A little help please...

[JKB]

First off thanks to everyone taking the time to read this. I have read a lot of these posts and even the post by Big A that explains to beginners on how to pack on size. I find that I am even more of a novice than most because even that article was confusing to me, so here is my situation:

1. I have access to wonderful gyms because I am in the military.

2. I don't have a ton of money for all sorts of unnecessary supplements.

3. I am willing and able to make time to work out as much is needed.

4. I have tried this before and always get frustrated with my progress. I just am never able to see any improvement. That's why I am here seeking advice from people who obviously know what they are doing.

If you made it through this article thanks again. Anyone with advice on training, diets, supplements or anything else a new lifter should do will be much appreciated!

 

[BigBoyJ]

There's no magic out there, man. Most supplements don't even work and the ones that do don't do a whole lot. Here's how I would rank things in order of importance.

1. Diet
2. Training
3. Rest
4. Steroids/Supplements

First thing you need to do is learn about nutrition. Read some of the diet info on the board, there's a lot to learn. My advice to a person first learning how to diet is this. Stick with whole foods. There are really only two areas of the grocery store that your foods need to come from. The meat market and the produce section. Don't eat it if it's battered, fried, comes in a box, or plastic wrapper. In other words, cook your own meats by grilling or baking and eat tons of raw vegetable. For carbs, stick with whole grains, yams and brown rice. Of course there's a lot more to learn, but this will get you on the right track.

As for the training, don't give up so quickly. This probably isn't what you're going to want to hear, but results come very slowly. It takes years to learn your body and what works for you. Not to say you can't see improvements in a short time, but it's a constant learning process. Stick with it, no matter what. It's the only way you can improve. Over time you'll figure out what works and what doesn't, but if you quit, you're guaranteed to never accomplish anything. If this sport was easy, everyone would be 270 pounds with 6% bodyfat. But it's not easy, so instead the majority of America is obese. It's a lot easier to sit on the couch with a burger than it is to cook up a fillet of grilled salmon with a bowl of spinach leaves and hit the gym couple hours later.

Be patient, the results will come and so will the knowledge.

 

[Dad]

Superb!

There's nothing I can add to BBJ's advice.

This is precisely what it takes.

 

[coolbreezendez]

When I started lifting I was a 6'4 180 lbs. 18 y/o. I trained and trained and trained(actually overtrained) and barely grew. I too was in the military and went to great gyms with huge guys that I would mimic because (i used to think) if they were big they knew what they were doing. I never ate and with as much PT as we did in the Marine Corps it was tough to gain wieght(so I thought). I bought Arnold's encyclopedia to bodybuilding... changed my whole life. I started by changing my diet. No roids No supplements. Just good ol' food. I learned the importance of a good diet. I Learn my body by spending quality time working in the gym and reading outside of the gym. You need a foundation to build on and that foundation starts with knowledge. This is a great place to start and the guys on this site can help you but learn your body. Everyone responds differently to training and supplementation. Be patient and consistent, Arnold wasn't Arnold overnight. Consistency is the key.

BTW... 7 years later I weigh a lean 256 and just started my 2nd cycle.

Keep training and good luck!