terizius Member

^^ Agreed. Gotta get them calories. Its uncomfortable to eat enough for the first few weeks, but thats what it takes if you want to gain. It should be coupled with a lifting routine if you want those gains to be muscle instead of just fat.

^^ I second pretty much everything said above.

I work out after work since I take my son to school in the mornings and it would be too early to go to gym. BUT, I like morning workouts. Despite the fact that I hate getting up that early, I feel so much more awake and alive during the day. Its nice to start the day out already having had accomplished something :)

^^ that first line was very important for me. Try to spread calories out evenly throughout the day. For me, that meant adding a snack or two between breakfast and lunch and a snack before bed.

There's a ton you can learn on your own, but a couple sessions with a trainer in a gym to orient yourself to the equipment and lifts will take much less time and get you going that much quicker and can answer your questions/correct form on the fly. At any rate, you just need to get started. There are a number of programs…

As in, the people here are **trying to gain weight :)

You can't really choose where you will lose fat from, but a lifting routine will help you to lose fat and build muscle, giving you the look your are seeking. Some popular lifting routines that many women here use are: Stronglifts Strong Curves New Rules of Lifting for Women I'm sure there are more, put those are popular to…

Hey, M & M's have valuable energy providing, glycogen replenishing carbs. Plus, I always get the peanut kind, so I've got the protein included. Hmm.. Carbs, protein, fat.. peanut M & M's sound like a pretty balanced meal all the sudden..

That's because their protein to fat intake was about 1:2.. so below that 40% mark. As your study mentions, above 40%, they developed diarrhea.. so.. It seems like 40% is the threshold for all meat diets (or protein consumption) before problems develop.

If no one is around and its in my routine, I will OHP in the squat rack, but I keep an eye out for incoming squatters (and wish they'd do the same for me on my leg days). You think cleaning the bar for OHP is getting tiresome.. try cleaning the bar for squats!!

It really depends on what your goals are. That being said, if you aren't involved in any kind of endurance or sport specific activities that require endurance, heavy lifting (high weight/low reps) are generally the way to go. Basically, anything between the 6-12 range - even lower if one is focusing on pure strength. Also,…

I don't find Jefit to be difficult at all. Once program is chosen, its extremely easy to use while working out. Yes, you do sign up, but its free for all the functionality I mentioned. Paid version just adds reporting/analysis capabilities, which I do separately also on excel. But excel doesn't come to the gym with me...

@badgerbadger1 - I don't always do this many reps - they will decrease progressively as I add weight for the next three weeks, at which point I'll jump back up to high reps. @AllanMisner - High bar squats, core is tight. I feel like I'm not leaning forward as far as I did with the parallel squats, but I don't have video to…

If you are more interested in cardio, you probably can't get much better than swimming.

I've had 4 knee surgeries. Occasionally I will still run, play tennis, martial arts, etc. but those often make my knee ache for days. Now, I mostly lift. Squats and other leg stuff doesn't really bother me with that (any more than anything else).

I have used Jefit for years and really love it. Tons of programs, or you can build your own (like I do). Keeps track of your sets/reps and shows you what lifted last time. Also shows you what you need to lift to beat your 1RM. Its my favorite.

;)

The scale tells only one side of the story.. It has to be coupled with body measurements and/or body fat %. I used to train a girl that felt the same as you. We were doing strength training, and initially, she would be terrified that the scale either didn't move or even moved the wrong way *gasp*. The measurements and body…

^^ Did you sneak a peek at my diary over the weekend??

@vmlabute - check out the studies I posted above, specifically the first one. The full study mentions an individual that performed a study on himself in a hospital environment.. here's the excerpt of what he found regarding "rabbit starvation syndrome".. The one well known case is that of the early 20th century Arctic…

I experienced the same thing in the first half of my last bulk and this one. Both of those trends reversed about 2-3 weeks in.

And one more: Excerpt from study abstract titled "Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation" by Phillips and Van Loon: Our consensus opinion is that leucine, and possibly the other branched-chain amino acids, occupy a position of prominence in stimulating muscle protein synthesis; that protein…

Here's a copy of a post I put in another tread based on some research this morning: Here's one interesting study titled "A Review of Issues of Dietary Protein Intake in Humans" by Bilsborough and Mann. Here are a few key excerpts - The three different measures of defining protein intake, which should be viewed together…

I agree with Springfield. Eat slightly above maintenance and lift your tail off! (or your belly.. in this case). Track for a few weeks to a month and regroup if necessary.

Both of the above studies seem to recommend small, repeated "doses" of protein. Contrast this with weight gainer shake that I normally consume with 56 grams of protein. I'm glad you posted the question and that I did some more research!

Excerpt from study abstract titled "Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation" by Phillips and Van Loon: Our consensus opinion is that leucine, and possibly the other branched-chain amino acids, occupy a position of prominence in stimulating muscle protein synthesis; that protein intakes in the…

Here's one interesting study titled "A Review of Issues of Dietary Protein Intake in Humans" by Bilsborough and Mann. Here are a few key notes - The three different measures of defining protein intake, which should be viewed together are: absolute intake (g/d), intake related to body weight (g ∙ kg-1 ∙ d-1) and intake as a…

You'll grow into the 120's.. no worries. Better to have them now than to have to wait on them when you get there.

BTW, for this bulk, I set goal measurements for 5% above baseline. Judging by my progress so far, those numbers look quite achievable. I keep pretty detailed records of my bulks. If you want to check out my threads, it will give you detailed numbers of what has been possible for me. Last years bulk:…

^^ While I completely agree with the above, I also fully support the idea of setting specific goals. @geo, I also use the SMART method when creating goals, though with some things the time frame is a bit nebulous. I actually have "ideal" measurements for every part of my body (though no set timeline atm). I also have goal…