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It's kind of funny. I've been working out for about 20 years now. I work out pretty hard in the gym averaging 1 to 2.5 hours depending. I've never really got above 175lbs.
While I have really good tone and definition, for the life of me I can't seem to gain more muscle mass. I've tried changing up the routine. Changing days. 'Shocking' the body with different weights and reps, etc. So one could think diet is the issue.
I take a protein shake once a day at about 80grams of protein and consume another 50-100 g of protein depending on the day.
So it gets a bit discouraging not seeing more results, although I just love exercising anyways so it doesn't make me stop.
The only thing I haven't tried is sometime of testosterone or steroid, which I have no intention of trying. I guess genetics get the best of me in this situation.
Anyone else in this situation, have recommendations, etc..?
Last edited by Mikelee81; 06-09-2016 at 06:20 AM..
It's quite possible you have put on as much natural muscle as your frame and genetics will get you. I say keep up what your doing, maybe back off on cardio work, sometimes guys with higher metabolisms burn too many of the calories they need for muscle building by overdoing the cardio. Also be careful not to over train, we grow on our rest days.
Would advise against a one shot 80g protein shake; your body can only use/digest so much at once. You'd be better off sticking with 30g or so at once. Have you increased your caloric intake in order to gain weight? You have to gain muscle/some fat then cut back to keep some muscle. If you are staying with a pretty 'lean' diet/exercise program then you will not experience significant gains no matter how hard you work. One thing that helped me years ago get to over 200lbs (was originally pretty skinny around 165-170) was eating. You have to take in quite a few calories to bulk up.
Last edited by MedvedActual; 06-09-2016 at 09:06 AM..
Also, do you know your basal metabolic rate? Fitbit will give you a fairly accurate approximation then you can adjust your diet accordingly.
Me, I've stayed lean but look much bigger than my 158 pounds. And I've continued adding strength over the many years (while not varying +- 5 pounds for 15 years.
Would advise against a one shot 80g protein shake; your body can only use/digest so much at once. You'd be better off sticking with 30g or so at once.
That's just a nonsense myth. I eat up to 84 grams of protein in some meals easily. I mean just think about this for a moment here, WHY would nature evolve your body in such a way that it can't take advantage of more than 30 grams of protein at once? Do you realize how easy it is to eat only 30 grams of protein with actual food? If you ate 3 pork chops you would already have consumed like 90-120 grams of protein.
It's kind of funny. I've been working out for about 20 years now. I work out pretty hard in the gym averaging 1 to 2.5 hours depending. I've never really got above 175lbs.
While I have really good tone and definition, for the life of me I can't seem to gain more muscle mass. I've tried changing up the routine. Changing days. 'Shocking' the body with different weights and reps, etc. So one could think diet is the issue.
I take a protein shake once a day at about 80grams of protein and consume another 50-100 g of protein depending on the day.
So it gets a bit discouraging not seeing more results, although I just love exercising anyways so it doesn't make me stop.
The only thing I haven't tried is sometime of testosterone or steroid, which I have no intention of trying. I guess genetics get the best of me in this situation.
Anyone else in this situation, have recommendations, etc..?
I was, and am still just like you - a hard gainer. What you need to do is get this book - http://www.amazon.com/New-High-Inten.../dp/1594860009 and follow the program EXACTLY AS IT IS OUTLINED!! This will definitely get you over the hump.
I was always in the 147 - 155 lb range as a six foot dude and was a hard gainer. When I came across this program, I decided to follow the weight plan and nutrition plan EXACTLY as was in the book and I was able to get all the way up to 199 lbs. The key was that I learned how to lift for size/strength/gains which is to complete failure by rep 6-8 on each set and to really really really really emphasize the negative part of each movement. The hardest part was eating enough food to gain/build the muscles.
The program works. I stopped it because I do martial arts and wanted to maintain my speed and flexibility. But if you want to pack on muscle, REAL muscle (not just creatine water weight), the program WILL work for you.
That's just a nonsense myth. I eat up to 84 grams of protein in some meals easily. I mean just think about this for a moment here, WHY would nature evolve your body in such a way that it can't take advantage of more than 30 grams of protein at once? Do you realize how easy it is to eat only 30 grams of protein with actual food? If you ate 3 pork chops you would already have consumed like 90-120 grams of protein.
Maybe it is, however without some sort of scientific proof it's hard to confirm or deny. The hypothetical suggestion that we have been 'made' to be able to use all of the protein consumed doesn't make sense. It also depends on the type of protein containing food, e.g., eggs vs. chicken and how much of that protein gets used by our bodies.
Well if you been working out for 20 years, let's assume that you have indeed reached a certain "plateau" for you genetics and lifestyle. Isn't that fine? What are your expectations?
Biologically, a man starts producing 1% less testosterone each year after 30. Some guys would be thrilled just to keep the beerbelly at bay.
Unless you start doing something radically different like working out 4 hours a day, 4 days a week - you may have reached your limits for how you stimulate yourself.
Have you considered going in a different direction? Maybe you should try running a marathon, or triathlon? Your true talent may be endurance sports, and not 'hypertrophy'. We all can't be Arnold, or even Hugh Jackman.
What is your bulking diet? How many calories a day are you consuming? What kind of exercises are you doing? How intense are the exercises?
Start shoveling down 2500-3000 calories a day (lots of [healthy] fat and protein) and adopt a powerlifter/strongman routine, you will pack on the mass.
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