[earl237]

Does anyone have any tips on bulking up? I'm 5 foot 7 and weigh 130 pounds. I can easily bench press my own weight 10 times and I do 10 curls with 25 pound dumbells among other exercises. I work out 3 or 4 times a week and eat a very healthy and high calorie diet, but I seem to hit a wall where I stop making gains after a few months.

[Eileen G]

Are you doing squats and deadlifts as well as bench press? Those, along with military press and barbell rows are the big mass builders. From a bulking point of view, dumbbell curls are a waste of your gym time. Even though they are very visible, biceps are a comparativly small muscle. Doing dips will hit your chest and triceps better.

Bulking is mostly about heavy lifting combined with plenty of food. Particularly after lifting, you should eat a meal that is based on easily digested protein and a high gi carb. Either a whey and dextrose shake, or a meal like chicken breast and rice. Make the most of the insulin surge you get from the exercise to shove the protein into your muscles.

At other meals, make sure you are getting a good combination of protein, lower-gi carbs and healthy fats.