Gaining weight...

[Radux]

Don't buy any protein power or protein bar or take any of that supplement crap. It will do nothing for you. Those are tools professional athletes use to gain a slight edge when the competition is at a very skilled and equal level.

So far from the truth. Supplements (mainly ones that focus on Protein -- sometimes they may be mixes, not just pure Whey) are used for a variety of reasons. I'm no body builder by any means. I just happen to be a trainer at a gym and also happen to be in great shape. On really taxing workouts I'll have a protein recovery shake. I do this to refuel my body (simple sugars) and to load up on protein (key ingredient to rebuilding the muscle you just tore down).

It can benefit your average Joe, too. If it makes them hurt less the next day due to a potentially increased recovery window, then they'll be either less discouraged because they hurt less or they'll be able to push themselves harder knowing they won't be in agony for days. This is all due to the wonderful science that is Supplementation. The only problem(s) I see with the whole process is that a lot of people don't know what these Macro/Micro nutrients are doing for their body, so they just go to [insert vitamin store] and buy something random that costs too much.

Really, a bit of research (good stuff -- don't you dare go to wikipedia) can help tremendously. Essentially it helps you get most bang for your buck both for your body and your supplementation.

[Deleted]

Kinda sure that you're in a similar situation as I am, except that I don't really work out.
I'm about 187cm tall, weigh in at 63kg. [6 foot 2 inches, 139 pounds]

Can eat what I want, whenever I want, still won't gain weight. Only way to actually manage to gain weight would, at least that's what I've been told, to consume about 4000 kilocalories per day and stay still most of the time.
Unfortunately, I just am not hungry enough to take in more than 3000 kilocalories a day and I really dislike doing nothing. Really, really dislike that. Can't even just sit there and listen to music, or watch a long game sequence that I already know, always start up Freecell when that happens.

So yeah, bottom line: Eat a LOT. Try to choose healthy stuff, but EAT.

Oh hello fantastic metabolism, I have the same blessing. But really, we're not underweight by any stretch of the imagination.

[fishtacos]

TS get off this video game site and hit up www.bodybuilding.com for some good advice. I understand supplements have their place but for you at 140 and 6+ft, just eat your meats/nuts/fruits/carbs/eggs every day and push the weight hard 3 or 4 times a week. Keep it simple.

[Davisdoesdallas]

Protein shakes will not help if you aren't adding enough carbs with it. You're basically building the muscle fibers but not making them grow larger, just stronger.

I suggest a weight gain drink and also you can work out 6 times a week. Do it in a 3 day split to allow for two full days of rest in between muscle groups.

Try something like this: Day 1 - Chest/Tri Day 2 - Back/Bi Day 3 - Legs/Shoulders (you can put shoulders on day 2) Repeat Day 1 on Day 4 and so on.

Focus on exercises that use more than one muscle group. Instead of lat pulldowns do chinup/pull up. For legs do some plyometrics.

Add abs every other day or so however if you do abs make sure you work on your lower back since you want to keep opposing muscle groups in balance to avoid injury.

[Radux]

Protein shakes will not help if you aren't adding enough carbs with it. You're basically building the muscle fibers but not making them grow larger, just stronger.

Not true. You technically don't get more muscle. Your muscle fibers just get larger and more dense. So protein repairs them (i.e. fills in the spaces where they were broken down -- thus growth). Carbs are there for energy. Nothing else.

[Exorbitance]

This is to lose weight roflmao. lose or stick with your weight depending on the amount you eat.

The best tip i could give would be to buy WheyFX, a very good protein powder you mix with milk and its amazingly good. Not just taste but effect. I gained about 3-4kilos 1½ week muscle weight. Though I'm 200pounds~ and dont lose weight very easily :P Another tip would be to try out Creatine, that oughta help you gain some weight aswell. Theres Creatine that doesnt bind too much with water.



Stop giving tips for the opposite of what he wants. He doesnt want to lose or stick with his weight, he wants to gain. Meaning EAT ALOT OF CHICKEN AND MEAT, BIG MEALS 3-4 TIMES A DAY.

Lol. You did NOT gain 3-4kg muscle weight in 1½ week, you will NOT gain that much in a month, just barely in a year. What you did get was mostly water retention and fat. But don't take my word for it, do some research and you might learn something.

[Shik Valentine]

Ok thanks. Didnt know this. Doesnt make much difference to me, i had got used to accepting that my rough daily intake of 120-140 grams of protein was falling short of what i actually needed.

I am probably about right though.

Didnt bother me much as i dont want to look like the incredible hulk anyway lol

Yeah, I doubt it'll make a difference in the long run. I know people that take 200+, so it shouldn't be an issue..

---------- Post added 2011-06-19 at 01:11 PM ----------

Yeah there was another thread (I might have to dig up the link) where I posted an article about a Nutrition Professor in Kentucky went on a 'Twinkie Diet' and lost like 20 pounds. So in that respect, yeah you can lose weight with a pure caloric deficit. But that doesn't mean it's actually a good thing for you to do to your body.

Going on this, though, I actually feel that having a shit mean now and again is actually good for you. I could probably find some scientific article to back it if I had to, and they'd probably use some sort of 'metabolism confusion' type ordeal -- but basically I just feel like my body works that much harder once I go back to eating clean to get some of that crap out of me. Meh. I guess my body just isn't used to eating a ton of grease.

Yeah, I remember reading it. Didn't his health actually improve? ...Oh, I agree. If you over do it, there will be certain health issues down the road. It just bugs me when I see people over at the nutrition section of BB.com that ask to have their "diet" looked over, which consists of: chicken, brown rice, yogurt, toast, & an apple. Fit the foods you enjoy into your diet(there's also a psychological benefit; not binging, no cravings, satiety[well physical, lol], etc.), & you're going to drop the weight.

Lol yeah, I get the same feeling when I eat out.

[Annu]

First of all, the question is how you are working out?

Pushing a weight...

... 3-8 times will train your muscles for plain strength (not recommended if you do sports) - your muscles will need about 72h for recovery
... 8-15 times will train your muscles for "enduring strength" (typical) - your muscles will need 48h for recovery
... >15 times will train your muscles for plain endurance - your muscles need 24h for recovery

When training a muscle for plain endurance, it will not gain weight. It's the blood circulation that is intensified.

If you train again before your muscle is recovered: you will actually lose weight.

You always lose a bit muscle weight right after training, then the muscles recover over time and grow further beyond the point they were before. If you train as soon as the muscle reached its maximum point, its perfect. If you train even before the muscle reached the mass it had before the preceding training, you actually lose weight.

Other limiting factors: Vitamins, Nutrients, Water, Sleep. If you just do not have enough proteins your muscles will just grow slower. If you consume all Vitamins and Nutrients during work out - your muscles won't grow at all. Try to stay "healthy", if you start feeling tired the whole day, it won't help your training.

Just go and buy yourself a book about sports medicine. Most of them are easily to understand and if you see the graph of perfect timing for the training and how it propagates downwards if you train too often, you will understand how it works. Unfortunately my books are all in German and about training for mountaineering, so I cannot recommend one for you (except if you speak German).

[Deleted]

your muscles will need about 72h for recovery

This is simply not true.

Muscles need about a day's rest to recover for a fit and healthy individual.
Programmes are designed with this in mind.

If you do lots of compounds and exercise most of your body in one session then you need a full day to recover.
3 days a week workout would look like this:
AxBxAxx with x=rest days.

4 days a week workout would look something like this:
ABxABxx
However A and B should target different muscles.

5 days a week workout would look like this:
ABCDExx
Each day would target a certain area of your body. E.g leg day, chest day e.t.c.

Suggesting muscles need 3 days recovery is simply ludicrous.