Gaining Muscle Mass
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russeljv
Posts: 5
OK, I had back surgery in the past so am careful with how I lift so I started working with a trainer over the past year. I have gotten great results (down from 27% bfi to 9%) and have loss 30 lbs of fat...ick. Here is my issue. I am 5'8 138 lbs and am a lean build and always have been as Ive been a runner most of my life. My trainer keeps my carbs at no more than 150 per day and is shoveling protein down me and I struggle to get in 2000 calories as thats just a lot for me. What I need help with is building muscle mass. I am getting stronger and can outlift guys with arms twice my size but my arms dont seem to be really gaining mass. Ive cut back on my workout as I was overtraining and working out 3 days a week now. Abs on all 3 days and rotate those 3 days between legs/thighs, back/chest, bis/tris. I have moved from 5 sets of 5 and progressed to dropsets a month ago. Id appreciate any suggestions on helping out or changes I need to make. P.S. the weights are at a level that going higher won't work and lighter is too light.
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2000 calories doesn't seem like enough. I'm 5'4" and 128, and I didn't start really gaining consistently until I hit 2200.0
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What exactly do you mean by "going heavier won't work". The only way to build muscle is to eat at a surplus and lift progressively more weight. There's no secret. If you're not gaining muscle, you're either not eating enough, not lifting heavy enough, or both. You should be lifting in the 4-8 rep range to failure. That doesn't mean pick a weight and lift it 6 times, it means pick a weight you can ONLY lift 6 times. If you can lift it 9 times with good form, go up in weight. Do this consistently and intensely for an extended period of time with a moderate caloric surplus, and you will gain mass....slowly.0
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P.S. the weights are at a level that going higher won't work and lighter is too light.
What are your reps? Hypertrophy tends to happen around the 8-12 rep range. Keep your weight the same as you were before (as long as it isn't aggravating you previous condition) and work up to 10 reps. Once you start getting there, take more care to go slowly on the negative portion of the exercise (for instance, in a bench press, when you are lowering the weights after pushing them up at each rep.0 -
OK, I had back surgery in the past so am careful with how I lift so I started working with a trainer over the past year. I have gotten great results (down from 27% bfi to 9%) and have loss 30 lbs of fat...ick. Here is my issue. I am 5'8 138 lbs and am a lean build and always have been as Ive been a runner most of my life. My trainer keeps my carbs at no more than 150 per day and is shoveling protein down me and I struggle to get in 2000 calories as thats just a lot for me. What I need help with is building muscle mass. I am getting stronger and can outlift guys with arms twice my size but my arms dont seem to be really gaining mass. Ive cut back on my workout as I was overtraining and working out 3 days a week now. Abs on all 3 days and rotate those 3 days between legs/thighs, back/chest, bis/tris. I have moved from 5 sets of 5 and progressed to dropsets a month ago. Id appreciate any suggestions on helping out or changes I need to make. P.S. the weights are at a level that going higher won't work and lighter is too light.
Easy - eat more carbs. Not sure how much protein you're eating, but it's probably more than you need, if you're at 150 g of carbs. And, eat more - like 2500-3000 Cals per day (closer to 3000, probably).
Also, as has been mentioned - you'll need to go up in weights. Maybe take some off - 10-15%, and start working out in a hypertrophy range, working your way up when you can. Or, figure out your 1RM and maybe the 5/3/1 Big But Boring 3-Month Challenge (or just 5/3/1 BBB template) would work nicely for you.0 -
Consistency in the gym and in the kitchen... Also I agree that 2000 kc is not enough... you need to increase calories until you are gaining consistently, think of it as reverse dieting. . If you stop losing weight you either drop calories or add cardio... same applies to bulking, if your not gaining then your not eating enough.. find out what you need to eat to maintain and then add calories until your gaining about 1 lb a week... that's just my opinion.0
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As already mentioned you're not eating enough to get the gains.0
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A couple of things:
Eat more carbs
Train in high volume- reps between 8-12 and sets from 4-6 for each exercise. Usually a minimum of 16 sets per body part.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Thanks for the replies guys. K in reply to the suggestions.
Weight... I can't lift any heavier than I am . I am doing drop sets on everything. I start with a weight I struggle with and go until I can lift anymore (usually 5 to 10 reps) then go down 10 lbs and keep lifting then down 10 more until I cant lift (no rest in between).
My problem is getting in the calories. I simply cant eat more than I am right now. I do muscle milk, vitamins, and started extra creatine today. I got the ok from my trainer to up my carbs but only if my bfi doesnt go up with it. Any suggestions on the extra calories?
Im extremely proud of what I have done in this one year but just cant get past this hump of the calories. Food item suggestions?0 -
Things you can try:
-Ask your trainer since you have one, That is what you are paying for.
-Add more protein. If you cant fit more food in, add it in by protein shakes. Or by doing small meals in between your large ones that consist only of protein.
-Find a workout that works for you and that is designed for gaining muscle. I have one I used until I had back surgery myself a short while ago, if you want pm me I can give it to you.
-When doing reps, go slow. I am talking snails pace, 3 or 4 seconds up and down. A lot of people just go quick reps, which is fine, but slower can help add more bulk.
-Slowly, increase the weight. You may be able to do more than the guy next to you who is larger but a lot of the larger guys I see are using terrible technique not using full ROM etc which can affect overall strength and you are probably since you are with a trainer.
-Use more free weights than machines. And focus on one muscle group for a day(or 2) doing many exercises. 2 free weight, 1 machine. Free weights build stabilizers while machines can use heavier weights with less chance of injury(both are good)
-Cut down on cardio. You dont typically see strong man lifters doing more than 10-20 minutes of cardio. Dont cut it out just cut back.(it will mean less calories needed for cardio that will now be free for muscle gain.)
You asked for food items. I would say throw in some protein bars. I havent really found one I like too much as i find them chalky which is why i stick to protein shakes. I've read some guys do 6+ eggs in the morning several times a week. They are lighter I feel and ~70 cal each that right there would be 350+ calories alone. Lean meats like turkey, chicken or even fish are good too. Grab some deli meat turkey and have a few slices every now and then. Ive always been able to eat a ton so Ive never struggled getting enough calories, but do struggle to get enough protein with out having too much fat/carbs/etc so that is what I would do. Also, take tips from some of the professional eaters that arent very large. I saw a documentary of how they expand their stomachs to be able to eat that much. So they use lots of lettuce. One guy would eat a head to increase stomach size. That might make it so you could eat more later in the day.0 -
the amount of calories you are eating is quite low, I'm the same height as you and I maintain on 3000. if you want to build muscle, and you are already at a very low BF, then you have to be an excess. you can do all the training you want but if you don't have the building blocks you want add any muscle.0
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If you eat more, you will lift more. Trust the advice you're getting in here.0
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Your trainer is misinformed if thinking that only trying to put on muscle will be devoid of any fat gain in the process.Thanks for the replies guys. K in reply to the suggestions.
Weight... I can't lift any heavier than I am . I am doing drop sets on everything. I start with a weight I struggle with and go until I can lift anymore (usually 5 to 10 reps) then go down 10 lbs and keep lifting then down 10 more until I cant lift (no rest in between).
My problem is getting in the calories. I simply cant eat more than I am right now. I do muscle milk, vitamins, and started extra creatine today. I got the ok from my trainer to up my carbs but only if my bfi doesnt go up with it. Any suggestions on the extra calories?
Im extremely proud of what I have done in this one year but just cant get past this hump of the calories. Food item suggestions?
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
muching on the sliced meat might work. Its just hard for me to eat more. As for the weights, definitely no machines. I use dumbbells for pretty much everything but my lat and tricep pulldowns and my t rows. Thanks for the tips guys. Im trying to get these calories in but man its hard. I feel like im eating nonstop. I dont want to even know what my grocery bill will be.0
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muching on the sliced meat might work. Its just hard for me to eat more. As for the weights, definitely no machines. I use dumbbells for pretty much everything but my lat and tricep pulldowns and my t rows. Thanks for the tips guys. Im trying to get these calories in but man its hard. I feel like im eating nonstop. I dont want to even know what my grocery bill will be.
Carbs are cheap. Don't overdo the protein, and eat more black beans, eggs etc. my bills are low, I aim for 100-110g protein a day and cook everything from scratch, no expensive faddy supplements, freeze a lot of stuff.
Bagels have 10g hit of protein and are dead cheap.0 -
muching on the sliced meat might work. Its just hard for me to eat more.
so eat higher calorie less filling foods- ice cream, chips, bagels, oreos, milk- shakes- candy bars- doughnuts- burgers- hell a burger at Five Guys is like 1500 calories- and that's just LUNCH. Eat one of those and you're regular meals and your set. eat some ice cream with a hand full of oreo's tossed into it.As for the weights, definitely no machines. I use dumbbells for pretty much everything but my lat and tricep pulldowns and my t rows. Thanks for the tips guys. Im trying to get these calories in but man its hard. I feel like im eating nonstop. I dont want to even know what my grocery bill will be.
it happens- it's a nice change to start cutting- esp b/c of the food bill- but you find really cheap ways to fill the diet and then it gets fun.
good luck!0 -
As some others have already stated you must be in a calorie surplus to add muscle, muscle can't be built form nothing, but you are going to gain some fat along with the muscle, no way around it. If your trainer is telling you different then he is misinformed.
Also you must keep progressing with the weights in the gym. If you are not consistently adding weight to the bar then you will just maintain the muscle you have.
Obviously there's more to it, but the two most important things needed to build muscle are a calorie surplus,with plenty of protein, and progressive resistance. If you are hitting your protein macros then add some carbs and fats to meet your daily calorie goal.0 -
hell a burger at Five Guys is like 1500 calories
No burger on the Five Guys menu even reaches 1000 calories, much less 1500.0 -
hell a burger at Five Guys is like 1500 calories
No burger on the Five Guys menu even reaches 1000 calories, much less 1500.
roughly 800... and add in fries and you easily hit 1000- it's not that hard- I eat light there and I can easily eat my daily calorie goal... I can't believe I had to explain some hyperbole on the excessively high calorie content at Five Guys.0 -
Then maybe you shouldn't use hyperbole.
Your original post quite clearly singled out just a single burger, with absolutely no mention of extras. Adding a regular fry more than doubles the calories provided by any one burger on the menu, so that's a pretty ridiculous backpedal you have going there.add in fries and you easily hit 10000
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