extreme strength but no mass

[vital]

I'm 5'6" and weight ~127lbs and can bench press about 245 lbs and I maxed out with 100lb dumbbell presses today. I've been working out for about 7-8 years but my weight has always been under 130lbs. I've even tried weight gainers and protein shakes but I have to watch how much carbs/sugar I intake because I have family history of diabetes and can't consume too much carbs/sugar or my blood glucose will get too high. I do eat as much or even more than my workout partner who weights 200lbs. Why is it so hard for me to gain weight? How do I gain mass/weight with my condition?

 

[brikis98]

Squat heavy 3 times per week. Drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD).

 

[crt1530]

Originally posted by: vital
I do eat as much or even more than my workout partner who weights 200lbs.

No, you don't.

Why is it so hard for me to gain weight?

Because you don't eat enough to gain weight.

How do I gain mass/weight with my condition?

Eat more food.

 

[vital]

Originally posted by: brikis98
Squat heavy 3 times per week. Drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD).

just did a google on GOMAD diet and it sounds pretty interesting. Is there a specific milk brand I should get? fat/nonfat?

 

[bossman34]

I agree with crt. You might have a high metabolism, but it isn't so high that you can't gain weight if you eat more. How many calories do you get in a day? Where do those calories come from (fat, protein, carbs)? And don't just guess. If you haven't been keeping track of your calories on a day to day basis, you most likely have no idea.

What kind of diabetes does your family have? How do you know that YOUR blood sugar will get to high if you have too many carbs? I'm not saying it's okay to have a lot of carbs, I just want to know how you know this.

I ask you these questions because I went through a period where I couldn't gain weight no matter what I did. As soon as I started tracking/logging my food I realized that I was underestimating how much I was eating. I was almost 500 calories under where I needed to be. If you haven't done this, you need to start!

EDIT: Also, what is your weekly routine?

 

[KingGheedora]

Maybe you should enter a power lifting competition? Are your lifts competitive with power lifting competitors in your weight class?

 

[wonSR4]

You can definitely gain weight. I'm 5'5" with a fast metabolism, and was 130 lbs before college. By the end of sophomore year, I was up to 155 lbs, but eventually got back to a more natural weight of about 140 lbs which I'm currently at now. It did help that I was eating college food lol and lots of it. What did help was eating at least four meals a day and drinking protein, but I don't do either of those anymore.

 

[StageLeft]

Clearly, eating more will let you put on size.

That said, those are very heavy weights for such a low bodyweight. You must be able to do chinups and pushups and all that all day long.

 

[KoolDrew]

Tracking what you eat may make it easier to really see how much you eat in a given day. You can keep track on paper or on a website like The Daily Plate. Even if you don't continue tracking, I would do it for at least a week to get an idea of how much you are really eating. A good rule of thumb for calorie intake is 16-18 cal/lb; however, this may have to be adjusted base on your results. If you're not gaining any weight, up calories 10%. If you're gaining weight too rapidly, then lower calories. You don't want to gain weight too rapidly as most of it will end up being fat. I would suggest a max of 1lb gained per week.

 

[Kaido]

http://www.musclebuildingcoach.com/public/123.cfm

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: vital

Originally posted by: brikis98
Squat heavy 3 times per week. Drink a gallon of milk a day (GOMAD).

just did a google on GOMAD diet and it sounds pretty interesting. Is there a specific milk brand I should get? fat/nonfat?

You can read more about GOMAD on the Starting Strength Wiki. Whole milk is the typical recommendation. To add mass, you need a caloric surplus and sufficient protein. GOMAD is a cheap, easy and effective way to do it.

However, while diet is the #1 priority, if you want the weight gain to be mostly muscle and not just fat, you'll want to do a full body resistance training program. I have no clue what routine you're doing now, but if it primarily consists of heavy bench press, that will NOT be enough. Heavy back squats (and deadlifts) are the typical recommendation this sort of thing because (1) they train a huge percentage of the muscles in your body, far more than bench press and (2) they produce massive hormonal/neuroendocrine effects that accelerate strength/mass gains throughout the body. I'm not sure what level of lifting you're at now (your bench is certainly advanced, dunno about squat/deadlift/press/etc), but here are a few possible programs to look into:

* If you've at beginner levels on the squat/deadlift - that is, you can add weight to these lifts just about every workout - consider a beginner program like the one outlined in Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5.

* If you're at an intermediate level on the squat/deadlift - that is, you can add weight to these lifts about once a week (once every ~3 workouts) - consider an intermediate program like Bill Starr 5x5 or The Texas Method.

* If you're at an advanced level on the squat/deadlift - that is, you can add weight to these lifts only once every few weeks and need to constantly vary volume/intensity/load - consider an advanced program like Bill Starr-Glenn Pendlay 5x5 or a West Side Barbell Routine.

 

[BeauJangles]

Just out of curiosity, what are your other numbers on major lifts?

 

[vital]

Originally posted by: bossman34
I agree with crt. You might have a high metabolism, but it isn't so high that you can't gain weight if you eat more. How many calories do you get in a day? Where do those calories come from (fat, protein, carbs)? And don't just guess. If you haven't been keeping track of your calories on a day to day basis, you most likely have no idea.

What kind of diabetes does your family have? How do you know that YOUR blood sugar will get to high if you have too many carbs? I'm not saying it's okay to have a lot of carbs, I just want to know how you know this.

I ask you these questions because I went through a period where I couldn't gain weight no matter what I did. As soon as I started tracking/logging my food I realized that I was underestimating how much I was eating. I was almost 500 calories under where I needed to be. If you haven't done this, you need to start!

EDIT: Also, what is your weekly routine?

I haven't been checking but I work 9 hour days and it's hard to keep eating while at work. During lunch time I'll usually go to subway, quiznos or steak escape and order anything large with double meat. Family has Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. I check my glucose at least every week and my fasting levels are borderline prediabetic according to the doctor and they told me to stay off the shake and do some cardio. I hate cardio. But it's like a necessary evil I do once or twice a week. For dinner, I'll either go out to Souplantation and stuff myself, eat 2-3 fish fillets I buy from Costco with veggies, or make my own steak. I do weight lifting at least 3-4 times a week.

 

[vital]

Originally posted by: brikis98

* If you've at beginner levels on the squat/deadlift - that is, you can add weight to these lifts just about every workout

Should squat/deadlifts be done on the same day?

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: vital

Originally posted by: brikis98

* If you've at beginner levels on the squat/deadlift - that is, you can add weight to these lifts just about every workout

Should squat/deadlifts be done on the same day?

Depends on the routine. If you are doing a beginner or intermediate strength training style routine, you are typically squatting every single workout, so on days that deadlift comes up, you'll do both on the same day. More advanced routines sometimes split them up. This is because an advanced trainee will typically be moving very heavy loads on the squat & deadlift that may tax the posterior chain too much to do both in a single day. For beginners/intermediates, this is less of an issue.

 

[KingGheedora]

Heavy back squats (and deadlifts) are the typical recommendation this sort of thing because ... (2) they produce massive hormonal/neuroendocrine effects that accelerate strength/mass gains throughout the body.

I don't doubt that this is true, I've read this in many places but I've never seen any studies to back this up. Are there any?

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora

Heavy back squats (and deadlifts) are the typical recommendation this sort of thing because ... (2) they produce massive hormonal/neuroendocrine effects that accelerate strength/mass gains throughout the body.

I don't doubt that this is true, I've read this in many places but I've never seen any studies to back this up. Are there any?

The hormonal response is fairly irrelevant. You may spike testosterone for about 15 minutes or so at best, but it's not going to make much of a difference, especially since most growth response is local.

Not that I'm saying people shouldn't squat or deadlift. They definitely should as the muscle groups worked cover the majority of the body on both lifts. However, the idea that you *have* to squat and deadlift to get big guns is not true. Look at the powerlifters who compete in only bench. There bench always improves faster than others. People who specialize will always make better progress on that one particular thing. The less stimuli the body has to adapt to, the better the adaption to that particular stimuli.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: KingGheedora

Heavy back squats (and deadlifts) are the typical recommendation this sort of thing because ... (2) they produce massive hormonal/neuroendocrine effects that accelerate strength/mass gains throughout the body.

I don't doubt that this is true, I've read this in many places but I've never seen any studies to back this up. Are there any?

Yup.

Squats / Deadlifts and Release of Testosterone and Growth Hormone

It has been shown in many studies, including a published study Int J Sports Med. 1991 Apr;12(2):228-35 done on both men and women during resistance excercise. Squats and deadlifts increase GH and Testosterone, more than other compound excercises during excercise.

Squat - They do the body good!

In the squat there are numerous muscles of the body working in unison to provide the stability and mobility needed for this movement. It has been suggested that there are up to (and possibly more than) 200 muscles involved in this lift.

...

Squats can increase growth throughout the body because they use numerous muscles and this means they stimulate more muscle fibers than, say, an exercise like the leg press. The greater the fiber recruitment, the greater the process for potential remodeling in the muscle or, since we're referring to the Squat, this will activate many muscles.

Only muscle fibers that are recruited by resistance training are subject to adaptation including hormonal adaptation and, as I said above, the more muscles used in a exercise like the squat the more the muscle fibers are stimulated. Squats increase serum testosterone concentrations as they are large muscle- group exercises ( 2, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16).

 

[Deeko]

If you aren't doing leg/back exercises like squat and deadlift, of course you aren't putting on weight. Those are your biggest muscles. You can bench every day, that's not gonna pack on muscle anywhere else - and if you aren't doing the other exercises, your bench will plateau as well. So its really simple - expand your routine (I personally don't suggest squatting more than twice a week even at the beginner level, but that's me). Eat more. You can make excuses, but that's all they are - you can ALWAYS eat more.

However I will say that your bench is very impressive for your size.

 

[Crono]

Lol, Mark Rippetoe on GOMAD:
"It is because over thirty years of direct observation has demonstrated to me that when trainees drink one gallon of milk added to their regular diet and train in a progressive linear fashion, they gain significant muscular bodyweight, and those that do not drink their milk, even in the presence of progressive linear training, fail to do this. They also fail to continue progressive linear training for the same length of time, because this is facilitated by the steady weight gain. I understand that you're asking me if I have controlled for other factors such as failure to do the program correctly, and the answer is yes, of course I have, because I am not a complete idiot. Those that will not do the program are not being considered when I make these remarks, because that would be too ****ing obvious a hole in my analysis. The difference in the milk drinkers is that THEY GET BIGGER THAN THE ONES WHO WON'T DRINK THE ****ING MILK. Please tell me that you understand this now."

 

[EvilYoda]

Originally posted by: Crono
Lol, Mark Rippetoe on GOMAD:
"It is because over thirty years of direct observation has demonstrated to me that when trainees drink one gallon of milk added to their regular diet and train in a progressive linear fashion, they gain significant muscular bodyweight, and those that do not drink their milk, even in the presence of progressive linear training, fail to do this. They also fail to continue progressive linear training for the same length of time, because this is facilitated by the steady weight gain. I understand that you're asking me if I have controlled for other factors such as failure to do the program correctly, and the answer is yes, of course I have, because I am not a complete idiot. Those that will not do the program are not being considered when I make these remarks, because that would be too ****ing obvious a hole in my analysis. The difference in the milk drinkers is that THEY GET BIGGER THAN THE ONES WHO WON'T DRINK THE ****ING MILK. Please tell me that you understand this now."

Rip's a funny man. I was picturing him saying it in my head while I read it, heh.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Crono
Lol, Mark Rippetoe on GOMAD:
"It is because over thirty years of direct observation has demonstrated to me that when trainees drink one gallon of milk added to their regular diet and train in a progressive linear fashion, they gain significant muscular bodyweight, and those that do not drink their milk, even in the presence of progressive linear training, fail to do this. They also fail to continue progressive linear training for the same length of time, because this is facilitated by the steady weight gain. I understand that you're asking me if I have controlled for other factors such as failure to do the program correctly, and the answer is yes, of course I have, because I am not a complete idiot. Those that will not do the program are not being considered when I make these remarks, because that would be too ****ing obvious a hole in my analysis. The difference in the milk drinkers is that THEY GET BIGGER THAN THE ONES WHO WON'T DRINK THE ****ING MILK. Please tell me that you understand this now."

I'm allergic to milk

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: Kaido

I'm allergic to milk

Peanut. Butter.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
Rip's a funny man. I was picturing him saying it in my head while I read it, heh.

Indeed he is. You can check out some of his better quotes on the starting strength wiki. Some of my favorites are:

On the possibility of a failure to deadlift resulting in stroke:
Deadlifts that are too heavy to pull generally don't take very long; the bar just kinda lays there. So if trying to move immovable objects was dangerous from the standpoint of stroke, the history of the human race would be littered with stupid people's corpses.

Critiqueing a power clean:
...it shows a problem known as a Donkey Kick. As the jump occurs, the heels come up in the back and then stomp back down into place. This is a terrible waste of time and energy, and contributes nothing to making the bar go up. Stop doing this immediately or I will have you killed.

Rip: You need to drink one gallon of full fat milk everyday. It's almost mandatory.
Somebody from audience: I'm lactose intolerant, could I substitute milk for yogurt?
Rip: Gallon of yogurt.

On drinking not 1, but 2 gallons of milk/day:
But you would be shitting primarily cheese. Are you ready for this?

I strongly advise against intentionally farting whilst moving heavy weights. Sometimes -- especially under those circumstances -- farts have a solid center.

There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that produces the level of central nervous system activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.

 

[brikis98]

woops. ignore this.