Please evaluate current plan, results after 6 weeks

blathrop11

HI all. Here's my program, and my current results. I am (was) classic ectomorphic body type. I find it challenging to eat 3000 calories a day. My body just doesn't want it, and I have to force feed myself basically. Some days I AM that hungry, but for no reasonable explanation. Just a normal day activity wise. Any suggestions here would be awesome.

August 2014 6'1" 165lbs. Over 10 weeks I put on 22lbs working with a trainer and exercising 4 days per week using a program for overall strength and athleticism. I don't care really about the cosmetics of it all at this point, so my diet (outside of protein intake) was poor. I was just eating everything. 3000+ cal/day target. My sodium intake was too high, and sugars. I was getting stronger, and none of my clothes fit anymore.

From Dec-May I was unable to continue a workout program, or good diet program. I was struggling to keep the weight ON, and dropped about 2lbs, but held fast at 185lbs. LOTS of crap food cause of a big work project that was working on 70+ hours per week. I felt some of the weight turning to fat, and pants loosened up in the seat and upper legs.

Now I'm more stable as of the last 5 weeks. Good (better) diet and back to 4 days per week, although I've moved away from the trainer, and my gym option is a whopping $600/3 month summer membership. So I don't exactly have the budget to spend an additional $140/hr for one of their trainers...

First 2 weeks I was down to 181. 5 I could feel myself getting stronger and upping weights. Weeks 3 and 4 (183lbs) felt like a plateau and I blame the diet. Week 5 was good. (184lbs)

Normal Daily Diet:
Supplements:
GNC Mega Men
1000mg Vitamin C
1000mg Fish Oil

Protien Powder:
Muscle Milk
or
Hyper Gro

Breakfast
Greek Yogurt ; berries ; granola ; 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg ; banana with peanut butter, big glass of water.
or
Breakfast burrito 1 1/2 c rice, 1/2 avacado, steak, 3 eggs, chipotle mayo, black beans, extra large tortilla

Snack
Protein Shake or cliff bar/ special k bar etc.

Lunch
1 cup brown rice and 1/2 boneless skinless chicken breast, with chipotle mayo

Snack
Protien Shake or can of tuna with ranch dressing and triscuits

Dinner
Stir fry with brown rice, fish, chicken, pork, or steak

Excercise Routine Examples: (completed as 2 super sets, and 1 met-con set)
Overhead lunge with 22.5lbs weights 3setx10rep
Chest press 105lbs 3x10
roll out 3x10

Squat hold 35lbs 3setx8rep
Low alternating rope 3x 30 sec
Reverse fly 80lbs 3x8

Burpee over box 4 sets
Ball Slam 4 sets

Thanks all! Looking forward to hearing thoughts.

ndj1979

is this a homemade lifting routine or a structured program?

also, I would suggest adding in some calorie dense foods like pasta, bagels, oreos, ice cream, fully fat yogurt and cottage cheese, etc.

From reviewing your diet it appears that you are having a hard time hitting 3000 because you are trying to bulk on rice,chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, fruit etc. While you want to get the majority of your calories from nutrient dense sources, when bulking you also want to add in calorie dense foods.

blathrop11

thank you for the thoughts!

the lifting routine was set up by the trainer I worked with last year. I kept all the workouts and change the exercises weekly. it leads up to bar work in about another week. i'm nervous about it due to lack of experience, and have been considering spending an hour with a trainer just so I'm safe about the next step.

i'll also try to add in some more calorie dense foods. if i can get into the 190's and then stay there and lean out i'd be ecstatic.

thanks again

ndj1979

no problem OP ..

you may want to look into strong lifts, all pro beginner routine, or starting strength...

jmule24

ndj1979 wrote: »

no problem OP ..

you may want to look into strong lifts, all pro beginner routine, or starting strength...

+1

jmule24

ndj1979 wrote: »

is this a homemade lifting routine or a structured program?

also, I would suggest adding in some calorie dense foods like pasta, bagels, oreos, ice cream, fully fat yogurt and cottage cheese, etc.

From reviewing your diet it appears that you are having a hard time hitting 3000 because you are trying to bulk on rice,chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, fruit etc. While you want to get the majority of your calories from nutrient dense sources, when bulking you also want to add in calorie dense foods.

+1

Unknown

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blathrop11

mmm...deep fried cheese curds...don't tempt me with a good time! seriously, am I crazy to be a little concerned about eating "unhealthy" for the sake of bulking? I'm not under any time constraint, and as long as I'm seeing progress I'm content. (ok, I DID order the fries last night instead of the mixed greens)

I'm going to look up the stuff you guys were saying for workouts. i also reached out to the trainer i was working with to see if he could give me some consultation since he knows what i've been doing, and the workouts I actually ENJOY.

Anyway....thanks again to everyone for sharing your thoughts. much appreciated.

ndj1979

blathrop11 wrote: »

mmm...deep fried cheese curds...don't tempt me with a good time! seriously, am I crazy to be a little concerned about eating "unhealthy" for the sake of bulking? I'm not under any time constraint, and as long as I'm seeing progress I'm content. (ok, I DID order the fries last night instead of the mixed greens)

I'm going to look up the stuff you guys were saying for workouts. i also reached out to the trainer i was working with to see if he could give me some consultation since he knows what i've been doing, and the workouts I actually ENJOY.

Anyway....thanks again to everyone for sharing your thoughts. much appreciated.

ditch the unhealthy vs health food mindset. No food is unhealthy in the context of a diet that hits micros and macros.

So if you have deep fried cheese curds, hit your macro/micro/calorie targets, you are good to go.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Hornsby

blathrop11 wrote: »

mmm...deep fried cheese curds...don't tempt me with a good time! seriously, am I crazy to be a little concerned about eating "unhealthy" for the sake of bulking? I'm not under any time constraint, and as long as I'm seeing progress I'm content. (ok, I DID order the fries last night instead of the mixed greens)

I'm going to look up the stuff you guys were saying for workouts. i also reached out to the trainer i was working with to see if he could give me some consultation since he knows what i've been doing, and the workouts I actually ENJOY.

Anyway....thanks again to everyone for sharing your thoughts. much appreciated.

There are no "unhealthy" foods (barring trans fats). There are only unhealthy diets. If you get the majority of your nutrition from nutritious foods, and hit your macros/micros, there is no harm in some calorie dense, super palatable foods. The amount of weight you gain and the ratio of fat to muscle you gain is 100% determined by the amount of calorie surplus you are eating at and your training program. It has 0% to do with the type of foods you eat. That is assuming you are hitting your macros/micros.

Life is too short to not eat ice cream.

pmm3437

ndj1979 wrote: »

blathrop11 wrote: »

mmm...deep fried cheese curds...don't tempt me with a good time! seriously, am I crazy to be a little concerned about eating "unhealthy" for the sake of bulking? I'm not under any time constraint, and as long as I'm seeing progress I'm content. (ok, I DID order the fries last night instead of the mixed greens)

I'm going to look up the stuff you guys were saying for workouts. i also reached out to the trainer i was working with to see if he could give me some consultation since he knows what i've been doing, and the workouts I actually ENJOY.

Anyway....thanks again to everyone for sharing your thoughts. much appreciated.

ditch the unhealthy vs health food mindset. No food is unhealthy in the context of a diet that hits micros and macros.

So if you have deep fried cheese curds, hit your macro/micro/calorie targets, you are good to go.

^ This ^

IIFYM, stick it in your gob. You can achieve a calorie surplus easily by increasing density, if you dont want to increase volume. That always means adding fat, since protein and carbs have the same calories per gram.

Your sed TDEE is ~ 2200, so a goal of 3k may be excessive. Since muscle gains are slower, especially for an ecto, you probably dont need an 800+/day surplus.

Eat the whole egg, not just the whites. Add in some pasta/potatoes and some dairy like cheeses/cream sauces, and you'll see a nice spike in your total intake, as well as more protein, which will allow you to be less reliant on supplements.

I am currently on and love the stronglifts routines, its a great starting point. Having said that, there is no reason to ditch your current routine in order to switch, if the trainer actually tailored it to your needs and body type. You don't need a trainer to continue that program, thou it may be wise and valuable to check in periodically ( 1 session a quarter or something ) to have them fine tune or alter it based on your progress and needs.