What Should I Weigh? (Building Bigger Muscle)

danield323

I am 6'1 and about 192lbs right now. I am trying to build up muscle and be above average. I work out my entire body, but have been mostly focusing on abs and upper body. I enjoy doing a small amount of cardio.

I looked up a BMI chart and my "normal" weight should range from 166lbs to 202lbs. I'm not sure what my goal should be or how much I should be eating to be above average and muscular (not gaining fat in the process). I am only interested in gaining muscle weight.

sarahstrezo

Well…you can't ONLY gain new muscle weight without also gaining new fat weight. It just doesn't work that way. And….building new muscle takes time. Lots and lots of time.
So…lift heavy with a progressive loading program and eat above your maintenance to add new mass.
And….don't skip legs.

danield323

Well I would like to gain more muscle than fat since I will be doing both.
I am not sure what my maintenance should be. I can put a goal weight into MFP and get a guideline of how many calories to eat, but again, I'm not sure what that number should be.

NRBreit

If not already, have your body fat % checked. Also, you need to determine your frame size. There's an easy wrist measurement you can take to determine small, medium, large frame. As an example, I am 6'1" with a small frame (6.5" wrist) and I need to be around 170 lbs. for 11-12% body fat after several years of lifting. I just can't pull off anything over 180 lbs. without too much fat around the middle for my tastes. Whereas, a large-framed guy of the same height can easy wear 185-190 lbs.

waldo56

If not already, have your body fat % checked. Also, you need to determine your frame size. There's an easy wrist measurement you can take to determine small, medium, large frame. As an example, I am 6'1" with a small frame (6.5" wrist) and I need to be around 170 lbs. for 11-12% body fat after several years of lifting. I just can't pull off anything over 180 lbs. without too much fat around the middle for my tastes. Whereas, a large-framed guy of the same height can easy wear 185-190 lbs.

6'1" can get bigger than that no problem.

I'm 6'1" also (7.5" wrists). Currently sitting at 199 lb with 11%ish body fat, and I'm not big at all. 205 lb @ 10% BF is a reasonably attainable goal (what I'm working toward), even then its still possible to get up to 215-220 lbs at around 10% without enhancements.

Granted men tend to have muscle size mental issues the same as women have fat mental issues, but I think that I'll need to be 205+ lb before I even start looking like I obviously work out.

waldo56

I looked up a BMI chart and my "normal" weight should range from 166lbs to 202lbs. I'm not sure what my goal should be or how much I should be eating to be above average and muscular (not gaining fat in the process). I am only interested in gaining muscle weight.

What BMI chart are you looking at? By the standard BMI measure, for a 6'1" guy the cutoff between normal and overweight is between 189-190 lb.

Bulking and cutting is the standard process for gaining muscle mass. Trying to gain muscle with no corresponding fat gain is a slow moving exercise in futility. You don't need to (and shouldn't) go all wild and eat like a pig when bulking, but the first step to being successful at gaining muscle is coming to terms with the fact that fat gain, and the occasional cut that it forces if you want to stay lean, is part of the deal.

Springfield1970

If not already, have your body fat % checked. Also, you need to determine your frame size. There's an easy wrist measurement you can take to determine small, medium, large frame. As an example, I am 6'1" with a small frame (6.5" wrist) and I need to be around 170 lbs. for 11-12% body fat after several years of lifting. I just can't pull off anything over 180 lbs. without too much fat around the middle for my tastes. Whereas, a large-framed guy of the same height can easy wear 185-190 lbs.

6'1" can get bigger than that no problem.

I'm 6'1" also (7.5" wrists). Currently sitting at 199 lb with 11%ish body fat, and I'm not big at all. 205 lb @ 10% BF is a reasonably attainable goal (what I'm working toward), even then its still possible to get up to 215-220 lbs at around 10% without enhancements.

Granted men tend to have muscle size mental issues the same as women have fat mental issues, but I think that I'll need to be 205+ lb before I even start looking like I obviously work out.

Woh cowboy! You've got one of the hottest bodies here! Don't you forget that. You've got quite a fan club, so don't worry that you don't look like you obviously work out.....

waldo56

Woh cowboy! You've got one of the hottest bodies here! Don't you forget that. You've got quite a fan club, so don't worry that you don't look like you obviously work out.....

I benefit greatly from the illusion of leanness.

Looking like you workout without clothes is a lot easier than looking like you do in clothes. Being in public shirtless is a couple times a year thing. In clothes most people can't tell if they are fatceps or real.

mustgetmuscles1

Picking a goal weight is fine but in the case of gaining muscle I think it is not really what you should be concentrating on. You are talking about something that is years away from even being a concern.

Pick a proven muscle building program and start lifting. Set your calorie goals and stick to them.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Here is a pretty good article on different bulking methods.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

Fithealthyforlife

I looked up a BMI chart and my "normal" weight should range from 166lbs to 202lbs. I'm not sure what my goal should be or how much I should be eating to be above average and muscular (not gaining fat in the process). I am only interested in gaining muscle weight.

What BMI chart are you looking at? By the standard BMI measure, for a 6'1" guy the cutoff between normal and overweight is between 189-190 lb.

Bulking and cutting is the standard process for gaining muscle mass. Trying to gain muscle with no corresponding fat gain is a slow moving exercise in futility. You don't need to (and shouldn't) go all wild and eat like a pig when bulking, but the first step to being successful at gaining muscle is coming to terms with the fact that fat gain, and the occasional cut that it forces if you want to stay lean, is part of the deal.

Same here. I'm 5'9, and Rippetoe's guide says that I need to be 166 lbs before I cease to look skinny, and I believe it. Going from 132 to 140, there was a slight increase in size in my shoulders/chest/back but nothing to write home about. When I was 150, I didn't look that much different than I do now, either. I think 160 will look a bit bigger than 150. My highest possible ripped bodyweight is supposed to be 175-180, which is what I'd eventually like to attain, though maybe not quite "ripped", as it's hard to maintain super low body fat long-term without losing muscle.

Sylvester Stallone has a similar build to me, but I'm almost positive that his shoulders are a little narrower than mine from pictures. I believe he is usually in the 175-180 lb range, but has been as high as 200 in the past.

waldo56

Should also be mentioned about BMI.

It gets ragged on a lot, but the vast majority of men that are overweight by BMI are no so because of their big muscles, they are just fat.

You have to have gained a significant amount of muscle mass to be both lean and overweight by BMI. I didn't pass that point until midway through my 3rd bulk, after more than 20 lbs of muscle gain.

jwdieter

Looking like you workout without clothes is a lot easier than looking like you do in clothes.

Werd. Have to keep in mind that even superheroes (actors) look normal - fit, but normal - in business attire. To look big while lean in normal clothing, ripped doesn't cut it. Need serious muscle.

WeeMikeSilver

Firstly, there isn't a weight you 'should' weigh, everyone is different, and everyone will weigh different too. Realise that being a certain weight isn't really what matters if you want to lift weights, it should be how you feel on a day to day basis.

If you want to be heavier than average men your size, you probably aren't going to look great, but if you want to be stronger and healthier than average men your size, then you are going to feel great.

Fitness should be about how you feel, much more than you look. Sure people do it for the aesthetics, but if you want to stick with this long term, you need to do it to feel good.

Secondly, forget about your abs for now, and most definitely forget about the fat gain, you will gain some body fat, but by eating right you can minimise this, and once you've got to a size you think is enough, you can start cutting if you think you've gained too much fat and want to see your abs.

Thirdly, please please pleeeease forget about BMI. If you're lifting weights, BMI goes out of the window.

I'm 5" 4' and I weigh 161 lbs, and my BMI is 26.1, so I am supposed to be nearly obese.

Am I though? Nope, not anywhere near it. Although I do have a 34" waist, I've also got a 41.5" chest. I lift heavy weights a lot.

So yeah, forget about BMI if you want to lift weights or carry around any decent amount of muscle mass.

For me personally I have just started my cutting phase, after spending the last 6-12 months slowly bulking, my aim is to maintain as much of my muscle mass during the cut, but also reduce my waist to around 33" or less.

As long as you are healthy and don't have any injuries/disabilities my advice to you would be to give strong lifts a go ... http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/.

You can see about the whole routine there, and they even have some great eating advice too.

Give that a go for about 3 months and tell us how you get on along the way, if you stick with that and the eating guidelines, I'd pretty much bet my life that you'll feel much stronger and healthier, and you won't be concerned about what you weigh just how you feel and look!

Fithealthyforlife

Looking like you workout without clothes is a lot easier than looking like you do in clothes.

Werd. Have to keep in mind that even superheroes (actors) look normal - fit, but normal - in business attire. To look big while lean in normal clothing, ripped doesn't cut it. Need serious muscle.

Yeah, think Clark Kent (played by the late Chris Reeve).

Or Arnold, today in his mid-60s. He's still muscular/fit and is in better shape than probably 95% of men his age, but looks pretty average in clothes these days. He's no longer huge like he was at ~240 lbs ripped in contest shape all those years ago (before my time). In fact, his natural body type (thin/muscular) is becoming evident again...I noticed in a recent picture of him with his daughter, his thighs look smaller than hers now.

You can be big and lean in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and even 50s...but after that we all tend to lose some muscle as we age, no matter how hard we work out.

Fithealthyforlife

Thirdly, please please pleeeease forget about BMI. If you're lifting weights, BMI goes out of the window.

I'm 5" 4' and I weigh 161 lbs, and my BMI is 26.1, so I am supposed to be nearly obese.

Am I though? Nope, not anywhere near it. Although I do have a 34" waist, I've also got a 41.5" chest. I lift heavy weights a lot.

So yeah, forget about BMI if you want to lift weights or carry around any decent amount of muscle mass.

This is a really good point that several people have mentioned here.

In fact, anyone who lifts and has relatively low body fat should not really be using BMI at all.

There is actually a better version for people who lift. It's called FFMI (fat free mass index). Check it out!

NRBreit

If not already, have your body fat % checked. Also, you need to determine your frame size. There's an easy wrist measurement you can take to determine small, medium, large frame. As an example, I am 6'1" with a small frame (6.5" wrist) and I need to be around 170 lbs. for 11-12% body fat after several years of lifting. I just can't pull off anything over 180 lbs. without too much fat around the middle for my tastes. Whereas, a large-framed guy of the same height can easy wear 185-190 lbs.

6'1" can get bigger than that no problem.

I'm 6'1" also (7.5" wrists). Currently sitting at 199 lb with 11%ish body fat, and I'm not big at all. 205 lb @ 10% BF is a reasonably attainable goal (what I'm working toward), even then its still possible to get up to 215-220 lbs at around 10% without enhancements.

Granted men tend to have muscle size mental issues the same as women have fat mental issues, but I think that I'll need to be 205+ lb before I even start looking like I obviously work out.

Agreed. The point I was trying to make is that if he's 192 already, it's important to understand if he's 11% BF like you or 20+%. And frame size is important to the equation. Your 7.5" wrists mean you're probably carrying around 10+ pounds of bone mass that I don't have at the same height.

JoRocka

nothing to add.

as usual Waldo nailed it.

Looking like you workout without clothes is a lot easier than looking like you do in clothes.

also this... soooo true.

burning2much

I could use some help with weight gain, I'm having a real hard time of it. I.m pretty sure it's my diet. I'm on a 3000 cal, 150 g protein diet, but I avoid carbs, sugars and starches. I'm having a hard time getting over 155. I'm 49, 6' with little to no body fat. I don't avoid fats, I'm ok with that. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

waldo56

I could use some help with weight gain, I'm having a real hard time of it. I.m pretty sure it's my diet. I'm on a 3000 cal, 150 g protein diet, but I avoid carbs, sugars and starches. I'm having a hard time getting over 155. I'm 49, 6' with little to no body fat. I don't avoid fats, I'm ok with that. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

Low carbing and trying to gain weight....does not compute.

Take some time googling why you should be eating a high carb diet when bulking.

waldo56

Looking like you workout without clothes is a lot easier than looking like you do in clothes.

also this... soooo true.

It is the next step beyond looking good naked.

0) Obese
1) Overweight
2) Slim in clothes
3) Look good naked
4) Look like you work out, in clothes

Each step is exponentially more difficult than the previous step.

danield323

Thanks for the advice everyone! And just for the record, I don't put much faith in the BMI charts (the one I used was online, so who knows it's validity), especially since I'm planning to add bigger muscle into the equation. The reason I work on my abs and midsection is because that is where most of the fat on my body is. I don't have a lot, I can see my upper abs at the right angle, but I do have a little stubborn pudge. I'd personally like to shed that and build up muscle simultaneously, but I suspect that I need to do one before the other. Would it be easier to build muscle with less fat for the body to burn (i.e., lose the fat first)?

NRBreit

Thanks for the advice everyone! And just for the record, I don't put much faith in the BMI charts (the one I used was online, so who knows it's validity), especially since I'm planning to add bigger muscle into the equation. The reason I work on my abs and midsection is because that is where most of the fat on my body is. I don't have a lot, I can see my upper abs at the right angle, but I do have a little stubborn pudge. I'd personally like to shed that and build up muscle simultaneously, but I suspect that I need to do one before the other. Would it be easier to build muscle with less fat for the body to burn (i.e., lose the fat first)?

Current thinking is that being between 10% and 15% body fat is ideal for muscle building (for men). I have a 4-pack at 16-18% BF, so abs sometimes don't tell the whole story. If possible, try to get a baseline body fat measurement. Also, the guys over at the bodybuilding website are really good at estimating body fat level if you care to post a pic for them to evaluate. They can also guide you on whether your first step should be to cut or bulk based on current body composition.

JoRocka

I could use some help with weight gain, I'm having a real hard time of it. I.m pretty sure it's my diet. I'm on a 3000 cal, 150 g protein diet, but I avoid carbs, sugars and starches. I'm having a hard time getting over 155. I'm 49, 6' with little to no body fat. I don't avoid fats, I'm ok with that. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated

You're not eating enough.

I eat almost that much and I"m a girrrrllllllllll. Moar carbs- more ice cream- moar milk.

It is the next step beyond looking good naked.

0) Obese
1) Overweight
2) Slim in clothes
3) Look good naked
4) Look like you work out, in clothes

Each step is exponentially more difficult than the previous step.

Indeed-we've talked about that before- it's funny- I always new how hard this was- but the more I do it- the harder I realize it is. Oh well- press on.
I have decent shoulder structure- and obviously the whole butt thing- but both of those can be attributed to genetics rather than hard work- I kind of happen to love living in my workout clothes for that reason- it's that mid step- like 3.5 LOL- it's not naked- and it's not regular clothes. Also way more comfie- less fit issues. spandex/lyrca is amazing- suit slacks- not so much.