Newbie gains

Hi all! I’m new to this app but finding it brilliantly helpful.. I’ve read so much on the net but it almost feels a little impersonal so I’m digging for some actual feedback on what I am doing.. Would be highly grateful for any experience/advice/pointers 👍

So I am:

34 years old
170lbs
5’ 11”
Lightly active job role (construction manager)

Currently hitting an average of around 2800 calories a day broken down into roughly:

400g carbs
100g fats
170g protein
(The vast majority is from recipes taken from this app or similar from the web, home prepared with fresh where possible - I will include a diet protein shake just for a protein boost if required)

My goal is weight/muscle gain - following a 3x weekly, whole body, progressive loading programme which includes around 15 mins cardio (jogging/punch bag) as a warm up. I also am drinking around 3litres of water daily and hit around 7h sleep.

Will this be effective for my goals? Too much/too little in regards to any of it?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance! 🙏

Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited August 2022
    So you're planning for 2800 each day whether or not you've worked out?

    MFP assumes you'll log workouts separately, so you can eat back those calories.

    Seems to me your TDEE for lightly active with no additional workout is about 2400? Say you do 400 on workout days. The question then is how clean do you want this gain to be? Doing it clean, add about 200 per day, so 2600 on off days, 3000 on workout days. That would amount to about 1% of your bodyweight per month (6000 calorie surplus), some of which will still be fat. Less clean, add about 300 per day.

    170g protein is optimal. Keep to at least 150g on the off days too. That's still more than 1g per pound lean body mass.

    You said full body three times. Is it the exact same workout? That could end up taxing for your body. You may want to consider either mixing it up so the middle workout is less strenuous, maybe more isolation work and high rep stuff, or e.g. do squats on workout 1 and 3 only, mix it up like that.