Muscle gains advice

thesophierose

I am a 19 yearold female.
My weight is 112lbs.
I am 5'4
my BMI is 19.
My BMR is like ****. So let's say 1212 making my tdee currently 1880. Or something.

I am getting a gym membership again on Saturday so I can start lifting and I was wondering what the best way for me to go about this way.

I have a goal of 125lbs of muscle, I am just extremely friggen nervous about fat gain. I know fat gain is needed when building, but I would love if I could bipass massive gains.

Would carb cycling or IF work? Or even a body recomp type diet where I eat a surplus of my TDEE on train days and TDEE or -10% on rest days?

Sorry if this totally seems silly. But I would really appreciate advice.

mud7urtle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0

thesophierose

thank you!

rachelakai2

That video was hilarious !!! If everyone could understand just how simple it is!!!

jacksonpt

Stop over complicating things. Carb cycling, IF, blah blah blah...

Set a slight calorie surplus. The "surplus" part of it will help you gain, the "slight" will keep those gains as lean as possible.

mud7urtle

Stop over complicating things. Carb cycling, IF, blah blah blah...

Set a slight calorie surplus. The "surplus" part of it will help you gain, the "slight" will keep those gains as lean as possible.

Agreed for the most part but by complicating I would say things like

"fasting diets", "high protein no carb".. stuff like that.

^ gimmicky chit. Carb cycling and IF actually work.. but for OP, once again I agree.. no need to over complicate.

HMVOL7409

I agree with what's been posted but my advice is to also have realistic goals. Are you wanting to be 125lbs with a good amount of solid LBM or have a total of 125lbs LBM plus additional fat mass?

Dalker

I'm in the same boat here...want to build some muscle up but terrified of fat gain. I know some fat gain is inevitable....

If I eat at a small surplus will I still start to look flabby or will I 'tone up' as well (sorry I know everyone hates that phrase!)

And how much weight do I have to gain to put on a worthwhile amount of lean body mass? I am guessing there's little point in gaining then losing the same few pounds?

waldo56

People grossly overimagine how fast you gain fat and how noticable it is unless your doing a crazy dirty bulk with a massive surplus.

Gaining 1-2 lbs fat a month is for the most part imperceptible except for little things like softening details. Fat gain when bulking is pretty much invisible when in clothes.

thesophierose

I agree with what's been posted but my advice is to also have realistic goals. Are you wanting to be 125lbs with a good amount of solid LBM or have a total of 125lbs LBM plus additional fat mass?

I will set a slight surplus to my food intake. My goal is to have muscle, and to look like I do but to look feminine? Does that make sense?

HMVOL7409

I agree with what's been posted but my advice is to also have realistic goals. Are you wanting to be 125lbs with a good amount of solid LBM or have a total of 125lbs LBM plus additional fat mass?

I will set a slight surplus to my food intake. My goal is to have muscle, and to look like I do but to look feminine? Does that make sense?

No. Lose the mindset that muscle makes you manly. I have a good amount of muscle and lift well. I'm still feminine and very much a woman. Just bc I looked more pumped than most flexed or post workout doesn't change anything. I was just trying to gauge what you meant in your OP when your wrote a goal of "125 lbs of muscle."

nonstopper

get your fukn fiber

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Simple advice. Start out with 100-150 calories over TDEE and aim for 1/2 pound gain a week. That's 2 pounds a month. Make it easy on yourself. Aim for 1950 calories. If you don't gain anything after 2 months, up the calories another 50 or so a week.

Lift really heavy. Make sure your protein is high. Eat 1 gram per pound lean body mass minimum, and aim for 1 gram per pound of body weight (so setting your goal at an easy 125 grams is fine). Eat enough fats, .35-.4 grams per pound body weight.

Don't slack off the lifting program. 3 days a week, every week. You're a beginner so use a beginner program that allows for really good progressive overload like Stronglifts or Starting Strength. I wouldn't recommend NROL for a bulk, it doesn't have the same progressive overload guidelines.

It will be a long, slow process. Re-evaluate when you get to 125 pounds. If you don't like the mass yet and want more, then keep going up to 130 or 135, or even 140, then cut back down to 125. At your height, I'd say 125 is a great goal. If you don't like where it is going, you can always change that goal.

If you don't stick to the lifting, though, you will gain mostly fat, so be committed to this.

thesophierose

Simple advice. Start out with 100-150 calories over TDEE and aim for 1/2 pound gain a week. That's 2 pounds a month. Make it easy on yourself. Aim for 1950 calories. If you don't gain anything after 2 months, up the calories another 50 or so a week.

Lift really heavy. Make sure your protein is high. Eat 1 gram per pound lean body mass minimum, and aim for 1 gram per pound of body weight (so setting your goal at an easy 125 grams is fine). Eat enough fats, .35-.4 grams per pound body weight.

Don't slack off the lifting program. 3 days a week, every week. You're a beginner so use a beginner program that allows for really good progressive overload like Stronglifts or Starting Strength. I wouldn't recommend NROL for a bulk, it doesn't have the same progressive overload guidelines.

It will be a long, slow process. Re-evaluate when you get to 125 pounds. If you don't like the mass yet and want more, then keep going up to 130 or 135, or even 140, then cut back down to 125. At your height, I'd say 125 is a great goal. If you don't like where it is going, you can always change that goal.

If you don't stick to the lifting, though, you will gain mostly fat, so be committed to this.

Well I was going to lift heavy, and go 4 days in one day rest. But that calorie intake seems reasonable so I will do that Thank you for the advice!!

SopranogirlCa

bump

erickirb

I would suggest TDEE + 10%, get 5-10 lbs above your goal weight, then cut back down to goal. Also you will gain the most amount of lean muscle working in the 8-12 rep ranges/set. Though I would suggest doing the larger compound moves at lower rep ranges (5-8) and do accessory and isolation lifts at the 8-12 rep range

erickirb

Simple advice. Start out with 100-150 calories over TDEE and aim for 1/2 pound gain a week. That's 2 pounds a month. Make it easy on yourself. Aim for 1950 calories. If you don't gain anything after 2 months, up the calories another 50 or so a week.

Lift really heavy. Make sure your protein is high. Eat 1 gram per pound lean body mass minimum, and aim for 1 gram per pound of body weight (so setting your goal at an easy 125 grams is fine). Eat enough fats, .35-.4 grams per pound body weight.

Don't slack off the lifting program. 3 days a week, every week. You're a beginner so use a beginner program that allows for really good progressive overload like Stronglifts or Starting Strength. I wouldn't recommend NROL for a bulk, it doesn't have the same progressive overload guidelines.

It will be a long, slow process. Re-evaluate when you get to 125 pounds. If you don't like the mass yet and want more, then keep going up to 130 or 135, or even 140, then cut back down to 125. At your height, I'd say 125 is a great goal. If you don't like where it is going, you can always change that goal.

If you don't stick to the lifting, though, you will gain mostly fat, so be committed to this.

You are going to gain a lot less if you do strong-lifts or starting strength as that is a strength program, not a muscle building (though there is some cross over) they just have you do 5 reps/set, where optimal growth is usually in the 8-12reps, and for some women can even be the10-15.

BeachIron

Simple advice. Start out with 100-150 calories over TDEE and aim for 1/2 pound gain a week. That's 2 pounds a month. Make it easy on yourself. Aim for 1950 calories. If you don't gain anything after 2 months, up the calories another 50 or so a week.

Lift really heavy. Make sure your protein is high. Eat 1 gram per pound lean body mass minimum, and aim for 1 gram per pound of body weight (so setting your goal at an easy 125 grams is fine). Eat enough fats, .35-.4 grams per pound body weight.

Don't slack off the lifting program. 3 days a week, every week. You're a beginner so use a beginner program that allows for really good progressive overload like Stronglifts or Starting Strength. I wouldn't recommend NROL for a bulk, it doesn't have the same progressive overload guidelines.

It will be a long, slow process. Re-evaluate when you get to 125 pounds. If you don't like the mass yet and want more, then keep going up to 130 or 135, or even 140, then cut back down to 125. At your height, I'd say 125 is a great goal. If you don't like where it is going, you can always change that goal.

If you don't stick to the lifting, though, you will gain mostly fat, so be committed to this.

You are going to gain a lot less if you do strong-lifts or starting strength as that is a strength program, not a muscle building (though there is some cross over) they just have you do 5 reps/set, where optimal growth is usually in the 8-12reps, and for some women can even be the10-15.

There is plenty of crossover, and the details may matter after she is a much more experienced lifter. At this stage, lifting any reasonable number of reps will add muscle mass to her frame. Eat and lift. Keep it simple.

BurningAway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0

Just get your ****ing fiber.

Joe9420

check out Venus Index! It might just change your mind about things!

BurningAway

check out Venus Index! It might just change your mind about things!

That has nothing to do with her question :flowerforyou: looks like a good workout though.