Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a 36 year old guy. I'm a 6'1" 170 pound guy. I've been working out for 5 years. The first
three years I didn't know what I was doing. I started off being 190 pounds and wanted to get 'bigger'
I ballooned up to 225 pounds but it was mostly fat. I hated it. I have a small frame. I decided to
focus on losing weight and now i'm down to 170 pounds. A guy recently told me that I have the body type of Ryan Gossling. I wish I could be 'bigger' but I have the hardest time gaining CLEAN muscle . I
lift 3 days a week for an hour and fifteen minutes and do two hours a week of cardio. I eat clean
lots of vegetables and whey protein, eat less carbs. I still don't have a six pack buy I have a flat belly.
I really want to gain clean muscle but NOT gain any fat. I have about ten percent body fat now.
Ive mentioned this on a different thread: @ 10% body fat one "should" see a defined six pack. Also, it's near impossible not to gain fat while gaining muscle; our bodies don't work that way. To gain muscle one must consume enough calories to sustain muscle growth, if you're dieting (calorie deficient) and lifting weights, you're wasting your time. BB usually have a bulking up and cutting period.
personally, I think you need a lot more aerobic exercising in your routine to shed that belly fat and a clean balanced diet. Because great abs are made in the kitchen.
Btw: I'm around my mid 30's and have a 7pack, so no it's not too late.
What is your weight lifting routine? HOw many calories are you consuming per day. You should be counting. You should also be counting how many grams of protein you are consuming a day. Its still very possible to become a gorilla. You can gain clean muscle without gaining fat but its much harder than traditional bulking. It takes a lot longer. If you post specifics I could help out better.
Ive mentioned this on a different thread: @ 10% body fat one "should" see a defined six pack. Also, it's near impossible not to gain fat while gaining muscle; our bodies don't work that way. To gain muscle one must consume enough calories to sustain muscle growth, if you're dieting (calorie deficient) and lifting weights, you're wasting your time. BB usually have a bulking up and cutting period.
personally, I think you need a lot more aerobic exercising in your routine to shed that belly fat and a clean balanced diet. Because great abs are made in the kitchen.
Btw: I'm around my mid 30's and have a 7pack, so no it's not too late.
Agree with everything here. I question that body fat % though. I don't think you are lying, just probably not measuring it correctly.
Regardless, I think you should concentrate on a couple things. First, decide what you want - fitness, a "beach body", etc. Sure, you can combine and kill a few birds with one stone but something will always need to be sacrificed. When I wanted a beach body, I worked on it and it was OK but I wasn't nearly as fit as I am today. That was in my late 20's. Today I'm 39 and not out to impress people with how i look all that much. But I do want to get the better of my buddies on a bike ride or a run (when we kick it up).
You need to learn more about fitness and how to attain your goals, otherwise you may be spinning your wheels with minimal results.
BTW, like I said, I am 39 and have a 6 pack. I don't diet and never have, I enjoy eating well but do indulge here and there. I run, cycle, swim, and weight train. I was a competative weight lifter (not body builder) at the collegiate level and then picked up cycling where I competed and am now a mere recreational rider (but still pretty strong). Still weight train a couple time a week but cycling is my primary. I do a ton more cardio than you. I am on my bike 8-10 hrs/week including easy recovery rides, fun rides, training rides, etc. That works out to be 150 - 200 miles/week with a longer ride (100 - 150 miles) about every 2 months. And like I said, I run and swim too - but not very much. Maybe a couple 3-5 mile runs and a longer 8-10 mile run on the weekend. Swim 1x/wk. I could eat better (have pizza, hamburgers, chicken wings, etc. too often) and drink less beer but the problem with that is that I would have less pizza and less beer when what I want is MORE pizza and MORE beer!
Anyway, I know my body and what I do does to performance and the way it looks, and I am satisfied so the trade off is very worth it.
over an hr of weight training 3x per week is more than enough. You can easily get great results if you cut that to a max of 1 hr 2x/wk. Try limiting weight training to 40 minutes - make sure not to take long breaks between sets and get through the workouts with purpose. Then do cardio immediately after the weights, that'll melt the fat nice and good. Do cardio between weight days too. Can you run to work? Or bike to work? Try to incorporate it into your lifestyle. And don't overlook the importance of recovery (taking something in after a workout and rest/easy days and lots of sleep). Learn about the different types of muscle fibers used for cardio as opposed to weight training and how yuor diet affects them and your performance. Yes, there's a lot to know. Many people (even those who put in a good amt of hrs towards getting fit) counteract what they are doing because they don't have the knowledge. So they work hard and see lesser results than others who don't work as hard but are doing the right things.
I gained some serious muscle and weight doing "Mass Made Simple" by Dan John. Almost worked too well, seemed like I could put on a pound or two just walking through my kitchen. Did the routine when I was in my mid-40's and the only adjustment that I had to do was allow an extra recovery day between workouts. Would lift on Monday, Thursday and over the weekend.
For men, their peak muscle mass potential is typically at age 35. Current Mr. Olympia is 33 (Phil Heath) and this year he will be competing against the former Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, who is 39.
First, you need to tell us your workout routine. 3 days a week works, but you would be better off with four, especially if you could bump it up to around an hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes.
You don't need to "count" carbs, but get regular with your diet. The biggest controlling factor is your carb intake. What kind of carbs (simple or complex). I would stay away from any calorie dense added fats, like nuts and peanut butter or almond butter.
To put it simply, to add muscle, you are going to have to intake more calories than you are burning. To burn fat, you are going to have to burn more calories than your intaking.
The "best" way, in terms of putting on muscle while minimizing additional fat is going to be a diet HIGH in protein, and high in carbs, with your carb sources all being from complex carbs. Minimal sugars, and minimal fats.
If you don't mind putting on a bit of extra fat to later burn off, or have a hard time eating the required number of calories/carbs, then you can have some simple carbs. Right now my diet is about 70% simple and 30% complex, mostly because I have a hard time eating the enough of the complex carbs. I am 25 so my metabolism is high. I'm 5'10" and 210lbs with visible abs. It has taken a LOT to get here. I probably eat around 400-500 grams of carbs and 300-400 grams of protein. I'll eat about 200 grams of carbs just in pop tarts and fig newtons today.
Diet is ALL trial and error. Everyone is different. There's no set amount or set ratio for everyone. One of my best friends is a bit taller and a similar weight, but his body just LOVES carbs and turns them to fat really fast. He probably eats 1/3 the amount of carbs I do, just do maintain.
I could seriously go on all day. Post up questions though and I'll give you some solid answers, and also your workout routine and can give you some help there. Working out is the easy part, figuring out your diet is the hard part.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
