Bodybuilding.com - Is This A Good Mass Gaining Program?

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By: Josh Henkin

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Is This A Good Mass Gaining Program?

I am an 18 year old bodybuilder. I have been lifting fairly seriously for 2 years and have done some research on training and nutrition. I am 5' 11", 185 pounds and I want to gain some serious mass. I would really appreciate you taking a look at my routine and the supplements I use and giving me any suggestions that you can.

Monday - Chest

Bench press 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Incline db press 4 sets of 3-8 reps
Dips 3 sets
DB flyes 3 sets of 10 reps

Tuesday - Back/Shoulders/Traps

4 sets pull ups
Deadlifts 4 sets of 10 reps
T-bar rows 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Low lat pulls 3 sets of 6-8 reps
Military press 5 sets of 6-8
Lateral raise 4 sets of 8
Upright rows 3 sets of 8
Shoulder shrugs 3 sets of 12

Wednesday - Rest

Thursday - Legs

Squat 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Leg press 3 sets of 6 reps
Leg curls 3 sets of 10
Leg raises (calf) 4 sets of 12-15

Friday - Arms

Barbell curls 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Preacher curls 4 sets of 8
Hammer curls 4 sets of 6
Close grip bench 4 sets of 6-8
Pressdowns 3 sets of 8-10
Skull crushers 3 sets of 8
Wrist curls

Saturday And Sunday - Rest... Then Repeat Cycle

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I am taking Phosphagen Creatine post workout and whey protein post workout. I just bought 60 servings of N-Large 2. When should I take this? I also use ZMA before bed.

I strive to eat 4 clean meals, i.e.: chicken, tuna, pasta, steak, lean beef, eggs and 2 protein shakes. This comes out to 6 meals. I know I should be eating alot. I try to get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

Would you please give me any suggestions or changes in my routine and diet/supplementation. I am willing to try anything you suggest.

Hmmmm... there are definately things about your routine that we could manipulate. Before I make some recommendations you should remember whatever routine you use, it should be changed after about 4 weeks. If you don't change some aspect of your routine then it will become less effective because the body becomes more efficient at handling the stress.

You should be training with a variety of repetition ranges that I see you are trying to incorporate. There are many different schemes to use. Again, what to use depends all on your goals. While maximal strength training (typically reps of 1-5 with loads of 85% or higher) are not great at increasing muscle mass, the fact they improve your strength will allow you to lift more weight in other exercises which definately can be helpful. To learn more about maximal strength and speed-strength training please refer to my "Improving the Big Three" series.

As far as the program you provided I would suggest the following...

1. There is no need to devote an entire day to chest work. While the volume of work you provided is good, you can definately add something else to this day. Typically I will work an unrelated muscle group such as the biceps, or even hamstrings. You don't have any abdominal exercises so you might want to add some to this day. Please see my upcoming article on unusual abdominal exercises.

2. If you are deadlifting on Tuesday (which is still primarily a glute and hamstring exercise) your squat on Wednesday will be negatively affected.

3. N-large should be taken in 1/3 or 1/2 dosages because of the very high caloric intake. Therefore, you should take this product in between your main meals.

4. You didn't mention anything about your carbohydrate intake. If you are lean and primarly want to gain size I would also look to make sure you are eating enough high quality carbs. In addition, make sure to use good fats thta are found in all natural peanut butter, extra virgin olive oil, and flaxseed oil.

You are off to a good start, hopefully this information is helpful.

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