I'm trying to gain lean muscle mass..

Nikkimaxim
Nikkimaxim Posts: 221 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm 5'3", weighing anywhere from 113-116 lbs right now..I lost about 13 lbs in three months. Im no longer trying to lose weight. I am, however, trying to gain lean muscle mass. In other words, I want to look similar to Jennifer Nicole Lee. Low body fat, nice muscle definition. She is my inspiration. She isn't just skinny, she is strong and very toned!!
I am having a hard time trying to figure out my macros though. How many calories should I be consuming now?..anyone know of an easy step by step process I can follow to figure out how many calories I should be consuming along with my daily macros??? I still have a little layer of fat that needs to shed off from my belly. Lol PLEASE HELP!!

Replies

  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    Yep: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Follow this and set it to gain muscle.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    The primary key to muscle building (nutritionally speaking) is protein. Carbs also provide the energy to get through the workouts. You may wind up having to up your calories some and actually gain weight to get the toning you want... You also need to lift heavy... The "New Rules" book would be a great place to start. Best wishes on attaining your goals. I also applaud you for not being tempted to continue losing beyond what is healthy. So many make that mistake...
  • builtforlife
    builtforlife Posts: 259
    First this to do would be to increase your protein percentage and lift weights in a 5 -12 rep range, 3-4 sets. Experiment with the different weights for different exercises. Pretty unscientific but thats what I'd do first. :)
  • Nikkimaxim
    Nikkimaxim Posts: 221 Member
    Bump
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    To gain lean mass is to gain weight, so there will be calorie surplus. Using weights heavy enough to stay within 6-12 reps for 3-4 sets is a good consensus to use.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    All good advice so far (except maybe the scooby link :wink: )

    If you are relatively new to weight training you can probably eat at about maintenance levels and experience some gains, if you have been doing some form of resistance training for a while you will definitely eat a caloric surplus to build any muscle.

    Protein is indeed the key to muscle repair and growth. for your size I would say about 120-150g per day as a rough guide. Then 40-45g Fat, and top up the rest with carbs (or more protein).
  • trekker3030
    trekker3030 Posts: 5
    Rayman79, you said
    All good advice so far (except maybe the scooby link :wink: )

    I looked around there and it actually seemed pretty good. I've never seen straight talk explanations like that that make sense to novices like me before.

    Is there something I'm missing?
  • broxi1979
    broxi1979 Posts: 30
    People misconstrue the concept of bulking, the idea is not to go crazy and eat a calorie surplus of whatever you like to gain weight, all that does is make you fat ... the idea is to eat your full maintenance calories or a very slight surplus in order to be effective in your workout. The carb level of your macros should be tailored to provide adequate energy but not enough to make you start gaining fat.

    Unfortunately, this level is different for all of us and we must figure out for ourselves what the right amount of carbs is ... try running 3 week blocks at certain carb levels and monitoring the fat gain/loss.

    Also, have you read up on Intermittent Fasting as advocated by the likes of Martin Berkhan of http://www.leangains.com/

    I don't know anyone who has tried this that has a bad word to say about the results you can achieve.
  • 1sgtloco
    1sgtloco Posts: 5
    As others have mentioned Protein is the key I have a Whey shake before I work out and they a Casein shake in the evening before bed. The Whey is a fast absorbing protein and the casein is a slow absorbing. I have been using it for 2 weeks and already see the difference in my muscles. I am not losing any weight but I am getting toner and losing inches off my waist etc

    For exercises and nutritional info check out this site and see what works for you http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout.htm

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