Am i doing everything correctly?

roasted if it included the bone
 
I thought roasted meant it had a bone in it?  So basically I should be eating around 8 oz of chicken with bone?

No they do not include the non edible portion...like oranges they do not include the peel in the weight.
 
Roasted, bone removed.

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Okay so about 7-8 ounces would be an appropriate amount for around 30 G protein?  (This is really tough)  Also I weighed myself in yesterday, im at 186.5 and last week I was 183.5 so a gain in 3 pounds, however I've been seeing more weight around my stomach, Is that normal when trying to gain maximum mass?  The key is I want to gain muscle, not fat.  I've taken most sugars out of my diet, I have about 1-2 glasses of milk a day for bones and growth etc.  I believe thats the only sugar left.  However the extra pound or so may have been that I just ate the 3.5 bananas and 16 ounces of water with 2 scoops of Whey Protein.  Im not complaining though, It all feels unreal to me that Im at 186 pounds.  My goal last year was to be 200 at the end of this year, at this rate I'll be 200 by the end of the summer.  However, I want to make sure its very low fat and without calipers ( having troubles ordering from amazon.com ) I'm basically just guessing I suppose.  Im afraid, however, that Im just gaining strength and not size because I havnt seen huge gains in muscle size, but I have in muscle strength.  Yesterday I decline benched 200 5 times, something I couldn't have imagined doing about a month or two ago.  Hell, I would have been a fool to put on 180.  But I dont really mind too much about muscle strength, for me I want more size.  Do they come hand in hand? 

Also, another thing I was wondering.  Sunday I basically ate just potatoes ( I didnt have rice cooked up ) and I was eating them with skin, mashed in the microwave about 2.5 each meal.  I started feeling sick towards meal 5 and the thought of eating potatoes was making me feel even worse.  By meal six, I felt even worse.  I was having troubles eating, as if my body was full and couldnt have one more potatoe.  I forced it in, however, and gulped down 16 ounces of water in one sip.  I felt horribly sick for about an hour afterwards. I was laying on my side on my bed trying to sleep and it felt as if I just did 15,000 sit ups, my stomach was really tighetened and I was having troubles breathing.  I was definatly on the verge of throwing up, however I was able to sleep and the next morning I felt bad.  Was this because I left the skin on the potatoes, was it too many potaotes, was it the fat free sour cream?  Those are what I had for each of the 6 meals throughout the day.

Sounds like you OD'd on potato and fake sour cream.
We have all over-stuffed on some food at some point!
 
For maximum anaboic effect there is going to be a small amount of fat gain.
 
However you are porbably seeing an increase in muscle water retention..muscle is 75% water +- and if you are eating enough carbs now then you get more glucose and therefor more water..each gram of glycogen in the muscle carries 2.5 grams of water
 
If your strength is coming on and you are gaining weight...then you are gaining.
If some is fat, then there is a bit of adjustment you can do.
Lower the banana to 1/2 the amount.
Drop out one cup of milk and eat kale or collards for the calcium.
After you finish lifting add 12 minutes of cardio...until you are more efficient and store lass as fat.
 
No calipers?...take circumference measurements.
 
For consistent gains...
Vary your training!
Do not overtrain...
Get done lifting as close to 45 minutes or less as possible.
No more than 75 minutes in the gym total.
 
As you get stronger, you can then use that strength to get more mass!
Muscle size is measured in about 3 week changes. 
That is about the interval to see a change.
 
Use circumference measures.
Did you gain 1/4 inch in the biceps, chest, forearm, leg?
That is how you will know!

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Alright, Ill try to get the measurements asap.  So 7 ounce of chicken is the right amount for around 30 Grams protein right?

4 ounces without skin or bone.
 
Depends on the bone!

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Grr so I have to cut it all up off the bone?  >_<

Ok I just read this whole friggin thread...

Just gotta say that... Dan YOUR FRIGGIN AWESOME...  Im gonna be bugging you in the near future :)  Cause I gots lots of questions and I'm thinking of more everyday..

Im gonna begin my training soon so im just overviewing some of the other members problems and gains!!

Keep feeding on knowledge my brother you are doing great..
Your like a living, breathing, how-to book on being healthy and bodybuilding!!

I have a question about static stretching, I believe that was what the phrase was called.  What is it?  I usually just do my stretches two times.  Also, should I eat my post workout food before or after I do the cardio.  I've also noticed that my stomach has been getting bigger, along with my muscles... This isn't very good, and Im not sure why this is occuring.  I will get my measurements tonight and than if my stomach continues to gain larger in represpective to my muscles than Ill have to probably lower my caloric intake or increase my cardio.  Any ideas?

Muscle size is measured in about 3 week changes. 
That is about the interval to see a change.

 
So I should take measurements every 3 weeks? 

I have a question about static stretching, I believe that was what the phrase was called.  What is it?  I usually just do my stretches two times. 

 
Static stretching is stretching you do AFTER you are done training.  In this form of stretching you gently move into the position where you feel a gentle stretch in the effected muscle and hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds.
 
Dynamic stretching is stretching you do before (after a warm up) and during lifting.  This is where you flex the opposing muscle and move the stretched muscle through a range of motion..example 
 
Triceps:
Flex the biceps, and deltoids bending the elbow and raising the arm to beside the head.  Gently moving the had to a spot behind the head near the shoulder to optimally stretch the triceps...at the point of tension hold for 2 seconds and extend and lower the arm ..repeat 5-10 times...gradual movement, not jerking.
 

Also, should I eat my post workout food before or after I do the cardio. 

 
After cardio..the whole point is to deplete glycogen during the workout and then do cardio..moderate intensity..to burn fat.
 
If you are looking to gain mass..this cardio should be very brief..if at all. Only if you are gaining some fat.
 
  I've also noticed that my stomach has been getting bigger, along with my muscles... This isn't very good, and Im not sure why this is occuring.  I will get my measurements tonight and than if my stomach continues to gain larger in represpective to my muscles than Ill have to probably lower my caloric intake or increase my cardio.  Any ideas?

 
When you eat more, as in bulking, including more dietary fiber...you will experience a slight increase in the gut..as there is more food being processsed and more water in there!
 
Also if you are going crazy on the ab exercises...what happens when you work a muscle?  It gets bigger.  You do NOT need to train the abs like crazy!
 

lower my caloric intake or increase my cardio

This is how you lose muscle and put on fat.  Sorry to break the news..but in general..if you are gaining in fat in a moderate surplus..then you need to fix your training and the quality of your diet...
 
While bulking:
I went from a 32-33 to a 35.5 inch waist. (I have to do an appearance so I am going to drop 8 pounds fat in the next 4 weeks, starting April 20, so it should go down to 32.5-33 again)
 
Any time I am not eating enough or doing too much exercise..I stop gaining muscle and gain fat.
When I raise my calories and do shorter workouts..I lose the fat.
That is really how it works...counter-intuitive because of all the misinformation we get.
Try to wrap your mind around that!
 

So I should take measurements every 3 weeks?

You can take them weekly.  It is just that over a three week period, you will see if there are significant and consistent changes.
 
For instance..
this morning I was 188.5 and my bodyfat measured 14.5% = 162 lbs lean 27 lbs fat
A week ago I was 184.5 measuring 15.5% = 156 lbs lean  29lbs fat
While a month ago I was 186.5lbs at 14.8% = 159 lbs lean 27.5 lbs fat
 
You can see the flux.  But over time the lean mass goes up down and up higher.  I didn't cry when I saw the 156 lbs lean 29 lbs fat because I know it meant I was not eating enough or training too much!  I made adjustments.  Things look great again.
 
Same with tape measures.  My biceps did the same thing: a month ago 15"  a week ago <15" today >15"...in 2 weeks I will probaby hit 15.25" and then it will be easier to see the direction I am headed.
 
Charting the direction and trands of your training is really the way to go.  Respond to trend shifts.

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Also if you are going crazy on the ab exercises...what happens when you work a muscle?  It gets bigger.  You do NOT need to train the abs like crazy!

Im not doing any ab exercises, havnt since I began the new routine ( 4 weeks ago )

lower my caloric intake or increase my cardio
This is how you lose muscle and put on fat.  Sorry to break the news..but in general..if you are gaining in fat in a moderate surplus..then you need to fix your training and the quality of your diet...

What do you mean fix my training?  For my diet Im not sure what the problem is, Im eating all of the foods you recomended.  It may not be in a moderate surplus, it just looks like im bloated a lot. 

 
 

Any time I am not eating enough or doing too much exercise..I stop gaining muscle and gain fat.
When I raise my calories and do shorter workouts..I lose the fat.
That is really how it works...counter-intuitive because of all the misinformation we get.

As of now Im eating a lot of calories (3500 daily) so I doubt that its the fact of me not eating enough.  My workouts are long, but I usually eat .5 banana when it goes over 45 min.
 

I got my measurements:
 
Neck: 16"
Chest: 38"
Waist: 33.25"
Forearm: 12.25"
Bicep: 13.25"
 
All were non flexing.  I also got some pictures, im about to look at the difference about a month made.  Hopefully I can see it.

Well I looked at my pictures, they are small and are on a digi camera so I had to go threw other pictures and try to remember.  However, I didn't see much, if any change with my appearance  I noticed my stomach was much larger than it was last month but my chest and arms, they looked about the same in size.  I think Im just sitting around eating, gaining all this weight but not in muscle.  Its distressing really.  I've worked out really hard too, and I've ate so much.  Im upset that it doesnt seem like an entire month of killer workouts didn't have much results.  It seemed like I was getting bigger, or atleast my stomach wasnt getting huge, on my old diet.  Hopefully everything will come together.  I like what I look like, but I dont feel Im getting as big as I can and that Im gaining around the waist and thats not what Im looking for.  Hopefully you have some suggestions or comments so that maybe there are reasons as to why I may not look bigger.  Possibly a month isnt enough time, or maybe I need to print them out to really see changes?  I have no clue.  Arg.