Muscle gain.

Ilikelamps

order a pizza, go to the gym, protein shake, mcdonalds, then nuts before bed...good bye!

ChriJMitch

You have to be like a stick person at 6' and your current weight.........

I just calculated your Daily Calorie needs and its about 2200 to just MAINTAIN your current weight. At 1800 calories you aren't eating the base level your body needs for normal functions and it is likely messing with your homones, causing you to have low testosterone production (male hormone that helps build muscle mass) and a ton of cortisol buildup (stress hormone that stunts muscle growth to keep the body's BMR low, helping you survive a famine).

You are basically putting your body in starvation mode and you will have ZERO success building muscle unless you start to eat at a calorie surplus. This ain't rocket science.

You should be eating, at minimum, 2500 calories a day, and you should make at least 30% of that from protein sources (so essentially 187.5g of protein if you do the math).

Knowledge is power, hope this helps.

Julettashane

i have friends that bulk up and they eat A LOT and lift A LOT.....over 3000 calories a day. one friend wakes up in the middle of the night like twice and eats things like a whole pizza. and another friend who is bulking slowly for breakfast the other day he ate a pack of bacon, 2 cans of biscuits and gravy. and the bulk up nicely and one wasnt big to start with

danielwillis22

well even on this calorie deficit, my biceps have almost doubled in size but i guessit wouldnt be difficult to do this considering how much muscle i had lost

bluetuesday5

My legs are still pretty lean and muscly from when i played rugby a year ago and from downhill mountain biking.

I drink alpro milks, like the coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk. I eat peanut butter a lot. I blend almonds with water to make an almond paste which isnt as good as shop bought almond butter but its a hell of a lot cheaper.

I appreciate all the help, you guys are awesome. I just feel like i eating 24/7 but its probably just because i was eating so little before and i got used to it, that now it feels like im eating my body weight in food, haha.

That is how it feels, I sometimes get sick of eating, whole milk is a good way to make up the calories. I would still advise training legs as your body likes to grow in balance, plus squats and deadlifts are good for the core and back as well as legs.

3laine75

well even on this calorie deficit, my biceps have almost doubled in size but i guessit wouldnt be difficult to do this considering how much muscle i had lost

That'll be a combination of muscle memory and gains due to you having a break from/being new to lifting, that's not going to continue. Listen to the people - you're going to have to eat.

danielwillis22

ohh ive eaten a lot today, i know it sounds like a bad habit but to get my calories up about 2000 for the day ive had about 4 meals and gone into the cupboard and had scoops of peanut butter and ive had 2 protein shakes.

Im just worried im eating too much too fast? is that possible? or is it fine aslong as im eating the right kind of stuff?

grantdumas7

ohh ive eaten a lot today, i know it sounds like a bad habit but to get my calories up about 2000 for the day ive had about 4 meals and gone into the cupboard and had scoops of peanut butter and ive had 2 protein shakes.

Im just worried im eating too much too fast? is that possible? or is it fine aslong as im eating the right kind of stuff?

You do want to get you calories up but how fast you do it during the day is an individual thing. Some people get their cals in 2-3 meals while others 4 or more. If you are feeling bloated then you may want to eat smaller more frequent meals. I personally like the 4 or meal approach more than the the 2-3.

MSLUC

Protein smoothies within 30minutes of completion of workout. My favorite; banana, strawberries, unsweetened chocolate powder, half cup of egg white, and 12oz of 2 percent milk. Blend and enjoy. Massive protein calorie boost... approx. 450.

skinnyinnotime

OMG I can't believe an 18 year old 6 ft guy has tortured himself on 800 cals a day, and now a measely 1400???? :noway:

Please start to EAT at least at maintenance. You cannot build anything on what you're currently taking in.

A guy of your age should have no problem building muscle, you are in your prime. So stop starving yourself, eat, lift, sleep, repeat.

danielwillis22

Im just finding it hard to eat above 2000 without feeling like im going to pop, i guess i will get used to it. Also another question about gym sessions. How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

Today at the gym i did shoulders and back, so i did shoulder press, seated row, delt raises and shrugs. I did about 3/4 sets of 6-10 reps. At the time i couldnt do anymore but i never got a real burn like i have experienced before.
If i dont get the burning/ aching feeling when lifting does it mean im not doing it right?

jwdieter

Im just finding it hard to eat above 2000 without feeling like im going to pop, i guess i will get used to it. Also another question about gym sessions. How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

Today at the gym i did shoulders and back, so i did shoulder press, seated row, delt raises and shrugs. I did about 3/4 sets of 6-10 reps. At the time i couldnt do anymore but i never got a real burn like i have experienced before.
If i dont get the burning/ aching feeling when lifting does it mean im not doing it right?

Sounds like you're just winging it. You should be doing a starter progressive lifting program. Starting strength, stronglifts, wendler, allpro, etc. Follow a program and you'll know what you're doing, and you'll do a lot better.

cricket_77

My 19 year old son was having a hard time gaining any weight. He finally just started stuffing himself and lifting hard. He went from 150 to 185 in a matter of about 4-5 months. As someone else said, you are in your prime right now. It should be easy for you to gain muscle as long as you are eating enough and lifting heavy. Get plenty of protein and up your calories! My son walked around with a jar of peanut butter if he thought he wasn't taking in enough for the day. Did he gain some fat, yes a little, but there is a major difference in his body now. His once slender shoulders are now wide and the skinny kid is now pretty muscular.

shane_tac1

Im just finding it hard to eat above 2000 without feeling like im going to pop, i guess i will get used to it. Also another question about gym sessions. How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

Today at the gym i did shoulders and back, so i did shoulder press, seated row, delt raises and shrugs. I did about 3/4 sets of 6-10 reps. At the time i couldnt do anymore but i never got a real burn like i have experienced before.
If i dont get the burning/ aching feeling when lifting does it mean im not doing it right?

Liquid cals would be your best bet to make up the cals and what the poster above suggested about peanut butter is a trick i use as well. I stick it in and on everything lol. Good fats and protein.

PM me and I will help you write out a program if you want and help you calculate how many cals you should be having.

At 18 your test levels are naturally high so you will grow without the need for steroids like someone suggested right after your original post. This is terrible advise so please ignore that. You don't have a grasp of the basics in regards to training or nutrition so to even think about using roids would be like giving the keys to a gun cabinet to a 10 year old.

Biggest mistake i made at 18 was not eating enough, over training and putting weight above form. To grow you have to have the mind set of a bodybuilder not a weight lifter. Lifting weights is just going through the motions to move it. You need to create a strong mind and body connection to really build your body.

trojan_bb

1400 cals...wow.

Add 2000 Calories to that total, lift up and through the summer, and maybe you will gain some decent muscle mass. But anything under 3000 Calories is just plain inefficient, slow, and nearly pointless. You are a young male at low bodyfat. There is absolutely no reason to try gaining weight on anything less than 3000 Calories.

trojan_bb

Im just finding it hard to eat above 2000 without feeling like im going to pop, i guess i will get used to it. Also another question about gym sessions. How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

Today at the gym i did shoulders and back, so i did shoulder press, seated row, delt raises and shrugs. I did about 3/4 sets of 6-10 reps. At the time i couldnt do anymore but i never got a real burn like i have experienced before.
If i dont get the burning/ aching feeling when lifting does it mean im not doing it right?

Do you mean a pump? Even a low rep strength routine should give a decent muscle pump in the targeted muscles. 3-4 sets of each exercise at 6-10 reps? If so, and you did not get a muscle pump (muscle becomes engorged with fluid, hard to move, hurts and feels good, looks larger)....you did something wrong. The pump will always vary based on daily water/calorie levels as well as the volume and speed (time between sets) of the workout. But it should ALWAYS exist when bulking.

if you are eating under 2500 calories....you will not get a decent muscle pump. The pump needs water and nutrients to exist....at low calories that environment barely exists.

12by311

How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

You need an actual program. Quick. There are lots of freebies on the internet. There's already been a few mentioned in this thread.

cwsreddy

Dude you're 18 and skinny as *kitten* and you're worried about eating 2000 calories? look at my pictures. I'm 5'7" and I eat 3,000 - 4,000 calories a DAY.

I honestly am concerned that you don't have a healthy relationship with food. There's no reason in hell for you to have been eating 800 calories a day.

saaber13

Im just finding it hard to eat above 2000 without feeling like im going to pop, i guess i will get used to it. Also another question about gym sessions. How many exercises do you guys do for each muscle group, like for chest you could do bench press, chest press, press ups etc.

Today at the gym i did shoulders and back, so i did shoulder press, seated row, delt raises and shrugs. I did about 3/4 sets of 6-10 reps. At the time i couldnt do anymore but i never got a real burn like i have experienced before.
If i dont get the burning/ aching feeling when lifting does it mean im not doing it right?

Jesus i eat 3700 a day and sometimes go to bed hungry