Originally Posted by iron_worker

I really don't think you are going to make much progress (if any) doing what you're doing.

Here are some things I have learned about trying to get big/strong:

1) EAT BIG! This is absolutely essential. You have to have an excess of calories in order for your body to be able to create new mass. Keep your protein high since you are trying to help your body repair itself and it is composed mainly of protein.

2) TRAIN BIG! If you do #1 without without #2 you will probably only gain fat.... If you want to gain muscle then you have to train big as well. What I mean by train big is hit all the "big" lifts as heavy as you can. IE: Squats, Deads, Bench, Military (P.S. I am not much of a fan of "splits" for beginners ... or anyone besides the body building types.)

3) Recovery. I would recommend to you a 3x a week full body work out. You will make quick gains as a young guy and you could probably keep up with a full body routine for a year and get lots of out it. On your off days.... rest! You can do some light cardio but don't go crazy with it.

4) Sleep. It is very important to get good sleep every night.

5) Drinking/smoking/partying ... none of these things will help you in your journey to be big and strong. The more you can cut out, the better off you'll be.

6) Consistency. The more consistent you can make your life the easier it is to track your progress. Ex: If you have a meal plan that you follow religiously every day and you're still not gaining weight then guess what? It's time to increase your calories! The more variables you can rule out, the more you will realize what changes affect your training.

I hope these tips help. They are fairly general but if you have some questions I'll try to help.

IW