Best products from r/gainit

A typical setup might be something like 2×45, 2×25, 4×10, 2×5 and 2×2.5. If you want to reach 225 or more on any lift, you could also add an extra 2×45.

For working on the bench press, I'd also consider looking for 2×1.25 or a set of fractional plates. These aren't mandatory but they're nice. I have this set here and I love it. This is useful because if you put 1.25 on each side of the bar, it increases the total weight by 2.5 pounds, allowing you to improve your bench by 2.5 pounds each workout. If all you have is 2×2.5, you need to go up in 5 pound jumps, which is fine in the beginning, but harder as you get stronger. I'm currently at 160 for 3 sets of 5, and I can currently add 2.5 more per workout with the same rep scheme. If I tried to go up by 5, I'd stall and I'd need to mess with a more complicated rep scheme. More gyms should have fractional plates!

Also, if you're new to lifting, I recommend looking at a good beginner program. Two popular choices are Starting Strength and Strong Lifts. Either of these will show you how to get a lot stronger quickly, using good technique, and will answer hundreds of questions. They also both have good apps.

No, not at all! You should absolutely start going to the gym. But if you want to achieve success there, you'll need to do a lot of work before you get there.

Start with goals. What are they? What do you hope to achieve? Why do you want to start lifting weights to begin with? The answer to questions like these will shape the type of training you do in the short- and long-term.

Since you have no gym experience, Starting Strength is an excellent place to start in most cases for lots of reasons, not least of which because if you do the program properly, you will learn a great deal about proper form and mechanics. Proper form is of absolutely paramount importance; if you don't learn it at the beginning of your journey, you will likely hurt yourself once you start lifting heavier weights. And you'll need to learn it eventually, one way or another, so do it at the beginning.

This is the Starting Strength book. Get it. It's worth it. Even if you don't necessarily use the program, it is an excellent resource.

Spend time reading the /r/fitness wiki...it helped me a great deal when I was starting out a few years ago, and I occasionally refer back to it.

Others here will have much more seasoned advice than me, too. Best of luck to you!

I apologize if you already know this or if it seems obvious, but as a few other users have mentioned, I would purchase a food scale (I bought this one) and begin weighing your meals and calculating the amount of each of the following in your servings:

• Calories
  
• Fat (g)
  
• Protein (g)
  
• Carbohydrates (g) (these may not be necessary)
  
• Sodium (mg) (not necessary, but I am curious to track my intake)
  
  I thought I was eating a lot of food, but I never actually determined that to be objectively true until I started weighing the meals that I could. Begin doing this for the meals you eat most regularly, as you want to have a baseline understanding of what you're currently consuming. In doing so, you will discover the amount of food you need to eat just to maintain your current weight. For example, if I know I am eating approximately an average of 2,500 calories per day, 95 grams of fat, and 150 grams of protein, but I am not gaining weight, I realize that those figures need to increase. There is likely a more scientific method for this, but I simply forced myself to increase those figures by 15 to 20 percent (or more) and keep track of it on an Excel spreadsheet (I never used MyFitnessPal because Excel has always been good enough for me, especially since my meals are consistent and I can easily copy and paste). While those figures and percentages are simply examples and are different for everyone depending on your level of fitness, goals, age, etc., I am now averaging nearly 4,500 calories per day, 160 grams of fat, and 270 grams of protein, none of which I would have been able to do unless I committed to weighing my food and actually finding out what I was eating and realizing why that wasn't working. It's a lot of food, but it gets easier as you get used to it and the results show themselves.
  
  I wish I had weighed my meals sooner, as it took me nearly eight years of on and off guess work regarding how much I was eating, as well as poor weightlifting technique and programs to go from 165 lbs to 240 lbs (6'4").
  
  Squats, deadlifts, rows, bench press, and, most importantly, tracking my meals and their associated macros are what helped me more than anything.

Hey man, many of us have felt the way you did. Wearing layers in summer, avoiding people... all of it. You're not alone. We can help.

These things will make you feel better by improving your appetite, mood, and energy:

• Get more sleep. Stop using screens after 9pm, they disrupt your sleep patterns.
  
  
• Quit smoking. Apparently this book is extremely effective. Check out /r/stopsmoking/ for more help.
  
  
• Drink water. This one's easy. Buy a 32 oz Nalgene, fill it up in the morning, keep it at your desk, and sip from it all day until it's finished. Additionally, drink water with all of your meals. I didn't realize I was dehydrated until I started doing this.
  
  These things will make you bigger:
  
  
• Eat more food. Easier said than done, right? So let's start with one small step.
  
  
• Drink a homemade shake every night before bed. Here is my recipe:
  
  >2 cups whole milk
  
  >1 scoop whey protein
  
  >2/3 cup oat flour
  
  >3 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
  
  >5 ice cubes
  
  Blend until smooth and drink. It tastes decent--better than mass gainer, I'd wager--but feel free to add fruit or whatever you like. This is 1000 calories. That's probably too much for you to start with, so cut it in half. If the milk doesn't sit well with you, switch to Protein Nutmilk. This stuff is awesome. It has almost as many calories as dairy, but with much less sugar and 10g of protein.
  
  An extra 500 calories a day will cause weight gain, and because you're consuming it before bed, you're not affecting the rest of your meals.
  
  Start with that, do it consistently for a month, and then review. Did you gain weight? Great, keep it up. No? Come back and we'll re-evaluate.
  
  You will want to start lifting soon, but let's get these things on track first.

Sometimes metabolism is just too high. I was 115lbs from the time I was 16-19, and after that I gained 30lbs in the last year. He can try doing GOMAD or or changing his routine. I gained 30lbs when I started doing SL5x5.
I also ate:
Breakfast:
2 cups yogurt with granola
2 eggs
1-2 breakfast sausage
1 bowl Kashi GOLEAN cereal
Lunch:
2 Hamburgers
2 cups salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, pine nuts, vinegar and oil dressing
1 sandwich(usually chicken) with mayo and lettuce
1 dessert (would be a cookie or slice of pie)
1cup yogurt
Dinner:
Whatever high protein dinner was that night (2 servings)
2 cups salad with balsamic dressing
1-2 servings of a starch
1 large mcflurry
Snacks: nature valley peanut or almond bar, usually 2-3 a day.

That was when I dormed and had full meal plan. Now that I am home I have dropped a few pounds. not many though.

You're friend has to realize that he might not be able to gain it that easily. The gainer he uses might not work for him too. Different mixes of weight gain supplements work for different people. I've tried a few, and found that ON Serious Mass works for me. Maybe he should try them? They are as natural as I have found, in weight gainers. Also, if he's using gainer and supplements all the time, it could possibly hinder growth. I cut on and off of gainers and protein shakes, and found better growth than when on them full time. Hope something in this wall of text helps!

TL;DR: Try SL5x5, try new weight gainers, or take himself off and stick to real food

I'm biased, but i think all personal trainers are essentially a scam. I was in your position not too long ago, and I ran a program called starting strength and had amazing results. Buy this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543033365&sr=8-1&keywords=starting+strength

Or you can read up on the free resources online:

https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs

This is not the only avenue to get the results that you're looking for, and others on this thread will have advice just as good if not better than this. That said, this is a method that will allow you to achieve the results that you want, this stuff actually works

Best of luck

Yes. Eat a lot + lift weights.

I have put on about 60 lbs since I began my journey and the best advice I could ever give you are the following: start at the lowest weight you can possibly lift, squat, bench and go from there and concentrate on getting the proper form. If you stay dedicated, eat a lot, in a years time you will look like a beast.

I personally follow this program http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/


But I recommend: http://startingstrength.com/

Read the starting strength book, http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738.

TLDR: Eat a lot, lift weight, make sure you have good form, and stay dedicated. The gains WILL happen. Don't be stupid and ask for advice over here /r/fitness.

I can't say much, but to add into what Wiles said, I quit smoking in February after 10 years of smoking. First off, I gained probably about 10 pounds right off the bat, not really eating extra or anything. For the first few months I went to the gym as I normally did (once or twice a week, usually doing cardio), but eventually I decided to get serious, probably around July I would say.

Once I started, I consciously made an effort to eat a shitload and I went to the gym every day during my lunch break and had lunch at my desk. I gained to 170 pretty easily with a conscious level of work. I plateaued a little bit, so I upped the calorie intake significantly (I average about 3500 or so now) and am slowly making gains through the 170s, but it's taking longer than I thought (I'm not doing GOMAD or anything, just eating a shitload).

Anyway, 8 months smokefree and I drink water by the gallon and I've never felt better in my life. I am almost never tired anymore and the only caffeine I have is a small cup of coffee at the beginning of the day, and that's more out of habit than it is because I'm tired. If you are looking to quit, try Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking.

TL/DR: Quit smoking, drink water, eat more, you'll feel fucking great.

I have an autoimmune disease (eosinophillic esophagitis) where my body views most food as an allergen. In response, I'll accumulate eosinophills (a type of white blood cell) in my esophagus causing it to swell and not function properly. I usually have several weeks during the year where eating solid food just...isn't an option.

Trying to gain with a gastrointestinal issue sucks. It's something I've been dealing with my whole life too (I'm 26 now). I found that liquids are the easiest way for me to gain weight. Gainer shakes are amazing. I use this guy:

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Complex-Gainer-Chocolate/dp/B002DYIZM6/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&srs=2597841011&ie=UTF8&qid=1406867576&sr=1-1&keywords=optimum+nutrition+pro

Add 2 cups of whole milk, 2 tbsp of tahini paste, some chocolate syrup and some olive oil and you're looking at a 1500 calorie shake!

Good luck with gaining! And feel free to PM me if you have questions!

Well I want to go to the gym at least 4 times a week and I was going to start taking this [weight gaining supplement] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIPJ0M/ref=s9_top_hd_bw_g121_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=0J20Q1XB47G6S4XR0PN2&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=77b9e727-3844-3e7b-b75e-2a06ec7f4c9a%2F3a3d36d0-3620-34af-bce5-32807ed07ad7&pf_rd_i=6973725011) I have been taking Phase8 protein but recently ran out. When it comes to excerises to do at the gym I am a bit lost, I want to learn more free weigh exercises I can do. Right now I typically do dumb bell bench press, bent over row, lat pull downs, tricep pulls, biceps curls, and there are some pec machines I use that havnt done much for me lately) I would love to have a defined workout routine that I can stick to and just add weight/reps as I go...I have yet to do that. I also need to learn what I should be feeding my body. I know I need lots of protein and water but other than that I just eat anything I can find haha. I would love some help in creating a routine to stick to

Wow, great job man! 30 lbs in 3 months is crazy, doesn't look like your body fat changed that much. Your before looks very similar to what I look like now, plus I'm only an inch taller than you. I would be very pleased if I looked like you at 190. I plan to bulk to around 200 then recomp forever, I think I'll be happy enough with my physique to take it slow from then on.

If you want to do more lower body work you could always buy one of these. That's not as long as an olympic bar so you'll save space. I wouldn't worry about changing anything upper body related, what you have now is just as good as any barbell exercise. Keep up the good work man!

I'm exactly where you started right now. Same weight, height, work pressure, stress, and depression.


I have a toned body as a result of 2 years of strength weightlifting in high school, and i had absolutely no one to tell me then to watch my nutrition, so i lost a lot of fat and therefore potential weight which would have caused me now to be at least 130lb instead of 115lb.


6 years later, Now i'm drinking this from amazon every other day and buying those frozen dinners from the store which have the protein and caloric requirements to gain weight, without making me feel like i'm throwing up or overloading my internal food processing system. I wish there were frozen meals dedicated to gaining weight instead of losing weight... there's a good idea for you there lol.


My workout regiment consists of doing all the push ups i can do when i wake up, going for a run few or more times a week. and i have a 25lb dumbbell at home that i do stuff with randomly in the day in sets.


The most important out of all is the nutrition, watching what you eat is key. I don't care about being 'cut', as long as i can get to 150lb in my height, and being able to run a marathon, i'm healthy and set.


Good luck in gaining bro, be sure to post an update!!

I appreciate the honesty, and likewise: I'm not trying to criticise your decisions.

Whatever you do, you need more calories, which will cost more money.

Mass gainers are an easy way out, therefore it's going to be a more expensive option, there's no way around that and you may need to seek alternatives.

If you take this route, you'll need to reframe your attitude to "how much money am I willing to spend to gain mass", rather than "how much effort am I willing to expend to gain mass".

----

That being said, you can likely significantly increase the efficiency of the powder by picking something better, or buying in bulk. A quick example

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0015R36SK is £0.69/100g = £0.69/375kcal

So for 800kcal/day, you'd spend roughly £1.50/day, or £45/month. Compare this to the cost of eating regular food, and see if it's viable.

People have suggested learning the correct form and I have to emphasize what they said.. especially before loading up that barbell. Eff that machine non-sense because a lot of those isolate muscle groups.. this isn't a bad thing necessarily but you'll get more from those compounds early on.

​

A resource that I enjoyed when I first started out was Starting Strength by Mark Ripptoe (if you're old school like me and prefer a good book this is it). YouTube videos are good too but I do not have any references that come to mind... Will edit later if they come to me.

I think it really depends on how long you've been working out. When I was new to working out I said to myself that I would never try creatine (I still don't know why but ignorant people always seem to think it's not "natural"). However, I did a lot of reading on it and figured I'd finally give it a try last March since I kind of hit a plateau.

I started taking 5g a day (forget the "loading phase" there are no studies that actually support it) and about a week in I went from benching 200lbs x 8 to 220 x 8. I had an increase of about 10% on pretty much all my lifts! I gained 6 pounds in the first 3 weeks. I was also eating about 3500kcal a day at the time so I don't know how much of that was the creatine.

Didn't have any negative side effects apart from having to take a piss about 5 times a day due to drinking 5l of water.

Should you choose to try it be sure to buy quality creatine. Read the reviews or better yet, buy "creapure" creatine. It's manufactured in Germany and therefore strictly regulated. Most other products are from Asia/ eastern Europe and can cause all kinds of nasty side effects. It's well worth paying an extra 20% just to be sure. Creatine is still the cheapest supplement you'll find!

EDIT: I use Optimum Nutrition Creatine which is made from Creapure. At 5g/day it costs me 5$/month. Generic cheap creatine might be a dollar cheaper a month but it's not worth the risk.

You might want to check out Tommy Kono's book Championship Weightlifting, which describes his process for combining strength and hypertrophy training throughout a yearly timeframe.

For those that aren't familiar with Kono, he won the Olympic gold medal in weightlifting for the U.S. in 1952 and 1956 and won the Mr. World bodybuilding contest in 1954--right in-between those Olympics. He also won Mr. Universe three times. Kono has set the bar for the past half-century in weight training concepts and application. None of it is outdated.


Craig

Supermen: Building Maximum Muscle for a Lifetime

I highly recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Extreme Milk Chocolate. In water, this stuff tastes like chocolate milk. In milk, it tastes like a chocolate milkshake. Otherwise, don't use too much water or else it will taste diluted, I recommend about 8oz of water for 1 scoop.

I've also tried Chocolate Malt, Vanilla Icecream, Double Rich Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, and Cookies and Cream. Cookies and Cream is the only flavor I have not liked. Everything else tastes great per its supposed flavor.

There are a lot of "cheat" ways recommended.

Adding olive or coconut oil to shakes.

Weight gainers. I recently bought this: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Complex-Gainer-Chocolate/dp/B002DYIZM6

It actually has pretty good macros for the price, 60 carbs and 40 protein per serving, so it's a much better ratio than most I've seen at that price. It comes out to about $2.50 or so per serving, which is cheaper than a chicken breast and has more calories.

Peanut butter.

Whole milk in general.

Traditional greek yogurt, so not non or low fat while bulking at least.

Oats (can be put in shakes, I recommend grinding it in a coffee grinder first)

Some people go the extra step and put heavy whipping cream in their shakes or half and half as well.

Basically you can make a blend of ground up oats, whole milk, protein powder, peanut butter, some fruits, and oils, and you have a shakes with a lot of your required macros that will probably break 1000 calories easy.

Just buy whichever's cheaper/tastes better, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Neither of them will do a significant amount of anything aside from helping you reach caloric/protein intake goals, let alone provide strength gains.

I'd go with this if I were you, as it's on a big sale and has like 700 calories/serving when mixed with 16oz of milk.

Also, some brands have unusually/worryingly high levels of heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. Stay away from EAS Myo-[anything] and Muscle Milk just to be safe.

A few weeks ago, someone posted about gaining on $100 a month. I don't really think it's possible (unless you decided to just drink milk and eat poop), but the post I made is a good foundation to a decent diet.

>Two boxes of five dozen eggs - $16
Seven gallons of milk - $17.50
Brown rice - $20 (This is something you don't need every month, as a huge bag like this will last you a long time)
Ten pounds of boneless chicken breast/thighs - $20
Bananas - $10 (probably even be less... they're 39 cents a lb around here, so 10 would get you 25 lbs, which is 50+ bananas)
Veggies (frozen and fresh) - $25 (I'm not sure on this number, but I know that I could buy a 1 lb bag of frozen veggies for $1 or less, so I could probably spend less if I did all frozen)

>Alright, so that right there is $108.50
As I said above, the rice is a once in awhile purchase. I'm not completely sure on these numbers, but I'd imagine a lb of rice will be 2-3 cups of dry rice, and then yield 4-9 cups of cooked rice (I think rice usually doubles or triples once cooked). A 25 lb bag should be at least 100 cups of cooked rice, but probably more.

>Now this is pretty solid, but here's what this looks like on a day to day basis... it's really just the foundation to a fairly healthy, bulking diet. It needs more calories and protein.

It's quite similar to the list that /u/Monkeypulssse put together. I definitely stand by his recommendation of peanut butter and oats, but I'm not at all a fan of yogurt.
Check out this picture here.
I can agree that yogurt is protein packed, for the amount of calories it has. However... that shit is expensive. Even if you're paying $4 for a gallon of milk (costs me $2.49), that milk is only costing 25 cents a cup. Yogurt is usually a bit more expensive than that. I think single cups cost 75 cents to a dollar around here (you probably can save a bit buying in bulk). If you like it and can afford to buy it often, go for it. I just think it's not a necessity when gaining, and I'd say it's actually suited more towards someone trying to lose weight (high protein, low calories).

Thanks for the reply! I'm currently drinking a whey protein based shake. Adding some flax seed oil, peanut butter and chia seeds for extra calories. I did some research and found that that brand had the most protein. But the one you recommended also looks pretty good because it's geared towards weight gain - also pretty cheap. Would I be losing anything if I made the switch?

THIS one is probably my favorite; good price & quality. Most importantly, it in addition to protease/lipase/amylase etc., it contains phytase, which is helpful if you eat a lot of oats, like most of the gainit crowd.

I'm a big fan of Optimum Nutrition. There's 24g of protein per scoop with only 120 calories, so it's a pretty good ratio for the price, which is about $58 for a 5lb tub. The flavors are also really good for what I've tried (which is only two, extreme milk chocolate and mint chocolate) but I definitely recommend it!

here's a link to amazon

I'm pretty lactose intolerant myself but I rarely experience significant issues like this. I make the same shakes as well, sometimes using 2-3 scoops. I use this whey protein if you are interested in switching to a different brand.

I'd say somewhere between 20-23%. I bought a scale on Amazon that gives all sorts of data, including bf%. It had pretty good reviews including one comparing the scale readings to fancy pants hospital scales. It seems pretty accurate so far.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1UX8RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZeaYAbSSRCD1K

Yup, this is the one to go for.
Just don't get strawberry. Mix a scoop into half a cup of hot water with a fork, then pour in your milk and let it sit for like 5 minutes. Shake in a bottle and it's super smooth. Has been my breakfast every day for months and has helped me gain a lot.

Supplements and a bunch of pills is not necessary. I read this guy's book and he pretty much lays it out for ya. He recommends only Gainers and Protein Shakes. Pills and such are just a way to empty your wallet fast!

A lot of people on this sub really like this Gainer and this "Gold Standard Whey" ... Fish Oil is a De-inflamatory and helps to reduce muscle soreness. Those are the three I use.

Search this subreddit if in doubt, and do some research. Unfortunately a lot of the crap online is catered toward helping fat people loose weight. Find communities (like this one) and get advice straight from the skinny guys who have gotten bigger.

And if you're diet doesn't include every vitamin, start taking multi vitamins. You must be healthy, not just mad. Initially since you weigh 100Lbs you may want to do the Seefood diet: You see food, you eat food.

DO NOT GIVE UP! I let work get me down last year (working 150+hours a week) and stopped lifting. All I had time for was running. I finally got back into lifting this month. I could be pretty set right now if I kept at it.

My workout plan is still Starting Strength.
http://www.amazon.ca/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738

You can buy the ebook for kindle for 10 bucks. One of the best fitness books I've purchased.

I make the dankest 1000 cal shake imaginable. Follow these steps:

1. Get a 8 pound tub o' whole oats powder from Amazon
   
2. Get a 2 pack of 28oz Blender Bottles from Amazon
   
   Recipe/Instructions:
   
   

• Put some blended mixed frozen fruit in the bottle (blend the frozen fruit in a blender in bulk with water - keep refrigerated for further use throughout the week)
  
• Pour a little milk in
  
• Put 1.5 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder in
  
• Pour a little milk in
  
• Put 1 scoop of the oat powder in
  
• Pour a little milk in
  
• Put 2.5 generous spoonfuls of vanilla or plain greek yogurt in
  
• Put 5 tablespoons of peanut butter POWDER in
  
• Pour enough milk to reach near the top of the bottle
  
  Close it up, secure it, and shake - enjoy the dankness - super smooth consistency - EZ
  
  Also, you'll notice - my ingredients are very similar to yours but the key difference is POWDERED whole oats, POWDERED PB, and BLENDED (w/ water) fruit.
  
  

If you're a beginner, I wouldn't recommend power cleaning right off the bat. Make sure your deadlift form is perfect before you even think about that. In fact, if you want to do starting strength, I'd really really really highly recommend buying the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738

And reading it cover to cover paying extremely close attention to everything Rippetoe has to say about form.

If you're not a beginner feel free to ignore me.

NOW Isolate. It's not too expensive if you get the 5-lb tub, but you may want to get the smaller tub just to try it out. The macros are pretty good too: 110 calories for 25g protein with minimal ingredients.

http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Whey-Protein-Isolate-Pounds/dp/B0013OWAB4

> utritious food. It's not bad for you per se but you could be eating more healthily - anything up to around 3000 calories should be more than doable with just food (that's like 3 medium sized meals @ 800 cals plus some snacks or a dessert).

This is the Mass Gainer i use: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Weight/dp/B0015R36SK
I believe this is the most popular

Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982522738/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tuPYAbB4XP5XJ

Buy this book, it is the straight up Bible on how to get strong in the only way that matters, using a barbell.

Keep your program simple, Squats, Bench Press, Overhead Press, and Deadlift. Get good at these fundamental lifts before worrying about anything else. Low reps, heavy weights.

And eat A LOT! Your muscles need fuel, and if you are skinny the only place this fuel is going to come from is stuffing your face.

It's cheaper on Amazon!

BB.com charges $9 shipping. You can get free shipping on Amazon, making the total price cheaper! It's even better if you have Amazon Prime.

Optimum Nutrition makes some great products. Kind of pricey at around $50 for a 5lb tub, but the first ingredient is whey protein isolate which is what you really want

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI

I haven't seen it recommended in this post yet, so I'd like to tell you about the Rumble Roller. I used to have a 1.5" diameter section of PVC I used, but this is better because I can roll out my spine on it. The 3' one more useful because you don't have to twist as much to hit everything, but if you can only afford one, get the travel-sized 1' one.

I like to start with my lower legs after a workout, doing ten passes on each axis starting with the back of calves, then the interior, exterior, and front. Same with my upper legs, hamstrings first then exterior, front, and interior. Do the butt, then back, then lats. When I find any muscles that feel tight and tense up under the pressure, I'll spend a few minutes trying to relax them so that roller sinks into the muscles - I'm not "rolling" at this point, just hanging out on the sticky, pissed-off stuff. You might have get creative to put more pressure on that part. Lacrosse balls, or tennis balls if the first hurt too much, are also good to increase the pressure, but again, you might need to get creative with the edges of tables to hit just the right spot, or books to raise the ball up to the appropriate height. Watch out for grinding on nerves in the back of your calves, I've done it and ended up with leg pain for a few days. It wasn't anything permanent, but why suffer through it?

Start a bromance with Kelly Starrett: follow MWOD, buy a copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard, maybe stalk him at one of his Mobility Certs.

Here's an (old) SMR routine on pdf from Mike Robertson.

I recommend buying a copy of the Alexander Method of SMR from Network Fitness. It's a really good manual on the subject.

As far as Whey powder goes, I really like the taste of Optimum Nutrition whey in Double Rich Chocolate:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSNYGI

This chit is dope. It could liquify stone and really easy to clean.

I'm still by no means a big guy, I'm still working my way up. But when I look at my facebook pictures from a year ago, or two or three years ago, there is a very clear progression of muscle mass being put on.

I would definitely recommend picking up this book, I bought it a couple months ago after Arnold did a thread in /r/fitness and doing one of the programs I've put on about 7 pounds in a month and aesthetically I've bulked up all over.

If you really want to know the answers to these kinds of questions, this will be the best $17 you will ever spend.
[The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised](
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Encyclopedia-Modern-Bodybuilding/dp/0684857219)

You don't have to read it cover to cover, just use it as a reference.

I've had this for over a year now and it's pretty consistent, just make sure you let it calibrate for a sec
RENPHO Bluetooth Body Fat Scale https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1UX8RW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qYZ5CbTBKF11P

here is a good weight gainer i've been using.

I only finished a bag and a half but i gained around 10-12Lbs during that time and mostly lean but not quite fully.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYIZM6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01

Sure! This is the stuff. I think amazon probably has the best price, but you can search around if you want.

http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-NJ600-Professional-Blender/dp/B003VWXXXK

I've had that for about 2 years now. works like a charm.

This is the one I use. Cheap and works great: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N1UX8RW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI

A classic. I've been using it since I started and it hasn't let me down. I blend it with milk and it tastes great.

mobilitywod is a great resource for this and the book the same guy wrote.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588

I don't. The bodybuilding workout that was suggested to me by /r/bodybuilding was the one in Arnold's Bodybuilding Encyclopedia. I still today am using the level 1 program and still gaining every time I go into the gym. I'm not saying it will work for you but it sure worked for me.

Don't have it myself but ive heard good things about the ninja

For the next month, eat anything and everything you see. Seriously. Definitely start with your protein shakes now, and even consider a weight gainer to help out a bit. Serious Mass really pushed me along in that first month.

Also, an absolute must-do: take a picture now. I forgot to take my before picture when I started lifting, and I regret it everyday. Take one now and post it on your fridge door, put one in your gym shoes, make it the background to your phone. Do anything to remind yourself of what you used to be -- and how you can be better.

Lift weights and eat 1.5 scoops of this, twice a day. You'll gain weight. This powder is the only way I was able to bulk.

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B0015R36SK/r

Your lunch looks weak. Eat a chicken breast for lunch and a 1/3 cup of brown rice or figure something out. I'd also throw in a snack between lunch and dinner as that could be a 6 hour stretch (you should be eating roughly every 3 hours).

For my snack I have 2 PB&J sandwiches with a banana and milk.

Dinner for me is the same as lunch, except 2 nights a week I make steak with a fatty sauce + rice. I'm also eating 1/4 cup of broccoli with lunch and dinner.

With dinner I have a rounded teaspoon of creatine. It's pretty cheap and I do see results!

This is all at my weight (158lb). You need more than me and it sounds like you're getting less.

Buy the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

There are tons of things you could do differently, but why don't you start off with something easy...

1. Get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Pound/dp/B000GIPJ0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416182654&sr=8-1&keywords=serious+mass+12+lb
   
   
2. Get a gallon of 2% milk.
   
   
3. Get some frozen berries.
   
   
4. Use a blender to mix two cups of milk with one scoop of the mass and a handful of berries. Drink it.
   
   
5. Do this once in the morning and once in the evening, on top of eating everything you'd normally eat.
   
   
6. Wait 3 weeks. You'll see a difference.
   
   Then read the FAQ.

Something like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Muscle-Feast-Oat-Powder-Pounds/dp/B008QHPVO4?th=1

I use the Serious Mass brand. I prefer the Banana flavor because chocolate is usually too sweet.

Optimum Nutrition is cheaper if you buy the 2kg container, and the plastic container is easier to deal with imo.

[74 servings, 24 grams of protein each for $57.99.] (http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453560923&sr=8-1&keywords=on+whey+protein) That's about $.78 a serving. I like the strawberry banana.

I use ON Serious Mass (chocolate)... 1 heaped scoop with 500ml whole milk.

edit: if you're thinking of doing the same I'd recommend using a blender because it doesn't all fit in a typical shaker thing.

I think its difficult to give an absolute number like 2 pounds/month. I know I've put on more than this.

OP, if you are worried I would buy some smart scales. They are cheap and will give you various body composition metrics.

For example

https://www.amazon.com/RENPHO-Bluetooth-Body-Fat-Scale/dp/B01N1UX8RW/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543585804&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=smart%2Bscales&th=1

I've had some luck with Muscle Feast Oats and Isopure Protein. No maltodextrin/sugar/etc.

I use:

• one scoop of Pro Gainer (650 cal, 60g protein)
  
  
• 2 cups of 2% milk (280 cal, 20g protein) (Note: Whole milk nets you more calories, but I use 2% because I've got a history of cholesterol issues in my family)
  
  
• 1 banana (100 cal)
  
  This gives me 1030 calories and 80g protein. If you add peanut butter, that'll give you another 200 cal/15g protein right there.

amazon has inexpensive unflavored creatine from ON.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Weight/dp/B0015R36SK#immersive-view_1502904697476

Not on the label

Assuming this

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Serious-Chocolate-Pound/dp/B000GIPJ0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347299294&sr=8-1&keywords=gainer

Here's a fucking link

Problem is, you'll be hard pressed to find anything that delivers as much raw protein as Whey at that cost. $50 nets you a five pound jug that should last you several months:

http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334498914&sr=8-1

You can also try lots of whole oats oatmel, greek yogurt and milk in a blender, but that also gets expensive and may not be any more economical than Whey...

[Creatine] (http://examine.com/supplements/Creatine/) is one of the cheapest, most effective supplements you can take. Why wouldnt you take it?

Just get plain old [creatine mono] (http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Unflavored-Servings/dp/B002DYIZEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422461122&sr=8-1&keywords=creatine) and take 5g per day, everyday, at anytime; no need to load. Anything more will be a waste of money, imo.

I would not use a protein powder with creatine in it. Depending on how much protein I get in a day from normal food, I'll adjust how much whey powder I'm taking in (to meet my ~1g/lb body weight/day level). If creatine is mixed in the protein, that means my creatine dose would differ between days. This may be bad because 1) I may not get the 5g dose that is suggested or 2) I may get more than suggested and I'll piss it out which is a waste.

I use this whey: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Vanilla-Cream/dp/B000GISU1M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1377492870&sr=8-5&keywords=on+protein+vanilla+ice+cream

I use this creatine: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Creatine-Powder-Unflavored/dp/B002DYIZEO