Hey, I've been lifting for over a few months now and I've gotten much stronger and toner, however, have barely gotten any bigger. I've been eating in a 250-500 calorie surplus. What workout would be best to build mass? Push/Pull/Leg - 6 days a week, 5x5 StrongLift (3 days a week) or something else?

@scott_herman

Thanks,

Jacob

I'm pretty sure any workout will work for this. I took a ppl and added in some more shoulders and calves/forearms as well as compound movements.

 

what matters most is consistency, going hard and making sure your diet is in check

Hey Jacob.

 

Building muscle takes time. A few months isn't long at all, and it can take a little while for you yourself to notice significant changes.

 

What has your weight been doing over the few months you have been working out? Has it gone up?

 

What program are you following at the moment? If we know what you have been trying and possibly hasn't worked that well, then we can suggest what might be best to try next :-)

I've been lifting for awhile, only seriously for a few months though. My weight hasn't changed at all, only got more toned and veiny. I've been following your push/pull/leg workout for 6 days a week. It's really helped my strength though, just wondering if it's good for building muscle as well, comparing to the SL 5x5 and other workouts.

It is good for building muscle as well, but if you feel like it's not working, you could try the 5-day bodybuilding split instead? It will lower your training frequency, but maybe that's a good thing for you? Maybe your recovery would work better that way?

 

But it also might just be that you're not eating enough. You're only 16 right? Which means your metabolism is probably almost at it's peak, if it's not there already. So even a 250-500 calorie surplus might not be enough, because your metabloism may be maker your BMR higher. Does that make sense?

 

What are your current macros and calories?

Yeah, that could be a good thing. Sport just started up properly again and I'm running/training everyday now.

 

That makes sense. Yeah, I'm 16. I eat around 3100 calories a day, usually 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat. Should I change that?

Everyone recommends 40-40-20, (protein, carbs, fats, as far as calories, NOT GRAMS), but I think 50-30-20 can work especially if you're younger and trying to put on some serious size. I remember being your age and being incredibly active all the time. If that sounds at all like you, I'm gonna be honest with you and say back then 3100 cals was barely enough and I never put on any size because I needed to eat WAY more. Not until later, during my late college years did I realize this and start eating way more and it finally worked. Having been through this and getting frustrated over not growing, I hope this doesn't happen to you so definitely check your diet, you might not be getting enough cals

 

best of luck

If you are gaining weight on those calories and those macros, there's no need to change it. If you aren't seeing the results you want with them, then we need to take a closer look.

 

You don't necessarilly have to work with percentages. You can work with grams per pound of bodyweight as well.

 

Have you noticed much, if any, weight gain following these numbers?

Nope, maybe 1 or 2kg but that's nothing for over a few months.

It's not terrible - depends how many months 'a few' is. Is it 3 months? 4? 6?

 

1kg per month would be good. That equats to around 25lbs in one year.

Not completely sure, but I think it'd be getting past 4 now