My start here

[bornblank]

Hey,

To start off with, I'll just give a bit of general background information.

I'm a 21 year old male, living in Australia. For as long as I can remember, I've always been small. when I say small,I mean small. My mum is small, her brother is small, my sister is small..it seems to run on that side of the family.

I've always wanted to get bigger because most of my life (in school and out) people have always made fun of my weight or even just a remark about it, that can still be hurtful. Over the past year, on and off I've been trying to gain weight, several times I've stopped due to being sick, having wisdom teeth out, etc and basically losing motivation.

But for the past 6 weeks I've gotten back into it, stayed motivated even after being sick for 3 days, joined a local gym and started getting things in order.

So that's me. Now onto the workout side of things.
I'm current sitting at around 47kgs and 178cm talk, which debt take a genius to realise is small (underweight). People generally guess me at being 55-60kg and I lie saying it's around that area because I hate to let people know my true weight.

since starting I've gained 3-4kgs, and slowly getting bigger.

I was never a huge eater so that didn't help, but here's where I am now.

Calorie intake: 2750/day
Workout: Stronglifts 5x5 (week 2, day 2)

I have seen improvement in my arms, thighs and calves did 1 cycle of "allpros routine".

I like stronglifts because it is basic compound lifts and is constantly increasing the weight. I went from 10-15kg squats to (currently) 30kg. It surprised me what I was capable of doing, considering I originally choose a weight I knew I'd be able to do rather than seeing what I could do.

My first workout before stronglifts would have helped prepare me though.

here's my current weights:
Bench press: 25kg
Squat: 30kg
Row: 35kg
Deadlift: 45kg
Overhead Press: 20kg

Some of them don't match up to the stronglifts routine because unfortunately the gym has 2 Smith machines, no squat rack, set weight barbells (15kg-40kg) and no free weight barbells.

This makes it hard to utilize free weights for my exercises. I may have to buy more plates so I can do deadlifts at home.

anyway, you'll hear more from me soon regarding a few questions I have. I hope to be around here more often, if not to ask questions, but to motivate the other small guys out there that we can get big too.

Cheers, and sorry for the long introduction, but I will link to this so I don't have to repeat it all the time
Nathan

 

[Brick]

Just read your other thread mate good on ya for making a start.

This might sound harsh but you are very underweight, I would up those cals to a minimum 3500 with a focus on eating alot of protein. If you struggle eating that much try and drink a litre of milk a day, then if your not gaining up that to 2 litre, if your still not gaining make it choclate milk. Just gorge yourself and you will find your stronger in the gym.

I know stronglifts can seem very appealing to a beginner but you would be better off looking at another programme like the PTC beginners programme on here or starting strength.

Squat and deadlift with dumbells if you have no bb, assuming your gym has db's up to at least 35kg. Whatever programme you run I would also be chinning and dipping alot as these as assistance will help to add alot of mass quickly once you can successfully do alot of reps.

Good luck dude

 

[Bradders]

No advice here... but good luck mate..

 

[IRON TANKS]

Nathan, firstly congratulations from making a start. It only gets better from here. About 12 years ago I had the same change. I was sick of being average in my mid-late teens. I was by no means small (thick and broad) but I wanted to be better.


Enjoy the honey moon period. You'll see changes in your body over the coming months. It's a great time. Stick with it, keep the fire in the belly and expect success. It takes time to build a brick shit house, but you'll get there.

47kg is underweight. Yes, use this as fuel. What are your goals for weight? I would look to hit at least 80kg over the coming years. It's achievable. I am 95.5kg at your height (178.5)

 

[taurus]

You've got past the biggest hurdle, starting!
Now kick off has been and gone, just try your best to be consistent with diet and training.
At this stage, just eat as much as you can, reasonably healthy stuff and train hard.
Take your rest days, you need them!
Consistency is the key mate, stick with it & results will come

 

[Semillon]

Good on ya for making a start, I was planning to say exactly what fluffy did, how awkward.

When I started lifting just over a year ago, my lifts were basically the same as yours, though I was small and fat (if that makes sense) rather than just small. Last night I squatted 135 and benched 70, you can do it too.

You will find it harder to progress without access to a squat rack and a barbell, I would suggest you change gyms or invest in that equipment for home.

 

[brendon]

well done mate.
keep up that routine of the big compound lifts, increasing weight as you go, pack on some good base muscle, you could litterally do that routine for a year and you would gain heaps.. dont fall for bodybuilding isolation routines until you ve packed on some good base muscle built from the golden compound movements.

track your progress, take some pics coz 2 yrs from now if u keep this up you ll be completely different . train hard!

 

[March83]

i have much jealousy for people who struggle to put on weight. i'm 185cm and almost twice your weight but if i eat more than about 2000calories a day then i'm putting on weight.

good luck, stay consistent and eat smart (lots is not necessarily smart).

 

[bornblank]

@fluffy - no offense taken, I've checked out my bmi before, been like this my whole life, I understand that I'm very underweight, so don't worry about coming off harsh. Compared to some of the stuff I've heard, that could be considered a compliment.

Tonight I think I'll go out and stock up on some supplies like milk, nuts, etc, small things I can fit in during the day to help increase my appetite/calories, unless there are better options.

I do struggle to get my calories in comfortably, but that is mostly due to meal timing. I work over lunch most days ago I miss out on that meal and I make for any missed calories at night, after tea.

I need to get into the habit of getting up early as well to get breakfast in sooner, and increase my appetite during the morning.

I'll look into the PTC program. I've tried SS about 6 months ago, but will read up on it again.

The dumbbells range from 2.5kg up to 45kg. in happy to do squats/deadlifts that way, my only question is about the weight. Do I just split my work weight between the two dumbbells?

I'll definitely add them to my routine. Is there any specific routine I should look at or just X sets by Y reps?

@bradders - thanks mate, appreciate it!

@minchia - thanks! I've got my mind set on getting it done this time. No more screwing around. No more stopping just because I was sick. I'm at the point where I can't wait to get back in the gym.

My first goal is to get to 50. I hopped on the scales this morning and saw 49.0kg. Now I know I have to consider water weight, etc but it's still motivating to see that I'm slowly inching forward.

Essentially, I'm going to aim for 5kg increments, but a "final"goal of 80kg sounds good.

I'm not expecting to gain it all as muscle, and I'm not aiming for that either. Just bulking up would make me happy.

It will take time, but if I can stay motivated I know I'll get there.

@taurus - for me, keeping to my diet is the hardest part. I love working out but making sure i hit my calorie intake is another story. It's easy to get into the mindset of "Hmm...40O calories left. Nah, not today" when you're still full from last eating. Lately I've been pushing through, even if it means chewing my food enough so I can just wash it down with water. It's helped increase my appetite so it's working for now.

I love my rest days, because it gets me wanting to get back to the gym even more!

Cheers

@semillon -
All good, the more I hear it the more it will sink in.

I always love hearing about people in similar situations making great progress, it helps keep me motivated.

I'm going to invest in more weights when I need to, I actually went to the local store today and got prices, posted in my intro thread.

@brendon - thanks! I'm enjoying the compound lifts for now, I don't want to overcomplicate things too early on. This way I'm just keeping it nice and simple.

I plan on keeping track of my weights, bodyweight, etc and I actually took some pictures last night, can't wait to make some comparison shots. Once I've made some good development, I hope to post a log to help motivate other guys out there like me to show them what's possible with dedication and hard work.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my posts and reply. I really appreciate all the feedback!

on another note,I'd love to know what the other people at the gym think of my workout. I've seen one other guy do squats (in the Smith) but no one else do deadlifts. Most of the guys here just go from one machine to the next, just working back, arms, shoulders, chest...it's really noticeable on a few guys who have big upper bodies, but small legs in comparison. I'm hoping to avoid that effect.

-Nathan

 

[bornblank]

i have much jealousy for people who struggle to put on weight. i'm 185cm and almost twice your weight but if i eat more than about 2000calories a day then i'm putting on weight.

good luck, stay consistent and eat smart (lots is not necessarily smart).

You're not the only one. I've had lots of people say this to me, but there are two sides to the weight spectrum. Overweight and Underweight. Neither are fun to be in, but if you are, it just means working hard to get results.

Thanks! I try to eat smart (healthy) but sometimes the"dirty"food is just easier in terms of calories.

 

[brendon]

the PTC beginner program is what you want..
seems simple but it can be quite hard. its the best option for you to do for the next 6 months or so.. i have known it to work for so many people, myself included, when i started its what i did and i did it for 10 months without change and my strength went through the roof, its simple and so effective,

Squat 3 x 10
Bench press 3 x 8
Bent row 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
SLDL 3 x 8
BB curl 3 x 8 or chins

 

[sookie]

I was once under weight. Now i an average.
Eating was and still is my biggest challenge. My mind tells me Im full but in reality. Im not.
If you work hard you can achieve an amazing body. But u need to keep at it. Focus. Believe. Achieve.

If you want inspiration... Check out pistachio threads.

 

[wingman]

the PTC beginner program is what you want..
seems simple but it can be quite hard. its the best option for you to do for the next 6 months or so.. i have known it to work for so many people, myself included, when i started its what i did and i did it for 10 months without change and my strength went through the roof, its simple and so effective,

Squat 3 x 10
Bench press 3 x 8
Bent row 3 x 8
Military press 3 x 8
SLDL 3 x 8
BB curl 3 x 8 or chins

^ Basically this.

Start over with empty barbell, go up 2.5kg per session for as long as you can, then 2.5kg per week after that. This is exactly what i did.

Ensure you get LOTS of food/sleep.

 

[March83]

You're not the only one. I've had lots of people say this to me, but there are two sides to the weight spectrum. Overweight and Underweight. Neither are fun to be in, but if you are, it just means working hard to get results.

yeah, the flipside to this is that it's far easier for us "slower-metabolism" guys to maximise gains on far less food intake, etc. you're definitely fighting an uphill battle in that respect.

Thanks! I try to eat smart (healthy) but sometimes the"dirty"food is just easier in terms of calories.

clean, dirty, whatever, just hit your macros - no point eating 4000 calories if it all comes from fat and you don't have the necessary protein to make gains and you don't have the necessary carbs to get through the next workout. same applies for protein and carbs too.

 

[bornblank]

@brendon - the PTC looks good, similar to one I was doing a few weeks back, with the addition of calf raises. It seems like that is a popular routine here, so I might look into it more. I go to the gym with my girlfriend and I'm usually finished before her so that routine should take longer which is a plus.

Now, with the SLDL, it involves initially grabbing the bar like normal, but performing the movement without returning to the ground at the end of each rep, and keeping your legs straight?

...[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=SqoJ9jNjM8E]this[/ame] video probably makes more sense then me explaining it.

@sookie - eating is the hard part for me too. About 5 months ago I got into the habit of eating every 3 hours.for the first week I had to force myself each time, but after that my body actually started getting hungry around 2-3 hours after the last meal, after I got into that habit, I had 3 wisdom teeth out which left me not eating much for about a week and lost most of that appetite.

I'll have a search for those threads. Can never have enough motivation.

@wingman - sounds good. So if I decide to do that routine, could I start with the 15kg set weight barbell since an Olympic is 20kg, or should i just start at 20kg. Either is fine with me really. Do I move deadlifts up at 2.5kg each workout as well?

@march83 - yeah hah. whenever I tell people in trying to gain weight, and that it's hard to get all the calories in, they say they wish they had that problem because "its easy"...yeah, okay. Try fitting in another 700 calories when you're still feeling full and eating makes you feel like your going to throw up. Not so easy. I'm not going to complain ,I do get to stuff my face with whatever, wherever after all, but it can be hard.

I think there's a line that people don't see:
1. Having a set intake you HAVE to meet and eating whatever you want to get there.
2. Eating whatever you want when you feel like it.

Most people will stop when they're full so even though they may be eating junk food, they may not be eating as much as they think.

I was one of those people. I thought I was eating lots and just not gaining weight. When I first set a intake goal I got a big surprise to see just how much I really had to eat.

I would like to keep it clean, but all the easy calorie foods are bad (in my opinion). I try to stick to my protein/carbs/fat intake for that reason. I could probably get a bit more protein in though.

Right now, for example, I've had 84g fat, 307g carbs, 69g protein. I don't get a whole lot of meat in except for tea most days.
I really need to get some peanuts/almonds as well to snack on.

I've got a bit of organizing to do, but by next week I should be ready. I workout tomorrow so I might give the PTC a test run and see how I go.

Thanks again to all those who took the time to reply

 

[Semillon]

84g fat, 307g carbs, 69g protein.

The most critical thing you need to do in order to put on muscle mass (lifting heavy aside, this is a given) is eat protein, lots of it. Aim for 150g of protein every day, minimum. Snacking on nuts wont get you there, breakfast and/or lunch needs to involve eggs, bacon, tuna, chicken, beef etc.

Many double cheeseburgers would make a fine addition to your diet (seriously).

 

[Shrek]

Welcome to Ausbb Bornblank. Good luck with your weight training and weight gaining goals.

 

[bornblank]

The most critical thing you need to do in order to put on muscle mass (lifting heavy aside, this is a given) is eat protein, lots of it. Aim for 150g of protein every day, minimum. Snacking on nuts wont get you there, breakfast and/or lunch needs to involve eggs, bacon, tuna, chicken, beef etc.

Many double cheeseburgers would make a fine addition to your diet (seriously).

So just up the protein and leave the fat/carbs the same?

I'll have to work on getting in a good breakfast everyday. The nuts are more just for easy calories. I should be able to work out a good meal for breakfast that is easy as well.

Double cheeseburgers 25p/27c/23f - I could get a few of those in.

Welcome to Ausbb Bornblank. Good luck with your weight training and weight gaining goals.

Thanks! Looking forward to being more active here!

 

[brendon]

with the Stiff leg deadlifts, touch the weight on the floor each rep, its the almost the same as deadlifts just the bending knee movement is taken out, watch videos and replicate, if your not to flexible toucjing the floor each rep may be difficult but you'll get there.

remember dont be fooled by ppl doing lots of isolation stuff... keep doing the PTC program and your progress in the gym (and eating) will skyrocket.

 

[bornblank]

with the Stiff leg deadlift, touch the weight on the floor each rep, its the almost the same as deadlifts just the bending knee movement is taken out, watch videos and replicate, if your not to flexible toucjing the floor each rep may be difficult but you'll get there.

remember dont be fooled by ppl doing lots of isolation stuff... keep doing the PTC program and your progress in the gym (and eating) will skyrocket.

Okay, that makes sense.I tried it out yesterday using the 20kg set weight. I managed to get through it pretty easily, the extra 5 Reps for squats made a difference though.

I couldn't quite hit the ground on each rep, the set weights don't sit very high off the ground so I'll just need to work on flexibility more (being able to touch my toes would help).

I managed to keep my back straight during the rows, but it felt like I was putting stress on my legs keeping the form. Is that normal or do I need to work on it more?