Gen

Hello, thanks for taking a look at my query,

I am 17 years old, and I want to gain more weight, but I would much rather gain muscle weight, and refine my body much more. I have taken personal training sessions, and was given a routine that was somewhat satisfying to an extent, but I think I need more motivation with the diet as well as routine, because I feel like I've hardly succeeded with arm exercises. I have gained 15 pounds, but not I think I've plateaued as they say.

I am wondering if I should invest in the p90x program, as it is summer, and I am a very independentt athlete; I also have more time to invest in exercise. I am taking the IB programme at school, and so it will be far more difficult to begin this programme during the school year than initiate it during the summer.

I want to gain more muscle mass etc, and I am a very determine and ambitious person. I need to increase my dietary intake as well, and I am sure the p90x nutrition plan will satisfy those needs.

Tell me what you think of this plan; should I strictly follow the p90x nutrition plan and routine, or do you think I should be less harsh on myself since I am 17, and not a fully-developed adult?

Thanks for your input.

drpepper106

you cannot plateau gaining 15 pounds. That means your not eating enough calories. UP your calories by 250 each day and you will start gaining weight. Remember gaining muscle is a very slow process.

Courtney9601

I don't think it is the right thing for you to invest in at this time. It is a great program,but there are other programs out there that work just as well and give you equal or better results.

Here is my list of things for you to do as fellow athlete. You are correct in your assumption of your diet. Dietary needs are based on an input to output ratio. So simply to gain weight,your caloric intake needs to be slightly greater than your caloric output.

Keep a well managed food log to see how many calories you are eating a day. Try to eat a consistent caloric intake throughout the week. If you have not gained weight,simply add 200-300 calories each week until you start to see gains again. Be sure to monitor body fat so as to not allow yourself to gain a lot of fat,but mostly muscle. It is almost impossible to muscle without gaining a little fat during a caloric surplus.

That being said,make sure you know where your calories are coming from just as much as you know how many calories you are ingesting. A calorie is not necessarily a calorie. The three types of calories known as fat,protein,and carbs all act differently on your body. I will give you my email,it is tintinabulation26@yahoo.com if you want a huge amount of information on the subject and information on lifting programs. Otherwise,you can check out a book called Scrawny to Brawny,by Dr. John Beradi and Mike Meija. This book is really good on surplus eating and it has a four month weightlifting program for you to follow if you want. The section on food however is worth the purchase as well.

You could also go to a website called www.t-nation.com. He is a writing contributor on that site and he has an article about Massive Eating that I use and have found immense success off of. The info on that site is just a part of what is found in that book though,but he covers most of it in the article. The article also has a link to his official website where he gives great articles on caloric intake and gives you a tool to figure out your massive caloric intake amount and the macronutrient breakdown. That website also has other amazing articles on weightlifting programs and other great contributors. Look for articles by guys like Christian Thibadeau, Charles Poliquin, and Nate Green. Those guys know their stuff,especially Thibadeau cause he is a champion for the average and elite gym goer.

The P90X program again, is a good solid program,but not one that you would want to use to gain weight. It is more of a CrossFit style program if you have heard of that. It will get you in shape and ripped though,but you could save that for after you put some weight on. Again if you have questions on lifting programs and diet,contact my email and good luck.

FakieM

P90x is a great program for independent athletes like yourself. The nutrition plan for P90x is based upon calculation. Depending on your weight, you can be eating betwen 1800 and 3000 calories daily. The main component is protein and vegetables - less carbs, fruits, and fats. The nutrition and exercise plan is not harsh for someone as young as you.

I have used P90x for the past 77 days to burn 11% body fat and to gain strength, balance, and flexibility. Most people loose 30-40 pounds, but I've managed to keep at 20 pounds by maintaining muscle mass. The biggest rule to follow is to work with heavy weight and 8-10 reps in order to build muscle mass. Here are my pictures http://bit.ly/P90x_Progress

If you have any questions, please let me know! I would like to offer my help! bcui@beachbodycoach.com

http://teambeachbody.com/coachcui