Not enough size gains/definition

[hartyboy]

Hi there.. I started working about about a year and a half ago. I'm seeing some size increase but I'm seeing incredible strength increase. I'm primarally working out for size increase and I'm upset with not gaining much size or definition. I have friends who weight lift far less and look a lot bigger thanme.

What am I doing wrong?

I'll give you my plan

I weight lift 3 times a week

Day 1: Chest, Tri's, Abs - Usually 4 sets per excercise with enough weight that I cannot do any more than 8 reps

Day 2: Bi's and Back

Day 3: Legs and abs

I take a Weigh Protein powder shake immediatelly after a workout and I have a nutrigain bar.

So.... what am I doing wrong?

 

[psychedout]

Well form is the most important thing to remember when training.

I think your problem is probly in the nutrition department though.

Are you sure you are eating enough??

1gr/pound of bodyweight of protien per day??

Along with a crap load of carbs, and some healthy fats??

I'd say eat more, especially protein.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

hartyboy, first of all, if you are training without steroids, you better be hitting each bodypart twice a week, and cut your volume down. 4 sets per exercise, but how many TOTAL sets are you doing per muscle group? YOu're gaining strength rapidly, so you are obviously experiencing gains in neural efficency. I suspect your diet is playing a huge role here. Type out your entire diet for us to read. Nutrigrain bars suck btw, they have alot of garbage in them that you shouldn't be eating. This also tells me your diet is lacking greatly in nutritional value. As far as friends gaining better than you, that can simply be genetics. Sorry, but not everyone was delt the same hand by God. After 9 months of training, I weighed 200 ibs (a fairly soft 200 ibs though, but I trimed down to very lean 172 shortly thereafter), was benching 315 and leg pressing 900 ibs for reps, still natural. Still, by training and eating as intelligently as possible, you can maxiumize on what you do have.

 

[Toozee]

You'll probably have to get used to keeping a diet log.
That's the only way I can truly know what I take in each day.
It's a pain in the ass at first, but it has had a positive impact on my size gains.
The body can only increase it's size if there is a surplus of nutrients available after it does everything else.

You may want to look at the Training stickies at the top of the page. There are several different programs there and I seem to hear positive things about all of them.

Personally I'm on HST right now. Seems to increase size fairly quickly.
You have to find what works for you though. Best of luck to ya.
-2Z-

 

[Legion Kreinak2]

You're not eating enough at all. You need more calories in there - alot more. Steak, eggs, rice, pasta, potatoes, chicken. Throw away the granola bar. Eat 8 times a day.

 

[hartyboy]

my meals are usually like this i guess

morning: breakfast burrito (eggs with cheese in a tortilla)
2 hours or so later: granola bar with like tuna or something
2 hours later prolly a protein shake and salad
hour later workout
immediately after : protein shake
dinner: salmon or chikcne or something

so i should be training each muscle group twice a week? i'm 18 so i want to stay away from the 'roids.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

You need to eat alot more. 5 meals a day and two of them are just shakes. Toss out the shit food, like granola bars, protien shakes (except for post workout) tortilla's. Load up heavy on meat (at least 3 ibs a day), dairy products, eggs, green veggitables (not an option, try to get at least 3 servings of them a day), very low GI carbs (optional), nuitts. You need 8-10 meals a day. Yes, train each bodypart twice a week, and cut your volume back. 4 to 5 total sets per muscle group at the MOST, each workout.

 

[Singleton]

I'd eat more veggies and fruits, but that's just me!

I think it's important to eat several small meals meals that are:
a) nutritious
b) easy to digest
c) delicious
d) varied

It's good to get a lot of variety in your diet. If you're 18, you probably don't have a lot of $$$. You can just cook all of your meals.

As for the training. HIT worked really well for me, but I was a young fucker with lots of aggression hitting it really hard.

You might want to try varying your rep ranges and do fewer sets to complete failure.

I eventually evolved my own training style based somewhat on HIT, but with more frequency (every day), earlier workouts, stretching, and pumping. Now I'm ditching that for HST, which is new and different.

Anyway, I think you will succeed in your goals because you seem very commited. The commitment and determination is really important and fundamental.

Strength increases are cool. Feels good, doesn't it?

 

[Brett44444444]

I'd say just eat more in both quantity and frequency. Yes, you will gain a little bit of fat, but you'll start gaining a lot more muscle this way too. I disagree with ditching the granola bars - they're a lot better than the protein bars out there, which are loaded with hydrogenated fat and whatnot, and if you want some quick carbs, its probably not the worst option. I'd say just make a bunch of sandwhiches to carry with you (with lean meat and high fiber dark bread) and just try to eat every two or so hours. Getting some flax oil and olive oil in your diet would be a good idea too, just don't eat it (or other fats) with high gi carbs (which you shouldnt eat other than post workout anyway).

 

[bds20002002]

do not workout eack bodypart twice a week. hit them hard once a week. your chances of staying injury free increase. Your nervous system needs time out of the gym. that system tells your body to grow. Remember we grow outside the gym. when we sleep. In every movement there are secondary muscles that get worked. So hit the compound movements hard. Eat clean, and rest well. and you will grow.