Help with bulking diet!

[|D_J^B_J|]

I am 19 years old, 173cm/5'9", 52.5kg, 6% BF (used to be 3% ), and have very low skinfolds. I have always been relatively skinny and found it hard to gain weight.

At the moment I am obviously very cut and lean, but I need to gain more muscle, preferably without too much fat. Eventually, I'd like to reach around 70kg and stay less than 10% BF (although, I guess if I gain too much, I can always cut afterwards).

My training consists of weight training (3 days/week) alternated daily with sprint training (3 days/week) with one rest day per week. Obviously, doing sprint training makes it hard for me to work my legs as well as I'd like to, but that's something I must put up with.


I was thinking of a diet consisting of the following:

Meal 1: (pre-workout)
1 omelette made with 1 yolk, 2 whites
1/2 cup of diced mushroom, celery and capsicum

80g bran cereal
250g skim yoghurt
5g whey
OR
1/3 cup oats + 15g bran cereal
250ml skim milk
100g skim yoghurt
5g whey powder

250g mixed fresh fruit salad (strawberries, kiwi-fruit, apple, berries, etc)

20g dried fruit

TOTAL: Approximately 710 calories, 37g protein, 8.5g fats, 95g carbs


TRAINING:
1 - 1.5 hrs of intense weight training or sprint training (6 days a week)


Meal 2: (post-workout)
Banana smoothie made with:
200ml skim milk
1 banana
5g honey
15g whey powder

TOTAL: Approximately 270 calories, 20g protein, 0g fat, 40g carbs


Meal 3:
135g rice/65g (dry weight) beans/60g pasta/2 slices of wholegrain bread/1 wholegrain roll

100g grilled skinless chicken/turkey breast
20g mustard
5g tomato paste
OR
1 can of tuna/salmon
50g cottage cheese
10g reduced-fat mozzarella
Varied herbs and spices

2 cups salad vegetables
5g Olive oil
1 tblsp white vinegar

TOTAL: Approximately 500 calories, 33g protein, 12g fats, 42g carbs)


Meal 4:
40g high-protein, low-carb bar
15g natural peanut butter/15g mixed nuts (almonds, brazils, walnuts cashews, etc)
OR
1 20g stick of string cheese
25g natural peanut butter/25g mixed nuts (almonds, brazils, walnuts cashews, etc)
10g whey

TOTAL: Approximately 250 calories, 20.4g protein, 11.6g fats, 7.1g carbs for option 1; OR 250 calories, 20.4g protein, 16.9g carbs, 2.95g fats for option 2


Meal 5:
250g grilled/baked/stir-fried/curried skinless turkey breast OR skinless chicken breast OR lean beef OR lean lamb OR salmon
2 cups mixed steamed vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans, onion, garlic, etc)
200g sweet potato/90g brown rice
10g olive oil
40ml low-sugar marinade/20g chilli + mustard marinade/low sugar curry paste + varied herbs and spices

TOTAL: Approximately 700 - 792 calories, 56g protein, 20 - 25g fats, 40g carbs


Meal 6: (pre-bed)
100ml skim milk
18g ground flaxseed
5g cocoa
10g whey powder
stevia powder (a natural, non-caloric sweetener)

TOTAL Approximately 177 calories, 20g protein, 7.5g fats, 7.2g carbs


DAILY TOTAL:
2610 - 2710 calories
185g protein (40% of energy)
60.8g - 65g fats (26% of energy)
229g carbs (34% of energy)

Side notes: If I have salmon for one meal (a fish naturally high in good fats), I will exclude 5g of olive oil for that meal
Any activities I do after training will be low intensity exercises, such as walking, socializing, etc.

One thing I am concerned about is whether I should consume less fats in meal 1 (pre-workout) because I read that too much fat pre-workout or post-workout could blunt the effects of growth hormone. Perhaps I could add the two egg whites to the bowl of oats/bran and make up for the fat lost from the yolk by adding extra fat/olive oil to one of my later meals? Or does fat in the pre-workout meal have no detrimental effect?

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[6_pak]

The only thing i'll comment on is your pwo shake. Why not get 40-50 g whey and 80-100 g dextrose?? I also think you need at least 1.5-2g of protein ed.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

The only thing i'll comment on is your pwo shake. Why not get 40-50 g whey and 80-100 g dextrose?? I also think you need at least 1.5-2g of protein ed.

What about 200ml fat-free milk, 1 banana, 15g dextrose and 20g protein for the PWO shake? (25g protein, 50g carbs) Water mixed with sugar seems a bit bland to me.

Also, remember my body weight is less than 60kg, so I would think the amount of protein and carbs I require post-workout would be less than the amount required by most people trying to bulk.

 

[6_pak]

What about 200ml fat-free milk, 1 banana, 15g dextrose and 20g protein for the PWO shake? (25g protein, 50g carbs) Water mixed with sugar seems a bit bland to me.

Also, remember my body weight is less than 60kg, so I would think the amount of protein and carbs I require post-workout would be less than the amount required by most people trying to bulk.

Sorry bro, not on the metric here in the US, so i have no idea what you weigh. but i think that the principle applies to all. If your trying to bulk eat more, meaning 1.5-2.0 g of protein. In regards to pwo, my previous statement about pwo is what i live by. After an intense workout your body is in a unique state where it can assimilate more protein than other times of the day, so you can take in more after your workout. I would take in at least 40. Personally, i take in 60g with 120 g of dex. Im not a fan of fruit for pwo. You need dextrose. Mix a cool-aid packet in with the dex for taste. The problem with milk is that its a slow digestive carb. You need a fast digesting carb after a workout such as dextrose and maltodextrine.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Sorry bro, not on the metric here in the US, so i have no idea what you weigh. but i think that the principle applies to all. If your trying to bulk eat more, meaning 1.5-2.0 g of protein. In regards to pwo, my previous statement about pwo is what i live by. After an intense workout your body is in a unique state where it can assimilate more protein than other times of the day, so you can take in more after your workout. I would take in at least 40. Personally, i take in 60g with 120 g of dex. Im not a fan of fruit for pwo. You need dextrose. Mix a cool-aid packet in with the dex for taste. The problem with milk is that its a slow digestive carb. You need a fast digesting carb after a workout such as dextrose and maltodextrine.

I understand what you're saying with regard to the need for a fast digesting carb PWO, but if a small amount of milk is mixed with the dextrose, won't that increase the speed of digestion of the carbs to still enable the protein to reach the muscles quickly? Also, what is a cool-aid packet?

Another thing, should I still be consuming the same PWO shake after sprint training? Or should I be consuming less protein and carbs after sprints compared to what I'd consume after lifting weights?

 

[6_pak]

I understand what you're saying with regard to the need for a fast digesting carb PWO, but if a small amount of milk is mixed with the dextrose, won't that increase the speed of digestion of the carbs to still enable the protein to reach the muscles quickly? Also, what is a cool-aid packet?

Another thing, should I still be consuming the same PWO shake after sprint training? Or should I be consuming less protein and carbs after sprints compared to what I'd consume after lifting weights?

Cool-aid is basically flavoring mixed with sugar and water to make a fruity drink. The cool-aid packet is the individual packets that the flavoring comes in. It has no calories, no carbs, no protein, no fats. So that, mixed with dextrose and water will basically give you cool-aid.
IMO you shouldnt consume a pwo shake after cardio. If your doing cardio for fat loss, there are better, more effective ways than doing sprints. Get a heart rate moniter, and go to 60-75% of your max heart rate for fat loss. This is more effecient. After cardio, wait an hour to prolong lipolysis(fat burning process)then eat a protein/fat meal to prolong it further. If your sprinting for other reason than fat loss, have some gatorade to restore electrolyte lost from intense cardio. I guess protein would be acceptable at this point as well. Not well versed with eating after anaerobic exercise other than restoring electrolyte

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Cool-aid is basically flavoring mixed with sugar and water to make a fruity drink. The cool-aid packet is the individual packets that the flavoring comes in. It has no calories, no carbs, no protein, no fats. So that, mixed with dextrose and water will basically give you cool-aid.
IMO you shouldnt consume a pwo shake after cardio. If your doing cardio for fat loss, there are better, more effective ways than doing sprints. Get a heart rate moniter, and go to 60-75% of your max heart rate for fat loss. This is more effecient. After cardio, wait an hour to prolong lipolysis(fat burning process)then eat a protein/fat meal to prolong it further. If your sprinting for other reason than fat loss, have some gatorade to restore electrolyte lost from intense cardio. I guess protein would be acceptable at this point as well. Not well versed with eating after anaerobic exercise other than restoring electrolyte

My BF is somewhere between 3-6%, so I'm not sprinting for fat loss, rather to increase power and explosiveness as a supplement to weight training, which I'm doing to bulk. In that case, would a good PWO shake after sprinting be powdered electrolyte formula mixed with whey and dextrose? (This seems logical to me as it would restore electrolyte lost from sprinting and also provide fast absorbing protein to the muscles)

Anyone?

 

[6_pak]

Sounds good to me

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Thanks for your help 6_pak. K to you.

One more thing... I have looked for dextrose and/or maltodextrine in two health food stores and one supermarket. They had liquid glucose but not dextrose.

However, I was speaking to someone earlier today who told me that glucose and dextrose are the same things. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

Another question:

Would you recommend taking an electrolyte rehydration formula before AND after doing sprint training, or just after? I don't seem to cramp all that much during training and I train about 1 hour after my first meal of oats, fruit and whey.

In that case, wouldn't the fruit I eat pre-workout have a similar affect as the electrolyte formula, meaning it would only be beneficial to take the formula post-workout and not pre-workout?