Im trying to put ON weight. Help!

i dont like Mc Donalds

from JoeUser Forums
This week Ive been doing something positive for myself... Ive started doing some major exercise.

Im gonna get my body into some sort of shape.. Im going to put on more weight and put on more muscle.

So I ve also been eating more. Loads more. Its a good thing believe me.

DOes anyone have any good muscle workout tips for me??

Im trying to put on weight .. its really hard to do!

Apart from eating junk Id like to put on weight eating the right foods..So ive been researching..

Eat every 3 hours. Eat protein. Things like tuna, chicken, salads, pastas during the day.

What else can I do? Anyone know of anything apart from supersizing at McDOnalds?
9,755 views 30 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Not that I've had problems putting on weight...

Many of the guys I've known who've wanted to buff up load up on the protein. Load UP. Having some protein right after working out might help. Upping your caloric intake to 1.5x or 2x normal, but keeping all the healthy proportions of foods (ie - still less Mickey D's than anything else).

But it might all be for naught if your metabolism is working against you. Good luck.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Thanks pseudosoldier

yeah ive been uptaking my protein, also trying to use things like whey powder as a supplement.

I used to be a vegetarian for health reasons but it wasnt helping me.. Although a friend of mine who is a vegetarian keeps putting on the weight it just isnt for me.

I do have a fast metabolism as well so that is working against me.

Ive been doing weights, and trying to do some cardio workouts as well cause I have a history of heart disease in my family as well. So Im trying to balance it all out.

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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
I think if you're trying to bulk up, the cardio is going to be counter-productive at this point. Probably save it for when you want to get cut, after the mass is on.
Remember: high weight, low reps = mass building; low weight, high reps = toning. A generalization, to be sure, but one I've seen over and over again. Also, if you think you are doing high weight, high reps, then you're wrong. Up your weight.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
So your saying I should just concentrate on puttin weight onand while doing this do low reps of weights?

What kind of regieme do you suggest??

Thanks it halping me heaps!
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Have you tried the "bulk up" mixtures they sell at health food stores? They worked well for me. They come in a variety of yummy flavors, too.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Are they Whey Powders smartaz?
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

Pseudo's right...if you want to gain muscle mass, high weight low reps is the only way to do it.  No cardio, not until after you've gained. 


 The whey powder drinks are good, and there are amino acid suppliments that you can take that help your body metabolize protein.  Try eating regularly as well...a guy I know gained 50 lbs recently by having a whey shake before he went to the gym in the mornings, breakfast after he was done, a shake mid-morning for a snack, lunch, a shake in the afternoon, dinner, and another shake in the evening.  He worked out every day, limiting his cardio to the minimum the AF requires and lifting some really heavy weights at low reps. 


Let us know how it goes!

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Thanks Dharmagrl!

ive been working out everyday.. and im going to take yours and pseudos advice now.

I should keep a log of how im doing on here maybe.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top

Yes, a log would be great!  I'd be interested to see how it works for you.....how much are you looking to gain?


 

Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Well at the moment im weighing in at between 57 and 60 kgs.. now i dont know how much that is in pounds??? WHats the conversion?
Im 180cms tall so that makes me pretty thin..ive always been thin it isnt anything to do with the virus. But I know the virus can help speed up the metabolism. So i gotta eat much more.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Phoenixboi,

The best way to put on weight is slowly, if you want to gain muscle rather than fat. Eating McDonalds will not help at all, there's far too many calories for your body to take in at once. Looking at your weight and height (I'm guessing your about the same age as me -24 and that you are an office/shopworker, this does affect it slightly) you need to take in about 3,000 calories per day. To prevent insulin spikes (which result in you making lots of abdominal fat) you shouldn't consume more than about 500 calories at once, so this means six small meals a day. When planning your diet you need to take in somewhere from 1.5 to 2 g of protein per day per kilogram of bodymass, in your case I would go for 120g per day as you are naturally skinny (ectomorph is the proper name) and the extra protein will help to adjust your metabolism towards building things rather than breaking them down for energy.

As for training you say:
Ive started doing some major exercise.

Im gonna get my body into some sort of shape


which makes me think you haven't done much exercise before? In this case I would start on an all round body program using 5 sets of 10 reps for each of the major muscle groups (back, chest, biceps, triceps, legs, shoulders) with a bit of cardio - don't worry about the cardio burning off muscle mass you need to get your body into a position where it can respond, plus your legs are the biggest muscles in your body the more you use them the bigger the increase in "growth" hormones your going to see (if you want to read the literature look up Insulin, IGF-1, IGF-2, HGH, Testosterone). Try and do the cardio when you wake up in the morning it produces a bigger increase in certain hormones that you will need if you are an ectomorph. When your weight training don't worry about the light weights you're using at first, they get bigger fairly quickly! After a couple of months you will probably have put on a couple of kilograms which IS good, it means you will have lost fat and gained muscle if you are putting weight on this slowly while training. After that you need to start on something called periodisation to get the BIG gains, give us a yell then if you want some more info.

How do I know this works? Two years ago I weighed 9 stone and I'm 6 foot - skinny twink just like you. By the end of my "I want big muscles" stage I was 13 and a half stone. Two things, slow is good and Don't give up Phoenixboi, its worth it.

If you need anymore help just ask.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top

Well, Kg/Lbs conversion is 2.2...so at 60kgs you weigh about 132 lbs.  Height wise, you're about 5'11".  Yep, you're skinny alright.  I'm 5'2" and 120 lbs.....you make me feel pretty dumpy, to be honest!


Do the meds that you take affect your weight?  Can they?

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
Do the meds that you take affect your weight? Can they?


Very good question Dharmagirl. Phoenixboi if you tell me the medication(s) you are on I can (probably) tell you if it will affect your weight training and come up with a workaround.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hey Exar Kuun.. thats some great info you got there.
Im 31 by the way.
Have you read any of my other blogs?

Ok well currently I take antiretroviral meds: they are

Sustiva or Efavrenz
Tenofovir
and Kaletra.

These meds can affect weight gain due to the side effects such as diarreha (spellin) but thankfully Im over most of the side effects and taking the meds is actually making me more hungry. So at night I seem to be eating a whole lot more. I dont eat Mc DOnalds. im not into it.

Would be great to have some more help here!

Dharmagrl yeah I am skinny, Ive been like this all my life.. but for my condition it is really important I do put on more weight mostly muscle mass cause there is a thing called wasting syndrome. Also putting some more weight on will make me feel better about myself.
So im 132lbs... kewl i never knew what to say when i was asked. Strange how we use different measurments.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
Have you read any of my other blogs?


Yup. I read through most of them the other day after I saw a few of your quotes on another article

Gonna take me a few hours to find my notes now.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
Kewl Exar Kuun

Look forward to your help
thanks mate!
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
Phoenixboi,

I am replying now but it is taking a while to put my notes together. Give me ten or fifteen mins
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hi Phoenixboi

Look forward to your help


Well here it is - sorry it took more than a couple of hours but I've had a busy day today I am starting to move house and coming up with workarounds is hard. The meds you are on look like a HAART salvage therapy (one for those who have had drug resistance pop up alot). This is going to make things harder for you BUT nothing like impossible. You've been given an NNRTI(sustiva) that is going to make you more likely to make fat around your tummy - bad for muscle growth. Tenofovir(NRTI) is going to reduce the levels of certain growth hormones, damage your mitochondria(makes energy for you!) and impair the ability of your muscle cells to grow. Kaletra is a PI and this also has the effect of making it harder for your muscles to grow. ( I assume you know what NNRTI etc. mean)

First piece of advice - do not look at this list of effects and give up hope.

Second piece of advice - your diet is going to be the crucial factor, you need to stick to small meals(500 calories or so) or the Sustiva/Kaletra will turn lots of it into fat. A protein powder would be a good idea, something like Ribomax/Cyclone/Promax from maximuscle - rotating them from month to month might be a good idea. The reason I suggested those is that they contain ingredients that will stop your body from breaking down your muscle tissue - consume some either before or after a workout.

Third piece of advice - you need to look after your mitochondria. You cannot stop taking the drug but you can limit the damage they get from elsewhere. Try taking a selenium/Vit A/Vit C/ Vit E supplement but do not exceed the recomended dosage on the pack - selenium and vitamins A and E can become toxic if you take too much.

Fourth piece of advice - Tenofovir will lower your levels of certain growth hormones. This is probably going to be the biggest prob but can be partially solved with a supplement. Try taking two supplements Zinc Picolinate and Magnesium Citrate (Solgar are a good supplier of these), be careful peeps will try to sell you similar magnesium and zinc products that do not have the picolinate bit or the citrate bit - don't buy them they won't work. These when taken together boost testosterone levels by a fairly large amount - which will help make up for the loss of IGF-1 production. You need to take both these supplements together at the same time and DO NOT consume any dairy products two hours either side or you will not be able to absorb them.

Good Luck Phoenixboi!

Need any help don't hesitate to contact me
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top

Wow, I'm impressed with Exar's knowledge!  Very impressed!!


So Phoenix, it's going to be a bit harder for you to gain than anyone else, but not impossible.  I think that gaining a bit of weight will do you some good too.  As for wasting syndrome....I sort of went through the same thing last year.  I had a really bad car accident and lost 30 lbs in a matter of weeks, even though I was still eating.  My doc said it was because my body was cannibalizing itself to repair all the damage that had been done - the calories I was ingesting in the form of food just weren't enough to repair and maintain my weight at the same time.  I lost not only fat but muscle tissue was well.  Now, I'm a healthy weight.  I have a reasonable amount of body fat but well defined bi's, tri's, deltoids, abs and quads.....all thanks to yoga and swimming! 


Are you going to keep a log of your progress?

Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
Hey Exar Kuun!

Man this is beyond what I would have expected anyone to have researched for me! Man I am really really thankful!

Want to take me on as a project?? Id be willing to do pics and stuff for you.

Im sort of lost for words here at the moment. But it is really appreciated! Ill certainly take what you have said on board.

Big hugs to you mate!
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
Wow, I'm impressed with Exar's knowledge! Very impressed!!


Me too Dharmagrl! very impressed! and very greatful

Are you going to keep a log of your progress?


yup i sure am.. Im very excited now. Its like a personal goal of mine to do this, gets my mind off other stuff and will help me out tremendously.

Sorry to hear about your accident as well! But really glad to see you made it out ok and you've gotten through it!
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
Are you going to keep a log of your progress?


I'd love to know how you get on Phoenixboi! Plus we can give you encouragement when your flagging/hit a plateau.

Man this is beyond what I would have expected anyone to have researched for me! Man I am really really thankful!


Not a prob phoenixboi, it was a pleasure to go back through my uni notes and put them to some use. Thanks for the kind comments dharmagirl and phoenixboi

Want to take me on as a project??


Do you mean as in set you a training program? I can do that within the next couple of days. A diet plan will take me a bit longer as they're hard to get right and I'm in the middle of looking for a job/moving house but I can give you a rough 'guide'? As to the pics put them in your online diary!!

Big hugs to you mate!


Ta.

Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Not a prob phoenixboi, it was a pleasure to go back through my uni notes and put them to some use. Thanks for the kind comments dharmagirl and phoenixboi


Hey Exar Kuun

What do you do to know all this??

I really am impressed. Im going to get my mate to take pics of me so I can keep a proper log and stuff of my progress. Hey a training program would be great but only if you have the time and are able to do it. Your help so far is way beyond what I expected! Im quite blown away.

Thanks again and ill let you know how i go!

hugs again
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Weight? You can have mine.


Thanks Flaming rose!