Hard time gaining size and gaining weight

[bulkup]

can u help me with my difficulty in gaining size and mass

[BendtheBar]

Welcome to the forum. We will do everything we can to get you rolling.

You asked me about compound movements vs. isolation. Since you haven't been growing, you need to start from square one. If you focus on a basic template with heavy compound lifts, and shoot for more reps and weight each workout, you won't need isolation exercises for quite some time.

I recommended closegrip bench presses for your triceps...those are what I do, and my arms are currently 18 inches+. Of course, my bodyfat is still higher then 20%, so that number is slightly inflated compared to ripped bodybuilders.

Get out of the mindset that you have to hammer each body part individually from 17 different angles. What you need for the first year at minimum is more weight on the bar. I guarantee if you get to a 300 bench, your arms will be bigger. And the same for a 350 squat and your leg size.

For legs, all you really need right now is squats. But it won't hurt to add front squats, leg presses, or extensions.

Progression of weight and intensity is everything. New lifters tend to grow on any routine as long as they are pushing for more each set. Log your workouts, and improve by one rep each time out. After a year your body will have added muscle.

One of the best beginner workouts is the 5x5...and it basically uses only squats, bench press, deadlift, barbell rows and overhead presses.

You don't have to go to that extreme, but you shouldn't concern yourself with being obsessive compulsive about every detail. It doesn't matter if you are doing 30 sets for your arms, or just rolling a rock up a hill. If you roll a slightly heavier rock each time, you will be Hercules in 2 years.

The reason why there are so many programs out there is because basically everything works...as long as you are eating and adding more weight. HIT works because intensity is increased. Volume can work if progression is used.

Think of this...bench press, overhead press and closegrips all hammer the triceps...you don't need much tricep work after that.

Rows, pullups and deadlifts tax the biceps...curls are icing on the cake.

[bulkup]

ok I should drop my routine I'm doing now and start urs right away?u still consider me a beginner eventhough I've been doing this 4 five years?

[bulkup]

how do I figure out weights to start out with on this new routine with heavier weight?

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by bulkup

ok I should drop my routine I'm doing now and start urs right away?u still consider me a beginner eventhough I've been doing this 4 five years?

I would consider you a beginner, but not in a negative way. Not in the realm of weight training knowledge. To me a beginner is someone that has yet to hit their stride, and is still scratching for muscle.

As far as you routine, here's what I'd like you to do:

A) Make sure at least 2/3rds of your sets each day are heavy compounds
B) Perform no more then 3 set per exercise
C) Train no more then one hour a day
D) Train no more then 4 days a week]
E) Drop all cardio, if possible
F) Stay in the 6-10 rep range when possible

and the biggie...

G) Push for more weight or reps on every set

I would recommend structuring your routine to fit your preferences, but it must include the following: squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press and DB or BB rows. Optional exercises are dips, pullups and romanian deadlifts.

Or you can use the routine I recommended...or tweak it with the parameters I provided. Write it in this thread, and we'll give it the once over.

Originally Posted by bulkup

how do I figure out weights to start out with on this new routine with heavier weight?

It doesn't matter much. Just pick a weight and hammer out the reps. When using a 3 set scheme, when you can do at least 7 reps with a given weight on the last set, add 5 pounds to the bar on the next workout.

So, say you did benches and they looked like this:

135 x 10
135 x 8
135 x 6

The next time you did benches and they looked like:

135 x 10
135 x 9
135 x 7

Move up in weight.

You could also use 6 reps on the last set as a baseline for moving up. It's ok if your reps go below 6 on the low end, btw. 6-10 is just an average. So if you did:

135 x 10
135 x 7
135 x 4

and the next time did...

135 x 10
135 x 8
135 x 6

Move up in weight.

How you move up in weight isn't as important as pushing for one more rep on every set.

[bulkup]

so the 6-10 rep range is best for gaining size in every body part or each bp responds to different rep ranges?

[BendtheBar]

Calves can be in the 10-25 rep range. And you can do legs in the 6-20 rep range, if you can stomach it

[bulkup]

I was wondering if the push pull program makes sense to do bec once u get to the second and third body part ur already tired and can't give it ur full?

[BendtheBar]

You mean a 2 day push pull split, or the 3 day push/pull/legs split?

[bulkup]

push pull legs split