question on total cal intake

[EvanAlmighty]

well currently im bulking on 3240 cals and so far ive been adding 1 lb a week which is what i wanted

thing is, even though im adding weight on the scale, its not correlating to adding weight to the bar

ive always been at around the same weight in all my lifts & some even lowered and now that i found the ideal weight gain per week, i havnt seen any significant increases in the past couple weeks/month.

and my workout today, i felt really lethargic and just didnt want to be bothered but i still went through with my workout. and its happened in the past as well. its really frustrating to me when i cant see any progress in the gym

i know i shouldnt expect huge progress in a short amount of time, but even though im gaining weight on my current cal intake, should i eat more due to the weight stalling and my lousy workouts

[WonderPug]

Your workout program could be the problem.
Your diet could be the problem.
Your sleep could be the problem.
Or some combination of the above could be the problem.

I'd suggest running a proven program in the gym, such as Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

In terms of diet, I'd suggest that you consume at least 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of LBM, 0.45 to 1.0 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight and compose the remainder of your caloric intake from your preferred mix of carb, protein and fat.

Try to insure 8 hours of quality sleep per night.

[Joseph1990]

Your workout program could be the problem.
Your diet could be the problem.
Your sleep could be the problem.
Or some combination of the above could be the problem.

I'd suggest running a proven program in the gym, such as Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

In terms of diet, I'd suggest that you consume at least 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of LBM, 0.45 to 1.0 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight and compose the remainder of your caloric intake from your preferred mix of carb, protein and fat.

Try to insure 8 hours of quality sleep per night.

^ Super good advice, listen to this man.

i know i shouldnt expect huge progress in a short amount of time, but even though im gaining weight on my current cal intake, should i eat more due to the weight stalling and my lousy workouts

Gaining weight can happen very fast. Making lean gains (muscle and no fat) is a slow process that requires patience and strict calorie counting. Watch your weight closely and train fairly heavy. Rule of thumb for growth, 6-8 reps for compounds and 8 reps for isolation.

[almightyares]

Don't eat more because of loss of strength. We all have those days at the gym where we are lifting less than last time...it happens. If you are continuously losing Strength, then something is wrong.

Also, I personally wouldn't shoot for a 1lb a week gain. That's just me, I like to take less calories and go for less than a lb a week increase.

Post your diet, supps, and training.

One last thing...getting 1g fat/lb should be the least of your worries. In other words, not necessary.

[EvanAlmighty]

thanks for the responses guys

and my diet mainly revolves around:

carbs:
bread/potatoes/pasta/rice/cereal/oats/veggies/fruit

protein:
fish/chicken breast/lean beef/powders/cottage cheese/greek yogurt/milk

fats:
whole eggs/cheese/natty pb/almonds

and to wonderpug, i always aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a day.

[sebbbi91]

well currently im bulking on 3240 cals and so far ive been adding 1 lb a week which is what i wanted

thing is, even though im adding weight on the scale, its not correlating to adding weight to the bar

ive always been at around the same weight in all my lifts & some even lowered and now that i found the ideal weight gain per week, i havnt seen any significant increases in the past couple weeks/month.

and my workout today, i felt really lethargic and just didnt want to be bothered but i still went through with my workout. and its happened in the past as well. its really frustrating to me when i cant see any progress in the gym

i know i shouldnt expect huge progress in a short amount of time, but even though im gaining weight on my current cal intake, should i eat more due to the weight stalling and my lousy workouts

Don't eat more. If you are gaining weight and you are not getting stronger you are just getting fatter. In my opinion you should follow a training programm which makes it possible for you to increase your working weights from workout to workout (e.g.: doggcrapp, max-ot). I also think you should do additional mesurements (arms, chest, waist).

[WonderPug]

What's the macronutrient breakdown of your diet?

[EvanAlmighty]

Don't eat more. If you are gaining weight and you are not getting stronger you are just getting fatter. In my opinion you should follow a training programm which makes it possible for you to increase your working weights from workout to workout (e.g.: doggcrapp, max-ot). I also think you should do additional mesurements (arms, chest, waist).

i did starting strength for a bit, i was doing fine for the time being but then one week, i just couldnt squat. everything felt heavier to me, mind you, this was only about 1 month in. so i felt really discouraged to have this happen to me with a relatively low weight (185 lbs, and i squatted 225 a month or two beforehand).

my main thing is to be able to do dips and pullups/chins. i know on ss you can do them around 4-6 weeks in, but would it be advisable to do them from the start?

What's the macronutrient breakdown of your diet?

25/50/25 p/c/f which equates to 203p/405c/90f

[WonderPug]

^ Your intake looks fine.

What weightlifting program are you using?

[sebbbi91]

i did starting strength for a bit, i was doing fine for the time being but then one week, i just couldnt squat. everything felt heavier to me, mind you, this was only about 1 month in. so i felt really discouraged to have this happen to me with a relatively low weight (185 lbs, and i squatted 225 a month or two beforehand).

my main thing is to be able to do dips and pullups/chins. i know on ss you can do them around 4-6 weeks in, but would it be advisable to do them from the start?

Sorry but i don't understand your question. And what is ss?


25/50/25 p/c/f which equates to 203p/405c/90f

In my opinion 60g of fat are enough but i would shoot for 250g of protein per day to make sure that you are in a positive nitrogen balance. I can't say anything about your carb intake because it varys from person to person. Just experiment with your carb intake to find out what's optimal for you.

[EvanAlmighty]

^ Your intake looks fine.

What weightlifting program are you using?

im not following a particular program, but im doing a push/pull routine

i workout every other day

push

squats
flat bp/incline bp
dips
shoulder press/btn shoulder press
calf raises
lat raises


pull

rack pulls/sldl
pullups/lat pulldowns
barbell curls/chinups
t bar rows/barbell rows
ghr/leg curls
shrugs
wrist roller

the ones that are grouped together like rack pulls n sldl are down every other workout. so lets say i did rack pulls tuesday, then on saturday id do sldl.

and the ones that arent grouped like dips are down every push workout and shrugs every pull

[WonderPug]

Have you considered a more structured and time-tested program like Rippetoe's Starting Strength?

The progression of lifts is often a critical factor, as is the grouping of lifts.

[EvanAlmighty]

Have you considered a more structured and time-tested program like Rippetoe's Starting Strength?

The progression of lifts is often a critical factor, as is the grouping of lifts.

in one of my previous posts i mentioned that i did it for a bit, but then stalled and everything felt heavy.

im up for doing it again but is it bad to start it off with the addition of chins/dips

[Joseph1990]

25/50/25 p/c/f which equates to 203p/405c/90f

""This should NOT be based on a generic RATIO of total calorie intake such as '30:40:30 or 40:40:20. Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have for macronutrients. It works in terms of SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per LEAN MASS or TOTAL MASS. Therefore your level should relate back to your BODY and your needs!!"" -Emma-Leigh.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981


Fat - .45g+ per pound of bodyweight
Protein - 1-1.5g per lb of LBM

The rest of your calories should come from carbs or your preferred mix of carbs fat and protein.

PS: Even though you went by % your macros worked out good for you.