Want to add muscle

work_on_it

Soooooo.... i'm getting close to where i want to be on the scale. Trying to get a few thoughts from the support team

I go through a pretty basic 20 minute routine right now, nothing heavy, just kind of calisthenics with dumbbells. I'm thinking about trying recomping soon to try and get some actual muscles.

Thinking about the eating a surplus on workout days, and deficit on rest days. I'm new to the whole macro thing. I'm almost always at a calorie deficit overall (focused on weight loss for 8 more pounds). However, I'm often over on fat, under on carbs, sugars, and can go either way on protein. Do I need to worry about that as a rule? will that kind of balance mess up muscle building?

I've finally kind of settled into an eating plan... so the thought of shaking it up is daunting :P

TIA! Everyone is so inspiring!

ritzvin

• There is a cardio entry for general strength training - not much, but it will allot another maybe 50-100 calories.
• There are online calculators that will give a recommended minimum protein and fat amounts. If you meet them (and fiber) and are at your calorie allotment, then you are all set on macros.
• The book Starting Strength is a good place to start.

ndj1979

since you are cutting you want to keep protein relatively high to minimize muscle loss. I would say about .8 grams per pound of body weight should do the trick; fats should be about .45 grams per pound of body weight; fill in rest with carbs..

do you know your current body fat %?

as far as training regimen, I would suggest a good beginner program like all pro beginner, strong lifts, starting strength, etc.

work_on_it

ndj1979 wrote: »

do you know your current body fat %?

I've been a little terrified of this number. When you're only doing calories... its possible to put doritos on your salad. just sayin...

Thanks for the program tips!

bethany_rose8

If you want to add muscle, i would make the priorities 1. Heavy Training 2. Meet your minimum protein requirement every day. I would say about 1g per lb of bodyweight so only slightly over what the guy above said. When it comes to carbs and fats, just ensure you're hitting your calorie goal, if you're over or under on one, you should be fine.