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RecoilS14
12-15-2009, 07:27 PM
Long story short. Im broke. Gym and more/new weights are outta the question.

So, i've been increasing my intake of calories and carbs by using weight gainer and more food. i've upped my calories by about 2500ish ( rough estimate).
I've been doing this for about a month now trying to get some meat on my bones. I have an ultra fast metabolism and gaining weight isn't easy nor cheap for me.

I've got pair of 25lb dumbells and am wondering if i can actually gain mass by working out with them? I know my legs wont gain much but i'd like for my arms and shoulders to fill out. I've gotten stronger since i started workin out, but im not gettin any bigger, not that i can see anyway.

Every site i seem to read always talks about benches, bars and machines, etc. and i end up getting discouraged and stop looking :( So can anyone recommend some exercises or websites with some good info?

oh yeah, I'm 5'10 145lbs, last winter this time i was 185ish, got stressed out and didnt eat for almost 2 months and i wanna get my size back.

JordanAndrew
12-15-2009, 07:37 PM
25lbs is too light to gain weight of of it. If you can increase it with at least 35lbs or more that would be better. For the first stages it would be ok to start with 25 lbs, but as you go you need to increase weight to gain faster. lifting 25 lbs with a lot of reps won't build muscle, it will usually get you more defined.

max_boost
12-15-2009, 08:10 PM
Don't know so can't comment.

Read this: http://forums.beyond.ca/st/288139/mass-made-simple-by-dan-john-someone-who-knows-a-little-something-about-strength/

Coles: EAT and SQUAT.

RecoilS14
12-16-2009, 12:29 AM
Originally posted by max_boost
Don't know so can't comment.

Read this: http://forums.beyond.ca/st/288139/mass-made-simple-by-dan-john-someone-who-knows-a-little-something-about-strength/

Coles: EAT and SQUAT.

Yeah I read it. That's what sparked this thread. Just lookin for some local advice

A790
12-16-2009, 12:40 AM
Dude, upping your calories by 2,500 and being as small framed as you are is a BAD IDEA. You aren't working out nearly enough to support that kind of caloric intake.

Masked Bandit
12-16-2009, 09:20 AM
There are lots of things you can do to increase the work load without spending any money.

Try pushups with someone resting their feet on your back.

Run stairs with a loaded backpack on.

Do squats with that same loaded backpack.

Run stairs while piggy-backing someone.


I'm sure there are lots of other things you can come up with that won't cost you any money.

acmilano
12-16-2009, 10:01 AM
Originally posted by A790
Dude, upping your calories by 2,500 and being as small framed as you are is a BAD IDEA. You aren't working out nearly enough to support that kind of caloric intake.

+1

lint
12-16-2009, 10:12 AM
Originally posted by Masked Bandit
There are lots of things you can do to increase the work load without spending any money.

Try pushups with someone resting their feet on your back.

Run stairs with a loaded backpack on.

Do squats with that same loaded backpack.

Run stairs while piggy-backing someone.


I'm sure there are lots of other things you can come up with that won't cost you any money.

There are lots of ways to exercise on the cheap. But in order to get big and strong, you need to lift heavy things.

OP, you're broke, can't afford weights, but you're wasting money on weight gainer?

89coupe
12-16-2009, 10:20 AM
Push-ups
Push-ups with two chairs
Dips with a chair
Head Stand Presses
Squats while holding your weights
Lunges while holding your weights
Buy a pull-up bar, they are super cheap, like $50

With this you can easily pack on the muscle. If anyone says different they are full of shit.

A790
12-16-2009, 10:23 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe
Push-ups
Push-ups with two chairs
Dips with a chair
Head Stand Presses
Squats while holding your weights
Lunges while holding your weights
Buy a pull-up bar, they are super cheap, like $50

With this you can easily pack on the muscle. If anyone says different they are full of shit.
Yea, he'll put on muscle for a while. I had to add weight to my dips/chins after a few months. Plus, his legs are going to be under worked if he's only using 50lbs of resistance.

I started doing lunges with 25lbs per arm, now I hold 60lbs. Ultimately, he needs to get himself to a gym if he's serious about lifting weight and putting on muscle.

89coupe
12-16-2009, 10:31 AM
Originally posted by A790

Yea, he'll put on muscle for a while. I had to add weight to my dips/chins after a few months. Plus, his legs are going to be under worked if he's only using 50lbs of resistance.

I started doing lunges with 25lbs per arm, now I hold 60lbs. Ultimately, he needs to get himself to a gym if he's serious about lifting weight and putting on muscle.

I doubt he's trying to become some muscle freak. He can easily build strong lean muscle with this simple workout. You don't need big heavy weights.

lint
12-16-2009, 10:42 AM
Every strength coach is full of shit in 89coupe's eyes, because every single one says that you need progressive loading (translation: increasing weights) in order to build mass. Going into the 20+ rep range builds muscle endurance, not hypertrophy.

lint
12-16-2009, 10:45 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe


I doubt he's trying to become some muscle freak. He can easily build strong lean muscle with this simple workout. You don't need big heavy weights.

Do you fucking read anything? He's trying to go from 145lbs back up to the 185lbs he was before. He's trying to gain 40lbs, he's not looking for a simple workout. There is absolutely no way that he's going to gain anywhere near 40lbs if all he has are 25lb dumbbells. Period.

89coupe
12-16-2009, 10:46 AM
Originally posted by lint
Every strength coach is full of shit in 89coupe's eyes, because every single one says that you need progressive loading (translation: increasing weights) in order to build mass. Going into the 20+ rep range builds muscle endurance, not hypertrophy.

If he weigh's 145'lbs and is 5'10" he can easily put on 30lbs of lean dense muscle without lifting a single heavy weight.

At 5' 10" and 175'bs he's gong to look HUGE!

lint
12-16-2009, 10:48 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe


If he weigh's 145'lbs and is 5'10" he can easily put on 30lbs of lean dense muscle without lifting a single heavy weight.

At 5' 10" and 175'bs he's gong to look HUGE!

Bull. Fucking. Shit.

89coupe
12-16-2009, 10:48 AM
Originally posted by lint


Bull. Fucking. Shit.

LOL, you are an idiot then if you don't think so.

lint
12-16-2009, 10:55 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe


LOL, you are an idiot then if you don't think so.

Why don't you put up or shut up? Put together a workout plan for him where he only uses body weight or 25lb dumbbells. Full details, none of your usual generic info that you spout out. Reps for warm ups, number of warm up sets, reps for work sets, number of work sets, rest between work sets, what exercises to do each day, how many days of training a week. You should be able to pull that out of your ass pretty easily. I'd even give you 6 months, that's only 5lbs of muscle a month. If you can get the OP up to 175lbs in 6 months with your magic bulking with only 25lb dumbbell routine, I'll buy you a 89coupe lunch.

urban.one
12-16-2009, 11:02 AM
89coupe should put together a workout plan for the OP. Then 89coupe should do a before and after photoshoot with the OP. The post results on here.

beyond_ban
12-16-2009, 11:06 AM
On a side note, if you ar working out but you do not tihnk you are actually getting bigger, it is probably because your increase in size happens over time, so it makes it a lot less noticable. Take some before shots and then compare to after pictures in 3 months. You should see some sort of gain.

As far as what 89coupe said, i....LOL'd.


Originally posted by 89coupe

he can easily put on 30lbs of lean dense muscle without lifting a single heavy weight.

Please God, show me the way.

89coupe
12-16-2009, 11:08 AM
Hey RecoilS14,

if you are interested in a solid workout plan that doesn't require heavy weights let me know and I will PM you.

In order for it to work you must be dedicated to working out every day, and eating a very healthy diet.

It won't happen over night either, you will need a good 6 months to make the change but if you think you can hack it let me know and I will take the time to write you up a schedule.

beyond_ban
12-16-2009, 11:14 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe


If he weigh's 145'lbs and is 5'10" he can easily put on 30lbs of lean dense muscle without lifting a single heavy weight.

At 5' 10" and 175'bs he's gong to look HUGE!



Originally posted by 89coupe
Hey RecoilS14,

if you are interested in a solid workout plan that doesn't require heavy weights let me know and I will PM you.

In order for it to work you must be dedicated to working out every day, and eating a very healthy diet.

It won't happen over night either, you will need a good 6 months to make the change but if you think you can hack it let me know and I will take the time to write you up a schedule.



:rofl:

G-Suede
12-16-2009, 02:57 PM
RecoilS14, when you weighed 185lbs where you working out to any significant degree, or where you just kind of doing your thing and then stopped eating?

One other thing to note, please pay particular attention to mistake number one in this thread:

http://forums.beyond.ca/st/286475/five-deadly-strength-errors/


Five Deadly Strength Errors
by Tim Henriques

Mistake #1: Listening to weak people.

No, we're not judging character. But most of the guys who are teaching other guys how to get strong are weak as kittens, and that just ain't right. Sure, they may know what proper form is, how to manipulate a diet, or how to be fit, but it's not the same as knowing how to create a proper program with the purpose of developing maximal strength.

There's simply too much that must be learned if you want to get someone strong, and I don't think you can learn it all without doing a lot of trial and error on yourself. If a coach won't share at least some of their personal records with you, it should be a warning sign. Now, I'm not saying every coach must be Ed Coan but they should at least be good at the stuff they're trying to coach you on.

One of my favorite quotes sums up my feelings nicely:

"Don't spend much time listening to someone talk about something they have never done."

You may ask why pay you should pay attention to that rule. Well as I suggested in the above thread, rule number one applies to >90% of the people posting in any given thread in this sub-forum. It's probably even a higher percentage than suggested.

The majority of the information you will read on this forum is quite simply rehashed from other sources that may have experience. I can almost certainly assure you that a very large majority of the people rehashing it here have little if any real world experience with moving any significant weight, or have the numbers or physique to prove it.

max_boost
12-16-2009, 03:11 PM
LOL!

I would like to read up on 89coupe's master plan to help the OP gain 30lbs lean muscle mass haha

beyond_ban
12-16-2009, 03:18 PM
Originally posted by max_boost
LOL!

I would like to read up on 89coupe's master plan to help the OP easilygain 30lbs lean muscle mass haha

fixed. :rolleyes:

potatopineapple
12-16-2009, 04:16 PM
Stick with pushups, burpies, etc.. and keep increasing your calories. Everyone seems to have the strength coach or body building mentality which is great, if access to proper nutrition and a gym, but that doesn't apply to you.
There are millions out there (army, prisons, farmers etc..) who still take fitness very seriously and achieve major results with very different approaches and without the tools everyone here preaches about.

lint
12-16-2009, 04:19 PM
Originally posted by potatopineapple
Stick with pushups, burpies, etc.. and keep increasing your calories. Everyone seems to have the strength coach or body building mentality which is great, if access to proper nutrition and a gym, but that doesn't apply to you.
There are millions out there (army, prisons, farmers etc..) who still take fitness very seriously and achieve major results with very different approaches and without the tools everyone here preaches about.

Nice to see that you read about as good as 89coupe. :thumbsup:

GQBalla
12-16-2009, 04:32 PM
Originally posted by 89coupe



At 5' 10" and 175'bs he's gong to look HUGE!

serious?

im 185 and 5"8

i dont look huge...SIGH

potatopineapple
12-16-2009, 04:40 PM
Originally posted by lint


Nice to see that you read about as good as 89coupe. :thumbsup:




And nice to see you have such a closed mind. All your posts are discouraging and arrogant. There's so much more to fitness than just the big 3.

G-Suede
12-16-2009, 04:46 PM
Originally posted by potatopineapple
And nice to see you have such a closed mind. All your posts are discouraging and arrogant. There's so much more to fitness than just the big 3.

Keep rule #1 in mind.

liquidboi69
12-16-2009, 04:54 PM
Originally posted by potatopineapple
Stick with pushups, burpies, etc.. and keep increasing your calories. Everyone seems to have the strength coach or body building mentality which is great, if access to proper nutrition and a gym, but that doesn't apply to you.
There are millions out there (army, prisons, farmers etc..) who still take fitness very seriously and achieve major results with very different approaches and without the tools everyone here preaches about.
USMC and Canadian army uses Crossfit (0500: wake up and do crossfit)...which uses more than 25lb (even though their philosophy is based more on the endurance they will need on the field.) Generally, they use 135-225lb if I'm informed correctly. They do not care about being strong, but they still use that type of weight.

People in prison lift HEAVY, and they have alot of time to eat and lift. There are plenty of drugs in prison, including steroid. You also work in some prisons, giving you money to buy supplements like whey, and extra food like tuna and instant noodles.

People have a strength mentality or bodybuilding mentality because it works. In the army, in prison...for average joe's.



In reponse to 89coupe's comment. 5'10 and 175 is not huge. WTF lol.

lint
12-16-2009, 04:57 PM
Originally posted by potatopineapple
And nice to see you have such a closed mind. All your posts are discouraging and arrogant. There's so much more to fitness than just the big 3.

Again reading > you. The title of this thread:

25lb dumbells +workout = mass?


I've got pair of 25lb dumbells and am wondering if i can actually gain mass by working out with them?


oh yeah, I'm 5'10 145lbs, last winter this time i was 185ish, got stressed out and didnt eat for almost 2 months and i wanna get my size back.

So I answer his question realistically, that with the gear that he has he cannot get the mass/size gains he's looking for, and you post up a feel good answer that's irrelevant to his question and goals. And you want to call me arrogant?

lint
12-16-2009, 04:58 PM
Originally posted by G-Suede


Keep rule #1 in mind.

Are you directing these comments at me?

max_boost
12-16-2009, 05:34 PM
Originally posted by GQBalla


serious?

im 185 and 5"8

i dont look huge...SIGH

I'm 5'5, 160. If I go to 185, I will actually be HUGE. I think.....haha No I don't feel like bulking though. I think I'm going to look weird because I'm short. LOL! :rofl:

civic_rida
12-16-2009, 05:37 PM
if your under 6 feet and close to 200 pounds and dont feel huge its time to lower that body fat.

potatopineapple
12-16-2009, 05:56 PM
Originally posted by liquidboi69

USMC and Canadian army uses Crossfit (0500: wake up and do crossfit)...which uses more than 25lb (even though their philosophy is based more on the endurance they will need on the field.) Generally, they use 135-225lb if I'm informed correctly. They do not care about being strong, but they still use that type of weight.

People in prison lift HEAVY, and they have alot of time to eat and lift. There are plenty of drugs in prison, including steroid. You also work in some prisons, giving you money to buy supplements like whey, and extra food like tuna and instant noodles.

People have a strength mentality or bodybuilding mentality because it works. In the army, in prison...for average joe's.



Not all prisoners have access to weights. Burpies, push ups, pull ups, and dips are king in prison. Not sure about the steroids but I know any extra food/calories would definitely help considering all the empty calories they are served during meals.

The point I was trying to make without arguing semantics is that strength building physical activities + calories = weight gain. It won't be the most efficient route but it can still be achieved without weight lifting equipment.

Yes, their methods work, but as with most training disciplines, it's sport specific.
The strength training/body builder mentality is working out is about getting big and strong. When 80% of people who work out are just looking to stay in shape and tone their average joe builds. The whole P90x craze is helping so many people achieve their goals with very minimal equipment, it's proof that it can be done.

Every gym, you have people judging each other. The bodybuilders looking down on regular people because they aren't built. The powerlifters looking down on the body builders because they aren't as strong even with all their mass. Then the majority of the regular people snickering at how grotesque and obese the bodybuilders and powerlifters look.



Originally posted by lint

Again reading > you. The title of this thread:




Originally posted by RecoilS14
Im broke. Gym and more/new weights are outta the question.

Every site i seem to read always talks about benches, bars and machines, etc. and i end up getting discouraged and stop looking :( So can anyone recommend some exercises




Originally posted by lint

So I answer his question realistically, that with the gear that he has he cannot get the mass/size gains he's looking for, and you post up a feel good answer that's irrelevant to his question and goals. And you want to call me arrogant?


You are arrogant because your posting exactly what was discouraging him. He's obviously having some personal issues since he's broke, starving himself, and stressed. Why kick him when he's down?

He was once 185lbs so he's most likely not a hard gainer. Sometimes the body just needs some mild muscle stimulation, proper nutrition, and rest to return back to it's natural body weight, especially after illness or stress.






Now aside from all this bickering, I personally believe in compound lifts and training heavy. I went from 130lbs to over 218lbs (5'7, 32 inch waist) within 6 years without the use of supplements and the worst possible genetics (asian). I paid my dues and did all my heavy deads, clean and jerks, etc.. as well as my cardio, boxing drills, push ups. I'm not a know it all but I like to keep an open mind. The whole "shut up and squat" mentality is ignorant, and I love doing squats.

lint
12-16-2009, 06:30 PM
yes, much better to give false hope.

Ripper
12-16-2009, 06:41 PM
What about a DB only (but not limited only to 25lbs) routine? My condo gym only has DBs and machines, I'd like to do as much free weight as I can and stay away from the machines.

89coupe
12-16-2009, 06:59 PM
I guess easy all depends on the persons dedication. If you are lazy bitch then yes I guess it might be hard.

But for someone who has the discipline and drive to achieve the goal, its easily obtained.

All you need is two chairs, a chin-up bar, your 25lb dumbells & a proper diet.

I'm not saying weights don't help, I'm just saying if you don't have access to them, you can still achieve your goal without them.

GQBalla
12-16-2009, 08:05 PM
Originally posted by civic_rida
if your under 6 feet and close to 200 pounds and dont feel huge its time to lower that body fat.

hehe ive slimed down a bit and still kept my weight the same. so its a work in progress

RecoilS14
12-16-2009, 08:50 PM
ummm wow. Thanks for the advice.

Let me give you guys some more info about me and my daily life as i think it might help a bit.

When i was 185lbs i was eating less than i do now, then i got stressed out and literally DID NOT EAT. Everytime i tried i would get nauseated and it was all i could do to force food down before i started heaving. fuck i hate stress.

Come to spring and i moved to calgary and the recession hit hard, had a shit paying job and i couldnt afford to eat more than one decent meal a day. Flash forward today, i got a better job (framing houses, im the peon so im constantly on the move and burning calories)

So now i'm eating 3 decent meals a day, snacking on almonds and fruit. I drink 2, 1000+ calorie smoothies a day, 1 in the morning with my breakfast and one before bed (yogurt, gainer, 2%milk, 2 banana's, 7 or 8 cut up strawberries)

When i started this a little over month ago I was exactly 145lbs. Today on the scale I weigh 147lbs

So while at work i move, i dont think i stop all day unless someone tells me its break time ( i love to work, so i dont laze around) So there is most of my calorie burning. I come home, eat and work out.

Warm Up
3x 30 pushups
3x 50 - 100 crunches (depends on how my back feels that day, i really need a ball)
3x 15 - 20 tricep dips

All of these are single side at a time:

3x 13 reps hammer curls
3x 15 shoulder press
3x 13 tricep curls (over head, behind back to full vertical extention)
3 x 10 flys

3 x 20 squats with both dumbells in hand is all i do for legs (wish i had a rack cuz this is just to keep my muscles strongish)

i work out about 2 - 3 times a week on average.

G-Suede
12-16-2009, 08:55 PM
Did you workout when you where 185? If so what was your weight before you got to 185, or where you just naturally hovering around 185 for a period of time? Where you fat, lean, or relatively normal at 185?

RecoilS14
12-16-2009, 09:02 PM
I've been around my current weight of 145 most of my life, then the last two years or so i got up to 185 naturally and from working my ass off in the patch. Was never a work out guy before i got small again. I always had a relatively good build, hell i still do. I just wanna put my size back on. Being a skinny guy in school sucked, it sucked in my early twenties, it was great not being one in my mid twenties, and now im a few years from 30 and im skinny again, fml.

lint
12-16-2009, 09:17 PM
Originally posted by 89coupe
I guess easy all depends on the persons dedication. If you are lazy bitch then yes I guess it might be hard.

But for someone who has the discipline and drive to achieve the goal, its easily obtained.

All you need is two chairs, a chin-up bar, your 25lb dumbells & a proper diet.

I'm not saying weights don't help, I'm just saying if you don't have access to them, you can still achieve your goal without them.

It's about physiology and the adaptive response. After a point you need to add weight in order to disrupt your body's homeostatis. If you don't have enough weight to do that, you won't grow stronger or bigger.

Based on your theory, calves should grow just by walking. And if you keep walking, your calves will continue to grow and grow and grow and never stop. All you need is dedication and a good diet. Voila! In practice this is never the case because of what I said above. You need to add weight to elicit the adaptive response.

40lbs of weight gain isn't easy even if you have all the right equipment. How much weight have you ever put on with just pushups and 25lb db squats?

G-Suede
12-16-2009, 09:39 PM
Maybe some of the guys on here have some old equipment that they don't need or don't use that could be borrowed or donated. I don't have anything, but perhaps put up a post in the Sports and Fitness Marketplace (http://forums.beyond.ca/category/148/fitness-sports-equipment/) that outlines your situation and you'll have some luck scoring some additional equipment. Maybe someone has a gym membership that they don't use and would hand off - even if it's just for a week, month, whatever...

G-Suede
12-16-2009, 09:57 PM
This guy has some weights for free: http://calgary.en.craigslist.ca/zip/1510673551.html

This guy has 200lbs and a bench for $100OBO, give him your story and offer him $50 to come pick it up: http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-sports-bikes-Weight-bench-and-200-lbs-pounds-of-weights-W0QQAdIdZ173319825

Darkane
12-16-2009, 11:44 PM
Add in Pistol Squats, Lunges (forward, Backward) and over head squats (hold the DB's overhead obviously). Those will blast your legs with what you got to work with.

Oh and jump squats with the DB's held firmly on your shoulders. Go ass to grass and explode up as high/fast as possible.

Enjoy your sore legs.

scboss
12-17-2009, 01:06 AM
Man alot of bs in this thread. Your best bet would be to pick up the p90x. This is a good program with limited amount of money because all that you need is a pullup bar and dumbells. Also the chance of you gaining 40 pounds with no access to the gym is gonna be near impossible if not impossible and your best bet is to just focus on strength and reps. Im telling you ive been switching it up and doing crazy things in the gym and im just hitting 205(+40) and its been almost 2 years and quite honestly when i cut im gonna be back at 195(+30). The P90x will own you and give you results with limited cash(if you download)
Good luck!

mowglee
12-17-2009, 01:07 AM
Change your workouts often. Every week try doing something new or something you haven't done for a couple of weeks. This is what I found is working for me.

89coupe
12-17-2009, 01:14 AM
You guys are trying to compare yourself to him...LOL.

The guy is in his 30's, he's 5' 10" tall and only weighs 145lbs.

He's below average for a 30 something year old who is 5' 10". The average man at that height weighs around 170lbs.

It won't be difficult at all for him to put 30lbs on.

Now if he already weighed 185lbs then I would say good fucking luck. But he doesn't.

scboss
12-17-2009, 01:30 AM
Originally posted by 89coupe
You guys are trying to compare yourself to him...LOL.

The guy is in his 30's, he's 5' 10" tall and only weighs 145lbs.

He's below average for a 30 something year old who is 5' 10". The average man at that height weighs around 170lbs.

It won't be difficult at all for him to put 30lbs on.

Now if he already weighed 185lbs then I would say good fucking luck. But he doesn't.

Sounds like you are doing the same thing while I am not. I was only 163 pounds and 6'2 i would say that is below average for my height as you have indicated. I hit 175-180 in three months but after the first 10 to 15 it didnt go on fast at all. My strength has always consistantly gone up but not my weight. I would also like to see where you are pulling these "average numbers" seeing how the average man doesnt workout at all. Everyones body is different maybe you got some hulk genes or something but the "average man" cannot put on 30 pounds in six months unless he is taking stuff other then protien(GH, steroids, creatine) and going to the gym consistantly. There is no way in hell you can put on 30 using 25 pound dumbells period. Even if he used the P90x he wouldnt put on close to that at the end of the program.