Pump up those muscles
July 9, 2004 | 12:00am
Dear Marc,
I’ve been working out since college and even joined a gym, but my schedule and studies got in the way so I had to stop. I wasn’t sure if I, skinny as I am, would be able to have a great set of muscles. But after reading your column in the Philippine STAR and finding out that you were skinny as well, I said to myself, if you can do it so can I. I’m an ectomorph just like you; I don’t gain weight even if I pig out at times too.
I’m 25 years old, 5’5, and weigh 110 lbs. Now that I’ve finished school (veterinary medicine), I’ve got time to join a gym and improve my body. I’ve joined at least three different gyms and tried three different instructors in the past, but I didn’t have the time to go to the gym because of work. So my solution was to buy a pair of weights (4 lbs each) and follow the routines my gym instructors taught me at home.
My questions are: 1) Is this wise? 2) How can I gain more weight if they say I’m underweight for my size? 3) Some of my friends say that my muscles are starting to look more defined, which inspires me to work out even more. What else besides dumbbells would you suggest I acquire?
Thanks and more power.
Docmil
Well, I see a couple of areas where you may have slipped in your past attempts to get into shape. First of all, you haven’t really given your old gyms, and more importantly, your old instructors the time needed to make some kind of improvement on your physique. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you can’t expect instant results. Going to the gym and working out irregularly with an instructor for a few weeks or a month isn’t going to give you any big gains. At that stage, they are still teaching you how to keep the proper form using fairly light weights. This may seem annoying at first, but it’s important to get the right technique before moving onto the heavier weights where you could hurt yourself with bad form.
Once you know the correct way of doing an exercise, you should definitely start adding extra weight to your sets. As ectomorphs, you and I are constantly trying to gain size while everyone else is trying to shed it. As far as weight training is concerned, if you want to get big, then you have to lift big. This means doing three to four sets of an exercise, gradually increasing the lift weight with each set so that by the final set, you should be struggling to pull off eight, let alone 10 reps. As your muscles grow and get stronger, you should also bump up your workout accordingly and add more weights so that you don’t plateau at a certain size.
So if you plan to work out at home only, you are going to have to seriously consider getting something a lot heavier than 4-lb dumbbells. Personally, I think enrolling in a gym again is your best bet. Not only do they have all the equipment there, but it’s a lot more social and there are trainers around to help and advise you. What’s even more important than their advice is their willingness to spot you when needed. If you were a bit chubby and needed to lose weight, then maybe you could get away with doing lots of cardio sports and working out with 4-lb dumbbells. However, in order to gain you have to lift some big, heavy plates. Sometimes it’s mind over matter, and other times your muscles are just over-fatigued and you can’t lift that last rep without dropping them on someone’s foot. This is where your spotter comes in. A friend will do, although trainers are usually more than happy to lend a hand, even if they’re off duty. They’ll stand over you and lift the bar (or dumbbell or whatever) a tiny bit, just enough for you to be able to exert your maximum effort and finish the exercise. By having a spotter around you can naturally lift a lot more and a lot heavier, which means… you guessed it! Bigger improvements!
Another thing you’ll have to take into consideration is what you eat. Think of your body as a car. At the moment, you’re a humanoid version of a Kia Pride. Small, light and needing only a minimum of fuel to get through your daily routine. While you may not want to get to Schwarzenegger/Humvee status, aspiring to be the equivalent of a BMW 5 series is reasonable. It’s a good size, maybe a bit bigger than average but with a nice shape. Now think in terms of fuel. It’s obviously going to require more than a Kia to run this baby smoothly, right? And maybe some special oils or additives? Try treating your body the same way. To upgrade your size, you’ll have to start eating a lot more. In the beginning, you can pig out on just about anything, even some of the evil carbs like white rice (although carbo-loading on healthier carbs like root vegetables, whole wheat bread and oatmeal would be better). Your aim in the beginning is to gain size. You’re an ectomorph, so you can worry about trimming off the fat and ripping up later on. By eating more, your body will have more energy to burn during your workout, and build your muscles as you pack on the pounds. Your first couple of months may make you look a bit chubbier than you’re used to, but once you’ve reached the size you want, you should be able to adjust your eating and workout habit accordingly to drop the excess and reveal the cuts.
Now as the expensive car runs better with some special additives, etc., so does your body. In the race to gain size, my two favorite supplements are still creatine and protein. I know I always mention them, but if something works, then why change the formula? If you’ve been reading my column for a while now, you’ll already know how to take these supplements. If not, then follow the directions on the container. My favorite brands are still Celltech for the creatine, and Glycerlean by Designer Whey for the protein powder. Make sure you remember to complete the loading phase for five days, and keep up the five-gram maintenance dosage of creatine every day afterwards during your cycle, even on non-workout days. I take at least 30 grams of protein straight after my workout, another 30 grams the night before sleeping, an additional 30 grams the next morning (my rest day), and maybe 15-30 grams at night. It may seem like a lot, but if you want your body to gain and run smoothly during your workouts, these supplements will help immensely. Try using them til you reach the size you want, and then you can go off them for a while (particularly creatine which should be taken in bi-monthly cycles).
Another product I’ve just started trying is called NO2, which gives you a "perpetual pump," as if you’ve just worked out (gotta love that inflated muscle feeling!). It’s good when you don’t have time to work out regularly but don’t want your muscles to go all soft. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to work out, but it just retains your pump for a few more days than normal. The problem, of course, is that it’s fairly new in the market here so it’s still quite expensive. Health Express will be bringing it in soon (they also sell Celltech and Glycerlean), as well as a very similar but less expensive version of the same thing by a different manufacturer. Keep your eyes open for it!
Anyway, hope that’s given you some ideas on how to improve your muscle-gaining program. Hit the gym regularly (three to four times a week to start with for maximum growth), lift heavy, and make sure you feed your body and muscles the proper requirements. If you’re really determined and stick to it, you should be able to start seeing some surprising results within a couple of months. Cheers!
Marc
Send your questions to question_marc@hotmail.com.
I’ve been working out since college and even joined a gym, but my schedule and studies got in the way so I had to stop. I wasn’t sure if I, skinny as I am, would be able to have a great set of muscles. But after reading your column in the Philippine STAR and finding out that you were skinny as well, I said to myself, if you can do it so can I. I’m an ectomorph just like you; I don’t gain weight even if I pig out at times too.
I’m 25 years old, 5’5, and weigh 110 lbs. Now that I’ve finished school (veterinary medicine), I’ve got time to join a gym and improve my body. I’ve joined at least three different gyms and tried three different instructors in the past, but I didn’t have the time to go to the gym because of work. So my solution was to buy a pair of weights (4 lbs each) and follow the routines my gym instructors taught me at home.
My questions are: 1) Is this wise? 2) How can I gain more weight if they say I’m underweight for my size? 3) Some of my friends say that my muscles are starting to look more defined, which inspires me to work out even more. What else besides dumbbells would you suggest I acquire?
Thanks and more power.
Docmil
Well, I see a couple of areas where you may have slipped in your past attempts to get into shape. First of all, you haven’t really given your old gyms, and more importantly, your old instructors the time needed to make some kind of improvement on your physique. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you can’t expect instant results. Going to the gym and working out irregularly with an instructor for a few weeks or a month isn’t going to give you any big gains. At that stage, they are still teaching you how to keep the proper form using fairly light weights. This may seem annoying at first, but it’s important to get the right technique before moving onto the heavier weights where you could hurt yourself with bad form.
Once you know the correct way of doing an exercise, you should definitely start adding extra weight to your sets. As ectomorphs, you and I are constantly trying to gain size while everyone else is trying to shed it. As far as weight training is concerned, if you want to get big, then you have to lift big. This means doing three to four sets of an exercise, gradually increasing the lift weight with each set so that by the final set, you should be struggling to pull off eight, let alone 10 reps. As your muscles grow and get stronger, you should also bump up your workout accordingly and add more weights so that you don’t plateau at a certain size.
So if you plan to work out at home only, you are going to have to seriously consider getting something a lot heavier than 4-lb dumbbells. Personally, I think enrolling in a gym again is your best bet. Not only do they have all the equipment there, but it’s a lot more social and there are trainers around to help and advise you. What’s even more important than their advice is their willingness to spot you when needed. If you were a bit chubby and needed to lose weight, then maybe you could get away with doing lots of cardio sports and working out with 4-lb dumbbells. However, in order to gain you have to lift some big, heavy plates. Sometimes it’s mind over matter, and other times your muscles are just over-fatigued and you can’t lift that last rep without dropping them on someone’s foot. This is where your spotter comes in. A friend will do, although trainers are usually more than happy to lend a hand, even if they’re off duty. They’ll stand over you and lift the bar (or dumbbell or whatever) a tiny bit, just enough for you to be able to exert your maximum effort and finish the exercise. By having a spotter around you can naturally lift a lot more and a lot heavier, which means… you guessed it! Bigger improvements!
Another thing you’ll have to take into consideration is what you eat. Think of your body as a car. At the moment, you’re a humanoid version of a Kia Pride. Small, light and needing only a minimum of fuel to get through your daily routine. While you may not want to get to Schwarzenegger/Humvee status, aspiring to be the equivalent of a BMW 5 series is reasonable. It’s a good size, maybe a bit bigger than average but with a nice shape. Now think in terms of fuel. It’s obviously going to require more than a Kia to run this baby smoothly, right? And maybe some special oils or additives? Try treating your body the same way. To upgrade your size, you’ll have to start eating a lot more. In the beginning, you can pig out on just about anything, even some of the evil carbs like white rice (although carbo-loading on healthier carbs like root vegetables, whole wheat bread and oatmeal would be better). Your aim in the beginning is to gain size. You’re an ectomorph, so you can worry about trimming off the fat and ripping up later on. By eating more, your body will have more energy to burn during your workout, and build your muscles as you pack on the pounds. Your first couple of months may make you look a bit chubbier than you’re used to, but once you’ve reached the size you want, you should be able to adjust your eating and workout habit accordingly to drop the excess and reveal the cuts.
Now as the expensive car runs better with some special additives, etc., so does your body. In the race to gain size, my two favorite supplements are still creatine and protein. I know I always mention them, but if something works, then why change the formula? If you’ve been reading my column for a while now, you’ll already know how to take these supplements. If not, then follow the directions on the container. My favorite brands are still Celltech for the creatine, and Glycerlean by Designer Whey for the protein powder. Make sure you remember to complete the loading phase for five days, and keep up the five-gram maintenance dosage of creatine every day afterwards during your cycle, even on non-workout days. I take at least 30 grams of protein straight after my workout, another 30 grams the night before sleeping, an additional 30 grams the next morning (my rest day), and maybe 15-30 grams at night. It may seem like a lot, but if you want your body to gain and run smoothly during your workouts, these supplements will help immensely. Try using them til you reach the size you want, and then you can go off them for a while (particularly creatine which should be taken in bi-monthly cycles).
Another product I’ve just started trying is called NO2, which gives you a "perpetual pump," as if you’ve just worked out (gotta love that inflated muscle feeling!). It’s good when you don’t have time to work out regularly but don’t want your muscles to go all soft. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to work out, but it just retains your pump for a few more days than normal. The problem, of course, is that it’s fairly new in the market here so it’s still quite expensive. Health Express will be bringing it in soon (they also sell Celltech and Glycerlean), as well as a very similar but less expensive version of the same thing by a different manufacturer. Keep your eyes open for it!
Anyway, hope that’s given you some ideas on how to improve your muscle-gaining program. Hit the gym regularly (three to four times a week to start with for maximum growth), lift heavy, and make sure you feed your body and muscles the proper requirements. If you’re really determined and stick to it, you should be able to start seeing some surprising results within a couple of months. Cheers!
Marc
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