how can I gain muscle mass

monkeybusiness2104
monkeybusiness2104 Posts: 47 Member
edited December 1 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi everyone I have been working on weight gain and muscle mass for over 6 months now. All I gained was 5 lbs and lost it all when I got sick recently. I feel like all my hard work failed me. I am now told I have to do less protien. By my doctors. I was getting 80-100 MG a day. Now about 50.im on a vegetarian diet. No meats allowed. And the only things I have to help me work out are two 8 lb dumbells and a small resistance band. Besides squats and lunges what can I do to build Leg muscles??it's killing my knees now.

Replies

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Loose the 8 pound dumbells and light resistant bands.. Get some really heavy weights and find you a progressive strength training program designed to build muscle. Up your calories and lift some weights!

    I am assuming you have a medical condition hense told to eat less protein and put on vegetarian diet? Do tell more!
  • rontafoya
    rontafoya Posts: 365 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Loose the 8 pound dumbells and light resistant bands.. Get some really heavy weights and find you a progressive strength training program designed to build muscle. Up your calories and lift some weights!

    I am assuming you have a medical condition hense told to eat less protein and put on vegetarian diet? Do tell more!

    This. You want muscle mass? You have to do TWO things: Eat more, get stronger. NOTHING ELSE will work. Focus on getting stronger. Add resistance. It's called progressive overload (look it up). Push hard, with a few core lifts, and use compound multi-joint movements (look it up). Your body will adapt to this stress by adding muscle, which you must fuel by eating more calories than you burn. Shoot for 200-400 extra calories per day, and get stronger.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    You may need to adjust the way you do squats such as doing a wide stance, maybe a narrow stance, goblet squat, sumo squats, single leg squats, etc..) you can also do stiff leg dead lifts, straight leg dead lifts, etc..

    Have you tried different types of lunges or modifying the lung you do or even try alternating lunges?
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Your username sounds familiar. Anyway, I'm assuming you meant grams instead of mg. It's going to be very difficult to induce muscular hypertrophy with an intake of only 50 grams of protein, though, considering the limited equipment you have.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Why only 50g protein? I'm assuming there's a medical reason and it's not just because you are vegetarian (there are plenty of ways to get protein besides meat/animal products)

    Regarding the actual muscle mass, eat more. It's really as simple as that. Extra protein will sure help but it's not like all hope is lost if you really can't. Calories will help you gain weight, yes some will be fat (it's pretty much impossible to only gain muscle at one time) If you've only gained 5lbs in 6 months, you're not eating enough. What is your caloric intake? Are you tracking?

    For exercise I would strongly recommend heavier free weights (heavy for you) and somewhere where you have access to move up and progressively add more weight. The light dumbbells will only take you so far, and to build muscle you need to really push them hard. Squats and lunges should not be killing your knees, unless you have underlying issues there (if so, seek advice from a Dr, not an internet forum) If you don't have underlying issues and they hurt, make sure your form is good. Youtube and Google have a tonne of useful videos for learning basic squat technique.

  • monkeybusiness2104
    monkeybusiness2104 Posts: 47 Member
    Not too much protein due to medical issue. And I have a bad knee from sports injuries so that's why it's weak
  • monkeybusiness2104
    monkeybusiness2104 Posts: 47 Member
    edited May 2016
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Loose the 8 pound dumbells and light resistant bands.. Get some really heavy weights and find you a progressive strength training program designed to build muscle. Up your calories and lift some weights!

    I am assuming you have a medical condition hense told to eat less protein and put on vegetarian diet? Do tell more!

    Found out I'm allergic to meat. And it puts me in the hospital and I was on a high protien vegetarian diet which messed up my kidney and am told to limit my protien now.

  • HamsterManV2
    HamsterManV2 Posts: 449 Member
    edited May 2016
    monkeybusiness2104 wrote: »
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Loose the 8 pound dumbells and light resistant bands.. Get some really heavy weights and find you a progressive strength training program designed to build muscle. Up your calories and lift some weights!

    I am assuming you have a medical condition hense told to eat less protein and put on vegetarian diet? Do tell more!

    Found out I'm allergic to meat. And it puts me in the hospital and I was on a high protien vegetarian diet which messed up my kidney and am told to limit my protien now.

    A couple of things... For Weight Gain:

    Step1: Go on google, type "TDEE Calculator". TDEE = total daily energy expenditure. Based on your age, weight, height, activity level, etc., it will determine how many calories it takes to maintain your current weight.

    Step2: In order to gain +1lb a week, you need to eat 500 calories OVER your TDEE. That means you need to be weighing your food on a scale and tracking everything that you put in your mouth. It takes 3500 calories for 1lb of weight gain, so that makes TDEE+500calories daily = +1lb per week. If that is too hard, go +250 calories over your TDEE for 0.5lbs gained per week.

    Do this while lifting on a program to make size and strength gains. I suggest high protein and high carb meals for before and after workouts, otherwise high protein high fat meals. What are your lifts like?

    Beginner - "Starting Strength" / "Strong lifts" / "ICF 3x5" / "Greyskull LP" for weight increase 3x per week.

    Now as for your protein, do the maximum you can do safely, drinking LOTS of water to help with your kidney. Hopefully you can hit 0.45-0.68gram of protein per LEAN bodyweight lbs. I.e. If I am 165 @ 15% bodyfat, my lean body mass is 140lbs, so I'd consume 63g to 95g for optimal gains. It's fine if you cannot reach that, but eat the maximum you can.

    Excellent high protein foods vegetarians can eat: Seitan (this stuff has SO MUCH PROTEIN! Seriously you can get your daily amount with this bad boy alone), greek yogurt, protein powder, lentils, milk, etc. etc. (google is your friend).


    Short Version
    Eat above your TDEE daily and lift 3x a week. Adjust program per injuries (i.e. with bad knees, find a leg exercise or 2 that does not aggravate your injury (choose among Trap Bar Deadlift, Weighted Lunges, Leg Press, Squats, etc.). Eating should be a full time job until it becomes a habit (you MUST track everything you put in your mouth for the first month to build said habit).
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