Muscle gaining tips???

Mateo1985

Hello guys!!!

How is everyone doing?

I was wondering if anyone could give me some simple tips on how to gain muscle. To lose the weight I basically stuck by two simple rules. 1. Not drinking any calorious drinks. And 2. Netting 1200 calories a day.

Does anyone know any simple tips like that for gaining muscle?

One would obviously be weight lifting. What about eating though? While losing all the fat I think I lost a lot of muscle mass too so now I want to gain some of the muscle back without putting on the fat.

If somebuddy knows a few quick tips I would greatly appreciate them.

Thank you so much!!!

Have a great day!!!

chardawg80

bump for later...

I have been trying to do the same, but I eat 6 meals, 3000 calories a day, extremely high protein diet (milk, cottage cheese, protein bars, fish, chicken)...

Finally started putting on some muscle mass, but I am also interested in hearing from those who reply to your post...

JustBill

To build muscle, lift heavy, low reps, five sets per. And consume protein, protein, protein. Lots of chicken breast, lots of tuna, and throw in a whey protein powder for good measure. I also recommend Kashi GO LEAN cereal... it's chuck full of... protein!

zohars

To gain muscle mass you are going to have to gain some fat along with it, so the basic goal is to gain muscle while minimizing fat gain. Ways to do that include weight training, eating lots of protein and generally fewer carbohydrates, eating enough (you usually eat above maintenance to build muscle), and rest days (don't lift more than three days a week, it will only slow down your progress). If you want a straightforward lifting program, you could check out Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength. You could also try P90x if you like workout videos more than free weights.

Mateo1985

Thank you for the advice!!!!

When it comes to weight lifting do I really limit it to just 3 times a week? I wanted to make it my morning routine to work out for an hour before work and then do cardio training in the evening. So is lifting weights 5 times a week too much? I will give muscle groups rest of at least a day between working on the same ones again so I hope it will be fine. Will post pictures of my progress here if any lol

Thanks as always guys!!!

End6ame

You will need to eat in a caloric surplus, which means you will gain some fat. Eat lots of protein.

For lifting, the best way to put on muscle is through HEAVY compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, power cleans, etc… performing these in a 3x5 or 5x5 fashion would be ideal. Start light and learn proper technique then start increasing the weight on a regular basis, since you are new to lifting you could get away with 5lb increase every time you perform the lift.

For generic beginner programs check out Starting Strength or StrongLIfts 5x5.

joejccva71

OP-

To gain muscle with minimizing fat gain, you should eat no more than a 20% calorie surplus from whatever your daily maintenance is. You can do a body recomp by eating your maintenance or very slightly above/below it but it takes a VERY long time to achieve this.

Most bodybuilders do one of two things:

1. Bulk first and then cut down. Usually a 6-8 month bulk with a 4-6 month cut.

2. Cut down first and then do a lean bulk (much harder to achieve but doable)


What exactly are your stats? Also if you could provide a fully body picture of yourself, it would be easier to tell you what you should be doing.

You should be consuming 1-1.5g of protein per lb of LBM.
You should be consuming .35-.75g of fat per lb of bodyweight.
Put the rest of your calories into carbs, additional proteins and fats.

All this to make your daily calories while eating a 20% surplus.

Mateo1985

My stats are as follows:

I had my top weight of 230 lbs two years ago.

I'm now at 135-140 lbs. I'm 5'7. 26 years old. Maintain at 2000 calories a day now. I attend an MMA gym 4 - 6 times a week. Getting a great cardio workout there. Haven't done any weight lifting ever in my life so I'm pretty new to this. Even things like push ups are hard for me. Not even talking about the pull ups. I should probaly work on those the most since they involve some of the biggest muscle groups of the body. + Squads.

I'll try to post a body picture too tonight.

joejccva71

My stats are as follows:

I had my top weight of 230 lbs two years ago.

I'm now at 135-140 lbs. I'm 5'7. 26 years old. Maintain at 2000 calories a day now. I attend an MMA gym 4 - 6 times a week. Getting a great cardio workout there. Haven't done any weight lifting ever in my life so I'm pretty new to this. Even things like push ups are hard for me. Not even talking about the pull ups. I should probaly work on those the most since they involve some of the biggest muscle groups of the body. + Squads.

I'll try to post a body picture too tonight.

No problem.

My guess would be based on height and weight that you are roughly 7-9% bodyfat at MOST. You need to eat obviously, but if your maintenance is 2000, then I would START with 2400 a day.

Couple things to remember:

1. Meal timing is irrelevant. Don't force yourself to choke down 6 meals a day every 2-3 hours. It's unnecessary. Keep it simple with 3.
2. Don't worry about eating late at night.
3. Here are what your macros SHOULD be:

200g protein = 800 calories
100g fat = 900 calories
175g carb = 700 calories

2400 calories total. You can play with the numbers. On off days and cardio only days, you can go light carbs, more protein and fat intake. On lifting days you can go higher carb intake if you want.

Also you can do IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) which means you get your MINIMUM protein and fat intake from the macros above, and then you eat whatever you want to in order to get to 2400 calories. Alot of bodybuilders do this and it's fine as long as you "hit" your macros everyday and get your calorie intake. Bacon, chocolate milk, etc.

Eat whole eggs, drink whole milk, steak, chicken, fish (salmon, tuna, tilapia), oats (if you like em), cheeses, avocados, almonds, sweet potatoes. Eat foods you ENJOY. Don't OCD about eating super clean, especially on bulking.

Remember you are going to gain some fat, but you will pack on muscle.

Lift heavy.
Train hard.

YOU HAVE TO EAT BIG AND TRAIN BIG....TO GET BIG.

Emma1903

If you want lean gains, try to lower carbs, higher protein and fat. Lift 3x a week at most lift every other day. Do 5x5. Cut out the cardio work too. Or at least limit it. Also if you really want lean gains, fasted training might be good for you. What supplements do you take?

Mateo1985

Thanks a lot for the great tips guys!!! Awesome stuff!!!

crisanderson27

I am going to bump in on this one too. AWESOME information here! The one piece of advice you absolutely HAVE to take to heart...is the lifting 3 days a week tops. When you're lifting heavy...you need a WEEK of rest on each muscle group for real gains.

Anyhow...as a slight hijack to the thread...I too am 5'7" tall, but I'm coming from the other end of the spectrum. I started at 215lbs, and am now down to 176-180lbs. I've used bodyweight exclusively (5x5 strength training format) to cut down and build up some muscle. I don't have access to heavy weights at the moment...but the bodyweight is working to the extent of I AM building muscle, and I AM cutting fat for the most part. I'd just like to be building more muscle is all lol. I was eating super clean, zig zagging calories, and I didn't feel like i was losing weight OR gaining muscle (I was plateaued at 189-192 for six weeks). I switched to Eat, Stop, Eat...and the weight is going down...my workouts are stronger...but I still don't feel like I have the mass I want. I'd like my end result to be 180-185lbs, 12%-14% body fat. Right now, as I mentioned...I'm 176-180lbs, and roughly 19%-20% via my own skin fold measurements.

Here's a couple current pictures, spaced a month apart (6/28 and 7/21):



Anyhow, along with Mateo...I'm more than willing to take some directions on which way to go with this. I currently own 15, 20, 30, and 35lb pairs of dumbbells. I feel like I need more weight to get any real gains with weights though....so it sort of sucks (dumbbells aren't cheap!). I have cut down my bodyfat quickly and effectively...but now what I'm wanting is added muscle mas, which brings a different sort of challenge with it =D.

Cris

Scott613

Steroids lots and lots of steroids!!!!! haha jk man......... up your protein intake and watch what you eat. Diet is a huge part in muscle gain/maintenance. Lift heavy no more than 8 reps per set in whatever exercise you do. It takes time to get muscle so be patient it won't happen overnight unless you take steroids

joejccva71

I am going to bump in on this one too. AWESOME information here! The one piece of advice you absolutely HAVE to take to heart...is the lifting 3 days a week tops. When you're lifting heavy...you need a WEEK of rest on each muscle group for real gains.

Anyhow...as a slight hijack to the thread...I too am 5'7" tall, but I'm coming from the other end of the spectrum. I started at 215lbs, and am now down to 176-180lbs. I've used bodyweight exclusively (5x5 strength training format) to cut down and build up some muscle. I don't have access to heavy weights at the moment...but the bodyweight is working to the extent of I AM building muscle, and I AM cutting fat for the most part. I'd just like to be building more muscle is all lol. I was eating super clean, zig zagging calories, and I didn't feel like i was losing weight OR gaining muscle (I was plateaued at 189-192 for six weeks). I switched to Eat, Stop, Eat...and the weight is going down...my workouts are stronger...but I still don't feel like I have the mass I want. I'd like my end result to be 180-185lbs, 12%-14% body fat. Right now, as I mentioned...I'm 176-180lbs, and roughly 19%-20% via my own skin fold measurements.

Here's a couple current pictures, spaced a month apart (6/28 and 7/21):



Anyhow, along with Mateo...I'm more than willing to take some directions on which way to go with this. I currently own 15, 20, 30, and 35lb pairs of dumbbells. I feel like I need more weight to get any real gains with weights though....so it sort of sucks (dumbbells aren't cheap!). I have cut down my bodyfat quickly and effectively...but now what I'm wanting is added muscle mas, which brings a different sort of challenge with it =D.

Cris

If your main goal is to be 5'7 at 180 lbs with 12% bodyfat then you got some work to do my friend. You can get there, but it's going to take a while. I will give you some advice of what I would do if I were in your shoes. Cut down as far as you can go at 5'7 and then try to do as much of a lean bulk as you can while minimizing fat gain and get up to 180.

At 5'7 you are going to cut down to about 160 or so and then build up slowly. You cant go too fast or you'll be back up to high teens in bf%. If you go the bulking route (which might be a better solution), you can eat a calorie surplus NOW and gain more weigh, and THEN cut down. In order to get to 12% bf at your height with 5'7 it's going to take probably two bulks, and two cuts.

You might be able to snag it with one bulk but it's going to take extreme dedication, hard work, and most of all a gym membership. I understand people have things come up but bro, it's going to be VERY difficult to achieve what you are looking for with just a dumbbell set. Granted, not impossible, but not optimal under any circumstances.

Edit as I wanted to add:

Your BIGGEST enemy right now is plateau'ing. What is your calorie maitenance right now in a 24 hour period? I assume you are eating a small surplus right now? What is your activity like outside of the gym? You say you're on the 5x5 with bodyweight, but are you adding weight to your body for heavy lifts?

What is your diet like? Are you hitting your macro's that coincide with your daily calorie intake?

Lots of questions needing answered brah.

End6ame

If your main goal is to be 5'7 at 180 lbs with 12% bodyfat then you got some work to do my friend. You can get there, but it's going to take a while. I will give you some advice of what I would do if I were in your shoes. Cut down as far as you can go at 5'7 and then try to do as much of a lean bulk as you can while minimizing fat gain and get up to 180.

At 5'7 you are going to cut down to about 160 or so and then build up slowly. You cant go too fast or you'll be back up to high teens in bf%. If you go the bulking route (which might be a better solution), you can eat a calorie surplus NOW and gain more weigh, and THEN cut down. In order to get to 12% bf at your height with 5'7 it's going to take probably two bulks, and two cuts.

You might be able to snag it with one bulk but it's going to take extreme dedication, hard work, and most of all a gym membership. I understand people have things come up but bro, it's going to be VERY difficult to achieve what you are looking for with just a dumbbell set. Granted, not impossible, but not optimal under any circumstances.

Edit as I wanted to add:

Your BIGGEST enemy right now is plateau'ing. What is your calorie maitenance right now in a 24 hour period? I assume you are eating a small surplus right now? What is your activity like outside of the gym? You say you're on the 5x5 with bodyweight, but are you adding weight to your body for heavy lifts?

What is your diet like? Are you hitting your macro's that coincide with your daily calorie intake?

Lots of questions needing answered brah.

I would second the gym membership. Dumbells are great for assistance work but to build that kind of mass you are going to need some heavy barbell training combined with progressive overloading.

hill2302

Very interesting...

So I'm 6 ft tall and am currently at 184 lbs, which I think is a pretty good weight for me. However, I'd like to bulk up and add alot of muscle to my frame. I don'tt hink I'd like to add to it now, as it would proabbly mean I would end up somewhere around 10-15 lbs heavier, I'm guessing of course.

So would the recommended way to be to cut to even a lower weight, like 175 and then start bulking up?

I have no idea what my current bf% is.

I just don't want to waste my time and effort doing something inefficiently.

joejccva71

Very interesting...

So I'm 6 ft tall and am currently at 184 lbs, which I think is a pretty good weight for me. However, I'd like to bulk up and add alot of muscle to my frame. I don'tt hink I'd like to add to it now, as it would proabbly mean I would end up somewhere around 10-15 lbs heavier, I'm guessing of course.

So would the recommended way to be to cut to even a lower weight, like 175 and then start bulking up?

I have no idea what my current bf% is.

I just don't want to waste my time and effort doing something inefficiently.

Hmm.. 6 ft at 184 is decent. Without seeing any body pics of yours honestly I would go for a 20% calorie surplus BULK for about 6-8 months, and THEN do a cut. You are going to gain a little fat, but you will be happy with the results I think from the cut with the muscle mass you will gain. In 8 months you can probably realistically gain about 15 pounds of solid muscle mass and then rest will be fat.

Alot of natty bodybuilders are HAPPY with gaining 20-25 lbs of muscle mass over their FIRST year of training. Your first year is the biggest. I've only heard of a few guys that gained more than 25-30 lbs their first year, and most likely had amazing genetics.

Also remember these keys:
- Diet
- Training Regime
- Consistency
- Hard work
- 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night
- Patience

hill2302

Very interesting...

So I'm 6 ft tall and am currently at 184 lbs, which I think is a pretty good weight for me. However, I'd like to bulk up and add alot of muscle to my frame. I don'tt hink I'd like to add to it now, as it would proabbly mean I would end up somewhere around 10-15 lbs heavier, I'm guessing of course.

So would the recommended way to be to cut to even a lower weight, like 175 and then start bulking up?

I have no idea what my current bf% is.

I just don't want to waste my time and effort doing something inefficiently.

Hmm.. 6 ft at 184 is decent. Without seeing any body pics of yours honestly I would go for a 20% calorie surplus BULK for about 6-8 months, and THEN do a cut. You are going to gain a little fat, but you will be happy with the results I think from the cut with the muscle mass you will gain. In 8 months you can probably realistically gain about 15 pounds of solid muscle mass and then rest will be fat.

Alot of natty bodybuilders are HAPPY with gaining 20-25 lbs of muscle mass over their FIRST year of training. Your first year is the biggest. I've only heard of a few guys that gained more than 25-30 lbs their first year, and most likely had amazing genetics.

Also remember these keys:
- Diet
- Training Regime
- Consistency
- Hard work
- 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night
- Patience

Here is my most recent pic...


I'm thinking I still have a kinda high % of BF. I'd eventually like to see some abs too, so I've read you really need to get down to at most about 12% to let them be seen. I've mainly done body weight exercising to try to minimize muscle loos while losing 50+ lbs over the past year.

Saruman_w

I'm liking this thread. Good info here

joejccva71

I'm thinking I still have a kinda high % of BF. I'd eventually like to see some abs too, so I've read you really need to get down to at most about 12% to let them be seen. I've mainly done body weight exercising to try to minimize muscle loos while losing 50+ lbs over the past year.

Well you can cut now down to roughly 10-12% bodyfat which will give you the abs you seek, and then do a lean bulk but it will be a pretty slow process, and your bodyfat % will go up a little depending on how much of a surplus you go. Some guys will get frustrated going this way because they won't get the fast results they seek so they end up eating more than they should and gain more fat.

If you go the bulking route you can do 20% surplus, do heavy compound lifts, and do cardio twice a week and still minimize fat gain but this would be a faster and more optimal route of training.

You can also go with a body recomp which is another option, but more complicated. If you are going to go this route, you should eat at maintenance or very slightly over and do both carb cycling and intermittent fasting. You can read more about these methods over at http://www.leangains.com

Hope this helps.

crisanderson27

If your main goal is to be 5'7 at 180 lbs with 12% bodyfat then you got some work to do my friend. You can get there, but it's going to take a while. I will give you some advice of what I would do if I were in your shoes. Cut down as far as you can go at 5'7 and then try to do as much of a lean bulk as you can while minimizing fat gain and get up to 180.

At 5'7 you are going to cut down to about 160 or so and then build up slowly. You cant go too fast or you'll be back up to high teens in bf%. If you go the bulking route (which might be a better solution), you can eat a calorie surplus NOW and gain more weigh, and THEN cut down. In order to get to 12% bf at your height with 5'7 it's going to take probably two bulks, and two cuts.

You might be able to snag it with one bulk but it's going to take extreme dedication, hard work, and most of all a gym membership. I understand people have things come up but bro, it's going to be VERY difficult to achieve what you are looking for with just a dumbbell set. Granted, not impossible, but not optimal under any circumstances.

Edit as I wanted to add:

Your BIGGEST enemy right now is plateau'ing. What is your calorie maitenance right now in a 24 hour period? I assume you are eating a small surplus right now? What is your activity like outside of the gym? You say you're on the 5x5 with bodyweight, but are you adding weight to your body for heavy lifts?

What is your diet like? Are you hitting your macro's that coincide with your daily calorie intake?

Lots of questions needing answered brah.

I would second the gym membership. Dumbells are great for assistance work but to build that kind of mass you are going to need some heavy barbell training combined with progressive overloading.

Thanks you two! It may be that my 'goal' is unrealistic. I'm really guessing on the 180lbs and bodyfat percentage, based on what I look like now. I've never been there, so I won't know until I reach a point I like, what that will look like on the scale and for bodyfat.

As for the gym...there's ONE gym here...and it's an 'Anytime Fitness'. I just looked it up...and they do have free weights (I was told they didn't). We'll see how cost prohibitive it is...and if it's not too bad, and there's not a huge contract (I don't know how long I'll be living here)...I'll join. I too feel I'm at the limits of what bodyweight will give me with 'reasonably' quick turnaround.

Now, for my specifics.

I'm eating with Eat, Stop, Eat, partially because with my new job my schedule got ALL out of whack. I'll be fixing it...but I'm having to work out how right now lol. I was previously eating very clean, and hitting my macros pretty consistently (for about 3mos). I am mostly eating at a slight deficit right now (magnified by the ESE thing) as my main concern was getting rid of my belly and love handles. Now that I'm getting close...my concern is shifting more towards my final overall appearance/strength needs. My maintenance is 2300cal as calculated by this site...with a lightly active lifestyle.

My strength training is 5x5 as I said. I am just now starting to add a 20lb vest, and 10lb weights to my wrists or ankles (depending on the exercise). The workout routine is listed on the middle of the first page of the link in my signature below. The way it works, is you do a difficult enough exercise that you can ONLY complete 5-7 reps on the first set...and are seriously struggling to finish 5 on the 5th set. For example...someone just starting might have trouble doing 5 traditional pushups in a row, and 5 sets would wipe them...as is the goal. I'm now doing 1 leg decline 80/20 (80% of my weight, magnified by the 1 leg and decline...on the pushing arm) wide grip pushups lol. For the vertical push (shoulders), I started with pike pushups, and am now doing full on handstand pushups, on pushup stands for range of motion. I suppose that would be equivalent to 180lb or so shoulder presses...and more with the weighted vest and ankle weights.

Hope that helps...and I appreciate YOUR help. I'm definitely going to look into the gym thing...but as it stands, I've got to keep pushing this as far as it will go for now.