For BG fitness fanatics, a question..

[Atreides]

it's not a matter of cardio giving you energy, it's a matter of burning off the calories your muscles need to grow, and stressing them while they should be recovering from your lifting. If you keep up with 5 days 45 mins of cardio you will not get the results you're looking for, it's way too much.

I'm only really hoping to gain maybe 10-15 lbs in muscle, not hoping to hulkify myself or anything like that.

Not to be a dick but it ABSOLUTELY kills me when people say this (and they say it all the time). Unless you're 16 years old with perfect genetics, a perfect diet, and a perfect workout plan, you don't have to worry about this. The human body can gain, at maximum, 10-15 lbs of muscle in a year, *maybe* 20 in your first year of serious weight training.

Simply put: There is almost no conceivable way (short of anabolic steroids) to bulk up so fast that you become a hulk without hitting "toned" first. At 145 lbs you have at least a year before you reach your personal goal of 10-15 lbs, and at least another year or 2 on top of that before you even begin to become "hulky".

As long as you're hitting all of your muscle groups, how you put on muscle is going to be largely dictated by your skeletal structure/body type and genetics, not how many reps you do or whether you do such and such routine.

If you're looking for a good basic program that will put muscle on you while teaching you the basics of weight training, look into Starting Strength. This is usually what's recommended to beginners/novices because it works really well, as long as you take the time to learn the lifts. The routine is basically:

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi...hnaabs_Program
Workout A) Squat 3x5, Bench 3x5, Deadlift 1x5
Workout B) Squat 3x5, Press 3x5, Power Clean 5x3 or Pendlay Row 3x5

3 days a week, alternate ABA BAB etc. Only 5 different exercises, simple but they're all compound lifts that hit multiple muscle groups, and you add weight to the bar every time you go to the gym so it's constant linear progression that will really get your strength up quickly as long as you're eating/resting enough.

Maybe someone else could recommend something else that you can do at home with the equipment you already have, but if you're willing to learn and not just bulk the program can be very rewarding.

[Albatross]

Ok, thanks, again I appreciate the advice.

Not to be a dick but it ABSOLUTELY kills me when people say this (and they say it all the time). Unless you're 16 years old with perfect genetics, a perfect diet, and a perfect workout plan, you don't have to worry about this. The human body can gain, at maximum, 10-15 lbs of muscle in a year, *maybe* 20 in your first year of serious weight training.

If I had perfect diet/workout plan/genetics/knowledge on the subject I wouldn't be asking for advice now would I? ^^

[Atreides]

yeah I know, its nothing personal against you but literally everyone says it. Hell I used to say it lol

[Albatross]

Haha, I can imagine if you're used to giving out advice and been involved a great deal with this kind of thing it could get old after a while. Don't mean to seem ignorant, but gotta ask the questions if you want to make progress. Definitely appreciate the candor though, learn something new everyday.

[Biddinger]

alliteratively here's mine

Spoiler: show

Meal #1
6 Whole Eggs
2 Slices Toast
1 Cup Oatmeal
2 Cups 1% Milk
Multivitamin/mineral supplement
2 Tablespoons Flax Seed Oil

Protein = 51 grams
Carbs = 49 grams
Fat = 35 grams
Total Calories = 1,000



Meal #2
3oz Peanuts
2 Cans Tuna

Protein = 84 grams
Carbs = 15 grams
Fat = 48 grams
Total Calories = 780



Meal #3
8oz Grilled Chicken Breast
1 1/2 Half Cups Rice

Protein = 50 grams
Carbs = 76 grams
Fat = 6 grams
Total Calories = 540


Meal #4
7oz Sirloin Steak
2 Potatoes

Protein = 60 grams
Carbs = 26 grams
Fat = 18 grams
Total Calories = 600


Meal #5 (Pre-Workout)
8oz Grilled Chicken Breast
1 Half Cup Rice
1 Rice Cake (with peanut butter)
2 Bananas

Protein = 60 grams
Carbs = 90 grams
Fat = 8 grams
Total Calories = 650


Meal #6 (Post Workout Shake)
ON 100% Whey Protein (2 Scoops)
2 Tablespoons Glutamine
Multivitamin/mineral supplement
10oz Apple Juice
1 Can Fat Free Yogurt

(Post Workout Meal)
8oz Lean Ground Beef
1 1/2 Cups Rice
3 Rice Cakes (with honey and peanut butter)
2 Cups 1% Milk

Protein = 60 grams
Carbs = 50 grams
Fat = 7 grams
Total Calores = 780


Meal #7 (Just before bed)
8oz Cottage Cheese (Lowfat)
2 Tablespoons Flax Seed Oil

Protein = 24 grams
Carbs = 8 grams
Fat = 4 grams
Total Calories = 160

This is how it's done! You're the man Res.

[Churchill]

Why can't you gain muscle without gaining fat?

[Atreides]

you can, but 99% of all people will either fuck it up, or gain muscle at a phenomenally slow pace compared to if they just ate enough and didn't worry about it

edit: the problem is that muscle gain doesn't happen at a constant rate, so staying just a few hundred calories above your BMR will leave you with gaps in your caloric surplus, which can bring muscle gain to a screeching halt and make a very noticeable difference if you're on a program in which you're adding weight to the bar on a constant basis. Like I said, it can be done with some very painstaking trial and error, but most people (especially beginners) don't have the knowledge of nutrition or how their own body works to do this. Still, you will see faster growth if you have a constant surplus to feed your muscles, so why sabotage your own efforts out of fear?

[Meat]

Why can't you gain muscle without gaining fat?

because you need a caloric surplus to build muscle

[Sythe]

So I've got a question for you guys. I'm a pretty lean guy. I'm 5'11'' & 155lbs. I have never gotten more then 5 pounds away from 155 in any direction. What i need to know is can i build modest muscle mass (legs and arms/chest) and still stay toned (stomach) and what diet would help me accomplish that. I already started making changes to my diet but I'm sure i can do much more. thx :D dont beat me up to badly if this is a dumb question

[Churchill]

you can, but 99% of all people will either fuck it up, or gain muscle at a phenomenally slow pace compared to if they just ate enough and didn't worry about it

ding ding.

Types of calories vs caloric intake

[Woozie]

because you need a caloric surplus to build muscle

There's been plenty of studies showing that you can build muscle on a calorie deficit. I think it really boils down to what Churchill and Atreides said.

[Atreides]

If it is possible, it probably requires such accurate control of meal timing and macronutrient ratios that it might as well be impossible for everyone who doesn't have a team of university researchers to tell them exactly what to eat and when. Just because studies prove something is possible doesn't mean it's practical or even feasible... or even effective compared to the normal bulk/cut cycle.

Sorry but I have a tough time believing that reading a few articles will let you unlock secrets of bodybuilding that teams of experts and PHDs have spent the better part of the last century trying to find.

I'd be interested to read them regardless if you'd like to PM them to me, but I don't think people should get their hopes up for fat-free bulking.

[Woozie]

If it is possible, it probably requires such accurate control of meal timing and macronutrient ratios that it might as well be impossible for everyone who doesn't have a team of university researchers to tell them exactly what to eat and when. Just because studies prove something is possible doesn't mean it's practical or even feasible... or even effective compared to the normal bulk/cut cycle.

Sorry but I have a tough time believing that reading a few articles will let you unlock secrets of bodybuilding that teams of experts and PHDs have spent the better part of the last century trying to find.

I'd be interested to read them regardless if you'd like to PM them to me, but I don't think people should get their hopes up for fat-free bulking.

I'll send them to you tomorrow. I wasn't commenting on whether or not this was practical. I was commenting on whether or not it's possible. The idea that a calorie surplus is necessary for muscle building has been proven wrong. I didn't read this in some article in the news or on some website or anything, I read the actual studies in the actual peered reviewed journals.

[Atreides]

Alrighty sweet, thanks

So I've got a question for you guys. I'm a pretty lean guy. I'm 5'11'' & 155lbs. I have never gotten more then 5 pounds away from 155 in any direction. What i need to know is can i build modest muscle mass (legs and arms/chest) and still stay toned (stomach) and what diet would help me accomplish that. I already started making changes to my diet but I'm sure i can do much more. thx :D dont beat me up to badly if this is a dumb question

Read everything on the previous page, the advice I gave to Albatross applies to you too 100%. But I'll repeat this part: if you're looking to gain muscle you have to accept the fact that you'll almost certainly gain some fat.

[Sythe]

But i need my 6 paccckkk!!!! lol k

[Churchill]

I've been on ~500 calorie deficit for 3 months now, and have got stronger and bigger.

Aside from diet, which I can get into if someone wants, the biggest thing is the actual workout program.

I haven't done a lift that isolates a muscle group in probably a year and a half now, the only reason I've been at a deficit for 3 months is because there was a gap due to me being in a school where you are essentially pissing and sweating ammonia for the duration.

If you constantly engage your entire body in your workouts, including your heart, you will release/produce more testosterone which counters the lack of 'calories' you are missing. In the end, I don't want to get bigger, but eating big to get big isn't the only way to achieve that goal. There are ways to accomplish this without putting on fat.

I honestly think if I added another 800 calories a day and did another workout where I isolated muscles and trained to hypertrophy, I'd still be in a deficit but I would put on a lot of mass. Just something to think about.

[Atreides]

If you added another 800 calories you'd still be at a deficit? That would mean unless you're freakishly tall/big you're eating no more than 1500 or so calories now? What exactly is your diet?

[Benevolentone]

Just curious about a little something I have noticed about myself for the last few years now and I wanna just run it by the people here to see if its normal. FYI I have not read anything in this thread because fitness doesn't really appeal to me at all so ignore if you so choose.

Anyway I am 6'4 and 150 pounds and am 20 years old, and I have been that +/- 5 pounds for the last 4 or so years. So my question is this, why can I not gain any weight even when I work out and noticeably gain muscle? I was under the impression that muscle is heavier than fat so I should have gained weight somewhere in there right? As far as my diet goes, I do not go out of my way to eat healthy or small portions. I eat a TON of food. Like I can eat 3-4 pounds of spaghetti/cheese/sauce, and be hungry in two hours. I do not eat healthy, like i don't eat salads and shit, but at the same time I have variety in my diet to make sure that I am getting enough vitaminy goodness that my young growing body actively needs. One day I looked at how many calories I eat on average and it seemed like it was 4k+ a day.

I don't eat fast food, I don't drink soda of any kind, don't smoke/drink, and I am somewhat active although not super much so. I also don't snack on bad shit usually. But I do work at an ice cream place/bakery called Graeter's and I tend to eat like 2 donuts on average a shift and like a scoop of ice cream or so, and I have done that for a year, still no dice and no weight gained at all.

That was longer than I meant it to be but I do want to know what is with this shit? I used to play games 5-10 hours a day and weighed the same while living off of pizza rolls, hot dogs and french fries and spaghetti. If anyone could explain it it would be awesome.

[Atreides]

Are you trying to gain muscle or just weight in general? Even if your body needs more calories than the average person to put on weight, you're not going to put on muscle without some form of weight/resistance training.

You should definitely take the time to write out everything you ate for the past 2-3 days and figure out how many calories it is. You can do this for free on fitday.com, it's really easy. If your body can really stay lean on 4k calories a day you might have a thyroid/hormone condition, but that's something only a doctor can tell you after blood tests.

[Churchill]

Just curious about a little something I have noticed about myself for the last few years now and I wanna just run it by the people here to see if its normal. FYI I have not read anything in this thread because fitness doesn't really appeal to me at all so ignore if you so choose.

Anyway I am 6'4 and 150 pounds and am 20 years old, and I have been that +/- 5 pounds for the last 4 or so years. So my question is this, why can I not gain any weight even when I work out and noticeably gain muscle? I was under the impression that muscle is heavier than fat so I should have gained weight somewhere in there right? As far as my diet goes, I do not go out of my way to eat healthy or small portions. I eat a TON of food. Like I can eat 3-4 pounds of spaghetti/cheese/sauce, and be hungry in two hours. I do not eat healthy, like i don't eat salads and shit, but at the same time I have variety in my diet to make sure that I am getting enough vitaminy goodness that my young growing body actively needs. One day I looked at how many calories I eat on average and it seemed like it was 4k+ a day.

I don't eat fast food, I don't drink soda of any kind, don't smoke/drink, and I am somewhat active although not super much so. I also don't snack on bad shit usually. But I do work at an ice cream place/bakery called Graeter's and I tend to eat like 2 donuts on average a shift and like a scoop of ice cream or so, and I have done that for a year, still no dice and no weight gained at all.

That was longer than I meant it to be but I do want to know what is with this shit? I used to play games 5-10 hours a day and weighed the same while living off of pizza rolls, hot dogs and french fries and spaghetti. If anyone could explain it it would be awesome.

If you eat 5, 6 times a day, try eating 60+g of fat each meal in addition to eating 21-28g of protein and 27-36g of carbs.

For example, a meal that consisted of that would be as follows:

112 almonds
3-4oz chicken breast or 1.5 scoop protein powder
1/4cup hummus + 1 apple

If every meal you ate was balanced like that, per zone guidelines, you'd hit ~24 blocks a day for protein/carbs, and ~100-120 blocks of fat. Eat your food in the order of carbs -> protein -> fat, and eat it slowly. You should notice that you feel full moreso than if you ate a big plate of cheesy alfredo. This is an example, I am not at a low bodyfat % which looking at what you said, you would be. I only eat 12 almonds a meal, which is hard to do because they're so good lol...so I usually use avocado, which fills me up much better than almonds do.