[ItsWhatIdo]

Originally Posted by Cinderella Man

You don't need testosterone to get big?

Of course you do. Which is why teenagers pack on mass like a guy on gear.

[Rush]

Its why women don't add mass like blokes. They have like a tenth of the amount of testosterone.

[lewieG]

Pretty basic question from me, I know the basics but I'd just like to see if you guys have any ideas. I'm 5'11'', 10% body fat and about 72kg. I'm pretty much just lean muscle, but I need to gain some weight for rugby. I have about 4-5 months before next season starts, and am doing plenty of training on my own/as part of an academy team. I'm also trying to increase my food intake, and I have a pretty good diet.

What I'd like some opinions on is:

1: Any particular exercises I should be concentrating on.
2: Any specific foods I should be eating.
3: Supplementing - should I be doing it, how much etc
4: Whether I should concentrate mainly on heavy weights/lower reps, or should I keep doing light weight/high rep days?

Thanks guys.

[Rush]

what position do you play? i assume you're not a forward b/c you're vey undersized for a prop, hooker or backrower. Bit small for a flanker as well.

[lewieG]

I've been playing halfback the last few years but this year I moved out to inside centre predominantly, and that's where I'm hoping to start next season.

[ItsWhatIdo]

Concentrate on compound lifts. Deadlifts, squats, and bench.

[Rush]

essentially that, focus on bigger muscle groups, and make sure you're working with a rounded program. Had a few mates try to bulk up for rugby and essentially just worked their chest way too much.

try the stronglifts 5x5 program

Workout A

Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5

Workout B

Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

now i've never tried i although i'm probably going to start it in my cricket off season to get back in shape seeing as i've started to stack on a few kg's this year.

[starship.paint]

I started regularly doing pullups at the start of July five/six days a week. I started at max 4 pull ups

By the start of November I could do a max of 15 at one go. I think for July and August I was mainly doing one set maximum, so from 4... increased 1 per week until 9. Then I got advice to do my pull-ups in sets instead, so instead of 9 in one go I started doing 5/5/5/x... Then it lead to 6/6/6/x then 6/6/6/6/x then 7/7/7/7/x... My max total was 33 I think 7/7/7/7/5. Around this time I tried doing one set again for the heck of it and I did 14 on one day and 15 the next day.

I'm in an exam period right now so I don't want to overstress my muscles so I'm doing 6/6/8 for a total of 20.

[lewieG]

Cheers Rush/ItsWhatIDo

[Ghetto Anthony]

Originally Posted by Rush

essentially that, focus on bigger muscle groups, and make sure you're working with a rounded program. Had a few mates try to bulk up for rugby and essentially just worked their chest way too much.

try the stronglifts 5x5 program

Workout A

Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5

Workout B

Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

now i've never tried i although i'm probably going to start it in my cricket off season to get back in shape seeing as i've started to stack on a few kg's this year.

is dat sum mark rippetoe