I'm trying to build muscle but I'm just losing weight.

tTito wrote:

All muscle groups every day to build a base, then hit each muscle group once per week? Where are you getting this from? Not being critical, but I have never heard this strategy before.

This. I've heard of various muscle groups each week. With weekend rest and recovery. Even done a couple of whole body programs 3 times a week with in between day (and weekend) rest and recovery.

75alum wrote:

Oh hell no! I'm 63 and still building. Blanch is right.

Finally an old wise man gets it

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/8-mistakes-costing-you-muscle-tone.html?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=

Nordic wrote:I had no idea we had so many lifters on tSwill. Do we need a body building forum? Should we get some mirrors and shit so we can flex?

.

This! I want to see some pics of you guys flexing your muscles. I tend to go for the geeky kind of guy since I am one too. But getting a glimpse of something I'm not used to it always fun.

Dendrobates wrote:.

This! I want to see some pics of you guys flexing your muscles. I tend to go for the geeky kind of guy since I am one too. But getting a glimpse of something I'm not used to it always fun.

Dendro still Swills!! Who knew?

LoneWolfSparty wrote:

Dendro still Swills!! Who knew?

I spent almost a month in the hospital (dealing with family issues) and a week a Boston for work. Haven't had a lot of chances to read things on here.

Sorry about your family troubles. Don't worry, your stalkers will always be here when you get back.

75alum wrote:

Oh hell no!  I'm 63 and still building.  Blanch is right.  Do lesser reps per set, more sets and increased weight.  Also, if you're eating a lot of protein you'll lose any body fat.  You want to gain weight with muscle.  

Not sure what you're objecting to.  A person whose been body building consistently for a long time will have a different response to workout stress than a person who did it when they were young, stopped for 10 or 20 years, and then started up again.  It's a virtual certainty that their recovery time will be much longer than when they were young - especially when they are just starting out.  As their fitness and strength improve and their body adapts to the workouts, their recovery times will change. Our bodies are not static.

Roc, it sounds like you're working out at home alone.  If that's the case and your weight rack doesn't at least have spotter bars, then going to complete failure on exercises where you can get stuck under the weight will be problematic.  You're either going to have to dump the plates on one side of the bar, which is an injury waiting to happen, or you're not going to be able to go to complete failure with sets - which will severely limit the effectiveness of those particular exercises. Safety is paramount - especially when working out alone.

I work out alone, but I have a heavy duty rack with adjustable spotter bars and heavy duty steel gun rack plates on either side that run the entire height of the rack.  I can always push to complete failure and either let the bar back down on the spotter bars, or rack it in the nearest hook at the height I was able to get the last rep.  My set is shown below only my bench doesn't have the leg extension attachment, I have separate machine with a lat pulldown bar and a leg extension.



Most of the advice in this thread is solid, but when working out alone, safety should be a major concern. I don't know what kind of rack you have, but if you're working out alone, you need to get equipment that will let you do it safely.

My rack has hooks so that I just twist my wrist to grab the bar when I start to fail. So I can go to NEARLY complete failure. It seems to be working alright. BTW, since I started this thread I have upped my caloric intake significantly and I'm already noticing the difference. The human body is amazing.

Rocinante wrote:My rack has hooks so that I just twist my wrist to grab the bar when I start to fail. So I can go to NEARLY complete failure. It seems to be working alright. BTW, since I started this thread I have upped my caloric intake significantly and I'm already noticing the difference. The human body is amazing.

Is your bar free, or do you have a Smith Rack where the bar slides on rails and you twist it to hook? When the bar is free, other muscles have to work to stabilize the movement, so you achieve better overall development - as long as you concentrate on your form. Captive bars virtually eliminate the muscle effort required to stabilize the load, but may help with maintaining proper form depending on the exercise. Lots of debate there for sure. I fall on the side of free weights.

No I have a regular rack, it just has these slots built all up and down it so that I can just slide the bar into them if I'm failing. It's more than a twist of the wrist, I guess. Hard to describe. I haven't dropped the bar on myself yet though.

What's a good exercise to build the deltoid?

Rocinante wrote:What's a good exercise to build the deltoid?

Furious masturbation...be sure to switch hit though

Rocinante wrote:What's a good exercise to build the deltoid?

Shoulder/Military presses with either dumbbell or barbell. One neat exercise that gets them to burn is to do lateral dumbbell raises to failure, then with the same weight immediately switch to dumbbell shoulder press to failure.

The one thing about lateral and front raises is that you don't need to go heavy. You will see guys with 45 lb dumbbells with elbows bent 90 degrees and swinging the weights like crazy to perform a rep. It's a great way to tear the muscles of the rotator cuff. You can take 10 lb dumbbells raise them up and pause at the top, slowly bring them down with straight elbows and burnout at 10 reps while placing the same stress on the muscles as the dude with bent elbows but without the risk of needing shoulder surgery.

Izzo Court wrote:

Shoulder/Military presses with either dumbbell or barbell. One neat exercise that gets them to burn is to do lateral dumbbell raises to failure, then with the same weight immediately switch to dumbbell shoulder press to failure.

The one thing about lateral and front raises is that you don't need to go heavy. You will see guys with 45 lb dumbbells with elbows bent 90 degrees and swinging the weights like crazy to perform a rep. It's a great way to tear the muscles of the rotator cuff. You can take 10 lb dumbbells raise them up and pause at the top, slowly bring them down with straight elbows and burnout at 10 reps while placing the same stress on the muscles as the dude with bent elbows but without the risk of needing shoulder surgery.

Cool thanks. I'm doing military presses, but didn't know it was building deltoids. It feels like upper chest area. I'll add in lateral raises.

Another note, yesterday was my rest day and it was hard not to lift. I think I'm becoming a bro.

Bump. Now taking creatine and whey protein post-workout. Mostly gaining tone... I still think my caloric intake isn't high enough. Should I be eating until I'm stuffed? Fuck.

GOMAD diet

Rocinante wrote:Bump. Now taking creatine and whey protein post-workout. Mostly gaining tone... I still think my caloric intake isn't high enough. Should I be eating until I'm stuffed? Fuck.

You need carbs post workout as well and you gotta over eat.

Quick question... are you gradually upping your weight on your lifts? Pick a rep/set range (3x5, 3x8, 2x10, etc.) and once you can complete those reps you should up the weight 5lbs. Google progressive loading. IMO 3x5 with heavier weights is best, but as you get older it might be too stressful on the joints.

He can get a little long winded, cocky and pull the 'it's not that easy to explain card', but this guy is a pretty good read when it comes to nutrition as he is very much research based in his opinions.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-growth-and-pos-workout-nutrition.html/

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/pre-vs-post-workout-nutrition-qa.html/

Nordic wrote:

You need carbs post workout as well and you gotta over eat.

Quick question... are you gradually upping your weight on your lifts? Pick a rep/set range (3x5, 3x8, 2x10, etc.) and once you can complete those reps you should up the weight 5lbs. Google progressive loading. IMO 3x5 with heavier weights is best, but as you get older it might be too stressful on the joints.

Not exactly. Since I am working out alone, I am using the maximum amount of weight that I can handle per session. I am upping weight as I am getting stronger, but not during individual sessions. I posted the link to the regime I'm following earlier in the thread. I feel like the routine is not the problem, it's still my nutrition.

Thanks for the links.

I saw the post on the regime. Everyone has their theories as to what routines to use. They will all work to some degree.

But whatever routine you choose, set a target set/rep goal. Once you hit that set/rep goal you should up the weight the next time out. You might not be able to up the weight each session. But you should at least be able to do "one more rep" than the previous session. Pick a starting weight you know you can complete. You should be able to up weight the first 3-4 sessions. As you get higher and higher it will become more difficult. Once you've hit a plateau or even start to regress (probably around 8-10 weeks), take a week off completely and change up the routine.

You aren't going to gain muscle when you skip your legs because you "ride a bike." Also, deadlift.

And eat some fucking food.

Honestly, fuck putting on bulk/muscle. Just stay fit and eat healthy. When you are in your later years you can do a lot to mess up your back/compress your spine from lifting. Just swim, do cardio and stay active. If you do lift make sure your technique is very good.

The best shape, and form I've ever been in was back when I was swimming 1000 yrds a day. If I had access to a pool still that is all I'd do.

Tyler Durden wrote:You aren't going to gain muscle when you skip your legs because you "ride a bike." Also, deadlift.

And eat some fucking food.

You sound smart

Rocinante wrote:

You sound smart

Actually what he said was spot on.

steveschneider wrote:Honestly, fuck putting on bulk/muscle. Just stay fit and eat healthy. When you are in your later years you can do a lot to mess up your back/compress your spine from lifting. Just swim, do cardio and stay active. If you do lift make sure your technique is very good.

Maybe he's 5' 4" 120lbs and has significant self esteem issues?

tTito wrote:

Maybe he's 5' 4" 120lbs and has significant self esteem issues?

Well swimming and doing cardio won't help with his self esteem.......

Rocinante wrote:

You sound smart

If you walked in my gym and asked me those questions that's exactly what I'd tell you. If you don't want to listen to me, go ask Lyle (Nordic linked his forum).

steveschneider wrote:Honestly, fuck putting on bulk/muscle. Just stay fit and eat healthy. When you are in your later years you can do a lot to mess up your back/compress your spine from lifting. Just swim, do cardio and stay active. If you do lift make sure your technique is very good.

That's mostly bullshit, you will guaranteed fuck up your spine lifting a 50lb bag of cat litter out of your wife's trunk at some point if you don't lift.

Tyler Durden wrote:That's mostly bullshit, you will guaranteed fuck up your spine lifting a 50lb bag of cat litter out of your wife's trunk at some point if you don't lift.

Where the f do you get a 50lb bag of cat litter?

steveschneider wrote:


Where the f do you get a 50lb bag of cat litter?

Sam's Club. I go through about 1/2 bag per week for my pet mountain lion "Joe." I named him "Joe Pa" after Joe Paterno (yes it's all legal).

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/tidy-cats-conventional-50-lbs/132552.ip

Tyler Durden wrote:If you walked in my gym and asked me those questions that's exactly what I'd tell you. If you don't want to listen to me, go ask Lyle (Nordic linked his forum).

So it's not possible to gain upper body muscle wothout lifting with your legs? Bullshit. It's not "spot on" its just flat out wrong.

Also, I don't like your tenor.

Rocinante wrote:

So it's not possible to gain upper body muscle wothout lifting with your legs? Bullshit. It's not "spot on" its just flat out wrong.

Also, I don't like your tenor.

So you're trying to turn yourself in to tough guy or not? Tuff guys don't say things like "I don't like your tenor."

tTito wrote:

So you're trying to turn yourself in to tough guy or not? Tuff guys don't say things like "I don't like your tenor."

Yes. I'm lifting weights so that that guy on the beach will stop kicking sand on me. Maybe you've seen my ads on the back of comic books.

Rocinante wrote:

So it's not possible to gain upper body muscle wothout lifting with your legs? Bullshit. It's not "spot on" its just flat out wrong.

Also, I don't like your tenor.

You asked for advice, didn't like the advice you received and got pissy. Does that cover this thread?

Tyler Durden wrote:You asked for advice, didn't like the advice you received and got pissy. Does that cover this thread?

+1 That was polite.

Tyler Durden wrote:You asked for advice, didn't like the advice you received and got pissy. Does that cover this thread?

Don't pretend like your response wasn't condescending.

Or go ahead and pretend that.

Rocinante wrote:

Don't pretend like your response wasn't condescending.

Or go ahead and pretend that.

As you bulk up, get that muscle on,  you should learn how to fight too. Seriously check out Krav Maga, Maui Thai, etc...... Learn how to be a  real man. Feel good about yourself and then you will be able to post stuff like:

"fuck you ass hole"
"kiss my ass tool bag"
"meet me at the fucking tailgate, douche nozzle'

Until then, you are a 5' 4" guy with an iPad.

CORNER BLITZ wrote:GOMAD diet