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building muscle to fit into clothes

post #1 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:04am
Thread Starter 
the last time i weighed myself was years ago, but today i stepped on a scale and was upset to learn that my weight has gone down. i thought i was 125 lbs, but now i'm 115. i double checked the scale with rusty barbell weights (no kidding) and it checks out. i'm 5'8¾'', so that's way too low!

finding clothes small enough to fit me has been difficult, so i'm thinking about fitting my body to the clothes available instead of the other way around. these are my current measurements followed by target measurements (i'm unsure about two of them, but suffice it to say they need to increase):

neck: 14'' -> 14.5''
shoulder: 40'' -> 42''?
chest: 34'' -> 36''
waist: 28'' -> 30''
hips: 33'' -> 35''?

i'm unfamiliar with weight lifting or bodybuilding/sculpting, but these seem like modest goals. how long should something like this take, assuming i exercise 3 days a week? should i join a gym? all i have are some dumbbells and the aforementioned rusty barbells.

i guess the most important change in diet is to eat more protein. right now, that's mostly fish, eggs, and poultry. i eat pork about once a week, beef maybe once a month. will eating more of the same be enough, or should i eat more of one thing and less of another? i'm generally disinclined to take supplements and drink anything processed (e.g. protein shakes), though.

has anybody else done something like this? i'm hoping somebody can share their experiences and what they learned.
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post #2 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:06am
Steroids.
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post #3 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:08am
research "GOMAD" in google
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post #4 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:12am
Do you have a medical condition that has you at such a low weight? Please explain how you're only 115 lbs and perhaps we can point you in the right direction.
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post #5 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:15am
What is your age? What does your doctor have to say regarding your weight? 115lbs is scary thin at 5'9". I'm a little under 5'10" and I feel pretty thin at 158 lbs. Of course that's likely just because the average American is generally pretty fat.
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post #6 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:29am
How are you only 115 lbs with those measurements at 5'9"? I had similar measurements at the same height when I weighed about 140 lbs. Maybe your limbs are bone-thin? How big are your thighs? In any case, eat more food, any food, and lift weights, and you will grow quickly.
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post #7 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:40am
rofl reminds me of this kid on sz who posted his measurements in a b/s thread "as reference", was 6'3 and 105 pounds.
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post #8 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:48am
shoulders 40"? is that doubled around the widest point? lets see, you want to gain weight, and more than half the ppl in the world want to loose it. I suggest lifting every day, no cardio. eat high protein diet. Try to figure out a way to slow your metabolism down. Then in 3 years when you want to loose weight, come back.
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post #9 of 52
2/16/10 at 1:58am
Thread Starter 
i just turned 28. it's been several years since i've had a physical, but my doctor didn't say i had any medical conditions. he did say i should gain weight, though...i didn't think it was that important since my BMI was still ok. i thought my weight was the same all these years, and i don't look any different. my limbs have always been skinny. i've got chicken legs and a turkey neck. thigh is 18'' at the widest point, bicep is 9.5''. how much muscle mass can i reasonably expect to add per week? remember, muscle only. i don't need more fat, which i hear is pretty easy to do... ^ yeah, shoulders 40'' around.
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post #10 of 52
2/16/10 at 2:00am
Training for aesthetics is not a very enjoyable endeavor. I can't imagine going to the gym day after day trying to achieve the goal of fitting into a size 36 jacket... which is probably why most people with similar motivations don't stick to any kind of program.

Let form follow function. Pick an activity that requires some fitness, and train for that. It will keep you motivated. This could be, like, judo, olympic weightlifting, a race. There are even rowing competetitions held in gyms full of C2 rowers.

Weight training on its own can be pretty satisfying if you're progressively loading the bar each week. Don't think about working 'arms and chest' - think about increasing the weight on the major lifts. Your body will respond better, plus it's more enjoyable.
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post #11 of 52
2/16/10 at 2:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by aizan View Post

how much muscle mass can i reasonably expect to add per week? remember, muscle only. i don't need more fat, which i hear is pretty easy to do...

Man, you are 115 lbs @ 5'9," that is nothing short of emaciated.

You are not going to have success if you're worried about putting fat on. For every pound of muscle you put on, expect about a pound of fat. Luckily you need a lot more of both on your frame...

I think a guy in your situation would be able to put on 1-2lbs of muscle in a week, plus associated fat if you train hard. For a couple of months anyway. But you would need to eat a lot.

And I suspect you have some body-image issues you need to sort out before that can happen...
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post #12 of 52
2/16/10 at 2:32am
This thread is making me reconsider losing 20 lbs from 155 lbs (5'8).
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post #13 of 52
2/16/10 at 2:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pennglock View Post
Training for aesthetics is not a very enjoyable endeavor. I can't imagine going to the gym day after day trying to achieve the goal of fitting into a size 36 jacket... which is probably why most people with similar motivations don't stick to any kind of program.

Let form follow function. Pick an activity that requires some fitness, and train for that. It will keep you motivated. This could be, like, judo, olympic weightlifting, a race. There are even rowing competetitions held in gyms full of C2 rowers.

Weight training on its own can be pretty satisfying if you're progressively loading the bar each week. Don't think about working 'arms and chest' - think about increasing the weight on the major lifts. Your body will respond better, plus it's more enjoyable.

olympic weightlifting...that's certainly intense enough, but the others don't sound particularly high intensity. i'm not sure they would add much muscle mass, considering that i'm an ectomorph. they sound like fun, though.

and of course i have body-image issues. if anyone says something about my body, it's always that i'm really skinny, or that i can afford to eat all the candies, desserts, and fatty foods that they shouldn't be eating, which is annoying and preposterous because nobody can afford to eat as much junk food as they do. i don't look like a concentration camp survivor or anything. i'm just not muscular.
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post #14 of 52
2/16/10 at 2:54am
Olympic lifting or if you cant get a coach, Squats and dead lifts.
Eat lots of food reguarly. Keep it good quality.

Ive been around people who complain they cant put on weight and the common factor is they never squat and they dont eat enough. you need to learn to embrace that 'so full i cant move' feeling.
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post #15 of 52
2/16/10 at 3:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Herbert View Post
you need to learn to embrace that 'so full i cant move' feeling.

that might be a problem...i get acid reflux when i eat too much.
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