age 17 and 165 lbs - help getting bigger

[mcx69]

I'm a 17 year old male, I weigh 165 and I'm 5'11". About 4 months ago during cross country season I weighed 145 and was really small. (At least my self-perception says I was). In the time since then, I've gained 20 pounds and alot of muscle mass. I've done this by eating a ton of food and lifting weights. I now bench 200, squat 345, and dead lift 365. My maxes keep going up consistently, even though I don't lift regularly since I got a job. Ever since I got my job, I haven't been able lift regularly at all. I maybe get to lift 1 or 2 times a week, at the most. I've noticed that my body weight has been gaining steady, but I think thats only because I work at Subway, lol. Basically, I'm getting fatter but not gaining much muscle wise. I still think I look really small, but other people tell me I've gotten bigger and look better. Is this just my self image hanging on from when I was smaller? I complain that I look fat, but girls tell me I look fine. Last time I checked, my body fat was around 8.5. But that was right before I gained a lot of weight.

 

I want to try and get to at least 180 before June, but I don't want to have only fat to show for it. Cross country starts in July, and hopefully I can keep my body weight b/t 160-170 for the season, and then aim for 200+ my senior year in high school. I wont be running track this spring, so I will have some time for lifting, if I can find it, lol. But basically does anyone have ideas or tips to get the most out of a busy schedule? Should I continue to eat a lot of food? I feel I'm getting too fat by just eating a lot, since I'm not lifting as much. I'm not huge, but I'm definitely beginning to fill out. I don't want to have to loose a lot of fat this summer when I start training, but I want to gain as much weight possible. Also, since cross country is more of an endurance race, should I focus more on my upper body instead, and not get my legs too big? I just worry about looking un-proportional.

[Maya_A]

I noticed this off the bat as I work in the fitness industry. It would probably be easier to speak with a trainer at your gym for a more in-depth analysis, including dietary/nutrition habits. Many gyms have between 1-3 freebie consultations, without needing to book paid time.

 

Some things are very personal/specific to the individual & more info. is always helpful.

 

Happy training.

[mcx69]

I talked to my power lifting coach already about it, and he said I just need to lift when I can and eat until I feel full and then just a little bit more.

 

I'm just wondering if anyone else has been in this kind of situation before, and if so, how did they manage. I've tried google, but all that I have found tells me to lift like 3-5 times a week, which is almost impossible with work and school. I already get only about 6-7 hours of sleep, so I dont think I can get up early to go to school and lift, unless I do some serious re-scheduling of my time, which may get complicated as well.