Going from Skinny to Defined/Muscly - Need Nutrition and Exercise Advice :)

[Only Cheating Yourself]

hey tyler

47kgs weoww

I'm in the same situation as you except i've probably started this journey ages ago.

Now to this day i'm still in the grind of slow muscle building... think I started at around 25-30kg bench
a year later probs 40-45
But working hard while it might not change your body shape that much (don't think mine changed too much apart from more bulk around the arm and shoulder area, still a stick though ) it'll have a change in other places, eg I play basketball and i've felt that it's improved my performance in high stress situations

You play basketball?  Domestic or?  I see you've inherited the clutch gene. 

[TommyLie]

Also, I highly recommend writing down your sets and reps every time you go workout. That way you can see improvement and monitor your training and weights. So for each exercise, write down weight, reps and sets. I also write down my weight each workout.

This is highly motivating because every time I come to the gym I can see the gradual improvements and I also know what weight I did on each exercise last time, and I can see my own weight gain or losses. Another reason is, if I get 4 sets of 5 reps, then the last set I only can do 4 reps, then I know next workout I keep the weight the same until I get the full 5 by 5. But when I do the full 5 by 5, then next workout I'll add a 1.25kg to each side of the bar. This way I'm always going to be improving, otherwise if I just keep lifting the same weight, I'm not going to get stronger, and hence bigger.

[brenden]

Stronglifts?^^

[Bhootnike]

I've just awaken from the dead and read this post so I thought I'd make a post

Stronglifts?^^

Stronglifts 5x5 is a mad routine, except don't get TOO hooked to it, the guy who runs it - Mehdi is great and all, but he sells himself well, so don't blindly follow him
5x5 (not stronglifts in particular) is a simple set/rep system, you do 5 sets on 5 reps -Which is a more ofa powerlifting style routine, since youre doing heavy weight at low reps. This is targeted towards strength more than muscle mass, however as someone mentioned earlier, the more strength,  the more muscle. So yes, lifting heavy = more strength = more muscle. But its usually given that doing something like 3x8-12 is best for stacking on muscle mass, which differs per person but anecdotally, if you eat well and train well, the 3x8 definitely gets you SWOLE. 5x5 got me stronger, but not as swole as 3x8-12 did.

I did stronglifts 5x5 when I started out, it works and I highly recommend it for beginners
I changed it up here and there, and I began lifting heavy as fk by the time I was 19 (around october 2013) on my altered 5x5 program.

If you're in for the aesthetics in the end, note it won't come by just lifting heavy. Having said that, lifting heavy is important
You have to develop your base/foundations first, so 5x5 is a good way to get your muscle stacked on

Once I did that ^, I began the 'shred' and sculpting, which involves more rigorous training and dieting. and hey it paid/is paying off!

Try bodybuilding exercises once you've established yourself, and then you can begin to shape and sculpt your way into a frank zane/zyzz/jstarr

For the OP - Eat GOOD food, get them carbs and proteins up in particular.. dont do cardio, lift like a beast, eat like a pig, sleep like a baby.
Try and count your caloric intake, hit atleast 4000+.
I can't stress how important diet is, if you neglect diet, youre making a bad mistake!
As to how you should train, perhaps 5x5 is great for you. get them lifts up, you dont really need a PT - half the pts these days are so bad anyways, if you wanna squat/dead properly, check the STRONGLIFTS squat and dead and bench and etc tutes on youtube, otherwise ask someone in the gym who knows their stuff.. if youre willing to chip out money for a pt, get a good one, like someone who has good rep and stuff.


and ON Gold standard is good, but its gone up in price, so neh fk that ! used to be around 35 bucks a kilo, now its 50 haha!
I got UPS iso-85 for my shred, but i'd advise you get something like ON (not gold standard if youre trying to bulk up, get the mass one ) or dynamtize if you have the money, otherwise go for something like international protein amino charged + extreme carbs  or horleys:)

oh and incase youre wondering why the hell you should listen to what i said and stuff, no im not a shredded greek god (yet) but I have my experiences and so its just my 2 cents on your query

[Hehetymen]

^^^What are your 5RM for the big three + pre-stronglift stats? Considered doing stronglifts a while ago. Intredasted in how much progress you got on it.

[swagsxcboi]

I've just awaken from the dead and read this post so I thought I'd make a post
Stronglifts 5x5 is a mad routine, except don't get TOO hooked to it, the guy who runs it - Mehdi is great and all, but he sells himself well, so don't blindly follow him
5x5 (not stronglifts in particular) is a simple set/rep system, you do 5 sets on 5 reps -Which is a more ofa powerlifting style routine, since youre doing heavy weight at low reps. This is targeted towards strength more than muscle mass, however as someone mentioned earlier, the more strength,  the more muscle. So yes, lifting heavy = more strength = more muscle. But its usually given that doing something like 3x8-12 is best for stacking on muscle mass, which differs per person but anecdotally, if you eat well and train well, the 3x8 definitely gets you SWOLE. 5x5 got me stronger, but not as swole as 3x8-12 did.

I did stronglifts 5x5 when I started out, it works and I highly recommend it for beginners
I changed it up here and there, and I began lifting heavy as fk by the time I was 19 (around october 2013) on my altered 5x5 program.

If you're in for the aesthetics in the end, note it won't come by just lifting heavy. Having said that, lifting heavy is important
You have to develop your base/foundations first, so 5x5 is a good way to get your muscle stacked on

Once I did that ^, I began the 'shred' and sculpting, which involves more rigorous training and dieting. and hey it paid/is paying off!

Try bodybuilding exercises once you've established yourself, and then you can begin to shape and sculpt your way into a frank zane/zyzz/jstarr

For the OP - Eat GOOD food, get them carbs and proteins up in particular.. dont do cardio, lift like a beast, eat like a pig, sleep like a baby.
Try and count your caloric intake, hit atleast 4000+.
I can't stress how important diet is, if you neglect diet, youre making a bad mistake!
As to how you should train, perhaps 5x5 is great for you. get them lifts up, you dont really need a PT - half the pts these days are so bad anyways, if you wanna squat/dead properly, check the STRONGLIFTS squat and dead and bench and etc tutes on youtube, otherwise ask someone in the gym who knows their stuff.. if youre willing to chip out money for a pt, get a good one, like someone who has good rep and stuff.


and ON Gold standard is good, but its gone up in price, so neh fk that ! used to be around 35 bucks a kilo, now its 50 haha!
I got UPS iso-85 for my shred, but i'd advise you get something like ON (not gold standard if youre trying to bulk up, get the mass one ) or dynamtize if you have the money, otherwise go for something like international protein amino charged + extreme carbs  or horleys:)

oh and incase youre wondering why the hell you should listen to what i said and stuff, no im not a shredded greek god (yet) but I have my experiences and so its just my 2 cents on your query

would +1 if I could!
also curious to know your big three (especially deadlift), height and starting/current weight?

[Orb]

You play basketball?  Domestic or?  I see you've inherited the clutch gene.

Domestic, Rep, School 1sts/A team, basically done everything short of the State/National team (those guys too tank for the likes of me haha)

[Robert123]

Here are some tips for building muscle
Nutrition:
The three main things you need to be concern about nutritionally is to consume more calories( ie more food in general), large quantity of protein (preferably from 'clean' sources) and that you get your micronutrition requirement through vegetables or multivitamin tablet).
If your not into cooking or in a budget, I suggest incorporating peanut butter and milk into your diet as they are cheap, easy to prepare sources. Chicken, eggs and can tuna should also be use within your diet for they are high in quality protein. You should also get some protein powder from your local supermarket/ chemist or online (suppsrus probably have the best value protein for gold standard whey)

For training, I reccomend doing  compound exercises such as barbell rows, deadlift, bench press, squats, shoulder press, lat pull down, cable row, leg press etc
Once you have develop some more strength and size, I highly reccomend looking up Ben Pakulski on Facebook or YouTube.  He has strategies and techniques that do make a huge difference in training.

Also, you don't need to worry about the effect of protein on kidney. There is no evidence to suggest that consuming reasonable large quantities of high quality has any negative effects on your health (so long as you do not have any previous health issue that it could exacerbate).
I can provide evidence from the Harvard website and a scientist who did his phd in protein metabolism to support that last claim if need be

[Russ]

Also, you don't need to worry about the effect of protein on kidney. There is no evidence to suggest that consuming reasonable large quantities of high quality has any negative effects on your health (so long as you do not have any previous health issue that it could exacerbate).
I can provide evidence from the Harvard website and a scientist who did his phd in protein metabolism to support that last claim if need be

Please do, I'm curious. PM or post is fine.

[Dedicated]

Follow this program http://www.strstd.com/ increases your strength at a solid rate and is good for beginners This channel covers lots of topics fitness related http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNqbcf-5nORpyfzrqQNLSVw and t nation is a good site also https://www.t-nation.com/. If your having trouble gaining weight maybe use a mass gainer http://venomprotein.com.au/catalog/venom-xxxl-massgainer-c-17.html?osCsid=no39j7v2g77chvliecr8fmmqq6

[Bhootnike]

^^^What are your 5RM for the big three + pre-stronglift stats? Considered doing stronglifts a while ago. Intredasted in how much progress you got on it.

5RM = 5 rep max for those who don't know.
My 5rm for the big 3 fluctuated tbh, especially after I began bodybuilding exercises later on, but the best I have done was around october 2013 -  with 5 reps are:
120kg for squats, 170kg for deads and 95-100kg on bench.

my pre-SL stats were .. pretty average.

I actually began SL in year 11, (2011) and stopped gymming in year 12 (2012), then began gym again in march 2013.
in '11, my best was 100kg squat, 120kg dead and 70kg bench. N.B - my form on squats was wrong, .. shocking more like it! so I don't count it anymore haha.

Then march 2013 i began with 60kg squats, although i could do 80 whilst struggling, 80kg deads and BENCH was the worst, i struggled with 60kg, my ego kicked in cause before year 12 i could do 70 haha, so i worked on that and got it up. i focused on form a lot, and then thats how my lifts went up. I ate alot anyways, so i didnt really fuss about diet back then.. but yeah, i just bulked up and then began shredding in october last year.

would +1 if I could!
also curious to know your big three (especially deadlift), height and starting/current weight?

heights 183cm, i think thats 5'11".
weight haha, funny story actually. I got fat in year 12, like baaaad. I was 100kg or so by the end of it. On the summer holidays, just by eating less and less-stress I got to around 94? When i gymmed it got down to like 89-90 in a few months, then i began 'bulking' and got it up to 95. so my big three as listed above were at 95kg.

I'm 79kg now, and i can squat 100kg, dead 150kg, and i havent done bb presses for a while, i do db incline and flat, (in that order) so 35kg incline db presses.

-----
the main point in all this is:
1) persevere ... dont give up. I was 100kg and fat 15 months ago.
2) lift heavy
3) eat properly and clean if you want GOOD results. eating bad food here and there is ok whilst bulking but i mean, if youre that dedicated then just eat good food haha.
4) become a gymjunkie

[Robert123]

Please do, I'm curious. PM or post is fine.

This vlog discuss the believe relationship between protein and kidney and liver health arise
http://www.biolayne.com/uncategorized/biolayne-video-log-4-myths-about-protein/

This is from Harvard discussing the use of protein and health in general where they conclude that it is mainly quality more important than quantity
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/

[swagsxcboi]

120kg for squats, 170kg for deads and 95-100kg on bench.

wow, I can say honestly say i'm impressed, holy crap.

well I deadlifted 130 today at 64kgs so I got that going for me which is nice

what do you feel is the best way to move up for squats? I'm not that strong and I actually dread leg day, do you feel 5x5 is best?
also, do you take creatine, brewer's yeast, etc.? (not concerned about protein supplements just other supplements)

wow, from 100kgs to 80, that's crazy
m i r i n

[brenden]

Why do you dread leg day? What about it?

[Russ]

This vlog discuss the believe relationship between protein and kidney and liver health arise
http://www.biolayne.com/uncategorized/biolayne-video-log-4-myths-about-protein/

<derail>
The Harvard link addresses a separate issue, I was more interested by the statement that high quality protein diets can't cause any problems in otherwise healthy individuals. The vlog was interesting and I didn't necessarily disagree with everything he said, but it said nothing to convince me of what is a fairly substantial claim. Google Scholar is an open access search engine for research on topics like this and there's enough conflicting research there to make me think it's still not a clear cut area for statements like above.