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Coming soonLean and Weak?
Here's What To Do
I got an inquiry the other day about a reader who proclaimed that he's “lean and weak.” Of course, I personally replied to his email but then I thought that this is such a universal question that I'd share my answer to him with you.
Lean and Weak?
I, too, was skinny and weak at one point. I'm glad you are ready to make a change!
Here's what I did: I ate, drank, and slept weight training. I read everything I could, bought every supplement in the stores, and trained hard. REALLY HARD.
Guess what? It didn't work for me. And it took me a really long time to figure out what I was doing wrong.
Bottom line: I was doing nearly everything wrong!
Can you believe that? For my body type, there was no way in the world I should be training the way I was. It was too much, too often. Plus, my diet was not helping and the supplements were sending me (and my parents) to the poor house.
I finally discovered the secret. And now it's really no secret. I wrote a Manifesto about how I gained 60 pounds in one year.
Now, I don't know if you're ready to lay down $37 for my Hardgainer Manifesto. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't.
If you are, go to http://www.hard-gainers-manifesto.com. There, you will find the keys to adding a whole bunch of muscle and gaining super strength.
If you want to get a taste of the course, for FREE, check out my 7-day ecourse. You can find it here — https://www.muscle-build.com/https://muscle-build.com/hard-gainer/.
Either way, you'll learn more in 20 minutes of reading than you would have in 200 hours of reading “muscle magazines.” I will never say that muscle mags are all junk, but think about this —
How many supplement ads will you find in the leading muscle magazines? In a recent Flex magazine, I counted nearly 40 pages of supplement ads in the first 40 pages!
That's right. Before the first viable muscle-building content, there was nothing but ads.
To make matters worse, think about this: Who do you think writes those articles? They may have a famous bodybuilder's name under the title, but it most likely was some skinny guy who might have watched a pro bodybuilder train.
And now, get this — those articles are geared toward pro bodybuilders. You, and 99.9 percent of all weight trainers will never be pro-caliber. Heck, most of us don't want to look like a pro bodybuilder!
Those guys are not your ordinary guys and gals. It would be like you and me training like Jerry Rice, only to find that we'll never be as good as him. Or practicing day and night on the guitar, only to discover that we are not of the same caliber as Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Just ain't gonna happen.
Plus, I daresay that all professional bodybuilders are a) taking some serious drugs and b) are getting boatloads of supplements for free.
These are “advantages” neither you nor I will ever have (or want).
So, the gist of all this is that you should not train or eat like a pro bodybuilder. Stop reading the mags (I know, they're cool and it's great to dream — you may be one of the few who can ever look like that), start training and eating sensibly, and you can attain fantastic results
- without drugs
- with — at MOST — 45 minutes a day (every other day) in the gym
- and without breaking the bank buying food supplements
You'll look great, feel great, and have time and money left over to enjoy life.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Best of luck to you!
PS — There are some really good muscle-building programs out there besides mine (though I'm biased and think mine give you the greatest chance at success, at value prices). Check out Muscle-Building-Guide-Reviews.com for some of the best.
PPS — If you're lean and weak, you just need to find what works for you. Every body is different. Challenge yourself to find out how to break out of “lean and weak” syndrome!
Larry Scott
The winner of the first two Mr. Olympia's (1965 & 1966), Larry Scott is best known for those arms! He probably has the best bicep structure ever.
Unfortunately, he's also known for wide hips and narrow shoulders. I'm not so sure I agree with Mr. Gironda about this, but that's the story.
He also starred in movies, including Muscle Beach Party featuring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.
The partnership of Larry and Vince was quite innovative. Together, they “invented” at least two exercises named after Larry:
- The Scott Curl, performed on a “preacher” bench, to which they both attributed his famously long-bellied biceps.
- The Scott Press, a dumbbell exercise where you started in the finished position of a curl, and press upwards as you rotate your hands from supination to pronation. This exercise really hits the front and side deltoid a lot harder than a standard dumbbell press.
Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler is a 4-time Mr. Olympia winner. He's broad, tan, and ripped to shreds.
I ran across him once at the Arnold Sports Expo quite a few years ago. He'd already won the Mr. O a couple times by then.
He's not tall, but DAYUM he's wide.
The man has some broad shoulders. And he's freaking huge!
How Far Can I Go Without Damaging My Growth?
Hi, I'm 16 years old. I weigh 145 pounds and am 5'11. I've been training at a gym regularly since I was 14 and I'm pretty used to drinking protein shakes and having a high protein diet. I was just wondering, what other types of supplements can I take? I'm pretty matured compared to my peers, and I don't think I can grow any taller anymore. Should I be able to take creatine, NO supplements, BCAA, and other types of supplements frequently used for building muscle? Can I use N.O Xplode? I heard that some supplements are strictly forbidden for people under the age of 18 and other supplements don't even mention age. I'm practically avoiding Growth Hormone, Testosterone, and Anabolic formulas for now…
Thanks in advance.
My take:16 is a tough age to be! Here's where I'll tell you to do as I say, not as I did.
At a younger age than you, I began taking weight gain supplements and aminos. And you know what? Nothing happened? I was a classic hardgainer: Very lean and muscular, strong as a bull, but very skinny.
It wasn't until my mid-twenties when I began putting on appreciable weight. I think most guys experience something similar, especially us guys on the thin side.
Save your money and get as strong as you can totally naturally. Stick to compound movements like bench presses, squats, overhead presses, and deadlifts. You may hear some people say that you shouldn't weight train until you're 18 or older. I'm not sure about that: Everybody is different.
I know guys who had no negative experiences from lifting at a young age; I know guys who swear off lifting for anyone younger than 21!
Best bet: Talk to your doctor. Tell him or her what your goals are. Your doctor can review and/or modify any system you might choose.
On the topic of supplements: I don't see any harm in taking protein powders, amino acids, or creatine. Lots of studies have been done; none show any harmful effects for young men such as yourself. However, the jury is out on the efficacy of such supplements.
In short, you may be spending money yet getting no appreciable benefits from doing so.
As with nearly anything in life, set goals, monitor progress, and make adjustments.
Hope this helps!
Want Faster Results?
Look, I know how hard it is to build muscle. Trust me when I tell you it took me 20+ years to figure it out. But once I did--BAM!--muscle appeared almost overnight. Give me your email address and I'll send you the keys.