Advice on program and nutrition

sethtt94
sethtt94 Posts: 12 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Im currently trying to gain weight right now in the form of muscle. Im 5'7.5 and my weight fluctuates 112-119. So I sit at around 115. Ive been trying to eat around 1795 ( but only averaging around 1550-1650) which is supposedly my maintenance but I always fall short. Im currently following the 4 power muscle burn split http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/4-day-power-muscle-burn-workout-split.html

My questions are
1. how many calories should I be in taking having a sedentary lifestyle while trying to build muscle?
2. And I keep hearing I need to workout every muscle around 2 times a week like an upper lower split to build muscle. So should I still with this program or change to one that hits everything twice a week for the best results?
3. being at this weight and height would cardio just eat away at my muscle because that's what Im afraid will happen. I use to do it multiple times a week but now hardly do any.
I really need to put on some weight on decently fast ( Good weight!) so any other advice would be helpful. Thanks!

Replies

  • NazKerpan
    NazKerpan Posts: 19 Member
    Add me and message me maybe? I can try to help you out and answer those questions
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    1 - But you aren't sedentary, unless you mean the MFP setting, and you are correctly logging exercise and eating more when doing it. You should be eating enough to gain weight. 250 more daily than maintenance would mean only 1 lb slowly gained every 2 weeks.
    2 - If you are still beginner, 3 x full body is really going to be better. If lifting over a year, then a 2-day split is fine.
    3 - If eating in surplus, it won't eat away at muscle. But if it makes you tired the next day and you can't lift as heavy, then you just ruined a workout. If you do it so intense the next day during recovery and repair from lifting, then you just killed that and ruined a workout. Walking or very slow jogging would be fine.

    You will gain fat - accept that now, if you want a gain of muscle. No way around that. Body has to feel totally unthreatened with calorie levels to start building muscle that is going to require more energy to sustain. Storing more fat is that response.
    Go slower with less surplus, it will be slower. Maintenance eating is slowest.

    And even after doing the 250 increase, you need to look at results every 2 weeks. If you didn't gain a lb on valid weigh-in day, you need to increase 100, because you probably have more burn related to repair than the workout calorie burn is giving credit for.
  • njf89
    njf89 Posts: 6
    You do not loose muscle that easily, so much bro science.
  • sethtt94
    sethtt94 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks for the reply guys. Heybales do you think the program im on now will be okay? Or an upper Lower one? OR some other you suggest?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Do cardio if you want, just eat more to keep a calorie surplus.

    You need to find calorie dense foods that you can stomach and put you in a consistent surplus. Recheck your gains every two weeks because you body has a way of adjusting to more food by making you more active - in this case you just need to eat more to start the gain again.

    TL;DR: if you're not putting on weight. Eat more. If still not putting on weight (or weight gain stalls). Eat more. Rinse. Repeat.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Thanks for the reply guys. Heybales do you think the program im on now will be okay? Or an upper Lower one? OR some other you suggest?

    As suggested, if beginner, simple 3 x weekly full body, don't need a bunch of lifts each time, just full body compound.

    If over a year experience lifting heavy, then 2 x split routine, whether that be push/pull or upper/lower doesn't matter, each muscle group 2 x weekly with extra lifts.

    You decide where your program falls in line with your experience.

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