Bad Schedule, What to do.

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums, but hope to be sticking around quite a bit. Im 22, 6'1, 150-155 lbs, I have quite a bit of strength for my size, I haven't worked out properly since highschool and at that time I saw my weight peak at 170lbs. I am a heavy duty mechanic, working 8-5 daily, physically strenuous job.

I want to gain weight, my preliminary goal is 175 lbs. I am one of those fast metabolism, eat anything, never work out kind of people who are always slim, I havent lost my ab's since highschool yet. I've been told so many things by my friends, and co workers, i've read dozens of articles but they all dont seem to mesh with my life at all; They all boast 4-6 meals a day, but with my job I am not able to eat that many times. I do however keep quite active, playing hockey 2-3 times a week. I want to get a part time job 3 nights a week as well. Is there just no time for me to gain weight? am I spreading myself too thin?

I've been told to use GNC Weight Gainer, and other similar products. Also, a number of close friends are steroid users and have been pressuring me into using them, but there is a history of heart disease in my family so I dont want to go that path. To be honest, I want something that will help me, and show results, I can get discouraged fast, so if I can see weekly gains it will help  me to stick to it. I am also going to quit drinking. I quit smoking years ago, and have no other vices.

Thanks in advance.

Greg.

[img]http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i133/gregrego/bdsig.jpg[/img]

You will not see weekly results in this sport. The body simply doesn't respond that quickly- At most, you can expect to gain one or two pounds a week, but that's only if you're eating enough to put the weight on- And yes, five or six meals a day is the way to go about it.
If you eat a nice breakfast, have a nice lunch, a snack a couple of hours before leaving work and then another couple of meals spaced out before bedtime, you're at five meals a day. A lot of us here have jobs too, it's just one of the things you have to deal with if you really want the results.

Fair enough, i do have 2 30 minute breaks so im sure i can pack 2 meals in at work.
 
What about supplements, like i said its tough for me to gain weight with my metabolism, what is the best thing to take to gain/keep the weight?

Try getting your diet together, and then later on the track, think about supplements if you want to. Unless if you're making gains on your diet alone, I wouldn't recommend buying any supplements. Sure you may get some fish oil, multivitamin and/or whey protein for post-workout meals, but that's about all I see is necessary. Remember to grow big, you need to eat big, and of course train hard.

I always thought I was the hardgainer type (as I am an ectomorph), but I realised I could gain weight, well harder than others, if I tried hard enough.

You say you're a real hardgainer- How many calories a day are you trying to get in? You might be surprised at the amount you really need to put on some mass- First stop for you should be the top of our nutrition forum, where you'll find a thread all about calorie calculators. Use one of the calcs to find out how many calories your body needs to gain mass, and from there, you'll be able to figure out how many you might need from supplementation.

Great, thanks guys, im getting a diet together, and will monitor my weight closely to see if i begin to gain weight.

Nice ride bro.  Just stick around this forum and you'll learn all you need to know. 

I would agree that you may find gaining fairly easy once you get a suitable diet together.
 
There are many weight gainers on the market but there are very few that I would reccommend. If you have a blender and access to a few diffferent ingredients its pretty easy to put your own together.
 
As you're failrly active, these "liquid calories" may be the extra boost you need to see consistant gains. 

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yeah, when i first started lifting, i gained mass so quick. it was nice. now i gotta work harder at it. haha. nice ride, by the way!