How to build muscle?


(Denise) #61

I’ll get back to you on this great bunch of info ifod I really do appreciate it I’m just not near my computer right now I did figure out that I need to eat more food to gain muscle and I’ve been trying but for some reason I’m hanging around 1,300 calories and that’s really not enough cuz I figured out my TDEE and used to track all my macros religiously and I still have my account on mfp :wink:


(Allie) #62

I don’t track anything and definitely not failing here…


#63

Except sprinting? And legs. My SO runs (6-10km at a time, usually) and cycles (there is elevation so part of it must be cardio) and he has wonderfully thick legs, I always am amazed when I see them :smiley: He has as small muscles as I elsewhere but he never trains them, he just want to be slim, not interested in muscles. Sigh. Maybe one day, I triggered his desire to lift weight by doing it in front of him before… But it’s way too rare, it’s not how one does it.

He eats little protein too, I am amazed that he could built leg muscles and keep them, even when he gave blood plasma regularly (but not too often)…
But I know some people gain muscle at 1g/kg for lean body weight (of course. lots of fat doesn’t really need protein. I surely wouldn’t eat 2-300g protein if I was very, very fat! what a waste. no way my body could use it up), it’s just rare. I consider 1.5-2g/kg for LBM the proper protein intake, it’s a very common, good, safe range for gain :slight_smile: I learned this from a competent hobby bodybuilder :slight_smile:
I am at 3g with my full effort at protein intake minimalization though (if I focus on not overeating fat too), much more and it will be protein toxicity if @PaulL’s numbers are to be believed (3.3g/kg). Protein surely won’t be the reason I don’t gain muscle… :smiley: But it will go very slowly in the best case anyway, I am a human female, it can’t be helped.


(Denise) #64

but did you at first so you would know where your at with your meals Allie? That’s the way I did it because I was changing from high carbs, to a whole new way of eating. I had no idea what the difference would mean so tracking was my number one priority. I think I may have done it for longer, but pretty sure it was just about 2 weeks. I didn’t start lifting until I was a year and a half into keto.

My portions/grams surprised me that I actually consumed that many calories, and how out-of-balance I was with macros.


(Denise) #65

I remember hearing, over and over, “carb up” but I also noticed how atleast some serious runners were always so thin in their upper bodies. The same with serious bicyclers. I’m just saying it wasn’t my thing, even when I was young. I never saw the inside of a gym until about age 40, and then I couldn’t seem to get hooked until about 7-8 months ago now, but loved walking for exercise starting at about 30 :wink:


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #66

Dr. Noakes talks about how he was taken by the research on this (I think it was two Danish scientists who first came up with the idea of enhancing performance with carbohydrate), and how it wasn’t until he became diabetic like his father (who died of the disease), that he began to re-think things. If you look at pictures of Noakes during his main running career, you can see that he definitely wasn’t fat, and yet he ended up diabetic, anyway.


(Denise) #67

I’ve never enjoyed aerobic stuff, and really did get a lot of feedback on it not being beneficial anyway unless you just enjoy it a lot. I also read, and heard that the man that came up with the name aerobics (I think he was a doctor as well) denounced it himself eventually. I don’t know that’s all true but it gave me a good excuse not to bother with it.

I was raised around strictly blue-collar, hard-working timber-jacks, log-mill workers etc. and quite a few farmers etc. and they were built fine:laughing:


(Allie) #68

At first I tracked religiously but haven’t for years now and during that time, my training has evolved to a whole new level.


(Denise) #69

Ok so you just guessed your macros after you got a general idea. I would have to track just a week or so because I am a bit OCD for the numbers because I am too curious about how much I am eating (protein, carbs, fats) I don’t worry about calories as long as I am doing regular workouts.

I totally believe people can just guess I just don’t want to because I’m too far off. I’ve noticed though I can become a little weak, or lethargic and it’s always from lack of protein or fats. I may even go for more carbs but only the fruits seem to be the ones I would up, or cruciferous stuff.

Everyone has found their own way here, and that’s what I’m doing. I think I mentioned before that I can get something useful for me out of most every reply I get :wink: I do weigh on occasion, especially since my weight should go up eventually after I try some of the suggestions here. Since you’ve been doing this for years, do you have an idea of how many lbs of muscle you’ve gained Allie?

That’s something I should have asked early on. I’d love to know what people have gained (in pound, or I guess kg’s) after building muscle :wink:


#70

I can relate sooooooooo much. I don’t like tracking but I am super curious. I kept tracking (with small breaks) even when I ate zillion items a day, ouch.
I can’t guess my fat intake nowadays as it’s impossible with my fatty meat consumption (I still try :D) but protein intake is an important data point too :wink:
Numbers may be useful here and there but they entertain me as well…

I did the “tracking for a while, eating similarly without tracking afterwards” thing on low-carb, I lost fat while not tracking and it was pretty much effortless as I remember, oh golden times. I had to track on keto to ensure my carbs aren’t too high. I don’t need that close to carnivore but I am still interested in protein. And fat if I can guess it. I need it for my experiments.

I can’t guess if my life depends on it, not even after years :smiley:

By the way, thanks for this topic! It probably played some role in me making a full body workout today, not missing even my chest press! :smiley:
I am weak as a kitten as usual but not weaker than last time! And I am more motivated so I will push myself a bit more. I suspect sometimes I stop too early as I lose my spirit. But it’s probably more like not doing my workout frequently enough, it’s so easy to skip it at home if I am not enthusiastic about it.

I didn’t see gain but… I am a bit thinner than the last time I had this weight, I think… Not a big difference so it may be something else but SOME minuscular muscle growth must have happened, I am stronger than years ago, even if part of it is brain-muscle relationship or whatever is the term in English, no idea… But now I will take things seriously! I hope. And then we will see what happens.

Good luck for everyone!!! :muscle:


(Denise) #71

That’s a good point, I am cooking some meat today in the slow-cooker but how in the heck can I figure out how much fat is in that, guess we have to guess. My brain isn’t fully functioning as I have eaten breakfast yet :wink:

Good for you on your workout, I get more motivated by coming here and talking with folks too :grin: I’ve been absent from the gym 2 days now, so I will get down there today if I hold to my “gym day” routine! Hope hope hope! I did walk the last 2 nights at least since it stopped raining long enough, 30 minutes, but I feel a whole lot better when I include the gym work, sleep better especially :slight_smile:


(Allie) #72

Honestly no because I don’t even know what I weigh anymore, but people who know me often comment on how “buff” I look now :rofl:

My waist is still 26 inches. I wear men’s tops, as women’s won’t fit around my muscle, and have had to change from wearing small to medium. Can’t wear jeans anymore, only leggings with plenty of stretch but still the waists tend to be a bit loose to accommodate the leg muscle.

I don’t track my food, don’t track my weight, don’t limit anything (except carbs which goes without saying, but that’s just normal to me anyway). Only thing I do track is my training and I’m seeing consistent improvements there.


(Denise) #73

Ok Allie,

sounds like you’re aware of everything so no need to track :wink: Congrats on being buff :grin: I wouldn’t mind hearing that one day :slight_smile:


(Allie) #74

Just input todays food into MFP out of curiosity.


#75

Yeah walking is important too, we have such a nice place here, less pretty in snowless winter but finally no rain (it is an unusually rainy January) and I went out for my usual 50 minutes round! Almost didn’t, it was gloomy and windy but I wasn’t outside much yesterday! It feels good to bring myself to do as much exercise as I expect from myself. Or almost. I wanted to run too but it got dark so quickly after I ate, I can’t run with a full stomach…

@Shortstuff: I don’t know why they don’t do pants for people with a smallish waist and muscular legs, it’s not THAT hard to reach that, one needn’t to be even a hobby bodybuilder… My SO has difficulties when buying pants too but I heard this from many others…
Well this definitely won’t stop me from getting more muscles :slight_smile:
Congrats with your improvements, hopefully I get over my laziness, it definitely feels so right now! I get pumped up, mentally for now :wink:


#76

But how much muscle are you trying to put on? When people are actively lifting for a while and it doesn’t come, they’re either under training, under eating or both. If you’re not watching it, you don’t know.

If you’re like me and train your ass off and can’t keep stuff out of your mouth, way less of a problem.


(Allie) #77

No goal, just keeping on and seeing where I end up. If I stop making progress maybe I’ll re-evaluate, but no issues at all currently.


(Denise) #78

Wow, yours looks great Allie!! I guess practice does make darn near perfect :wink: Glad to know I’m not the only curious cat around here :grin: I’ll plug mine in for fun (and curiosity) for today and see what I get. I have to get out to the gym now though so a bit later I’ll post it :wink: Thanks Allie, you are very encouraging!


(Denise) #79

I feel fairly certain when I make some real obvious progress I will also be aware of when to go into maintenance mode. I don’t know for sure as I haven’t ever worked hard to “intentionaly” build muscle, I was so focused on losing fat. As my goals on MFP I would always select lose fat, build muscle, but I didn’t follow through, not until diagnosed w/T2, and found out to fight that with nutrition only I also could possibly lose weight. I couldn’t believe when it started coming off, every week another pound.

If I’d had my rathers, I would have started the weight way earlier :wink: but I’m just glad I did start!


#80

My neither :heart_eyes: I never belonged to the women who were oh so afraid that they get too muscular when lifting something with a weight (okay, one must be quite ignorant for that but I mean I rather say come, muscle gain, I accept anything I can get! :smiley: It’s not so much for a human especially for a female without steroids…).

Isn’t here a cheerleader smiley? Oh well.

By the way I never new Allie is buff but now I always will imagine a muscular, fit lady saving hens and swans left, right and center! :smiley: