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.
Unfortunately its harder to do that then it seems. I am also a hard gainer (male, 6'1 and between 140-155) and I tried that a while back when I was on vacation...Five meals a day (Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, and After dinner) and while it worked, I managed to get past the 155 mark, it also took up the lion share of my waking hours just cooking, eating and swimming to build my appetite. Following that vacation I could not keep it up and ended up losing pretty much all of my gains.
This forum provides such a wealth of fitness information, I am hoping someone could tell me if this is ideally what you would do if you are in my shoes...Long narrative, so here goes -
I am female, and what most call a 'hard gainer.' I have been underweight pretty much all my life. Got tired of the "Eat a sandwich' looks that people tend to send my way sometimes, so started a weight training-bulking up routine a while back. During this first try, I had a trainer who gave me some awesome pointers on form while lifting etc, and note that I depended on meals only, no supplements. I would typically eat about five or six times a day, small portions. However, we all know this is not enough for serious bulking - I did gain about 7 pounds, but lost it over a couple of months while moving to a new city and putting a hold on my exercise regimen.
Anyway, I am back to weight training, and introduced protein shakes to my diet this time. The problem is, I can't have lactose, so I use rice protein. I know, I know, it is not as effective as whey or creatine, but that's all that's available to me now.
So, I usually have a protein shake (about 30g protein) after a morning work out, and a second shake in the evening (another 30g). These constitute my '2 snacks' per day. For 3 meals per day , I have small portions because I am just not used to consuming massive amounts in one sitting. So, for breakfast, I may have two slices of bread and one or two eggs. Or if on the run, two mini muffins. This is an example of one meal (A friend told me to eat a lot of chicken salads and I do this - But it makes me nervous to see my waist shrinking even though it's my abs showing more definition - Doesn't that mean weight loss all over as well? Don't want that, so my protein shakes may involve soy ice-cream, and a banana in a blender sometimes, no 'clean eating' 100% of the time ).
My question: Would this type of habit enable muscle bulking? It is all about the protein, isn't it? If the three meals include about 10 to 20 grams of protein each, that is sufficient in addition to the 60 grams per day from the protein shakes, isn't it?
My stats: (Don't balk in horror) - I am 5 ft 1 and weigh about 90 pounds. My ideal weight is 100 to 105.
Any advice? Help? Suggestions? Thanks!
My advice is always to stay away from meat. Meat is a killer even if it does put on a few pounds.
Nut butters and avocados are your friends. Plant based protein will provide much better muscle mass and not clog up your arteries with gunk. Opt for organic so as to avoid any chemical exposure.
My advice is always to stay away from meat. Meat is a killer even if it does put on a few pounds.
Nut butters and avocados are your friends. Plant based protein will provide much better muscle mass and not clog up your arteries with gunk. Opt for organic so as to avoid any chemical exposure.
20yrsinBranson
I love avocados. Absolutely, I need to incorporate those into my meals more. Nut butters - Once in a while, I do have some.
I went a few days without meat once, and couldn't keep it up. I guess it would take a long time for the body to get used to non-animal based protein. But, I don't really eat red meat. I have it only when I don't have a choice. For instance, when I am at a friend's place and the home-made dinner consists of something beefy, and no other option But when I'm out, I order chicken or turkey. This is all I eat at home too (There's even a brand of 'turkey bacon' at Whole Foods these days). I only shop organic.
I also have walnuts (excellent on banana muffins), pecans, beans and the other plant based proteins, love the variety.
Another meat to check out is Bison. Its pretty good.
Yeah, I heard bison and buffalo are the new "beef." Leaner and better for the heart, or something like that. I've had buffalo before, but yet to try bison...Don't know if they are as lean as chicken or turkey, but always worth a shot to try - Thanks!
Well, I do get a few comments that I am quite thin, which leads me to believe that a little bulk would be good. In everyday clothes (or pictures), I look super-skinny, but in work-out outfits (e.g. tank top, shorts), I have quite a bit of muscle definition (which is strange). I think that a couple more inches around the arms, and legs would resolve this anomaly. My waist is 23.5, my trainer thought this was a good size for my build, so I guess no more shrinking or bulking needed there
I just checked out a website "Sparkpeople" and calculated my average daily calories - Turns out I get 1500 to 1800 calories a day. About 101 grams of protein. But like you said, it's not about the protein, I guess - I would probably have to do at least 2500 calories for bulk.
I am not an avid 'body-building-to-freakish-levels' fan - I would be content with a gymnast's build, like you mentioned above.
For lifting, I do 15 to 20 pound dumbbells, 2 to 3 sets, 15 to 20 reps. The 15 pound dumbbells are getting pretty light, because I can do two complete sets without failure, and only start to struggle on the third set. But when I try the 20 pound dumbbells, I can't get past three or four reps
Barbells e.g. for chest press, I do 25 pounds on each side of bar, need to go up to about 30 pounds.
Is there a secret for developing a gymnast's build? I would love that Could I achieve that at my current levels?
Sounds like you're on the right track! You'll probably hear a number of different suggestions on what weights you should be lifting. My trainer suggested no more than 10-12 reps and 2 sets of the highest weight you can do without breaking form. You may have to alternate the weights in each set.
But other activities can be helpful too. Swimming, pilates, yoga, etc, can break up the monotony and allow you to still workout during your "off" days of lifting. Are you lifting at least 3 days a week?
For the most part, I prefer machines. I can use heavier weights and find it harder to break form. Are you working all of you major muscle groups?
The secret for developing a gynmast's build still requires an hour minimum 5 days a week of some type of weight bearing exercise. I bet you could google and find a few forums that talk about the gymnast regiment.
Sounds like you're on the right track! You'll probably hear a number of different suggestions on what weights you should be lifting. My trainer suggested no more than 10-12 reps and 2 sets of the highest weight you can do without breaking form. You may have to alternate the weights in each set.
But other activities can be helpful too. Swimming, pilates, yoga, etc, can break up the monotony and allow you to still workout during your "off" days of lifting. Are you lifting at least 3 days a week?
For the most part, I prefer machines. I can use heavier weights and find it harder to break form. Are you working all of you major muscle groups?
The secret for developing a gynmast's build still requires an hour minimum 5 days a week of some type of weight bearing exercise. I bet you could google and find a few forums that talk about the gymnast regiment.
Awesome! I am thinking of doing some swimming in addition to weight lifting. I will also be surfing. And roller blading (Too much? I'd alternate the other activities from week to week). Thanks for the idea about doing more of a gymnastics type of routine with weights - I never thought about that, I was focused on body building...Especially since I don't want to get too muscular, like the female body builders in competition. Just wanted more bulk/weight.
Yes, I am lifting at least three days a week, but only about 45 minutes at a time. I will increase it to one hour, or one and a half. I like the free weights because there is no restriction in the angle of movement, unlike the machines that can go in just one specific direction/angle. I target all muscle groups, but focus on only one group per session. E.g. on Monday, I may do shoulders and calves, Wednesday will focus completely on legs/thighs, Friday would be biceps and triceps, Saturday would be back and forearms.
I did a Google search and found some gymnasts' work out routines. It's all about bearing your own body weight, with some weight lifting from time to time...This should be interesting Thanks!
If you're a hardgainer, then you probably have a very fast metabolism. In order for someone like you to gain a significant amount of muscle, you need to do three things. Eat a lot of food, perform intense weight training, and get plenty of rest.
Let's start with your diet. Yes, protein matters, but it's not all about the protein. Growing new muscle is a demanding process, one that requires giving your body ALL the proper nutrients. That's why fruits and vegetables are so important. They help your body function at its best. Without them, it will be a lot harder to add muscle. Chicken salads are great for people trying to lose weight, but not for someone trying to gain muscle. Not unless they have a lot of calories in them.
Now when it comes to your weight training, you need to remember that less is more. Beginners often spend too much time in the gym thinking that the more they workout, the more they'll grow. But for a hardgainer, too many workouts will keep you from gaining muscle. Your goal should be to get in the gym, blast your muscles and get out. 3-4 times a week is plenty. Aim for 45-60 minutes per session. Also, focus on higher reps. I generally do 8-12 reps. If I can do 12, the weight is too light. Some will argue that 8-12 is too many. You may have to experiment with rep ranges. The general idea is to challenge your muscles and go to failure. Muscle is metabolically expensive tissue and the body needs to be really stressed to want to add it. The last two reps of a set are far more important than all the reps that come before it. Those last two are what tell your body that it needs to add more muscle to meet the demands you're putting on it. Aim to perform 2-3 sets per exercise. One other thing I would recommend is grouping related muscles together. For example, when you perform the bench press, you're working your chest. But you're also working your shoulders and triceps. That's why I would do exercises that focus on those muscles during the same workout you do chest exercises. Likewise, you can do bicep exercises the same day you do back exercises. Just make sure to work the bigger muscles first. Focus on compound exercises more than isolation movements and emphasize free weights instead of machines.
Lastly, you need to give your body plenty of rest. You don't grow muscle in the gym. You grow it while you're at rest. But if you're doing other exercise, that will make it harder for your body to focus on adding muscle. So if you're doing anything else like cardio, STOP! You want whatever exercise you're doing to send an unmistakable signal to your body. Grow new muscle.
Regarding the cardio, is it detrimental to do about 7 to 10 minutes of it before proceeding to the weights?
I had heard that doing cardio right before going to the weights helps with being able to lift more (warms up/increases heart rate etc). Sometimes wondered if this was counterproductive, because I always do some sort of cardio before lifting e.g. jump rope.
Regarding the cardio, is it detrimental to do about 7 to 10 minutes of it before proceeding to the weights?
I had heard that doing cardio right before going to the weights helps with being able to lift more (warms up/increases heart rate etc). Sometimes wondered if this was counterproductive, because I always do some sort of cardio before lifting e.g. jump rope.
You heard correctly. A good warmup before lifting weights is extremely important. A lot of people skip it, which increases the chance of injury. 7-10 minutes is fine, though I usually only do 5. It doesn't have to be intense cardio. Just enough to get your body warmed up. I also do one or two light sets of the first exercise of my session so that the muscles I'm about to work are better prepared for the heavier weight I'm about to give them.
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.
). 
(Too much? I'd alternate the other activities from week to week). Thanks for the idea about doing more of a gymnastics type of routine with weights - I never thought about that, I was focused on body building...Especially since I don't want to get too muscular, like the female body builders in competition. Just wanted more bulk/weight.
