Cannot Gain Weight...Why

[Calle]

Hi everyone new to this forum. I am 5'9", 140lbs male, 5% body fat. I have been weightlifting and doing cardio for about a month now. I am doing a 3 day regimen for lifting, Day 1 is chest/tris, then D2 is back/bi's then D3 shoulders legs and then I might take a day off in between usually I don't. My workouts are on average an hour.

For the last two weeks I average 3,750 cals/day. I have been thin my whole life and have never been over 145lbs. I've always been under 8% BF. If I get sick and only have 1,000 calories one day it seems like I lose 3 lbs.. I assumed my requirements were:

1950 cals (Harris/Benedict formula) just to subsist
500 cals training
300 cals added for fast metabolism
TOTAL: 2750

That means for two weeks I had a 14,000 calorie excess YET I actually LOST 2 lbs in that time span even starting creatine!

How is this possible? I get at least 8 hours of sleep, never train a sore muscle and work out HARD. I only do about on average 15 mins of cardio per day and during my workouts my heart rate averages about 135-150bpm.

Can you guys also recommend some legal (and not pricey) supplements? Currently I basically eat whatever I want but always have at least 150gprotein and I also have 1-2 whey protein shakes in milk.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

You are clearly a hardgainer bro. I'm in the same boat as you but I figured it out.

You should probably try to take in 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. 150 isn't enough.

I'd recommend at least 280 grams. It's important for hardgainers to eat throughout the day as much as possible. You might also try 3 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. If you feel like you are getting fat gain cut that down. If not, slowly increase carb intake.

This is just how I gained weight. Really try your hardest to get at least 30-40 grams of protein, 15-25 grams of healthy fat, and 50-75 carbs every 2-3 hours. I couldn't put any muscle on the way I used to eat, and it was because I wasn't getting enough protein, carbs, and , above all, a caloric surplus. In order to build muscle, you need to consume more calories in a day than you are burning.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

And whatever you do, DO NOT start fucking with hormonal products. There is clearly issues with your diet that are keeping the weight off. I promise you that you can put weight on the natural way.

 

[NoFatChicks91]

You should also post how often you eat bro.

Also, we need to see your training regimen to critique it. I'm not a fan of training chest with triceps, back with biceps. I have had more growth by completely assaulting one single muscle group a day. And I can also tell you that nothing will put more weight on you than training your legs. If you haven't been working your legs, start squatting and deadlifting and I bet you could put on a good 10-20 lbs just on the legs, provided your diet is in check

 

[Evan Tipps]

Stick to HEAVY COMPOUND LIFTS. Ditch ALL isolation. Try going monday/wednesday/friday. Get in and kill that shit and get out. Progress weight on that bar and your weight will progress with it.. Eat CLEAN and large. Sleep like a baby. And you must have consistency weight gain/muscle gain does not happen overnight.

 

[Calle]

Thanks so far everyone, here is my regimen:
Mon: 4 sets barbell press, 4 sets incline press (45deg), 4 sets butterflys, 4 sets tricep pulldowns and 20 minutes on the stairs
Tuesday: 4 sets rowing, 4 sets individual arm row, 4 sets bicep curls with bar, 4 sets dumbell curls and hold on last one - 15 minutes treadmill
Wed: 4 sets squats, 4 sets leg press, 10 shrugs then walk 30 steps with weights, put down and repeat for 1/8 mile and 20 minutes stairs
Thurs: off
Friday: back to Mondays reg
Sat:Back to Tues reg
Sun: Wed Reg

Can you guys give me advice on supplements besides Whey?

 

[buddhabuilder]

It is not out of the question for a routine like this to work for a beginner. In the first 2 years, as long as your hitting every body part at least once a week, and you have your diet together, you should see gains. You should probably consider 4 exercises/4 sets on every body part on a routine like this except legs where, IMO, you should be doing 4 sets of 12-15 reps, and including leg curls and extensions. If you aren't going to have a day off between Sun and Monday, I would suggest hitting the first 3 days heavy, and the second 3 days of training with moderate weights and intensity. A multi vitamin, creatine, and maybe 2 different protein powders, casein and whey, and some protein bars are important basic supplements for you to keep on hand. Its going to take a while to get used to consuming the neccesary diet and training with good form and intensity, but as long as you are consistent you will def make headway.

 

[EZ_E]

You're over training and what did you expect after a month?

Post your diet.

~EZ

 

[stevesmi]

how old are you? if you are young your metabolism is generally gonna be fast and its gonna be harder to gain. as you get older it becomes easier..

also your job is a factor.. if you are digging ditches all day and sweating off everything and burning off fat and muscle you won't gain.

cardio, this is a biggie... if you want to gain you should reduce your cardio, you can always re-introduce it down the line

a supplement like creatine sounds like your best bet

and finally read the bulking thread in my signature below.. that will give you a good guide.

 

[Calle]

You're over training and what did you expect after a month?

Post your diet.

~EZ

I am definately not overtraining. I expected to be gaining 1-2 lbs a week at this point.

My diet consists of about 5 small meals throught the day of about 700 calories each. I always take in 100-150g protein and 350g carbs.

 

[Calle]

how old are you? if you are young your metabolism is generally gonna be fast and its gonna be harder to gain. as you get older it becomes easier..

also your job is a factor.. if you are digging ditches all day and sweating off everything and burning off fat and muscle you won't gain.

cardio, this is a biggie... if you want to gain you should reduce your cardio, you can always re-introduce it down the line

a supplement like creatine sounds like your best bet

and finally read the bulking thread in my signature below.. that will give you a good guide.

Thanks. I'll be 29 in a few weeks. I have a deskjob and try to conserve as many calories as I can when not training. I will read your guide.

 

[gatemoney]

3500 cals with a job like yours is not enough.
How many calories are you allowing for your job?
I have a physical job is well and was having trouble gaining as well.
At first I allowed 600 calories for my job.
600 couldn't gain,
800 I couldn't gain,
1000 i couldn't gain,
1200 and I finally started to gain.
I'm now eating 4500+ a day at 190-ish and gaining nicely.
Also i don't count shakes or the 3 steaks a get at the whole foods market across the street from my work every friday.
It's not easy, it's not cheap but it's working.

 

[Calle]

3500 cals with a job like yours is not enough.
How many calories are you allowing for your job?
I have a physical job is well and was having trouble gaining as well.
At first I allowed 600 calories for my job.
600 couldn't gain,
800 I couldn't gain,
1000 i couldn't gain,
1200 and I finally started to gain.
I'm now eating 4500+ a day at 190-ish and gaining nicely.
Also i don't count shakes or the 3 steaks a get at the whole foods market across the street from my work every friday.
It's not easy, it's not cheap but it's working.

I stated in my previous post that I have a deskjob. I literally don't leave my chair for 9 hours

 

[gatemoney]

I stated in my previous post that I have a deskjob. I literally don't leave my chair for 9 hours

lol i think i got 2 different threads mixed up...sorry bro

 

[stevesmi]

gotta eat big to get big.

and gotta lift big to get big.

be a little more patient. at your age and with your job you will start gaining very soon. breakfast is very important. whatever you are doing now add in pancakes and waffles, it will make a huge difference. these types of tips and more are in my bulking thread.. i made that thread especially for guys in your boat who are trying to gain. its easier than you think, you just gotta commit to it

 

[gatemoney]

Get into a structured program like 5x5 or 5/3/1
2 higley adaptable programs structured around the compound lifts.
There is no mass without strength!
You must get your body's overall strength up.
think core and base
Squat
Dead lift
Flat bench
Overhead press
Bent over rows
Forget about your chest and your arms for a while you've got to build the base up. You can build nothing great off of a shitty foundation!
But all of this will be pointless if you don't eat, and I mean it like its your job!
Eat more than you have ever eaten before in your life!
I'm not joking at all when I say you should be clogging the toilet at least 2x a day.
I spend more money on food then every other part of this lifestyle put together and I'm steadily gaining.
I was just like you calculating out my calories , thinking I had it all lined up.
I think some peoples bodies just need the stimulation of all that extra food.
Think Beef!
Ground beef Is good if money is an issue But steak would be better.
Honestly I would stop weighing shit and just eat, eat clean but eat!
For my last meal of the day, everyday, I have 24 ounces of chicken breast and at least 8 cups of green vegetable.
Lunch would be like 1 pound of ground beef or a 16 ounce or so steak with a whole sweet potato about 20 ounces.
Breakfast would be 6 whole eggs, 1 and a half cups of oatmeal, 1 banana, 1 whey shake.
In between meals,,10 ounce chicken breast sandwiche.
24 ounces of tilapia with 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup black beans.

List of foods you should be eating an asinine amount of...
Steak
Ground beef
Ground turkey
Whitefish...tilapia or orange roughy
Tuna fish
Salmon
Chicken breast
Pork loin
Brown rice
Wild rice
Quinoa (sp)
Oatmeal!
Sweet potatoes
Black beans
Spinach
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Asparagus
Fresh raw baby spinach
Romaine lettuce
Hope this helps

 

[buddhabuilder]

Well, I think its all here between all the responses. The least amount of protein you should be taking in is 240-280 grams a day. And, yes, unless you are using a high intensity/low intensity approach, this is over training if you want size. Write down your diet so you can be sure your getting the needed protein intake. Remember 6 ounces of meat chicken or fish is about 36 grams of protein. Lock all this down with the supps mentioned, take your measurements and some pictures and stay focused for a couple of months. Also, continue to read posts on this site in order to see what is working for other people and compare it to your gains. This is a marathon, not a sprint, and we all learn as we go.

 

[gatemoney]

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

 

[gatemoney]

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/wo...t-jim-wendlers-5-3-1-powerlifting-system.html

 

[buddhabuilder]

Well, I think it is all here between all the posts. You should be getting at least 240-280 grams of protein every day. And, bare in mind, 6 ounces of meat chicken or fish has about 36 grams of protein in it. And Yes, unless you are using a high intensity/low intensity approach to this, it is over training if you are going for size. You should keep writing down your daily diet and make tweaks as necessary. That and the supps mentioned earlier should get you on the right track. Take your measurements and some pictures and focus on being consistent with your training and diet and you should be able to make some gains. Also, keep reading posts on here in order to see what is working for other people and make changes when you see something you think might work better for you. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. We all learn as we go.

 

[EZ_E]

You're not over training? 1 month & you're an expert?

Post your SPECIFIC diet....and don't use a desk job as an excuse

~EZ