Reddit Reddit reviews Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (Muscle for Life Book 1)

We found 36 Reddit comments about Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (Muscle for Life Book 1). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (Muscle for Life Book 1)
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36 Reddit comments about Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (Muscle for Life Book 1):

u/greymda · 35 pointsr/Fitness

sure, it's the 5 days a week routine from here

u/sknick_ · 21 pointsr/Fitness

>BULKING 101: HOW TO EAT FOR MAXIMUM MUSCLE GAINS

>As you know, if you’re in the 10 to 12 percent body fat range and looking to put on muscle as quickly as possible, you want to bulk.

>Yes, you’ll gain some fat along the way, but if you do it right, it won’t be excessive, and it’ll come off easily once you’re ready to cut.

>Based on my experience working with thousands of people, the average guy on a proper bulk will gain muscle and body fat at a ratio of about 1:1 (1 pound of fat gained for every pound of muscle).

>In terms of weight gain while bulking, you want to see your weight going up at a rate of 0.5 to 1 pound per week. Any more than that, and you’ll be gaining too much fat.

>If you’re new to weightlifting, however, then you’ll probably gain 2 to 3 pounds per week for the first few weeks while your muscles fill up with water and glycogen. This doesn’t mean you’re gaining too much fat, and you should see this number settle into the 0.5 to 1-pound range within your first four to six weeks on the program.

>When you have your bulk dialed in, you should be increasing reps on your major lifts every week and weight on the bar every three to four weeks.

>CALCULATING YOUR BULKING DIET

>As you know, a proper bulking diet requires that you eat more calories than you burn every day.

>While this sounds like a great idea now, don’t be surprised if you get sick of eating “all of this food” at some point along the way. You won’t be slamming down thousands of extra calories every week like some programs would have you doing, but even slight overfeeding over time can get a little uncomfortable.

>You can also expect to hold more water than normal, as you’ll be eating a substantial amount of carbohydrate every day. This makes you look kind of “puffy.” Again, it’s just part of the “price” you have to pay for optimizing muscle growth.

>So, let’s get to the actual dietary numbers for bulking. Here’s where you start:

> 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day

>
2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day, and

> 0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight per day.

>That’s where you start. For a 150-pound guy, it would look like this:

>
150 grams of protein per day,

> 300 grams of carbs per day, and

>
60 grams of fat per day.

>This would be about 2,340 calories per day (remember that protein and carbs contain about 4 calories per gram and fat contains about 9), which is the right place to start bulking for a 150-pound man.

>Chances are these numbers are lower than other recommendations you’ve seen on the Internet. That’s because many bulking programs out there are just overkill. They put you in a huge calorie surplus with the explanation that you have to “eat big to get big.”

>Well, while it’s true you have to eat more than you normally would to maximize muscle growth, you don’t have to eat nearly as much as some would have you believe.

>GENERAL BULKING RECOMMENDATIONS

>When I’m bulking, I try to be within 100 calories of my daily target, and I err on the high side (it’s better to be over your target than under).

>Don’t think of a bulk as a license to eat whatever you want whenever you want it, as this will inevitably lead to excessive overeating and thus excessive fat storage, which will slow down your gains in the long run.

>You can have a cheat meal every week, but keep it moderate. We’ll talk about why soon, but a high-protein, high-carbohydrate cheat meal is preferable to a high-fat one.

>I recommend eating plenty of meat while bulking because it’s particularly effective for building muscle. Generally speaking, I eat two servings of meat per day (lunch and dinner) and alternate between various types such as ground turkey, chicken, lean beef, and fish.

>ADJUSTING YOUR NUMBERS

>The numbers given in the formula above are starting points, and there’s a chance that you will need to eat more to effectively gain strength and muscle (especially if you have an ectomorphic body that is naturally skinny and lean). Part of the game is finding your body’s “sweet spots” for bulking, cutting, and maintaining.

>Fortunately, this is easy to do. Most guys will find their sweet spots to be within 10 to 15 percent of the targets they originally calculated, but some need to eat more to steadily gain weight (it’s rare for a guy to gain fat too quickly on the above recommendations and have to reduce intake).

>So, if, after seven to ten days, your weight hasn’t gone up despite pushing yourself hard in your workouts, you’re just not eating enough. Increase your daily intake by 100 calories (by adding more carbs, preferably) and reassess over the next seven to ten days. If this doesn’t result in weight gain, increase again and repeat the process until you’re gaining weight at a rate of about 0.5 to 1 pound per week.

>If you’re like most guys, here’s how it’s going to go: you’re going to start with the above formula and gain weight for the first month or two, and then you’re going to stall. You then will increase your daily intake once or twice and start gaining again. At some point, you’ll probably stall again, increase again, and start gaining again. After a bit more progress, your body fat percentage will eventually reach the 15 percent range, and you’ll have a month or so left to bulk before you cut to strip away the fat and repeat the process.

>You can reduce your calories to a maintenance level on your rest days if you want, or you can stick to your bulking numbers. The small reduction won’t make a difference in terms of overall fat storage, but some guys like to take a break from all the eating a couple of days per week.

Matthews, Michael (2014-01-05). Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body (The Build Muscle, Get Lean, and Stay Healthy Series Book 1) (pp. 122-123). Oculus Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

u/iWearTightSuitPants · 12 pointsr/Fitness

If by "supplement" you mean protein powder, there's nothing wrong with that. It might be considered better to get most of your calories and protein from whole foods, but as far as I know, there's no downside to shakes. Getting extra protein from whey supplements is fine.

I shoot for at least 175 grams of protein/day (I weigh about 175). A large amount of my protein comes from just eating a lot of chicken. For breakfast, I have a protein shake with almond milk, oats and blueberries. PB&J for my morning snack. About 1/2lb of chicken breast and some rice for lunch. Another protein shake and a banana before my workout. 1/2lb of chicken breast + rice for dinner. Then another protein shake in the evening, sometimes I put peanut butter into that.

I personally don't consume dairy nearly as much as I used to, because I think it makes me break out. However, if you don't have an issue with this, it's even easier to get your calories and protein by making your protein shakes with whole milk or chocolate milk (which is fucking delicious!). 8oz of milk has like 180 calories and 8g of protein. It helps.

My diet is based on the bulking diet for a 175lb male in Michael Matthews' Bigger Leaner Stronger. It's not identical, but it's pretty close. My diet certainly isn't perfect yet, but I've noticed some gains since I started doing this.

u/rmarden · 11 pointsr/NoFap

Work out 3 days a week with HEAVY weights. None of that high rep, pussy weight shit. Do the big lifts. I'm talking benching, squatting, deadlifting. Do cardio the other two days. Your body doesn't want to change naturally. All it wants to do is keep you alive. That's why you've gotta force it. It's like pushing a boulder up a hill. If you need a good strength program, start with Bigger Leaner Stronger by Mike Matthews. Go on www.muscleforlife.com and read some of the articles. Get the book. Lean muscle will increase your testosterone, which adds to your energy and assertiveness. It's a feedback loop and an upward cycle. The rich definitely get richer.

Start eating healthy if you don't already. Lots of greens. Juice them if you can. It tastes nasty at first - but it will get better with time. Eat calorically dense food. I'm talking lean chicken breast, broccoli, mixed veggies, etc. You can eat healthy at a cheap cost, don't think you can't. Skip the sugars. Skip the junk food. Minimize your grains. You're not eating only for your physical health - but for your mental health as well. Read Brain Maker to see how food affects your brain. I attribute a lot of my depression and "brain fog" to eating a shitty diet for 3 years in school. Jerking myself senseless didn't help either.

Don't smoke weed, especially if you have an addictive personality. I wasted a lot of money and a lot of time smoking weed.

You can never replace time. You can replace money. If you can, always choose time over money. Speaking of money, start saving 10% of anything you earn. You will thank yourself later.

Don't fall into petty bullshit. Always think long term.

Drop anyone who is lame, negative, or petty like a hot coal. I don't care if they're the President. You shouldn't have any space for that in your life. No drama. No negativity. Surround yourself with like minded individuals who want to conquer.

Get up EARLY on weekends and get shit done. Don't sleep in until 3pm. That's fucking lame. Get up early and learn how to do a new skill, like start a business. Work HARD on your school work but get it out of the way as early as possible so you can work on what really matters - YOURSELF.

READ outside of class. Most of what you'll read in class will be bullshit. Read Self-Development books. Read Biographies. Read good Fiction. Read business books. Some of my favorites are Think and Grow Rich, 48 Laws of Power, Teddy Roosevelt's biography, and the 10X Rule.

Throw yourself into as many social activities as possible. I cannot emphasize this enough. You will be around tons of different people and you won't get locked into one worldview. You'll also increase your social skills.

Get as much experience with women as possible. I don't necessarily mean sexual, but if it progresses that way - fine. Have as many girl friends as possible. Not only will you be around feminine energy, but you have a higher chance of meeting other girls who you connect with on a deeper level as well.

Continue with NoFap. 99% of the men (if they can be called that) do not do this. You will be at a supreme advantage if you do. The only time you can ejaculate is with a girl.

u/GOOOODFUCKINGMORNING · 11 pointsr/bodybuilding

Thinking I can finally start calling myself an intermediate lifter. Going to soon end my current bro split (shoutout to Mike Matthews and his Bigger/Leaner/Stronger Program for helping me get started) and move into a PPLx2 routine that’s based on a GZCL type rep scheme. Sundays are my rest day, but if you’re lifting today I hope you kill it.

u/Radedo · 10 pointsr/loseit

Ok this is gonna be long, but hopefully it'll help you and others (typing it out actually helped me too).

First off, even if my post history will end up making me look like a shill I will never stop recommending this book because it inspired the crap out of me: Bigger Leaner Stronger, by Mike Matthews. If you have iBooks you can get a free preview so you can get an idea of what the book is about.

Get it, read it, read it again, do the stuff in it, and you WILL lose weight and get in shape. Since I'm bored I'll give you a quick rundown of what you need to know and do in order to get started.

The one rule to rule them all: you gotta eat less calories than your body burns in 24 hours. That's the ONLY way you will lose weight.

To find out how many calories that is I entered your info into a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator available online. That told me you need about 2800 calories per day (give or take, it will never be 100% accurate), at least assuming you lead a not very active lifestyle and only walk/jog on the treadmill a few days a week. If you have a more active lifestyle or spend more time in the gym you'll need more calories than that.

If you wanna try it yourself, here are two TDEE calculators you can use:

https://tdeecalculator.net/

http://damnripped.com/tdee-calculator/

Now, keep in mind that 2800 calories is what your body needs every day to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight you'll need to eat less than that. How much less? Depends on how aggressively you want to lose weight and how low you can comfortably go. I'd say start by cutting out 500 calories from that, if you feel like you can go lower (or if you're not losing weight) then do it, but I wouldn't go lower than 1600-1700 calories or you will not only lose fat, but muscle as well. You don't want that, as the presence of muscle actually helps you lose weight.

Ok so now you know that you need to eat between 1800 and 2300 calories in order to lose weight, but how do you calculate that? Enter MyFitnessPal and a food scale. Download the former, buy the latter, and log EVERY SINGLE THING YOU EAT OR DRINK. Use the scale to know exactly how many servings of something you're having. If what you're eating has a barcode on the package scan that and it will automatically find the product for you, otherwise type the name of the food and choose the one that most closely describes what you're eating.

All of that said, while CICO (calories in calories out) alone will be enough to lose weight, you should eventually figure out your macronutrient (proteins/fats/carbs) intake as well (which the TDEE calculator I linked can also help you with). A calorie is a calorie no matter where it's coming from, sure, but again that's only gonna help you lose weight, not fat. What's the difference? Fat is fat, weight is fat+muscles+water etc. As mentioned before, you don't really wanna lose muscle, so you need to eat the right amount of macronutrients based on your goals (maintaining, cutting, or bulking, in our case cutting)

A high protein diet is necessary to lose weight. Low carb diets like Keto work because they not only keep you from eating more than your TDEE, but because they replace calories coming from carbs with calories coming from protein. Not only does your body use proteins to feed your muscles and help them recover faster, but it takes it a lot longer to process proteins than carbs for example. What that means is that food rich in protein will keep you full considerably longer than foods rich in carbs.

The general rule of thumb is to eat about 0.8 grams to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day, although that can go a bit higher in your (and my, and most people on here) case because we are overweight. That means we can eat up to 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

In your case, that would amount to 252 to 315 grams of protein every day. Holy shit that's a lot, do you have any idea how much freaking chicken you'd have to eat every day to reach that?? Let's make it easier by starting at the low end, so 252 grams. Still a lot of chicken tho. I would suggest investing in some protein powder (Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard has been my go to since the first time I stepped foot in a gym 12 years ago), it'll make it much easier and cheaper to hit your macro goals. Plus that shit is delicious, get the chocolate flavor, mix it with some low fat milk or almond milk and you'll almost feel guilty drinking something that tastes so good.

Ok now we know how much protein we need, how about fats? First, keep in mind that 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of carbs = 4 calories, and 1 gram of fat = 9 calories. Knowing that we want our diet to be mostly protein, we can come up with a ratio, maybe a 40/30/30 split? That's 40% of your total calories coming from protein, 30% from fats, and 30% from carbs.

We know we want 252 grams of protein per day, so that's 1008 calories coming from protein. If we're aiming for a total of 2300 calories per day that leaves us with 1292 calories to split between fats and carbs. That means we have 646 calories for fats and 646 calories for carbs. Divide that by 9 calories to get how many grams of fat you'll need (72gr), divide it by 4 calories to find the carbs (161). And there you have it:

Total daily calories: 2300

Protein: 252 grams (1008 calories)

Fats: 72 grams (646 calorie)

Carbs: 161 grams (646 calories)

Again, you may have to eat less calories if you aren't losing weight, and if that's the case your macros will obviously change too. Also, they will change AS YOU LOSE WEIGHT. You'll need less calories when you're down to 200 pounds, or 190 pounds, etc., so you'll have to occasionally update your macros and calorie goals, otherwise you'll stop losing weight. You can also change up those ratios if you feel like you want a bit more carbs and a bit less protein, or more fats and less carbs but try to keep your protein intake fairly high in order to aid weight loss. If you spend a lot of time at the gym you may want to lower your protein intake a bit and allot those calories to carbs, for increased energy.

Last thing I swear, while it doesn't matter where you get those macros and calories from, it helps if you get them mostly from healthy foods (meats, fish, fibrous veggies and fruit, etc.), as they will help you feel full for longer than processed foods, both because your body takes longer to break them down AND because you need to eat more of them in order to reach your macro goals. For example, an average protein bar contains 20 grams of protein, 240 calories and 25 grams of carbs, which is about the same as eating a chicken breast and a couple cups of broccoli. Same amount of nutrients, higher amounts of food, fuller belly.

Ok ok I lied, this is the last thing: don't deprive yourself of stuff you like, it'll make your journey so much harder. Just because you're dieting it doesn't mean you can't eat delicious stuff every now and again. A couple night ago I had a ding dong and the night before a few Cadbury eggs. I have a slice of cheesecake that I'm gonna teach a lesson to tonight. Yesterday I mixed together some greek yogurt with a chocolate protein bar and a spoonful of raspberry preserve, it was delicious and I could sleep soundly knowing that I had to eat it in order to hit my protein goal for the day. As long as it fits within your calorie and macro needs, you can eat it.

I know it's a bit confusing at first, but I figured I'd lay out the "how" and "why" rather than just give you the "what". Hope this helps setting you on the right track :)

u/knickerblocker · 8 pointsr/gaybros

> 34 here. Fat, unattractive, and very shy.

Then change that. Go to the gym, buy this book if you don't know how to use a gym, and work on your shyness. For the last part, it's simply a question of contact with people. I knew someone who was painfully shy in college and is now entirely gregarious because she forced herself to socialize in slow tiers, promising herself that she'd go and speak to one person for 20 minutes, then two people for 20 minutes and so on until she learned how to do it right.

>I guess I'm okay with it, since it's easier to deal with the loneliness then it is to deal with the disappointment and heartbreak that comes with finding someone I like only to have them not feel the same in return.

No, this is called a "pity party" and is representative of your problem: you need to be in an optimal zone in order to have a relationship that works.

It's also unrealistic. The idea that there is simply no one out there for you is nuts.

>I think at this point I've put up too many emotional barriers to ever break down anyhow.

Then go see a psychologist. This is a process, not a sprint.

u/SBIII · 7 pointsr/marriedredpill

>I'm just worried about looking like a twat at the gym

I've been in the same gym now for 18 months. There's a solid core of regulars who use the gym along with the noobies. You can tell the noobies by the way they walk into the gym.. they look sheepish, unsure of themselves and are either skinny-weak or fat-weak and they always look extremely self conscious.

When I look at them, they remind me of me when I started.

What you have to realise is that everyone starts from somewhere. It doesn't matter what age you are, what size you are, what shape you are in.. everyone who uses a gym walked in through the doors on the first day and felt like a twat.

That's why nobody will judge you, nobody will look at what weights you are lifting, nobody will really give a fuck. In fact, most people's only thoughts will be.. 'new person.. fair play to them for starting, I hope they stick it out'. The only pity is that most of them only last a month or two and give up.

The other side of the coin is that a large portion of people who regularly use the gym - might have experience because they've been doing it for so long - but are clueless in terms of making any real progress. I see guys who were there when I started, lifting the exact same weights week in, week out without ever increasing the weight. I see skinny guys doing insane levels of cardio. I see big guys struggling to lift anything over 60kg. I see guys with huge biceps, underdeveloped traps and chicken legs. I see guys doing shit tonnes of dumbell work and zero compound lifts.

In 18 months, I've keenly watched pretty much everyone in there and I've seen maybe one or two people make any progression at all. Most of them are just maintaining their levels and a good few are going backwards by getting fatter or skinnier.

So yeah, you can walk into the gym as a clueless noob and feel like a twat but if you work hard, study what you are doing - both lifting and nutrition -, track everything - calories, macros, lifts - and continue on a program / programs that focus on progressive overload, you'll outperform many of the regulars within 12-24 months.

Get this book and put it on the top of your reading list - it's the Bible for this shit and will pay you back 1000 fold if you follow the advice in it.

u/mathematical · 7 pointsr/Fitness

Books I've read and/or am reading.

  1. Bigger Leaner Stronger ^link Basically a book version of the /r/fitness wiki plus a good variation on 5-rep workouts, which I made solid gains. Took my bench from 245 to 315 in 7ish months on this program alone.
  2. Destroy the Opposition ^link Slightly different take on powerlifting training. Jamie Lewis is a bit crude, but it's an interesting read. I did not try out his program at the end of the book, but I enjoyed the read. The tl;dr is "use lots of volume and find the form that fits your body".
  3. NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training ^link Just started reading this now, looks promising. Basically a good resource on building a program if you plan on being self-coached. It's based on starting from scratch, so it might not be 100% relevant. Get the previous edition (linked) used to save some money. I found one in good condition online for like $10 on ebay, but they're like $12-15 on Amazon and other bookseller websites.
  4. Strength Training Anatomy ^link It's useful as an extra guide for perfecting form and optimizing stretching.
  5. Starting Strength ^link I'm a little hesitant to recommend this, because while it did get me going and making some good early gains, I've had to correct my squat and deadlift form a lot. However, my bench form is pretty decent coming out of this so it's a bit of a toss-up. If you can get it used/cheap, it might be worth reading.

    If you're going into a 5/3/1 program, Jim Wendler has books on that. Most programs have a good write-up somewhere so try and read the rhyme and reason behind what you're doing, as well as investigating the core concepts if they're not explained well (linear progression, progressive overload, and periodization are all concepts that most programs are based around. PM me if you have any other questions.
u/marblepoop · 4 pointsr/MGTOW

Just running and eating salad probably won't get you to your goal. You might want get into resistance training and counting your macronutrients. This site has a good free quiz to get you started with macros. For more information on the science behind good fitness, I recommend Michael Matthew's book, Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Male Body. Good luck, brother.

u/Jaicobb · 3 pointsr/xxfitness

Born To Run by Christopher McDougal is all about the virtues of running barefoot and some great storytelling too.

Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews are good books that cover a lot of basics thoroughly. I would recommend only getting one of Matthews books as I've heard they are basically copies with pronouns swapped to be geared toward a different audience.

u/foxchildsunday · 3 pointsr/self

I think you too, need to go your own way. I don't think it's a marriage ennder, but I feel that you need to build up youself up again. Its al old classic, but hit the gym, go hang with friends - and try to not let it get you down.

u/BindsThatTie · 3 pointsr/bodybuilding

Just get Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. It's become the #1 best selling bodybuilding book because it covers everything you need to get started: diet, training, supplements. No BS.

u/VillaGave · 2 pointsr/Athleanx

Im exactly your height now sitting at 158 lb around 12% BF.

About 4 years ago I was 110 lb so you have a better starting point, at 17. I wish I had started lifting at your age I began my journey at 23 so you will get results quicker but not immediate.

I also have some sort of scoliosis, and I say some some sort because I have never been to a doctor to officially give me a diagnosis but I tell you that before I had this extreme unbalance whereas my right shoulder was way down so when I walked I looked like a zombie.

Weightlifting has improved this DRAMATICALLY I still have the imbalance but is way less, as for substitutes Im not sure man imo I would say for you to try deadlift and squat but with the bar or body only and experiment a lot till you find your perferct position, feet, stance etc then you can gradually go from there

Im not sure about gains in AX1 which I am sure there is gains buuuuut dont set your expectations high you WONT gain lots of weight in only 90 days this is a journey that will take years, be patient, the gains are waiting for you but they are slow......if you set your expectations high you will be dissapointed. I have done MAX SIZE and got decent results BUT even so that I have been lifting for years I wish I had done AX1 first so you are on the right path.

I wouldn't advise to take the route of dirty bulking, I did it and yes I gained weight but most of the fat goes to your belly and in my case face so I had this big waist with skinny rest of the body, it looks idiotic. Eat clean, dont take the mass gainers route.

I didn't start with AthleanX I started with the Bigger Leaner Sronger by Mike Matthews book, I recommend you read it first and even you could try his program which is also science based and then jump into AX1, either one is ok but I would read his book first.

https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525477971&sr=8-3&keywords=bigger+leaner+stronger

u/brevit · 2 pointsr/gaybrosgonemild

I use this book: https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

Really simple guide to working out and eating right. Highly recommend.

u/ssjbender · 2 pointsr/Fitness

Yeah here's an Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006XF5BTG/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_xYBavb1WVKFCF

I started out doing Insanity. And that was a kick in my ass. I was 245 and got down to 200. Then went down to 160 through this that and the other (P90X, more Insanity, gyms). Went up and down from 175 to 195 for like two years. Did Keto, did Intermittent Fasting. Did Herbalife. I did a lot of different things and basically I feel like this book is the easiest and most straightforward approach to weightloss. Could not recommend anything more.

Edit: No one really talks about AFTER you lose the weight. And that's where I think people fuck up the most. I've been trying to find equilibrium for years. I feel like now, almost 4 years after I started this journey from Fat guy to kinda fit guy, that I finally understand how to get where I want to be. Book was the final piece of the puzzle.

u/Dormont · 2 pointsr/bodybuilding

If you haven't already go read Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews. Located here

Took me about four hours to read the whole book and it changed the way I work out, eat and look at gains. The best part of the book is the first few chapters when he defines all the terms of bodybuilding. You would be surprised how little you actually know.

I am in week two now of his program and it is brutal but fun. Everyone I talk to thinks I am insane (ONLY three exercises most days?! Only four sets of six reps?) but the science of overloading is proven and it has definitely helped me mentally and physically with soreness/gain ratio.

Also, are you keeping a good log of what you are doing and eating? I thought I was eating a lot of calories and protein but after logging for two weeks, I found that I was coming up short in both areas. Only 3200 calories on average and just barely at my protein intake. Low GI carbs had to be increased and a lot of foods I thought were Low GI carbs were actually high GI carbs.

Make sure you stick to your log and log everything you eat. Use calorieking.com to figure out the values of all your foods. Do not forget to include dressings/cheese/bread when computing. I think you will be amazed at how different the actual amounts are than what you thought!

Hope this helps.

u/xX_sherlock_Xx · 2 pointsr/veganfitness

I HIGHLY recommend Mike Mathews' book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. He has a section in the book with specific workouts, and routines.

He also has great article on Vegan Bodybuilding [here] (http://www.muscleforlife.com/vegan-bodybuilding/)

Here's an excerpt from the article that highlights the important parts in regard to building muscle.

> if you want to maximize muscle growth…


> You want to ensure you’re not in a calorie deficit.

> You want to progressively overload your muscles.

> You want to focus on compound exercises.

> You want to limit your cardio.

> You want to eat plenty of carbs.

> And you want to eat enough protein.

> This last point is vitally important.

I hope his helps, and please feel free to ask me any other questions.

u/MattAtUVA · 2 pointsr/crossfit
u/nankerjphelge · 2 pointsr/fitness30plus

Bigger Leaner Stronger by Mike Matthews.

u/AdroiT_SC2 · 2 pointsr/Fitness

I recommend you read "Bigger Leaner Stronger" by Mike Matthews. I started the program in Oct 2015 and was pretty much in the exact same point as you. I was 5'7" 168 lbs.

I wasn't as interested in the weight lifting as much as the nutrition but I read (actually listened via audible.com) to the whole book. As it turned out I really enjoyed the weight lifting aspect.

It took about 8 weeks to get to 150 lbs and was close to 10% body fat. I've been maintaining since because I'd rather be bulking during the holidays (US) and lean during the summer.

As to where to start, the advice from the book is to get down to 10% before bulking. So unless your already at 10%, then you need to start with a cut.

Check out the book: https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Bodybuilding-Weightlifting-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

You can also check out his website: http://www.muscleforlife.com/

The book (and website) address all the issues you brought up. Follow the plan and it will work. It's not complicated and allows a fair amount of freedom. Just do it, and it will work, pretty much guaranteed.

u/funny_lyfe · 1 pointr/PurplePillDebate

I have 48 / 31. I hold all my fat in the abdomen, so even at DEXA 12% my abs aren't great. My obliques are for some reason way over developed too.

Progressive overloading my abs is what brought me some gains. I have been using - https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1525415684&sr=8-3&keywords=bigger+leaner+stronger

Here is an article from Micheal Matthews about abs (author of that book)-

https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-get-six-pack-abs/

>For example:

1 set of Cable Crunches, 10-12 rep range
Directly into 1 set of Captain’s Chair Leg Raises, to failure
Directly into 1 set of Air Bicycles, to failure
Rest 2-3 minutes

>Do 3 circuits per workout 2 – 3 times per week, and your abs and obliques will develop. Let’s now look at how we can develop the rest of the core muscles.

u/freebit · 1 pointr/ketogains

Monday - Chest

Wednesday - Back/Lats

Friday - Shoulders

Saturday - Legs

Sunday - Abs

  • 2 warmup sets of 10 reps of 50% working weight. Rest 1 minute in between.
  • 1 warmup set of 6 reps of 75% working weight. Rest 3 minutes.
  • 9-12 working sets
  • A working set should be 4-6 reps.
  • The weight for a working set should be the weight where you can only do 4-5 reps.
  • If you can do a set of 6 reps with perfect form, then add more weight.
  • Rest 2-3 minutes between each set.
  • Total time in gym, 45-60 minutes, tops.
  • Work a muscle group once per week. A muscle takes 5-7 days to heal.

    Usually, I find that on the first working set of the day, I can do 6 reps. I immediately add 10 lbs for the next set. This seems to happen every week. Will it slow down? I'm sure it will one day. Right now, I am still enjoying newb gains.

    Generally, I favor compound exercises. Biceps and triceps end up getting worked out due the compound exercises. Therefore, no isolation for them. However, personally, I do isolate the chest for some of my sets on Monday. For me, bench press doesn't activate the chest enough and I really want to kill it.

    Abs can be difficult. You really need to find a machine or some heavy weight to push the abs to their limit in 4-6 reps. I do situps with a big ass dumbbell clutched to my chest.

    For legs, I'm using a leg press machine. I don't consider myself worthy enough to hang with the guys at the squat rack yet. It seems like they have a whole in-crowd group going on over there and they like to camp.

    For lats, I do lat-pulldowns. I can do more than my body weight. It was a super proud day when I could lat-pulldown more than my weight. Chin-ups had always been difficult for me. Now, they aren't.

    For shoulders, I do military presses.

    I log everything in Fitness Buddy.

    I know allot of the initial gains are central nervous system growth. That's ok. I'm adding weight every week.

    I learned from this book: http://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

    Michael Matthews uses studies to back his bro-science.

    Shifting a training day forward or backward 24 hours, for whatever reason, is no problem.

    I don't work traps. I don't like the big trap look.
u/TheWorldIsAhead · 1 pointr/BulkOrCut

>Which muscle do you think i should focus on before i start cutting?

​

All of them. What is your program? Get on a full-body program and do it every other day. Add high intensity interval training 1-2 times a week.

​

My friend, to get big and lean you have to count calories and watch your macros all the time (most of the time), also when bulking. From your post it seems like you think gaining is chilling and eating and focusing on a specific muscle. You focus on big compound lifts. You focus on increasing your strength in your lifts (as this is the most effective way of building muscle). When gaining you focus on eating the right amount of calories to not gain fat and have the optimal macros as much as possible (while allowing for having a somewhat normal social life unless your friends have really bad habits in which case you have to choose between doing as your friends do or getting bid and lean). You don't have carte blanche to eat a lot of dietary fat and drink a lot of alcohol because you are bulking. Once you get big and lean you will even have to keep watch forever if you want to keep your body that way.

The best thing you can do to get motivated might be to read Bigger Leaner Stronger. https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

​

He explains all the methods and principles it takes to get big and lean citing scientific studies all the way. He even has a chapter about motivation and what kind of headspace you need to get into to make it. I think you need to internalize this book, because this is not going to cut it:

​

>Which muscle do you think i should focus onknowing that i have good muscle below the fat would help with motivation which is something i completly lack when it comes to eating low-cal.

Good luck! :)

u/jRavenson · 1 pointr/GYM

You need to follow a real program. I recommend that you follow Greyskull LP. It is designed for beginners.


Lifting has so many nuances that you can only learn through time and trial and error. If you want to learn quick, you need to pick up a book that covers the basic grounds of lifting — exercises, proper form and managing calories. This book has it covered.


For videos, you can check out Alan Thrall, Jeff Nippard, Jeremy Either, and Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength channel. These channels explain lifting in the simplest term.


If you want to get serious with lifting (you should, to avoid injury and make good progress) you're going to have to spend a lot of time watching videos and reading books.

u/ls737100 · 1 pointr/ketogains

I just started 7 weeks ago, and love this book. https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

Never look Fred weights in my life more than a couple of weeks. I now do 5 days a week, on one or two occasions I've had to miss a day, so, doubled up, i.e. Two workouts in one session.

In 7 weeks I'm down about 7 pounds, but, up visibly in muscle, doesn't even look like my chest. As a side benefit, you may not experience, I'm not normally a morning person, now, I'm up by 6:00, sometimes as early as 4:30 AM, not using an alarm.

u/barryoff · 1 pointr/Fitness
u/dweezil22 · 1 pointr/fitness30plus

If you want to get strong and live a long time, read Barbell Prescription: https://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Prescription-Strength-Training-After/dp/0982522770

After you do that, if you decide you want to try to get a six pack and don't mind some motivational speaker BS mixed in read Bigger Leaner Stronger: https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG/

TL;DR For both. Lose weight through diet not exercise. Get enough protein. The most efficient way to build healthy muscle and bones is through heavy compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench press and overhead press. You don't need to workout 2 hours a day and do 1000 sets of random shit to get big and strong. Paying a qualified trainer to teach form could be very worth it. Many (most?) Certified Personal Trainers are morons that took a 3 hour course and are there to sell chunks of hours, beware, they know less than half the people you'd talk to on /r/fitness.

u/rocknrollchuck · 1 pointr/RPChristians

> One thing I am stuck on is how to proceed with bulking/cutting phases.

Here's what it says about that in Bigger, Leaner, Stronger:

​

>I always recommend that guys don’t bulk if they’re over 15 percent body fat and that they end their bulks once they reach 15 to 17 percent and begin cutting (as this is where the above problems start to kick in). Then, once they’ve reached the 10 percent body fat range, they’re ready to bulk again and add more muscle to their physiques.

>I recommend that you juggle your cuts and bulks to remain in the 10 to 15 to 17 percent body fat range until you reach a point where you’re absolutely satisfied with your overall size at 10 percent, and then cut below this point. In fact, many guys (including me) find that they need to reach a point where they feel they’re too big at 10 percent to have the look they want at 7 percent.

-----

​

You may benefit from reducing the weight a little and increasing your reps, as this will burn more calories and allow you to get to 15% faster.

​

>I made it 25 days NO-fap. On Friday night I drank a lot Downtown and jerked off when I got back. Once I broke willpower once it became easier and easier to do and it spiraled downwards and I ended up doing it like 5 times on Saturday throughout the day. Strangely enough, the nightly devotion I did with my wife that night talked about addictions; particularly pornography; and Sunday’s message at the church I went to was about going out with the old and in with the new. God helped me get back on track. I just took a mental note of it because it is something that is very easy to fall back into if you allow yourself to.

​

Amen, God has a way of getting our attention, doesn't He? In addition of "taking a mental note of it," you should confess it to Him in prayer (God, I know this was sin and I know I displeased You) and then repent and forsake it. 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

​

>I did find out some interesting things on Friday night as well. I wingmaned some of the guys in my group who were having approach anxiety and were making up excuses. They said they did not know what to do, what to say, etc (They were all from small towns where a 5 is like an 8) and beauty was intimidating them so I showed them. I got up, walked over to a table, pulled out a chair (asking if the seat was taken? They said no, I sat down and started talking like it is no big deal. I was surprised I actually still have a little game. The girl I sat next to eyes lit up the second I sat down.

​

Awesome, way to take charge and show the young bucks how it's done!

​

>She noticed I was married within thirty seconds and I found out she was as well. Shortly after two of the other guys finally joined me at the table. The married woman was getting pretty touchy after a minute or so I called her out on it in a funny way as I was watching the other guy’s interactions. We had a good conversation with me making fun of Arkansas and her making fun of my southern accent and other stuff I cannot remember.

​

AWALT bro. You aren't really surprised are you?

​

>The biggest irritation I have had is she does not know what she wants and for each of her suggestions I describe what that would look like logistically and it stresses her out and she breaks down.

​

WOTSM has a chapter called "Don't force the feminine to make decisions." You should read that.

​

>MY PLAN I have communicated and she recently came on board with is to stay at the APT for another year if they do not increase our rates too much. If they do, I would rather rent a house for at least two years around that same price range until we have enough saved up to buy a house. But buying a house right now is not a smart option.

​

This is a good approach. Best to tell her "this is what I plan on doing" and letting her disagree with you if she wants - THEN you can discuss options. Give her the chance to trust you and follow your leadership rather than asking what she wants. If she wants something different, she's a big girl and will say so.

​

>Kids were mentioned again and I am happy she is more in my frame and sees eye to eye with me on this now. I want kids, but I also do not want to consider my kids as a burden. I want to get some other goals in place on my MAP before we should take that step.

​

Good call here.

​

>Then her car has been acting up again and she was stressing about that saying she doesn’t know what to do. I told her to take it to the shop. She says she doesn’t want to because mechanics take advantage of women. Then I was like there is nothing I can do then I am not there. Then she starts crying and hyperventilating and hangs up the phone. She calls me back 5 minutes later saying she feels helpless. I calm her down and thankfully her car has been fine since then (this happened last Thursday.)

​

Since you're limited in what you can do when you're not there, take some time when you come home to ask around and see if any of your friends or acquaintances have a mechanic that they trust, and give her the info so she can use them next time. You need to lead here Captain. Because she's right: she will probably get taken advantage of.

​

>My relationship with God has grown a lot this week. I find myself praying more and talking with him.

>Me and my wife have done well keeping up with our bible reading as well and we are done with 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

​

Excellent!

u/Sly23Fox · 1 pointr/youngadults

Buy this book it was the most helpful thing i found while i was powerlifting and later body building explained the diet section perfectly hands down a must read if you are serious about lifting


https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG

Form over reps

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

u/SandyWandy123 · 1 pointr/Fitness

Hey man, if you need a starting point and advice, I'd recommend reading a book on the subject. That doesn't just for for lifting and diet, that goes for anything you don't know about. Try Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews.

u/warproxxx · 0 pointsr/gainit

Apart from the lack of benefit (as commented below) from eating too much, if you are eating at an surplus the excess protein (that dosen't get used to rebuild muscle) converts into fat.

Source

u/flakycraigslistbuyer · -2 pointsr/Fitness

You actually can if you know what you're doing. Too many people go on a "bulk" and eat shit because that's how it's always been done.

I recommend you read "Bigger, leaner, stronger" or just read some of Mike's blog posts on muscleforlife.com.

https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate-ebook/dp/B006XF5BTG