P90x

[Snook]

alright guys, i plan on downloading and starting 90x tomorrow and posting progress pics here. im currently at 169 pounds, and will be taking mass gainer along with this program. Hoping to get someone to do this with me.

[FeaRpb]

I wish I was 169 :P

[Snook]

right, but its unhealthy for me, being 6 foot 6.

[familyMAN]

Eat well and do GOMAD: Gallon Of (whole) Milk a Day, with P90X and you cant help but put on weight quick. You will put on a little fat as well but 6'6" and 169, a little extra won't hurt. GOMAD (2400 cal) plus 2500 of regular food daily and I added 15 lbs in 6 weeks with P90X.

Eventually dropped 5 lbs to lean out but did GOMAD again with 5x5 strength training (squat, deads, bench and barbell press) a year later and put on another 20lbs in 6weeks.

[wingnut]

wow...i used to drink a gallon a day when i was a kid, but no way i could stomach that anymore!

[Roybatty]

right, but its unhealthy for me, being 6 foot 6.

That is skinny for that height. Someone else that takes out the driver seat to fit in these cars ;)
You are fighting your youth, mostly your metabolism. You need to increase your calories and not do as much cardio. I would join a gym, and get a good protien/calorie supplement. Get in a weight lifting program...and go from there. That P90X stuff is a lot of cardio (which is good for the right people), but it doesn't replace hitting the weights at the gym.

For muscle building, the secret is to work out your muscle to failure multiple times in a work out. Rest and eat right (protein intake spread out in a day) for recovery. When you hit a major muscle group hard like that, give yourself about week for recovery. But you need to start off slow. The hard part is showing up.

[nodoze]

i mean dont get me wrong p90x is FANTASTIC , i have done it three go throughs now and will do it more after my leg is healed up. but dont do it looking to gain a ton of mass, you can gain alot of muscle if you really heavy up your weights but keeping that pace for an hour is tough. for instance to be able to complete and hour of back and biceps almost all my curling in the begining was with 20lb weights per arm now im up to 30 per but doing 15-20 reps multiplied by an hour.

start shoveling the protein i and mix it with milk, you need 100 grams minimum a day more if you wanna bulk, mixing with milk allows you to keep it sane because each "shake" will have 45-50 grams in it , and the way i sit right now i go through 1 gallon of milk every other day.

[Maximal]

I would follow the P90X nutritional guide. You can bulk up with P90X but I think it's more to get you into all around shape other than beefing up. If you really just want to gain mass then get a gym membership and lift up heavy things and put them down...repeat and eat a crap-ton of protein and it'll eventually work.

[sketch]

christ, 6'6" and 169? this thread almost makes me feel fat. almost.

i have a few friends who did a couple months of insanity - one in particular slimmed down a LOT - he stopped doing it before he made it to the bulking up phase, but the weight has stayed off. these programs definitely work as long as you do what they're asking. if you're not tired afterwards you're either not doing it right or you're a professional athlete.

hope you put on the pounds you're looking for!

[IPD]

i don't get it. enjoy being skinny. seriously. age and fast-food can destroy that in a hurry...but GETTING there is incredibly difficult. enjoy what you have. "bulking up" is really pre-gaming for larger fat deposits when you age.

god i wish i was back at 169.

[Snook]

I would enjoy it, if not ever having strength and looking like a skeleton where my jam. I just want to get to a healthy weight, not be a muscle head. Although six pack abs would be nice...

[Snook]

Also, I do nothing to keep the weight off. All I do when I'm not at work or under the hood of the car is sit and play video games. I don't play sports, don't run, don't workout. I've lost weight when I was on protein shakes and milk before.

[IPD]

then i wouldn't worry about bulking up. just work out specifically the muscle groups that you feel are problematic. try getting 60 pushups in a minute and being able to bench 1/2 your weight (multiple reps). if you can do both of those, you should be fine.

definition is a whole different matter. it has to do with calorie intake and nutritional choices MUCH more than any amount of working out (although exercise is required). i can bang out 65 situps or more without stopping (average) and i have zero gut definition. it's VERY hard to get the "bruce lee look" without making a lot of concessions on food.

[Snook]

I probably can't even bench a fourth of my weight. XD

[IPD]

it's best to start with a machine for chest-press. it eliminates the need for a spotter, the motion is limited (no stabilizing muscle movements required), and you can easily select lower or higher weight, depending on what you're comfortable with.

my personal technique (strength building) is to do 3 sets of 20 each. i'll start with the highest weight i can use, and then try to keep it there. if i'm exhausted, i'll take a short break & lower the weight one notch. (eg. 100lbs, 80lbs, 60lbs). if you are motivated, you can try "super-sets" which is exercising the same muscle groups on different, but back-to-back exercises. always remember to explode outwards with the weight, and very, very gradually bring it back. this should effectively train both fast-twitch & stamina.

remember that toning exercise is more reps: lower setting, while strength is fewer reps: high setting. if you wanted to tone your upper body, then instead of doing 60 total reps on a maximum setting, try a lower weight & set a time-limit for yourself (say 5min). for those 5 minutes, you have to do that exercise non-stop, with slow, measured reps.

[boosted3s]

If I were you I would get a gym membership. P90x can work, but it will be easier to gain mass doing heavy compound movements. When it comes to diet it's all cal in vs. cal out. Find your daily maintenance caloric intake, you can use this site Calorie Calculator (http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html), add 500 cal per day and you should gain a pound a week. This will keep fat gain to a minimum. Aim to hit 1g-1.5g protein per lb lean body mass. Also depending on how into it you want to get you can start tracking your macros. 40: 40 :20 would be a good place to start for a bulk. Meaning 40%cal from protein, 40% from carbs, 20% from fats.

[Snook]

I've never been to a gym before. This will be interesting

[boosted3s]

I've never been to a gym before. This will be interesting

Gyms can be intimidating for some people, but it shouldn't be. Everyone starts somewhere. Don't worry so much about going crazy heavy. Just use a weight that you can get a full stretch and full contraction with using whatever muscle group you are training.

[familyMAN]

If you want to gain weight on p90x, target 4-5000 calories a day. You will add muscle bulk. You need to feed. The nutrition guide is setup for losing weight and leaning out with 2-2500 calorie diet.

Count your calories, I guarantee you don't eat enough once you start working out hard to feed your recovery, much less add weight. GOMAD made it easy for me because its a lot of additional calories that you drink instead of eating. Trust me, 5k calories of lean chicken turkey, eggs, fish and lean beef is A LOT of food to eat everyday.

If you haven't done p90x before don't get discouraged if you can't keep up or want to hurl after 10-20 mins. You'll get there. Each week you'll be able to go longer and more intense. It's a tough program to follow everyday, but you will get in shape!

[Roybatty]

Gyms are good because of the synergy you get from others. You won't ever get that from a video. You can't discount the social aspects of the gym. The similar minded people you meet there will be positive encouragement. You don't need to be a muscle head. But as the adage goes... It is a way of life. Having strength/fitness will help you with confidence in all other aspects of your life.

Sent from garage

[Snook]

I'm currently taking in 3500 cals a day FYI

[familyMAN]

Gyms are good because of the synergy you get from others. You won't ever get that from a video. You can't discount the social aspects of the gym. The similar minded people you meet there will be positive encouragement. You don't need to be a muscle head. But as the adage goes... It is a way of life. Having strength/fitness will help you with confidence in all other aspects of your life.

Sent from garage

I disagree. I love the p90x videos. Feels like you are working out with the group. Gyms annoy me because some always wants to talk and distract instead of working out. have a cage at home now so I can lift heavy, safely and not have to go to a gym.

I have not gone to a hardcore meat-head gym though. Maybe that would be better but I have tries several gyms with plenty of free weights and members using them and still was annoyed by "social aspect."

Edit: Agree with your last part on strength/fitness! Definitely adds to a well-rounded life. Work, play, family and fitness.

[Snook]

Confidence is one of my issues. Its why I've never been to the gym. I've never been able to lift weights. I can work like a mofo, but I can't even lift weights with my closest friends and not get red face pissed and leave.

[nodoze]

Just remember what they say Modify !!! Just because you can't do five pull ups doesn't mean you should quit , use a chair to bang out some more . It will come in time . I HAVE added inches to my biceps and well defined back.muscles and even some half ass pecs , but i doubt I could bench more than 180 but I can whip out forty to fifty pushups and twenty pull ups unassisted now . Versus having to do a handful and use assistance ten months ago .

Sent from my HTC Hero S using Tapatalk 2

[boosted3s]

Confidence is one of my issues. Its why I've never been to the gym. I've never been able to lift weights. I can work like a mofo, but I can't even lift weights with my closest friends and not get red face pissed and leave.

There will be people at the gym with all kinds of different body types, skinny, overweight, fit, and everything in between. Most people in the gym are very friendly and love to help and share their knowledge. 99.9% of the people there aren't there to judge anyone. Getting started is always the hardest part, but once you start to see some changes you will probably become hooked, I know I did.

[familyMAN]

I've been following http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

for about 18months and love it. I was never a lifter before (runner). Did p90x for a couple years. (3days a week typically as maintenance but would kick it up every now and then) but absolutely love lifting now.

The website above is great for a beginner and has downloadable spreadsheets to plan your routine.

I have now doing "Madcow" for a couple months since I have moved up in weight past the 5x5 recommendations. Hit a couple PRs this week:) I would also suggest Starting Strength book to read and learn proper form of lifts and theory behind them.

You would need to invest in a good Olympic weight bar and plates, a cage, so you can lift by yourself and a bench. I got a GREAT setup on Craigslist. Or you can go to the gym and follow the program there easily.

[Roybatty]

There will be people at the gym with all kinds of different body types, skinny, overweight, fit, and everything in between. Most people in the gym are very friendly and love to help and share their knowledge. 99.9% of the people there aren't there to judge anyone. Getting started is always the hardest part, but once you start to see some changes you will probably become hooked, I know I did.

I have to agree with Boost. Keep in mind; we all start off the same. Weak and worthless :p but as with anything worthwhile, takes time and intelligent effort. And you occasionally may run into a holes. For me, I remind myself I am not there for them, I am here for me. You are not in competition with anyone.


Nothing against p90x. If it works... Go for it. I tried it. Got a bow flex, it sits in the corner . Just can't get the same pump or intensity.
Sent from garage

[Jimvr4]

I've been following StrongLifts 5x5: Ultimate Strength & Muscle Building Program StrongLifts (http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/)


Interested in this. Looked at the site and see they start you out with some free stuff. How do they make their money?

[familyMAN]

He has a forum that you pay for and promotes books every now and then. I am signed up for free emails and he is not intrusive at all. I have not signed up for "inner circle" forum.

I have enjoyed the simplicity of the 5x5 program. Easy to follow and you get stronger! Better start to like squats though because you do them 3 times a week:D. I love it. Went from ZERO experience to 350 squat,405 dead and 250 bench in 18 months. Not huge numbers I know but it is great progress for me and I'm still making progress. Even with work travels and 4 kids getting in the way. Just follow the advice and start with low weight. When you add 5lbs every workout and squat 3x a week you get to bigger numbers quickly.

[beepbeep]

Confidence is one of my issues. Its why I've never been to the gym. I've never been able to lift weights. I can work like a mofo, but I can't even lift weights with my closest friends and not get red face pissed and leave.

Fuck it, if I can do it, so can you! I am now doing weights and I lost all of my muscle mass last year do to a faulty thyroid. I bench pressed for the first time and I swear I wish Chris had video taped it! A fine chuckle indeed. Screw what other people think! If they can't appreciate that you are there TRYING, screw 'em. It's about YOU and not THEM. Go for it! I love going to the gym and I love working out. Eventually I will love this new program...but right now it's kicking my ass. :lo5l:

[boosted3s]

So have you started? Sticking with it?

[colossus]

Feel Free to let me know if anyone has any lifting or nutrition advice. I work for a natural bodybuilding and health company (Healthy'N Fit Nutritionals),years ago I got my training certificate, and have done a few natural bodybuilding competitions.. Im no Ronnie Coleman but I can usually help out.

[sergechronos]

I did P90X for a couple weeks, but I have a lingering back problem from a PT incident that kept me from continuing it. My sister (who is in the Army) did it and actually dropped about 20 pounds by the end of it. It's a good foundation to build stamina and endurance for your entire body before moving on to more focused mass building work outs.

[colossus]

BTW to Snook : Keep track of how many calories you take in on two normal days, my guess is that like me you already take in 3k in calories without trying. If this is the case the first and formost thing is making sure your protein content is good and balanced throughout the day. At 6'6 even with a skinny frame your body and liver will quickly get used to you taking in more nutrients including protein. Try to get about 180 grams of protein for a week or two (this may help keep digestion standard) then step up to doing at least 200-220 grams of protein averaged out throughout the day. So consistantly eat.
This is where stuff like pwdered proteins comes in. You are already planning on taking a"gainer" so make the gainer a good one take Anabolic Muscle, Hot Stuff, Pro Complex Gainer or even True Mass. My company makes the Anabolic Muscle and I swear by the stuff and it doen't use splenda (sucralose). But the reason these are better than other gainers is that they have a complex of different proteins in them; whey,egg, and casein variants. Each protein absorbs and digests in the body at different rates they are not all created equal. So Whey and Egg are your heavy hitters as Whey protein variants can start as soon as a few minutes after eating and last for up to ~50 min before fully used. Egg Protein takes about 30 min to start breaking down and lasts 3-4 hours. Casein variants take 3-4 hours to start and last in your system another 2 to 4hours (6-8 hr after consumption)
Do this for for a month or so and see where you are at. For me, I generally dont gain or loose a noticeable amount anywhere between 3-~4300 calories when I truely set aside the time for building I take in 5-6000 calories a day with lots of protein and stuff to actually absorb and process that amount.. but I GAIN and naturally. Like 2.5lbs a month average which is a LOT if you think about it.
For reference I am only 180 at 6ft.

[Snook]

I've started on p90x to a degree. My friend has a person trainer and he showed me how he got a 6pack so that's where I'm starting. I've also quit candy,junk and soda.

[boosted3s]

I've started on p90x to a degree. My friend has a person trainer and he showed me how he got a 6pack so that's where I'm starting. I've also quit candy,junk and soda.

Abs are abs in the kitchen.

[Snook]

Abs are abs in the kitchen.

huh? lol

[boosted3s]

huh? lol

I meant to type abs are MADE in the kitchen lol. Meaning they are all diet. I have never done a single ab exercise. I just eat clean and I have a pretty defined core. Ab work will help, don't get me wrong, but if you are taking in excess calories you can do all the ab work you want and you wont see your abs, not clearly at least.

[Snook]

whats your diet?

[boosted3s]

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s45/michael041505/photo_zpsbf670cc3.png

Only difference is I don't take the waxy maize anymore, I usually sub almonds for the cashews and walnuts (its just easier and a little cheaper), and I no longer take oxyelite (I instead take 8 ON Thermocuts a day. I will also start cutting back on the carbs next week probably, go into ketosis for 2 weeks and then carb cycle a few days before spring break.

[99ishVR-4]

I'm not an expert but the following seems to be pretty generally accepted in the bodybuilding community. Not to steer you away from the 6 pack but having visibly defined abs while trying to add weight is going to take an extremely strict diet. The issue is, when you want to add muscle, you should be eating more calories than your burn on a daily basis. This leaves the leftover calories to build some muscle. Unless your eating exactly what you and your muscles need, the extra leftovers get stored as fat. This is the called the ” bulk”.
The 6 pack usually comes after you have reached your desired muscle mass and start doing cardio, eating a calorie deficit every day and still working out to maintain the muscle mass you built. The goal of this is to get rid of the excess fat and then you see all the well defined muscles including the 6 pack. This process is called the ”cut”.

So as you can see, the 2 are conflicting and you cant do them at the same time. So you cycle back and forth. I would suggest you definitely start with the bulk.

Also if you are not opposed to going to the gym at least 3 nights a week and can afford it, I would say go for it. I was very intimidated at first. It seemed like everyone there was from the movie 300 and i felt like they all were looking at me thinking "wtf is this skinny ass guy doing in our gym?!?!" Just ignore that feeling! Not that I ever got as big as half the guys there but after going for a month, you realize that most everyone is nice, most people keep to themselves, and some people will give you advice. You quickly feel apart of the gym and just as welcome as anyone else. A workout buddy is a huge motivation as long as they are motivated as well. If your work our buddy gets lazy and stops going, find a new one. The hardest part about all of this is sticking with it. I have stopped and restared like 5 times in the last 3 years and everytime I start again, I just wish i never stopped. I am just starting again and a 135lb squat feels heavy and I remember when I felt like I could run around the gym with 135lbs on my shoulders like it wasnt even there. Moral of the story is just keep at it.

Also if your going to perform any exercise, you need to get your form down. Read how to do them and watch a youtube video or watch 10. There is ALOT of misinformation when it comes to working out so the more you read, the better you get at spotting it. The main thing is, you do not want an injury. I thought I was immune to them and didnt take them seriosuly until i injured my lower back. I was in bed for a month and i live in constant fear of reinjuring it.

I started with a program called Rippetoes and i loved it, it seemed to give me a solid foundation. After that, you can branch off into the more complex split routines where you work a different body part every day. Machines have their place, but do not rely on them to do everything. If your going to squat, do it in a cage where you are still completely controlling the weight. Forget about the smith machine that does half the lift for you. The first time you squat or bench, the bar will be all over the place and wobbly, but you will learn to control it. Just keep the weights way down until you know how to do them.

That whole thing about high reps is for toning, low reps is for mass is crap. Weights are for mass, cardio and eating right is for "toning". Sorry IPD, but that is just some fitness magazine bs.

[IPD]

I meant to type abs are MADE in the kitchen lol. Meaning they are all diet. I have never done a single ab exercise. I just eat clean and I have a pretty defined core. Ab work will help, don't get me wrong, but if you are taking in excess calories you can do all the ab work you want and you wont see your abs, not clearly at least.

so frickin true. i'll never have a defined gut, and i work out my abs a lot.

p.s.

toning is a lot trickier than just cardio. cardio helps to burn off calories, but you need to work a specific muscle group if you want it toned.

[nodoze]

Yea Abs and stomach are a bitch to work at , I can see two little Abs all the way at the top if I flex them hard enough lol . I'm more concerned about getting some decent pecs without a shirt on , a good fitting short makes them look.good .

I read an article about tom hardy and how he trained to be in the warrior and how he trained to be in Batman , he said in the warrior it was strict diet and crazy amount of cardiovascular and resistance training , where as Batman was all calories and low reps heavy weight . If you pay attention in Batman you can not see a single ab on bane but he looks amazing none the less .

Sent from my HTC Hero S using Tapatalk 2

[colossus]

The 6 pack usually comes after you have reached your desired muscle mass and start doing cardio, eating a calorie deficit every day and still working out to maintain the muscle mass you built. The goal of this is to get rid of the excess fat and then you see all the well defined muscles including the 6 pack. This process is called the ”cut”.

So as you can see, the 2 are conflicting and you cant do them at the same time. So you cycle back and forth. I would suggest you definitely start with the bulk

This depends on the person and applies to some mesomorphs and most endomorphs..But this generally won't apply to the OP or people that start out overall skinny (Ectomorphs). Also as you work out everything to completion around your core, your core will get stronger and tone as well to an extent. For some of us this shows more than others.

Everyone do yourself a favor: go Buy the Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. This thing is like the starters bible. Trust me. I may even have it PDF'ed

[Rom3BreaK]

My friend and I have both had success with west side for skinny bastards. I don't gain or keep weight on if I don't hit the gym. Its made for people like us. It just works plain and simple. Good diet is a must.

Sent from my Motorola Atrix

[Snook]

3 years later update: did p90x a week, something about attention span, and forgot all about it.
good news?I've gained 20 pounds since then
bad new: no one can tell, not even my wife.