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Building Muscle

  • 06-05-2009 10:20pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey not sure if this is the right place for this but i said i'd give it a go and see if anyone can help.

    I'm 6 foot 5 or so, quite skinny, 24 and i'm looking to see if anyone has any advice for building upper chest muscles. Problem is i'm very skinny on my upper chest and have what i would call a dip in the centre of my chest, which is very noticable. Guess it would be pretty close to skin and bone. I keep fit with sports and running so i'm toned enough but i don't exactly have much fat to turn into muscle especially on my upper chest. I do eat a load of food, and quite healthy most of the time but i obviously have a high metabilism!

    I'd be quite self consious of it going swimming etc, as i know i'm skinny but my chest just looks weird to be honest. I'd love to build it up but i've tried the weights/push ups every day however i basically have nothing to build up. I thought i might 'fill out' as i got older as i've always been thin however it doesn't seem to be happening.

    Any help on what i could possibly do would be a huge help.

    Cheers


Comments

  • #2
    trout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,945 ✭✭✭trout


    OP ... this might be better in Fitness, but I don't know if you can post unregged in Fitness.


  • #3
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    Unregistered wrote: »
    I keep fit with sports and running so i'm toned enough but i don't exactly have much fat to turn into muscle especially on my upper chest. I do eat a load of food, and quite healthy most of the time but i obviously have a high metabilism!

    You can't turn fat into muscle, so don't worry about that at all. You cqan lose fat whilst making muscle but the fat does not turn into muscle. Turning fat into muscle would be like turning butter into lean steak. Impossible.


    [/quote]
    I'd be quite self consious of it going swimming etc, as i know i'm skinny but my chest just looks weird to be honest. I'd love to build it up but i've tried the weights/push ups every day however i basically have nothing to build up. I thought i might 'fill out' as i got older as i've always been thin however it doesn't seem to be happening.

    Any help on what i could possibly do would be a huge help.

    Cheers[/QUOTE]

    Maybe you weren't doing the weights properly/not enough. Go to the fitness forum and do a search, read the stickies, or register and post about building up your chest, its a great forum and very active. No one has anything to build up, you build up by lifting weights and eating protein.

    You could always join a gym, when you get your induction your trainer will ask exactly what you want to do with your body.

    Best of luck.


  • #4
    tribulus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,635 ✭✭✭tribulus


    Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »
    You can't turn fat into muscle, so don't worry about that at all. You cqan lose fat whilst making muscle but the fat does not turn into muscle. Turning fat into muscle would be like turning butter into lean steak. Impossible.

    I've read on a few forums where people claimed to have lost fat and gained muscle simultaneously but it generally just isn't possible as:

    Weight loss needs a caloric deficit.
    Weight gain needs a caloric surplus.

    OP first thing is you need to eat enough, go to the fitness forum here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252 and read the nutrition sticky. This will give you an idea of how much and what types of food you need to be eating.

    In terms of exercise, pressups might be good to begin with but if you're doing sets of 10-12 reps or more then it won't really help you build muscle there.

    It would be better to just pick a chest exercise - the bench press being the staple of most males on the planet! - and progressing on that.

    As an example say you can do 40kg for 8 repetitions.

    One session try 40kg x 8 reps x 3 sets.
    The nest session try and do 42.5kg x 8reps x 3 sets.
    Every session try and make a little progress, preferably by adding weight but alternatively by doing some extra reps or sets.

    I wouldn't train the same body part too much each week, twice a week is plenty. Make sure your form is correct too.

    Best of luck, remember to eat!


  • #5
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    There is a hereditary condition called pectus excavatum that results in a hollow in the sternum. In very extreme cases it can put pressure on internal organs like the heart, but is also present in very mild forms as well. It's quite common, and affects men many more times than women.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectus_excavatum


  • #6
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    tribulus wrote: »
    I've read on a few forums where people claimed to have lost fat and gained muscle simultaneously but it generally just isn't possible as:

    Weight loss needs a caloric deficit.
    Weight gain needs a caloric surplus.

    You aren't neccesarily losing weight when you lose fat.


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  • #7
    MrDaithi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 50 ✭✭MrDaithi


    Four things to "beef up":
    - train more
    - eat more
    - rest enough
    - dedication


    - Train the muscle group twice a week.

    - Eat more, as said before you need to be in calorie surplus. You need to estimate what is your daily calorie intake for your current age, size and weigh. Find some calculator online, then I suggest to eat 500 calories more per day.
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
    These online calculators are not the exact truth as everyone is different but they can give you a global pictures.

    Eat balanced and healthy. Eat food with protein chicken, fish, beef, tuna, egg every time you eat, proteins will build your muscles, but don't forget to eat carbs too e.g. rice, pasta, bread, fruits. Fats are also required, and don't forget some veg too.

    Also, you need to ingest food more regularly: breakfast + light morning snack (I don't mean a Twix but a small sandwich + fruit) + lunch + light afternoon snack + diner (you must eat asap after training) + light snack 1 hour before going to bed. No need to think about any food supplement as it's pointless at this stage.
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm

    - You must rest enough for your muscles to "repair" and grow. Take a day rest between training session. Sleep enough every night e.g. 7 or 8 hours.

    - Your going to have to keep motivated, regular training can be "painful" during the first week, your muscles and tendons are not used to it, but you should feel better by the second week. By the fourth week you should have made some progress with the weighs your can lift meaning you are on the right path and you should start to really see changes by the end of the second months, may be before.
    I suggest you weigh yourself with a balance that also gives your body mass index and take a picture at the beginning or your training. Then again once a week (always way yourself in the same conditions usually morning after waking up) because without regular metrics it can be hard to appreciate if your making progress or not.


    For your chest, train your pecs but no need to do weird and fancy moves, bench press horizontal and inclined are the foundation, plus a couple other with free weighs moves. Also don't forget to train your back muscles and your abs. To bulk up you have to lift heavy weighs (heavy is relative to your strength) for a maximum of 8 reps per set. Do 12 sets per session e.g. 4 sets horizontal bench, 4 sets inclined bench, 4 sets free weighs ...etc...
    1st set should be light enough, increment weigh for each set, then 4th set is usually the heaviest you can do, you cannot push a 9th rep.

    All these are just recommendations that work for me, I suggest you join a gym, talk to one of their staff about your goal and ask for a training program as well as some pointers about your food intake.

    In the end, it doesn't mean that you have to live like a monk, you can still enjoy some nights out and drinks but try to stay reasonable.


  • #8
    tribulus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,635 ✭✭✭tribulus


    Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »
    You aren't neccesarily losing weight when you lose fat.

    Yes but you said lose fat whilst gaining muscle. One needs a caloric deficit, the other a surplus. Aside from a very strict and careful manipulation of exercise and carb and protein intake at exact times, or maybe some help from PED's, it just can't happen.


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