New to gaining muscle - I want your advice and (success) stories!
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worldlymaret
Posts: 20 Member
Hi all,
I'm a slim 29yo woman (ectomorph) and I've recently started to work out (light weights at home) and changed my diet to aid in gaining muscle.
My maintenance Kcal were around 1500 which I’ve now bumped up to 1700 (macros being 50% carb, 25% fat and 25% protein).
I’m doing dumbbell workouts at home with light weights, the max being 5 kilos per dumbbell for biceps. I want to do those twice a week. Besides that I go wakeboarding at least once a week (this will go up in the summer) and for regular lunch walks (30 minutes, but not every day).
I’m not looking for a rapid “gain” – I don’t have a weight in mind, but I want my body to grow stronger and toned in a relaxed, sustainable way - clean gaining all the way. Does the above description sound like it’s the right thing? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks, Mo
I'm a slim 29yo woman (ectomorph) and I've recently started to work out (light weights at home) and changed my diet to aid in gaining muscle.
My maintenance Kcal were around 1500 which I’ve now bumped up to 1700 (macros being 50% carb, 25% fat and 25% protein).
I’m doing dumbbell workouts at home with light weights, the max being 5 kilos per dumbbell for biceps. I want to do those twice a week. Besides that I go wakeboarding at least once a week (this will go up in the summer) and for regular lunch walks (30 minutes, but not every day).
I’m not looking for a rapid “gain” – I don’t have a weight in mind, but I want my body to grow stronger and toned in a relaxed, sustainable way - clean gaining all the way. Does the above description sound like it’s the right thing? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks, Mo
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Replies
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WEIGHT GAIN / FAT LOST GOALS AND HOW TO!!
Nutrition goals and weight gain is not easy! In order to pack in the calories in a healthy way try these tips
1. Add COCONUT OIL to your shakes, salads, even tea! Check out any website on the amazing health benefits of this great tasting versatile supercool! Plants like these and Olives are well known for benefits of all kinds to your body!
2. Add 100% WHEY PROTEIN shakes to between meal regime. Takes a shake before bedtime. Check the latest research into pre-bedtime carbohydrate and protein consumption. Throw out the "Bro science" ideas about cars after 6 PM turning to fat! Not true as per a scientific study for over 6 Months duration.
3. Add FLAXSEED to your diet! Again Google these amazing seeds and add them to your breakfast cereal, they are really yummy! Tip! Take the best and cheapest cereal there is OATS, add Flaxseed and Cinnamon, Whey Protein Powder and you now have a fantastic high quality low fat breakfast to help hit the calorie goals!
4. Add NUTS to your diet, as an easy snack in between meals! They are easy to pack in your calories and are healthy as they are nutritious!
5. Add SEEDS like SUNFLOWER, PUMPKIN, SESAME or whatever you like the taste of! Again search the Web, you will not find any bad press on these! Nature provides all the answers to the weight gain or loss problem, BONUS is you get the essential fibre, vitamins and minerals from the soil that actually supercharge the body to provide a basis for hormone control/production that are integral to effective and timely fat loss and muscle synthesis
6. Combine some, if not, all the above items into one meal with Whole Milk, use the MFP DIARY Meal logger and see how much MACRO NUTRITION statistics and calories YOU achieve in one beautiful healthy shake, it's1,100 plus calories! This at breakfast and before bedtime is guaranteed to add over 2,200 calories of high quality, high biological availability to your body to fuel your success.
Every 100% Whey powder already is packed with the essential Amino, so no need for additional supplements like BCAAs!
7. Set realistic achievable goals in a time frame suitable for that goal. Muscle and fat take time and dedication to gain and lose respectively. Rime was not built in a day! Ask Google, and your Medical Doctor or at least a respected Trainer for advice about the proper expectations for your particular situation. There is no "one size fits all" solution in the athletic pursuit of muscle gain and weight loss!
8. Finally use common sense and choose healthy foods like Eggs, lean meats, green veggies, fruits and nuts etc! Race horses are fed on premium quality food to sustain their championship performances, be a champion yourself! Sleep 8 hours average, drink lots of water not so called sports drinks. Learn to understand food labels so you can avoid sugar like it is poison! Use the MFP App to educate yourself about the foods you eat and keep tracking everything to monitor and fine tune things to get maximum results. Don't stick to a routine in training too long, do what Arnold did, keeps your growth going by the confusion principal! Supersets and Drop sets come when results flag with standard routines.
9. Oh, make friends with me, and others here and keep motivated towards your realistic goals by posting pictures of yourself - be accountable to yourself and others to propel gains faster! It's the journey not the destination that makes life fun and satisfying, so don't go crazy, get in, work hard and get out of the gym in less than 60 minutes 3 times weekly to start off! Use and learn PERFECT FORM, video yourself training Squats, Dead lifts, Bench Press and Pull Ups! Stick with lifting heavy, but no at the expense of cheating or bad form. Muscle is built while sleeping, abs are made in the kitchen - listen to your body and feel the work inside each body part for EVERY REP! Study correct lifting techniques by respected athletes of iron, learn about physiology, endocrinology, anatomy and reap the rewards of a available better you, it's the best investment you'll ever make!0 -
worldlymaret wrote: »Hi all,
I'm a slim 29yo woman (ectomorph) and I've recently started to work out (light weights at home) and changed my diet to aid in gaining muscle.
My maintenance Kcal were around 1500 which I’ve now bumped up to 1700 (macros being 50% carb, 25% fat and 25% protein).
I’m doing dumbbell workouts at home with light weights, the max being 5 kilos per dumbbell for biceps. I want to do those twice a week. Besides that I go wakeboarding at least once a week (this will go up in the summer) and for regular lunch walks (30 minutes, but not every day).
I’m not looking for a rapid “gain” – I don’t have a weight in mind, but I want my body to grow stronger and toned in a relaxed, sustainable way - clean gaining all the way. Does the above description sound like it’s the right thing? Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks, Mo
Wow, that is one low maintenance. Have you used a food scale and tracked your calories for an extended period to come up with that or is that an estimate? I only ask because i have only seen that low of a number with those with hypothyroidism.
Second, ectomorphs are not a thing. Somatotypes are a myth.
Third, you will probably need more weight than what you are using. You essentially want to achieve muscular hypertrophy to help grow muscle. And to maximize that, you should follow a structured program that is focused on compound lifts.
Four, in order to gain weight, you want to be in a consistent surplus. Essentially, it's fueling the muscle to grow. But you also need to realize, that you will also gain fat. This is why you cut after a bulk. Now the more lean (lower body fat) you are, the more willing your body will be to gain muscle as opposed to fat. So going into a bulk with the expectation that you will gain fat is important. Women can typically gain about 1/4 lb of muscle a week, so essentially, for every 1lb of weight you gain, 25% will be muscle, the rest will be fat. This is dependent on leanness, training history, genetics, etc.... the amount of fat you gained is not dependent on the specific foods you eat.
Fifth, while there is nothing wrong with the list above, its fairly unnecessary. You don't need to add any of those component. Unsaturated fats (nuts, oils, seeds) are beneficial to heart health and have been linked to lowering cholesterol and they are high in calories, which can make it easier in a bulk. But ultimately, protein and carbs tend to be the better macros to have during a bulk. Carbs help stimulate growth and protein is the building block.
If you need help on choosing a program, http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
If you struggle with calories: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p12 -
Thank you both!
That list will be useful if I need any additional nutritional help!
@psulemon - thank you for your extensive reply! Super helpful. The 1500 (I think it was over that - maybe 1550, which still isn't that much, I suppose!) comes from building back up after losing some weight. I'm happy with where I am, and don't mind the scales much since "hitting my target". However, the target has changed (for the better!) to wanting become strong. However, I want to do so gradually, as to not freak my (self / ) body out
I've only recently started reading and learning a lot about gaining muscle, body types and have lots more to learn about, which I'm excited about! I guess, rather than ectomorph, I am a slim person. I fully understand and expect to gain weight, in order to gain muscle, which is why I changed my diet. Do you think a higher calorie count would be more beneficial?
For the moment, I want to do my work outs at home, I have dumbbells that I can change the weight on. Could most exercises be changed (ie bench press to something I can achieve at home)?
I currently have a list at home with exercises to do / follow, which I have found somewhere online, but not sure it's any of the programs mentioned in the lifting post. I'll have a good look through. Any recommendations for a true beginner who works out at home?0 -
worldlymaret wrote: »Thank you both!
That list will be useful if I need any additional nutritional help!
@psulemon - thank you for your extensive reply! Super helpful. The 1500 (I think it was over that - maybe 1550, which still isn't that much, I suppose!) comes from building back up after losing some weight. I'm happy with where I am, and don't mind the scales much since "hitting my target". However, the target has changed (for the better!) to wanting become strong. However, I want to do so gradually, as to not freak my (self / ) body out
I've only recently started reading and learning a lot about gaining muscle, body types and have lots more to learn about, which I'm excited about! I guess, rather than ectomorph, I am a slim person. I fully understand and expect to gain weight, in order to gain muscle, which is why I changed my diet. Do you think a higher calorie count would be more beneficial?
For the moment, I want to do my work outs at home, I have dumbbells that I can change the weight on. Could most exercises be changed (ie bench press to something I can achieve at home)?
I currently have a list at home with exercises to do / follow, which I have found somewhere online, but not sure it's any of the programs mentioned in the lifting post. I'll have a good look through. Any recommendations for a true beginner who works out at home?
Most programs can be modified to use dumbbells and even resistance bands at home. Generally, for person new to lifting, a full body routine is ideal. Its simple and it will maximize frequency. You could look at StrongCurves or NROL4W as it has a good beginner program and will transition to harder workouts as you progress. Ultimately the key is to stimulate the body to grow.
Calories - personally, since things are mainly estimates, pick a number, track it for a month and adjust based on results. So you could start at 1700 and after a month if you aren't gaining roughly 1/2 lb per week, than you can add another 250 calories. Protein should be around .8g per lb of body weight and fill in the rest with carbs/fats. I tend to lean more towards carbs as it's an insulinogenic, will stimulate growth (as noted before).
Foods - still aim to get wholesome and health foods but at the end of the day, if you do struggle a little with calories, look at the list I provided and eat some higher calorie options.0 -
This is great - I did the first StrongCurves routine yesterday, with slightly bigger weights. Curious to see if I can follow that program and move up to NROL4W!
Taking your advice on calories on board as well. I'm not so strict with myself (anymore), and will keep this amount going and see how my body gets on with this new routine, evaluate and adjust after a month.
Do you hear of many people just eating "anything" to get bigger? I've increased my intake and try to do so by adding not-unhealthy foods to my diet, like eggs (protein), adding more meat to my lunches, increasing my breakfast. I definitely enjoy my treats as well (I mean, it would be rude not to have a biscuit with my afternoon/evening cuppa ), but am teaching myself to enjoy those in moderation I will certainly look at that list to add healthy calories as well! 0 -
worldlymaret wrote: »This is great - I did the first StrongCurves routine yesterday, with slightly bigger weights. Curious to see if I can follow that program and move up to NROL4W!
Taking your advice on calories on board as well. I'm not so strict with myself (anymore), and will keep this amount going and see how my body gets on with this new routine, evaluate and adjust after a month.
Do you hear of many people just eating "anything" to get bigger? I've increased my intake and try to do so by adding not-unhealthy foods to my diet, like eggs (protein), adding more meat to my lunches, increasing my breakfast. I definitely enjoy my treats as well (I mean, it would be rude not to have a biscuit with my afternoon/evening cuppa ), but am teaching myself to enjoy those in moderation I will certainly look at that list to add healthy calories as well!
There are some people who do eat nothing but junk or low nutrient foods, but for health, you should try to eat foods high in nutrients and that are beneficial to the body, such as: veggies, fruits, whole grains/rice/quinoa, fish, lean meats, and dairy. But don't be afraid of incorporating things in moderation. Overall, healthy is about dietary context, not the individual components.1 -
worldlymaret wrote: »This is great - I did the first StrongCurves routine yesterday, with slightly bigger weights. Curious to see if I can follow that program and move up to NROL4W!
Taking your advice on calories on board as well. I'm not so strict with myself (anymore), and will keep this amount going and see how my body gets on with this new routine, evaluate and adjust after a month.
Do you hear of many people just eating "anything" to get bigger? I've increased my intake and try to do so by adding not-unhealthy foods to my diet, like eggs (protein), adding more meat to my lunches, increasing my breakfast. I definitely enjoy my treats as well (I mean, it would be rude not to have a biscuit with my afternoon/evening cuppa ), but am teaching myself to enjoy those in moderation I will certainly look at that list to add healthy calories as well!
There are some people who do eat nothing but junk or low nutrient foods, but for health, you should try to eat foods high in nutrients and that are beneficial to the body, such as: veggies, fruits, whole grains/rice/quinoa, fish, lean meats, and dairy. But don't be afraid of incorporating things in moderation. Overall, healthy is about dietary context, not the individual components.
To add to what psulemon said, look at macros with the calories. i.e. 140 calorie can of coke has 0carbs, 0fats, and 0 protein. 140 calorie of chicken breast has 0carbs, 3g fat, 27g protein. 140 calorie of banana is 35g carb, 1g fat, 2g protein.
Yes calorie in vs calorie out is what matters most for weight loss/gain, but the macros (carbs, proteins, fats) are incredibly important for health, whether it is hormone regulation (i.e. enough fat in your diet), muscle growth or preservation (protein), or easily accessible energy during high intensity activity (carbs). Get a good amount of them and you will perform and feel a million times better than a high caloric low macro type diet (i.e. tons of typically unhealthy foods and excess sugars).1 -
HamsterManV2 wrote: »worldlymaret wrote: »This is great - I did the first StrongCurves routine yesterday, with slightly bigger weights. Curious to see if I can follow that program and move up to NROL4W!
Taking your advice on calories on board as well. I'm not so strict with myself (anymore), and will keep this amount going and see how my body gets on with this new routine, evaluate and adjust after a month.
Do you hear of many people just eating "anything" to get bigger? I've increased my intake and try to do so by adding not-unhealthy foods to my diet, like eggs (protein), adding more meat to my lunches, increasing my breakfast. I definitely enjoy my treats as well (I mean, it would be rude not to have a biscuit with my afternoon/evening cuppa ), but am teaching myself to enjoy those in moderation I will certainly look at that list to add healthy calories as well!
There are some people who do eat nothing but junk or low nutrient foods, but for health, you should try to eat foods high in nutrients and that are beneficial to the body, such as: veggies, fruits, whole grains/rice/quinoa, fish, lean meats, and dairy. But don't be afraid of incorporating things in moderation. Overall, healthy is about dietary context, not the individual components.
To add to what psulemon said, look at macros with the calories. i.e. 140 calorie can of coke has 0carbs, 0fats, and 0 protein. 140 calorie of chicken breast has 0carbs, 3g fat, 27g protein. 140 calorie of banana is 35g carb, 1g fat, 2g protein.
Yes calorie in vs calorie out is what matters most for weight loss/gain, but the macros (carbs, proteins, fats) are incredibly important for health, whether it is hormone regulation (i.e. enough fat in your diet), muscle growth or preservation (protein), or easily accessible energy during high intensity activity (carbs). Get a good amount of them and you will perform and feel a million times better than a high caloric low macro type diet (i.e. tons of typically unhealthy foods and excess sugars).
Fyi a 140kcal can of coke contains about 35g of carbs (sugar).2 -
I agree with the above posts about SUGAR MINIMISATION it's sinful that there is 35 grams, oh crap that much, of sugar in that product whose name shall remain nameless for legal reasons LOL!
Seriously avoid sugar, look at the YouTube Documentary on sugar, ugh!
You'll realise it should be regarded as not SUGAR, but white death!
Erik8484 and Hamstermanv2 above and elsewhere, you both have great insights into nutrition and health - great work! Thanks for the sound advice and sensible, practical tips, you should be recognised as Gurus De health!0 -
diverroboz wrote: »I agree with the above posts about SUGAR MINIMISATION it's sinful that there is 35 grams, oh crap that much, of sugar in that product whose name shall remain nameless for legal reasons LOL!
Seriously avoid sugar, look at the YouTube Documentary on sugar, ugh!
You'll realise it should be regarded as not SUGAR, but white death!
Erik8484 and Hamstermanv2 above and elsewhere, you both have great insights into nutrition and health - great work! Thanks for the sound advice and sensible, practical tips, you should be recognised as Gurus De health!
You've got the wrong guy, i thoroughly enjoy sugar0 -
I have a partner with T1 diabetes and one of my resolutions is to definitely have less refined sugar in my diet. I'm not going to completely rule it out though, in my opinion I can still enjoy a biscuit here and some chocolate there. It's about moderation, rather than cutting it out completely, for me. @HamsterManV2 - Thanks for that, those examples are great to show what 140 calories could look like! I think my diet is quite balanced. I wouldn't say it's health food only, but definitely for the larger part. My meals tend to be healthy and I have treat-snacks, if that makes sense?0
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worldlymaret wrote: »I have a partner with T1 diabetes and one of my resolutions is to definitely have less refined sugar in my diet. I'm not going to completely rule it out though, in my opinion I can still enjoy a biscuit here and some chocolate there. It's about moderation, rather than cutting it out completely, for me. @HamsterManV2 - Thanks for that, those examples are great to show what 140 calories could look like! I think my diet is quite balanced. I wouldn't say it's health food only, but definitely for the larger part. My meals tend to be healthy and I have treat-snacks, if that makes sense?
Most of us aim to get 80-90% of our diets (while cutting, maintaining or bulking) from whole and nutritious foods and allow the rest to be treats. But keep in mind, diet is all total context. So while I understand cutting back on added sugar, just make sure it doesn't get in the way of achieving your goals because a friend as a medical issue.0 -
You got me there Erik8484, chocolate, ice cream etc are great, further, these and other naughty foods are very pleasant!
Nobody's perfect, life is to be enjoyed, but at the same time big food companies are putting sugar in the most unlikely foods, so it's worthwhile being informed.
Great discussion on an interesting topic.0 -
Hi Drew
Wow your story is so similar to mine, except that I still feel I could use more muscle.I was 140 lbs and 6 ft 3 at school, now I am 210 and feel, well my arms still too thin! Tell us more about the most significant factors that you feel drove your gains!
Especially if you have some details on Macro split up, and progressive training. Did you do much Squats, Dead lifts and BPs at all?0 -
Since I've been eating all forms of carbs from glucose to complex I've been on a muscle building journey. I generally try to eat at least 100 grams of protein a day and depending on the context as many carbs as I can fit in my mouth. I eat up to the saturated fat guidelines. The rest is healthy fats.
The gain of muscle and loss of fat comes down to the calorie counting. I eat to gain half a pound a week when I'm bulking and eat to lose one pound a month when I'm cutting.
ps I love the 'gotten with girls' comment above. Mainly because it's one of the good side effects of engineering your diet and physique.0 -
To add, I'm not dropping names but I train with a world champion athlete and she drank 5 cans of coke a day for most of her life. She has given it up now but.....it's all about context.0
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@DREW2HOOD Sure I lift now!
I do very similar program as you describe!
However I had a big setback. I was doing heavy Dead lifts, next day my and my shoulder was totally unlovable and extremely painful! I had 2 plus years earlier an accident at work and had a painful injury that prevented any excercise for the longest time! It was horribly painful and debilitating. Anyway this time no where near as bad, but certainly no prospect of working out! Then i was reading an article and it got me thinking i can just hit my legs instead! I got really motivational and stupidly, did front Squats for 3 days, and decided to up the weight from 40kg to 60kg... i tweaked my damn shoulder and am paying a hefty price in pain! That mistake will delay my recovery, big time, Grrr! It's ok, go on laugh, I deserve it!
That was a couple of days ago, I have been back, nursing my injury by keeping training confined to just doing leg presses, leg curls, heel raises and careful ab work.My body fat shot up without all the calories used up and 3 kg added to my bodyweight in the last couple a weeks!
I supplement with Whey, Creatine, Cinnamon, Raw Ginger Root, Flaxseed, Coconut Oil and am loving hitting my legs everyday! It feels great, and I really need the excercise as my BF% is up from around 15 to 21% since the Deadlift incident 3 weeks ago!
Today I tried a HIT style session as an experiment using Let Press and loved to hate it, OMG!
10 to 15 second rest between sets ONLY with 495lbs/180kg was a real challenge, but I pushed through, I must have those abs back!
I wrote a big piece on it in another thread today in detail (outta options or something like that was the title in thie MAKING GAINS section). Bottom line, WOW!! What a brutal workout, YES YAY, it's just exactly what I needed, I was frustrated and angry at myself for screwing up my body so badly! Now I am happy to burn that frustration and angst out on something productive, exciting and hopefully effective! HAPPY CAMPER now!
I am ready to add sets or weight progressively to the new HIT routine and am just busting to get back in the gym and hit my legs, hard.
Give it a try, HIT is... interesting, painful, good character building!! Lol!diverroboz wrote: »Hi Drew
Wow your story is so similar to mine, except that I still feel I could use more muscle.I was 140 lbs and 6 ft 3 at school, now I am 210 and feel, well my arms still too thin! Tell us more about the most significant factors that you feel drove your gains!
Especially if you have some details on Macro split up, and progressive training. Did you do much Squats, Dead lifts and BPs at all?
I actually just began squatting, usually I lift 3 days a week 1 hour each time I go. For cardio I jump rope,(it burns less calories than running so you don't lose your bulking calories) but I bench, deadlift, preacher curls and curl bar. Try doing plenty of body weight exercises such as pullups, push-ups. Supplements may help you also try syntha6 protein and Creatine monohydrate it will make you stronger. I feel weak without creatine, but try to train your arms more and hit them hard. Do you lift as of now? What's your training plan of so?
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