Help Me Get Big!!

[GET-THICK-QUICK]

I am 24 years old, 6'2" and 180 lbs. with low bodyfat %. I have been weight training since I was a freshman in high school because I played basketball in high school. When I entered college I began to lift weights heavily to gain mass. I have been lifting seriously since 1999. From my freshman year in college to my sophmore year I went from 170 lbs. to 180 lbs. and have been stuck there ever since.

Every now and then I would consume 4-5,000 calories for about a month consistently and get up to 200 lbs or so, but when I begin to eat my regular 3 to 4 meals a day again, I'll quickly shrink back to 180 lbs. I would love to some day be around 230 lbs. with a low bodyfat %.

Here is my question. If I sit down and stuff my face until I reach something like 250 lbs., could I work out at that bodyweight for a while then cut up and be a solid 230 lbs. or would I just end up at 180 lbs. again? I just want to build REAL muscle that's going to STAY on my body.
(P.S. - I can gain weight easily if I force feed myself, I just can't keep it on.)

 

[Eze]

If you want to be 250lbs, then eat like a 250lb person would. If you keep your calories relatively clean, you can bulk up without the huge fat gains.

But once you put on the weight, you still have to keep your calories high in order to retain all the mass.

 

[huskyguy]

The key to keeping the weight is to lift heavy--mainly squats, deads and bench and to eat fairly clean but eat a lot. You may need to learn to eat more high protein, high calorie foods, meat, eggs, whole milk and green vegetables should be the core of your diet. If your metabolism is quite fast you can eat more carbs too.

 

[Soul Rebel]

Guys like you are lucky! At least you don't get fat! Yeah, to bulk you don't really have to worry as much as guys like us when eating bulking food. Every now and then you can afford to eat a pizza, but remember to try to get enough carbs, good fats, and plenty of protein. Try for 2 grams of protein per lb. of body weight.

 

[cant get BIG]

if u think u are gonna gain 70lbs on food alone u got another thing comin.

 

[huskyguy]

I have to disagree with cant get big I think it is possible to gain 70lbs on food, tons of it, hard training and dedication. Last year with the guidance of a Dietician/Doctor of Exercise Physiology I gained over 50lbs over an 8 month period of steady bulking, and I stayed under 12% bodyfat without any chemical assistance, besides an occasional aspirin now and then. This year I am working with the same Dietician/Doctor of Exercise Physiology on bulking, with the right diet and work out I plan on surpassing last years goals.

 

[cant get BIG]

can u please share what your diet is like.

 

[GET-THICK-QUICK]

Back in December of 2001, I gained 23 lbs. in 3 weeks.

All I did was eat 3-4 large to medium sized balanced meals in addition to (2) four scoop servings of N-Large mixed with whole milk. Plus, I consumed a gallon of water a day.

My bodyweight went from 185 lbs to 208 lbs in 3 weeks. My bench went from 185 lbs 10 reps to 225 lbs 15+ reps! I did this while on Christmas break, but when I went back to school, I lost it all within a couple of months or so.

I just want to know how much weight I'll have to gain in order for it to stick. I want REAL MUSCLE MASS.

 

[huskyguy]

A long slow bulking period is better than a short fast bulking period. When you gain 23 lbs in 3 weeks most of it will be fat and water weight gain. A longer period of bulking where I consistently put on weight slowly for several months works best for me. Train hard and eat lots of clean high protein foods. I consume lots of whole milk. A reasonable goal would be to put on at least 30lbs in 6 months or more. If you train hard a large portion of this weight will be muscle gain. If you want real muscle mass you may have to put on some serious weight.

 

[Milhouse]

when you guys say you gained 23 or 50 lbs naturally for that matter over those short periods of time was it the following

1-mass gained back after a layoff

2-beginner

3-fat and muscle

just curious because that much muscle mass naturally doesnt make sense in that short period of time

 

[rubberduckyo]

A long slow bulking period is better than a short fast bulking period. When you gain 23 lbs in 3 weeks most of it will be fat and water weight gain. A longer period of bulking where I consistently put on weight slowly for several months works best for me. Train hard and eat lots of clean high protein foods. I consume lots of whole milk. A reasonable goal would be to put on at least 30lbs in 6 months or more. If you train hard a large portion of this weight will be muscle gain. If you want real muscle mass you may have to put on some serious weight.

I was kinda thinking the same. 23lbs in three weeks? That's gotta be a helluva lot of fat and water weight.

People try to rush these things way too often.

 

[thetopdog]

I have to disagree with cant get big I think it is possible to gain 70lbs on food, tons of it, hard training and dedication. Last year with the guidance of a Dietician/Doctor of Exercise Physiology I gained over 50lbs over an 8 month period of steady bulking, and I stayed under 12% bodyfat without any chemical assistance, besides an occasional aspirin now and then. This year I am working with the same Dietician/Doctor of Exercise Physiology on bulking, with the right diet and work out I plan on surpassing last years goals.

It's one thing to go from whatever weight you were at (which I am assuming was relatively light), and add 50 lbs, but it's something totally different to go from a realatively lean 200lbs to 250lbs. I also gained about 50lbs in a short amount of time, but that was because I was a beginner, there is no way I can repeat that performance

I also added over 150lbs to my bench in a year (naturally), but there's a huge difference between going from 125-275 on bench, and going from 275-425. I can guarantee you I will neither gain another 50lbs or add another 125 lbs to my bench in that same period of time, if ever

 

[thetopdog]

It's one thing to go from whatever weight you were at (which I am assuming was relatively light), and add 50 lbs, but it's something totally different to go from a realatively lean 200lbs to 250lbs. I also gained about 50lbs in a short amount of time, but that was because I was a beginner, there is no way I can repeat that performance

I also added over 150lbs to my bench in a year (naturally), but there's a huge difference between going from 125-275 on bench, and going from 275-425. I can guarantee you I will neither gain another 50lbs or add another 125 lbs to my bench in that same period of time, if ever (until I decide to start using gear)

 

[huskyguy]

Actually I went from 180lbs 7% bodyfat at 5ft 7in height, so fairly lean with a decent amount of muscle for that height, to 231lbs 12% bodyfat same height. I do not consider myself a beginner, however this was the first time I have ever had such tremendous gains, and I would say that diet played a major role.

 

[thetopdog]

Actually I went from 180lbs 7% bodyfat at 5ft 7in height, so fairly lean with a decent amount of muscle for that height, to 231lbs 12% bodyfat same height. I do not consider myself a beginner, however this was the first time I have ever had such tremendous gains, and I would say that diet played a major role.

Well I have to take my hat off to you, because I have never heard of anybody else making those kind of gains in that amount of time

 

[rubberduckyo]

Actually I went from 180lbs 7% bodyfat at 5ft 7in height, so fairly lean with a decent amount of muscle for that height, to 231lbs 12% bodyfat same height. I do not consider myself a beginner, however this was the first time I have ever had such tremendous gains, and I would say that diet played a major role.

Excellent!

Would you mind posting your diet?

 

[huskyguy]

Here is a typical day's food consumption when I am bulking up. Here is yesterday's menu

1st thing upon waking -- Large glass of milk with a scoop of Optimum 100% whey chocolate mint
Breakfast 4 eggs, bowl of oatmeal with craisins, toast with peanut butter, coffee with half and half
On way to work- protein bar 30grams protein with a large glass of milk
At work breakfast 4 breakfast sandwiches--eggs, cheese, ham, english muffin--banana, coffee, milk
Late morning snack Protein bar, two hard boiled eggs, apple, milk
Lunch grilled flank steak--lots of meat, green beans, baked sweet potato, cherry pie, homemade custard
Late afternoon snack-Protein shake, large plate of sushi- we have a great sushi place right next to our office
Dinner grilled salmon steaks 3 of them, grilled asparagus with balsamic vinegar, red beans and rice
Evening snack a bag of beef jerky-homemade less salty, two large handfuls of macadamia nuts, large glass of milk
After 8pm I only drink unsweetened sun tea
Along with this diet I consume a gallon of whole milk throughout the day.
This is a normal day, some days I will totally binge out, especially when the sushi restaurant has an all you can eat special, our boss likes to take us there quite often.

 

[thetopdog]

^
That looks like a solid diet, I will try to get my diet to look more like that one

 

[chidoks]

wow..sounds like a good diet

 

[krieg]

i started bulking in August, but my experiment was only based eating in fast joints. To this day i gained 40 lbs. Got probably 30% bodyfat. Planning to stop in December. At that time I'll be probably around 260-270 lbs. I must admit that it's been a hard stress on the body and my mind adjusting to these gains(lots of fat), but I pulled through it. Planning to start my cutting program in the begining of next year. My goal would be cut down to 240-230 lbs and then start all over again this process of bulking.