Working harder, gaining weight!

[TheMasterMind776]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

I drink about 150oz's of water a day. I usually have eggs or as gross as it sounds, hot dogs for breakfast. Lunch, I will have chicken stir fry, (peppers, mushrooms, onions) or maybe some cole cuts rolled up with mayo (trader joe's) or mustard and for dinner will be cheeseburgers with american cheese boarshead brand, and top it with mustard.

[Kawispice]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

You know because of the discipline that you are showing in working out I would like to mention that it is similar to what the body builder buddies of mine do. Except your diet is not similar. They are very close to eating on an Atkins schedule without ever having read the book etc, because that is what works. So for meat, for example, they inevitably have chicken, which is baked with their own spice, veg mix etc or fish which is poached or grilled carefully to not dry it out. They go heavy on the salad veggies too.

Before a competition, about 3 months before, they start to reduce their carbs on a weekly basis. The day before a competition they would have been on "Atkins induction" like diet for a week at least. This is to lower the body fat to the maximum amount, which shows off their muscles to get that "ripped" look. The look most female hate because it looks so artificial, my daughter always says she would poke a needle into them and they would burst like a balloon... ok.... so she is a teen. The thing is after competition, the body builders add carbs, slowly, not suddenly, not because they are worried about their weght but in order not to shock their body which is their tool, their pride, something they live for, too much.

I am personally not a body builder but work out with them regularly and have learned a lot (good and bad) from them. So back to the diet, processed meat has a way of making it impossible for you to reach your goal. If you take a bit of the time you use to workout and put it into buying and planning your meals you will get further. I promise this. Oh, the other thing, you did not mention how much you sleep but sleep is a must. Heavy workouts require lots of sleep. Also the more you sleep the less hungry you are.

[4themasses]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Muscle mass burns more calories/fat. Don't try for the Olympia and gain massive muscle weight right now. Have you seen what 5pds of muscle mass looks like. It's a lot so don't worry about gaining 20 pounds of muscle right now. Working very hard might get you 20 pounds, chances are right now, isn't gonna happen. Kinda like women worried about weight lifting sayin they don't want to get big and bulky. Chances are...not gonna happen. They would look great if they did.
I would do a "body for life" type of workout, like circuit training where your breathing more than anything while building SOME muscle.
Keep lifting though.....it'll pay off overall.
I agree with the above as for as physical stress and water retention. Scales can really get into ones psychie.
Use clothes as a gauge or measuring tape. Maybe take a pic of yourself in a pair of tighter pants and do that once a week. Before long you'll see it falling off.
Good luck!

HIGH REPS (30-35, 5-6 SETS)....LOW WEIGHTS FOR NOW.

[chinadoll]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Not necessarily dehydrated but it will cause you to shed water. Same with caffeine in coffee. Thats why Dr A tells you to drink extra water to compensate for coffee consumption. Every time I have water retention, the little old herb lady at the end of my street pushes a greent tea on me to help me get unbloated. LOL So I guess it works; she is pretty popular with the locals for curing their ills.

[TheMasterMind776]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

That's interesting about the body builders. I get about 8 hours of sleep a night. How much does 1lb of muscle burn? example... How many calories in a day? Does anybody know?

[msanjelpie]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day.

[TheMasterMind776]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Great. Thanks for that info... Now, should I be taking in extra protein powders? Or am I getting enough protein from the atkins?

[JohnSantos]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

I do Chest and tri's on Monday, Back and bi's on Tuesday, shoulders on Wednesday, legs on Thursday. And each day I run except Sunday.

I've been weight training most of my life, my two cents:

Stick a day between those for recovery.

Like Mon/Wed/Fri , or Tues/Thur/Sat. Keep Sunday as a do-nothing day. I'd also combine the major groups, like:

Chest/Back day 1 (Monday)
Biceps/Triceps day 2 (Wednesday)
Legs/Shoulders day 3 (Friday)

The day in between lets you recover.

Personally, shoulders hurt so I didn't do them (thanks to a hard back/bi workout earlier). I found my back and bi pumping crimped by the fact that I did shoulders. That's just me though.

I liked the Tues/Thur/Sat routine too, since most guys pump Mon/Wed/Fri. Had more of the gym to myself instead of waiting in lines. Again, just me.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Pure Whey Protein Powder is not allowed in extended induction... It is however allowed on rung 2. (And it's yummy!)

I only add protein powder when my percentage of protein is down for the day. (Supposed to be 30% per day)... Usually though on this diet, if you are eating enough meat/fish/poultry, you are covered...

[TheMasterMind776]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Hey, John.. I have bumped up my workouts to about 1.5 hours a day for weight training. I do Chest and Tri, Back and Bi's, then another day do shoulders and another day I do legs. I try to run at least 2.5 miles and walk another mile to mile and a half. Then give my muscles about a week to recover and do it all over again.

Msan. There is another protein powder out there called myoplex carb sense. No sugar and no carbs.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

Myoplex carb sense does have carbs...

Myoplex Carb Sense Powder

[chinadoll]

Re: Working harder, gaining weight!

You do have to watch with some of the powders. Generally we have enough protein in our daily eating. I agree with John, you need to rest alternate days and have a full day off once a week. I have less time to lift so I do chest/back, shoulders. and biceps/triceps on one lift day and then quads, hams, calves, deadlifts and good mornings the second day. Abs 5-6 times a week. But I always take a rest day at least once a week. Some weeks I only get in two workouts, some weeks I get a third day in so I have, say, 2 upper and one lower workout. Then I just start with lower the next week.