RticleOne

Ha ha, veggieprincess, don't worry. As for the Clif Bar, it looks great - except for the dang peanuts and soy. Okay, 20-25 grams of protein isn't an absolute prerequisite - it was just what I thought would be an ideal amount for one "quick refuel" serving. I've looked for protein bar recipes - they all seem rife with ingredients that are fine for someone without food allergies, but for me they're a no-no. Hey if GinaKina or anyone does end up trying something out with safe ingredients before me and posts it up, I'll be thrilled to read about it. Certainly it would be simplified by carrying sachets of protein powder around, though I very much like the concept of bars - no mixing in fluid needed, no cups, shakers, spoons, or anything. Cheers, R.ticle One

Hey guys, I've been thinking that I'd really enjoy a homemade bar with a lot of protein in it, but I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to go about it. Vega bars are nice, but waaay too costly around here). I'm wondering if you all could help. The criteria is as follows: -Vegan (or vegetarian, I am open to honey, but no whey) -20 to 25 + grams of protein per bar -"Hypoallergenic" - in my case, meaning: no soy, no peanuts, cashews, or brazil nuts, no gluten containing grain. -Enough carbs, though slower burning than not with just a bit of faster burning stuff for quick fuel -Tasty -Refrigeration not required (if possible) -Relatively inexpensive -More omega 3 than omega 6 Quite a list, I know. Possible ingredients that come to mind are: hemp seed, hemp protein, hemp flour, dried fruit, millet or quinoa, almond butter (ludicrously expensive, though), tahini, honey or molasses, macademia nuts, walnuts, almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, matcha green tea powder just for fun... I'm sure that any suggestions or recipes would be most helpful. Thanks much! R. Edited for obvious typos.

Hey man - being far less knowledgeable about putting together a good routine (though I'm working on it) than many people on this board, I'm not going to try and offer you anything specific in that regard. However, pertaining to putting on mass, I will tell you this... I'm about 5' 9.5" tall, and used to weigh 130 pounds, for years (I'm twenty six, now), so very similar to you. Eventually, I may have weighed 135 pounds. Well, after deciding to get into "bodybuilding", a term which I use loosely, because I'm not aiming to get absolutely, massively hulked-up to the extreme, just, er, well muscled and formed...I came across the word "hardgainer", given to us slimmer types with fast metabolisms who don't seem to gain weight easily. "Oh", I thought, "I must be a hardgainer". Anyway, I went and worked on an organic farm earlier this year, and did a lot of manure shoveling, scythe swinging, carrying cinder blocks, a bit of wood chopping, I milked a cow every day by hand, and threw in a bodyweight training semi-routine, with pullups, pushups, bench dips, crunches, v-ups, planks, a bit of isometric stuff, etc. I was naturally hungrier than before, and made a point to eat more on top of that. When I came back, I weighed 148 pounds. Whoa! Now, for me that's something. I don't know exactly how much I weighed before I went farming for two months, but I'm guessing that I gained between 7 and 10 pounds. If any of it was fat, it's hard to tell, and it can't be much, IMO. I just look more filled in and muscular, broader in the shoulders, still slim and tight in the stomach. All I can suggest is keep eating more but don't overdo it at the beginning, be sensible about your choices and eat frequently, and with that in sufficient quantity and quality, combined with adequate training, you should eventually gain weight of the good kind. Oh, and for God's sake, I know that physical activity can be great fun to really get into, but if something hurts other than a normal sore muscle, stop. I've got a bit of tennis elbow goin' on that I'm taking care of now, should be okay, but just be well! Best, R.

D'oh! Can't believe I somehow missed those. Many thanks. And yeah, regarding Matt Furey, even a bit of reading up produces a debate-o-rama! I think for now I'll check out Never Gymless, in conjunction with everything else suggested here. Thanks guys. R.

Hey hey, So I'd been planning to (and eventually still will) get together a dumbbell collection and a bench, and try some the routines you guys suggested - however, I see that due to money and time constraints, it may not happen in time before I move to where I'm going - however, I don't want to abandon training completely until I can get more weights together - all I have right now is a 20 pound dumbbell and, a big rock. Seriously. And this rock isn't exactly ergonomic and balanced. It's heavy, though, and I credit it for some muscle gain, but it's a bit ridiculous. So I was thinking, what the heck about bodyweight training? I don't have a lot of bodyweight to throw around - maybe 135 or 140 pounds of it, but hey. I have seen the links to "Calisthenics Kingz" or whoever he is, that guy with the insane muscles who does such mad things as vertical pushups...now, I'm not going to be him, but what I'm getting at is, can I still gain appreciable muscle using bodyweight exercises? I was considering this book: http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html - "Never Gymless". I see the word "strength" stressed a lot - and believe me, I do want functional strength to go with increased muscularity, however, I would also like the *visible* increased muscularity to go with that strength, you know what I mean? My main concern is that of pushups - my elbows and wrists complain when I try them, perhaps I'm doing them incorrectly? But I do like the appeal of not needing much more than my own body and a couple of resistance bands. What I need to know, is can I still (at least as a temp. solution until I can get weights) achieve the increased muscle and strength I desire? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this before I go ahead. Thanks everyone! Cheers, R.

Ha! Cheers, my friend, I will look into them. Many thanks, R.

Hey guys - I've read some excellent answers you gave regarding my questions on "recovery drinks" - thank you. I am still interested in some quick protein source - ie, powder, for days when I'm pressed for time. I do not use soy protein, so I have to discount that. I love hemp protein, and I like the sound of that "Sun Warrior" brown rice protein - but it's so expensive, here in Canada around 55 bucks for a kilo. I'm wondering if anyone here has any good source for well priced quality hemp protein in Canada, I'd prefer organic, but conventional will do if the savings are massive. I'd prefer to get at least a pound and up to maybe five pounds at a time. I'm in Ontario. If you all can suggest somewhere I'd appreciate it a lot. I've searched around, but it's quite possible I've missed some sources. Many thanks! RticleOne

Hey everyone, What are your thoughts on "recovery drinks"? I'm not even sure I entirely understand them, but basically, they should be: a good source of easily digestible, quickly assimilated carbs and protein, usually taken during/after a workout, to, umm, replenish glycogen stores and something with an insulin surge to increase protein (muscle) storage and building...is that somewhat correct? And, are recovery drinks necessary? Are there food combinations, and in what ratios, that would have the same effect and be as quickly used by your bodies? I know that when I drink Vega during and after a workout I feel better than without, and I seem to look/feel a bit more "pumped" longer, too. Is Vega an ideal "recovery drink"? I love the stuff, anyway, but it's damn expensive. Would you suggest any alternatives to it? Something home-made? Mind you, though, I don't like the idea of sugary powders and would like to stay as natural and healthy as possible. I'm sorry if this is slightly vague or scattered - I've still got a way to go in learning exactly what the heck I'm talking about! Thanks guys, RticleOne

Hi veginator, and veganmaster. That's an interesting dietary point of view, that is, about the cows consuming grass yet gaining muscle, minimizing fat, etc. I don't think that by now I have trouble with 50 grams of protein a day, and eventually not a hundred either. I've simply been making sure to eat more, 'cause I need something to fuel my body and grow muscle and strength - even a little bit into this, without considering it gorging, I find I can simply eat more, comfortably, which matches my increased exercise. I swear I already look a bit more solid and muscular. I just got back in a second ago, but I'll check that blog post. And I was unaware that insulin was the key to protein efficiency. I don't think I'm lacking in carbs, but I'll keep on reading. I admit, I love fat. Including, butter, coconut oil, nuts in general, some from meat, fish, and olive oil and seed oils. Ah, fat, I can't imagine some foods without you. I know, some fats are good, some are not so much. I don't feel great if I cut too much fat from my diet, though. Regarding the whole vegan/carnivore thing - well, I remember at some time when I was younger, I just stopped liking meat. Just, "hey, you know, I don't really like how meat tastes! I'm gonna stop eating it!". I think that's my memory of how I went veggie. I've read some of Diet For A New America, years ago, and I was appalled. I have also worked on organic/biodynamic farms, and though some of the animals may eventually be killed and eaten, I could respect that they ate what they would "in the wild", like no force feeding GMO soy to cows, for example, seemed well treated and talked to by everyone there, and I feel that if one chooses to eat meat, and has the opportunity to participate in the whole process, perhaps they should - I really don't wish to start a debate, because I realize that the end result is that an animal gets killed for food - however, I have helped catch and kill chickens, and during the process I tried to feel nothing but gratitude and appreciation. I was there and I do and see what is involved, and I did so because otherwise I would ignore that "inconvenient truth". I've heard serious meat-eaters literally say, "I don't want to know it had a face", or "mmm, cow!", then with intentionally savage motions, stuff a burger in their mouths. Yes, that's right, they choose to ignore the fact that it doesn't just appear out of nowhere as a neatly wrapped chicken breast in the grocery store, or they choose to be utter f**ks about it. I have little tolerance for that kind of behavior. If you choose to be a vegan and use nothing from an animal, I absolutely applaud you. If you are a vegetarian, and do not eat the flesh of animals, I absolutely applaud you. If you eat meat, I will not judge you harshly, though I will criticize where the meat came from, how the animals were raised, fed, and treated, and even killed, and if you eat meat and talk shit about the animal whose flesh you're chewing on, I may smack you for being so thankless. I don't expect anyone here to look any differently at this, because, yes, the chicken still had its life taken for the end result. I'm not trying to *justify* meat eating because of what I said, nor am I trying to argue. I just wanted to kind of put that out there, the whole participatory thing. I know it isn't what would ever make a vegan eat meat, for goodness sake! Annnyway, like I said, I'm totally for decreasing meat intake, though I dunno if I could go without butter right now, I mean real butter, not the pasteurized store bought stuff. I've been reading a bit on here about vegan nutrition and I think I may have a slightly better idea than it seems, at least as far as base nutrients go, I simply made some bad choices when I ate no meat - and remember, all the foods you guys love, apart from soy, peanuts, and gluten due to allergy issues, I do to! I adore vegetables, and couldn't do without them. Today, most of my protein has come from seeds, nuts, and grains. I had some egg in the morning, but I was at a farm, and we had to use the eggs that were damaged. I can go both ways...I know, you want me to go that one way. I'm happy that I'm receiving so many great answers here, despite my current dietary choices. You're an understanding bunch, and I've already learned more than on any "regular" body building message board. So, I thank you all for your encouragement, and I will check those blog entries. Cheers, R.

Thanks Marcina - though I've seldom noticed problems or pain with my shoulders, I thought I should mention it, and I'll take care. Hey, so does that mean that you can reach behind your head, go around your right ear, under your chin, and touch your left ear with your left hand, too? I thought I was the only one who could do that. Heh heh... R.

Hey Wobbly Lifter - thanks for the reply. Well, I'm hoping to get a set which can go anywhere from 5 or 10 pounds up to a 100 pounds/per dumbbell. I can tell you know that getting up to a hundred pounds an arm may take a bit of work, at least in regards to usable lifting strength, but I want something I can literally grow into. I wish I could afford those really slick ones where you just click or dial in the weight you want, but to get up to the weight I want, I'd have to spend probably 500 plus dollars, not gonna happen for a bunch of weights right now, probably have to get standard handles that can take "Olympic plates" if I'm correct. That means changing the weights, which is a bit annoying, but the only other dumbbell option apart from the very expensive one, is a whole rack of single weight 'bells, and I won't have the space for that. Yep, I'm definitely trying to eat more! Thanks for the routine idea, I appreciate it. Any more ideas are totally welcome. Thanks! R.

Hey guys, In another thread some of you have kindly helped out with protein/dietary suggestions for me. As I work toward a good food plan, I also work toward a good training plan - but I'm a bit lost as to how to proceed. I have some ideas, but if any of you who already have training and gains under your belts could offer some advice, I'd very much appreciate it. So basically, I'm "ectomorphic", have a fast metabolism, a "hard gainer" - always been very lean, long armed...I think I see some great potential but I need to know how to bring it out and into fruition. 'Far as equipment goes - it will be nothing more than adjustable dumbbells and a flat/inclining bench. No space or money for anything else where I'm going to be, and there are no gyms around. So, I'm looking for suggestions on "hardgainer" routines using the aforementioned equipment. I know you can do a lot with dumbbells - in fact, I have a copy of the "Ultimate Dumbbell Guide", which has a load of exercises - it even has some routines in the back, though I don't know if they're best suited to someone like me at this point, though they are whole-body and do include the "big three", I think deadlifts, squats, and...uh, bench presses, is it? You know what I'm talking about...Oh, I have double-jointed shoulders, I can dislocate them from their sockets easily, don't know if that's a concern, but any safety or stretching advice would be nice if you think it's necessary. I'm also confused about how much weight to start with for each kind of exercise. I think the general consensus that I've read is whatever weight you can't lift for more than about 6 or 8 reps at a time...but then what about how many reps in a total set? And what's with the 5x5 thing? I mean, I know *what* it is, but when does it come into play? And increasing weight eventually - but when? And sometimes I hear to decrease reps but increase the weight simultaneously in a set...what's that all about and when should I do that, or should I not? Yargh, there are so many techniques and approaches, and I'm kinda confused about what to do. Goal wise - well, I don't aim to be monstrously massive, but certainly to gain 10-30 pounds of lean muscle, eventually. You know, still lean, slim, athletic, but powerful and somewhat larger and more evenly proportioned...I dunno, like a slightly bigger Bruce Lee? Activity-wise, I walk and bike most places (don't drive), and I'm getting into farming. I've attached three small (sorry for the size) pics to give you a rough idea of my physique if it'll help suggest anything. I totally know that my chest and lats need work, you can see it very clearly in the picture with my arms on my hips, lol. I kind of have a six pack, but a lot of it's from not having fat there - 15 or 20 unanchored situps are still hard for me. My left side is a bit weaker. Pictures are non-pumped, meaning no preworkout to look bigger. I have no head here, I'm a touch camera shy. So, if you all have something to say, especially with dumbbells only, I'm listening! Really appreciate it. Thanks. R. Behold the chest!

Hey, neat program! I will check that out. I can see how it can be done. A liter of ___Milk seems a bit much to me, but then again, I just drank over a liter of Yerba Mate, so... Thanks muchly. R.

Hey there, Well, I could never be accused of not liking to eat - for years, I hear from people: "you're always eating, always eating!" I think that my stomach's capacity for food has already expanded in the last few weeks of trying to eat more. Hmm, it's news to me about oats not containing gluten - I just barely started to read, but I just read that a lot are contaminated with wheat gluten, though ones certified not to be, are probably okay in moderation. I'll keep reading, thanks for pointing that out. Yep, I'm a big fan of pseudo grains, and millet is currently my staple grain. And I love tahini, though I've caught some looks for going through a half kilo jar in two days... Yeah, you know, I've never actually recorded calories for an average day. I've only recently started approximating protein intake. Like I said, people ask me how I eat so much and stay so lean. I'm happy about staying lean, trust me on that, but I would like some more lean muscles, too! I've always been a frequent eater, I mean, eating every three hours is nothing new to me. I dig potatoes, literally and figuratively, but too many make me feel kind of...I don't know how to describe it, but not great. I do better with yams/sweet potatoes. Love 'em. I think I'll take notes one of these days, cheers. And I'll probably look at getting bulk seeds/hemp or rice or pea protein powder...Vega if I can afford it. Best, R.

Hey, cheers, Marcina. Trust me, I'm all for more plant based foods! I have noticed in the past, though, that too many legumes have made me feel bloated or gassy, too. Maybe it was my general diet that contributed to this more. I love Vega, it's, in my opinion, the best meal replacement/protein drink/recovery drink I've ever tried, but it's *expensive*. I used to eat oats, in fact I find oatmeal a wonderfully comforting food, but had to stop because of the gluten from them (I used to eat rye sandwiches and have oatmeal and drink beer (made with barley), and wonder why I felt so ill and had skull crushing headaches so much and candida and gut issues...yeesh. Gluten!) As for soy, I know it has a good protein content/profile, but I don't really do soy - at least, not unfermented soy, for it makes me feel like cacka. And I'm in the camp of "too much unfermented soy has too many anti-nutrients and estrogenic effects". I know there are a lot of strongly opposing views about that, but...I seem to do okay on some fermented soy like Miso and Tempeh, but I don't know if it's a staple for me. I'm a nut addict (please, no bad jokes). But when they're around, I think I eat them too fast, I could eat a sandwich bag full of them a day. Seeds, I think, leave me better off, and cost less. Yes, I love hemp seeds/protein powder. I never really considered flax as a protein source, more as a mucilage source...hmm. I'm not sure how I am with peanuts, though. Heck, a couple of allergy issues aside, I have no beef *terrible pun intended* with vegan protein sources. So, back to the protein - you're saying that around 135 or at least a 100 grams of protein a day isn't going to hurt me (even more so if some of it comes from non-animal sources and I balance it with loads of veggies)? I currently train 3-4 days a week. Ah, and I forgot to mention, that I don't drive, so it's almost all biking or walking most places, and I'm getting into farming, too (organic biodynamic only, people!), so I am "active" beyond exercise days. Any more thoughts, and please, do feel free to try converting me, are most welcome. Thanks! RticleOne