How long will it take for a very skinny 21 year old male to gain *big* muscles?

how long is a piece of string...

I have tried weight training before and I got really quite strong. However, while I was strong, my muscles didn't really get that big. I still appeared pretty skinny even though I had a six pack and stuff. I eventually had to stop the weights for a while because I was getting weird problems with stiff, painful hands when I woke up in the morning.

How do I start training so that I don't get that injury and so that my muscles appear significantly larger and don't just get stronger? I have heard that muscle strength doesn't always correlate to size, is this true?

10cm

nope.....its double the length from one side to the middle...

Define big

How did you train to get strong, what was a typical daily workout and diet?
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That said if sore hands were enough to make you quit I doubt you'll ever achieve the body you want

I was mainly doing lots of dumbell exercises I think the maximum I was lifting was 15kg in both arms with about 20-15-10 reps each of bicep curls, tricep extension, skull crush etc... I was also doing 30-20-15 pressups and 100 situps in 1 go. I actually still have a six pack even though I haven't done sit ups in about 2 years

I exercised every 2 days.

I also used the machines at the gym twice a week.

I was super hungry all the time I was eating loads of whole grains and oats, eggs, cheese, milk, some beef, some chicken, some salmon/tuna.

Anyway like I say, these exercises are probably pathetic to most of the people here but I just didn't seem to get bigger at all... I was doing it for about 6 months.

15kg dumbells is not 'really quite strong'.

Doesn't sound like you were eating enough protein, either.

You need to be doing some sort of compound lifts, such as deadlifts, squats or bench instead of thousands of curls. Although strength and size correlate rather than necessitate each other, you need the strength in order to be able to lift enough to make decent gains in a split, bodybuilder-style, routine.

I have tried weight training before and I got really quite strong. However, while I was strong, my muscles didn't really get that big. I still appeared pretty skinny even though I had a six pack and stuff. I eventually had to stop the weights for a while because I was getting weird problems with stiff, painful hands when I woke up in the morning.

How do I start training so that I don't get that injury and so that my muscles appear significantly larger and don't just get stronger? I have heard that muscle strength doesn't always correlate to size, is this true?

Here is a good site http://www.bodybuilding.com/
You can buy supplements such as protein shakes you'll definitely need these, if you can afford it get MET-Rx. This site has many workout routines and professional information as well to help you with your diet.
Eat 7 small meals a day, not 3 meals a day these meals must be packed with protein and carbs.

Try to do heavy weights one week with less reps, and light weights the other to get defined muscle, you must also do some type of cardio excercise every day.

Do a sport like boxing (I'm an amateur boxer I've had 18 fights won 17 and had 1 draw) it pushes you to your limits and you become so fit by training like a boxer.

Drink water, not juice or fizzy drinks.

I think you should run in the morning (except sunday) maybe 2-3 miles and build up on your stamina.

Diet is so important you need carbs to give you energy, protein solid protein and protein shakes help reduce injuries but help build muscles, fruit and veg is a must steamed veg is really good and so simple to make and have sugar maybe only a chunk of dairy milk or any other chocolate you need sugar.

Mix up your cardio sprints one day and long runs the next day.

Swimming is also good it helps you define those muscles but also trains certain parts of your body and it is relaxing.

How much do you weigh? if you are skinny and you don't weigh like 10-11 stone I'm assuming you're 6 foot and you say skinny go with maybe 4 meals packed with protein and carbs these have to be eaten at different times of the day.

When I have a fight coming up I have a large glass of egg whites in the morning with a salad sandwich on whole meal bread, don't use butter! (In this meal I have carbs, protein and veg).

Then in midday I might have steamed fish with rice and sweet potato.

Then in the evening I have a small meal which is my protein shake.

Then I'll end it off with a wholemeal rap filled with peppers, avocado, mango and chicken (You need some type of sugar).

This is really awesome info thanks. I should have mentioned I also do plenty of cardio, at the time I was running or cycling or sometimes even both every day, that was no problem. I don't enjoy swimming it makes me feel sick for some reason.

At least 1g per pound of body weight.

can you please tell me how tall you are and how much you weigh

Lift your body weight so basically do push ups, pull ups etc.

Do you want a good body to look good for girls or to be fit?

Wow. I definitely was not eating that much protein. Probably half of that.


I weigh around 9.5st/133lbs and am 5ft8.


I was doing that :P Twice a day actually



My first thought was just for girls but actually I'd like to be able to defend myself in the street aswell :P