hey everyone, im new to weight gaining and have a few questions if it isn't too much trouble

firstly, i attend the gym twice a week, monday and thursday. sometimes a session in the gym is exchanged for time in the pool. I was told it's as good for your body. only attending twice a week is because i was told it is optimum for muscle recovery. plus being 16 doesn't give me endless amounts of money. what advice can you give?

secondly, nutritian and diet. i cant afford protein shakes but i do eat correctly. i eat protein such as eggs, meats, fish etc. i would like to know the best kind of diet and meals to have with the amount i attend the gym. also, wen is the best time to have the different meals, for example, a carb the night before WO for energy and then protein after the WO for recovery? any suggestions?

i want to gain weight in my arms and pecks mainly. im the type with a suttle 6 pack and no arms wat so ever. i want to tightern and harden my 6 pack and gain weight in my arms and pecks. what is the best way of doing this. i am very active with sport, biking and running outside of the gym. any ideas?

Sorry bout my poor level of knowlege,
thanks in advance

If you can add a day to the gym and skip the swimming, that would be good.  Otherwise, plan on using some bodyweight exercises at home or in that park.

You may think you're eating right, but you probably aren't.  You need to choose your goal (e.g., gaining lean muscle mass) and do the calorie calculations to see how to get there.  Danmirage recommends 300-500 calories surplus over what your calorie needs are today.  Do a search in the nutrition forum, and look for his entries among the other excellent advice.

To get a great upper body, do yourself a favor and don't ignore your legs.  The hormonal advantages you get from working what are the most massive muscles will benefit your arm and chest goals.  You need a workout plan that centers on compound movements, not isolation exercises.  Try the freebie Max-OT program (http://www.ast-ss.com/max-ot/max-ot_intro.asp), or look around here on the site, there are tons of recommendations (see "Training" forum).

You sound plenty lean already, so that's cool.  It makes part of the job of being and appearing muscular that much easier!