Food Informaion ...

[SoDaR2005]

Hello,

I am 20 years old and i weigh approximately 138lbs i am also 5foot 10inches. I hate being thin, i hate it so much it's hard to explain sometimes. Anyway, i desperately need help on gaining mass to increase muscle size, and i don't want to be huge i just want to be toned. I have never liked massive muscle but i would just like to increase my muscle size so i am relatively toned. I have used a Gym in the past for around 2 years but i never seem to gain weight or put on any kind of muscle and i have tried everything. I don't like using steroids so i decided to get some Creatine Powder Supplement. A lot of athletes recommend it and i used it, but still i saw no change in my appearance and it's really depressing sometimes.

I do know that you must eat and keep eating to gain mass, but i have never been good with food i just don't know what to eat. I know i would need at least five or six meals a day but again what should i eat. Also training comes into perspective, i would like my training to be like this:

Monday - Train;
Tuesday - Rest;
Wednesday - Train;
Thursday - Train;
Friday - Rest;
Saturday - Rest;
Sunday - Rest.

If there is a problem with that please explain why. Thank you. Also i do know for increasing mass i need a lot of Calories and Proteins but how many Calories and how many Proteins a day do i need? I like Fruit, Oatmeal, Fish, Chicken, Beef you name it i will most likely eat it but usually im into junk foods as well like Chips/Fries or deepfried things which i would like to cut out too.

My goals are to gain mass and increase my Arms, Chest, Shoulders and Legs and thats really it. It sounded simple to me but i know it is not and i would really like some help on food planning etc. If someone could do a layout for me i would be very appreciative ... For example:

Day 1 - "Meal here"
Day 2 - "Meal here"

And so on ... I really am bad with food at one time i wanted to eat healthily but i could not find what foods to eat because im that crap with food. I hope someone can help or fire away with tips. Thank you.

 

[StereOMaN]

First, Training 3 days a week is not a good idea for packing on mass up it to 6. Provided you are eating right your body will only need one day to reach full recovery to start the next week. This entails having a good schedual, Heres an example of the one I'm currently doing:
Day1 - Back\Bi's
Day2 - Chest\Tri's
Day3 - Shoulders\abs
Day4 - Arms
Day5 - Legs
I do this 5 day rotation and every seventh day I take off. Disclaimer: I only have an 'arms' day b/c my tri's arn't keeping up to my chest and need to build more (and I don't train them until failure on my back & chest days). I would recomend eating 4000-5000 cal\day with 1.5g protein per kg of body mass. That is all the recovery time you need on that diet. Water intake should be very high 3-4 gallons of water I recomend. I can't give you a full week of meals but heres a cross section of my diet:
6am - Protein Shake & Oatmeal & Glass of Grapefruit Juice
Workout
9am - 3 h-boiled eggs 3 pcs Toast
12noon - 2 Chicken Breasts & potatoes & green beans
3pm - 2 Tuna sandwiches
6pm - Spaggetti (w/butter&italliano&oliveoil) & 3/4lb ground beef
9pm - Cottage Cheese & Banana
?pm - Protein Bar b4 bed
Hope that gives you the right idea. Basicly a good idea is to keep a shit load of spaggetti and rice cooked up at all times, get creative! I've been sticking to this for the past month now and I've slapped on ~15lbs lean body mass. It works. And DO NOT skip back workouts even if they are not your priority. You will not build a big chest without a big back. And although you may not see your back in the mirror, girls see it, and trust me it makes a difference. Stick to it, if you can talk one of your buddies into joining you, having someone to train along side and 'compete' with is very motivating, however if he is slack-assing and not taking it seriously drop him he will bring you down. Thats my two cents good luck!

 

[SoDaR2005]

First, Training 3 days a week is not a good idea for packing on mass up it to 6. Provided you are eating right your body will only need one day to reach full recovery to start the next week. This entails having a good schedual, Heres an example of the one I'm currently doing:
Day1 - Back\Bi's
Day2 - Chest\Tri's
Day3 - Shoulders\abs
Day4 - Arms
Day5 - Legs
I do this 5 day rotation and every seventh day I take off. Disclaimer: I only have an 'arms' day b/c my tri's arn't keeping up to my chest and need to build more (and I don't train them until failure on my back & chest days). I would recomend eating 4000-5000 cal\day with 1.5g protein per kg of body mass. That is all the recovery time you need on that diet. Water intake should be very high 3-4 gallons of water I recomend. I can't give you a full week of meals but heres a cross section of my diet:
6am - Protein Shake & Oatmeal & Glass of Grapefruit Juice
Workout
9am - 3 h-boiled eggs 3 pcs Toast
12noon - 2 Chicken Breasts & potatoes & green beans
3pm - 2 Tuna sandwiches
6pm - Spaggetti (w/butter&italliano&oliveoil) & 3/4lb ground beef
9pm - Cottage Cheese & Banana
?pm - Protein Bar b4 bed
Hope that gives you the right idea. Basicly a good idea is to keep a shit load of spaggetti and rice cooked up at all times, get creative! I've been sticking to this for the past month now and I've slapped on ~15lbs lean body mass. It works. And DO NOT skip back workouts even if they are not your priority. You will not build a big chest without a big back. And although you may not see your back in the mirror, girls see it, and trust me it makes a difference. Stick to it, if you can talk one of your buddies into joining you, having someone to train along side and 'compete' with is very motivating, however if he is slack-assing and not taking it seriously drop him he will bring you down. Thats my two cents good luck!

Well the food all sounds very nice and i thank you for shating this very good information with me. However, i have a few more questions to ask about this method. For example, can i throw in some Steamed Vegetables like Broccoli, Leek, Sprouts or Cauliflour with some meals in the list given above OR make the meals larger than stated by adding a few more protein rich food? I love vegetables and i really can't get enough of them, seriously. Also just another minor question on the working out side of things. I thank you for sharing your routine it will be of great help to me to change things around to my schedule. However, how many hours of working out a day should i work towards? You say, in your schedule, that you workout from 6am - 9pm in a morning, thats about maybe 2-3 hours working out time correct?

More on the food side again, instead of grapefruit juice would i be able to use Orange or Apple juices for drinking? Also a protein drink ... is this from a health supplement tub or something you whipped up yourself? Same with the Protein Bar you mentioned before bedtime. One minor question, if its not too much, im not a great fan of cottage cheese, or most cheeses really, what would you recommend to use in place of that?

I hope you can help once more, you have been a great help so far to get me started and be more creative with food intake. Thank you!

 

[StereOMaN]

No prob! Yeah lots of vegies are good, I probably don't eat enough, they help facilitate digestion. Yep you can add more protein if you like as well, best if you make sure to balance it with some carbs tho. A hint: if you make sure the first thing in your stomach in the morning is protein it ups your metabolism by kicking your digestion into overdrive for complex particles like proteins.
On the working out side, I didn't mean I workout from 6-9 I just workout in between 6 & 9. Me I only workout for an hour, shorter if I can. No workout should exceed 1.5hrs. The trick is leaving yourself very little brakes and carying the burn from one set to the next. After each set I get up walk to the water fountain drink for 5seconds, walk straight back, no chit chat take 3 deep breaths and go again. Quick breaks. If you dont have enough energy in you to do the next set drop the weight down, just don't lose the momentum.
Food side: You COULD swap it for apple or OJ but I wouldn't recomend it, those two are useually excessively high in sugars. I stick to 100% pure Grapefruit, or pure Cranberry. (I hate the taste of both) But they have the right natural sugars to keep junk food cravings down, and they are also have detox properties, very good for you. Yeah those shakes and bars are all from the store, I go with the lower cal ones (anything but the 'Ultra-Mass Super Gainer' tubs) Those super high cal ones may as well be packed with protein and cake, not good for you. I try to keep my cals up with starches like spagetti and rice and noodles and what not. Things to sub in for cottage cheese: tuna, spinach, egg whites, sardines, powdered milk in milk. Cottage cheese is just easy protein. If you don't like it plain (I didn't) Try it with pepper, or chop some strawberries or sweet fruit into it, I've come to really enjoy it like that.

 

[rbtrout]

EAT! That's what a couple of guys at the gym used to holler at me when I wanted to put on weight. The biggest trick is to really watch what you eat - clean foods, lots of protein. 70% of bodybuilding is diet. Steamed veggies are killer, I add a squirt or 2 of liquid margarine with garlic flavoring. Lots of fish, chicken, steak, potatos (yams, especially). Also, depending upon your work/school schedule, some times, drinking your meals is easier to do. I good protein shake with a low sugar protein bar can make a decent quick meal.
On your weight lifting - stereoman is right......increase the intensity. Rest less, workout harder and more. I do a different split than he does, but try a routine (like above) for a month or so and see how your body reacts. If you're making good gains, keep it up. If you think you can do better, change it around.
Remember - you can do it. 17+ years ago, when I got married, I was 6' and 125 lbs. Now, at 42 years old, I'm in the best shape of my life and have put on 110 lbs.

 

[SoDaR2005]

Hello once again!

Ok thanks to StereOMaN i have made a schedule which i will follow for about a week or 2 weeks, im only using this as a testbed to see if i gain weight rather than stay the same weight. I know i have largely copied StereOMaN's typical day (sorry, but it did help me conjure one up!) and i have yet to find out the detailed nutritional information from the food. Anyway here is the schedule:

6am - Large bowl of Oatmeal, pint glass of Protein Drink, Medium glass of Grapefruit Juice, an Apple and Banana;

9am - 4 Hard Boiled Eggs with Toast (minimal amount of margerine/butter on the toast);

12pm - 2 Seasoned Chicken Breasts, 2 Medium Potatoes and Vegetables (All done in a steamer or pressure cooker);

3pm - 4 Tuna Sandwiches, an Apple and Banana;

6pm - Spaghetti or Rice with Beef or Chicken with more Veggies (Sorry i just LOVE Veggies! );

9pm - 4 Sardines on Toast, an Apple and Banana

12am - Protein Drink or Bar before bed time.

This is the first time i have really thought about doing something like this so i want peoples opinion on the schedule. Im going to start this on Monday 28th February, on the Monday i will be weighing myself as soon as i get up. After a week or maybe even 4-5 days of doing this i will weigh myself again, if my weight has shot up i will then begin a workout schedule everyday for about 1 to 1.5 hours a day.

People have been a great help so far and maybe even an inspiration for me if this works! I sure could use some more good information on the above schedule ... thank you again!

P.S - I have been looking around some bodybuilding stores on the internet for a Protein Drink or Bars and i seem to have found this drink http://www.creatinestore.co.uk/products/Reflex_Fusion.asp?details=1 . What do you feel about this drink? Should i avoid it? Also i really don't know what im looking for in a Protein Drink as i am new to all this, i was wondering if someone would browse that site and see if they can spot a good one for me! I have used this store before and they have a quick and reliable service! Thanks again!

 

[AEKDB]

ummm....?????

This board usually gives decent advise but the above is borderline horrendous.

SoDaR2005, you already have the most important factor. Motivation. Now use it wisely. The 6 day a week workout is going to burn you out and keep you lean. Workout no more than 3 times a week. M/W/F is the old reliable for a reason. I prefer W/F/Sun because I don't fell rushed on Fridays and Sundays.

I would recommend:
Monday - Bench 5x5, Dip 5x5 (weighted if necessary)

Wednesday - Deadlift 1rep sets to failure (no more than 10 sets), Bent-over barbell rows 5x5

Friday - 20rep squat, dumbbell clean and press 5x5


Sleep is important! 8-9hours and indulge on the weekend and sleep until you wake up. If you are in college you should have time for a nap.


Nutrition. At 5'10 138 you probable already have a fast metabolism so you don't need to worry as much as the bigger guys. You need at least 200g of protein. Maybe 250grams. I have modified your diet, you should love the improvements:

6am - You should be sleeping! Or don't stay up untill 12am!

9am - Oatmeal, 4 Hard Boiled Eggs, Pint of protein made with whole milk.

12pm - 2 Seasoned Chicken Breasts, and Vegetables

3pm - 2 Tuna Sandwiches, an Apple and Banana;

6pm - Alternate every other day Lean steak or Chicken, medium potato with cheese and more Veggies.

9pm - 4 Sardines on Toast, an Apple and Banana (you like sardines on toast?)

12am - Cottage cheese, or protein with whole milk.

Supplements: Multi Vitamin.

Drink a half to whole gallon of water a day. You should aslo eliminate all soda and reduce the alcohol as much as possible.

And educate yourself with some good reading:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/anthony.htm - scroll down & read "Top 25 ways to pack on seriousmass."

http://danjohn.org/work.html

http://brookskubik.com/tip31.html

http://danjohn.org/overhead.html

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...102-0949444-9056948?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
worth it for the discussion of the various body types and the daily meal plans.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...54685/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/102-0949444-9056948

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...6/102-0949444-9056948?_encoding=UTF8&v=glance

 

[StereOMaN]

Provided you are eating right you do not need to cut back your workouts to 3/week that isn't motivating, and with proper diet your body recoups excellently maybe supplement with some Fax Seed Oil or Creatine or Glutamine, then you won't run into that problem!! With enough food you'll definately grow not get leaner! Its not pilates.
4 hard boiled eggs and a protein shake with whole milk, but your body can't process that much protein in one meal, save your money 4 hardboild eggs will be plenty of protein.
Do not stay up until midnight, that is the quickest way to build lethargy. Getting up early though, if you do your workout in the morning, will provide you a notable amount of energy for it, because your metabolism is kickstarted that early in the morning, a jump you don't get later in the day. Sleep is very key though, you should take a nap in the day.
I would drink a whole gallon to two gallons of water ed if I were you, Its like engine oil for the body, keeps everything running smoothly! As for workout routine, if you have been working out for the past while, go ahead give the routine suggested above a try, if not you would do your body more damage than good doing that. Really after you get your muscles into the routine of regular training, you should give a lot of different routines a try but have patience. Each person needs to find the routine thats right for them.
4 hard boiled eggs and a protein shake with whole milk, but your body can't process that much protein in one meal, save your money 4 hardboild eggs will be plenty of protein. And if you got up at nine ate breakfast worked out and your next meal was chicken and vegtables??? wtf?? Carb load after workouts big time if you want size, great time for any pastas or rice, bread anything for lots of carbs! You need to refuel. You will burn yourself out if you are training and not providing your body any energy to rebuild in the few hours post workout when your muscles are at their most anabolic, even more so than while sleeping.
I really wish people like above would think before they embarass themselves by trying to pick apart others. It wouldn't be as bad if they weren't jackasses while going about it. But feel free to train as you please, again this is my two cents on it.

 

[SoDaR2005]

Ok so i need to change a few things in the schedule, thats why i had conjured it up ... it was my first attempt i have never done anything like this before and i would like to get it right first time. The schedule i wrote was not there to be ripped apart it was there for others to give advice on what needs changing. All you have done is added one meal into another one making that meal larger in protein and harder for the body to process. Yes granted, 6 hours sleep is not good, i know that but again it was written because it was my first time writing one. I mean in 20 years of my life i have never eaten more than 3 meals a day, never. I know consuming 6 meals a day from next week is going to be tough but im going to do it regardless.

I live in a great place for this sort of thing, i live 5 minutes from a Gym which i can walk to and workout for about an hour and like 2 minutes from a fresh veg, fruit and grocery store.

Ok back on topic ... the schedule i made what would need changing do you think? Also another question how can i make my own Protein Drink rather than buying a Protein Supplement from a bodybuilding store. Thanks.

P.S - Also no, i have not been working out recently so maybe the schedule i made is probably a bit too much as you put it. However, i am going to start this on the Monday and would need maybe a good schedule to get me started, like you said i can change it and try different things anytime. I just would like to get a kickstart diet going, see results then change when i feel it needs changing. Also i noticed that after workout carbs are good, well if i changed say the Chicken Meal with the Pasta/Rice meal, as i will be working out about that time (9am - 12pm) this should do me good correct. Hope you can help some more!

 

[Steve The Bluesman]

Hello once again!

6am - Large bowl of Oatmeal, pint glass of Protein Drink, Medium glass of Grapefruit Juice, an Apple and Banana;

9am - 4 Hard Boiled Eggs with Toast (minimal amount of margerine/butter on the toast);

12pm - 2 Seasoned Chicken Breasts, 2 Medium Potatoes and Vegetables (All done in a steamer or pressure cooker);

3pm - 4 Tuna Sandwiches, an Apple and Banana;

6pm - Spaghetti or Rice with Beef or Chicken with more Veggies (Sorry i just LOVE Veggies! );

9pm - 4 Sardines on Toast, an Apple and Banana

12am - Protein Drink or Bar before bed time.

Why grapefruit juice? And you are going to fart like a elephant after eating 4 hard boiled eggs...Pile on the butter, mayo and oil, man, you weigh 138 pounds!

Are you really going to choke down 4 tuna sandwiches every day? The 8 slices of bread is going to bloat your gut so you will have trouble with the rest of the days food...

Where is the flax oil? Protein bars are shit.

Seems a little bizzaro, but you are on the right track - just need to fine tune it a little...


Bluesman