My ectomorph, hardgainer, skinny guy to ??? log!

I guess I'll start a log here to help me keep track of my progress, as well as adding some pictures from time to time to help me with the visual.  

A little about me.....  I have been a skinny guy forever.  Since high school, I have held steady at 5' 11", and 128-130#.  I had NEVER weighted more than 132# since then, and have always been in the 128-130# range.  I am now 37 (38 in July).

My motivation was my wife.  She first started out doing the Body For Life challenge to lose weight after our second child.  That turned into a quest to look even better than she did when we got married (at which time she looked awesome to me!).  She eventually would end up competing in a figure competition (The Carla Sanchez Fitness Fiesta) in Denver last year.  She cam home with a 5th place trophy and was stoked.  She looked HOT too!

She was really getting into the whole working out and nutrition thing, and it got to a point that we were making two meals all the time.  So I eventually gave in and started eating what she was making.  I decided around the end of 2007 that I would make a serious effort to gain weight and start working out.

December 31, 2007 - I weighted exactly 130# and looked like a toothpick with arms and legs.  I had bought a workout program I saw on TV (which is unlike me, to buy ANYTHING from an infomercial) called P90X.  I did notice some gains at first, but I think that may have just been beginners gains.  I realized within that first month that this was probably not the right workout routine for me at this time.  Each workout contains about 24 isolation routines, 2 sets each, for about 1 hour.  BIG calorie burn.  They are great workouts, but I think I may have been going backwards away from my goal.... which was to gain weight and muscle mass.

So I started reading everything I could find on the net, bought a few books, and came up with a new plan.  I spent most of February eating and trying to pack on weight.  I put together a new workout routine and made logs for each day.  I would start the new workouts on February 25.

I started the new workout routine at 143# and 4.7% BF.  Yeah, that's right, 4.7%.  I said am thin!  Here is what I come up with (critiques and comments welcome and wanted!!):

Monday (Pull):
Pull-ups                               2 sets to failure
Dumbbell bent-over rows        2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Upright rows                        2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Concentration curls               2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Shrugs                                2 warm up sets, then 2x12
Decline crunches                  3 sets to failure

Wednesday (Legs):
Squats                               2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Deadlifts                             2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Dumbbell Lunges                  2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Standing calf raises              2 warm up sets, then 2x12
Seated calf raises                2 warm up sets, then 2x12

Friday (Push):
Bench press                        2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Bar dips                              2 sets to failure
Bench dips                          2 sets to failure
Tricep pushdowns                2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Shoulder press                     2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Lateral raises                       2 warm up sets, then 2x8
Crunches                            3 sets to failure

I had straight-leg deadlifts on Wednesday at first, but until I get a hand at learning proper form (they never felt right), I will leave them out.

As of this morning, I am at 148# and 4.3% BF.  I need at add a little body fat I think.

My diet has been pretty consistent, and an average day ends up at between 3500-3600 calories, 325-375g of carbs, and 225-250g of protein.  Fat is generally high, as I take in a lot of Udo's Oil.  I try to get in at least 7-8 16 oz. glasses of water a day.  I may start bumping up the calories too, we'll see.

Supplements are Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey, O.N. 100% Casein (right before bed), a good multivitamin, Udo's 3*6*9 Blend Oil, fish oil soft caps, and BCAA's, SuperPump 250 before workouts, and SizeOn during workouts.

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

DANG, Bro! You sound exactly like ME! Except for the 5'-11" part... It's only a 3" difference, but everything else about your approach sounds like me for the first ten years I tried to bulk.

I have absolutely zero doubt that you can pack on an appreciable amount of mass and make a significant transformation, and all I can give you by way of advice is what I know has worked for me. It sounds like you've done a lot of research, and that's good; the only thing that raises flags for me is the number of isolation exercises in this routine and the focus on multi-part split so early in your journey. A 13# gain is perfectly within reason for having started December 1 of last year, but you're absolutely right about the aerobic bias of this routine. I think it's robbing you of valuable mass-gaining progress when you could benefit most from it.

I made my most dramatic gains starting out with two months of total-body, holistic workouts. I stuck with only those big, ugly, boring, basic lifts in the number of sets and reps that allowed me to get the whole thing done in 45 minutes. I'm talking about a SINGLE movement for chest, quads, hams, calves, abs, and back. NOTHING for arms or delts -at this point, they're already getting enough attention from the back and chest work. no more than three sets with moderately heavy weight and one minute rest between sets. ZERO cardio for now.

Only when I got to a point where I had didn't feel sufficiently brutalized after a given exercise did I consider splitting to an upper/lower body arrangement, and I didn't move that to a push/pull/legs split until after a full six months of lifting.

The basics are boring, and they don't make for hours of mirror-gazing fun in the gym, but they produce results like NOTHING else. You need to slam your body with a comprehensive neurological shock, and few people can produce that with a split.

It's a lot to ponder, but I'm sure you'll find the right mix.

Thanks for the reply Veg!  I've actually read all your threads, and your transformation is nothing less that friggen spectacular!!! 

The original program was a HUGE aerobic workout....  8-10 reps, 30 seconds rest, 8-10 more, 30 seconds rest, then the next exercise.  It was killer!  That's why I put this one together, the one I layed out above.

What do you then recommend I concentrate on?  Simply bench, deads and squats and do it 2 or 3 days a week?

If I cut out the isolation exercises and change everything to 3 sets, I come up with this:

Monday (Pull):
Pull-ups                               3 sets to failure
Dumbbell bent-over rows        3x8
Upright rows                        3x8

Wednesday (Legs):
Squats                               3x8
Deadlifts                             3x8
Dumbbell Lunges                  3x8

Friday (Push):
Bench press                        3x8
Bar dips                              3 sets to failure
Bench dips                          3 sets to failure  
Shoulder press                     3x8

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

Or something like this I found on BB.com:

Bench Press
Squats
Deadlifts
Seated Dumbbell Press
Upright Rows

OR......

Bench Press
Squats
Deadlifts
Seated Dumbbell Press
Upright Rows
Seated Cable Rows

All done three days a week.........

Just throwing stuff out there for now to get ideas.

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

You know you don't need to do 2 warm up sets before every exercise. Just a few to start the day.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

Thanks, Bobbi.  I have always done some ballistic and static stretching before and after, so I was curious about the warm up sets too.  They were spelled out like that from where I put the routines together, so I just kept them in there.

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

Well, it's back to square one I guess.  Last week, my wife AND my daughter got the stomach flu bug thing.  Both started throwing up within 5 minutes of each other last Thursday.  Since I was left to take care of both of them, it was just a matter of time before I got it.

My time was Tuesday.  I left work at around 3pm wishing I could throw up so my stomach would feel better, but I was not able to until about 6pm.  Then it went down hill from there.  I am back to work today (Friday) feeling a little weak, and worn out everytime I get up and move around, but it beats laying in bed.

All said and done, I lost 11#, or more!  &#@(*^$!!!!!!  I was 150# Tuesday morning when I got up.  Yesterday morning I was 139#.  I didn't weigh myself this morning, I didn't want to see it.......

So hopefully, I can start back into eating more again next week.  I just don't feel like eating much right now.  Mostly bananas, apples, toast, water, ooohhhhh lots of ice water

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

it's going to be all about that diet for you,  Trust me.

No doubt!  I was making good gains too.  Then I puked them all out in a matter of days. 

Back to the beginning

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

ORIGINAL: RobertN

No doubt!  I was making good gains too.  Then I puked them all out in a matter of days. 

Back to the beginning

It's never back to the beginning because you always learn something, your body adapts to something, it was always worth it.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

don't forget muscle memory... you'll be back to where you were in no time

My name is FOX.... and I approve this message.

Thanks for the encouragement!  I brought some homemade chicken noodle soup with me today to nurse down as the day went on.  I just scarfed the last of it down, now wishing I had brought more!  My appetite is definitely coming back now 

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/

OK, back on the horse as of tonight, and HOLY BAJEZUS!!!!  I figured with this being a Monday, and basically the first of the month, AND having a week off from any and all supplements AND from being sick, I would make my routine change up now.  Basically, I was doing 3-day a week splits, and I planned to change it to a 2-day a week full body routine.  Probably Monday and Thursday nights.

Well, it KICKED MY AZZ!!!  And I love it!  I felt like I was going to puke again towards the end, my it was a good puke feeling......  if there is such a thing.

I still need to dial in which particular exercises I want to do, but tonight was the best workout I think I have ever had.  I deadlifted 175#, nothing earth shattering by any means, but it's my max so far.  Go look at my pics again in my first post, you would be happy too! 

Downing my post workout drink and a banana right now, then it's off to the shower, then back to the kitchen to get my meals and shakes ready for tomorrow.  Than a delicious casein protein/orange juice/vanilla extract/crushed ice shake, and it's off to bed.

Official Ectomorph of the Emancipation Detoxification.  DBB's oldest forum group, schooling the skinnies since 02/12/08.

Only the best supplements used:  Food, milk, fish/flax oil, multivitamin. [/