Well, there is no real set guideline for everyone, since everyone's body structure is different. For example, my one roommate is jacked, and will continue to look that way even after not lifting for 6 months, which he has done. When I say jacked, I'm talking about a 6' guy, about 190 pounds, and well defined. Me on the other hand, I have to work my ass off to keep in shape.
When I started lifting weights, I was in my first year of college (September 2000). I'm 6'2", and at that time, I weighed a whopping 135 pounds... Needless to say, I was a stick. After I finished my Freshman year, in June 2001, I weighed 180 pounds, fluctuating a few pounds here and there. Back then, I ate like shit. Cheese steaks, wings, pizza, hot pockets, etc. out the ass. I continued that eating trend, as well as lifting until June 2003. I always had a fast metabolism, so I only weighed a little over 205.
I stopped lifting at that point, lost a lot of muscle mass, and stayed at the same weight... Which means, bye bye 6 pack, hello beer gut. I don't really know why I stopped lifting, but I did. After my parents started making fun of me and my gut, jokingly of course, it really sparked a fire up my ass. Needless to say, I've been lifting harder than ever for the past 6 months.
KR is completely right though, its one thing to lift and get strong, but its another thing to lift, condition, eat properly, and look good. There are a lot of opinions on how to eat, how often, and how big of portions, and honestly, I've heard of diets along the line of KR's, but with my schedule and cash income, I definitely can't eat that many times a day. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your body weight in pounds by 12, and that should be about your total Calorie intake, with no meal consisting of more than 30% of your total intake, meaning, equally sized meals, no pigging out one meal to obtain your goal.
There are also a few other tips you should know. Its good to eat about 12 times your body weight. Some people tend to think that if they simply stop eating, they will lose weight, but that is a terrible misnomer. Another good rule of thumb is to eat about every 3-4 hours, moderately. Try not to wait more than 5-6 hours between meals, that is just bad.
Here's what I do.
I take a diet supplement, called HOT-ROX twice a day. When I wake up, on an empty stomache, and 5-6 hours later, again on an empty stomache, and both times with 8 oz. of water. I eat relatively light, and get in 4 meals a day, and no snacks, not even the little handful ones. No food after 7:30 P.M.
I do moderately heavy weights, and get spots for about 12 reps, 3 sets, occassionally 4, each excersice, and only 30-45 seconds rest in between. The less rest, the more calories are burnt, obviously.
Monday: Chest/Tri's/Abs
Tuesday: Shoulders/Bi's
Wednesday: Back/Legs/Abs
Thursday: Chest/Tri's
Friday: Shoulders/Bi's/Abs
Saturday: Back/Legs
Sunday: Rest
Everyday, other than Sunday, I use a row machine for 10 minutes, then I ride the bike for 30 minutes. I used to run 2-3 miles a day, but I have a history of shin splints, so I had to stop.
When doing Abs, it is better to set of no more than 25 reps. If you can do more than 25 sit-ups with ease, simply put on 25 pound weight on your chest, or increase if you must, so that 3 sets of 25 aren't exactly easy. By keeping it at 25 reps, or slightly less, you get 6 larger Abdonimal muscles, instead of small, stamina filled muscles.
For me personally, I have seen the best gains and improvements with this routine in the past 6 months, than I ever did in the previous 3 years (almost) before.
I now weight 190, I'm stronger than ever, in better shape, and I eat properly. Once I found out what healthy food I enjoyed the most, the diet became easy.
Oh, and again KR was very correct when he said that Protein is very important. You should get more Protein intake than Carbohydrates. Also, avoid foods that are high in Saturated Fats. I could easily write a book on this shit, I've read so much about lifting, but this is pretty comprehensive, and somewhat repetitive to other's posts.


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