The Ken Adams MASS Building Project

[Abaddon]

Gentlemen, and Babs , my good friend 'Ken Adams' needs your help!







TRAINING


DIET



STATS
Height 5’11 – 6ft
Weight 71kg / 156.5 lbs
Age 24yrs

And in his own words:

"Training for 5 years, the first 2-3 not super seriously. My weight when I first started training = 59kg, I was the same height. The last year I have been training seriously, eating heaps, minimal alcohol.
Naturally skinny, no calves and forearms (still lol)"

Any advice would be appreciated. I have eaten many meals next to this boy, and he puts it away and steals my leftovers. He's eating, there's no question of that.

[MC]

He's roughly the size I was when I was 24 give or take (probably bigger than I was, in all honesty).

The meal plan looks good. I would make some swaps to increase intake (too much chicken and not enough beef IMO):

Breakfast: Add some egg whites to the 3 eggs. Also, add at least one slice of cheese to the eggs and sausage or bacon.

Lunch: Ditch the curry for a 1/2 pound of ground beef with a cup of brown rice covered in a 1/2 cup of southwest salsa. Eat curry on the 2 hamburger days.

Dinner: Make sure it's steak 3-4 nights a week. Always eat a baked sweet potato/yam with dinner (and green veggies) every night. Swap in a white potato with butter when this gets tired, but always go back to sweet potatoes over the long haul.


Tell him to prepare to have to purchase an entirely different cut of jeans.

[LtL]

^^ Beat me to it. Do this and get big.

LtL

[BendtheBar]

Make sure he pushes on every set for one more rep. Beat that mentality into his head.

Ken has a great base. 10-15 pounds of muscle will make a huge difference, and if he does things right, it will come much quicker than he imagines.

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Make sure he pushes on every set for one more rep. Beat that mentality into his head.

Ken has a great base. 10-15 pounds of muscle will make a huge difference, and if he does things right, it will come much quicker than he imagines.

BTB: any advice on training style? He's using a bodypart system like I'm used to, and has been for years.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

BTB: any advice on training style? He's using a bodypart system like I'm used to, and has been for years.

I think he should use a fullbody approach for a while. I am a believer in starting simple and evolving training based on needs. Right now he's not a bodybuilder so an elaborate split isn't needed.

Build the frame, then finish with details.

I would like to see him do a 3 day per week fullbody. Each day I would recommend:

--Squat movement
--Push movement
--Pull movements

+ 2/3 accessory lifts.

Before making specific lift recommendations, do you have an idea if he has ever used squats and deadlifts, and if so, if his form is solid?

[Abaddon]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

I think he should use a fullbody approach for a while. I am a believer in starting simple and evolving training based on needs. Right now he's not a bodybuilder so an elaborate split isn't needed.

Build the frame, then finish with details.

I would like to see him do a 3 day per week fullbody. Each day I would recommend:

--Squat movement
--Push movement
--Pull movements

+ 2/3 accessory lifts.

Before making specific lift recommendations, do you have an idea if he has ever used squats and deadlifts, and if so, if his form is solid?

I know he squats, but I don't know how heavy and how deep - I'll need to contact him and get back to you. Deadlifts he avoids.

I also know he had knee reconstructions as a young boy, and so prefers not to go too heavy.

[Fazc]

Definitely go Full Body at his stage of development, as BtB suggests. He'll get much more mileage out of getting strong (for reps) in a small group of exercises done as frequently as possible.

[Off Road]

He's got the start of a good base, but quite honestly it's taken him far too long to get there. There have been some very good responses so far. My biggest recommendations would be to not eat as clean as he is (already covered), increase his protein intake (already covered), and stop using a body-part split (already covered). I would have him squatting much more often (2 to 3 times a week), include a deadlift movement (SLDL maybe), and get rid of the arm day for sure. Build a good solid strength base first. There are a ton of really solid routines already posted on this forum, maybe he can pick one and ask if it seems appropriate.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by Abaddon

I know he squats, but I don't know how heavy and how deep - I'll need to contact him and get back to you. Deadlifts he avoids.

I also know he had knee reconstructions as a young boy, and so prefers not to go too heavy.

Well one good thing about squats is that even relatively light squats can have a big impact. Ask him about squats. A pic or video would be great, but I understand it's not always possible.

I don't know about the nature of his reconstructions, and if there are any lingering issues, but most heavy pulls and leg movements are going to stress the knee to a degree. One thing I recommend is finding out if his squat hesitancy is mental or physical.