Best way to slab on muscle?

[keepingitbig]

Once again, if you're serious ....

Steroids. If you're not in a competitive sport why wouldn't you?

Also, starting strength and GOMAD.

lol, Is this a troll post? Haha. Noone needs steroids. Although, If you want it, that's cool, not like I'm gonna' hate you, but natural is a most respectable title when gaining mass imo.

 

[pest]

I'm a professional athlete, so I don't go near steroids (I know, unlike most of my competitors). But if you just want to gain weight, the best thing you can do is Starting Strenght, GOMAD (I wouldn't fucking dream of doing GOMAD but hey, I'm not desperate to gain weight and I'm not American) and roids.

In fact, you could probably go to a doctor and explain your issues with body image and depression and he'd prescribe you freaking steroids. So ye know, why wouldn't some guy, who's just doing it for life, for happiness or for women, why wouldn't he roid up?

For real, no troll.

 

[REDZULU2003]

Good discussion thank you

 

[Jemiamah]

To gain muscle you'll need 3 things:
1. Diet
2. Training, progressive resistance loading.
3. Rest

If you're serious about your goals start by reading these articles.
Beginning Weight Training
The Diet

If you want to know anything about training or diet, that site is the first site to check out. There's a very thick layer of bro-science en bs to crawl through in the fitness/bodybuilding communities before you figure out the few people who actually know what they're talking about. Save yourself the trouble.

You can spend a lot of time f'ing around in the gym not really progressing before you figure out you need to start doing some reading about proper training and nutrition, I would save myself the time and start educating yourself now (which means more than asking 'how to slab on muscle' on a penis enlargement forum, or listening to the "bro" advise you'll find on most forums)

A couple of things:
1. Start with a full body routine like Starting Strength, or Lyle's basic barbell routine. (Trust me, those 6 day a week splits you see everyone doing are vastly inferior for a natural beginner/intermediate lifter)
2. Focus on compound lifts: Squats, Bench, Pullups, Rows, Dips, Deadlifts, Military/shoulder press. Forget isolation for now.
3. Eat a caloric surplus, see diet article for kcal/macro nutrient guidelines.
4. Gaining muscle is about progressive loading. This means you'll need to progressively increase weight on the bar in order to keep growing.
5. Take proper rest.
6. Running on self-will will hurt progression most of the time. For example when certain training guidelines say you need to deload after so many weeks, do the f'ing dload. When you're told to do 3 sets of 6-8 reps and not hit failer on every one of them. You don't grind out 6 sets to failure.
7. Use proper form, have an experienced trainer look at your exercise form (especially squats) and read up on how to perform them correctly.
8. Do not read the muscle magazine, any advice from guys representing supplement companies. 95% of supplements are utter garbage, do absolutely nothing. Take your protein powder (find a cheap supplier) and your creatine mono. A multi vitamin, fish oil, calcium/magnesium, maybe vitamin D. That's it. The other stuff is a complete waste of money.
9. Don't follow the training routines of pro bodybuilders, these are completely unfit for the natural athlete who is not already very near or over their genetic limit and using steroids.

Spot on. I have to agree about the online communities. Takes ages to get down to common sense/good advice.

Good post - all the right stuff for the OP to be considering. +rep

 

[MAXAMEYES]

Just in case anyone is wondering; GOMAD stands for: Gallon Of Milk A Day. Great, if you're not lactose intolerant, or a casein sensitive.

And Here's a review for "Starting Strength":

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training is the new expanded version of the book that has been called "the best and most useful of fitness books." It picks up where Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners leaves off. With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise.

Just in case anyone was wondering just what in the fuck pest is always on about.

 

[pest]

Just in case anyone is wondering; GOMAD stands for: Gallon Of Milk A Day. Great, if you're not lactose intolerant, or a casein sensitive.

And Here's a review for "Starting Strength":

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training is the new expanded version of the book that has been called "the best and most useful of fitness books." It picks up where Starting Strength: A Simple and Practical Guide for Coaching Beginners leaves off. With all new graphics and more than 750 illustrations, a more detailed analysis of the five most important exercises in the weight room, and a new chapter dealing with the most important assistance exercises, Basic Barbell Training offers the most complete examination in print of the most effective way to exercise.

Just in case anyone was wondering just what in the fuck pest is always on about.

Like I said, I wouldn't dream of doing GOMAD. I don't even do SS because it's not specific to my sport, but everyone else I know who works out just for fun or to be 'big' does SS. Sorry, that's not true ... everyone who's actually gained does SS, maybe with some vanity exercises and then I know some other people who get fuck all gains doing a split or whatever bullshit they invent whenever they show up to 'train'.

 

[polishedbrass]

Like I said, I wouldn't dream of doing GOMAD. I don't even do SS because it's not specific to my sport, but everyone else I know who works out just for fun or to be 'big' does SS. Sorry, that's not true ... everyone who's actually gained does SS, maybe with some vanity exercises and then I know some other people who get fuck all gains doing a split or whatever bullshit they invent whenever they show up to 'train'.

SS is a great program for novice > intermediate level trainees, vastly superior to what most people are doing in the gym (like 6-day a week splits) But not at all the only good program, and it might not even be the best program for people who are not getting into power lifting but simply wish to gain good strength and mass.

A couple of downsides to ss are:
1. No direct lat training, there is only 1 set of deadlifts a week. The incorporation of chin ups would have been better. > But chins are not a power lift competition move so there is no focus.
2. Power cleans. This is a technical move that is not at all required if you're not training for powerlifting. For most people the clean can best be replaced by chins/rows.

Second: SS is called starting strength for a reason. When intermediate/advanced strength levels are reached most people will have to move to another program to continue making progress.


GOMAD is a bad idea for people who are not true hard gainers. (which is the vast majority of people) At a certain point more calories will not do anything more to help you grow. Going 1000-2000 kcal over maintenance will do little more than 500 kcal over, except make you real fat, real fast.

 

[pest]

SS is a great program for novice > intermediate level trainees, vastly superior to what most people are doing in the gym (like 6-day a week splits) But not at all the only good program, and it might not even be the best program for people who are not getting into power lifting but simply wish to gain good strength and mass.

A couple of downsides to ss are:
1. No direct lat training, there is only 1 set of deadlifts a week. The incorporation of chin ups would have been better. > But chins are not a power lift competition move so there is no focus.
2. Power cleans. This is a technical move that is not at all required if you're not training for powerlifting. For most people the clean can best be replaced by chins/rows.

Second: SS is called starting strength for a reason. When intermediate/advanced strength levels are reached most people will have to move to another program to continue making progress.


GOMAD is a bad idea for people who are not true hard gainers. (which is the vast majority of people) At a certain point more calories will not do anything more to help you grow. Going 1000-2000 kcal over maintenance will do little more than 500 kcal over, except make you real fat, real fast.

Solid info. I think SS is worse for the rear delts than for the lats and I agree, Chins / pull-ups are a MUST add-on. But I don't think the power clean is a technical move and I'm not sure there's any use for it in power lifting.

But as you say, SS is better than what most people are doing ... it take a lot of the guess work out of lifting, a lot of the "I'm a totally beginner with 0 knowledge but I know my body, etc".

As for GOMAD I think it's fucking insane but there's no doubt that if you do SS, Steroids, GOMAD and be a newbie you'll see the biggest gains in terms of 'slabbing on muscle'. I wouldn't advise it, I think the concept of 'slabbing on muscle' is retarded but that is what the OP asked.