Insex here, If 30lbs of muscle is what you want, legs and back are the answer. Heavy compound movements like the squat and deadlift are the only way. I have been squatting and deadlifting seriously for the past 5 or 6 months and the changes in my body have been drastic. I wish I started with these exercises earlier. If I had, I may be at a solid 210 by now.

Good luck EASYWAYOUT03. There is lots of good advice offered up here at EF. Unfortunately, contrary to what your screen name suggests, there is no "easy way out", only lots of hard work and dedication will give you the 30lbs of muscle you're after.

[Easywayout03]

well first off thank you all for the responses
I'm gonna answer some of the questions and hopefully I can get more guidance

-I'm 22 years old
-Ive only been getting like 5 hours of sleep a night, so ill start trying to get more
-as far as my weights go i have four 25lbs weights and four 10lbs weights for a total of 140lbs ( not much I know)
-What is the easiest kind of squat to perform?
-Im trying to work my upper body more because i feel like my upper body is very underdeveloped ( small arms , flat chest , skinny wrists) I dont know if this is good idea or if i should be doing full body workout
- Is it necessary to do a full body exercise everyday? or could I have a split workout?

Nutrition questions

I do alright in this department but have a couple questions
-I find breakfast a hard to meal, I never have much time and dont know what would be a complete breakfast
-Is whole wheat pasta could for weight gain? Should I just stick to rice and potatoes?
-I use a protein drink after and sometimes before I workout and before I go to bed. I also eat one protein bar a day during break at work. How many real full meals should I have a day?
-Are sandwiches ok to eat? Certain lunch meats that are better than others?

Once again thank you for your responses

[bouncer]

Those are good questions, alot of them. I'll address the "easiest squat" one. There really isn't an easy squat if it's done right, and with enough weight. Squatting will lead you to overall muscle growth.

How to Squat with Proper Technique & Fix Common Problems | StrongLifts.com

[Insex]

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-What is the easiest kind of squat to perform?

Since all you have is a bench and over 140 pounds of weights (remember, the bar weighs something too, depending on what type of bar you have) you can perform a Power Clean & Jerk from the floor. From there, gently set the bar across the back of your shoulders and perform Squats from there. This entire process of getting the bar on your back can be a full-body workout in itself.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-Im trying to work my upper body more because i feel like my upper body is very underdeveloped ( small arms , flat chest , skinny wrists) I dont know if this is good idea or if i should be doing full body workout

This is the mindset of most people. They feel their arms and chest are too small. But if you workout your entire body rather than just selected parts, you will enable your body to grow in all places by increasing testosterone and GH production, naturally.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

- Is it necessary to do a full body exercise everyday? or could I have a split workout?

It's a preference. Depending on the intensity of the workout, people who typically perform full body workouts should allow more days of rest. A good start would be to perform full body workouts every other day (2 to 3 days a week). However, if you decide to go with a body part split, choose one where you hit each body part one to two times a week. You don't need as many days of rest while using a body part split, because when you're working out one body part, the other body parts are resting.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-I find breakfast a hard to meal, I never have much time and dont know what would be a complete breakfast

Since you have to wake up so early in the morning, I can imagine that preparing breakfast would be difficult and time consuming for you. What I recommend is that you prepare breakfast the day before, before you go to sleep. For example, you could put oatmeal and condiments in a bowl and securely cover it the night before, therefore you spend less time preparing it in the morning. Or, you could cook eggs the night before, place them in the refrigerator, and heat them up in the morning. Or--this is probably the best option--wake up a few minutes earlier in the morning so that you allow yourself enough time to cook a good, hardy breakfast.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-Is whole wheat pasta could for weight gain? Should I just stick to rice and potatoes?

Rice (white rice) and potatoes are high glycemic foods. Meaning, they raise your blood sugar levels very quickly. Whole wheats like whole wheat bread (not white bread) tend to be low glycemic foods. Meaning, they raise your blood sugar levels very slowly. Which is better for you? You can eat both, but you'll probably want to make sure you consume more low glycemic foods than high glycemic foods. Especially in the morning, you'll want to consume foods that will supply your body with steady, slow burning energy throughout the day; rather than a quick surge of energy that will leave you feeling tired by your lunch break.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-I use a protein drink after and sometimes before I workout and before I go to bed. I also eat one protein bar a day during break at work. How many real full meals should I have a day?

As many as your schedule and budget allow you. If possible, aim for six small meals a day. But if this is not possible, don't sweat it. Just do what you can.

Originally Posted by Easywayout03

-Are sandwiches ok to eat? Certain lunch meats that are better than others?

Sandwiches are a great option, especially in your case. You've got the whole wheat bread buns (complex, slow burning, low glycemic carbohydrates), some lean meat like turkey or chicken (protein), and some lettuce or spinach (vegetables). All meats are good for you, but remember that red meat is high in saturated fat. Your body only needs small amounts of saturated fat, therefore, make most of your meat intake in the form of lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish, ect.

[torofuerte]

Other options for squatting when a squat rack is not available are lunges as well as high step ups (either with a barbell or with dumbbells by the side).

[Easywayout03]

thanks for the great responses Insex!

More questions!

-So a good morning breakfast would be oatmeal and pherhaps a fruit ? I usually have eggs once and awhile but never know what else to have with them. Toast with peanut butter?
-Ive been working out for about 2 months now using the routine i posted. havent seen any gains, probably cause im not eating enough. Gonna swtich to full body workout 3 days a week. I think that will best for me since my job is also physical demanding. Heres my workout so far

Bench Press 5x5
Incline Bench 5x5
Deadlifts 3x12
Military 3x8
Wrists Curls 3x10
One arm row 3x8
Shrugs 3x12
Squats 5x5
Any exercises that should be added? Or even replaced by another.
- Any good ideas for snacks in between meals? Right now for a snack ill either have a protein bar , almonds with some fruit

[DEALER]

Milk, milk, milk, milk, milk... Arnold says in "Pumping Iron":

"Milk is for babies, when you grow up, you have to drink beer."

Of course, Arnold has a great sense of humor and was joking. Milk is the best thing for someone like you and I. You should drink milk, and lots of it. And not that Soy crap either, real milk.

Here are a few excerpts from a webpage linked up in a previous post:

The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Rippetoe

Milk is quite literally better than steroids for a novice lifter to grow on, and no supplement produces the same effect.

There are no shortcuts. The fact that a shortcut is important to you means that you are a pussy. Let me be clear here: if you'd rather take steroids than do your squats heavy and drink enough milk, then you are a fucking Pussy.

It is because over thirty years of direct observation has demonstrated to me that when trainees drink one gallon of milk added to their regular diet and train in a progressive linear fashion, they gain significant muscular bodyweight, and those that do not drink their milk, even in the presence of progressive linear training, fail to do this. They also fail to continue progressive linear training for the same length of time, because this is facilitated by the steady weight gain. I understand that you're asking me if I have controlled for other factors such as failure to do the program correctly, and the answer is yes, of course I have, because I am not a complete idiot. Those that will not do the program are not being considered when I make these remarks, because that would be too fucking obvious a hole in my analysis. The difference in the milk drinkers is that THEY GET BIGGER THAN THE ONES WHO WON'T DRINK THE FUCKING MILK. Please tell me that you understand this now.

There is no substitute for milk. Sorry.

I drink 375ml of milk with my shake in the morning, 1L of milk throughout my day at work, 375ml with my shake after I workout, and a tall glass with supper, almost every weekday. Trust me, milk is crucial for tall skinny guys like us.

Drink up.

[tooncesthecat]

Originally Posted by DEALER

Milk is quite literally better than steroids for a novice lifter to grow on, and no supplement produces the same effect.

Maybe Forbodybuilders should add it to his stock!