# Putting on weight



## Danke

I was wondering if anyone had some advice for putting on weight before my medical. I'm 22, male, about 5'9", 125 lbs right now, and I've never been heavier. I'm hoping that my training for the fitness exam will fill me out a bit, but exercise has never worked for me before  :-\

Any tips?


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## TheHead

What is your diet like at the moment?


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## Danke

TheHead said:
			
		

> What is your diet like at the moment?



It's been worse than normal lately, though I've started improving it. I'm trying to stick to 3 squares a day now (since snacking keeps the metabolism going all day, burning off extra calories) but it doesn't always happen. Usually toast or a bagel with eggs in the morning, instant meal for lunch, and a solid meal for dinner.


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## TheHead

By instant meal you mean frozen right?


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## Danke

TheHead said:
			
		

> By instant meal you mean frozen right?



Yep  To my everlasting shame, the cooking course I took back in high school didn't stick with me. On the plus side, I invented the "Beggel"--an unholy combination of bagel and egg-in-the-basket.


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## TheHead

Danke said:
			
		

> Yep  To my everlasting shame, the cooking course I took back in high school didn't stick with me. On the plus side, I invented the "Beggel"--an unholy combination of bagel and egg-in-the-basket.


      

  
          You don't need to be an amazing cook to eat healthy.   I'm terrible at cooking nice, elaborate dinners but I've managed to put twenty-two pounds on over the course of six months. By no means am I a personal trainer or a weight-lifting guru.  This is also something I threw together on my own.   I had the same problem as you did.  When I got back from Afghanistan my diet turned into shit and I couldn't gain a pound even if I had a pizza eating marathon and drank bottles of pop.  It's all about the diet.  


For breakfast two packets of oat meal and six egg whites.  I buy the one dollar egg white cartons from Walmart and I get 3-4 meals out of them.
For a snack I have another 10 egg whites that I cooked the night before with a little bit of pepper or two packets of oatmeal.
For lunch I have 2 pieces of chicken breast and two cups of rice that I cooked the night before.
For a snack I have a protein bar or a protein shake.
For supper I have two pieces of chicken breast, two cups of rice and a serving of spinach.

 Switch the chicken up with pieces of cod and the packets of oatmeal with cans of tuna or beans mixed in with salsa.  None of these meals take more than 30 miniutes to make and it's very cost effective.   You can get 20 egg whites for a dollar and boxes of chicken breast are cheap at Walmart, Sobeys or M&M Meats.    

  Get rid of the frozen meals, eat 5-6 small meals a day and take a look into throwing a supplement into your diet.  You don't need to drink 4L of Mammoth 2000 a day but they do help.


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## MJP

TheHead said:
			
		

> You don't need to be an amazing cook to eat healthy.   I'm terrible at cooking nice, elaborate dinners but I've managed to put twenty-two pounds on over the course of six months. By no means am I a personal trainer or a weight-lifting guru.  This is also something I threw together on my own.   I had the same problem as you did.  When I got back from Afghanistan my diet turned into crap and I couldn't gain a pound even if I had a pizza eating marathon and drank bottles of pop.  It's all about the diet.
> 
> 
> For breakfast two packets of oat meal and six egg whites.  I buy the one dollar egg white cartons from Walmart and I get 3-4 meals out of them.
> For a snack I have another 10 egg whites that I cooked the night before with a little bit of pepper or two packets of oatmeal.
> For lunch I have 2 pieces of chicken breast and two cups of rice that I cooked the night before.
> For a snack I have a protein bar or a protein shake.
> For supper I have two pieces of chicken breast, two cups of rice and a serving of spinach.
> 
> Switch the chicken up with pieces of cod and the packets of oatmeal with cans of tuna or beans mixed in with salsa.  None of these meals take more than 30 miniutes to make and it's very cost effective.   You can get 20 egg whites for a dollar and boxes of chicken breast are cheap at Walmart, Sobeys or M&M Meats.
> 
> Get rid of the frozen meals, eat 5-6 small meals a day and take a look into throwing a supplement into your diet.  You don't need to drink 4L of Mammoth 2000 a day but they do help.



On top of this lots of good fats (olive, coconut, Omega-3) and lots of milk....whole milk none of that skim or 2% stuff.  Gaining weight is a matter of calories in exceeds calories out.  Make sure that you are doing some good physical fitness (whatever works for you) as well.


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## Danke

MJP said:
			
		

> On top of this lots of good fats (olive, coconut, Omega-3) and lots of milk....whole milk none of that skim or 2% stuff.  Gaining weight is a matter of calories in exceeds calories out.  Make sure that you are doing some good physical fitness (whatever works for you) as well.



Unfortunately, I'm lactose-intolerant. It's a recent thing; I haven't looked into solutions yet. Yogurt is fine, so I've been eating that. I'm using EA Sports Active 2 for Kinect right now for training; it's working better than I was able to by myself.


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## armychick2009

If you have lactose issues, try the soy milk. It isn't as healthy as it sounds and... get the chocolate flavour! (tastes better and has a few more calories)....  Plus, it's some extra protein which I imagine is kind of what you're looking for at the moment.


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## MJP

armychick2009 said:
			
		

> If you have lactose issues, try the soy milk. It isn't as healthy as it sounds and... get the chocolate flavour! (tastes better and has a few more calories)....  Plus, it's some extra protein which I imagine is kind of what you're looking for at the moment.



Soy milk is not as good as the industry like to make it sound! It is heavily processed, denatured and full of sugars.  Soybeans also contain potent enzyme inhibitors. These inhibitors block uptake of trypsin and other enzymes that the body needs for protein digestion. Cooking does not get rid of them. Soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together and prevent them from performing their functions.  1,2

Processing into soy protein isolate removes some of these problems but not all. The high heat denatures much of the proteins, thereby making them unusable to the human body.  The same could be said for regular milk as well, however when I suggested whole milk above it is for the fats contained within not the protein(which can be largely unusable by the body).  

Remember that most of the hype surrounding the benefits of soy came from the soy industry themselves in order to sell their product. Soy is a cheap filler with minimal taste, just the kind of thing that big business likes to add to food products. 

If you can't have milk that is cool, Some people thrive well on dairy some don't.   Just eat what you can with more fats.  The more natural unprocessed and sugar free it is the better it is for your body.

1http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1965.tb01831.x/abstract
2 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jat.2550090307/abstract


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## Fishbone Jones

Beer works.


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## Nostix

I put on 28 pounds in 4 months when I started strength training. For me, I was underweight at 6'4 - 175, and I wanted to fill out my frame. 

I got a good workout plan that worked on my big lifts, the squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press.

As for the diet, if you're serious, you're just going to honestly need to focus on eating way more than you're used to. Don't worry about snacking 'keeping your metabolism up'. You should be eating to blow away your metabolism. I ate a meal every three hours, and was drinking about a gallon of homo milk every two days.  I'm also lactose intolerant, but at a level that I could manage by spreading my milk intake out in small amounts throughout the day, and then just sucking up the occasional gas and discomfort if I overdid it. 

The bottom line is that if you struggle with putting on weight, it's going to take a serious mental shift to make any real difference. There are very few quick and easy solutions to a lifestyle change.


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## MJP

recceguy said:
			
		

> Beer works.



Beer works awesome!


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## Danke

MJP said:
			
		

> Beer works awesome!



I drank beer and ate pizza all through college; didn't gain a pound 

I guess I'll focus on eating whenever I'm not doing anything else, and stick to high-protein, high-fat stuff (while being sure to read the Canadian Food Guide to healthy eating  )


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## Miko

TheHead said:
			
		

> For breakfast two packets of oat meal and six egg whites.  I buy the one dollar egg white cartons from Walmart and I get 3-4 meals out of them.
> For a snack I have another 10 egg whites that I cooked the night before with a little bit of pepper or two packets of oatmeal.
> For lunch I have 2 pieces of chicken breast and two cups of rice that I cooked the night before.
> For a snack I have a protein bar or a protein shake.
> For supper I have two pieces of chicken breast, two cups of rice and a serving of spinach.
> 
> Switch the chicken up with pieces of cod and the packets of oatmeal with cans of tuna or beans mixed in with salsa.  None of these meals take more than 30 miniutes to make and it's very cost effective.   You can get 20 egg whites for a dollar and boxes of chicken breast are cheap at Walmart, Sobeys or M&M Meats.
> 
> Get rid of the frozen meals, eat 5-6 small meals a day and take a look into throwing a supplement into your diet.  You don't need to drink 4L of Mammoth 2000 a day but they do help.



I highly reccommend the diet plan by "TheHead". I'm using something similar coupled with a good work out routine for great results. Here it is broken up into 6 meals below;

meal 1 (breakfast)
6 eggwhites 2 yolks 
3/4 cup oatmeal water or 1% milk
one scoop whey protein

meal2
can of tuna
1/2 cup rice (olive oil)

meal 3 (Lunch)
6-8oz chicken
5oz sweet potato
1/2 cup green beans
1 tbsp peanut butter

meal 4
1 can of tuna
1/2 cup rice (olive oil)
wait 1h & work out

meal 5 (after work out)
2 scoops whey, 1 gatorade

meal 6 (supper)
6-8oz sirloin or steak
large dinner salad with olive oil

Obviously, your gonna need to be creative and add some variety, however it is very good way to bulk up.
Also, as for the protien supplement I purchase mine from; http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html. Although i'm sure any supplement would do.

There is plenty of good experience and knowledge on this forum to help you out. 
Work hard and keep with it.


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## Angel52

1- Dump Girlfriend
2- Become a pig
3- ?
4- Profit!


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## Fishbone Jones

Danke said:
			
		

> I drank beer and ate pizza all through college; didn't gain a pound



You're not drinking enough of it then. ;D  If you were, you wouldn't care about your weight.


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## ballz

recceguy said:
			
		

> You're not drinking enough of it then. ;D  If you were, you wouldn't care about your weight.



Or the weight of the blonde sitting across the bar eating a supersized plate of nachos


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## Navalsnpr

Ever speak with a Dietician?


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## Chilme

Nostix said:
			
		

> I put on 28 pounds in 4 months when I started strength training. For me, I was underweight at 6'4 - 175, and I wanted to fill out my frame.
> 
> I got a good workout plan that worked on my big lifts, the squat, deadlift, bench, and overhead press.
> 
> As for the diet, if you're serious, you're just going to honestly need to focus on eating way more than you're used to. Don't worry about snacking 'keeping your metabolism up'. You should be eating to blow away your metabolism. I ate a meal every three hours, and was drinking about a gallon of homo milk every two days.  I'm also lactose intolerant, but at a level that I could manage by spreading my milk intake out in small amounts throughout the day, and then just sucking up the occasional gas and discomfort if I overdid it.
> 
> The bottom line is that if you struggle with putting on weight, it's going to take a serious mental shift to make any real difference. There are very few quick and easy solutions to a lifestyle change.



Amen!


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## Danke

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll continue to exercise, eat better, and get some protein supplement. I'll update this if/when I hit 130 lbs


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## TheHead

Danke said:
			
		

> Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll continue to exercise, eat better, and get some protein supplement. I'll update this if/when I hit 130 lbs



Goodluck and the best piece of advice given is....



> The bottom line is that if you struggle with putting on weight, it's going to take a serious mental shift to make any real difference. There are very few quick and easy solutions to a lifestyle change.



Stay away from that frozen shit


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## Fatalize

Be ready to lose it all really quick when you get on course though 

I was the same way before I joined, I was 6'4 175lbs and went on a diet/gym plan nearing the end of high school and got up to 205lbs. I lost 40lbs during BMQ, then got back up to 200lbs on PAT then lost 30lbs during SQ/DP1.

Depending on which course you get on, meal timings/PT/Sleep and the field can mess your goals up big time.


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## Hambo

TS, I'm just going to put a couple ideas out here. There have been some great suggestions in this thread already.

- Eat the whole egg. I see some recommendations of just whites or a certain number of whites and certain number of yolks. Eat the whole egg.

- Snack on calorically dense foods. One great snack food is almonds.

- Drink whole milk. You say you are lactose intolerant. Isn't there medication you can get to make you tolerate it better? I've read posts by people who are LI still drinking a ton of homogenized milk. 

- If your favorite appliance isn't your blender, it should be. Shakes are the easiest way to get a ton of calories down with feeling like you've just forced your way through a 10 course meal. Homogenized milk, yogurt, olive oil, powdered milk, oats, ice cream, fruit, a scoop of protein and maybe even those left over veggies from last night. Couple that with a handful of almonds and you're set.

- Eat everything. You weigh 125 lbs. Please do not be concerned about eating clean or getting fat. Eat when you should and when you know you have to, not when you feel like it. I rarely get hungry anymore. I just eat. You know why those kids in the gym who say they're trying to get bigger and say they "just can't" even though they "eat so much/everything/all the time" don't get bigger? Because they aren't eating enough.

- Personally, I try and eat every four hours. I'm not sure why, to be honest. I read it somewhere and it just makes sense because that seems to be about the point I start getting hungry. I'm not sure if there's any significance, physiologically speaking.

Of course, all of the above is contingent on your lifting weights. That alone will increase your appetite. Also (obviously) if you want to get bigger, you need to lift weights. Body weight exercises won't cut it. You say "exercise" never worked for you before. What were you doing? Were you lifting weights? What did your program look like? Were you consistent? Although if you're doing it right, you should start to see results quite quickly, getting big and strong doesn't take weeks or months. It takes years. 

You say you'll update us when you hit 130 lbs. If you're doing it right with the lifting and eating, you should be updating us in about 1-2 weeks.

If you're serious about getting bigger and stronger, it will take commitment and consistency. Without one of those components, the wheels will fall of and you will get no where. That's just the way it goes.

People will always tell you what you should be eating with regards to your macro ratio and all that garbage. They will also attempt push the latest Muscle Mag routine written by some idiot in a cubicle on you, or explain how it's the best thing ever and how you should try it. You combat this by educating yourself, _knowing_ what's right and going out and getting the results.


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## Jc066

The best way to put on weight is, by far using a GOMAD and heavy lifting approach. GOMAD ( Gallon of Milk a day) plus normal meals will put serious pounds on! I used it and put on 12lbs in 11days. I did stop b/c I was sick of milk but continued through with the rest of my squat program.

That is the other point: The human body responds to the stress put upon it. You have to drop the heavy cardio volume and focus on moving lots of Iron. Now, I didn't say STOP running or biking or swimming, just use it to get a sweat on/get the heart rate up etc.

Someone mentioned Starting Strength and I am 110% for this! Linear progression works awesome and this is what you need. If you are not interested in a full program there are others that can get you there, _BUT_ the squatting is key! Doing bench&bi's the whole time leaves you pretty nonfunctional. Squatting will transfer over to important things like ruck marches and section attacks more than the B&B( although running will suck for a bit after finishing). Google Russian squat program, when I used it I added 40lbs to my back squat which was well over the 5%( almost 9% for me) the program is designed for.

You said you are Lactose intolerant? Tough cookie but ways around it; 1) there is Lactose-free milk out there that will get you the extra calories that you need. Can't do it with the werido-milk? next step in whole coconut milk! Don't know how much a gallon of coconut milk will cost but it has lots of good fats, high calorie and tastes good. The last step would be synthetic proteins; the stuff that is powdered for you, easily mixes etc.
This is IMHO. What works for me might not work for you. Try it and find out!
JC


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## Hambo

Jc066 said:
			
		

> The best way to put on weight is, by far using a GOMAD and heavy lifting approach. GOMAD ( Gallon of Milk a day) plus normal meals will put serious pounds on! I used it and put on 12lbs in 11days. I did stop b/c I was sick of milk but continued through with the rest of my squat program.
> 
> That is the other point: The human body responds to the stress put upon it. You have to drop the heavy cardio volume and focus on moving lots of Iron. Now, I didn't say STOP running or biking or swimming, just use it to get a sweat on/get the heart rate up etc.
> 
> Someone mentioned Starting Strength and I am 110% for this! Linear progression works awesome and this is what you need. If you are not interested in a full program there are others that can get you there, _BUT_ the squatting is key! Doing bench&bi's the whole time leaves you pretty nonfunctional. Squatting will transfer over to important things like ruck marches and section attacks more than the B&B( although running will suck for a bit after finishing). Google Russian squat program, when I used it I added 40lbs to my back squat which was well over the 5%( almost 9% for me) the program is designed for.
> 
> You said you are Lactose intolerant? Tough cookie but ways around it; 1) there is Lactose-free milk out there that will get you the extra calories that you need. Can't do it with the werido-milk? next step in whole coconut milk! Don't know how much a gallon of coconut milk will cost but it has lots of good fats, high calorie and tastes good. The last step would be synthetic proteins; the stuff that is powdered for you, easily mixes etc.
> This is IMHO. What works for me might not work for you. Try it and find out!
> JC



Generally good advice, but:

The Russian Squat Routine is a specialized squat routine. There's no reason for a beginner strength trainee to do it. That would be akin to advising a beginner to do Smolov. You say you added 40 lbs to your squat? What were your starting and finishing 1RMs? If you start with a relatively low 1RM, of course you can expect to add a lot more weight than if you start with a much higher 1RM. Adding 5% to a 500 lb squat is a lot harder than adding 5% to a 350 lb squat. Even so, it is not unheard of for experienced lifters to add a lot of weight doing a program like Smolov, but it is a specialized routine that a beginner has no business doing.

Protein powder isn't a replacement for drinking milk.


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## Nauticus

Danke said:
			
		

> I was wondering if anyone had some advice for putting on weight before my medical. I'm 22, male, about 5'9", 125 lbs right now, and I've never been heavier. I'm hoping that my training for the fitness exam will fill me out a bit, but exercise has never worked for me before  :-\
> 
> Any tips?



Also look into what your exercise consists of. If you're doing it right, as well as eating right, there's no reason why it wouldn't "work".


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## ConradJon

Workout (if an option), then proceed to mcdonalds and order the most fattening burger, with chocolate milk. Worked for my cousin, but he turned out bulky after a couple of months.


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## Hambo

Nauticus said:
			
		

> Also look into what your exercise consists of. If you're doing it right, as well as eating right, there's no reason why it wouldn't "work".



Most people don't know how to lift weights right. That's the biggest problem, and why it doesn't work. Cue frustration, which then leads to cessation.



			
				ConradJon said:
			
		

> Workout (if an option), then proceed to mcdonalds and order the most fattening burger, with chocolate milk. Worked for my cousin, but he turned out bulky after a couple of months.



Thank you for gracing us with your brilliance.

By "bulky" do you mean completely fat?


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## ConradJon

No I do not mean completely fat, just into a heavier Johnny Bravo physique. Of course, if you would prefer to do it the more healthy way, 6 meals a day with lots of meat, and a protein shake after workouts.


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## Hambo

ConradJon said:
			
		

> No I do not mean completely fat, just into a heavier Johnny Bravo physique. Of course, if you would prefer to do it the more healthy way, 6 meals a day with lots of meat, and a protein shake after workouts.



You don't need to eat six meals a day, nor do you _need_ to consume protein shakes PWO.

Eating many smaller meals is meant to keep your metabolism high, something that someone looking to gain weight probably isn't concerned with and would actually be counter-productive to their goal.

If someone is looking to gain weight, they'd likely want to eat fewer, larger meals. But, really, who cares? They just need to eat more.


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## Fishbone Jones

Hambo said:
			
		

> Most people don't know how to lift weights right. That's the biggest problem, and why it doesn't work. Cue frustration, which then leads to cessation.
> 
> Thank you for gracing us with your brilliance.By "bulky" do you mean completely fat?



Watch the attitude.

As well, we won't be turning this into another Charles Atlas "My training regime is better than your's" thread. You have your own internet forums for that. We are not going down that road again so soon after the last couple of debacles.

You weight lifters\ body builders\ muscle sculpters\ bulker uppers just have to learn to agree to disagree with each other.

Milnet.ca Staff


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## Danke

Thanks for the advice everyone. A lot of great stuff here. 

I've been focusing on eating bigger meals; I measured my caloric intake and found out that a day of eating whenever I'm hungry gives me fewer than what is recommended. So I'm taking double servings of everything and eating even when I'm not hungry, since it's not a reliable metric for me.

I bought some protein powder, and found some digestive pills with lactase which seem to be working for the lactose intolerance thing.

I've got some freeweights ranging from 8-30 lbs. I tend to stick to the 8-pounders because my upper body strength is really lacking. I'll try some squats with the heavier stuff. I'm not doing any running for a few days; tweaked the outside of my left knee when I was skating, or swimming, or something. No symptoms any more, but I don't want to aggravate it.


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## Hambo

Danke said:
			
		

> Thanks for the advice everyone. A lot of great stuff here.
> 
> I've been focusing on eating bigger meals; I measured my caloric intake and found out that a day of eating whenever I'm hungry gives me fewer than what is recommended. So I'm taking double servings of everything and eating even when I'm not hungry, since it's not a reliable metric for me.
> 
> I bought some protein powder, and found some digestive pills with lactase which seem to be working for the lactose intolerance thing.
> 
> I've got some freeweights ranging from 8-30 lbs. I tend to stick to the 8-pounders because my upper body strength is really lacking. I'll try some squats with the heavier stuff. I'm not doing any running for a few days; tweaked the outside of my left knee when I was skating, or swimming, or something. No symptoms any more, but I don't want to aggravate it.



Good to hear. When you first start, eating a lot can be quite difficult, but you get used to it and your appetite/body adjusts accordingly.

On the lifting side, 8-30 lb dumbbells is not going to be enough. If possible, you should get a gym membership and start working on things like back squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bent over rows and chin ups. If you need to use just the bar starting out, then so be it, but if you're looking to gain quality mass and strength, you're going to need a barbell.

If have any more questions, just post them.


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## IsraelC

I used to weigh 115 pounds at 6"0, I'm now at 170ish and gaining; this is what I've been doing:

Train using the 5x5 workout (5 sets of 5 reps) on the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Once you can lift a weight for the full 25 reps for 2 consecutive workouts add another 10 pounds on. Don't train heavy on the weights for more that 3-4 days a week or you'll start going downhill.
NOTE: USE PROPER FORM! If you don't know it then ask someone at the gym, seriously.

Eat ridiculous amounts of food; I'm talking about 4000-5000 calories a day. At least 200 grams of protein a day. Make sure its all healthy whole food. Eat a few servings of meat a day; New York Steaks, tuna, chicken, a dozen eggs.. just make sure that there is a lot of meat. Also, eat even more carbs; a box of spaghetti a day type thing (I can buy a box of spaghetti for $1.30 and it'll give me 1800 calories). Make sure there is healthy fat thrown in there somewhere. To get in this much food, you're going to have to eat more than 3x a day, try 5-7x (yes it will speed up your metabolism but you'll outrun it).

Sleep for 8-10 hours EVERY night. This is the time when your body actually gains weight by re-building the muscle that your previous workout tore apart; sleep is much more important than most people make it out to be when they're trying to put on pounds.

If this doesn't work, you have a tapeworm or something.


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## ballz

IsraelC said:
			
		

> Eat a few servings of meat a day; *New York Steaks*, tuna, chicken, a dozen eggs.. just make sure that there is a lot of meat.



Sirloin won't suffice?


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## prima6

IsraelC said:
			
		

> I used to weigh 115 pounds at 6"0, I'm now at 170ish and gaining; this is what I've been doing:
> 
> Train using the 5x5 workout (5 sets of 5 reps) on the bench press, squat, and deadlift. Once you can lift a weight for the full 25 reps for 2 consecutive workouts add another 10 pounds on. Don't train heavy on the weights for more that 3-4 days a week or you'll start going downhill.
> NOTE: USE PROPER FORM! If you don't know it then ask someone at the gym, seriously.
> 
> Eat ridiculous amounts of food; I'm talking about 4000-5000 calories a day. At least 200 grams of protein a day. Make sure its all healthy whole food. Eat a few servings of meat a day; New York Steaks, tuna, chicken, a dozen eggs.. just make sure that there is a lot of meat. Also, eat even more carbs; a box of spaghetti a day type thing (I can buy a box of spaghetti for $1.30 and it'll give me 1800 calories). Make sure there is healthy fat thrown in there somewhere. To get in this much food, you're going to have to eat more than 3x a day, try 5-7x (yes it will speed up your metabolism but you'll outrun it).
> 
> Sleep for 8-10 hours EVERY night. This is the time when your body actually gains weight by re-building the muscle that your previous workout tore apart; sleep is much more important than most people make it out to be when they're trying to put on pounds.
> 
> If this doesn't work, you have a tapeworm or something.



A guy weighing 125 lbs eating 4000-5000 calories a day is going to put on a substantial amount of fat.  That's between 32 and 40 cal/lb, which is almost double what any healthy "bulking" routine would require.  Most guys trying to put on muscle efficiently are going to run at around 20 cal/lb and still wind up putting on some fat.  At 5000 cal/day a 125 lb man would expect to put on around 5 lbs/week and the body is incapable of putting on 5 lbs of muscle a week.  Most studies suggest something in the neighbourhood of 0.5lbs/week of muscle is more realistic.  The remaining 4.5 lbs is going to be fat.

I eat about 4300 cal/day when I'm putting on weight, but I'm 210 lbs.  It gives me a reasonable amount of weight gain without a lot of fat gain (around 1 lb/week).


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## Newapplicant78

4000-5000 cal a day WoW   
I think Im a skinny female 5'5 120 and In order for me to gain weight and add mass to my upper body I have to have an intake of 2000-3000 cal a day.
I agree if your taking in to much your activity has to be such that your burning alot of it away. 
Do you include running or any cardio to your workouts?
Carbs should be Brown rice, oats, whole wheat the other stuff is just starch. Nothing wrong wid the Mickey D diet to refuel I guess. Yogourt, salads, nuts,fish. lentils(beans) fruits lots of veggies. I case you have no idea what kind of diet these guys are talking about. Lots of protein is suppose to be the key.
Tried the eggs thing  :facepalm: my personal opinion. haha 
Overall you have to plan your meals and eating the right amount.
Shake for breakfast (lactose intolerant I have opted for the protein shake), Yogourt snack, sandwich lunch, veggie snack, brown rice grilled chicken breast with veggies, nuts for snack SLEEP.
Water anyone and lots of it  ;D  
Style meals around your schedule.


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## ballz

Black Betty said:
			
		

> 4000-5000 cal a day WoW
> I think Im a skinny female 5'5 120 and In order for me to gain weight and add mass to my upper body I have to have an intake of 2000-3000 cal a day.
> I agree if your taking in to much your activity has to be such that your burning alot of it away.
> Do you include running or any cardio to your workouts?
> Carbs should be Brown rice, oats, whole wheat the other stuff is just starch. Nothing wrong wid the Mickey D diet to refuel I guess. Yogourt, *salads,* nuts, lentils(beans) fruits* lots of veggies.* I case you have no idea what kind of diet these guys are talking about. Lots of protein is suppose to be the key.
> Tried the eggs thing  :facepalm: my personal opinion. haha
> Overall you have to plan your meals and eating the right amount.
> Shake for breakfast (lactose intolerant I have opted for the protein shake), Yogourt snack, sandwich lunch, veggie snack, brown rice grilled chicken breast with veggies, nuts for snack SLEEP.
> *Water anyone and lots of it  ;D *
> Style meals around your schedule.



Huh??? This thread is about putting on weight not losing it. Unless you're talking about a caesar salad with extra caesar and lots of chicken, bacon, and cheese.

Veggies and especially water are not going to help. Water has no calories and is filling... celery has negative calories. Niether is very ideal for somebody trying to up their protein and calories intake.


----------



## Newapplicant78

Joke right!

Salads are something to fill you granted LOVE ME SOME CAESAR SALAD ++
Water is required to help the body fluids and your Vitamins hello :nod: otherwise you need to be popping a lot of pills to get your Canadian Food Guide requirements in there.


----------



## ballz

I didn't realize water had vitamins, but then again I also didn't realize milk never had any fluids in it.

Actually, nevermind...


----------



## blacktriangle

If you really want a hardcore diet, try living off only vector cereal, milk, and homemade fruit smoothies. It got me JACKED.


----------



## HavokFour

1. Oats and Squats
2. Protein shakes between meals
3. Lean chicken and fish
4. Broccoli

Works for me. ;D


----------



## IsraelC

ballz said:
			
		

> Sirloin won't suffice?


New York steaks have always been easier for me to cook; they're all the same thickness. Whereas sirloin varies to much.. I'm no cook so I stick to what's simple for me. Don't get me wrong; sirloin is a bloody gift from the gods, but I prefer it to be cooked by someone who knows what they're doing.. and I don't.



			
				prima6 said:
			
		

> A guy weighing 125 lbs eating 4000-5000 calories a day is going to put on a substantial amount of fat.  That's between 32 and 40 cal/lb, which is almost double what any healthy "bulking" routine would require.  Most guys trying to put on muscle efficiently are going to run at around 20 cal/lb and still wind up putting on some fat.  At 5000 cal/day a 125 lb man would expect to put on around 5 lbs/week and the body is incapable of putting on 5 lbs of muscle a week.  Most studies suggest something in the neighbourhood of 0.5lbs/week of muscle is more realistic.  The remaining 4.5 lbs is going to be fat.


I know it sounds ridiculous, and thats because it is; but it was the only way for me to gain weight back when I was quite literally a human skeleton. I don't have any studies to back it up, but it worked for me and I doubt I ever went over 10% body fat. So my own empirical evidence suggests that ridiculous amounts of food is what's needed for ectomorphs to gain weight.
But of course we all have different genetics, so what worked for me may not work for other ectomorphs.


----------



## ballz

IsraelC said:
			
		

> New York steaks have always been easier for me to cook; they're all the same thickness. Whereas sirloin varies to much.. I'm no cook so I stick to what's simple for me. Don't get me wrong; sirloin is a bloody gift from the gods, but I prefer it to be cooked by someone who knows what they're doing.. and I don't.



I just thought it should be made clear that the most expensive cut of steak out there is not necessary. Most people can't afford a New Yorker every day. A lot of people can't afford sirloin either.

Beef would be sufficient instead of New York steaks.


----------



## prima6

I like eye of the round for beef.  It's lean, much leaner than a New York cut (~6% vs ~20% fat by weight), and pretty inexpensive.  Usually I try to stick with deer, moose and caribou, but sometimes it gets a little scare.  I'm rationing out my remaining deer and moose right now.


----------



## ballz

prima6 said:
			
		

> I like eye of the round for beef.  It's lean, much leaner than a New York cut (~6% vs ~20% fat by weight), and pretty inexpensive.  Usually I try to stick with deer, moose and caribou, but sometimes it gets a little scare.  I'm rationing out my remaining deer and moose right now.



I like the round but I usually slice it up and stew it cause seeing how lean it is it can be pretty tough. It is the leanest cut I believe.

Milpoints for the wild game. Things always taste best when you hunted it down and killed it yourself :sniper: Nothing like bottled rabbit for a quick & tasty dose of protein. Migratory birds kick a pumped up chicken's ass too.


----------



## IsraelC

New York steaks are one of the cheaper cuts at my butcher. I actually just finished eating one, which I unfortunately overcooked >.<

I supposed bison would also be a good choice if you're looking for lean red meat; I haven't really looked at the prices but I'm pretty sure its around the same as beef.. I think.


----------



## HavokFour

IsraelC said:
			
		

> New York steaks are one of the cheaper cuts at my butcher. I actually just finished eating one, which I unfortunately overcooked >.<
> 
> I supposed bison would also be a good choice if you're looking for lean red meat; I haven't really looked at the prices but I'm pretty sure its around the same as beef.. I think.



Look up some recipes before you attempt cooking some. Bison tends to become dried out if you cook it too long due to the lack of fat in it. I suggest doing it up in a stew with onions, carrots and potatoes.


----------



## MJP

IsraelC said:
			
		

> I supposed bison would also be a good choice if you're looking for lean red meat; I haven't really looked at the prices but I'm pretty sure its around the same as beef.. I think.



Much more expensive but so delicious.....


----------



## sky777

One Two said:
			
		

> I highly reccommend the diet plan by "TheHead".


Are you kidding?
This diet is good for loosing weight. 
Food  like chicken breast, fish,lean meat,eggs (white part)- are good for loosing weight.
For putting on weight you should eat much carbohydrates like:
1.Cereals with milk
2.Muesli
3.Rice
4.Milk chocolate
5.Sweet fruits
6.Pasta
7.Potates
8.Pork
9.Any juices 
10.Yeloow ,black and white beans.
11.Corn
12.Pancakes
13.Pizza
14.Hot-dogs

But anycase you should have consultation with doctors.


----------



## prima6

sky777 said:
			
		

> Are you kidding?
> This diet is good for loosing weight.
> Food  like chicken breast, fish,lean meat,eggs (white part)- are good for loosing weight.
> For putting on weight you should eat much carbohydrates like:
> 1.Cereals with milk
> 2.Muesli
> 3.Rice
> 4.Milk chocolate
> 5.Sweet fruits
> 6.Pasta
> 7.Potates
> 8.Pork
> 9.Any juices
> 10.Yeloow ,black and white beans.
> 11.Corn
> 12.Pancakes
> 13.Pizza
> 14.Hot-dogs
> 
> But anycase you should have consultation with doctors.



While I agree with some of your suggested food choices (and others I don't), chicken breast, fish, lean meet and egg whites can all be successfully used while putting on weight.  All that really matters to put on weight is taking in more calories than you burn.  Of course, ensuring they are quality calories of the right macronutrient ratio will help you put on quality weight (better ratio of muscle to fat).  Of course, you need a training program to encourage muscle growth or it won't matter.


----------



## LJohnson

I am somewhat hesitant to put my :2c: in here, but there has been a fair bit of misinformation posted. I am not a doctor, all of this information has been gained through a couple of years of reading, self-experimentation, researching medical studies, and talking with various people in the medical, nutritional, and fitness industries. I am not responsible for anything that happens if you use the information contained in this post. Do your own research. Do what works for you. Otherwise:

Keep to the basics if you are serious about wanting to gain lean body mass (muscle, not fat):

Take progress pictures in good lighting with just a swimsuit. Take them yourself in the bathroom mirror if you're not comfortable having someone else take them/don't have anyone to ask. At least one from the front, and one from the side. Print them out and keep them somewhere you will see them daily. I have talked to a significant number of people who were successful in either gaining or losing significant amounts of weight, and almost every single one of them stated that honestly looking at pictures of themselves was the biggest motivator to keeping on track. It's easy to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you aren't a little chubby around the midsection, but for some reason it's a lot harder to do when you're looking at a static picture - probably because you can't turn slightly to get a better angle.

Get your bodyfat% checked. The caliper method is cheapest. This gives you an idea of where you are starting, and allows you to track your fat gain. The accu-measure caliper is cheap and you can test yourself. It isn't the most accurate thing in the world, but it is fairly consistent, and the actual number it gives you is less important than the trend in the measurements you take. If the skinfold measurement isn't increasing, you are most likely not gaining a significant amount of fat, especially in men. Bodyfat% is a much better indicator of body composition changes than scale weight. Example: Recently, I was 165lb. I then dropped to 145lb. Now I am back up to 165lb. That doesn't seem significant until you consider that I went from around 20% bodyfat to 13%, and 90% of that weight gain is muscle. Weight and bf% should be the two measurements you should track weekly. Don't bother with daily measurements as your bodyweight will fluctuate greatly day to day depending on a large number of factors (I personally fluctuate up to 6lb between morning and evening, and up to 4lb day-to-day). You can also track circumference measurements if you want, but it's not necessary.

Lift weights. As mentioned earlier in this thread, squat, deadlift and bench press are the ones you definitely want to have in your program. I would also recommend adding pullups and shoulder press so you're hitting all of your major muscle groups. Starting strength, and other 5x5-type routines have been proven to give consistent moderate gains, especially in beginners. I personally use a single set to failure routine, which I'm finding has larger than average muscular mass and strength gains (I've added a minimum of 40lb to all of my lifts in the past 5 weeks). I recommend getting a single session with a personal trainer so they can check your form on your exercises, to ensure that you are not going to hurt yourself. Remember that your muscles only grow when you tear all of the individual fibers and they heal. That is why I personally train to absolute muscular failure with lots of recovery time, as your muscles heal at about the same rate as a burn. IE: Slow. If anyone wants more information about my training program, feel me to Private Message me and I will give you more information about it.

Eat lots. Try to stick with real food whenever possible, the less refined the better. A good rule of thumb: if it doesn't go bad in a reasonably short time frame, it's probably not real food. You should be shooting for a bare minimum of 20cal/lb of lean body mass. IE: If you are 150lb and 10% bf, you should be eating a bare minimum of 2700 calories per day (150-10% = 135 | 135x20 = 2700). Try to get at least 1 gram of protein per lb of lbm, more is better. The rest should come from a balance of healthy carbs and fats. Again, the less refined the better. Your macronutrient ratio does not matter much as long as you are getting enough protein to repair your muscles, and enough carbs to restore your muscle glycogen. Mom was right, eat your vegetables too. That said, If you are training sufficiently hard, you shouldn't have to count calories as your body becomes adapted to the exercise and increased food intake, and you will become a food-devouring machine. Basically, listen to your body. It knows better than you or I ever will. If you are getting 20cal/lb and are still hungry, eat more. The only time not to listen to your body is for the first week or so while you are adapting to the increased food intake. You will probably have trouble getting the necessary amount of food down for the first few days, but then it will become automatic.

Drink lots of water. Your body uses water as part of the system to deliver nutrients to your muscles. If you're thirsty, you're already too dehydrated. Don't worry about set amounts of fluids, just keep a glass or bottle of water by you all day and sip on it when you feel like it. Again, listen to your body, it should tell you everything you need to know.

Supplements are completely unnecessary. If you really want to take something, creatine has been shown in numerous studies to be effective and completely safe at recommended dosages. Get regular creatine, don't worry about any of the fancy other types. Creatine Monohydrate works just fine for 99% of the population, and if you are a non-responder, none of the other types will help you at all. Whey protein is not necessary but is quite handy if you live a busy lifestyle or have trouble getting in enough "real" protein. A good multi-vitamin is never a bad idea.

tl;dr version:
Take pictures
Get baseline measurements, track your progress
Lift weights
Eat real food, lots of it
Drink water, also lots
You don't need supplements

That's it.


----------



## airdelta2

Everything LJohnson said is correct, true and should be applied. 

Supplements can help...if you can't find time to cook enough/carry food with you: a weight gainer supplement (with low sugar/fat) can definitely help you get your calories in while bulking. 

A preworkout helps me get psyched for the gym but you have to stop taking it every 5 weeks for a week or two. 

If you are brand new you can gain upwards of 13-15lbs of lean muscle in 8 months of bulking. That's solid muscle, not taking into consideration glycogen/water/fat.


----------



## LJohnson

airdelta2 said:
			
		

> Supplements can help...if you can't find time to cook enough/carry food with you: a weight gainer supplement (with low sugar/fat) can definitely help you get your calories in while bulking.
> 
> A preworkout helps me get psyched for the gym but you have to stop taking it every 5 weeks for a week or two.
> 
> If you are brand new you can gain upwards of 13-15lbs of lean muscle in 8 months of bulking. That's solid muscle, not taking into consideration glycogen/water/fat.



Weight gainers are expensive. If you have the money, giv'er. I personally prefer a shake of homogenized milk, almond butter, whey protein, with blueberries (or any other fruit) thrown in for flavor. The shake I usually have for breakfast is 930cal and 80g of protein. That's a good chunk of my daily goals right there. As someone mentioned earlier, your blender is your friend.

I personally don't usually recommend pre-workout energy/NO-booster supplements for a couple of reasons. First, NO-boosters have been shown to be good for basically nothing except quickly transferring money from your pocket to the bank accounts of supplement companies. There are some studies showing minor advantages, but they are within the range of being statistically insignificant and not worth the money. In addition to expense (usually $1-4/dose), my primary reason to not recommend these products is because they are just not that good for you. While they are not directly physically addicting, the vast majority of them include either a large dose of caffeine or 1,3-Dimethylamylamine, which can eventually, with frequent usage, create dependencies. Both of these are CNS stimulants, and when you get used to relying on them, you have to eventually keep upping the dose, and will eventually get to the point where you will get withdrawal symptoms if you stop. Trust me, this is not fun. Also, if you come to rely on these supplements, you will begin to feel sluggish any time you are not on them and may begin taking them on a regular basis. Sure some people are addicted to coffee, but there's a Tim's on every corner and it's a socially acceptable addiction. People will start to look at you funny if you're jonesing to find a Popeye's or a GNC every couple of weeks. Be aware that 1,3-dimethylamylamine is illegal in some countries, and is essentially an amphetamine analogue. Every person reacts differently to it, so if you purchase anything containing it, I recommend starting with half of the suggested minimum dose. If you take too much, you will most likely be extremely jittery and unable to focus for hours. It feels like you are unable to focus on anything because you are too busy focusing on everything. As one person I know put it, that stuff will rip the top your head off, so be careful with it. Some people also find that it will mess with their internal clock, and are unable to sleep within 6 to 12 or even 16 hours of taking a dose. Use at your own risk, and your mileage may vary of course. I do keep a small tub of one of the major brands at home, but I use it rarely, at most a couple of times per year when I know am going to have a very long day ie: triple back to back shifts or something similar. If you are going to take one of these supplements, make sure you take at a minimum one week off per every 4, with no more than 8 weeks before a break. Two week breaks every four are ideal. This minimizes your dependency risk by slowing your body's adaptation to the drug, and also slows the hit to your wallet.

If you are going to get supplements, I personally recommend bodybuilding.com. They are way cheaper than local brick and mortar stores (over 50% savings on a lot of things), and have reasonable shipping costs. One bonus for us Canadians is that the shipping cost includes all taxes and duty required by the government, so you don't get a customs bill when your package arrives, which takes about 2 weeks to the west coast - every package I have ordered has arrived in 9 business days to BC. I am in no way affiliated with bodybuilding.com or any other supplement supplier/company, I am just giving my personal recommendation. I haven't used any other company out there, but I did a bunch of my own research before placing my first order. I recommend you do the same.

0.5lb/week of pure muscular growth is realistic and sustainable for pretty much anyone up to their genetic potential. More is possible, but is outside the scope of this post.


----------



## airdelta2

Yup, bodybuilding.com is great and probably the cheapest place in North America to get quality supplements. Anything domestic in-store is going to cost you almost double than it would on bb.com (even with expensive shipping to Canada). 

I usually go with Real Gains from Universal for bulking, tastes great...600 cals 88g carb/7 fat/55 protein. I pay 50 bucks for 11lbs of it which is a great deal even compared with making my own gainer (with similar macros). It might cost a little more due to shipping but it is very convenient and ensures I stay consistent with my bulk (which is the most important part of getting results, the long haul). 

Some preworkouts are terrible stimulant junky products like Jack3d...with terrible crashes. However, I just tried 2 different products that gave me great focus, pumps (looks awesome in the gym) and very clean energy (which means I can lift with more volume and get more done without burning out). They really do make a difference. Not a huge one but enough to warrant me buying them (1 30 bux container lasts me almost 2 months). 

The only really 'necessary' supplements I'd say are whey protein isolate (most people need 170-200g + protein while bulking...even more when cutting), creatine mono and a multi. I also use XTEND which is a great product for recovery (Branch Chan Amino Acids BCAA's). I just ran out last week and I am definitely a lot more sore without taking the BCAA's so they do make a difference (much quicker recovery/I am never sore the next day). 

Advice I wish I listened to when I first started...if you don't eat enough you will spin your wheels in the gym and get frustrated quick. Without the proper nutrition for building muscle - there's almost no point in working out intensely because all you will do is maintain what you have or lose some of the muscle you have now (since you're pushing yourself but not eating enough to compensate for the weight lifting to even maintain what you got). Eat (clean) over maintenance by 250-500 cals and after a few months (6 months to a year being a big difference) of that + lifting (with constant progression in strength) + recovery - you will notice a difference.

I'd say 2lbs of muscle a month is realistic in your first year...I am in my first. I have friends in their 4th, 5th, 6th and know some Pro Natural Bodybuilders and they don't gain that much (yet are not at their genetic limit either). They'll bulk for like 10 months and put on maybe 7lbs of muscle if they are lucky. After your 2nd or 3rd year muscular gains definitely aren't as quick. That's why year one gets you 'noob gains', quick muscular gains since your body is so new to weightlifting.


----------



## OneMissionataTime

Eat a Can of Tuna after every workout... Most of the cans have under 100 calories and 25 g of protein or more. Maybe 1 Grams of Fat and they are extremely cheap. A-lot of Vitamins in them now also since they mix it with mineral water and the only downside is:
1) The Bad Breath
2) If you eat a lot and I mean a lot.. Like 30 Cans a day for the next 25 years you might die of Mercury Poisoning  :.


----------



## FactorXYZ

OneMissionataTime said:
			
		

> Eat a Can of Tuna after every workout... Most of the cans have under 100 calories and 25 g of protein or more. Maybe 1 Grams of Fat and they are extremely cheap. A-lot of Vitamins in them now also since they mix it with mineral water and the only downside is:
> 1) The Bad Breath
> 2) If you eat a lot and I mean a lot.. Like 30 Cans a day for the next 25 years you might die of Mercury Poisoning  :.


Agreed, keep it cheap and easy , my staples are tuna, eggs, milk and whey powder( if the budget allows). oh and don't forget the fruits and veggies


----------



## sky777

OneMissionataTime said:
			
		

> Eat a Can of Tuna after every workout... Most of the cans have under 100 calories and 25 g of protein or more. Maybe 1 Grams of Fat and they are extremely cheap.


to lose or to gain?


----------



## Biggoals2bdone

Actually there are better options (then bb.com), that are also Canadian as far as online supplements, they also usually include free shipping on order of 99$ and up.

- whey-factory.com
- sndcanada.com
- befit.ca
- fitshop.ca
- pumphousenutrition.ca
- rippedcanadians.com
- pumpdsupplements.com
- supplementsource.ca
-


----------



## airdelta2

Some of those (like whey factory) can save me 35-40 bucks per month if their products are legit (due to free shipping). However, the weight gainer itself is the same price as bb.com (50 bucks for 10lbs)...i may sample it...but if a product sucks - it's unbearable to drink it (never get ultimate mass from higher power) to use and there's a waste of 50 bucks. 

With bb.com I know 100% the product is good (universal real gains) and that it's 100% money back guarantee if it tastes bad. And I get the money asap. I may try one of these though, who knows...if the product is good it could save me 500 bucks per year in shipping costs. 

Most of the sites you listed (except for whey factory cause they make their own stuff) have limited selection and some bad products *mutant mass/quick mass being a huge part of each sites inventory*. If you actually compare price for price (and dollar for dollar with the U.S. dollar being lower than ours)...bb.com still wins even with shipping costs. No one is cheaper than them or has their selection. Like I said the only way I can get cheaper is from a company who makes their own product (which could taste bad/mix bad) if they give me free canadian shipping. BB.com's prices are still cheaper and the fact that they have so much choice (of some U.S. products not even found on shelves here) makes it much more appealing to me.

Have you ordered from whey factory?


----------



## OneMissionataTime

sky777 said:
			
		

> to lose or to gain?



Gain, you'll gain the protein boost that you need your for your muscles to regenerate and with the added bonus on not gaining any fat. Lean and BEASTLY .


----------



## sky777

OneMissionataTime said:
			
		

> Gain, you'll gain the protein boost that you need your for your muscles to regenerate and with the added bonus on not gaining any fat. Lean and BEASTLY .


Specialists recommend tuna for losing weight also - too much proteines, no fat, no carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates for gaining.


----------



## acooper

Sky777 - what these guys have been saying is eat lean protein like tuna to help gain lean body mass. Excess carbs get stored as fat, typically. To gain weight, simply put in more calories (of any type) than you are using up. To gain lean body mass (aka muscle), make sure you are working out and feeding yourself enough protein so your muscles can regenerate. If you start out overweight and flabby (like me), adding lean muscle mass will end up dropping weight at first. Of course, I'm female, so it is nearly impossible for me to truly bulk up muscle-wise. But I HAVE worked at getting into shape before where I stay the same weight, but all my clothes fall off of me as I lose the fat and gain lean muscle mass.


----------



## airdelta2

When you bulk to add lean mass you absolutely want to have more carbs than protein or fats. How else are you going to get strength gains and have that energy to add lean muscle? Right now I am eating around 3100 cals a day and my split is 210g protein/380g carb/75g fat...so as you can see carbs are pretty high up there. They aren't stored as fat as long as you are eating 500-600 over maintenance and not stuffing yourself full of empty carbs from sugars, the extra complex carbs will be used in the gym. Gotta eat big to gain muscle...not big as in monsterous amounts of food...but 500 more calories per day than what you would eat to maintain your current weight.


----------



## acooper

Fair enough on your macronutrient balance. However, I didn't say ALL carbs get stored as fat, I said excess carbs. Of course you need some carbs in your diet for energy, since your muscles need glucose to really work.  For each person, though, I think that the carb ratio will be an individual thing - some will do better on more, some less. But you definitely can't cut out the protein and put on lean muscle mass...


----------



## matt.flaig

Any comments on adding Amino Acid pills with your daily diet?


----------



## airdelta2

matt.flaig said:
			
		

> Any comments on adding Amino Acid pills with your daily diet?



Pills taste horrible and are usually in large amounts. I recommend XTEND from Scivation. It tastes good (lots of flavors, tastes way better than kool-aid, no sugar) and has all the branch chain amino acids you need.


----------



## ballz

Don't get the "Refreshing Blue Raspberry" flavour if you are going to go that route.... I can't speak for the other flavours because I refuse to drink XTEND again because the Blue Raspberry was so awful... although I heard the grape is good.


----------



## airdelta2

This is proof that everyone has different tastes. Some of my friends love lemonade XTEND but can't stand Watermelon...some love BlueRaz and don't like all the other flavors. I've tried about 3-4 flavors and Blue Raz is my favorite cause of the sour/tang taste.


----------



## TheHead

Stacked said:
			
		

> So I have some protein shakes now...  They are absolutely disgusting. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but they always turn out clumpy no matter how much I stir it. I've read the instructions, but I guess it doesn't account for lumpiness. :rofl:
> 
> I'd love some advice or any tricks you guys have to make these things...



Don't stir them.   You need to blend them or get a shaker.


----------



## ayo23

Stacked said:
			
		

> So I have some protein shakes now...  They are absolutely disgusting. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but they always turn out clumpy no matter how much I stir it. I've read the instructions, but I guess it doesn't account for lumpiness. :rofl:
> 
> I'd love some advice or any tricks you guys have to make these things...



I've never stirred. I just put it in a cup w/ lid and then shake it. I've never seen any clumpiness. I guess that's caused by the stirring... or perhaps that's just the brand you're buying. 

also... my protein powder tastes fantastic.


----------



## PuckChaser

Stacked said:
			
		

> So I have some protein shakes now...  They are absolutely disgusting. Maybe I am doing it wrong, but they always turn out clumpy no matter how much I stir it. I've read the instructions, but I guess it doesn't account for lumpiness. :rofl:
> 
> I'd love some advice or any tricks you guys have to make these things...



I put the powder into a nalgene bottle of whole milk and shake the bejesus out of it. Works well.


----------



## ayo23

Stacked said:
			
		

> It didn't taste all that bad, except for the clumps... I'll try shaking it.
> 
> Do you guys prefer milk over water? I've heard some people say using water is better because the protein acts faster... But I am really just trying to put weight on, and I assumed milk would be better at that.



I always use water. I've never heard that water's better though. 
The only thing i heard is that protein gets absorbed quicker if there's some carbs in the drink in a 4:1 ratio (protein to carb). There's some that claim it has no effect though...


----------



## Canadianflesh

Well, I just lost 50 pounds went from 230 to 180, so i guess we both wanted to achieve opposite goals haha. Well I can give you some good suggestions on how to gain weight while eating healthy. To start, I want to suggest that you eat a lot of complex carbohydrates, and three portions of whole protein daily. Complex carbohydrates can be "Whole Grain" bread, bagels, pasta, tortillas, brown rice, and also many various vegetables, like broccoli. Now for the whole proteins, I may suggest that you try and have one protein shake daily, and in your case with 1% or 2% milk. Just because you want to gain weight.. I always like to add a fruit to my protein shake just for the extra vitamins, and taste. You might want to try and find a protein powder that is "isl" which means that it has almost to no sugar, aspartane, and all that extra crap, which you do not need. Now for mixing the protein shake I personally like to put it in a blender because everything gets mixed perfectly and it comes out nice and smooth and creamy, no clumps, so it's easy to go down. Now, back to the proteins you can have the protein shake as one of your meals during the day, preferably breakfast imo, or you can have it after a workout, but at every meal try and have a protein portion the size of your palm, I think that's like 5 oz, or 6, idk.. depending on the size of your hand.

Anyways I hope this kinda helped, and try and eat a lot of vegetables and fruit!


----------



## cupper

Get yourself tested for a gluten allergy.

If you suffer from Celiac Disease, all the suggestions you have here won't be worth much because of the effects of gluten on your system.

Had a friend who for years was in the same situation. Was constantly falling off the bottom of the BMI. High fat, high calorie diets only caused him to lose weight.

When he hit his 40's started having some minor health issues, discussed the possibility of Celiac since it was prevalent in his family, and sure enough, when he went on a gluten free diet, he put on 20 to 30 pounds.

Unfortunately finding gluten free products can be a pain, but they are becoming more and more available. And you would be surprised at where you will find gluten in every day foods and products. Beer is a big one, so you may need to switch to hard stuff and wine, unless you can find one of the few gluten free beers on the market.


----------



## sky777

Canadianflesh said:
			
		

> Well, I just lost 50 pounds went from 230 to 180


Please share how to loose it?
I have now 176 and I want to have 160...


----------



## CountDC

I found an easy way to gain weight - exercise.  Every year when I start to cycle to work I gain weight.  So far this year I have gained approx 15 pounds and my clothes fit better.  Winter comes and I lose some weight but my pants get tighter.  Guess I need a more southern area so I can cycle year round.


----------



## Romanmaz

ayo23 said:
			
		

> I always use water. I've never heard that water's better though.
> The only thing i heard is that protein gets absorbed quicker if there's some carbs in the drink in a 4:1 ratio (protein to carb). There's some that claim it has no effect though...


Protein does get absorbed quicker if combined with carbs ( usually a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein) because it causes an insulin spike, the only time you really have to (using that term loosely) mix it with water instead of milk is post workout because milk will slow down the absorption process.



> I found an easy way to gain weight - exercise.  Every year when I start to cycle to work I gain weight.  So far this year I have gained approx 15 pounds and my clothes fit better.  Winter comes and I lose some weight but my pants get tighter.  Guess I need a more southern area so I can cycle year round.


You gain weight through doing cardio.....?

Gaining weight is simple calories in vs. calories out, if you're expending more calories then you're consuming you will lose weight, if you're consuming more then expending you will gain weight.


----------



## Haletown

At a certain age you will realize that you are not gaining  weight.  The extra fat is really just a biological adaptation to living in a cold northerly climate.

You are not gaining weight.

You are evolving.


----------



## MJP

Haletown said:
			
		

> At a certain age you will realize that you are not gaining  weight.  The extra fat is really just a biological adaptation to living in a cold northerly climate.
> 
> You are not gaining weight.
> 
> You are evolving adapting/eating too much.



Fixed that for you...Lamarkisim is not a viable theory


----------



## Bart905

Are you a smoker? If you are you have to quit smoking first. I quit smoking for a week now and I started eating 3x more then I use to.


----------



## m.k

http://www.gainmusclemass.net/hardgainer-diet/
http://www.gainmusclemass.net/bodybuilding-workout-routine/

I swear I'm not advertising.


----------



## ProtectAndServe

I was kind of like you... When I decided I was going to enlist I started training. Let me point out that I'm the kind of guy that can eat McDonalds big mac 3 times in a week and not gain any weight! I didn't even play sports at the time... So what i'm trying to say is when I started working out I realized I'm going to end up LOSING weight by training, but I was all wrong.. Remember muscle weighs more than fat. Anyway in the sense of food. For breakfast I eat egg with some vegetables and toast and milk. Seeing you're not able to drink milk I have no advice for that. For lunch I eat grain products, such as rice, spaghetti, pasta with chicken, beef, whatever meat available except for PORK, I DO NOT eat PORK. Dinner time is pretty much the same as my lunch time, because I save some food from the night before. But saying all this I see you can't cook, well LEARN then.. I couldn't cook, I'm not a kitchen kinda person, but if you're truly dedicated and want to gain weight then get off your butt and learn to cook. Now for some work out strategies. Do High-intensity interval training and mix it with using heavy weights and doing less reps as you'll be able to gain strength and lose any lingering fat from the food you should, will be devouring...

Hope I was helpful... Btw I weigh 155 lbs and I'm 6'1' So according to the Canadian Forces it's a healthy weight.


----------



## OldSolduer

Just remember, for all you combat arms types - especially infantry - that your tuna or Myoplex or whatever you take as supplements cannot take the place of IMPs or rations. In a bivouac setting or garrison its fine.
Tactically - your supplements may have to be left behind as the priority  of what you carry is ammo, water and rations or it should be. There may be no room for supplements.


----------



## Richard.Donafeld

In regards to creatine what is better the pills or the powder? Or is there no difference at all and the pills are a little more convenient.


----------



## PuckChaser

ProtectAndServe said:
			
		

> I was kind of like you... When I decided I was going to enlist I started training. Let me point out that I'm the kind of guy that can eat McDonalds big mac 3 times in a week and not gain any weight!
> 
> Hope I was helpful... Btw I weigh 155 lbs and I'm 6'1' So according to the Canadian Forces it's a healthy weight.



Holy crap, you're my doppleganger. Up until about 2 years ago I weighed that, and slowly moved to 6'1", 170lbs (might be partly due to a slow forming beer keg).


----------



## Eye In The Sky

WEng said:
			
		

> In regards to creatine what is better the pills or the powder? Or is there no difference at all and the pills are a little more convenient.



When I use it, I use the powder.  monohydrate stuff, 30 mins before the gym.  So far I've only used the GNC stuff.  I use a 2/1 rotation (2 week using it, 1 week not).  I just remember reading somewhere to not use it straight-time, it may fool your body into producing less, who knows.  I'm a better safe than sorry type so...2/1.

 :2c:


----------



## m.k

I am 6'1" and this time last year I was no more than 180. The year before that, 165 or so. In the last year I did a lot to try to put on weight without having too much of a calorie surplus. It takes time, lots of proper eating and a lot of training (in the 8-12 rep range for bulk, however lower rep ranges are great for muscle density). As long as you consume more calories than you burn (and believe me, its not easy to figure out how quickly you burn calories through anything other than trial and error) you will put on weight. Protein shakes are not necessary but certainly help for hardgainers. Just make sure you dont get so caught up in gaining weight that you put on the wrong weight. At 200 now, I'd rather be 190 with a lower body fat percentage. My :2c:


----------



## Josh_Robertson

I've gone from being 6'0 150lbs to 6'1 210lbs in about two years, I think the big thing is to keep on a strict routine. Mine is 2 lower and 2 upper body days a week, each workout takes about an hour depending if I'm super-setting or not. My usual rep count is 12,10,8 with the weight increasing each set. Then another 1-2 days a week of cardio and core.

Also don't be one of those guys that just works out chest and arms. Not only do you look like and idiot but in the real world those muscles aren't that important. Instead do lots of full body movements like cleans, squat, dead lift, bench ect. 

I drink a protein shake after most workouts and my calorie intake is about 3,500 a day.

Lately I have been lifting heavy once a week, (5-6 reps max) it has helped me take my bench from about 195lbs x 12 reps to 215lbs x 12 reps in just under 2 months. Same with my squat which is now up to 325lbs.

I have attached my routine, hope this helps.

PS about 3 years ago I broke my leg, had some pretty bad complications which required 3 surgeries and a month in a hospital bed followed by 6 months recovery before I could even walk without a cane. My point is no matter what shape you're in now you can achieve a higher level of fitness through commitment and hard work.


----------



## Jarnhamar

Josh_Robertson said:
			
		

> Also don't be one of those guys that just works out chest and arms. Not only do you look like and idiot but in the real world those muscles aren't that important. Instead do lots of full body movements like cleans, squat, dead lift, bench ect.



Can you explain how a muscular chest and arms aren't important?
As well can you explain what exactly you mean when you say "the real world"?


----------



## MJP

Grimaldus said:
			
		

> Can you explain how a muscular chest and arms aren't important?
> As well can you explain what exactly you mean when you say "the real world"?



Working your arms just makes you look prettier really (there are other benefits but most guys just like to have big guns).  He is saying if you do the big dynamic movements (the big lifts) then other muscles develop as well.  I know quite a few folks that never do targeted bicep or tricep work, that look just like their weightlifting brethren that do targeted bi, tris, chest & back workouts.  

I know the folks he is talking about, I have seen them, hell I was even one of them except all I did was back and bi/tris.  I gained more strength by moving to a proper squat, deadlift, press with some oly movements than I ever did doing isolation work alone.


----------



## jparkin

Josh_Robertson said:
			
		

> Also don't be one of those guys that just works out chest and arms. Not only do you look like and idiot but in the real world those muscles aren't that important. Instead do lots of full body movements like cleans, squat, dead lift, bench ect.


I don't think bench brings that many muscle groups into play. Granted, by changing your grip you can focus on inner/outer/triceps, but I wouldn't put it into the same category as cleans, deadlifts and squats. I'm not bashing bench; it's one of my favourite workouts, but I wouldn't consider it full body though.


----------



## Josh_Robertson

Grimaldus said:
			
		

> Can you explain how a muscular chest and arms aren't important?
> As well can you explain what exactly you mean when you say "the real world"?



Maybe I should clarify, I didn't say don't do chest and arms... what I meant was: there are guys I see in the gym every day I go who spend 99% of their time working their bis tris and pecs. Not only are they no bigger or stronger than myself in those areas, they ignore the rest of their body. If you're a beginner who's trying to put on weight you probably look at the idea male physique and think "I want massive arms, pecs and maybe a 6 pack for kicks" but they may forget about things that are equally important like legs, back, shoulders ect. 

Basically I suggest you do a program that works everything. And not only will your arms/chest get bigger but the rest of your body will too.
Unless you want to look like this guy: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





As for the "real world" there are not very many actions you do in sports or day to day life that isolate single muscles, most things take your whole body. I didn't say never do arms or never isolate (which you would know if you read the routine I attached in my previous post) but my workout's foundations are in full body movements followed by some isolation at the end to target certain things. Not to mention things like cleans, squat, power snatch will drastically increase your explosive power.

Hope that clears things up.

- Josh


----------



## Jarnhamar

Josh_Robertson said:
			
		

> Maybe I should clarify, I didn't say don't do chest and arms... what I meant was: there are guys I see in the gym every day I go who spend 99% of their time working their bis tris and pecs. Not only are they no bigger or stronger than myself in those areas, they ignore the rest of their body. If you're a beginner who's trying to put on weight you probably look at the idea male physique and think "I want massive arms, pecs and maybe a 6 pack for kicks" but they may forget about things that are equally important like legs, back, shoulders ect.
> 
> Basically I suggest you do a program that works everything. And not only will your arms/chest get bigger but the rest of your body will too.
> Unless you want to look like this guy:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As for the "real world" there are not very many actions you do in sports or day to day life that isolate single muscles, most things take your whole body. I didn't say never do arms or never isolate (which you would know if you read the routine I attached in my previous post) but my workout's foundations are in full body movements followed by some isolation at the end to target certain things. Not to mention things like cleans, squat, power snatch will drastically increase your explosive power.
> 
> Hope that clears things up.
> 
> - Josh



I see what you mean now. It just looked like you were implying those muscles were useless at first, just took it out of context.
Also I always get leary when I hear "In the real world" because that can be pretty subjective.

I just saw one of "those"guys at the gym yesterday. He had a huge chest and even bigger tits. I actually couldn't stop staring at them.... massive. Giant arms, legs like straws.  

I looked at your routine, little too complicated for me. (To each their own of course). When I'm looking at routines I try and keep it a little more simple and taking into consideration;
Amount of time I can spend at the gym may be limited
Availability of the more "popular" machines/weights may be limited since all military gyms are always packed (except airforce ones I've seen)
How well can I modify the routine if I go to the field for an extended period of time
How well would the routine work with a gym with very limited equipment.
How well can I pick up where I left off if I miss a week or two.

Stuff like that.  I'm no fitness guru but some routines I've seen you practically need a degree to follow. I have a friend who's workout routine is like a sodoku puzzle with the different weeks and crap here and there. (Not saying yours is that bad mind you).

As for that fellow in the picture, all I see is a guy who can soak up incomming fire for the section of troops behind him and someone who can punch his fist clean _through_ an enemy soldiers head.
Win win situation


----------



## Josh_Robertson

Grimaldus said:
			
		

> I just saw one of "those"guys at the gym yesterday. He had a huge chest and even bigger tits. I actually couldn't stop staring at them.... massive. Giant arms, legs like straws.



Exactly my point haha. Sounds like we're on the same page.


----------



## Biggoals2bdone

Grimaldus said:
			
		

> I see what you mean now. It just looked like you were implying those muscles were useless at first, just took it out of context.
> Also I always get leary when I hear "In the real world" because that can be pretty subjective.
> 
> I just saw one of "those"guys at the gym yesterday. He had a huge chest and even bigger tits. I actually couldn't stop staring at them.... massive. Giant arms, legs like straws.
> 
> I looked at your routine, little too complicated for me. (To each their own of course). When I'm looking at routines I try and keep it a little more simple and taking into consideration;
> Amount of time I can spend at the gym may be limited
> Availability of the more "popular" machines/weights may be limited since all military gyms are always packed (except airforce ones I've seen)
> How well can I modify the routine if I go to the field for an extended period of time
> How well would the routine work with a gym with very limited equipment.
> How well can I pick up where I left off if I miss a week or two.
> 
> Stuff like that.  I'm no fitness guru but some routines I've seen you practically need a degree to follow. I have a friend who's workout routine is like a sodoku puzzle with the different weeks and crap here and there. (Not saying yours is that bad mind you).
> 
> As for that fellow in the picture, all I see is a guy who can soak up incomming fire for the section of troops behind him and someone who can punch his fist clean _through_ an enemy soldiers head.
> Win win situation



That's Gregg Valentino...and I can tell you he did more then just workout his arms, he was a competitive bodybuilder (aka he worked legs too) in the 70s and/or 80s, but then he started injecting synthol into his arms...those arms aren't muscle, he can't flex them they look like blobs.

3 big reasons not to only "Beach muscles"

1. looking so unproportioned will be very comical
2. Not working your legs or back will eventually not only make you look stupid but will hamper you from lifting heavier with your beach muscles.
3. The body likes to generally grow the whole body at a certain pace, yes every individual human has certain body parts that respond to training faster, but generally speaking you will limit the size gains you can make in your upper body if you don't train lower body.


PS to the 6ft1 or 6ft guy weighing 150-155lbs and saying thats a good/normal weight...you must come from a family of small people to think that, at 6ft 175 is a normal weight, 150 is anorexic.


----------



## Josh_Robertson

MrBlue said:
			
		

> PS to the 6ft1 or 6ft guy weighing 150-155lbs and saying thats a good/normal weight...you must come from a family of small people to think that, at 6ft 175 is a normal weight, 150 is anorexic.



I agree. The only guys I know who weigh that little are some of my friends who race mountain bikes and/or do cross country racing because they are so concerned about their power to weight ratio... I haven't weighed 150 since I was 14.


----------



## Wilamanjaro

Ugh, 6'3 and 150lbs...

Eating lots of eggs tuna and bread, protein shakes, cereals and oatmeal, big dinners with lots of meat, and of course, plenty of beers.

Been working out 2-3 days a week for months now, taking creadex (some form of creatine, I ain't no scientist) for the last month.

I just can't gain weight, even the bad kind. It sounds like I'm a sure thing for getting the call April, so May would be leaving. Im going to be stepping everything up and really just stuffing my face with everything I can get my hands on. It's not as easy as it sounds, but there is some great advice in this post and I'll keep y'all posted.


----------



## kenmnuggas

If you're lifting hard and you're not putting on weight, you're not eating enough - especially if you're 6'3 150. 
You may need to start eating to the point of uncomfortable, or find stuff with a much higher caloric density. If you're not eating nuts, try nuts. Some are better than others for you, and I can't recall which. 
Good luck!


----------



## jparkin

Wilamanjaro said:
			
		

> Ugh, 6'3 and 150lbs...
> 
> Eating lots of eggs tuna and bread, protein shakes, cereals and oatmeal, big dinners with lots of meat, and of course, plenty of beers.
> 
> Been working out 2-3 days a week for months now, taking creadex (some form of creatine, I ain't no scientist) for the last month.
> 
> I just can't gain weight, even the bad kind. It sounds like I'm a sure thing for getting the call April, so May would be leaving. Im going to be stepping everything up and really just stuffing my face with everything I can get my hands on. It's not as easy as it sounds, but there is some great advice in this post and I'll keep y'all posted.


I've played quite a bit of rugby with guys who go hard core with the creatine as part of their diet. I asked my dad (who's a GP) if creatine is a worthwhile supplement, and he told me that it is only noticeably effective when taken while you are close to your peak strength level (ie. > 95%). Even at that level, he told me it is effective at increasing your muscle mass by at most 2%. A high protein diet (which you seem to have) is much more effective at adding weight when combined with a properly designed training schedule. The reason I'm pointing this out is that I've seen way too many people waste $50 a month on a supplement that is unnecessary unless you are at the very top of your game and are desperate for that 2%. Too often it turns out to be a big waste of money. 
Jonathan

edit: spelling


----------



## Wilamanjaro

thanks jonathan, I can definitely FEEL the creatine ie. more reps, kinda bloated.. but I am really only going for mass. I'm stepping the protein shakes up to 2 scoops per shake and an extra tuna sandwich during the day. i guess this is what my eating looks like:

breakfast. 3 creatine pills, litre of water, 3 eggs, toast, oatmeal and cereal if i'm still able to eat.

sandwich and cookies and coffee when i get to work.

lunch is usually a&w or other mall food. i work near a mall.

get off work have another sandwich, some cereal, protein shake.

dinner is usually brown rice or potatoes, chicken or pasta, milk and bread. more creatine pills.

I fart alot though haha, i think everything gets burned up so fast, if i'm not working out I dont do much but it's actually a little ridiculous how gassy i can get. my body is weird. I will check back in each month with results...

February 8. 153lbs.


----------



## Jarnhamar

Try cutting out coffee
The caffeine in coffee speeds up your metabolism.  Caffeine is one of the leading ingredients in most things aimed at making you loose weight. One coffee a day is an assload of caffeine to have floating around your system.

You'll probably need to eat a near uncomfortable amount of protien to bust through your plateau and start gaining mass.

Body builders can intake In upwards of 4000 calories a day, gotta make sure you do it right and don't turn into a fatty


----------



## Jimmy_D

I was having the same issues until i had my back surgery, Now I find it much harder to maintain the weight and keep it at balance. But at least it get me to the gym 5 days a week for an hour min.


----------



## kenmnuggas

Eyeballing that diet, it looks like you're pushing MAYBE 2500 calories/day. If you're looking to put on weight you'll need to probably add AT LEAST another 500 or so, though I'd guess closer to 1500. 
Also, cut out the A&W. It's tasty but it's not food.


----------



## jparkin

kenmnuggas said:
			
		

> Eyeballing that diet, it looks like you're pushing MAYBE 2500 calories/day. If you're looking to put on weight you'll need to probably add AT LEAST another 500 or so, though I'd guess closer to 1500.
> Also, cut out the A&W. It's tasty but it's not food.



kenmnuggus brings up another important point: no matter how much protein you consume, if your body doesn't have enough calories to burn, it starts decomposing the protein for energy. You want your body burning calories and keeping protein, not burning protein and keeping calories. That's why protein is best taken with food high in calories. Having been 6'2 and 165, I know what it's like to work like hell to put on weight. Its taken me a year to get from 165 to 180.


----------



## Haletown

6' 225lb

But I am not gaining weight, I am just experiencing a biological adaptation to living in a cold, northern climate.

I'm not getting fatter, I am evolving.

That's my story and I am sticking to it.


----------



## OldSolduer

Haletown said:
			
		

> 6' 225lb
> 
> But I am not gaining weight, I am just experiencing a biological adaptation to living in a cold, northern climate.
> 
> I'm not getting fatter, I am evolving.
> 
> That's my story and I am sticking to it.



Hear hear sir!! I salute thee!!

Being heavy can have its drawbacks. Be careful what you wish for.


----------



## MJP

Haletown said:
			
		

> 6' 225lb
> 
> But I am not gaining weight, I am just experiencing a biological adaptation to living in a cold, northern climate.
> 
> I'm not getting fatter, I am evolving.
> 
> That's my story and I am sticking to it.



Ohhh Lamarkism at work.


----------



## Wilamanjaro

Was a little upset about my current job hiring even MORE auxillary people, but the one guy is actually really cool, he's a body builder or something and he turned me onto some useful information.

The Protein shakes I have been taking are about 280 calories per shake, and 2 or 3 shakes a day. He tells me it's calories what I want at this point.

So here's what I'm starting to use...

http://www.nutrabolics.com/product-detail-page-8-mass-fusiontrade.html

each shake is 1,540 calories and 2 a day. haha. "if you don't gain weight using this, it ain't happening."

For those of you looking to gain weight I suggest this stuff.


----------



## TheHead

Wilamanjaro said:
			
		

> Was a little upset about my current job hiring even MORE auxillary people, but the one guy is actually really cool, he's a body builder or something and he turned me onto some useful information.
> 
> The Protein shakes I have been taking are about 280 calories per shake, and 2 or 3 shakes a day. He tells me it's calories what I want at this point.
> 
> So here's what I'm starting to use...
> 
> http://www.nutrabolics.com/product-detail-page-8-mass-fusiontrade.html
> 
> each shake is 1,540 calories and 2 a day. haha. "if you don't gain weight using this, it ain't happening."
> 
> For those of you looking to gain weight I suggest this stuff.



  That's the mass gainer that I take when I'm bulking, great stuff . If you're a hard gainer like myself and want to even add more calories throw a few table spoons of olive oil and a cup of dry oats in it.


----------



## Josh_Robertson

Wilamanjaro said:
			
		

> thanks jonathan, I can definitely FEEL the creatine ie. more reps, kinda bloated.. but I am really only going for mass. I'm stepping the protein shakes up to 2 scoops per shake and an extra tuna sandwich during the day. i guess this is what my eating looks like:
> 
> breakfast. 3 creatine pills, litre of water, 3 eggs, toast, oatmeal and cereal if i'm still able to eat.
> 
> sandwich and cookies and coffee when i get to work.
> 
> lunch is usually a&w or other mall food. i work near a mall.
> 
> get off work have another sandwich, some cereal, protein shake.
> 
> dinner is usually brown rice or potatoes, chicken or pasta, milk and bread. more creatine pills.
> 
> I fart alot though haha, i think everything gets burned up so fast, if i'm not working out I dont do much but it's actually a little ridiculous how gassy i can get. my body is weird. I will check back in each month with results...
> 
> February 8. 153lbs.




I would say you aren't eating nearly enough,

My current diet is this:

Breakfast - 6 Eggs (2 whole 4 without the yokes), whole wheat toast and oatmeal if I can stomach it.

Pre-workout - piece of fruit

During workout - One scoop of Size On and 2 scoops of Hammer HEED http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/heed.he.html http://www.gasparinutrition.com/products/sizeon-max-performance/

Post workout - 2 scoops of Mutant Mass protein shake http://www.iammutant.com/products/mutantmass_nutritionalfacts.php mixed with some Veggie Greens mix and Flaxseed Oil.

Lunch - Chicken or Fish with veg and brow rice or potato

Afternoon Snack - More Fruit usually with no fat yogurt and a handful of nuts

Dinner - More chicken or fish with veg and rice ect. sometimes pasta.

Before bed - 1 more scoop of Size On and sometimes another protein shake if I haven't eaten enough.

-------------------------------------

On that diet I've gone from an light but athletic 175lbs to 210lbs in not quite a year.

Bench is currently at 225lbs for 8 reps, squat 335lbs for 12 reps

So I would say by all accounts it's working... my new goal is to work on improving my cardio and endurance.

(I have posted my workout routine further up in this thread if anyone is interested, has lots of nutrition advice in there also)


----------



## The_Falcon

GOMAD (plus heavy squats and deadlifts) google it.  No expensive powders needed.


----------



## Wilamanjaro

Is GOMAD for real??

I've gained between 3 and 4 pounds over the last month and a half using "mass fusion" gainer. 6"3, 156lbs. now

Maybe I will try this GOMAD thing.


----------



## MJP

Wilamanjaro said:
			
		

> Is GOMAD for real??
> 
> I've gained between 3 and 4 pounds over the last month and a half using "mass fusion" gainer. 6"3, 156lbs. now
> 
> Maybe I will try this GOMAD thing.



GOMAD is very real and effective.


----------



## roadrunner60

I wish i could drop 20lbs for my runs lol.
But if you wana gain muscle mass just drop the dumbbell flys and bycep curls thats for beach muscle. Start eating 3500-4000 calories a day, no less then 3000. Have a lean source of protein daily like chicken or a steak. And make 90% of your work outs power workouts aka combine workouts for us footballers, such as deadlifts, sqauts, bench press incline and standard, hang cleans, snatchpulls, and core exercises. Work thos in with good cardio and youll gain muscle mass like crazy garanteed. Watch youtube vids on correct technique because if you mess up on these youll mess yourself right up. On one hand, dont gain too much, im 5'9" 220lbs and wish i could drop 20 for the runs as it feels like im lugging a midgit around past 2k but i didnt forsee the cf back in my football days, so find a happy medium.


----------



## roadrunner60

And for gods sake dont use creatine. All it does is allow you to sqweeze out 2-3,more repps because it hydrates your muscles by taking water meant for other body parts from your kidneys and will ruin your kidneys man im telling you. Go get some BSN nutrients like cellmass


----------



## lethalLemon

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> I wish i could drop 20lbs for my runs lol.
> But if you wana gain muscle mass just drop the dumbbell flys and bycep curls thats for beach muscle. Start eating 3500-4000 calories a day, no less then 3000. Have a lean source of protein daily like chicken or a steak. And make 90% of your work outs power workouts aka combine workouts for us footballers, such as deadlifts, sqauts, bench press incline and standard, hang cleans, snatchpulls, and core exercises. Work thos in with good cardio and youll gain muscle mass like crazy garanteed. Watch youtube vids on correct technique because if you mess up on these youll mess yourself right up. On one hand, dont gain too much, im 5'9" 220lbs and wish i could drop 20 for the runs as it feels like im lugging a midgit around past 2k but i didnt forsee the cf back in my football days, so find a happy medium.



Calories don't count for anything. As long as your physical output/calorie use is greater than your caloric input; you'll drop weight like crazy. I lived in Vernon BC and during the summer I would drink probably 12 litres a day and worked on an orchard. In the 40+ Celsius heat and no other exercise other than working on the orchard (easy manual labour, no heavy lifting, short periods of walking), I dropped 60 lbs in mass.


----------



## roadrunner60

I know and this guy wants to gain mass. Thats why i said eat 3500-4000 calories a day. No one can burn that meny calories a day unless your ronnie coleman


----------



## Jarnhamar

4000 calories a day. That takes a lot of discipline not to turn into a raging fatty.

Most advice seems to be to really gain mass you need to get a little chubby first then cut it down into muscle.

You could do it the hard way.

HyperFX before a work out. (Yea you'll have to smuggle it in from the US and it gives you flush. Lips burn, ears and skin itch)
http://reviews.bodybuilding.com/BSN/Hyper_FX

Work out.
Cardio (3-4 times a week)
5 minute walk, 5 minute jog, 5 minute OMFG theres a demon behind me speed

Weights 
Whatever. I'll do weights 5 days out of 7.  (Chest, legs,rest,shoudlers,arms,back,rest)

Two scoops myofusion after
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/gn/myofusion.html
1 scoop creatine
http://reviews.bodybuilding.com/AllMax_Nutrition/Micronized_Creatine_Monohydrate/

You *might* loose some fat weight but soon you'll slowly start to build lean hard muscle. You'll sacrifice some mass for strength


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## roadrunner60

Oh yeah it could, also youll be eating literaly every 2 hours to keep that up, but that much calories paired with good protein and whole grains daily AND power work outs EVERY day, and im talking like 3-4 hour work outs. Is garanteed to build lean muscle mass. Your right though, if you dont work out 4-5 days a week while eating that much it could turn to fat givin motabolism is slow, im just giving examples from my training ive done. 

A good pre work out is jack3d, its being banned in canada ive heard but some stores manage to get it.

MOST IMPORTENT!!! DO NOT USE CREATINE!! Your really just cheating yourself by putting water into your muscles so they look big and round, theyll never get cut up, veiny, and defined unless its after a huge workout where your muscles used up that stored water and it deprives body cells and kidneys of water they need to cleanse the carbon from your blood as you work out. After a year of creatine your kidneys will be shot to shit and the muscles you gained will leave WAY faster then the lean muscle youll gain from hard work, protein, and good nutrients. If at all i would use it as i did for a month to two months MAX just to get a natural boost but not become dependent.  Its hard enough to drink the recomended 8L a day but when your muscles absord 2l of that from creatine use its even harder to keep up.


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## wildman0101

If you want to bulk up(Muscle) Lot's  of carbo and pump. Forget the scam's, Pump. lol


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## Josh_Robertson

This page has a lot of information for putting on lean muscle. Both suggested work outs and nutrition information. 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/steve-cook-muscle-building-program.html

On another note I just started this (link below) work out and its one of the hardest things I've ever done. Threw up twice the first time I went thru it  :crybaby:. There is no scheduled rest for the whole workout, you just go through everything as fast as you can. So after the first 10 minutes you feel like you have nothing left, but you just have cowboy up and keep going. Its not a routine for beginners or something I'll do for an extended period of time but its an awesome way to get to that next level or work past a plateau.
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/muscle-building-11

-Josh


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## PuckChaser

I've been using a program called MASS for the last month or so while deployed. Along with eating right (or as right as possible) and adding in a protein shake after each workout, I'm up 10lbs of muscle on a frame that normally can never gain weight. I've tried other things with limited success, for people looking to gain weight find a program that works for you, but always make sure you're eating right.


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## Jarnhamar

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> I've been using a program called MASS for the last month or so while deployed. Along with eating right (or as right as possible) and adding in a protein shake after each workout, I'm up 10lbs of muscle on a frame that normally can never gain weight. I've tried other things with limited success, for people looking to gain weight find a program that works for you, but always make sure you're eating right.



I've found that's one of the most difficult things in terms of training- diet while away.  You get in a good routine then deploy somewhere an the gym equipment is a little different than what you're used too (maybe missing some stuff) and especially, the food isn't healthy. 

I've also noticed a marked dislike of supplements by some older members of the CF while going on ex.  "You don't need that protein crap you can get by with what they army serves in the kitchen or ration packs".


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## jparkin

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> I've been using a program called MASS for the last month or so while deployed. Along with eating right (or as right as possible) and adding in a protein shake after each workout, I'm up 10lbs of muscle on a frame that normally can never gain weight. I've tried other things with limited success, for people looking to gain weight find a program that works for you, but always make sure you're eating right.



You put on 10 lbs of muscle in a month? That's intense, I have been working my butt off for the last 6 months and have put on 13lbs of muscle. Keep it up!


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## The_Falcon

Josh_Robertson said:
			
		

> This page has a lot of information for putting on lean muscle. Both suggested work outs and nutrition information.
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/steve-cook-muscle-building-program.html
> 
> On another note I just started this (link below) work out and its one of the hardest things I've ever done. Threw up twice the first time I went thru it  :crybaby:. There is no scheduled rest for the whole workout, you just go through everything as fast as you can. So after the first 10 minutes you feel like you have nothing left, but you just have cowboy up and keep going. Its not a routine for beginners or something I'll do for an extended period of time but its an awesome way to get to that next level or work past a plateau.
> http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/muscle-building-11
> 
> -Josh



The "300" workout has been mentioned here, (ie 5 years ago when the movie came out).  The cast only did that workout twice, once for a baseline and once to see where they had improved.  It's CrossFit basically,  back before Mark Twight (The guy who made the workout and trained the crew), had his little hissy fit and parted company.  There are plenty of harder workouts though (Filthy 50s and Murphy come to mind).  But points to remember 1) Harder does not always equal more effective in terms of improving your GPP (and with thousands of CrossFit affiliates posting their own workouts, some are better/worse than others).  2) CrossFit by and large is designed for GPP (General Physical Prepardness), not muscular hypertrophy.  That said their are many "flavours" of CrossFit, including some sites/affliates that specifically cater to those, who's own personal bias is for more 'strength' (read, heavier) workouts.  And before you ask do a search, plenty of threads/topics about CrossFit on here and with google.


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## Dou You

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> A good pre work out is jack3d, its being banned in canada ive heard but some stores manage to get it.
> 
> MOST IMPORTENT!!! DO NOT USE CREATINE!!



That's a little contradicting, seeing as jack3d actually contains some Creatine Monohydrate.  :facepalm:


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## roadrunner60

Takings. 001 grams or less of creatine wont do anything. Im talking about takeing 3grams/day


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## PMedMoe

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> A good pre work out is jack3d, its being banned in canada ive heard but some stores manage to get it.



So, you're trying to join the CF and using and/or recommending a product that is illegal to purchase in Canada?  Wow, just.......wow.

Is Jack3d Legal?



> However, due to Jack3d containing 1,3-Dimethylamylamine HCl (DMAA), it is illegal to purchase in Canada (or to ship there), unfortunately. Any product with DMAA is no longer available in Canada.


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## Jarnhamar

Creatine seems alright to me.  More strength, faster recovery and my endurance seems better.


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## OldSolduer

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Creatine seems alright to me.  More strength, faster recovery and my endurance seems better.



May I suggest all of you take the Top Fuel for Top Performance Seminar run by Health Promotions?

Creatine does bulk you up, but the effects dissappear when you stop taking it.


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## Jarnhamar

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> May I suggest all of you take the Top Fuel for Top Performance Seminar run by Health Promotions?
> 
> Creatine does bulk you up, but the effects dissappear when you stop taking it.



Thanks Jim I will look into that seminar today for sure.

I attribute getting in shape  (bulking up, protein shakes, creatine over fast food and pop) to dropping my blood pressure from a high of 163/131 at times to 121 over 88. It'll be a hard sell but still worth at least learning about.


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## OldSolduer

ObedientiaZelum said:
			
		

> Thanks Jim I will look into that seminar today for sure.
> 
> I attribute getting in shape   (bulking up, protein shakes, creatine over fast food and pop) to dropping my blood pressure from a high of 163/131 at times to 121 over 88. It'll be a hard sell but still worth at least learning about.



That is why your BP is lower.  Bulking up - I am still not sold on that. I will say resistance trg - free weights - were a big reason why I could finish a 10 miler with a marathon runner who happened to be doing his 10 miler as well. Mind you....I was a lot younger then.


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## roadrunner60

PMedMoe said:
			
		

> So, you're trying to join the CF and using and/or recommending a product that is illegal to purchase in Canada?  Wow, just.......wow.
> 
> Is Jack3d Legal?







You know something tells me you dont work out much


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## jparkin

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> You know something tells me you dont work out much



The Jack3d website ( link provided kindly by PMedMoe ) clearly says that their product is currently illegal to purchase in Canada or ship to Canada. Something tells me you don't do much reading.


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## roadrunner60

You can get it at any gnc or suppliment store its not like your shipping fully automatic weapons across the border and its not like police are conductings raids for the strategic north american jack3d supply. Tell a policeman you have jack3d in your car next time you see one i dont think he'll care, its about as illegal as owning a airsoft gun.


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## The_Falcon

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> You can get it at any gnc or suppliment store its not like your shipping fully automatic weapons across the border and its not like police are conductings raids for the strategic north american jack3d supply. Tell a policeman you have jack3d in your car next time you see one i dont think he'll care, its about as illegal as owning a airsoft gun.



Just because you can still get it does not make it a legal substance, it was ordered recalled here http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/compli-conform/recall-retrait/_list/rec-ret_drugs-med_trade-marque_july-sept_2011-eng.php  About halfway down, it specially says Jack3d.  So anyone selling is in non-compliance.  PMedMoe, is  Preventative Medical Technician, making sure troops don't put harmful shit in their bodies is part of her job.  The product is banned in sports competitions, because its related to amphetamine.  Hence why it was also banned by Health Canada.  And just because a random Police probably won't know what the product is or its legality, also doesn't somehow magically make this a product one should be using especially if they want to have a career with the CF.


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## roadrunner60

Recruiting officer: so tell me a bit about yourself

Recruit: i work out daily and use jack3d

Recruiting officer: GET OUT

I dont think that would happen. I think its worse to drink american milk coming from steroid injected cows


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## Journeyman

You just don't get it, do you?   :not-again:

It's _illegal_ in Canada. Is that really such a difficult concept?


IF you do manage to get in the CF, get used to hearing the term "admin burden" used in your vicinity.


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## roadrunner60

I just brought over some undeclared oranges from the states will that hurt my cf application? 

F'in boots!


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## Journeyman

It's not your application; it's your attitude.

Thank you for reaffirming why I avoid Recruiting threads though.   :


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## OldSolduer

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> Recruiting officer: so tell me a bit about yourself
> 
> Recruit: i work out daily and use jack3d
> 
> Recruiting officer: GET OUT
> 
> I dont think that would happen. I think its worse to drink american milk coming from steroid injected cows



I'd advise you to quit while you are ahead. Your diatribes serve no useful purpose other than to raise the dander of some very experienced senior members and retired members.
In other words, junior, shut it.


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## roadrunner60

:sorry:


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## The_Falcon

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> Recruiting officer: so tell me a bit about yourself
> 
> Recruit: i work out daily and use jack3d
> 
> Recruiting officer: GET OUT
> 
> I dont think that would happen. I think its worse to drink american milk coming from steroid injected cows





			
				roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> Ok, calmed me a bit. Luckily for me i can say ive *never done any drugs*, smoked ciggs and only drank twice when i was 15



Now I am not sure if Jack3d is on the NPD questionnaire (yet, but seeing as how I DO work in recruiting, I can certainly enquire through my CofC to make sure it is added), but amphetamines (which Jack3d is) are on the questionnaire.  The CF has a dim view of people who take BANNED/ILLEGAL substances, both prior to joining and ESPECIALLY once you get in.  Whether you agree or not is IRRELEVANT.  If you cannot accept that, then save yourself from future headaches and withdraw your application.


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## roadrunner60

Jack3d is not an amphetamine it contains dmaa which is a derivitive of a natural plant which minimaly mimics increased awareness and body function as amphetamines do, as does any preworkout or suppliment, that why theyre taken, to increase normal body function. That being said im NOT saying go do illegal things ok lets use our heads, also if 75% of supplementation products where fda tested they would be banned. Im done here, i got my amusement this dog died days ago.
 :deadhorse: (replace with dog)


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## muskrat89

> Im done here,



And we're going to hold you to it. Go beat your drum on a power-lifting forum. We're not interested and chances are even the most clueless of us know more about the product you are talking about than you know about anything to do with the CF.

Army.ca Staff


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## OldSolduer

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> That hurt my feelings :crybaby:



Gee muffin .....get over it. That will go on a lot and quite possibly a lot more for you, given the attitude you have displayed thus far here.


----------



## Jarnhamar

roadrunner60 said:
			
		

> I just brought over some undeclared oranges from the states will that hurt my cf application?
> 
> F'in boots!



So you're that kind of soldier that tries to smuggle something across the border because you don't like following dumb rules and you know better and ends up having the whole bus of troops held up for 8 hours while their kit is torn apart by customs.  All the families that have waited a month or two to see their loved ones appreciate you making them wait an extra 8 hours in the parking lot in their cars on a hot day with children.

Thanks man!


----------



## Scott

That's enough folks

Staff


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