this other student asked a question similar to this one...here was my reply...
"to keep it plain and simple bro, to get big, you have to eat big. whole foods, not supplements are gonna pack on the size your looking for. supplements will help, but only if your diet is in check. theres no easy way around it, harsh but true. your gonna have to start eating for more than your current size. i would say instead of multiplying how many calories per pound of current body weight, lets just keep it simple and multiply the macronutrients you need by "goal" body weight.
lets say you want to get up to 180lbs, so lets multiply everything by 180.
you want to get in 1.5g of protein per pound of goal body weight: 1.5 x's 180 = 270g protein per day.
as for carbs, shoot for 2.5g per pound of goal body weight: 2.5 x's 180 = 450g carbs per day.
for fats, yes you have to eat healthy fats, try to get in at least 30-35g per day. these healthy fats will keep your hormone levels up (testosterone) which will allow you to build muscle. try to get them from lean sources of meats, chicken, fish, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, and even natural peanut butter.
eat every 2-3 hours to keep your body in a positive nitrogen balance and anabolic (this basically means it keeps your muscles fed so they dont get a chance to break down)
for your workouts, keep them to an hour or less. the reason is because there are 2 important hormones when it comes to gaining and losing size: testosterone and cortisol. testosterone is anabolic, which means it builds muscle. cortisol is catabolic, which means it breaks down muscle. when you workout for over an hour, testosterone levels start to decrease and cortisol starts to rise. that means your body will start breaking down, which means it stops your muscle growth immediately. so keep them short and intense, 60 mins or less.
as for the proper exercises, use compund exercises. compound exercises are ones that use multiple muscle groups at once such as the bench press, squat, deadlift, bent over rows, pull ups, chin ups, military press, barbell curls, dips and close grip bench. use dumbbells and barbells to achieve maximum muscle fiber recruitment as well. for example, one day do dumbbell bench presses, and then the next time you do chest, use the barbell, to switch it up. try to train 2 body parts each session, maybe 4 if theyre small muscle groups.
as for the rest periods between sets, especially if your trying to pack on mass, you cant afford to have any weak set in your workouts. you have to recover properly between each set if you want each one to be very effective. i would recommend 3 mins rest after each set to recover from lactic acid buildup and restore your primary energy system which helps you lift weights. also, though it may be hard with a child, try getting 7-8 hours of sleep. sleep and rest is what will make you grow...in the gym you break down muscle...at home is where the growing is.
now there are many other ways to train, like supersets, rest pause, tri sets, giant sets, the list goes on and on, but since your just starting out, keep it simple for now and as you advance, so will the techniques. this will keep you from injury and keep you lifting longer.
you can try this split:
Monday, Thursday: Chest, Back, Rear Delts, Calves
Tuesday, Friday: Bi's, Tri's, Front/Side Delts
Wednesday, Saturday: Legs, Calves
Sunday: Off
-or-
2 days on, 1 off split
Mon: chest, back
Tues: legs
Wed: off
Thurs: bis, tri,s
Fri: shoulders
Sat: off
Sun: off
-or-
1 body part a day
mon: chest
tues: back
wed: bi's
thurs: tri's
fri: legs
sat: shoulders
sun: off
these are workout schedules are just suggestions. if you'd like something different you can do that also.
hope this helps!
Dear Lord you done took so many of my people
I'm just wonderin why you haven't taken my life What the hell am I doin right?
My life..
