Gains are so difficult!
GideonAlexanderRae2015
Posts: 10 Member
hi,
Just need a bit of advice really , I'm trying to gain size and finding it very difficult , eating around 4200cals a day and spending about an hour in the gym heavy lifting and walk about 9km throughout the day and do a physical job (mechanic) I'm 6ft and 13st 10 lbs ATM.
Am I doing too much exercise to gain?
Also does anybody know if lifting heavier and less reps .....or less heavy and more reps is the best way to gain? That is the question .
Thanks
Just need a bit of advice really , I'm trying to gain size and finding it very difficult , eating around 4200cals a day and spending about an hour in the gym heavy lifting and walk about 9km throughout the day and do a physical job (mechanic) I'm 6ft and 13st 10 lbs ATM.
Am I doing too much exercise to gain?
Also does anybody know if lifting heavier and less reps .....or less heavy and more reps is the best way to gain? That is the question .
Thanks
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Replies
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Cheers bro , yeh I was looking about and saw your posts.
I'll have a look into it.
My job is really physical but over 4500cals a day is really hard to even get near let alone maintain everyday I feel myself being constantly full and unable to eat anymore!
Plus the food gut is not something I want to sport lol.0 -
GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »Cheers bro , yeh I was looking about and saw your posts.
I'll have a look into it.
My job is really physical but over 4500cals a day is really hard to even get near let alone maintain everyday I feel myself being constantly full and unable to eat anymore!
Plus the food gut is not something I want to sport lol.
I'm on 4,000 a day and know how you feel. I did start off at 3,000 and still lost weight. Same with 3,500. When I increased it to 4,000 around 8 months ago I started and still am gaining both muscle and body fat. Sounds like you might need to increase the calories a bit more but maybe introduce a shake or two cos sometimes drinking the calories is easier than eating them. What would you normally have most days? Would you normally pre log your days so that you aren't in a panic by the end of most days with 1,000 calories thinking fu.k what I am going to have and feeling too full after?0 -
Just a question -- Is your 9km of walking at work, or commuting? (Thinking: Is that walking an activity that could be reduced to allow your current intake to be a bit more of a surplus to get you back into gaining?) Like @asflatasapancake posts, you don't need much of a surplus; maybe a little 'other' expenditure could help you slide into surplus.
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standenvernet wrote: »Just a question -- Is your 9km of walking at work, or commuting? (Thinking: Is that walking an activity that could be reduced to allow your current intake to be a bit more of a surplus to get you back into gaining?) Like @asflatasapancake posts, you don't need much of a surplus; maybe a little 'other' expenditure could help you slide into surplus.
The 9km walk is around my workshop each day just back and fourth it's really difficult to cut it down as it is necessary!0 -
GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »standenvernet wrote: »Just a question -- Is your 9km of walking at work, or commuting? (Thinking: Is that walking an activity that could be reduced to allow your current intake to be a bit more of a surplus to get you back into gaining?) Like @asflatasapancake posts, you don't need much of a surplus; maybe a little 'other' expenditure could help you slide into surplus.
The 9km walk is around my workshop each day just back and fourth it's really difficult to cut it down as it is necessary!
Would you have snacks during the workday like nuts (almonds are great here) and fruit that keep you full and ticking along?0 -
You could try taking in some cals with drinks as jdscrubs32 said. For me, Tri Carbs and SizeOn helped to get those cals in while bulking. And keep any form of cardio to a minimum. I built size by following PMB, check out the following link https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/power-muscle-burn-5-day-powerbuilding-split.html Good luck!0
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jdscrubs32 wrote: »GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »Cheers bro , yeh I was looking about and saw your posts.
I'll have a look into it.
My job is really physical but over 4500cals a day is really hard to even get near let alone maintain everyday I feel myself being constantly full and unable to eat anymore!
Plus the food gut is not something I want to sport lol.
I'm on 4,000 a day and know how you feel. I did start off at 3,000 and still lost weight. Same with 3,500. When I increased it to 4,000 around 8 months ago I started and still am gaining both muscle and body fat. Sounds like you might need to increase the calories a bit more but maybe introduce a shake or two cos sometimes drinking the calories is easier than eating them. What would you normally have most days? Would you normally pre log your days so that you aren't in a panic by the end of most days with 1,000 calories thinking fu.k what I am going to have and feeling too full after?
Hi mate,
Most days I have beans,chicken,rice,pasta etc I'm doing my bcaa s and have 2 shakes a day which come to 700cals per shake but because they're so filling it's difficult to eat after having one . I don't struggle at the end of the day as I tend to have quite large lunches it's just difficult to maintain the intake and actually afford it too as it's not cheap eating all that food.
I think I just need to find a more practical way of getting the calorie intake as I'm not sure I can continue filling my face . It's also v. Difficult to not eat fat and salt as it seems to be in everything!0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »Cheers bro , yeh I was looking about and saw your posts.
I'll have a look into it.
My job is really physical but over 4500cals a day is really hard to even get near let alone maintain everyday I feel myself being constantly full and unable to eat anymore!
Plus the food gut is not something I want to sport lol.
I'm on 4,000 a day and know how you feel. I did start off at 3,000 and still lost weight. Same with 3,500. When I increased it to 4,000 around 8 months ago I started and still am gaining both muscle and body fat. Sounds like you might need to increase the calories a bit more but maybe introduce a shake or two cos sometimes drinking the calories is easier than eating them. What would you normally have most days? Would you normally pre log your days so that you aren't in a panic by the end of most days with 1,000 calories thinking fu.k what I am going to have and feeling too full after?
Hi mate,
Most days I have beans,chicken,rice,pasta etc I'm doing my bcaa s and have 2 shakes a day which cjdscrubs32 wrote: »GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »standenvernet wrote: »Just a question -- Is your 9km of walking at work, or commuting? (Thinking: Is that walking an activity that could be reduced to allow your current intake to be a bit more of a surplus to get you back into gaining?) Like @asflatasapancake posts, you don't need much of a surplus; maybe a little 'other' expenditure could help you slide into surplus.
The 9km walk is around my workshop each day just back and fourth it's really difficult to cut it down as it is necessary!
Would you have snacks during the workday like nuts (almonds are great here) and fruit that keep you full and ticking along?
Yes I have snacks nuts and flapjacks usually help the most!
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I kinda got that from your post, but there was a moment of hope there (worked really well for me once upon a time).GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »The 9km walk is around my workshop each day just back and fourth it's really difficult to cut it down as it is necessary!
Without food intake modification (y'know, let's just assume all things being equal), moving heavier weight at lower reps, may do something for ya (more damage with less cals spent & all that).
Maybe just the food change (adding a protein-bar post workout or something) for a week and keep the rest of your life the same (at ~£4, it could be a quick way to stuff 200+ cals into your day).
Gonna be a little self-experimenting, but you've got the knowledge and seem to have your wits about you to get this sorted.
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GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »jdscrubs32 wrote: »GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »Cheers bro , yeh I was looking about and saw your posts.
I'll have a look into it.
My job is really physical but over 4500cals a day is really hard to even get near let alone maintain everyday I feel myself being constantly full and unable to eat anymore!
Plus the food gut is not something I want to sport lol.
I'm on 4,000 a day and know how you feel. I did start off at 3,000 and still lost weight. Same with 3,500. When I increased it to 4,000 around 8 months ago I started and still am gaining both muscle and body fat. Sounds like you might need to increase the calories a bit more but maybe introduce a shake or two cos sometimes drinking the calories is easier than eating them. What would you normally have most days? Would you normally pre log your days so that you aren't in a panic by the end of most days with 1,000 calories thinking fu.k what I am going to have and feeling too full after?
Hi mate,
Most days I have beans,chicken,rice,pasta etc I'm doing my bcaa s and have 2 shakes a day which come to 700cals per shake but because they're so filling it's difficult to eat after having one . I don't struggle at the end of the day as I tend to have quite large lunches it's just difficult to maintain the intake and actually afford it too as it's not cheap eating all that food.
I think I just need to find a more practical way of getting the calorie intake as I'm not sure I can continue filling my face . It's also v. Difficult to not eat fat and salt as it seems to be in everything!
You mentioned the large lunches. Could explain why you feel so full and find it hard to get the food in. I split my meals into 4 main meals & 2 snacks so I spread what I am having throughout the day which prevents me from feeling too full at anyone time. If you aren't doing that, maybe try that. I know what you mean about not eating too much fat and salt but as long as you cook most of what you eat, then you can control the amount of fat/salt that goes into your meals. How I manage the cost is I do one bulk shop a week and get everything so I'm not constantly buying during the week for other things. Again maybe try that.0 -
What does your lifting program look like?
As far as the cals go, you could be just burning a lot more during the day than you are allowing for in your food intake (you said you had a physical job). You could be also overestimating what you eat. Are you actually measuring food?
If your weight is stuck, and you haven't been getting stronger, best bet is to bump up your TDEE by 100 every 2 weeks until you see a change. It is really hard to estimate your daily calories out when you have a physical job.
I bulk around 3200 cals, and I am 6'4", but I also have a desk job, so my avg exercise cals for the week are pretty darn easy to calculate.0 -
I find 4 out of 5 times people that don't gain just simply don't eat enough. I was there myself for some time...
For reference I'm a 5'11" female with a desk job and I gain on 3100.
So, yeah all the food! But I second Brolympus' questions. How do you exercise? Do you measure food?
Might be worth thinking of a cheat day on top of the bulking calories. One where you just go crazy on the pizza and cake or whatever floats your boat. It's all about MOAR!0 -
I'm nowhere as tall (5'11") nor do I have as physical of a job (office drone) -- but I had to eat between 4k and 5K to see 1.5 to 2 lbs gain a month during last bulk period (6 months).GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »hi,
Just need a bit of advice really , I'm trying to gain size and finding it very difficult , eating around 4200cals a day and spending about an hour in the gym heavy lifting and walk about 9km throughout the day and do a physical job (mechanic) I'm 6ft and 13st 10 lbs ATM.
Am I doing too much exercise to gain?
Also does anybody know if lifting heavier and less reps .....or less heavy and more reps is the best way to gain? That is the question .
Thanks
To reinforce what @Brolympus said, bump up your TDEE until you get the results you are looking for. I had just ate more. I started off with 250, then went to 500, 750, then it was release the Kraken until I made @jdscrubs32 cry over the gloriousness of my food ramp.
Eat unsalted roasted almonds man. Snack on them all day. Eat like 3 cups a day (three or four handfuls) which will give you an easy 2400 calories effortlessly.0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »
I'm nowhere as tall (5'11") nor do I have as physical of a job (office drone) -- but I had to eat between 4k and 5K to see 1.5 to 2 lbs gain a month during last bulk period (6 months).GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »hi,
Just need a bit of advice really , I'm trying to gain size and finding it very difficult , eating around 4200cals a day and spending about an hour in the gym heavy lifting and walk about 9km throughout the day and do a physical job (mechanic) I'm 6ft and 13st 10 lbs ATM.
Am I doing too much exercise to gain?
Also does anybody know if lifting heavier and less reps .....or less heavy and more reps is the best way to gain? That is the question .
Thanks
To reinforce what @Brolympus said, bump up your TDEE until you get the results you are looking for. I had just ate more. I started off with 250, then went to 500, 750, then it was release the Kraken until I made @jdscrubs32 cry over the gloriousness of my food ramp.
Eat unsalted roasted almonds man. Snack on them all day. Eat like 3 cups a day (three or four handfuls) which will give you an easy 2400 calories effortlessly. [/
^^^this0 -
that's rough man 5'9" 185lb here so not much advice I can give but good luck bro!0
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What does your lifting program look like?
As far as the cals go, you could be just burning a lot more during the day than you are allowing for in your food intake (you said you had a physical job). You could be also overestimating what you eat. Are you actually measuring food?
If your weight is stuck, and you haven't been getting stronger, best bet is to bump up your TDEE by 100 every 2 weeks until you see a change. It is really hard to estimate your daily calories out when you have a physical job.
I bulk around 3200 cals, and I am 6'4", but I also have a desk job, so my avg exercise cals for the week are pretty darn easy to calculate.
Yes bro,
I use my fitness pal and keep a close eye on my intake and portion things exactly scanning barcodes etc.
I hear what you're saying about my job , I think I burn a lot but doing bolts up and lifting things etc is almost impossible to gauge on how many Cals I burn,the only thing I can keep an eye on is my walking with a pedometer.
I'm uping my Cals now and am attempting 5k a day as a ball park figure ,I'll give it a couple of weeks and see how manageable it is and what the results are.
Thanks to everyone for your help And I will get on the almond express !
Much appreciated0 -
And yes I have a set workout plan ,one body part a day 8-12 reps,3 sets and about 6 different exercises . Maybe I need to change it up a bit?0
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I definatelyI find 4 out of 5 times people that don't gain just simply don't eat enough. I was there myself for some time...
For reference I'm a 5'11" female with a desk job and I gain on 3100.
So, yeah all the food! But I second Brolympus' questions. How do you exercise? Do you measure food?
Might be worth thinking of a cheat day on top of the bulking calories. One where you just go crazy on the pizza and cake or whatever floats your boat. It's all about MOAR!
I definately have a binge whenever possible ! One day a week is carnage and everything gets put into my face be it pizza ,cake or elephants! I hope to share some results in a couple of weeks !
Thanks for the help0 -
GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »And yes I have a set workout plan ,one body part a day 8-12 reps,3 sets and about 6 different exercises . Maybe I need to change it up a bit?
Possibly. When you say one body part per day, what do you mean?0 -
go to chipotle twice that is like 4000 calories lol0
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GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »hi,
Just need a bit of advice really , I'm trying to gain size and finding it very difficult , eating around 4200cals a day and spending about an hour in the gym heavy lifting and walk about 9km throughout the day and do a physical job (mechanic) I'm 6ft and 13st 10 lbs ATM.
Am I doing too much exercise to gain?
Also does anybody know if lifting heavier and less reps .....or less heavy and more reps is the best way to gain? That is the question .
Thanks
Just to re-iterate what others have said. You will have to eat more. So as long as your protein goals are met, the calories can easily be obtained through calorically dense foods if you are having a problem with volume. So an extra couple of glasses of whole fat milk (drinking calories is very easy), or tablespoons of peanut butter, etc... will add several hundred calories fairly easily. (Don't be scared of the pizza either
)
Don't know your training history or experience to comment too much on the question about exercising too much, but my first reaction is to say no from the info given.
In regards to your last question, again...depends on training history and experience (how long you been lifting). But programs are typically based on percentages of 1 rep max so that loads falling around the 65%-80% range will allow a typical lifter to achieve 8-15 reps and loads of 85%-95% will allow lifters to typically achieve 3-6 reps (my math might be off a bit, but the reps ranges are products). Working in the 65%-80% range allows you to do more volume over time, thus has greater influence on size. Working in the 85%-95% range offers greater intensity, thus less volume over time can be achieved due to recovery, but has more influence on strength.
So the follow up questions would be.... What is your training experience? And gains, strength focused or gains, hypertrophy focused?... or if you have other goals in mind.0 -
Gonna chime in here, but I think I know where @Brolympus is going with this... And I am sensing a disturbance in the Force. I find your lack of progressive resistance... disturbing.GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »And yes I have a set workout plan ,one body part a day 8-12 reps,3 sets and about 6 different exercises . Maybe I need to change it up a bit?
Possibly. When you say one body part per day, what do you mean?0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »
Gonna chime in here, but I think I know where @Brolympus is going with this... And I am sensing a disturbance in the Force. I find your lack of progressive resistance... disturbing.GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »And yes I have a set workout plan ,one body part a day 8-12 reps,3 sets and about 6 different exercises . Maybe I need to change it up a bit?
Possibly. When you say one body part per day, what do you mean?
dat hypurtropeee0 -
Progressive resistance? I don't understand ,by one body part i mean -
Monday - chest
Tuesday- arms
Wednesday-back
Thursday-legs
Friday - shoulders
Saturday - abs
Sunday - restnakedraygun wrote: »
Gonna chime in here, but I think I know where @Brolympus is going with this... And I am sensing a disturbance in the Force. I find your lack of progressive resistance... disturbing.GideonAlexanderRae2015 wrote: »And yes I have a set workout plan ,one body part a day 8-12 reps,3 sets and about 6 different exercises . Maybe I need to change it up a bit?
Possibly. When you say one body part per day, what do you mean?
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I'm just a beginner really on the serious body building front and am not all knowing when in comes to technical terms!
I have been lifting for a few years I managed to get over 15st at one point but I was eating anything and everything that wasn't nailed down and ended up a bit chubby as a result .
I need basic help and simple terms structural support!
Thanks.0 -
Stick with compound-movements, and start hitting the major body parts twice a week. Once you have been working out for 1-2 years then throw some isolation movements in the mix.
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I would look into maybe All Pros as a routine to research as it has a beginner and an intermediate you could evolve to. The beginner routine focuses on compounds (bench press, rows, squats, etc...), there are some "curls for the girls" thrown in there, and adds volume (reps) each week, so 4 sets of 8 reps in first week, second week would be 4 sets of 9, etc... Till 4 sets of 12. If you can complete all reps for 4 sets of 12, then add 10% on the bar and start back at 4 sets of 8, rinse and repeat. Program has protocols to add weight and reps (progressive resistance) as outlined, deal with failures, and deloads. So weight is increased slower than a strength based program, but volume of work is greater, thus having more of a hypertrophic effect (assuming calories are where they should be).
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=160947761&page=10 -
Maybe cut down your training and bump up your calories more until you are making solid strength gains.
Getting stronger in the 4-6 rep range is going to be a HUGE part of your muscle gains.
You could set your training like:
Monday - Chest, Biceps, Rear Delts
Wednesday - Legs, Abs
Friday - Shoulders, Back, Triceps
Track your strength gains. If you plateau, then you know you need to bump up your calories by 100-200.
I have a very tough time gaining weight. So only training 3 hours a week has helped me tremendously.
Hope that helps man!
One last thing.... By strength gains in the 4-6 rep range, I mean, come back to this forum when you are incline bench pressing over 200lbs....Your muscles have no reason not to grow.
Know what I mean?0 -
Nobody wants to say it but I will...well, Rich Piana will...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXvnS0xXx9M
Genetics shouldn't ever let someone get down on themselves but people really do need to know the truth. Love him or hate him, Rich will speak the truth.0
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