bulking and building muscles
Jessicaruby
Posts: 881 Member
so i really want to build my muscles so i decided to increase my cals. i made this decision a few days ago and i posted about it. while it is not a huge amount more and it has only been about 4 or 5 days i just feel fatter. i know it takes a while to build muscle but i am concerned i am not lifting enough to adequietly build muscle. i lift 4 days a week for about 65-70min each time. i use 15, 20 and 30lbs dumbells and some machines. i just recently started using the bar to do squats, deadlifts and bent-over rows. i started just with the 45lb bar and in a about a week and a half have moved up 20lbs. this weight doesnt seem like enough to me but i dont want to hurt myself by trying more weights until i build up to them.... is this going to build my muscles with my calorie increase or am i just going to get fat? help
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Replies
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How much did you increase your cals?
Start slow and see what your body does, don't blast yourself with 1000s of extra cals right off the bat.0 -
bump to respond later0
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EDIT: Entirely misunderstood what you were asking, and my response is therefore unrelated! Figured there was no need to clog up the thread! This is stuff I don't really know about myself
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You can't build muscle in a deficit either. Also it's SO much harder than you'd think to gain muscle. It'll realistically take a few months.
=] good luck0 -
Okay I'm a rookie, but here goes my advice.
First, you will put on fat while gaining muscles. It's extremely improbably to gain muscle without fat.
Next, you need to determine how much weight you should be lifting. You should be lifting a weight in which you can do no more than 8 reps. 5 - 8 seems to be the magic range people mention. Tony Horton from P90X mentions that the the last 2 or so reps should really be a struggle. If you are pushing out 8 - 12 reps, then chances are you are not putting enough stress on your muscles.
Last thing I'd mention is, while you may have increased your calories, what are you filling them with? You need to consume a lot of protien. Protien is the building blocks for our muscles.
Oh, one more thing. I've heard that you should be sure to lift heavy with your legs as well. This will promote growth hormones naturally within your body helping you build muscle. Not 100% sure if this is for women too.
I hope this helps.0 -
20lbs increase in lifts in a week and a half is more than enough!! Trust me on this, if in a few months time if you are still getting that, everyone will want to know what the hell you are doing! :happy:
Although it is quite normal to increase this much to begin with, mainly due to the fact that because you're not used to lifting you generally start lighter to "get a feel" for the bar or you wobble about everywhere. I did anyway! lol
You will not get fat unless you are eating WAY above you're maintenance. I am gaining anywhere up to a pound a week (although it's slowed down recently) and YES some will be fat when you are bulking. It cannot be helped. It is the point of cutting cycles, to get rid of the fat you gained and hold onto as much muscle.
Please do not think you're just going to get fat. My stomach (the first place I gain fat!) is not that much bigger now, than 15lbs ago. It is bigger of course it is, but not loads. It is a lot smaller than when I was this weight previously.0 -
Okay I'm a rookie, but here goes my advice.
First, you will put on fat while gaining muscles. It's extremely improbably to gain muscle without fat.
Next, you need to determine how much weight you should be lifting. You should be lifting a weight in which you can do no more than 8 reps. 5 - 8 seems to be the magic range people mention. Tony Horton from P90X mentions that the the last 2 or so reps should really be a struggle. If you are pushing out 8 - 12 reps, then chances are you are not putting enough stress on your muscles.
Last thing I'd mention is, while you may have increased your calories, what are you filling them with? You need to consume a lot of protien. Protien is the building blocks for our muscles.
Oh, one more thing. I've heard that you should be sure to lift heavy with your legs as well. This will promote growth hormones naturally within your body helping you build muscle. Not 100% sure if this is for women too.
I hope this helps.
Very well said. I will add just a little. Find out what your maintenance caloric intake is and eat 100 caloires over that for a week. Check the scale and if you're happy with little to no movement then increase the next week by 100 and so on. Now here is the thing...muscle burns fat but you have to feed the muscle to grow. 8-10 reps will build bulk (not really in women but faster then the 12-15 reps) 12-15 reps burns leaner muscle.
Keep in mind what was already said...you don't have the testosterone to build big bulky muscle so I'd go 8-10 range.0 -
I've been eating an average of 2600 calories a day (about 10% over maintenance) for 1.5 months. I've gained 3lbs. I do full body workouts 3 times a week (I'm following New Rules).
Just lift as heavy as possible. I've read that for increase in muscle size (hypertrophy I think it's called) 8-12 reps is best. The 5-8 is great for increases strength but if you just want size go 8-12. You aren't strong yet, but if you continually up your weights whenever you can safely you'll get there. My squat and dead lifts have doubled in that 1.5 months.
Also, it is SOOOOOOOOOO hard for women to gain muscle. Lots of work, effort and eating. Compared to how hard it is to gain muscle, losing weight is EASY. Someone told me "don't let fear of fat gain sabotage all the hard work you are doing to gain the muscle". Just go for it. Know the fat will come off again easy.0 -
after reading responses i thought i should add some more info. I am aiming for around 2000 net calories a day which is about 2200-2400 cals a day. this is about 200 calories more than what i was eating before. i aim for 200 grams of protein and i eat mostly chicken breast, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, nuts, protein powder and drinks. i eat alot of the same things daily. i know it takes a while to build muscle, i just want to be sure i am doing the right things to build muscle and am not just eating more and getting fat. i know you have to gain some fat to build muscle but i want to make sure i am lifting enough to build that muscle!0
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Bumping to keep in my topics...0
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4 days a week, an hour plus at a time is MORE than enough. Just make sure you are upping your weights whenever possible.0
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PROTEIN!!!!! lol. I customized my MFP goals. I set my protein to 40%, carbs to 40%, and fat to 20%. Actually I started out with 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fat but I just recently started incorporating more carbs in order to keep my energy level up for working out and lifting. Feel free to take a look at my food diary for ideas!0
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Jessicaruby, I don't know how much muscle you want to gain, but use this formula that a lot of bodybuilders use to track their progress.
Weight x Body fat percentage = Pounds of fat
Weight - Pounds of fat = Pounds of lean body mass.0 -
after reading responses i thought i should add some more info. I am aiming for around 2000 net calories a day which is about 2200-2400 cals a day. this is about 200 calories more than what i was eating before. i aim for 200 grams of protein and i eat mostly chicken breast, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, nuts, protein powder and drinks. i eat alot of the same things daily. i know it takes a while to build muscle, i just want to be sure i am doing the right things to build muscle and am not just eating more and getting fat. i know you have to gain some fat to build muscle but i want to make sure i am lifting enough to build that muscle!
Do you know what your maintenance cals are? (or how much do you weigh now to get an approximate)
I aim for 1g/lb of BW minimum for protein so you're 200g is definitely sufficient. Good stuff
To do a simple progressive approach would be to set your target sets & reps. I've always done 8x3 for the compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, SOHP, rows & pullups) Once you reach 8x3, up the weight by 5lbs (or smaller for bench & SOHP) & then continue. If you fail to progress 3 workouts in a row, drop the weight by 10% & go again 0 -
i would suggest a program like stronglifts 5x5.
oh, and try and keep your weight gains to around .5 - 1 lb per week.
good luck0 -
after reading responses i thought i should add some more info. I am aiming for around 2000 net calories a day which is about 2200-2400 cals a day. this is about 200 calories more than what i was eating before. i aim for 200 grams of protein and i eat mostly chicken breast, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, nuts, protein powder and drinks. i eat alot of the same things daily. i know it takes a while to build muscle, i just want to be sure i am doing the right things to build muscle and am not just eating more and getting fat. i know you have to gain some fat to build muscle but i want to make sure i am lifting enough to build that muscle!
Do you know what your maintenance cals are? (or how much do you weigh now to get an approximate)
I aim for 1g/lb of BW minimum for protein so you're 200g is definitely sufficient. Good stuff
To do a simple progressive approach would be to set your target sets & reps. I've always done 8x3 for the compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, SOHP, rows & pullups) Once you reach 8x3, up the weight by 5lbs (or smaller for bench & SOHP) & then continue. If you fail to progress 3 workouts in a row, drop the weight by 10% & go again
i weigh about 135lbs. and am 5'7. so you are saying to do 8 sets of 3 reps. i usually do the exact opposite with 3 sets of 8 reps lol0 -
after reading responses i thought i should add some more info. I am aiming for around 2000 net calories a day which is about 2200-2400 cals a day. this is about 200 calories more than what i was eating before. i aim for 200 grams of protein and i eat mostly chicken breast, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, nuts, protein powder and drinks. i eat alot of the same things daily. i know it takes a while to build muscle, i just want to be sure i am doing the right things to build muscle and am not just eating more and getting fat. i know you have to gain some fat to build muscle but i want to make sure i am lifting enough to build that muscle!
Do you know what your maintenance cals are? (or how much do you weigh now to get an approximate)
I aim for 1g/lb of BW minimum for protein so you're 200g is definitely sufficient. Good stuff
To do a simple progressive approach would be to set your target sets & reps. I've always done 8x3 for the compound lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, SOHP, rows & pullups) Once you reach 8x3, up the weight by 5lbs (or smaller for bench & SOHP) & then continue. If you fail to progress 3 workouts in a row, drop the weight by 10% & go again
i weigh about 135lbs. and am 5'7. so you are saying to do 8 sets of 3 reps. i usually do the exact opposite with 3 sets of 8 reps lol
No that is 8reps of 3 sets
I would estimate your maintenance at about 2000cals gross so the 2200-2400 you were aiming for is probably about spot on.
Assess every couple of weeks with pics,measurements, calipers if possible & adjust intake if necessary 0 -
"A lot" of bodybuilders DON'T use this formula. Mirror, the scale and increase in size of bodyparts is how they tell. Please stop saying this blanket statement about bodybuilders.Jessicaruby, I don't know how much muscle you want to gain, but use this formula that a lot of bodybuilders use to track their progress.
Weight x Body fat percentage = Pounds of fat
Weight - Pounds of fat = Pounds of lean body mass.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
"A lot" of bodybuilders DON'T use this formula. Mirror, the scale and increase in size of bodyparts is how they tell. Please stop saying this blanket statement about bodybuilders.Jessicaruby, I don't know how much muscle you want to gain, but use this formula that a lot of bodybuilders use to track their progress.
Weight x Body fat percentage = Pounds of fat
Weight - Pounds of fat = Pounds of lean body mass.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Ninerbuff, you can't tell me what to say or not to say. You may not use this formula, but you can't speak for all bodybuilders. You are welcome to use the ignore button. I will do so now.0 -
The point is to quit spreading mis information. You seem to be really good at it. Ignore if you like, but I will refute you each time you put bad information out to save others from it.
Ninerbuff, you can't tell me what to say or not to say. You may not use this formula, but you can't speak for all bodybuilders. You are welcome to use the ignore button. I will do so now.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Jessicaruby, I stand on the formula statement. You can check out bodybuilder sites and see that I'm telling the truth. No one can just look at themselves and know how much muscle they have gained without using the formula. If you really want to know about gaining muscle, you can check out Scooby's youtube videos and his site. He knows what he's talking about. A lot of people will disagree and that's them. Scooby has some very good information on his site.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/0 -
Well I read somewhere on the interwebs that EVERY blue thing in the world is actually purple!!
I am therefore going to shout it as fact, and defend my right to say it. If you disagree with me, I'll put my fingers in my ears and sing "la la la la". It's my constitutional right to do so!0 -
You really don't need to lift that long. 45-60 should be more than sufficient. Keep increasing weight without sacrificing form. Keep your reps to 8-10 and make sure you recover enough to do the next set. Take in enough protein (consensus is 1 gram per pound of bodyweight) and also adequate carbs.so i really want to build my muscles so i decided to increase my cals. i made this decision a few days ago and i posted about it. while it is not a huge amount more and it has only been about 4 or 5 days i just feel fatter. i know it takes a while to build muscle but i am concerned i am not lifting enough to adequietly build muscle. i lift 4 days a week for about 65-70min each time. i use 15, 20 and 30lbs dumbells and some machines. i just recently started using the bar to do squats, deadlifts and bent-over rows. i started just with the 45lb bar and in a about a week and a half have moved up 20lbs. this weight doesnt seem like enough to me but i dont want to hurt myself by trying more weights until i build up to them.... is this going to build my muscles with my calorie increase or am i just going to get fat? help
You cannot build muscle without adding a little fat too. Figure that it will be at least .3lbs or more of fat for every pound of muscle gained.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
12-15 reps burns leaner muscle.
Not to thread jack, but just wondering if someone can explain this or explain the differences in amount of reps. When would 12-15 reps be beneficial?0 -
Current dogma seems to be 6-8 reps, max weight for bulk; 8-12 reps for strength; 12+ for endurance. Lots of books and sites say something similar to this but I must admit I've seen no scientific peer reviewed studies on this. Love to know if anyone else out there has some references.12-15 reps burns leaner muscle.
Not to thread jack, but just wondering if someone can explain this or explain the differences in amount of reps. When would 12-15 reps be beneficial?0 -
12 and higher are used for muscular endurance. Usually I will train athletes in this range since they are more concerned with making sure their muscles don't bog down during their sporting event.
Not to thread jack, but just wondering if someone can explain this or explain the differences in amount of reps. When would 12-15 reps be beneficial?
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research has applied studies to this.
Current dogma seems to be 6-8 reps, max weight for bulk; 8-12 reps for strength; 12+ for endurance. Lots of books and sites say something similar to this but I must admit I've seen no scientific peer reviewed studies on this. Love to know if anyone else out there has some references.
1-4 reps for max power
5-8 reps for strength
8-12 reps for muscle hypertrophy
12+ for muscular endurance.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
after reading responses i thought i should add some more info. I am aiming for around 2000 net calories a day which is about 2200-2400 cals a day. this is about 200 calories more than what i was eating before. i aim for 200 grams of protein and i eat mostly chicken breast, fruits, veggies, greek yogurt, nuts, protein powder and drinks. i eat alot of the same things daily. i know it takes a while to build muscle, i just want to be sure i am doing the right things to build muscle and am not just eating more and getting fat. i know you have to gain some fat to build muscle but i want to make sure i am lifting enough to build that muscle!
haven't you stated in the past that you burn approx 2700 cals a day? in the numerous bulking threads you've made, you've been told that you have to be in a surplus for this to work. if you want to build muscle you have to get over your fear of adding some fat. It's a lot easier to shed fat then build muscle0 -
adding to my threads0
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The problem with using the body fat percentage formula to track gains is that as a woman I (and Jessica) will only be gaining at the very most 5lbs of muscle in say 6 months (and that is really being generous). I weight 150lbs. 5lbs of muscle is only 3.3% of my body weight which is within the error of body fat measurements. In 1.5 months I've most likely only gained 1lb of muscle. That's less than 1% of my body weight. Again, not distinguishable by body fat measurements. BUT when I look in the mirror, or feel my pants being tighter in the quads, then I can tell that I've gained muscle.0
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