Of course not.
First, I would like to correct some possible misconceptions that I may have conveyed in my posts. What I am currently doing is nothing new to me. I have been going to the gym fairly regularly for almost 20 years. However, there have been periods during those years were I have laid off from the gym for several months at a time with the last period being Oct. - Dec 2010. Being naturally ectomorphic, I pretty much lose most of what was gained, and each time I have had to work my butt off to rebuild it.
During those 20 years, I have really learned how to manipulate my body. I have learned how my body responds to certain exercise routines and/or diets. Depending on how I am training or what I am training for, it is not out of the ordinary for my bodyweight to fluctuate between 165 - 185 lbs, and my year-round body fat % is typically around 6-7% (clean diet and good genetics). My best results that I have ever achieved was when I first got serious about weight training during my freshman year of college. I went from 145 to 190 in a few months. I maintained that weight for a couple of years while dropping my body fat % to a measured 2%. That was the best shape, muscle-wise, that I have ever been in. I don't really count these years as a part of my fitness lifestyle for two reasons. The results I achieved were with pharmaceutical assistance, and in my senior year, I got really sick and was unable to workout for almost a year. I lost everything that I had gained. What a pi$$er.
I only mention all of this because the results I have achieved since I have altered my diet pale in comparison to what some of you have done and are doing. So, good job and keep it up.
Okay, now that that has been said, lets talk about my diet. I probably have one of the most boring diets out there. I pretty much eat the exact same thing everyday for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is always a little different. My diet is very low fat (well below the recommend daily allowance for a 2,000 calorie diet). I also supplement my diet with CellTech (creatine) and MuscleMilk. Both of these products, especially the CellTech, have been around for a long time.
There are probably better products on the market, but I like these for several reasons. The taste, both have a lot of calories, and they work. My current caloric intake is around 3,800 to 4,000 calories per day. My protein intake is around 120 grams per day, which isn't especially high. Depending on the results I achieve over the next couple of weeks, I may or may not alter the calorie intake and protein consumption.
Now for the workout routine. Back when I was in college, I used to work out every body part twice a week. My workout routine looked like the following:
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps
Day 2: Back and Biceps
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Rest
Days 5 -7: Repeat of Days 1 - 3
The problem with the above routine was that I was spending between 1.5 - 2 hours a day in the gym, which is fine if you are young and juicing. I have since gotten older and have had ever increasing responsibilities as I progress through my chosen profession. I had to alter my routine several years ago to accommodate these changes. I now work out twice a day for periods of 30 - 40 minutes. The first workout is performed during my lunch time. During this workout I focus solely on one major body part. The evening workout is focused on a minor body part, abs or calves. I have had tremendous success with this routine over the years. I will change things up from time to time depending on what my current goal is and whether or not I am incorporating cardio (running or cycling) into my daily activities.
My current workout routine looks like the following:
Mon AM: Legs; PM: Calves
Tues AM: Chest; PM: Abs
Wed AM: Back; PM: Calves
Thurs AM: Shoulders; PM: Abs
Fri AM: Arms; PM: Calves
Sat: Cardio or rest
Sun: Cardio and/or abs
My bulking routine involves medium-heavy to heavy weights. Except on warm-ups, I try not to exceed 10 reps to failure nor go less than 6 reps to failure. Most sets are performed to failure. There are three body parts where I do not apply the above conditions. They are legs, calves, and abs. I have found that my legs respond best with medium-heavy weights with the reps between 15 - 25. I work out each major body part for 16 - 20 sets, and minor body parts (calves and abs) for 20 - 25 sets.
If you would like for me to be more specific as to what exercises I do for each individual body part and the weight, I can do that. However, it will make an already long post, very long.
My cutting routine is similar to my bulking routine, except the poundage is dropped and the intensity is taken up quite a few notches. Basically, I go bat sh*t crazy. P-90X, meh
Well, first off, I am very sorry to hear about your condition. I am glad to hear that it is getting better. 165 lbs is by no stretch of the imagination big at 6'1", nor is it necessarily small. If you are a small frame and have the right body composition, 165 lbs can be made to look like you are 180 - 185.
I have heard for years that if you want to get big that you have to train big (heavy). There is truth to that statement. However, it isn't the only way to increase muscle. I know for a fact, since I have done it in the past, that with a proper diet and using only medium-light to medium weight you can put on muscle and increase strength. It takes a little while longer, but it can most certainly be done.
I am a little hesitant to provide more specifics as to what you should or shouldn't do. I am not a doctor, and the last thing I would want to do is cause you to get injured. The best advice I can give you is work with your doctor and start out slow and really concentrate on good form, which the majority of lifters do not have. One of the nice things about lifting weights is that if you stick with it you will notice some gains quite fast.
As a final note, I just wanted to comment on steroids. I had mentioned earlier that I had taken several cycles years ago (> 16 years) when I was young and foolish. While I do not think they are the evil that the media and the government portray them to be, I do think that unless you want to become an elite professional bodybuilder they simply aren't worth it. There are just too many risks involved, and it is contradictory to what we are promoting, which is a healthy and active lifestyle.
