Hi!

I joined in for inspiration and information.

My story is that I started working out as a 19 year old skinny kid and it has been a long and frustrating, but interesting, journey ever since. When I started I weighed about 120 lbs, now I'm 152, so not much of a success. I have adjusted and readjusted my workout programs countless times, I must have read tens of thousands of pages about bodybuilding. I've tried too many protocols to mention all, old school 3-times a week full body, HST, heavy duty, volume training, "hardgainer"-approach. Squat & milk (20 rep squats) and so on.

Trial and error method, I've learned some things the hard way. My best gains ever came from doing few basic exercises 3 times a week. That was full body workout, short but intensive. HST was good too. But frustrated as I was, I wanted to try something else. Didn't gain anything on volume training, drained my energy and lost weight. Read Stuart McRobert's Brawn and got excited. Result: it stalled my progress altogether, it didnt make me stronger or bigger. Then I started to squat three times a week, was supposed to have anabolic impact. It made my legs bigger temporarily and my butt big permanently. I love to squat but the effect it has is devastating. That must be the reason why the legendary Vince Gironda was so anti squat. So here I am. Clueless but still ever hopeful.

I'm still looking for the perfect workout for me. Now that I'm over thirty I need to really focus on my nutrition. I was always too skinny but now it's so easy to end up being a skinny guy with a big belly. Now I aspire to get an aestethically pleasing look. Maybe it's impossible for me to get big, but I want to look as muscular as I can.

My main focus from now on is to keep nutrition journal. Keeping a workout journal has been my habit for a very long time, but for some reason I've been lazy keeping a food log. Maybe that is because i've felt it doesn't really matter what I eat as long as I get enough calories and of course enough protein. The latter part is something I've always been aware of and my daily protein intake is around 200 grams.

However roughly half of my protein is from animal protein including red meat and eggs. Just had my cholesterol levels checked and it reads total cholesterol 6 mmol/l and ldl 3.8. What should I think of it?

Welcome to the jungle. :tu:

While I'm no expert by far, I would tend to agree with you that the basic compound lifts, done in a brief but intense workout spaced throughout the week seem to be the most beneficial...as I've also experienced.

As far as nutrition, check out Mastover's journal. The majority of your "work" if you will, should take place in the kitchen. Also the journals of Phoenix, Epoc, Ca$on, Zero, of course our host John Stone and a plethora of others (my apologies to those not listed) as examples of proper diet.

Lean protein and lots of green veggies seem to be the consistent order of the day. :gl:

Welcome , and i agree with Tbuck, most of your gains will be made int he kitchen. Taylor your diet to your goal ! sounds like bulk but its really up to you. use www.fitday.com and firgure out roughly your daily calorie needs based on your lifestyle and activies, then either up the calories to get bigger or subtract to get smaller, all with good clean foods, lean meats, green veggies and some good fat,, Natural Peanut butter works wonders.

Good luck :tucool:

A daily affirmation from Sea2Sea...I am truly blessed. :tu: :bow: How's it going bud?

Thanks guys. I checked out the fitday site (good tip) and am keeping an accurate foodlog on daily basis from now on. As we agree, the nutrition part is important, more so when the question is balancing between getting bigger but not overly bulky in the wrong places...

I decided to go the Max OT way although it requires working out 5 days a week. Those workouts seem to be designed in a way that will keep me motivated. I love the idea of short sets, because despite my thin body type I've always been more a sprinter guy than a long-distance man. Also longer sets tend to drain out my energy unbelievably quickly. This might be because I'm a hypothyroidic, that was diagnosed recently. Anyway, now that I'm determined to monitor my progress, I'm very excited about my future workouts.