30 lbs in 6 months?

[jcool2010]

Hey, newbie here, i've been on the menshealth forums, and have been referred to this site, lots of great info here

My problem is, i play football, right now defensive line, i'd like to get faster, and put on about 30 lbs of muscle mass in the off season, because right now i am the scrawny defensive lineman, who is also slow, always finishing last in sprints and stuff.

Would using the Westside for Skinny Bastards routine, plus using strength shoes on the rest days, help improve my speed and strength, i'm sick of being a benchwarmer, and would like to start at linebacker next year. I am going to eat about 1000 cals above maintence, and follow that routine religiously, is this what i should be doing? If not, what else should i do?


Info: 5 foot 9
140lbs
5.9 forty yard dash
bench 125
squat 165
power clean 105

[Chops]

Welcome to the forums, I beleive this article will help you best in answering that question.

My basic understanding of this information is that just because you eat a lot more doesn't mean your body can actually synthesize and build more muscle, as you add calories, you will build more muscle to a point and then the increase will plateau.

The studies cited imply that at most you can expect to gain .5lbs of dry muscle mass per week. In 6mo you have 24 weeks, so, at most you can gain 12lbs of actual muscle, and that is not including cutting time to reduce extra weight from building the muscle. I don't think 30lb's sounds like a reasonable goal, but actual dry muscle is more powerful than people give it credit for, and with good training and gaining muscle, I wouldn't be surprised if you outperformed the other guys, even if you are lighter in muscle.

However, gaining 30lbs in general can be done in 6mo.

[Chops]

The link above thanks to PJB923

[Kevin T.]

Start eating good clean foods - a lot of them. Don't worry about over eating. You're young, high school I'm assuming, so you're metabolism is pretty good, consering you're only 140 pounds. 30 lbs in 6 months is pushing it. Freshman year, in March, I was 5'9" 145 pounds. Now, October of junior year, I'm 6' 187 pounds. 42 pounds in just under two years and the goal is 195+ by February, so it'll be a total of 50 pounds, or 12.5 pounds every 6 months. You're growing; you will put on weight; use your training to make sure that most of that is muslce. I've used WS4SB with success in the past, but I'd stay away from the strength shoes. Get an agility ladder and do some drills. Do unilateral lower body work to strengthen the glutes, which are the most important muscle to an athlete. Get a foam roller and roll. Do dynamic work. Eric Cressey is a genius who posts on this site. Check out his Ultimate Offseason Training Manual, Magnificent Mobility, and Inside Out. Also, go to his site, ericcressey.com and read the articles. Check out elitefts.com and the locker rooms at t-nation.com. Read the good stuff that pertains to sports, not bodybuilding. Read Dave Tate's articles on how to box squat. Read Mike Boyle's lastest article. I prefer the box squat at the moment, but I'm going to pick up some straps and do front squats in the near future. Read a lot, but don't let it get in the way of your training. Find a plan, stick with it, but continue to read to absorb more knowledge about what to do in the future. Changes things up. Keep it fun. Do some strongman stuff. Go push a car around a parking lot. Drag a sled - you can make one out of an old tire and some rope. Get eating and get lifting. Get form down first, then add the weight. This means backing off on the weight for the time being. Learn how to bench right (tuck the elbows, push away from the body). Learn how to squat right (PL, oly, front w/e you prefer, but I prefer to mix it up). Find your weaknesses and strengthen them.

That's my very random reply, but there's good stuff in there, I swear :p