Q: Hi Mike..I am 27 and I have been weight training since over 2 years. The problem is this: I have 44 inches chest, but only 14.5 inches arms. Moreover, I could never get six-pack. Earlier, I would train 5 days a week. Now, I have started training full body (no more than 45 minutes) thrice a week. My Trainer says amino acids, and other supplements are necessary to gain muscle. I know that Whey, Olive oil, etc are useful. Kindly help me in 1. Planning my workout schedule 2. Diet 3. Supplements 4. Gain arm size (atleast 17 inches) and six pack .

A: First off, you definitely don't need any supplements. Or, more accurately, it's very unlikely that supplements will make any difference in your achieving or not achieving your goals. Most gym trainers get commissions from selling supplements, so they are eager to push them onto their clients. The truth is that only two supplements -- whey protein powder and creatine monohydrate -- are scientifically proven effective and neither of them is absolutely essential or will make much of a difference by itself. A good diet of 'regular' foods is far far more important than all the supplements in the world. Read my Nutrition article until you fully understand all of its points. The most important thing to realize is that whether you build muscle or lose fat almost entire depends on your diet and how many calories you eat -- not on your specific workout routine (there are many many equally good workout routines and you shouldn't get stuck with just one for too long) and certainly not on supplements. Give your body lots of calories and it will use them to build muscle. Give it few calories, and it will burn extra fat for energy. Of course, if you give it too many calories too soon you'll also gain extra fat. And similarly, if you give it too few calories, you will start losing muscle and not just fat. It's not easy to maintaing just the right balance, but that article should help you. The most important thing is to realize that your diet completely determines whether you build muscle or lose fat.

As far as 17 inch arms and a six-pack, this will take a long long time. It doesn't sound like you are genetically lucky in ability to easily build up biceps or lose fat -- this means you'll likely need to put in many years before you can have those large upper arms combined with low body fat. The way most guys do it is go through cycles of bulking and cutting. A bulk is when you overeat to gain weight and muscle. A cut is when you undereat to lose fat. Unfortunately every bulk will add not only new muscle but also new fat and every cut will not only burn fat but also lose muscle. But if done right, you'll gain more muscle on a bulk than you lose on a cut and you'll burn more fat on a cut than you gain on a bulk. So after a one complete bulk-cut cycle which could easily take 6-12 months you'll end at about the same weight but with a little more muscle and a little less fat. Then you repeat the process again and again and again. The exercise program need not be dramatically different on a cur or a bulk -- most people do more cardio on a cut but even that's not necessary. The only thing really deciding whether you are cutting or bulking is how much you are eating.

So again, read my Nutrition article and Weight training article to choose from any of its training programs or feel free to use any other, as long as it's put together by somebody knowledgeable -- remember that there is no single perfect weightlifting program and you should change up your program every 2-3 months. Then decide whether you want to start of bulking up or cutting down and structure or diet accordingly. A few months later reverse course and bulk if you were cutting before or cut if you were bulking before. In 6-12 months you should be back to your present weight but with more muscle and less fat and a little close to your goal physique. Then you can start on the next bulk-cut cycle!