Bodybuilding for Long Muscles

Good day all .. GREAT forum. I have been lurking for some time , soaking in the information. It has been a wealth of knowledge ! Thank you to all that contribute.

Onto why Im doing my very first post here ! I kept in reasonably good shape ( 230 - 240 lbs ) up until 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease. After Prednisone treatments and 3 years of IVIG I was pushing 350 pounds. Mind you I am 6'6" with a fairly big frame so i wore it well ... well .. clothed anyways lol ! 4 years ago I went off my treatments and have been working at getting back down. I'm happy to say that I just hit the 240 lb mark again and feel great about it. There have been many things that I have contributed to the weight loss. Actually watching what I put into my mouth, portion size, salt intake, weight lifting 5x a week for at least an hour a day, cardio and last but not least ECA for the plateau times. The auto immune disease I have beat the crap out of my calves and at one time I couldnt walk 20' let alone do sets on my legs. In the past 6 months I have been able to go for lengthy walks with my wife and start into weighted exercises with my legs.

I am a long muscled person ( being 6'6" ) and now that the pounds are off and the beginning of a decent shape is taking place I am looking for bulking help from you folks. I'm currently ingesting 200g of protein daily in both solid food and shakes to make up the difference and counting calories. Drinking gallons of water and still doing my hour+ a day working out. I am sustaining muscle mass and before you ask yes I am doing heavy low burnout reps and multiple sets. I am looking to get bigger. I am not opposed to "alternate" means of muscle growth .

Any help from you above average height lifters would be greatly appreciated . I have friends that are professional lifters and competition bodybuilders but their routines do not work for me because they are below 5'6" and have short, repetitively easy built muscles compared to us bigger dudes lol. Please DON'T flame me for this statement lol, its just a fact that short muscle build much faster and more defined than long muscles.

Cheers all and thank you in advance for all of your input ! - Hytowr

Everyone builds muscle at a fairly slow rate unless you are somewhat of a genetic freak...which most arent. SO suffice to say your muscles will grow at approx the same rate as a short person given the same genetic ability. The difference however is one of "perception" because a shorter limb appears to fill out faster the rate of muscle growth is mistakenly thought of as faster which is incorrect. That being said it really isnt a concern whether or not short builds fill in fasterl...you are what you are and that is what you have to work with so you have to make the best of it.

I am a fairly tall person just under 6' so I know the issues tall guys deal with and have worked wit many clients well over 6'. The training isnt any different you just need to pick the most efficient exercises for taller guys and utilize correct technique as well as understand certain limitations. What i mean by that is for tall guys high bar squatting will probably be detrimental to the back...does this mean squats are no good...absolutely not! It just means you need to squat in a specific style to best utilize your leverages. Other exercises like deadlifts can be utilized in a rack to overcome the issue of taxing the lower back too much. Training should also be built around the basic exercises and improving strength in each at the same time adding volume from assistance work. I would suggest 4-5 exercises for large muscle groups like back, legs and 3-4 exercies for smaller ones like chest, delts, arms. Reps should range from 4-10 in most cases with legs going higher now and then to 15-20. I covering a larger rep range will results in better muscle growth then if you just do low reps all the time.

Diet will be crucial in order to gain muscle...I would suggest for your size at least 40g protein per meal, 15-25g fat per meal and carbs based around your training. I would also suggest 5-6 meals minimum per day. You will need to adjust the diet as you go as you may need more carbs or less depending on your insulin sensitivity. If you keep the majority of carbs before, during and after training fat gain will be kept to a minimum.

What you need most of all is a plan..lay it all out on paper...diet down to each meal, weigh proteins cooked, measure carbs and fats, know what you are ingesting. The same thing for training...write it down, have a weekly plan, track your progress, look to improve on strength each session, push it hard...muscle doesnt want to grow and it will fight against you...if you cannot push hard enough you wont grow.

The other issues to think about, sleep...7-8 hours per night, cardio...walk every morning if you can...20-30 min is all that you need...no jogging, no running, no stairclimber...just a nice brisk walk before eating breakfast, improves digestion, improves recovery, improves mood, improves metabolism which allows you to eat more which equals more growth.
Limit stress...work stress, relationship stress, financial stress...it adds up, it increases cortisol and kills muscle...use tools such as deep breathing, meditation, hypnosis, music etc....manage stress.

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