Discussion on Muscle Building, Weight Lost, Weight Gain, Gym Workout

[Clickclock]

Hi everyone, just thought of giving this a shot, I would like to build muscle mass currently, and I'm currently average built (no abs), 179cm, weighing at 70kg. After calculating, I realized that my suggested protein daily intake would be around 200g, how is that even possible?

I always wonder how buff people manage to live through their days constantly thinking about what to eat to clock in their protein intake.

Yea, I just got protein powder at 24g a scoop, i'm currently thinking what kinda diet I should eat that is affordable, sustainable and not so bland.

 

anyone care to help me out?

[SeannyShortcake]

Hi everyone, just thought of giving this a shot, I would like to build muscle mass currently, and I'm currently average built (no abs), 179cm, weighing at 70kg. After calculating, I realized that my suggested protein daily intake would be around 200g, how is that even possible?

I always wonder how buff people manage to live through their days constantly thinking about what to eat to clock in their protein intake.

Yea, I just got protein powder at 24g a scoop, i'm currently thinking what kinda diet I should eat that is affordable, sustainable and not so bland.

 

anyone care to help me out?

 

Why 200g lol.

 

What are your training goals? What is your ideal weight? Are there specific parts of your body you want to bring up?

 

It's hard to "help a fellow out" with little info.

[Clickclock]

well, i sent my body weight through some online calculating thingy and my recommended protein intake would be 173g-230g something like that, so i rounded it off to about 200g. I don't have an idea weight tho, I just want to look more V rather than a stick like I am for the past 23 years. Im thinking about my chest n biceps, pretty upper body stuff. As for legs, I recently took up an interest in cycling so i got it covered.

[Ergonova1991]

Can Creatine be taken as daily form?

[Guest Guest]

no need creatine if u r not working out intensely.

[xydboy]

well, i sent my body weight through some online calculating thingy and my recommended protein intake would be 173g-230g something like that, so i rounded it off to about 200g. I don't have an idea weight tho, I just want to look more V rather than a stick like I am for the past 23 years. Im thinking about my chest n biceps, pretty upper body stuff. As for legs, I recently took up an interest in cycling so i got it covered.

What did they use to calculate? For your body weight, you don't need that amount...

[Clickclock]

Phew what a relief! I dunno. Just googled protein suggested intake

[xydboy]

Phew what a relief! I dunno. Just googled protein suggested intake

Too much info out there and a huge bunch aren't that accurate.

[steve69]

i am looking for a good and inspiring PT here. Any pls PM me the we discuss in details. 

[Clickclock]

Too much info out there and a huge bunch aren't that accurate.

okay , thanks for the advice!

[Guest Ken]

Any PT range bet 50 to 60 per session to recommend?

[Guest Guest]

did a dexa scan and my body fat % was at 16.

 

the other tanita machine and alike rated me as 12-14%.

 

how to be more lean?

[xydboy]

did a dexa scan and my body fat % was at 16.

 

the other tanita machine and alike rated me as 12-14%.

 

how to be more lean?

What your diet and work out more? I think in terms of acceptable range, you fall within it. But what would you want to achieve? Reference: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/normal-ranges-of-body-weight-and-body-fat

[Guest Guest]

Diet is a mixed. No longer going low carb. Just eat everything moderately.

 

I gym at least 4 times a week (full body moderate weights) and run at least 5km for 3 times a week.

 

i can see my abs easily w a bit of contraction else my tummy is considered flat.

 

i want to hit 13-14% BF though. I am 34yo

[Steve5380]

Diet is a mixed. No longer going low carb. Just eat everything moderately.

 

I gym at least 4 times a week (full body moderate weights) and run at least 5km for 3 times a week.

 

i can see my abs easily w a bit of contraction else my tummy is considered flat.

 

i want to hit 13-14% BF though. I am 34yo

 

You seem to be doing quite well.  If you want to further reduce your BF index, you may have to aim at doing it perfect. 

- Instead of "moderate weights" do heavy weights (heavy relative to your body), with appropriate scheduling for recovery time.

- Instead of eating "everything" moderately, eating only the best foods, moderately.

- Keep adequately rested and free of stress.

[speedoluver]

Bookmarked for good tips from the experts. I gained 5kg over 4 years and currently hovering around 60kg for some time. Hope to go beyond the 60kg mark this year.

[Guest Guest]

FYI, Republic poly has dexa scan but free only for students part time or full-time.

[Ergonova1991]

Over trained myself, had a bad strain. Check up google..think I got a Grade 2 strain 

[Guest Guest]

I have golfer elbow for three mths... Can't really handle heavy dumb for my right hand bicep curl or pull cable.

[xydboy]

Bookmarked for good tips from the experts. I gained 5kg over 4 years and currently hovering around 60kg for some time. Hope to go beyond the 60kg mark this year.

Can try to eat more, at the same time hit the weights hard. All the best for your training and eating.

[xydboy]

FYI, Republic poly has dexa scan but free only for students part time or full-time.

Its a good method to find out your body fat percentage, but it doesn't tell you how much to train and what to eat. End of the day, a measurement is just a measurement, they don't provide you with a solution or anything. It's like telling a fat person to go onto the weighing scale and find out their weight. But regardless, thanks for the info.

[Guest Guest]

Its a good method to find out your body fat percentage, but it doesn't tell you how much to train and what to eat. End of the day, a measurement is just a measurement, they don't provide you with a solution or anything. It's like telling a fat person to go onto the weighing scale and find out their weight. But regardless, thanks for the info.

I didn't say dexascan helps to provide u tips on.training. It's the gold standard for body fat scan. If you do it outside it costs over hundred dollars.

[Steve5380]

I didn't say dexascan helps to provide u tips on.training. It's the gold standard for body fat scan. If you do it outside it costs over hundred dollars.

 

The dexa scan, originally developed for measuring density of bones,  can also be inaccurate in the measurement of body fat.  The measurement can be trusted more for relative changes than for absolute values.  And for this, the other methods are not bad either.  Maybe an inexpensive scale that also measures body impedance is a good solution for making a first measurement and then successive measurements can tell if one is changing in the right direction towards lower body fat.  The best is not to worry too much about absolute body fat unless it is very high, and then the accuracy matters less because the answer is clear:  too much fat !!! 

[speedoluver]

The ones at fitness first, is that good enough for estimated bf?

[kratos]

The ones at fitness first, is that good enough for estimated bf?

Those are only good for a very very rough estimation, if I'm not wrong, the easiest accurate method would be to use a caliper.

[xydboy]

Those are only good for a very very rough estimation, if I'm not wrong, the easiest accurate method would be to use a caliper.

Those machines are consistent error, for caliper measurements, it can give inconsistent error due to variation in expertise, types of calipers used, and also the technique which is employed to measure the sites.

[xydboy]

The dexa scan, originally developed for measuring density of bones,  can also be inaccurate in the measurement of body fat.  The measurement can be trusted more for relative changes than for absolute values.  And for this, the other methods are not bad either.  Maybe an inexpensive scale that also measures body impedance is a good solution for making a first measurement and then successive measurements can tell if one is changing in the right direction towards lower body fat.  The best is not to worry too much about absolute body fat unless it is very high, and then the accuracy matters less because the answer is clear:  too much fat !!! 

All in all, i think in terms of practicality and percentage body fat measurement, any decent machines would give a pretty good measurement. At most a variance of few percentage. And yes, i totally agree to the last sentence you said. People always worry about the percentage of body fat and the types of instruments used..have no idea where the concern is when its just a matter of few percentage difference.

[kratos]

Those machines are consistent error, for caliper measurements, it can give inconsistent error due to variation in expertise, types of calipers used, and also the technique which is employed to measure the sites.

Hmmm.. I agreed with the calipers, the problem I have with those machines is that they seem to be quite dependent on how hydrated you are and the number varies quite a bit on different days when I tried it

[xydboy]

Hmmm.. I agreed with the calipers, the problem I have with those machines is that they seem to be quite dependent on how hydrated you are and the number varies quite a bit on different days when I tried it

Yeap, every machine or method for calculation of body fat has its flaws. Anyway measurements isn't as important as the amount of effort you put in. You can get the most expensive equipment or the most reliable method, but end of the day it churns you a number and that number isn't going to mean anything much. If you look in the mirror and you don't like what you see, make that change, pretty simple. What i'm trying to drive across is that let's say that figure you see on the sheet of paper tells you you are obese based on the chart, measuring it 10 times and yet not making a difference in your lifestyle isn't going to change anything.

[bodybuildMLY]

Yeap, every machine or method for calculation of body fat has its flaws. Anyway measurements isn't as important as the amount of effort you put in. You can get the most expensive equipment or the most reliable method, but end of the day it churns you a number and that number isn't going to mean anything much. If you look in the mirror and you don't like what you see, make that change, pretty simple. What i'm trying to drive across is that let's say that figure you see on the sheet of paper tells you you are obese based on the chart, measuring it 10 times and yet not making a difference in your lifestyle isn't going to change anything.

 

You are damn right, xydboy! If let's say you are going to use a gadget, just stick to it and don't jump to another gadget. Otherwise, it is very difficult to monitor your progress.

[Guest Guest]

Which machine is best to train the core strength ?  I am a runner and does not want to develop bulky muscles that will slow down my timing.

[doncoin]

Which machine is best to train the core strength ?  I am a runner and does not want to develop bulky muscles that will slow down my timing.

 

Yoga.

 

You use your own body's weight. 

[Guest Guest]

Even.if u use weights to train your core, it won't make u Bulky.

Try Russian twist with weight plate n try doing leg raise holding a weight plate near to your core.

[bodybuildMLY]

I dunno where else to vent my feelings so I just write here...I was looking through a Facebook profile who advises youngsters about the using steroids, but he himself is using it, obviously. He is in his 20s btw.

[Guest Sport-coholic]

Which machine is best to train the core strength ?  I am a runner and does not want to develop bulky muscles that will slow down my timing.

 

Are you sprinter or long distance runner?

 

If you really run a lot, a lot, a lot and do weight training, you won't develop bulky muscles that easily (unless maybe you do take those supplements and protein shakes).

[xydboy]

Are you sprinter or long distance runner?

 

If you really run a lot, a lot, a lot and do weight training, you won't develop bulky muscles that easily (unless maybe you do take those supplements and protein shakes).

The supplements won't make him develop bulky muscles, its the kind of training he puts himself to. Otherwise everyone just quit working out and just rely on shakes and supplement to get bigger will do.

[xydboy]

Which machine is best to train the core strength ?  I am a runner and does not want to develop bulky muscles that will slow down my timing.

True core strength training lies within the development of the 3 layers of the core muscles. Machines just move in one direction, but what you need to train the core in many ways apart from the abs or crunches. Core strength is important for a runner as it is one of the determinant to performance in terms of running economy. Try doing a variety of core movements that includes lateral movements, flexion/extension as well as dynamic stability movements. All these can be done with just weights and not a single machine is used. Things like lunges, rotational movements, turkish get up,etc. Can google these exercises online to find out more.

[Guest Sport-coholic]

The supplements won't make him develop bulky muscles, its the kind of training he puts himself to. Otherwise everyone just quit working out and just rely on shakes and supplement to get bigger will do.

I didn't mean taking supplements and protein shakes alone without weight training mah.

[ash12]

I didn't mean taking supplements and protein shakes alone without weight training mah.

Haha. Supplements aren't 'magic" substances. I tried going on and off protein and to be honest, there wasn't much difference in terms of gains. Your total calories is what matters whether you gain or lose weight. Anabolic window is pretty overrated. But i still do take protein due to its convenience and value.a scoop of protein(25g) costs slightly above $1 and easy to bring along.

[samdiggin]

trying to gain weight but also shed the fat of the tummy..anyone can PM for advice? 

[Steve5380]

Haha. Supplements aren't 'magic" substances. I tried going on and off protein and to be honest, there wasn't much difference in terms of gains. Your total calories is what matters whether you gain or lose weight. Anabolic window is pretty overrated. But i still do take protein due to its convenience and value.a scoop of protein(25g) costs slightly above $1 and easy to bring along.

 

Very wise.  No supplements make up for the knowledge of good form, good scheduling and strong efforts while exercising.  No need to worry about taking in extra protein during the "anabolic window". Good inexpensive protein like a pair of eggs can be part of our regular meals, driven by good appetite, and if we eat frequently enough they will fall within any anabolic window.  There is no need to count calories, but instead eat healthy foods, if possible the highest rated.

[ash12]

Very wise. No supplements make up for the knowledge of good form, good scheduling and strong efforts while exercising. No need to worry about taking in extra protein during the "anabolic window". Good inexpensive protein like a pair of eggs can be part of our regular meals, driven by good appetite, and if we eat frequently enough they will fall within any anabolic window. There is no need to count calories, but instead eat healthy foods, if possible the highest rated.

There is no need to count calories? How can you cut without being in a caloric deficit and vice versa if you're bulking? Highest rated healthy food are of course optimal in any situation but without knowing your calories, how do you track your progression? lets say if you're dieting, after a while you might plateau and that's where the magic of playing around with your calories can ramp up your progression. Plus, i dont see any difference when having 3-4 big meals a day versus small frequent meals. I've gotten better results when i counted my calories and eat 3-4 big meals with the bulk of it around my workout timing. Compared to last time where I don't count calories and believe that small frequent meals does wonders to my metabolism. Then again, i might be wrong since i dont major in sports science like xydboy. All my diet and progression are done through research and experimentation on my own body.

Edited May 28, 2015 by ash12

[Steve5380]

There is no need to count calories? How can you cut without being in a caloric deficit and vice versa if you're bulking? Highest rated healthy food are of course optimal in any situation but without knowing your calories, how do you track your progression? lets say if you're dieting, after a while you might plateau and that's where the magic of playing around with your calories can ramp up your progression. Plus, i dont see any difference when having 3-4 big meals a day versus small frequent meals. I've gotten better results when i counted my calories and eat 3-4 big meals with the bulk of it around my workout timing. Compared to last time where I don't count calories and believe that small frequent meals does wonders to my metabolism. Then again, i might be wrong since i dont major in sports science like xydboy. All my diet and progression are done through research and experimentation on my own body.

 

You are wise in defining your diet through self experimentation.  The science of nutrition is very indecisive and it changes often.  This is the case with the theories about few big meals vs. many small ones.  When I eat many small meals I am never hungry, and this makes me think that the body won't be motivated to put on fat to have caloric reserve.  But I don't swear by this.  If I had problems eating many small meals, I would eat few big ones and maybe nothing would change.  About counting calories,  I have never done this.  Maybe I am lazy and I hate to research the calories-per-weight of everything I eat.  But I get a feeling of how much I eat.  In my experience (I also do self-experimentation) my weight does not change at all under minor changes of the quantity of food.  This makes me believe that there is not an additive balance of calories in vs. calories burned,  like with the gas in the tank of our cars, but there is a regulating mechanism.  If we eat right, the body will go to an optimum weight  unless we eat too little or too much.  And this too little or too much we find by weighting ourselves. 

Edited May 28, 2015 by Steve5380

[ash12]

You are wise in defining your diet through self experimentation. The science of nutrition is very indecisive and it changes often. This is the case with the theories about few big meals vs. many small ones. When I eat many small meals I am never hungry, and this makes me think that the body won't be motivated to put on fat to have caloric reserve. But I don't swear by this. If I had problems eating many small meals, I would eat few big ones and maybe nothing would change. About counting calories, I have never done this. Maybe I am lazy and I hate to research the calories-per-weight of everything I eat. But I get a feeling of how much I eat. In my experience (I also do self-experimentation) my weight does not change at all under minor changes of the quantity of food. This makes me believe that there is not an additive balance of calories in vs. calories burned, like with the gas in the tank of our cars, but there is a regulating mechanism. If we eat right, the body will go to an optimum weight unless we eat too little or too much. And this too little or too much we find by weighting ourselves.

Ahh, i understand your point of view now. Kudos to u man. Thats really great having a feel of how much u eat. I could never get that right without over or under eating.

[doncoin]

A trainer of mine, who was a bodybuilder shared this tip with me:

 

Shape not weight. 

 

Too often we are obsessed about the weight. Focus on the shape. What you see in the mirror to guide you. You want to see symmetry. You want to get the "X" shape. Wide shoulders. Narrower waist, wide quads. 

[xydboy]

You are wise in defining your diet through self experimentation.  The science of nutrition is very indecisive and it changes often.  This is the case with the theories about few big meals vs. many small ones.  When I eat many small meals I am never hungry, and this makes me think that the body won't be motivated to put on fat to have caloric reserve.  But I don't swear by this.  If I had problems eating many small meals, I would eat few big ones and maybe nothing would change.  About counting calories,  I have never done this.  Maybe I am lazy and I hate to research the calories-per-weight of everything I eat.  But I get a feeling of how much I eat.  In my experience (I also do self-experimentation) my weight does not change at all under minor changes of the quantity of food.  This makes me believe that there is not an additive balance of calories in vs. calories burned,  like with the gas in the tank of our cars, but there is a regulating mechanism.  If we eat right, the body will go to an optimum weight  unless we eat too little or too much.  And this too little or too much we find by weighting ourselves. 

The reason why your weight do not fluctuate under minor changes of the quantity of food is because the body is very good at maintaining homeostasis. In terms of small meals vs large meals, by far, the best evidence in a meta analysis (Berg & Forslund, 2015) demonstrated that "regular eating habits might facilitate weight balance, while unplanned snacking as well as consuming the major part of the energy intake at the end of the day seem to be unfavourable." Another population based study (Aljuraiban, et. al., 2015) with 2696 men and women aged 40 to 59 from the UK and US showed that, "larger number of small meals may be associated with improved diet quality and lower BMI." Criticism arise from differing findings is cited to be the discrepancies in definitions for meal sizes, timing of ingesting and types of meal patterns (gorging vs nibbling).

[xydboy]

There is no need to count calories? How can you cut without being in a caloric deficit and vice versa if you're bulking? Highest rated healthy food are of course optimal in any situation but without knowing your calories, how do you track your progression? lets say if you're dieting, after a while you might plateau and that's where the magic of playing around with your calories can ramp up your progression. Plus, i dont see any difference when having 3-4 big meals a day versus small frequent meals. I've gotten better results when i counted my calories and eat 3-4 big meals with the bulk of it around my workout timing. Compared to last time where I don't count calories and believe that small frequent meals does wonders to my metabolism. Then again, i might be wrong since i dont major in sports science like xydboy. All my diet and progression are done through research and experimentation on my own body.

Calories in vs calories out, that's the fundamental principle of thermodynamics. In terms of behavioural techniques to track progression or weight loss maintenance/management, a few positive strategies have been studied. Kruger et. al. (2006) reported that "successful versus unsuccessful weight losers reported that on most days of the week they planned meals (35.9% vs. 24.9%), tracked calories (17.7% vs. 8.8%), tracked fat (16.4% vs. 6.6%), and measured food on plate (15.9% vs. 6.7%). Successful losers were also more likely to weigh themselves daily (20.3% vs. 11.0%). There were a significantly higher proportion of successful losers who reported lifting weights (19.0%) versus unsuccessful (10.9%). The odds of being a successful weight loser were 48%–76% lower for those reporting exercise weight control barriers were influencing factors (e.g., no time, too tired to exercise, no one to exercise with, too hard to maintain exercise routine) compared to those who reported little or no influence of exercise; similarly, the odds were 48–64% lower for those who found certain dietary barriers to be influential (e.g., eat away from home too often, diet/health food costs too much)." This study was conducted with about 6000+ respondents, ranging from people with different household background, education and age. 

 

In short, self monitoring strategies such as planned meals, tracked calories, and means of increasing physical activity would help to contribute to getting more positive outcomes. According to Cordiero et. al. (2015), the major barriers to food journaling or what we also defined as tracking of calories, meal planning, etc are divided into 4 main categories of concern, 1) what and how much to write, 2) reliability of database of food consumed, 3) eating context and 4) losing the habit. One of the major obstacle which was highlighted was people losing the determination and the habit to continue. They will start to forget to document the entries and subsequently losing interest in counting the calories, etc. Therefore it is critical to motivate oneself and what you did was really good. Keep up!

[Steve5380]

The reason why your weight do not fluctuate under minor changes of the quantity of food is because the body is very good at maintaining homeostasis. In terms of small meals vs large meals, by far, the best evidence in a meta analysis (Berg & Forslund, 2015) demonstrated that "regular eating habits might facilitate weight balance, while unplanned snacking as well as consuming the major part of the energy intake at the end of the day seem to be unfavourable." Another population based study (Aljuraiban, et. al., 2015) with 2696 men and women aged 40 to 59 from the UK and US showed that, "larger number of small meals may be associated with improved diet quality and lower BMI." Criticism arise from differing findings is cited to be the discrepancies in definitions for meal sizes, timing of ingesting and types of meal patterns (gorging vs nibbling).

 

Yes, I find there is a homeostasis in the composition (and weight) of our body, something regulating how much food we absorb and how it is used, within limits.  Not such good regulation as our temperature though. I wish your findings favoring larger number of small meals are true, and I definitely support the idea that regularity is what our bodies like, although irregularities here and there like fasting don't hurt.

[pinktop]

Uhh any diff?

Edited June 29, 2015 by pinktop

[Fiacla]

Anyone? I have been skinny all my life. Kana slipped disc. Doctor said need to train on my stomach and back muscles.

 

I'm thinking of getting more flesh as well... But I can eat all kind of meat and junk food, I still cant get fat. Currently 179m/52kg. was 59kg for many many years though.

 

Ppl said i'm high on metabolism thats why i cant get fat. I dun wanna take on those powder or pills. Any tips?