going nowhere, please help

Q: Hi Vince, i have been working out now for over a year i have gained strength but no mass whatsoever. i am what you might call skinny fat i have tried all sorts of protein powders creatines bcaas you name it and chances are i have given it a shot. what am i doing wrong? I work out at home 4 or 5 days per week and push myself hard i also do the cardio and follow the routines on this site. any ideas? thanks

A: Hello there––The ability to gain strength without much muscle mass is not that uncommon. Moreover, many male weight trainers who get strong, yet fail to gain muscle size often have an issue with bodyfat––as they are interrelated. The good news that the solution is often within reach just by making a few changes in your training and nutrition plan.

Your question brings up a very important issue that keeps 90-percent of otherwise dedicated weight trainers from reaching their goals––which is better body composition. That said, if you learn how to plan your training to achieve muscle size, you’ll also gain considerable strength and get leaner at the same time. This is because muscle; not only burns more energy at rest, but more importantly, it greatly increases your bodies ability to preferentially store glucose (from any carbs you eat) into your muscle cells, and not your fat cells.

The key to gaining muscle size in a manner that offers size, strength and leanness requires setting up your training program so that you are guided by the amount of work you do for a given bodypart. This is different than gauging a workout by how much weight you lifted for 2-3 reps in your “max set”. So, instead of going to the gym to “lift weights with your muscles”, you’ll be “training your muscles by using resistance”. In short, the goal is to stress your muscles with a careful eye on resistance that covers the right rep ranges AND you perform for an adequate amount of sets so enough total work is done. The result will cause your muscle fibers to adapt, while it increases muscle protein synthesis so you can get bigger, stronger and leaner.

Here are my key concepts for building lean, strong muscle, that burns fat.

1. Gauge your training by the tonnage you lift––if you do barbell curls with 3 sets of 6 reps with 100-lbs of resistance your tonnage number is:
2. 3 sets x 6 reps x 100–lbs or 1800-lbs
3. In contrast; 4 sets of 10 reps with only 50-lbs is, 2000-lbs
4. Limit your use of sets with 4-6 reps and focus on sets of 8-15 reps, but mix it up. The age old “pyramid” method is still the best which is:
5. After a warm-up set of 20 reps, pick a weight for your work sets where 12-15 reps are possible, no more.
6. Use the same weight in up to 5 work sets, adding weight if you can go over 15 reps on set 2, and limit the rest between sets to less than one-minute.
7. Use a 2 up, 4 down cadence with a slight pause at the top and bottom of the movement––control the weight.
8. General rule of thumb is to shoot for 50-60 reps per muscle group, which done in the fashion above will trigger the growth response, while also making your lifts stronger and causing a metabolic shift towards more muscle and less fat.
9. Progress by doing more work, calculated by tonnage
10. Give each muscle group 48-72 hours rest before training it again.
11. A good split is;
12. Day 1––Back/Chest
13. Day 2––Legs
14. Day 3––Arms/Delts
15. Day 4––Rest or Cardio
16. Cardio—Hi Intensity/15 minutes only, every other day or 3 times per week max

Nutrition: Never forget; You Can Never Outrun or Out-Train Your Mouth—-Honest to goodness, lifelong body recomposition starts and ends with how you feed your body—-because as the slogan above reminds us, we can always eat more than we can ever hope to “exercise off”. The best part is that your nutrition plan does not need to be perfect, only consistent. You can limit the amount of fat you store simply by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your daily diet from the “Suzy Creamcheese” norm of 65% of energy to 35%. And if you get an equal or greater amount of high quality protein (to carbs) in your daily diet, you’ll get a greater response in muscle and chew up a few extra fat cells to boot. Regards,

Vince Andrich

Disclaimer Information provided on this blog is solely for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Do not use this information for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing of any medications or supplements. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, diet or exercise program, before taking any medications or receiving treatment, particularly if you are currently under medical care. Make sure you carefully read all product labeling and packaging prior to use. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, do not take any supplements without first consulting and obtaining the approval of your healthcare provider. © 2011 Vince Andrich Real BodyBuilding, Vince Andrich Uncensored, & www.vandrich.com All Rights Reserved.