Is ethnicity relevant to body-building?

[.V.]

OK then I'm going to let you in on a little secret...OK so it's not really a secret people have been telling me this for a long time but I've only recently got it. Those of us who simply can't gain muscle in spite of working very hard in the gym are part of a genetically inferior race for muscle growth. It's the human race. We'll never reach the muscularity of a Grizzly Bear or Gorilla but what the hell, lets go for it and try.

First, you've got to eat enough.

Go here http://www.johnberardi.com/updates/j...calculator.htm and so some reading & calculations.

Then go here www.fitday.com and open a free account. Then eat the way you normally do keeping honest track of everything you put in your mouth for a week.

Start there and gradually in 250 calorie/day increments increase your calories each week until you start seeing some results. Like this if you are eating 1500/day next week eat 1750. The week after 2000 and so on... Then if you are a true hardgainer - go with 250 more...if you start getting fat drop the final 250.

Next you need to time your nutrition. There are a couple of ways to do this - and it varies based on your individual metabolism.

Way 1 - Start the day with protein/carb feedings. Protein/carbs pre and post workout too. End the day with protein/fat feedings - while still meeting your nutrition goals. This lets you get all of your nutrients in throughout the day including your healthy fats while getting the maximum anabolic advantage from the protein/carb meals.

Way 2 - Anabolic nutrieint timing. The same idea, but with your fat spread evenly throughout the day in small increments. This means frequent, small meals every 2 or 3 hours. If you are truly a hard gainer, you may have to eat every 2. Time meals around your workouts carefully. Preworkout - have a protein/carb meal/very low fat. Postworkout - another protein/carb/very low fat meal. 30 minutes later another small protein/carb/very low fat meal. 1.5-2 hours later another protein/carb/very low fat meal. Then resume your normal eating schedule of 2-3 hours having a normal protein/carb/relatively low fat meal. More fat is acceptable closer to bedtime because it will slow digestion and allow you to not be hungry during the night - getting your rest. However, if you need a 3am feeding - and you are a hardgainer - get up and have one. I'm eating now while typing this - big, giant gobs of peanut butter on whole wheat crackers at 03:05hrs.

Green veggies are a must for good health. However they are quite filling and may keep you from eating enough protein/simple carbs/and starchy carbs so you may have to limit them a little bit to the 3 meals of your day closest to bedtime or farthest away from your workouts.

Just to give you an idea and this is by no means perfect - it's just what I'm having to do...every...damn...day...of...my...life - even on off days - because it's helping me finally grow some muscle.
M1...whey, 2 cups skim milk, 1 banana
Workout
M2...whey, 2 cups skim milk, 1 banana
M3...whey, 2 cups skim milk, 1 banana
M4...chicken or fish, beans, corn, green veggie (doesn't matter which one)
M5...chicken, beans, corn, green veggie
M6...lean beef, potato, you guessed it - another green veggie

Now, reconsider your workout. Are you doing cardio? If so add 500 calories a day to feed it. Or just skip it. I think it's too important to do without so I think feeding for it is best although I'm currently not allowed to do it myself.

Look at some of the different workout plans already out there - you don't have to invent the perfect workout yourself, just try a few and see what gives you results - drop the ones that don't.

Todd, the forum beast does Max OT with awesome results - and he's a hard gainer. I did it too until greed for bigger numbers over ruled my intelligence and I kept increasing weights before I was ready - injuring myself. It's a hard, muscle building program.

Some others are having nice results with HST. I'm currently doing it myself as an injury recovery program and responding suprisingly well to it. Way better than I thought I would. When I first read about it, I thought it was bunk...then I proved myself wrong.

For another approach to a nice balance of strength and size, you could consider something like the old standby strength training program 5X5. It's primarily for strength, but I've never met anyone small who had done it for a while. I'd suggest trying other programs for a while first - it is a bit advanced.

Well, there ya go the drug free way to get huge. Good luck.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention. All this "low fat, relatively low fat, very low fat" stuff. Fat is still one of the vital nutrients so for bulking have your fat intake - preferably healthy natural fats set between 20 and 30%. If one tends to get fat easily they should eat at the higher end, feel more satisfied and in the end consume less calories. If one has a hard time gaining eat closer to 20%. Each body is different, but for many folks if they get below 20% they start passing undigested food in the stool because it's running through them like sh*t like a goose. The food doesn't stay in the digestive system long enough - nutrients are not absorbed...simple as that so don't go too low on fat intake.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by KISS

Would you then agree it's because Ethiopians belong to a stronger race than do Japs?

I wouldn't agree at all. But I would agree that they do have genetics for longer limbs probably making them faster runners.

Whew, made it through that one without making a single joke in bad taste. I'm proud of me.

[Vas85]

Very nicely said Welch. He basically summed it all up in a nutshell. You have to experiment in a lot of ways, and eleminate a lot of variables that aren't useful, like Bruce lee's principles, absorb what is useful, disregard what isnt.

I was an ectomorph before I touched weights, pure WORM, i just stuck training, persisting to lift more (not every workout but every few atleast or something) and eventually you will transform. Becuase you are yourself, you see yourself every day and may believe that you aren't gaining, but other people that see you once a week / fortnight / month always notice the differences because its all in one shot.

A lot of people struggle to gain size as they do not train their legs? That's another issue that needs to be addressed.

If you have a high metabolism or similar, dont do cardio for half a year, assuming you do walk around in your normal day to day duties. A lot has to be tried out and once you find something that works, milk it for what its worth.

Oh and Kiss about the japanese statement, you've seen Japanese Sumo's... that undermines the whole strength issue as obviously even looking to others outside as a thin and small race, the Japanese do have mighty big Sumo's. Where there is a will, there is a way.

You just have to really want it... strive for it and never give up. I gained 3kg of muscle in my first year of training which people normally get their most in the first year, then doing the same training lifting relatively similar numbers, I gained 17kg that subsequent year. In my situation, year 1 i thought 'omg i have crap genetics i should just give up' but not giving up and being determined to get somewhere made me freak out in my second year of training that muscle mass was actually attainable.

[fioriset10]

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Thanks.

[Dan C]

Two questions.

The first, (out of curiosity) what is your ethnic background?

The second, (which is likely the source of the problem) what does your routine look like?

[maverick]

Chances are you are training or eating wrong and it has nothing to do with your race. What does your weight training and diet look like. Be as specific as possible. We'd love to help, but only when you stop making excuses. Its kinda like AA, you have to admit you have a problem first.

I'll ask for a third time, what race are you?

EDIT: Sorry Dan, didn't see your post. Great minds right?

[CF-OC_gal]

Andy save that post! That's a lot of typing to do each time someone new raises the same complaint about not gaining.

Thanks for that.

[KayakJones]

I'm bettin he's not a "jap". (his words, not mine)

[.V.]

Originally Posted by KayakJones

I'm bettin he's not a "jap". (his words, not mine)

Who cares what he is, you are, I am? The human body is just that, a human body. It pretty much needs to be treated the same.

Kayak, with your background, I'm certain you attended just as many autopsies as I did during training. Don't you agree that under the skin we are pretty much all about the same?

[Firehawk]

We will find out on the next SURVIVOR whether ethnicity has to do with being better at some things than other races or if we are all truly built equally! Stay tuned lol.

[maverick]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Who cares what he is, you are, I am? The human body is just that, a human body. It pretty much needs to be treated the same.

I can't speak for why anyone else wants to know, but I want to know so that I can post pictures of natural bodybuilders of that race/ethnicity to get the point across that race/ethnicity if not a limiting factor in muscle growth.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by KISS

For instance, one could argue that Somalis, despite being poor, are bigger and stronger than rich Japs or whoever. And others may produce different stats to prove otherwise.

I don't get the connection between being "poor and strong" or "rich and weak". Show me the statistics that if you have money you are weak.

Also look at this and tell me a "short, skinny guy" CANNOT gain muscle. There is no data to back your arguements. I would have to agree with most folks here, your training and diet is off for you to gain correctly.

BTW KISS means Keep It Simple, Stupid!

[maverick]

Thats exactly the link i was waiting to post Lady C!

[ebon00]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

We will find out on the next SURVIVOR whether ethnicity has to do with being better at some things than other races or if we are all truly built equally! Stay tuned lol.

Ooooh, how about deadlift survivor?

[maverick]

Originally Posted by ebon00

Ooooh, how about deadlift survivor?

I'm forming an alliance with Firehawk and Dark then