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...then you have come to the right place!
we will try to help you with your problem.
Well let me start with some stats, I know weight itself isn't the be all end all in a diet...
I've been working out about 6 1/2 weeks doing Rippetoes, I weigh between 136-139 pounds, I have paid no attention to my diet whatsoever. I have tried to eat a bit more but even that I let slip most of the time. I know that's bad. I smoke about a pack a day. For supplements I've been taking Animal Pak vitamins (this is my last pack today I'm switching to a regular multivitamin), and flaxseed because my knees cracked a lot and I thought that might make it a little better. I'm twenty years old.
Squat: 260lbs. 3x5
Deadlift: 280lbs. 1x5
Bench: 130lbs. 3x5
Row: 155lbs. 3x5
Shoulder Press: 100lbs 3x5
I have gotten stronger (from what? but all that matters is not the end weight but the improvement I guess), and I know it's a long, long process, but I think I could advance and gain weight much more quickly with a proper diet. I just have no clue howto diet and when I read about it I'm just left confused. Over the next few days I'm going to try to track what I eat and put it into some sort of workout journal. I read that a diet is specific to the person so... outside of eating a lot I don't really know what to do, and I want to get big not fat (although I realize I'll gain some fat). Rippetoes has given me decent form on the exercises themselves though I think.
It's good that after 6 weeks you can already squat and dead 2x your bodyweight. But, at 136 pounds, you need to EAT. How tall are you?
Here's some generic advice (we're all different):
Start eating about 20x your bw in cals. For you that'd be about 2800.
Every couple weeks, evaluate your cal intake and if you're not putting on too much fat, add a couple hundred cals.
Eat at least 1.5x bw in protein grams. For you that'd be about 200g.
Eat about 0.5x bw in fat grams. For you that'd be about 70g.
The rest of your cals can come in carbs. That leaves about 450g; less if you eat more protein. Try to eat complex carbs, not simple.
If you have a hard time eating lots of high cal meals, then eat cal dense foods like nuts and oils. Throw in a shake or two but don't try to get most of your protein from shakes. Eat meat.
Btw... Welcome
Around 6'1 or so, always been a skinny fella hahaha, I figure at this point if I don't start eating differently I'm just wasting my time
Originally Posted by Mason
Try starting a lifting and diet log in the journal section and we'll help you.
Welcome to TID Mason, Like IronInsanity says start a log .
Welcome to TID maing! IronInsanity gave you all the basic rules of thumb to build & you just cannot go wrong w/ Rippetoe. At your age you should have fantastic recovery as well, so just eat and lift balls to the wall. Remember your recovery time (i.e. periodization) and always keep your form TIGHT. Never sacrifice form in favor of higher weights. That's how you can guarantee injury.
RE: joints - instead of just flax oil, get some good complete EFAs. I've also used MSM religiously for years - you can find it in joint supps that have glucosamine / chondroitin- but make sure its got MSM in it. It doesn't "fix" everything right away but rather w/ consistent supplementation over time it will help joint support.
As a newb I'd also encourage you to incorporate some foam rolling / warm up in your training. This may not seem like a huge deal at your age, but I can guarantee you that years of lifting will start to show up in joint / tendon wear & tear when you hit 35-40. Then its just friggen humbling when your muscles can support the weight but it hurts too much to do the actual lift because your joints are screaming at you.
Check out Joe DeFranco's warm ups - this goes a long way towards supporting a long lifting life.
DeFranco's Training ..:: The Ultimate Way To Become A Better Athlete ::.. - in particular scroll down to check out the Agile 8 section.
T NATION | DeFranco's Training Rules for Washed-up Meatheads
If you've ever watched Olympic lifters, they are all about explosive power w/ functionally correct form, but also incorporate a LOT of foam rolling.
And you're off! Definitely keep a log and you'll get a lot of great input!
Welcome man, Alot of fantastic advice in this thread so far. Get you eat on!!!!
Along with the advice you've already been given I'll add that you need to quit smoking (you know this). Smoking will suppress your appetite making it harder for you to eat and it also constricts your blood vessels which slows down the transport of oxygen and nutrients that you need to replenish your muscles after working out. You will likely add several pounds just by quitting.
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