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Question form Chad
Q. Ricky I want to gain more muscle mass how should I do this? Do I need to lift really heavy to gain mass? I understand that is takes time to build quality muscle mass but I have been stuck at 190lbs for a long time. I would like to get to 200. I take creatine and protein shakes but I think I have leveled off and can't get over the hump. Please help. Chad
Chad,
Boy, have I been there before! I will give you the best advice possible, however, it is difficult for me to answer this question because of the lack of information I have. Since I don't know what your current diet and training program consists of or how well you are recovering from your workouts, I will just give you the basics of building mass and breaking through plateaus.
The first thing you have to realize is that everyone hits the wall at some point. Don't get frustrated, just make slight changes to your program and you physique will change as well, hopefully, for the better. The second thing you must do is evaluate what you are doing now. If you're not eating enough, you're definitely going to want to increase your caloric intake. Make sure that you are getting in plenty of protein (1.3-1.5gm per pound of body weight per day). Whatever that total comes out to be, you must divide by 6. And now you have the amount of protein you should be taking in at each meal. The best sources of protein are chicken, lean beef, eggs, fish, low-fat dairy products and protein shakes. Each one of your 6 protein meals should also include carbohydrates. The best sources of carbs are sweet potatoes, yams, potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat and grain products (includes pasta),
fruits, and vegetables. The method behind the madness of eating 6 high protein meals a day is to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance. The body cannot store protein, as it can store carbs as glycogen, so it needs regular feedings of protein throughout out the day to also help keep amino acids flowing in the blood stream.
Now that you have a better idea of how to eat, if you are not already eating this way, lets get to the good stuff, the training! I would definitely stick with free weights (bench press, squats, deadlifts, barbell curls, tricep extensions, military press, standing calf raises, etc.). While machines are great for isolation of a muscle group, they restrict you to only one range of motion. Free weights, on the other hand, allow you to move the weight with a larger and more natural range of motion. I would also lift heavy, 6-8 reps on your heavy sets. Make sure that you are fully warmed up first though. Don't train with heavy weight until you get to the 4th or 5th set of the exercise you are working on. Finally, when it comes to training, don't train a muscle more than once or twice a week. Hit the muscle hard, with heavy weight, then allow it to recover properly.
One last word before you break through your plateau, always get plenty of sleep, 8 hours a night, minimum. Muscles recover are grow the most while your body is asleep because that is when you're body releases the most amount of growth hormone during the day.
Continue your use of Creatine, this a great product to use to bulk up.
Make the necessary changes and break through that wall! Good Luck!
Train Hard,
Ricky Gonzalez
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