Caloric Intake Stuff (advanced) - help me walk through this
michellekicks
Posts: 3,624 Member
Hey you two... I thought I'd ask this here since I'd love your opinions specifically:
I have had an average caloric intake for the last 11 months of 2300 calories daily. I maintain my weight on that but have been making slow recomp changes over the course of that time (I started lifting in October last year). So mostly I've been lifting 2-3 times a week (Stronglifts 5x5), though I wasn't consistent with it, and running 3 times a week and doing maybe 1 or 2 martial arts style workout DVDs each week for totals like this:
Lifting: 135 minutes (45 mins/session), or 1:15
Running: 150 minutes (steady state, hills and speed work), or 2:30
DVDs: 60 minutes
Total 4:45-5:00 hours a week. The running is all high intensity (8-10 min/mi) and the lifting is moderate... got my barbell squat to body weight as a 1RM... so still a relative newbie.
Starting October 1st, I'd like to bulk until at least the end of the year.
Questions:
1) Program Selection:
I am prepared to give up running entirely, though I'd love to work in a single 5km run weekly so I don't lose at least that... that would be 30 minutes max. I am shopping for a 4 day split program to do if either of you have any suggestions. I have a power cage, barbell, plates, dumbbells, bench, room to do body weight stuff, pull-up bar. No other machines. No access to a gym.
2) Calorie Intake Starting Point:
If I give up 3 hours weekly of cardio time (avg burn is roughly 700 calories/hour for running or 2100 weekly burn), where should I set my calorie intake starting point. I'm sure my weight workouts would be longer than the current 45 minute sessions since my goal is hypertrophy (though I'd love to see strength gains as well... is that do-able?) Would you recommend I keep it right where it is to add bulk?
Additional info is this and I'm not sure how it factors in: I did a test of a Body Media device for a month. It said my average daily burn was 2850. I tested it by eating and average of 2650 calories daily during that month. My weight dropped .2 lbs over that time. I suspect that my 2650 was equivalent to the BMF 2850 burn since I may be a bit generous with the cream and sugar in my coffee and routinely omit chicken marinades in my tracking... so that could account for 200 calories/day, but then the same would apply with my 2300 calorie average right now. It's probably closer to 2500 when you factor in stuff I miss.
So... what do you recommend? Can you help me figure out a starting point? go with 2500? Stick with 2300? I'm terrified of getting fat again but fascinated by how much I can eat and NOT gain. I find it weird, actually. Over the course of dieting twice in my life I've lost about 17 lbs of LBM, so I'd love to see an addition of about 6 lbs of muscle back to my frame.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Any comments?
Thanks so much you guys!
I have had an average caloric intake for the last 11 months of 2300 calories daily. I maintain my weight on that but have been making slow recomp changes over the course of that time (I started lifting in October last year). So mostly I've been lifting 2-3 times a week (Stronglifts 5x5), though I wasn't consistent with it, and running 3 times a week and doing maybe 1 or 2 martial arts style workout DVDs each week for totals like this:
Lifting: 135 minutes (45 mins/session), or 1:15
Running: 150 minutes (steady state, hills and speed work), or 2:30
DVDs: 60 minutes
Total 4:45-5:00 hours a week. The running is all high intensity (8-10 min/mi) and the lifting is moderate... got my barbell squat to body weight as a 1RM... so still a relative newbie.
Starting October 1st, I'd like to bulk until at least the end of the year.
Questions:
1) Program Selection:
I am prepared to give up running entirely, though I'd love to work in a single 5km run weekly so I don't lose at least that... that would be 30 minutes max. I am shopping for a 4 day split program to do if either of you have any suggestions. I have a power cage, barbell, plates, dumbbells, bench, room to do body weight stuff, pull-up bar. No other machines. No access to a gym.
2) Calorie Intake Starting Point:
If I give up 3 hours weekly of cardio time (avg burn is roughly 700 calories/hour for running or 2100 weekly burn), where should I set my calorie intake starting point. I'm sure my weight workouts would be longer than the current 45 minute sessions since my goal is hypertrophy (though I'd love to see strength gains as well... is that do-able?) Would you recommend I keep it right where it is to add bulk?
Additional info is this and I'm not sure how it factors in: I did a test of a Body Media device for a month. It said my average daily burn was 2850. I tested it by eating and average of 2650 calories daily during that month. My weight dropped .2 lbs over that time. I suspect that my 2650 was equivalent to the BMF 2850 burn since I may be a bit generous with the cream and sugar in my coffee and routinely omit chicken marinades in my tracking... so that could account for 200 calories/day, but then the same would apply with my 2300 calorie average right now. It's probably closer to 2500 when you factor in stuff I miss.
So... what do you recommend? Can you help me figure out a starting point? go with 2500? Stick with 2300? I'm terrified of getting fat again but fascinated by how much I can eat and NOT gain. I find it weird, actually. Over the course of dieting twice in my life I've lost about 17 lbs of LBM, so I'd love to see an addition of about 6 lbs of muscle back to my frame.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Any comments?
Thanks so much you guys!
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Let me just add this info so you have it:
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 160 lbs
Age: 38
BF%... somewhere around 23% I think but I could be way off. I'm planning to go for a DEXA sometime soon, which might help with some of this stuff, but it won't be until at least a week or two into October.
I'm a bit "fat" still to be considering bulking, but the timing is right for me. Thanks again.0 -
Saw this posted in another thread and find I like the look of it... not too complicated, all stuff I can do at home. What are your thoughts? BTW, I can't do BB OHP anymore... shoulder issues
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Alternate A and B routines 3 non consecutive days per week. (Ex. Mon\Wed\Fri, week one ABA week 2 BAB, etc.)
A routine
Mandatory:
Squat 3x8
Superset
Standing barbell press 3x8
Chins 3xfail\3x8 weighted or assisted\lat pull downs 3x8
Optional:
Superset
Any curl 2-10x12
Lying tricep extension 2x10-12
Superset
Calf press 3x12-15
abs 3x10-12
B routine
Mandatory:
Deadlift 1x8
Superset
Bench press 3x8
Barbell Row 3x8
Optional:
Giant set
Shoulder side raise 3x10-12
Face Pulls 3x10-12
Shrugs 3x10-12
Superset
Calf press 3x12-15
abs 3x10-12
Do at least one warmup set for each compound lift with 8 reps at 50% workset weight. An additional warmup with a bit more weight and less reps might be nice. Something like 4 reps at 75% of workset weight.
Find your 8 rep maxes for each lift and start at 20% less than that. Ex. If 135 is the absolute most weight you can bench for 8 reps, start at .8*135=105 and work up from there.
Add 10lbs to deadlifts every workout, 5lbs to squats every workout, 2.5-5lbs to bench, rows, and standing press every workout. Progress on chin-ups as best you can. If you do any optional lifts, add weight\reps as often as you can. I would hold off on adding any of the optional lifts for 2-3 months. Without optional lifts added, each routine should last a bit under 30 minutes.
Rest 90-120 seconds between sets of squats. Rest 30-60 seconds between each exercise on supersets. If you do the full giant set on B routine, probably no rest at all between sets.
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Questions:
1) Program Selection:
I am prepared to give up running entirely, though I'd love to work in a single 5km run weekly so I don't lose at least that... that would be 30 minutes max. I am shopping for a 4 day split program to do if either of you have any suggestions. I have a power cage, barbell, plates, dumbbells, bench, room to do body weight stuff, pull-up bar. No other machines. No access to a gym.
1 -- Is there a reason you're looking to give up cardio?
2-- have your lifts been going up and have you been following the stronglifts procedure for adding weight to the bar in a linear fashion? We'd like to hear how your progress has been over the past couple of months and if you've not been progressing is it because you're not aggressively loading the barbell per the program or is it because you're stalling out on that program (or neither)?
3-- are you seeking a 4day/week program out of preference?
What are your activity preferences? Do you enjoy running? Do you enjoy barbell training?0 -
1 -- Is there a reason you're looking to give up cardio?
2-- have your lifts been going up and have you been following the stronglifts procedure for adding weight to the bar in a linear fashion? We'd like to hear how your progress has been over the past couple of months and if you've not been progressing is it because you're not aggressively loading the barbell per the program or is it because you're stalling out on that program (or neither)?
3-- are you seeking a 4day/week program out of preference?
What are your activity preferences? Do you enjoy running? Do you enjoy barbell training?
1. My understanding is that cardio reduces my ability to maximize muscle gains. I assumed that for the best results with the least complication, I should just give it up.
2. I haven't been consistent with Stronglifts. I started last October but had a smith machine at home. I maxed out my 5x5 squats on the smith at 175lbs around December. Then I started doing a variety of home made self-directed workouts using the same compound lifts but mostly around the 4 sets of 8 rep range because the workouts were freaking me out. Fast forward to May/June of this year and we got rid of the smith and bought a power rack. So then I started Stronglifts from scratch for 16 workouts (I wasn't doing every other day... sometimes every 3rd day because I was running a lot to prep for obstacle course races (I did Tough Mudder in June and Super Spartan in September and I'll do the Spartan Beast next week). Got up to squats 5x5@125, Bench 5x5@90, Row 5x5@100, OHP 5x5@70, DL... gah... I hate dead lifts 155lbs for 5 but I still think my form sucks. That was mid-late July, at which point I pretty much stopped lifting. I've been having IMS on my right shoulder. I think OHP is pretty much out but I really want to develop my shoulders. That's the one area I actually really want size. Anyway, I digress.
I think I'm bored with Stronglifts *shrug*... I don't LOVE lifting at all, but I love what it does for my body. I want something a bit more exciting but not so complicated that I don't get it lol... I'm still new at this and limited by my home gym and no spotter.
What I think I need is some hands-on instruction with these lifts. When I was squatting 125 lbs 5x5 I was feeling like my form was suffering, perhaps going too low, too far forward and kind of tweaked my lower back. I have a history of SI joint pain, though, so I'm not sure if it's related to lifting or from something else... but that kind of freaked me out too.
I want to get stronger, but I want to add size to the muscles in my back and shoulders (I have no waist). I don't feel the need for size in my legs and butt, but whatever. So I feel like I need a different program more body-building style.
3. 4-day split... well I will feel like a total sloth working out only 3 days out of 7. I read these 6 day split routines on bb.com and just figured the full-body workout 3 times a week wasn't going to give me the most bang for my buck.
FWIW, I don't like the idea of taking more than about an hour per workout... maybe 75 mins MAX. I have 5 kids and have to be flexible but I can pretty much always eek out time to work out. I think fitness in general shouldn't take so much time that it becomes the primary focus of the day... so an hour seems reasonable to me.
I prefer running and kickboxing over lifting. But neither of those things will add muscle. I figured I'd add that stuff back in to cut when the time comes. In the same way, though, that we want to see results with fat loss, I want to see results with muscle gains, you know? Like I have been doing recomp for a year almost... and it is working, but I kind of just want to get on with it and do something I can feel accomplished over.
I'd also like to look better in my bikini by next summer :bigsmile:0
