Working out and supplements

I have been hitting it hard in the gym these days and not seeing the results I really want. A year ago in September I started eating better and then a year ago in March I started in the gym doing treadmill and elliptical. The following April/May I started with weights in my workout. I was counting calories during all this time and remained very thin. Over all I had lost about 50 lbs. I have been meeting with a couple of trainers and trying some supplements, mostly whey protein and a pre workout. I have kept my diet (my food intake) about the same, except for the protein shakes and bars I eat. I am seeing some gain, but would really like my arms to pop. My chest has gotten bigger, but in all the extra calories of the protein, I have lost some of my ab definition, and gained a little around the belly.

I guess my question is, if you workout and are working out for body definition, what do you do for supplements, food intake etc. Just curious since it seems there are some that work out here towards that goal.

 

If you want to get bigger, you have to up the calories. Keep them as 'clean' as possible, but you will probably ( highly likely ) gain some fat along with those muscles. If having fat around your belly bothers you, then you will probably stay skinny and not have a lot of muscle gains.

Once you gain some muscle you can diet down to a leaner weight though.

What kind of exercises do you do? I hope you are doing some good lower body work too. ( squats, deadlifts, etc )

 

What kind of protein regiment are you on? If you want to get bigger then you need to drown in protein. Hydro within 30 minutes of finishing and casein on an empty stomach before bed is a good start. I used to add a bit of protein along with my pre-workout drink just to keep my muscles from fatiguing too quickly. This doesn't work for everyone as it can make you nauseous.

If you want to pop while you are working out then you'll need to add Arginine to your mix. Don't forget your BCAAs after you're done as well. The BCAAs that are in protein generally isn't enough to sustain for results.

Oh... and what is your creatine regiment like?

 

I too have been sporting the Michelin tire around my lower abdomen for a consistent year. I know how to make it go away, but I have no use for that now as I am still bulking. I have been on a consistent bulk for the last year since Dec of 2011. I have since gained from 117 to 152 and I need to continue that until I hit my comfy 160 then I'll start cutting.

Don't worry about the belly fat, focus on strength on week endurance the next and instead of working out on designated days (i.e. Mon-Tues-Wed etc etc) work out on designated work outs (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 etc etc) that way you won't repeat the same exercise on the same day on a 3 week span. This ensures that you become both stronger and achieve more endurance (last longer during sets).

The food on the other hand is a big problem for me. I HATE eating and hate it even more now that I began bulking. You have to eat whatever is in front of you. Eat everything, if it's in your hands, eat it. The only exception to this rule is you have to cook it yourself. I say that because you're less likely to make fried chicken or french fries or other fatty/unhealthy foods. If you calorie count, a gainer has to consume at least 4k calories. Identify foods that you want to eat and buy the ingredients and cook them yourself. The shakes help a great deal but those are to ensure that you get a sample of the nutrition you need daily and not to actually replace a meal.

 

So while I largely agree with @Baraka_Guru's sentiment, I have to disagree about being able to get everything from eating right. Eating right is important, yes, but think about it like this, if you could drink a glass of water and your body retains a quarter of it, what about when it comes to nutrition? You retain a significantly less amount of nutritious value than what you actually consume. That said, the rest of B_G's post is complemented with a balance that requires rapt attention paid to schedule, work out, sleep, lifestyle etc etc etc.

Drowning in protein is the shortcut route to becoming healthy. Besides, I go to the gym 3 days, rest 1, 2 days after I'm back, rest 1, rinse repeat. That's essentially 5 days out of a week that I'm in there. Anything more than 4 days weekly would require mandatory refueling. I don't know where you could get essential amino acids with BCAA, creatine, and plain old whey by just eating right and supplementing.

 

I think we need to know what exactly the OP is trying to accomplish. Is it just to get a little bigger or get huge?

Protein is going to add weight, particularly to the midsection. It's just a side effect that can't be avoided. This is why people go through cycles such as bulking and cutting.

Yes, Baraka_Guru is right about eating right and balancing things. Yes, he goes overboard on the "clean" aspect of working out etc. This is why it's important to know exactly what you're trying to accomplish in the gym. If you're trying to get massive, just eating better foods isn't going to get you there. You'll need to "drown" in protein in various forms, take testosterone boosters, maintain proper creatine levels, supplement BCAAs & vitamins and up caloric intake. If a person is like Xerxes and is basically a bean pole, , then upping protein to 100+grams a day is going to help bulk in order to get the muscles larger. Once the desired look is achieved, then cutting the fat isn't too difficult via supplements and a change in basic routines.

 

Supplements should never be the foundation

There's a reason they are called supplements

 

I've gone on stacks before, but it was for a specific purpose. Once I got to where I needed to be the stacks went away and I supplemented how I needed to in order to keep myself in that position.

You are correct though, meat head philosophy is far different than real nutrition knowledge.

 

First I have to say what a huge response! Thanks to all of you for your input. The main problem I find when I try and read information from sites is that they are all trying to sell you something, well more than something, a whole shopping cart.

I will give some more info on what I am doing and hoping to accomplish when I can dedicate the proper amount of time to it. I just wanted to say thanks for everyones input and make sure you know it's appreciated. Now off to the gym...

 

Sorry it has taken me so long to return, sometimes there are not enough hours in the day.

I start out my day with a Whey Isolate Shake that is the whey peanut butter and water. Its good for about 30 grams of protein and keeps me from starving all day. I usually follow that with a Banana and an apple. Followed by lunch which is whole grain bread some roast beef and some cheese. Usually a 30 Gram protein bar followed by supper and I try to eat chicken or if its something I am eating with the family that isn't as clean I would like it, I eat a smaller portions. Then I use a preworkout either C4 or a muscletech preworkout, and then hit the gym about 6:15. I usually workout for about an hour to an hour and a half 5 or 6 days a week. I have exercises set out for each day targeting a different part of the body, and I usually add some extra to regular daily workout to change things up. Usually followed by about 25 minutes of cardio. I then usually have an 8 oz gatorade on the way home, and when I get home another of the whey shakes, and possibly a protein bar before bed.

I mostly use Muscletech which I purchase at Sams because it really does seem to have the best bang for the buck.

With my workouts I of course include bench press and Squats, and use the one rep max workout for both of them.

I have seen some very good growth in my pecks, but what I would really like to see is some in my arms. I think it may be a bit harder for me being six foot, and even though I was overweight I have always been extremely skinny over all, noodle arms. They have thickened a bit, but Not anything near what I have been hoping for. I guess I am just trying to keep a goal to work for, to keep myself working out.

Feel free to ask me anything or suggest whatever you can.

Thanks for your help

 

Just recently I graduated to higher/heavier reps in my bench. You have to hit the preacher curls and twice as much triceps for every bicep exercise. The triceps are a larger muscle, improve on them and they improve your bench. For every bench press exercise an equivalent of push-ups as well. Try the incline bench first to prime your chest up.

You will be surprised how many exercises I will require to do before moving to higher class weight. So many compound exercises. If you don't already write them down, go to jefit.com and download the mobile app.

 

What is the "one rep max" workout? The only one I find with google is one strictly for gym machines, and looks a lot like HIT training, one set to failure. Might not be the best workout in the world, if you can't generate enough intensity. If you are stalling in your lifting, then you might want to change up to another program.

Since you do squat, have you considered the Stronglifts 5x5, or another variation? It's simple, but effective: StrongLifts 5x5: Ultimate Strength & Muscle Building Program StrongLifts

Personally I don't work arms, on a regular basis, and my benching and rowing takes care of them.
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Also, doing cardio directly after working out with weights might be undoing some of your gains. Muscles require time to heal and resources to grow. You've already used these up by lifting, then you stress your system further with cardio. Just like eating smaller meals throughout the day might be better for nutrient delivery, you might want to break up your total workout, between meals, and resting periods.

If you are focusing on one body part/group a day and working out for an hour, you are probably doing too much work for growth. Personally, I like simple fullbody workouts. If you just want endurance then nevermind. I lift two to three hours per week and I'm as strong as I've ever been, and have put on muscle ( and I'm turning 46 in June ). Go to the gym, bust your ass, then eat and rest. Do cardio on your non-lifting days, or at least later, after you've rested and eaten.

 

I think it is important to note that not all supplements are created equal. Even protein supplements can be so far apart despite saying "whey isolate" that you really need to do your research. Sure, you want the most bang for your buck, but you don't want crap either. A lot of the cheaper protein supplements were found to have trace metals in them. Not what I'm looking to ingest but whatever blows your skirt. Personally, I think MuscleTech is pure crap but I'm not going to tell you to switch just based on my opinion. If you really need to research it's beneficial to check out places like bodybuilding.com to get honest reviews.

I've tried a ton of supplements over the years. For me, Optimum has the best whey and the best hydro. Muscle Pharm has the best casein. For pre-workout, it's all dependent on what you're trying to get. A ton of people love Craze because it stacks so well. Jack3d is shit since the reformulation. Assault is pretty good and I stack it with Scivation Xtend during cut phase.

Basically, you need to try different samples of stuff and see what you like because in all seriousness, there are huge differences from one product to the next. I won't dog the C4 you're on, but it did jack shit for me. :shrug:

I think I would do cardio before weights if I was going to combine them. It would certainly help get the blood flowing into the muscles and warm everything up before shoving iron around. Cardio afterwards would seem to me (as Cayvmann has pointed out) to undermine the gains. When you're finished with your sets, take a hydro protein + BCAA shake, wait 30 minutes then put some carbs into your system to get the GI back up and to push fuel back into your body so it can repair the muscles. No fuel = no repair = no growth.

 

Don't get in a hurry, either. It takes time. Take your measures of where you are, decide where you want to be, and plot out how you are going to get there. Every week or so take a measure of where you are again, and if you've improved you are on the right track, if not you can give it another week or two, then measure again, and see. If you seem to be going backward, or not moving forward, then you need to change what you are doing altogether.

I love food, so I don't usually used any kind of supplement. The occasional whey protein drink when I'm too tired to put a meal together is it. The only time I ever used a weight gainer, it surely worked. I went from ripped to fat in a couple of months... ( It was a Weider product, so... ) I got in a hurry and tried the quick fix. Never works for me.

 

Cardio after weights is a good way to burn off excess fat, if you are trying to lose weight. It takes advantage of a glycogen-depleted state (if you lifted adequately) to use fat as a primary fuel. It's not going to "undo your gains" unless you are working at a high intensity. Keep it LOW intensity, otherwise you will be using amino acids (muscle catabolism) as fuel in addition to fat metabolism.

That said, cardio before weights is a good way to prime your system by increasing bloodflow to your major muscle groups.