How to build some muscle?

Monster44

New Member
Guys/gals please help! First off I'm 35 years old, 6' 210 lbs. bf about 15%. Now here it is, I can' t seem to find a good routine to build some quality muscle. I feel as though I'm spinning my wheels, and have had no gains this year. I have tried the low volume, heavy weight, low reps routine, which just gave me really sore joints and no pump. then I have tried the high volume, high reps routines which gave me a great pump but thats about it. I am currently on the size surge routine which is pretty good, but like i said i haven't had any real gains this year. I havent done a cycle in about 2 years, I have a 34 inch waist, 48 1/2 inch chest, 17 1/4 arms and all measurements are cold. My goal is to get to 200-210lbs but at 11-12% bf. Can someone please give me some good ideas on routines to reach my goal. Strength is not a concern for me I just want some quality muscle. Please give me ideas on rep, and set ranges times a week to train a body part etc.
 
Monster44 said:
Guys/gals please help! First off I'm 35 years old, 6' 210 lbs. bf about 15%. Now here it is, I can' t seem to find a good routine to build some quality muscle. I feel as though I'm spinning my wheels, and have had no gains this year. I have tried the low volume, heavy weight, low reps routine, which just gave me really sore joints and no pump. then I have tried the high volume, high reps routines which gave me a great pump but thats about it. I am currently on the size surge routine which is pretty good, but like i said i haven't had any real gains this year. I havent done a cycle in about 2 years, I have a 34 inch waist, 48 1/2 inch chest, 17 1/4 arms and all measurements are cold. My goal is to get to 200-210lbs but at 11-12% bf. Can someone please give me some good ideas on routines to reach my goal. Strength is not a concern for me I just want some quality muscle. Please give me ideas on rep, and set ranges times a week to train a body part etc.

Along with having prior aas experience; you have no ideal how to train?? There is no one way to workout, but it does take time for a certain muscle group to recover. Smaller muscle groups take from 17-24 hours to recover, and larger groups seem to take longer, anywhere from 24-36 hours. Diet is also VERY important.
 
Monster44 said:
Animal, what would YOU recommend as far as sets, reps , and frequency to gain some muscle? Thank you.

Well, everyone's body is built differently as far as strength and muscle endurance, so you must first recongnize your weeknesses. Everyone has at least one favorite excersize, and it's probably the one muscle group that stands out among the rest. If you can incorporate that ethusiasm in each muscle group, you'll be surprised how much you'll improve. I personally do 3-4sets for 7-9 reps on large muscle groups, and around 10-12 reps when working small muscle groups.
 
Here's my advice, and I strongly recommend you take it. You have great measurements and existing mass. Your problem is not mass, it's your bodyfat percentage. You need to drop 15-20 lbs which will be fat, water, and unfortunately maybe a little muscle. You'll look great at about 190 and look bigger with your shirt off, just slimmer in clothes.

Also, when you get super lean your body is ready to grow again. It's like it absorbs food at a new level.

To get lean I recommend this routine for you:

Diet: 2,700 calories a day. Learn to count calories. Of course this should be in balanced meals and frequent snacks, but overal calories and protein intake are most important. Eat protein with every meal.

Cardio: 30 minutes of whatever you like 5 days a week.

Weights: Push, Pull, Legs routine split over 4 workout days a week. Do 6-9 total sets for chest, back, and legs. do 3-6 total sets for everything else. Intensity should be sets of 8-12.

Good luck, bro. Post your results.
 
Last edited:
Check the stickies.....I thought that was the first thing recommended anytime there is a, "Help me with my routine." thread.
 
Here is one I do from time to time

Push/legs/pull


Legs:
Sqats 4x6
Lunges or leg press 4x10
SLDL 4x10
Standing calfs 4x12

Off

Push:
BB Bench 4x6
DB incline 4x10
Military Press DB or BB 4x8
Cable latersls 3x10
CGBP 4x8 or Skull crushers

OFF



Pull:

Dead lifts 4x6
Rows DB or BB 4x6
Lat pulls 4x10
DB curls 4x8

Off


Off or repeat cycle
 
Great point about the diet.....Here's a good course of action.

1. Read the stickies.
2. Train each bodypart 2-3 times a week. 3 full body sessions or 4 half body ones.
3. Do as much volume as possible, based on your recovery, that allows you to hit the same muscle 2 - 3 times a week.
4. Regardless of training style...adding muscle is simply a function of getting adequate nutrients to facilitate growth. Heavyweight OLY lifters use totally different routines than bodybuilders, but they are just as muscularly large. The one thing they share is that they both EAT A LOT. If those Powerlifters just dieted down, they'd look like BBer's.
 
5X5 and HST (both in the stickys) have put good quality muscle on me the last couple yrs and Im in my 40's ......................11
 
I really like your post Grith, and #4 is something I've been thinking about a lot lately and I have found this to be true in my own training and experience.

I would think the shoe polish tan might be the only thing that separates the appearance of a bodybuilder and a powerlifter at the same weight and bodyfat %.

But then I have to disagree with my own self and think about where the muscle is proportioned in a each. The powerlifter probably has more muscular traps and upper legs, but the bodybuilder might have more muscular arms and chest. Am I off base to say the powerlifter might not be as equally proportioned in muscularity relative to the bodybuilder?
 
Not off base no. Muscle size is also a function of innervation of the fibers within a muscle. A BB'r does all kinds of exercises for all muscles. Thus the innervate (grow) all muscles of the body. A PL'r usually does the same exercise, or variant of it, for mainy the legs and back. Therefore the innervate fewer fibers, but improve CNS to a greater degree.

That's the science of it, but you still have genetics. And for many PL'rs, elevating the hormonal profile with heavy weights on the big lifts will cause growth all over. Provided the diet is there to support the growth. As is the case in the heavyweight PL'rs.
 
damm, that is some education behind those words I"m not worthy of! that makes sense. especially for a beginner, they'd be offer better in a lot of ways doing the few big lifts to innervate all body muscle.

i like innervate. never knew that word, and I will begin to attempt to use that one on a regular basis. I should have made my handle this name.
 
Back
Top