Topic: Putting on weight/muscle

[Persephone]

Trying to gain, currently around 70KG (I'm 5'7)
Sort of hit a plateau.
My diet:
Brekky (5.20 am) 8-10 Weetabix
Morning Snack (around 9.30am) Scrambled egg, 2 pieces of toast, 2 yoghurt's & banana.
Afternoon snack (around 2pm) 4 Poached eggs, 2 pieces of toast, shake & Tin of tuna
Tea (around 8pm) Usually substantial and has something with protein in.

You're not getting enough fats and veggies in mate. Add seeds and nuts as a snack between meals. Make sure you have at least 4 servings of different veggies and you'll definitely see a difference. In order to gain weight you'll need a positive calorie balance so I'd suggest a food log go see if you're meeting your daily calorie requirements.

[Peabee]

I echo what Persephone says above.  I'd also swap the brekkie with something like muesli with yoghurt, seeds, nuts and fruit, or some oats and fruit etc.   

[Doc Red]

Isn't the downside to creatine, supposedly , the fact that your strength diminishes once you stop using it?
It's not something that you can use to reach a benchmark, and than dismiss it and move on. You have to keep using it.
At least that's what I've heard, and when I stopped using it (after 6 months of use), I noticed the difference. Figured I might as well get used to working out without relying on it than being dependant on it.

But then again, I'm not following a strict diet/training routinue, so I probably won't need it anyway.

[Gene]

Isn't the downside to creatine, supposedly , the fact that your strength diminishes once you stop using it?
It's not something that you can use to reach a benchmark, and than dismiss it and move on. You have to keep using it.
At least that's what I've heard, and when I stopped using it (after 6 months of use), I noticed the difference. Figured I might as well get used to working out without relying on it than being dependant on it.

But then again, I'm not following a strict diet/training routinue, so I probably won't need it anyway.

Not true.

People tend to completely misunderstand the role of creatine. What will undoubtedly be effected by stopping creatine usage is muscular endurance - not specifically strength. You also have to consider that the point at which you stop taking creatine, your strength levels are likely to be higher than had you not taken creatine over that period of time.

If you can take creatine without the stomach pains sometimes associated with it, then taking creatine is HIGHLY beneficial.

[Gene]

Trying to gain, currently around 70KG (I'm 5'7)
Sort of hit a plateau.
My diet:
Brekky (5.20 am) 8-10 Weetabix
Morning Snack (around 9.30am) Scrambled egg, 2 pieces of toast, 2 yoghurt's & banana.
Afternoon snack (around 2pm) 4 Poached eggs, 2 pieces of toast, shake & Tin of tuna
Tea (around 8pm) Usually substantial and has something with protein in.

I assume you've hit a mass gaining plateau.

Haven't calculated up the calories you're eating but I can already guess that you aren't eating enough. You need to add more fats and protein. I have a hard time seeing you getting at least 155 grams of protein - based on your weight - in that diet above.

[Caffeine]

Not true.

People tend to completely misunderstand the role of creatine. What will undoubtedly be effected by stopping creatine usage is muscular endurance - not specifically strength. You also have to consider that the point at which you stop taking creatine, your strength levels are likely to be higher than had you not taken creatine over that period of time.

If you can take creatine without the stomach pains sometimes associated with it, then taking creatine is HIGHLY beneficial.

Definitely noticed it gave me extra reps, but also horrendous spots on my face, so not worth it for me

[bird_lfc]

Only just stumbled across this thread. Have competed for the last two years in 'junior' bodybuilding competitions and done well. Knowledge of gaining size/muscle is very good from several years of training.

Let me tell you, if you think shredding a little bit of fat of hard - try running a full 'contest prep' and getting down to under 5% bodyfat. That my friends is absolutely brutal. It's not certainly not maintainable (or healthy for that matter) to sit at that bodyfat for extended levels of times but the personal satisfaction I got was amazing.

Currently floating around 190lbs, 10-12% I would say. Have taken a slightly more 'relaxed' approach, pretty much for sanity and to be able to enjoy times with friends/girlfriend as it was all getting a little too much.

Relaxed still involves counting my 'macros/calories' and I'll have one higher carb day on the weekends, or use this day to go out and enjoy a meal with my girlfriend. Currently, I consume 250g Protein, 300g Carbohydrates and 60g of Fat as I'm on a slow 'cutting' phase following a weight rebound after my first contest.

=================

Tips for putting on size/weight? Stick to the basics. All workouts should be revolved around progressively overloading the muscles (gaining strength, reps etc) over time and improving each workout and I base all workouts on a Compound lift (squat, bench press, deadlift, military press) as they activate more muscles.

For anyone not on the juice, for me this is essential. Don't fall into the 'chest monday, back tuesday, legs wednesday' etc routine as it's not 'optimal'. Protein synthesis is elevated at it's highest between 48-72 hours after working out, so if anything you wanna be hitting a muscle every couple of days. Doing this kind of split works for enhanced atheletes as most steriods elevate protein sythesis so they will continue to build muscle after this timeframe, hence why you can also do more volume.

For this, I reccomend for most the below kind of workout split.

Mon: Upper
Tues: Lower
Wed: Rest
Thurs: Upper
Friday: Lower

If you've got 6 days a week spare or want to run it as more as 'x days on' x days off' , another good one is Push (chest shoulders triceps), Pull (Back, traps, biceps), Legs (quads, hams, glutes, calves) , take a rest day, then run this routine again.

=========

Not an expert by any means, but I'd love to help anyone in here if they have any questions.

EDIT: I also saw someone post muscle food's website link above, which I highly reccomend too. Hope I wasn't the only one who got 10kg of Chicken on Black Friday for £36 !! 

[paddysour]

Only just stumbled across this thread...

Excellent post Jack.

What height are you out of interest?

[bird_lfc]

Excellent post Jack.

What height are you out of interest?

5 foot 10, mate.

[paddysour]

Pretty impressive stats.

Quick question about when you began - what was your maintenance calories roughly? I'm 5ft9 165lbs and I'm cutting on 1600kcals atm. I tried bringing it up to 1800kcals for a few months but I just maintained my weight. It always seems online like I eat way less calories than everyone else, not sure if that's to do with being a beginner though. I've been hitting the gym 5 days a week since March roughly. Down ~40lbs since the start of the year

[bird_lfc]

Not really sure to be honest, mate. I work in an office so besides gym 4/5 times a week, my activity level is pretty low.

The way I base it at the moment is that I work off an average weigh in for the week. I'll weigh myself every day and evaluate on Saturdays. If I've lost under 1lb on average over the 7 days, I'll drop the calories further, if i'm losing weight at a decent rate, I'll keep things the same.

In terms of gaining weight, I used to try and do similiar and gain between 1 to 1.5 lbs a week on an average. Obviously the weight on the scales isn't always the key factor and you should look for visual improvements too, take weekly photos, do measurements every couple of weeks etc.

The problem many people have (my mum included, they do this through slimming work for example) is weekly weigh in's. My weight can fluctuate like a 1 to 1.5 lbs a night depending on water intake, sodium in foods, meal timings etc. I feel working on an average is more effective.

Do you encorporate 'refeed' days into your diet? If your not aware, it's basically a higher carb day which will further encourage fat loss. For me, if I'm on 250p, 300c and 60f, my refeed would be something like 250p, 450-475c and i'd lower fat by like 5 or 10g.

[TheRedBaron]

Just looking for a bit of help. I don't have the faintest idea about supplements/protein etc. I just hoping that someone could give me an idea of any products I can take before/while/after I work out to help make it more effective. Just something fairly simple as I am not trying to bulk up too much but just add some muscle.

[bird_lfc]

Just looking for a bit of help. I don't have the faintest idea about supplements/protein etc. I just hoping that someone could give me an idea of any products I can take before/while/after I work out to help make it more effective. Just something fairly simple as I am not trying to bulk up too much but just add some muscle.

Stick to the basics. I'd always reccomend Myprotein, especially for those not looking to spend loads of supplements.

Never fall into paying for an expensive 'weight gain' shake which are generally full of shite. A good alternative would be to have 'protein porridge' which for me is usually 75g rolled oats, 1 spoonful of peanut butter, whey protein powder and bannana. All cheap products.

Products 'during' a workout usually aren't neccesary. I use BCAA's if I train on an empty stomach in the morning (cardio or weights) , but if i'm training the evening I'll use 5g Pre workout and 5g post workout. As i said though, this isn't essential at all it's just personal preference.

If you go down the myprotein route, give me a shout as I've got an 18% discount code!

[Schmidt]

Not really sure to be honest, mate. I work in an office so besides gym 4/5 times a week, my activity level is pretty low.

The way I base it at the moment is that I work off an average weigh in for the week. I'll weigh myself every day and evaluate on Saturdays. If I've lost under 1lb on average over the 7 days, I'll drop the calories further, if i'm losing weight at a decent rate, I'll keep things the same.

In terms of gaining weight, I used to try and do similiar and gain between 1 to 1.5 lbs a week on an average. Obviously the weight on the scales isn't always the key factor and you should look for visual improvements too, take weekly photos, do measurements every couple of weeks etc.

The problem many people have (my mum included, they do this through slimming work for example) is weekly weigh in's. My weight can fluctuate like a 1 to 1.5 lbs a night depending on water intake, sodium in foods, meal timings etc. I feel working on an average is more effective.

Do you encorporate 'refeed' days into your diet? If your not aware, it's basically a higher carb day which will further encourage fat loss. For me, if I'm on 250p, 300c and 60f, my refeed would be something like 250p, 450-475c and i'd lower fat by like 5 or 10g.

I've never understood weighing in weekly, lots of sites recommend it but it's so easy to just have a bad day and get a poor result. It's much better to check every day, record the numbers each time (in a graph if you're being fancy) and be aware that not every weighing will be a success. It's really useful to see your weight loss start rapidly and slowly taper off, as you can then pick a good time to have a refeed or just take a break for a few days. It's also much better to check your weight in the morning in my experience as it's more consistent.

One thing I'd say about refeed days is that you shouldn't go nuts with the junk food. It can be seen as a good opportunity to eat plenty, like a cheat day, but the next day you'll just feel the urge to do the same thing again. Better to enjoy it but still eat relatively healthy food.

[mabbympb]

Just started crossfit last week, its brutal. Couldn't walk for most of last week. Anybody else into this?

[Macphisto80]

Just started crossfit last week, its brutal. Couldn't walk for most of last week. Anybody else into this?

Should be renamed "crossinjury".

[bird_lfc]

I've never understood weighing in weekly, lots of sites recommend it but it's so easy to just have a bad day and get a poor result. It's much better to check every day, record the numbers each time (in a graph if you're being fancy) and be aware that not every weighing will be a success. It's really useful to see your weight loss start rapidly and slowly taper off, as you can then pick a good time to have a refeed or just take a break for a few days. It's also much better to check your weight in the morning in my experience as it's more consistent.

One thing I'd say about refeed days is that you shouldn't go nuts with the junk food. It can be seen as a good opportunity to eat plenty, like a cheat day, but the next day you'll just feel the urge to do the same thing again. Better to enjoy it but still eat relatively healthy food.

Yeah, agreed with that mate. After my contest, I kind of came to an agreement with my girlfriend I'd have 'days off' on Sundays. Not really a good idea, the binge was real and I was probably consuming double my daily calories for the rest of my week with ease.

Refeeds are good, as your still following a structure, but it gives room to enjoy foods you might not of been able to have during the week. Personal favourites of mine, Poptarts, Frozen Yoghurt (very low in fat), flavoured rice cakes etc. May also knock up a homemade pizza or buy a low fat one from the shops (Pizza Express are good for this)

My weight is 'down' 2 lbs from my weigh in the previous day, this doesn't mean i've 'lost' 2 lbs. So many factors to take into consideration.

[cornishscouser92]

Any good exercises for hip power? I already do hip thrusts and glute bridges w/barbell bar.

Managed a 150kg dead today (Bw 70Kg)

[Gene]

Any good exercises for hip power? I already do hip thrusts and glute bridges w/barbell bar.

Managed a 150kg dead today (Bw 70Kg)

Cable pull through.

 

[Caffeine]

Any good exercises for hip power? I already do hip thrusts and glute bridges w/barbell bar.

Managed a 150kg dead today (Bw 70Kg)

Tyre flips and anything where you open the hips explosively...basically Olympic lifts and variations of them. They are technical lifts but you can teach yourself a competent power clean without too much difficulty.

Double bodyweight deadlift is a decent base. Well done.

[Keita Success]

Been a semi-regular gym goer since I was 16, living off-campus at uni (where my gym is) meant that I've lost all motivation to go, but as of the 1st of Jan, I'm getting back into it.

I know, I know, me and half the UK's population.

I'm 5"9-10 and weigh around 11 stone, when I do go to the gym, I'm about 10 and a half stone.

How do I go about cutting the fat that I've put on, then start bulking? I've always gone to the gym, done lifts, but not really looked into it. I could bench more, but never really noticed 'gains'.

Cheers for any help.

[DanFromMars]

How do I go about cutting the fat that I've put on, then start bulking?

Don't really understand this.

If you want to go the gym and put muscle on you need to eat a lot of good food. Wholegrains/chicken etc. You will put fat on, but also crucially muscle. Once you've built the desired strength/mass you start cutting back your calorie intake while still lifting. That'll cut down on the fat you've built up.  Don't know of any other way to go about 'bulking'.

You're probably not noticing any 'gains' from the gym because you're not eating enough, or probably not on a decent routine. Look at something like Stronglifts 5x5.

[C]

can anyone recommend any cheap PCTs?

[Caffeine]

https://www.a1supplements.com/gat-finajet

these things are brilliant, one in the morning, one at night. strength and size have noticeably increased, without water retention or fat building.

been running them alongside Tribulus from my protein, animo acids, ABC multi vits and green tea extract. only side effect was diarrhea for a few days while my stomach adjusted to them, otherwise they are faultless.

I gained 3kg in the last 7 days.

can anyone recommend any cheap PCTs?

Are you sure it was that supplement that gained you 3kg in a week?

[The 1989 Brit Awards]

My 64 year old father told me he's interested in going with me to the gym to do weightlifting. I think it's a great idea and I'll be there to help him but anybody knows the limits? like, how often should he train? can it be consecutive days? can he do all exercises? I know I'll have him start with light weights but still, any info would be appreciated   

[BRdispatch05]

I've never worked my upper body in my life other than moving day. I had spurts where I would go to the gym, but it always lead to running on a treadmill for an hour than going home.

Starting December 26th, after a breakup, I've been going to the gym daily and yoga on what I now know are important "rest days". The routine varies, I believe it's called a split, but I'm following a beginners workout routine and luckily the gym has almost all the equipment I need.

I follow the rep/set amount religiously, and have narrowed down the weight to whatever I go to failure at on the last set.  It's only been a month so I guess In just being impatient, but I'm hardly seeing any gains and my upper body muscles never feel sore like my legs do after a good run/calf extension. I've been using whey protein 2-3x a day (24g per serving) and eating more than usual and healthier (also used to drink appx 50oz of soda per day, completely cut that out) , also taking creatine, but somehow losing weight. I couldn't even lose weight when I was running daily which was my goal at that time! I took a photo on Christmas and one yesterday, if anything I probably look stronger in the before. Like I said I go to failure, but also finding it difficult to ever increase the weight without losing tons of form.

Does it usually take a while to where what I'm doing should be easier? I was hoping there would at least be a little difference in my strength and physique, but it feels like I plateaued before even starting. The calluses on my palms have grown more significantly than my arms.

If anyone's interested in the routine this is what I've been following

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/complete-mf-beginners-training-guide-0?day=1

[Gene]

I've never worked my upper body in my life other than moving day. I had spurts where I would go to the gym, but it always lead to running on a treadmill for an hour than going home.

Starting December 26th, after a breakup, I've been going to the gym daily and yoga on what I now know are important "rest days". The routine varies, I believe it's called a split, but I'm following a beginners workout routine and luckily the gym has almost all the equipment I need.

I follow the rep/set amount religiously, and have narrowed down the weight to whatever I go to failure at on the last set.  It's only been a month so I guess In just being impatient, but I'm hardly seeing any gains and my upper body muscles never feel sore like my legs do after a good run/calf extension. I've been using whey protein 2-3x a day (24g per serving) and eating more than usual and healthier (also used to drink appx 50oz of soda per day, completely cut that out) , also taking creatine, but somehow losing weight. I couldn't even lose weight when I was running daily which was my goal at that time! I took a photo on Christmas and one yesterday, if anything I probably look stronger in the before. Like I said I go to failure, but also finding it difficult to ever increase the weight without losing tons of form.

Does it usually take a while to where what I'm doing should be easier? I was hoping there would at least be a little difference in my strength and physique, but it feels like I plateaued before even starting. The calluses on my palms have grown more significantly than my arms.

If anyone's interested in the routine this is what I've been following

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/complete-mf-beginners-training-guide-0?day=1

There is a lot going on in this post....

1- It's been less than a month. You can't expect everything to change over night.

2- Creatine doesn't make you gain weight, sure a couple of pounds of water weight (maybe like 3). Creatine increases ATP production which makes you fatigue less, making you stronger over the long term, which can POTENTIALLY (depending on diet) make you bigger.

3- The simple answer is this. If you're losing weight and that isn't your goal. You're simply not eating enough food.

4- Your muscles being sore is no indication of the quality of your workout or how hard you're training your muscles. It will be much harder to induce muscle soreness as you get better/more conditioned. I squat twice a week with over 170 kilos. My legs don't get sore.

My advice would be not to stress. Follow the program you're on and compare yourself at the end to where you started. You're not going to be able to seriously add weight to the bar as fast you'd probably like. No one can. Just look for measured progress over time.

Relax, enjoy the process. It's not going to happen overnight.

[BRdispatch05]

There is a lot going on in this post....

1- It's been less than a month. You can't expect everything to change over night.

2- Creatine doesn't make you gain weight, sure a couple of pounds of water weight (maybe like 3). Creatine increases ATP production which makes you fatigue less, making you stronger over the long term, which can POTENTIALLY (depending on diet) make you bigger.

3- The simple answer is this. If you're losing weight and that isn't your goal. You're simply not eating enough food.

4- Your muscles being sore is no indication of the quality of your workout or how hard you're training your muscles. It will be much harder to induce muscle soreness as you get better/more conditioned. I squat twice a week with over 170 kilos. My legs don't get sore.

My advice would be not to stress. Follow the program you're on and compare yourself at the end to where you started. You're not going to be able to seriously add weight to the bar as fast you'd probably like. No one can. Just look for measured progress over time.

Relax, enjoy the process. It's not going to happen overnight.

Thanks for your input Gene,  I appreciate it.

1.I don't want to be one of those guys who goes to the gym for a week and is upset there don't seem to be many signs of progress, I want to be one of those guys disappointed after 4 weeks .  I just assumed at this point there would at least be a subtle difference.

2.I worded that poorly, I've done a little research and am aware creatine is more for giving the ability to gain more muscle rather than having a direct effect on mass.

3.when I look at the protein intake calculators it's amazing to me how much protein you are expected to take. I've been trying to have around 70% total body weight which is much more than I usually eat. The whey protein helps, but on a budget it seems near impossible to afford a healthy eating plan that will give all the nutrients required, so I've done what I can to at least get the protein aspect correct. I've read so many times how important diet is to exercising, so I've eaten more grilled chicken and meats than I ever have. Is there any place you would recommend to take advice from regarding a financially strict diet?

4.i guess my main concern is though my legs muscles are by far the more strong and conditioned, it seems counter intuitive they are the only parts of my body I'm working out that are sore. I've read soreness doesn't equal progress (though it isn't necessarily a bad thing), but just assumed since I have no foundation on my upper body soreness would be inevitable. It makes me question whether my form is correct and whether I'm using muscles I have at least a slight foundation on to complete difficult exercises on untrained muscles. For instance, it's rare that when I'm doing back or chest exercises, I ever feel any resistance in my pectoral or traps, like I would in my biceps if I were doing bicep curls.

I'll do what I can to not stress about it, I'm sure it's one of the biggest demotivators for beginners and need to realize it's a "marathon, not a race". Thanks again

[bird_lfc]

I consider myself more of an 'advanced' gym goer, but I have downloaded this myself and would reccomend them to absolutely anyone

http://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/

Two really good E-Book's in regards to setting up both your nutrition and training. Can be purchased as a bundle or seperately.

[Caffeine]

Damn I was hoping they were free. That's a lot of money.

[Gene]

I consider myself more of an 'advanced' gym goer, but I have downloaded this myself and would reccomend them to absolutely anyone

http://muscleandstrengthpyramids.com/

Two really good E-Book's in regards to setting up both your nutrition and training. Can be purchased as a bundle or seperately.

Basically the same info as in Renaissance Periodization books, which aren't free either unless you're creative.  Even the images are similar.

Just finished up my 6 week cycle.

1RM
Squat - 210kg
Bench - 140kg
Deadlift - 260kg

Nice improvement on my numbers over 6 weeks. Currently weighing 93kg, but just started my diet with Renaissance Periodization looking to diet down over the next 12 weeks to see where I am. My next meet is in April and then another in November.

[Caffeine]

Why are you based Gene? Where is the meet and what you aiming for?

[Gene]

I'm just south of Norwich. The meet is going to be down in Suffolk.

I'd like the following numbers....
Squat- 220kg
Bench- 145kg
Deadlift- 265kg

We'll see where I get. Honestly, having added what I have since my last meet, I'm pleased to go into the next one with my current numbers.

[Caffeine]

Nice one. Are you still running 5/3/1?

[Gene]

Nice one. Are you still running 5/3/1?

Haven't lately. I ran the Cube and Juggernaut prior to my last meet. This meet prep I've been running Candito's 6 week program. Candito's program is a lot different than what I was doing before. The Cube and Juggernaut slowly ramp you up since they're both 12 week programs where as Candito's is really only 5 weeks (week 6 is a deload), so you increase intensity a lot faster.

[BigAl24]

I'm looking at gymming a bit more. My gym days will be Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. What muscle groups should I look at doing? Chest and triceps, back and biceps.. Any others? I play football on Wednesdays and Saturdays (hence not gymming on these days) so not sure if I should incorporate legs into my gym routine or not?

[Marty 85]

I'm looking at gymming a bit more. My gym days will be Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. What muscle groups should I look at doing? Chest and triceps, back and biceps.. Any others? I play football on Wednesdays and Saturdays (hence not gymming on these days) so not sure if I should incorporate legs into my gym routine or not?

What's your goals? What do you want to achieve? Are you trying to bulk and put on muscle and mass or aiming for cardio and fitness? Maybe a mixture of both?

[BigAl24]

What's your goals? What do you want to achieve? Are you trying to bulk and put on muscle and mass or aiming for cardio and fitness? Maybe a mixture of both?

To me the aim really is a bit of bulk and muscle, I have noticed a bit of difference over the last few weeks splitting my sessions into chest and tris, back and bis, shoulders and abs. Probably not cardio/lower body to be honest because of the football I play.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

So I started going to the gym in August of last year.

After doing some progress without following any program, one of the gym's personal trainers approached me about doing a program for three months so I said why not. I took a break in January but returned again and to be honest I don't see any results and whenever I ask him about my development, he keeps flaking.

I realize that he has every trait of a bad personal trainer, he is not a nutritionist so he didn't give me any advice on that front, but there is no plan at all to his training and he makes it up as he goes along. He does not keep track of my numbers and the last three times I met him, we did heavy intensive leg workouts. I mentioned that to him and asked him about the need to go that hard when I just tore my hamstring like a couple of weeks ago and his response is," let me know if it hurts you." He also looks at his phone a lot. First it was emergencies but I realized he was tindering while I am training and he is not correcting my style or telling my if I was doing the right technique or not.

The only thing he is good at, is sending me these Google calendar invites and immediately replying to me with multiple times when I say I am busy on a day.

I am binning him this week and I will cite my financial situation because he takes a lot of money per month from me which I am better off saving.

I have read a lot of good stuff about a program named Athlean X. A lot of former pro wrestlers said good stuff about it. Anybody used it before?

[Gene]

So I started going to the gym in August of last year.

After doing some progress without following any program, one of the gym's personal trainers approached me about doing a program for three months so I said why not. I took a break in January but returned again and to be honest I don't see any results and whenever I ask him about my development, he keeps flaking.

I realize that he has every trait of a bad personal trainer, he is not a nutritionist so he didn't give me any advice on that front, but there is no plan at all to his training and he makes it up as he goes along. He does not keep track of my numbers and the last three times I met him, we did heavy intensive leg workouts. I mentioned that to him and asked him about the need to go that hard when I just tore my hamstring like a couple of weeks ago and his response is," let me know if it hurts you." He also looks at his phone a lot. First it was emergencies but I realized he was tindering while I am training and he is not correcting my style or telling my if I was doing the right technique or not.

The only thing he is good at, is sending me these Google calendar invites and immediately replying to me with multiple times when I say I am busy on a day.

I am binning him this week and I will cite my financial situation because he takes a lot of money per month from me which I am better off saving.

I have read a lot of good stuff about a program named Athlean X. A lot of former pro wrestlers said good stuff about it. Anybody used it before?

Personally I wouldn't cite financial situation. I'd flat out tell him he is a terrible trainer. There are far too many poor trainers out there.

Never heard of Athlean X. Sounds a lot like a "DO THIS AND GET A SIX PACK FOR SUMMER!" programs. I always suggest people look for a few things when trying to find a program.

1- Does it fit into your schedule? Is it a 3, 4, or 5 day program and can you commit to that schedule. (MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION)
2- Is it based around big compound lifts?
3- Is there an element of progressive overload built in? Be it volume or intensity.
4- Does it take into consideration MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume) and properly implements deloads?

If a program fits those 4 criteria then I can guarantee that if you stick with it, you will have success. All the successful programs will meet all 4 criteria. Realize that there is no such thing as a cutting program or a bulking program. There are only programs that build muscle or they don't. The same program you run to build muscle will be the same program that will keep your muscle when you start to diet down.