trying to gain good muscle!!

anikab
anikab Posts: 150 Member
edited October 5 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, I workout everyday, but I would really like to have nice leg, arm, and back muscles that are defined to where when people see me they know I must workout. Is there specific protein after/before drinks/supplements I should be on? I don't want to look like a female bodybuilder, I just want defined muscles. I alternate cardio and weight training all week.

Replies

  • kevin3344
    kevin3344 Posts: 702 Member
    My sis-in-law and I are doing 30 day shred...trust me it works! I run and do weights but the trouble is you miss your "core", abs and all that. With 30DS, Ripped in 30, and stuff like that you get the circuit training you need. I've never felt so good and fit.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    Eat more, rest more, lift more.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Getting enough total daily protein in your diet (1 gram per pound of body weight) is what counts. Supplements can help you get enough, but they're not necessary. Getting protein before and/or after a workout is irrelevant.

    Focus on starting a solid, proven weight training routine, don't focus so much on the cardio
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    My sis-in-law and I are doing 30 day shred...trust me it works! I run and do weights but the trouble is you miss your "core", abs and all that. With 30DS, Ripped in 30, and stuff like that you get the circuit training you need. I've never felt so good and fit.

    ^^^These are NOT routines designed for muscle gains^^^
  • slimkitty
    slimkitty Posts: 418
    I am really happy with my arm, back and ab muscles. I need to lose a little bit more fat for my leg muscles to really show, but it's coming along. I don't take any protein supplements. I just workout really hard every day - kickboxing, running (long and steady running but also hills and sprints) and, yoga. I don't lift any weights except for my own body weight. Push ups (all kinds of them), squats, lunges, mountain climbers, isometric and plyometric movements. I first noticed the muscles in my shoulders (that's where I had the least amount of fat), then the arms, back and abs. Legs are coming along, slowly but I will get there.

    Just eat as healthy as possible and workout really hard. Good luck.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    Ok, I workout everyday, but I would really like to have nice leg, arm, and back muscles that are defined to where when people see me they know I must workout. Is there specific protein after/before drinks/supplements I should be on? I don't want to look like a female bodybuilder, I just want defined muscles. I alternate cardio and weight training all week.
    Have you seen this:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html
    It's a 12 week plan and it starts with building muscle, there is an exercise plan, an eating plan and everything is free.
    I am going to start after Thanksgiving.
    It is hard to lose fat and build muscle at the same time...
    But like someone else said, protein is important, you should consume your ideal weight (in pounds) in grams of protein.
  • leethecuz
    leethecuz Posts: 19
    Protein is the number one thing. Also concentrate on building a strong core once you have that foundation, you can than work on other areas, core is very important and a lot of people undervalue it. Ive never heard of thirty day shed so its probably not that good for building muscle but because I haven't heard of it I can't comment on it, the ripped guy looks like he knows what he's talking about though.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    I have no specific name brands or anything, but my doctor said: try to eat or drink something with both carbs and protein right before every workout, and then eat or drink something with more protein (but no carbs) after your workout.

    Also, if you're working your muscles that hard, you should try to eat as many grams of protein per day as the pounds you weigh. For example, if you weigh 150 lb, try to eat 150g protein each day. That sounds like a lot, but protein has to do a lot of different jobs. It isn't *just* burned as fuel (calories). It also builds & repairs your muscle tissues. It is also a necessary ingredient in your fat-burning process (the chemical reaction that obtains energy from fatty acids also requires amino acids).

    Good luck!
  • anikab
    anikab Posts: 150 Member
    I do 30DS, and it's just not cutting it anymore for me. it's gotten too easy unfortunately.

    I'm going to start searching for a routine I can do...also, are things like Whey Protein even worth using? A have a friend who told me to drink a protein shake after workouts and sometimes even before...you're saying those don't do anything? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just confused.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    I do 30DS, and it's just not cutting it anymore for me. it's gotten too easy unfortunately.

    I'm going to start searching for a routine I can do...also, are things like Whey Protein even worth using? A have a friend who told me to drink a protein shake after workouts and sometimes even before...you're saying those don't do anything? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just confused.

    Whey protein is helpful to help you get enough protein in your diet if you're not getting enough from regular food. Needing it before and/or after a workout is a myth. I can link you to some scientific evidence that proves what I'm saying if you want.

    Here are a couple of workout routines that I think are worth checking out:

    http://www.niashanks.com/blog/Beautiful+Badasses
    http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women <----There are some women on this site that use this one
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    Whey protein is helpful to help you get enough protein in your diet if you're not getting enough from regular food. Needing it before and/or after a workout is a myth.

    This is not a myth, my doctor tells me to make sure & ingest protein both before and after a workout, preferably within ten minutes.
    As with most generalizations people make on this site, this advice really depends on your particular metabolism. If you have a very efficient metabolism, maybe even a normal metabolism, you probably DON'T have to pay much attention to the timing of the calories that you ingest.
    But if you are asking for advice on a weight-loss site, there's a good chance you have had trouble losing in the past. And this may indicate that you have a carb-sensitive metabolism, or one that is naturally slower, or a hormonal issue that makes it more difficult for your body to retrieve stored energy. In that case, you DO need to time your calorie intake so that your body will be sure to use them at the time they're needed.
  • chicklidell
    chicklidell Posts: 275
    Eat 6-7 meals a day, ensuring you have protein at every meal...I agree with a previous post, the protein infoods directly post or preworkout is pretty irrelevant, as long as you're eating at roughly 3 hour intervals and comsuming clean foods pre/post workout foods are really hyped. I take protein shakes only when I cannot eat protein based foods and i'm falling low on my counts, I weight btw 116-118lbs,on any given day and I consume roughly 170grams of protein a day. The key to compliment the food intake is to lift heavy..you need to be lifting heavy to build muscle. I don't agree with the post above about timing calories...if you're eating 6-7 meals a day...there's no need to time and if you eat clean, that really reduces the need to time. Getting muscle mass, is all about eating to keep the metabolism burning and lifting heavy a** weight....the only way to change the shape of your body.
  • Galletakek
    Galletakek Posts: 285
    Heavy weights..... Eat a high protein diet low carb diet .. always have some type of protein after a weight lifting work out with good carbs like oats or brown rice or a piece of Ezekiel bread :) dont do to much cardio .. oh btw dont eat 90mins before working out : / if you are going to lift big weights .... and yes protein absorbs the best after the first 30 mins you work ( good to build some nice tone muscles) out and carbs help the protein move to the muscle better.. go to bodybuilding.com if you want to know more :)
  • anikab
    anikab Posts: 150 Member
    I'm checking out the sites Uponthisrock, and thanks everyone for the input. I don't use heavy weight which is probably my problem. I usually use 5lbs for arm workouts so obviously I need to significantly up that weight. Is there a weight that would be too much? I do eat clean which is good, mainly fish and chicken and a lot of veggie. And no eating 90 minutes before?? Good lord I might fall out haha. Is there a reason not to eat 90 minutes prior?
  • anikab
    anikab Posts: 150 Member
    Eat 6-7 meals a day, ensuring you have protein at every meal...I agree with a previous post, the protein infoods directly post or preworkout is pretty irrelevant, as long as you're eating at roughly 3 hour intervals and comsuming clean foods pre/post workout foods are really hyped. I take protein shakes only when I cannot eat protein based foods and i'm falling low on my counts, I weight btw 116-118lbs,on any given day and I consume roughly 170grams of protein a day. The key to compliment the food intake is to lift heavy..you need to be lifting heavy to build muscle. I don't agree with the post above about timing calories...if you're eating 6-7 meals a day...there's no need to time and if you eat clean, that really reduces the need to time. Getting muscle mass, is all about eating to keep the metabolism burning and lifting heavy a** weight....the only way to change the shape of your body.

    So I need to be eating more? How would I adjust my calorie intake then? I love your arm muscles BTW! That's exactly what I'm looking for! And when you say 6-7 meals a day, what should they consist of, besides protein? And of course these are small meals so maybe a piece of fish and some veggies?
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