Help me devise a fitness and weight-gaining plan for the summer

March 30, 2006 6:22 PM

Help me devise a fitness and weight-gaining plan for the summer. (Los Angeles - area specific suggestions much appreciated, too)

I am currently 22, male, extremely out of shape, fairly thin (This is somewhat new, due to recent GI problems, figuring out with doctor), and not particularly strong.

I would like:
-To be "fit", whatever that means
-Increase muscle mass
-Develop better balance, agility, posture and flexibility.
-Do this over the course of one summer, in as optimal a way as possible.

Taking classes (Yoga, spinning, whatever) is nice, in that it makes me go do something regularly, so bonus points for things like that. I'm currently in a weekly Tai-Chi class, which is definitely improving my balance, but I would like to do a great deal more, and definitely need strength training.

As is, there is way too much literature out there for me to dig through without any background, and there is such an emphasis on weight loss, that I want to be careful about losing any more fat (I feel cold in the winter now!)

I'm in the Los Angeles area, if anyone has any specific teachers/classes/whatevers to suggest.

Also particularly appreciated are optimization tips (i.e., get a massage every week and you will magically be fitter at 3x the rate, etc)

posted by sirion to health & fitness (15 comments total)

ExRx.net
There is a section on this site that walks you through creating a weight lifting routine. The site itself is also an excellent resource.

The best optimization tip I can give is to drink a lot of water, and give yourself plenty of rest between activities. If you try and do too much, your body will not recover as fast and your gains will slow down over time (faster than they normally would.)
posted by Loto at 6:45 PM on March 30, 2006

I kinda had (still working on it but I'm doing quite well) the problem of being under weight and being called skinny all the time. I was fine with my weight but I decided that I should gain weight (mainly muscle weight) w/o changing my healthy diet.

So here's what I did.

a) I increased my calorie intake. Quite simply, you have to eat more than you burn (especially if you have a super high metabolism like me). Here are some suggestions for eating a 3000/5000 calorie diet. Here's another great link from google answers to help you with this.

b) workout regularly. go with a friend if necessary. I found that signing up for a class made me stick to it. Try classes at your local gym that combine cardio and weight training.

c) drink lot of water like Loto said. Water is one of the best supplyments you can take.

d) Try some additional protein (like the ones you get at GNC). I buy the chocolate flavored whey protein and I take it with a pint of whole milk at least once a day. You can also get a custom protein mix here.

This is a slow process so stick with it till it becomes routine. good luck.
posted by special-k at 7:14 PM on March 30, 2006

Sirion, do you have the budget to buy weights or join a gym that has them? If yes, then I'd be suggesting eating and lifting with a modest amount of cardio, following a programme like the one outlined here.

If weights are out of the question, I'd go for one of the more active martial arts where strength is significant. You'll still need to eat more.

In fact, I'd suggest a martial art for cardio and a weight programme might be just the ticket. With the eating.

If protein supplements are too expensive, low-fat milk is a good option.

And ease into it. If you aren't accustomed to regular strenuous exercise and just go for it, you can burn out, maybe even injure yourself without a lot to show for it.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 8:30 PM on March 30, 2006

I have free access to my university's gym, though I imagine I could probably use someone to tell me how to use weights correctly.
posted by sirion at 9:01 PM on March 30, 2006

How's about this low-volume, single-set approach discussed here:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/LowVolumeTraining.html

Anyone tried this or know much about it?
posted by sirion at 9:26 PM on March 30, 2006

(I feel cold in the winter now!)

I'm in the Los Angeles area,

That makes no sense. In winter it gets down to, what, 50 in LA? Good think you've got that blubber!

I have free access to my university's gym, though I imagine I could probably use someone to tell me how to use weights correctly.

Are you kidding me? You have free access to a gym and you can't quite figure out how to gain weight? You need someone to tell you how to work the wieght machines? What the hell do they teach in the mechanical engineering deparment at USC, anyway?

Ok, here's how it works: you go down to the gym. There will be, like 50 or so different machines. Pick one that's free. On it will be little diagrams of how to sit in it. Arrange yourself as illustrated. Somewhere near you now there will be a stack of weights linked by an elevating rod. Somewhere along this rod will be a lynch-pin of sorts. Since you are a puny little geek, try putting that pin in around 50 pounds or so. You can always move it later. Now, attached to the end of the elevating rod opposite the weights will be some type of cord, most likely braided steel with plastic sheilding. Follow that cord through whatever system of blocks there is on the machine until it terminates at some sort of lever or bar or panel or handle. Push or pull or twist or turn this object in the manner indicated on the illustration. Repeat perhaps some 20-30 times and rest for 1 minute. Do this until you can no longer move whatever appendage was engaged in the pulling or pushing or twisting or whatever. Find another machine and repeat tihs process on another appendage, and keep on repeating it until you can no longer move anything. Go home and cry. Return to the gym in 48 hours, and try out some different machines this time.

You're like, what, 20 now, so you weigh maybe 130 lbs? Do this until you weigh 160-170 and can bench around your own body weight 10-20 times. Once you're there, you have sufficient mucle mass that you can actually start caring about how "efficient" your "targeted training" is on your "core." As it stands now, talking about "optimal mass-building workouts" and "cycle resistance plyometric techniques" and all that is like trying to sport tune a 4 cylinder, 1.4 liter engine. There's just no point. Beef up alittle first, and then you can worry about the details.

It never ceases to amaze me how complicated some people make things. Its not like you're a world class body-builder trying to go from .15% body fat to .1%. You are trying to go from almost no muscle mass to some muscle mass, and all you need to do in order to make that happen is simply to exercize. Trust me.

In fact, here's an even simpler method that I GARAUNTEE will pack 30 pounds onto you by the end of the summer: 1. Go out and buy a 50 lbs. back of concrete from a Home Depot. 2. Go find the longest set of stairs or the steepest hill you can. 3. Haul that bag of concrete up and down those stairs as fast as you can for an hour. I don't care if you have to drag the bag up and then crawl back down with it tied to your back; keep moving for a solid hour. Bonus cardio points for doing it in the sun, super bonus points if you wear a sweat suit. Do that 3 or 4 times a week and by the end of the summer you'll be needing FIVE bags to even break a sweat!

My point is: its not the working out itself that's hard; just about any prolonged physical exertion will put muscle on you. I think your problem is just getting over the mental block thats kept you from doing any such exertion until you were in your 20s.
posted by ChasFile at 10:15 PM on March 30, 2006 [1 favorite]

*50 lbs. bag of concrete.
posted by ChasFile at 10:18 PM on March 30, 2006

One summer, I put on 40 pounds of solid muscle in about two months without going to a gym once. I joined the Army and went off to Basic Training. I left the MEPS station at 125 pounds and graduated basic at 165 pounds.

Pushups, situps, running, crunches, climbing obstacles, pullups, and the like are suprisingly effective. For optimal effectiveness, budget enough to pay a large man, preferably evil, to wear a big round hat and scream at you loud and close enough that you can feel his breath on your face.
posted by phoebus at 11:03 PM on March 30, 2006

I recently asked a very similar question I've increased my caloric intake and I've started in on the HST program suggested a few times already here. So far, it's an interesting routine, but I'm not sure if it's for me or not.

A personal trainer can be useful, sometimes. I find that generally, though, they know lots about telling people how to LOSE weight, and very little about helping people to gain it. This is mostly because they are often mesomorph body types, for whom building an incredible sculpted physique doesn't require all that much specialized work. :)
posted by antifuse at 12:50 AM on March 31, 2006

Hmm. No one's addressed your "fit, whatever that means" remark. You're going to need to define that for yourself, the sooner the better. "Fit" means completely different things to a bodybuilder, a dancer, a rock climber, a long distance runner, a football player, etc.

My suggestion? Pick a sport (or discipline). Train for that. You'll have a suitable definition of "fit," you'll have motivation to train, you'll see real progress in your discipline.

For best results in a short time, pick a competitive sport. I got in the best shape of my life when I joined a paddling team (six man outrigger canoes). We had 22 guys going for 6 seats on the boat. Four practices a week out on the water, weights and cardio on the "off" days.

Martial arts would work. Soccer is excellent as well - there's so much running in the game, you'll really notice the benefit if you train. NOTE: playing sports does NOT count as cardio. It'll motivate you to train, but don't fool yourself that playing a game IS training.
posted by zanni at 1:55 AM on March 31, 2006

If you live in LA and want to do martial arts, try here.
posted by the cuban at 2:21 AM on March 31, 2006

1. Eat more... and again, I recommend GROW!
2. I was in the same general shape you are, also in college, also during the summer, and in three weeks I was able to see sweet results on this: Big Beyond Belief. This book provides you with a detailed training plan for an eight week cycle. Its is a great introduction to two principles: Whole body training and lift cycles.

Also, ignore people who tell you to do a sport. Do a sport if you like the sport. If you want to get huge, try this sport called... body building! Frickin' yoga? Who are these people? Give me my sixteen dollars back.

Also, don't get a personal trainer. You are young and you can read. Do that instead.

Even if you ignore my protein recommendation and my training plan recommendation - spend your time focusing on one workout plan and eat more protein. Its true that lifting and eating are mostly what makes you bigger (but a good routine, a food journal, and a lifting journal will make you bigger, faster.)
posted by ewkpates at 5:01 AM on March 31, 2006

i think the best thing you can do is play a competitive sport...something fun. doesn't have to be intense, but something that you like doing. it could even be bike riding with someone. it might not seem like it's going to make a big difference, but you'll be surprised.
posted by BigBrownBear at 7:03 AM on March 31, 2006

Definitely take a weight training class at your school's gym. When I was in school, this was really helpful for me. The teacher (if he or she is good) will instruct you on how to use the machines, help you with your form, and ask you what your goal is. If you join a class, then you can also find a workout partner.

I'm also a bit underweight, and instead of drinking a lot of water, I drink a lot of juice, milk, smoothies, etc. Someone told me that a good way to gain weight is to drink a beer every night. I have yet to try that.
posted by hooray at 9:32 AM on March 31, 2006

I you want to read a good, sensible book about getting into shape I can thoroughly recommend 'Sly Moves' by Sylvester Stallone. It's nuts-and-bolts basic, but if you're just starting out I think it's very good.
posted by ob at 1:31 PM on March 31, 2006