Building muscle and gaining weight

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Replies

  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    I have jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise and sweet corn! Just wasn't matching properly!

    I like to just have a set meal plan even if it's the same meal everyday! I see it as fuel rather than having to enjoy!

    I eat nuts such as almonds ! I have a banana but not so big on berries but I could get some and put in my oats I guess !

    When I go back to work next week it will be harder! I get 2 15 mins breaks and half an hour for lunch but I will have nuts in my draw to snack on as I work!

    I usually have a scrambled egg sandwich for lunch ! But will prob buy a second blender and have shakes at work as well!

    So I guess eating what I'm eating everyday won't hurt me as much as I think it will fat wise!
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    But what about days I'm resting on and I don't plan on doing anything but playing my pc or watching tv? Should I lower my intake?


    Yes, lower your calories to maintenance on days you're not doing any lifting. I'm guessing that's 1800 - 2000 for you. Make sure to still get tons of protein, though.
  • Galatea_Stone
    Galatea_Stone Posts: 2,037 Member
    You've gotten some great advice, OP. Please take it.

    Sometimes getting up to enough calories is a struggle for someone who hasn't eaten a lot in a very long time. Go slow at first. Add in things like avocado and peanut butter and bread soaked in olive oil and full fat milk and cheese.

    Take it a little at a time. There are a lot of people on here who are finding that bulking requires a lot more food than they expected. I count myself among these. I had to stop counting altogether and just check in on my diary once in a while. When I checked, I was usually hitting 2700 or more calories a day. I'm a 5'7" female who weighs right around 60 kg after my bulk. It took me 5 months to put on 12 pounds, so eating that amount of food was just over 1/2 pound a week. For you, you need even more.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    But what about days I'm resting on and I don't plan on doing anything but playing my pc or watching tv? Should I lower my intake?


    Yes, lower your calories to maintenance on days you're not doing any lifting. I'm guessing that's 1800 - 2000 for you. Make sure to still get tons of protein, though.

    I wouldn't honestly. The body needs a surplus in repair. - sure I definitely eat more on my lifting days- but I was in surplus even for off days- just the more moderate surplus.

    Might have something to do with how you have your calories set up- but I don't think eating maintenance on off days is a good idea when you are trying to put on weight AND you are coming from the back of the back.
  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    Yeah I appreciate all the advice and the time people have taken to read and reply!!

    So lower my calories on non training day! Ok!

    I take ur advice but some others here said u have to eat the same amount even when u are on non workout days so that's where I get a little confused!

    There are many ways I spose to get the desired results !

    I just trying to wrap my head around what I need to do! When I need to do it!

    I'm very methodical and I love routine and sticking to it! I mean already today I had 1700 calories ! If u check my diary! As this is a non workout day am I correct in thinking I shouldn't have much more?

    Cheers again and ty for anyone who reads and replies !

    Chris
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    i would have thought you would want to eat in a surplus every day, regardless of whether its a training day? at the very least, eat at maintenance... and 1700 is not your maintenance! i am a 5ft5 136lbs woman and i would lose weight eating 1700 cals per day!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Unles you're specifically following lean gains or a similar protocol, I'd stick with a calorie surplus every day.
    As mentioned, I reckon doing this that my calories on rest days will be 2750+extra for cardio, while it'll be 3750+cardio on workout days.
    If you eat less on rest days, you eat even more on workout days. In my case it's do a not-that-fast bulk because my body fat is still higher than I'd like. You don't have that issue, of course.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member

    There are many ways I spose to get the desired results !

    Yup. Eat above maintenance for the week, and do some type of progressive resistance exercise. If get that down, you'll gain muscle.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Sometimes you straight up need calorie dense (often labelled junk food) that doesn't leave you feeling full.

    Calorie dense food is only bad for you when you are overfat, and becoming less overfat would be good for you.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    But what about days I'm resting on and I don't plan on doing anything but playing my pc or watching tv? Should I lower my intake?


    Yes, lower your calories to maintenance on days you're not doing any lifting. I'm guessing that's 1800 - 2000 for you. Make sure to still get tons of protein, though.

    Recovery and muscle building is a 24/7 thing. If you are only eating a surplus on training days, you are only getting bigger on training days. The day of training before you train is the lowest point of anabolic signaling, if there is one time to not eat a surplus its then (however spike the cals right before training).
  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    But I train every other day so should I eat 2700 every day or more? Tho I am self concious of my lower back. It always has had a bit of blubber and although I'm only 10 stone ATM and I did cardio overload for 10 years it never shifts? And I don't wanna out wieght on my lower back. Will squats and deadlifts clear that up and do u think 2700 is enough! Tdee is 2204 so 500 extra is 2700?
    Everyday?
  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    Any1^^^
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    It's generally best to take it weekly.
    Unless you are specifically trying to follow the 'leangains' protocol (which you're not), keep your calories consistent.

    As above - you grow muscle AFTER you lift weights, not by lifting them.
    The lifting can actually be damaging them - then the day or two after your body repairs them and ideally makes them bigger.

    A TDEE of 2204 sounds a bit low with weight lifting, but not impossible - at 12 stone, I'd say my TDEE is around 3000 calories when doing 3.5x weights sessions a week.

    I would eat 2700 calories a day for a while and see how your weight goes up.
    You may want to tone that done a bit if it's going up too fast - the faster your weight goes up, the more of it will be fat not muscle put on.
    When you've put some weight on you can look to d a 'cut' and you may well then find it easier to get to a lower bodyfat which sees some of this lower back fat go.
  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    It's not huge! But it annoys
    Me! U would think loads of cardio for 10 years would have got rid of it especially at a deficit for so long! Not sure why it's there! How much weight is too much to start re evaluating?

    The weights are going slow and steady ATM ! Arm still needs to repair!

    I wish I had a trainer to tell me I'm doing it all right. Bit blind ATM!

    Anyway thanks for the info! Well it's a proper bmr of 1600 tdee of 2200! But yeah scared of it putting just fat on ! Or not exercising enough! Tho the doms on my legs are sore! But upper body slacking coz of my left arm!:(
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    Upload a video of your lifts to YouTube and post the link. We can look at your form then
  • rumple2014
    rumple2014 Posts: 79
    I workout in a gym and my friend is a personal trainer! So I think I have the form right but it's more about the amount of weight? It's low ATM! Guess I should t wanna rush it!

    I can't upload a video via my gym unless I ask someone to take it for me! That would be weird as the gym manager isn't that approachable ! U would think if I was doing it wrong he would tell me ye?

    Just saw a documentary about a guy " fat and back again " and he was very toned and muscle bound and for 6 months went from 82kg to 120kg and had huge stomach and man boobs and then took 6 months to get back in shape! Side and back fat and all! So surely I'm more than capable if I do it right ye!
    But I am only doing the 5x5 program tho. That's a good start? It says to put wieght on everytime but my legs hurt from the last sesh and squat is on the list everyday! How can I add on wieght everytime when it hurts with the previous weignt!

    I don't just wanna do 5x5 as it's low weight ATM and feels like I haven't done any so I was more like 8-10 reps per set!

    So I did do my legs in!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Get your friend to check your form occasionally if he knows what he is talking about. Or other gym staff wandering around?

    You can always prop a phone up against something else - or take a removable cable tie to hold it.

    5x5 is an ideal start. I always get DOMS when I start doing new exercises I haven't done. I normally just push through it the next time.
    However yes, I'd just stick to the 5x5 or whatever - especially now you've seen the issues when you don't - if you're consistently bumping the weight up you should soon be pushing yourself for 5 reps.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    The weight will get up there quickly. If you still feel fresh at the end of the session, do some pull ups. I do 6 sets to failure. 2 with each different hand hold. You should be feeling it then.

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