stephxo1 Member

Use the same scale every time and make sure it's at the same time of the day too cos this can fluctuate greatly. I weigh in once a week using the same scale first thing in the morning before eating or drinking and after being to the toilet lol You're not going to all of a sudden gain 7-9lbs without either noticing it in…

Going to look into this myself, thanks :)

My current profile pic shows the difference 6 months made in my physique by changing up my eating habits and lifting heavy. No cardio whatsoever :)

Check out New Balance Minimus Barefoot Running Shoes. I use these for weight training as they're really flat and are the next best thing to barefoot training. Also have a look at ZEMgear Terra Tech Round Toe Lace-Up Shoes, I think these might be my next shoes actually :)

I thought this myself lol

I weigh in at 144, currently eating 2500 calories per day and finding it hard to gain. Heavy lifting, that's how!!

Thanks Jo! It was actually after reading quite a few of your quotes on this forum that I seen the light. And haven't looked back since :)

Cheers Jeff!! After ndj1979 blasted one of my very first posts I knew there was more to this gaining business than 'clean eating' lol

I came onto MFP with exactly the same mindset as the OP due to being told to eat healthy by loads of different people. It's true though that none of these people had the type of figure that I am trying to achieve so just show's what they know! After taking advice from all of the experienced gainers on here I now have…

Thanks for this post M27. Just starting my first bulk after getting bodyfat down to around 21%. Think I'll get out of the way of weighing myself so much and start carrying a tape measure instead lol Thanks again!

Don't be intimated by people in your local gym, they'll be too busy doing their own thing to start cracking jokes. What I would suggest is to get yourself a notepad and get yourself online. You Tube, Instagram and Facebook have a load of fitness people on them sharing videos all the time. Even after years of training in…

I use dymatize whey protein isolate, tastes amazing and mixes well unlike a few others I've tried. Depends what results you're after though to. There are a few brands doing diet whey proteins but only really necessary if you're on a very strict diet or looking to satiate. Hope this helps. Steph.

First you need to figure out your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and go from there. Here's a link to help you out. Then increase calories above this figure to gain weight. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Yeah no need to weigh something you aren't actually going to eat. I weigh my pineapple after I've prepared it and works ok for me.

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/stretching/starting-a-stretch-routine-for-beginners.html Give these a go. They'll be tough going if you're sore but try to loosen up those muscles a bit ahead of another gym session. Oh and keep at it, it gets easier with time and the more you work out the less time the pain…

I fluctuaute quite a bit with calories but weekly it seems to even itself out. I'm aiming for 2300 calories per day although some days I can consume over 3000 and still maintain! Don't get into the habit of not eating something simply because it might mess with your macros for the day. If you start down that path you're…

I'm one of the few who lifts weights but does no cardio. At the moment I am trying to gain some weight and build muscle after losing around 30lbs. My worry with cardio is that instead of bulking a bit I'd lose even more weight and start losing some of my well earned muscle mass. Once I get my weight up a bit I'd definately…

Agree with others on here, I love both my NB Vibrams and Minimums. Although I've seen a pair of Inov8 Fastlift 335 ladies weightlifting shoes that I'd love to try. Pretty expensive though hence why I've yet to buy them!

I work different body parts on different days with 48 hours between muscle groups e.g back/chest Monday, legs Tuesday, biceps/triceps Wednesday, etc, etc. Gives your muscles time to recover. Works for me although everyone is different.

Check this out, Jessica Smith 40 minute chair cardio workout! Might be useful to an extent :) http://www.jessicasmithtv.com/video_posts/chair-cardio-strength-workout-video/

My weight tends to fluctuate by a few pounds daily so I only weigh in every 1 or 2 weeks. I would also suggest taking pics every month or so to monitor your progress. The little changes that you might not notice on a daily basis are really noticable in pics taken a month or so apart.

I'd say that losing some fat tissue on your boobs is a small price to pay for a toned body. And no, pectoral exercises won't help your boobs stay perkier as you're working the muscle and not the fat tissue when you strength train your upper body. Just get a good bra to support those bad boys and keep lifting those weights…

My profile pic is the difference that 6 months of lifting heavy can do alongside a good eating plan. Always lift heavy, ALWAYS!!!

You're welcome. If you're wanting to tone up and are lifting weights then keep protein high even on days off. Works for me :)

That's also my starting point and seems to be working just fine :)

I manually inputted my own percentages at 35% carbs, 35% protein and 30% fat and think is an average base to start with. You can tweak it slighty based on your own goals but 50% carbs sounds like a lot.

I only do a weigh in every week or so since it fluctuates so much. As well as the scales try to take body measurements every month, that way you'll know if your body shape is changing and not just keeping yourself focused on weight. Works for me.

Think I might try the 50% method and see how I get on with it. So many variables!! lol

Depends what your overall goal is. My calorie target is quite high because I'm trying to gain muscle and maintain or gain a bit of weight so I tend to eat my exercise calories. This could change though if my weight starts shooting up too quickly. Think there's a bit of trial and error involved and knowing what works for…

I'm currently consuming on average 2300 calories per day and lifting heavy *kitten* weights 4-6 days a week. It works for, just keep your calories in surplus.