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      04-08-2011, 02:46 PM   #17
Finnegan
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Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3
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I have a bit of a different take on this as someone closer to 50 than 40. The OP is 40, not ancient but not a young guy either. As such his approach needs to be different.

Gaining "weight" is easy, gaining quality weight isn't, especially as we get older. At 40 eating a bunch of crap isn't healthly (not that it really is at any age). He may have a high metabolic rate but that's no promise he has a high protein metabolism or high natural androgen level where those excess calories are going to go mostly to muscle and not fat (assuming he has an appropriately designed weight program). Adding extra fat at his age is just going to convert more T to estrogen anyway--a very bad idea.

Sure, when you're younger and at max T levels, max GH levels, and very good insulin sensitivity you can pound down the crap, or simply eat a lot more "clean" food (lots of positive calorie load) and get pretty darn good results. It's a calories game when you're younger. But as we age that approach isn't as effective unless you're counting belly fat.

At his age, the most a guy with a good conjugate periodization weight training program can expect to gain is 1-2 pounds or so of muscle a month along with about a half pound of fat. Maybe a bit more if untrained, but if they've been using a decent (but static) program and mix it up with something new. And I'm talking natural here, not super supplements. Gaining 3-4 lbs./month is a better idea--along with monitoring to make sure the "weight" gained isn't just excess fat.

I'd recommend setting a goal of 1 lb/week of with checkpoints at the 2 week point for bodyfat. Weight will actually go up pretty quickly (water) if you add more calories especially carbs. Have to watch bodyfat levels though--if those go up to fast cut back on the calories. Bodyfat will go up, but should be kept in check so that the weight gained doesn't turn out to be a bunch of fat. It's easy to feel like you're gaining and then bam you have to diet. Ask me how I know: I got up to 216 at one point "bulking". Oh, I gained weight and my strength went way up--nice 450 lb deads for reps--but so did my bodyfat levels. Rather be 195 and somewhat lean and rep 400 than porky and 450. Not healthy to carry that fat at my age either.

Rather than just using heavier weights try a method where you lift heavy, then lighter on other days. Joints don't like a heavy pounding all the time. Progression is the key. Lighter weight but more total reps this week than last is progression. More sets is progression. More weight (rep x weight) is progression. Or on heavy days a bit more weight or again more reps than last time. As long as you ask the body to do more of something in terms of total weight lifted that's progression. Progression over 3 weeks (doing a bit more this week than last week) works well, then ease of week 4, back on it again week 5 (new week 1). This keeps overtraining (neurological and physical) at bay.

Personally, I like training more frequently with fewer sets than a "leg day" or "chest" day approach with 10-12 sets of this, that, and the other movement pattern. Rather, break up the movement patterns on various days and use various rep schemes. Heavy low rep squats on Monday for 24-30 reps followed by lighter high rep leg press or bulgarian squats on Thursday for 36-60 reps and maybe some box jumps or explosive work if you can recover well enough. Heavy DB bench on Monday in the 24-30 rep range, some weighted pushups in the 30-60 rep range for sets of 12 to 15 reps on Thurday with some explosive work built in for grins. Same total work in a week, but split up, and heavy/light which IMO helps us older guys recover and still stimulates growth.
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