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  1. #1
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Not gaining weight, raised calories once, should I do it again?

    I've been tracking calories carefully for the last two months, but after not gaining much weight I decided to up the calories from 2900 to 3100 (this was on 1/12/2015). After 12 days at 3100 cal/day I'm still pretty much the same weight.

    I'm 5'9, ~150 pounds
    Workout 3 of every 4 days (legs, push, pull, off, repeat)

    Attached I have a pic to show my approximate body fat, and a graph of my weight over the last two months and also the last two weeks. Am I inhibiting my muscle growth, or is it normal to not be gaining weight? Not sure where these calories are going to. I don't think I've gotten fatter at all (or at least not that I can notice), but I do have some body fat to work with (I'd estimate 12-15 percent).

    Anyway, should I up the calories once again, or continue on?

    Any advice is appreciated.
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  2. #2
    ‎ ‎ ‎ Brozef's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ebk91 View Post
    I've been tracking calories carefully for the last two months, but after not gaining much weight I decided to up the calories from 2900 to 3100 (this was on 1/12/2015). After 12 days at 3100 cal/day I'm still pretty much the same weight.

    I'm 5'9, ~150 pounds
    Workout 3 of every 4 days (legs, push, pull, off, repeat)

    Attached I have a pic to show my approximate body fat, and a graph of my weight over the last two months and also the last two weeks. Am I inhibiting my muscle growth, or is it normal to not be gaining weight? Not sure where these calories are going to. I don't think I've gotten fatter at all (or at least not that I can notice), but I do have some body fat to work with (I'd estimate 12-15 percent).

    Anyway, should I up the calories once again, or continue on?

    Any advice is appreciated.

    Are you progressing in your lifts?

    How much weight do you think you need to gain in what amount of time?
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  3. #3
    Registered User magician27's Avatar
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    add 150 cals
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  4. #4
    Good day Felicia Gxp23's Avatar
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    Id add a couple hundred if your weight has stalled, but like mentioned above, hows your lifts?
    Eat the damn yolk.
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  5. #5
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Brozef View Post
    Are you progressing in your lifts?

    How much weight do you think you need to gain in what amount of time?
    Lifts seem to be progressing. I don't monitor that too closely but it seems I've moved up a little on everything.

    And I'd like to gain as much muscle as possible as fast as possible, so whatever weight that translates to. I've heard it quoted at .5 to 1 pound per week.
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  6. #6
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by magician27 View Post
    add 150 cals
    Ok, I'll try 3250.
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  7. #7
    Good day Felicia Gxp23's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ebk91 View Post
    Lifts seem to be progressing. I don't monitor that too closely but it seems I've moved up a little on everything.

    And I'd like to gain as much muscle as possible as fast as possible, so whatever weight that translates to. I've heard it quoted at .5 to 1 pound per week.
    Gaining muscle is a slow progress so I hope you are patient, you may see better gains to begin with if you are a beginner, but yea, 0.5lb-1lb is ideal, I prefer staying below 1lb though.
    Eat the damn yolk.
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  8. #8
    ‎ ‎ ‎ Brozef's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ebk91 View Post
    And I'd like to gain as much muscle as possible as fast as possible, so whatever weight that translates to. I've heard it quoted at .5 to 1 pound per week.
    So if you are gaining strength or size or both, I wouldn't worry about upping the cals for a while. 3100 cals @ 149lbs is a lot. You may notice a big jump in weight all of a sudden.

    I've done the gain 1 lb per week thing. I really don't think it's best, the fat adds up quick. You won't gain 4 lbs of muscle a month indefinitely, or maybe even ever.
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  9. #9
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Gxp23 View Post
    Id add a couple hundred if your weight has stalled, but like mentioned above, hows your lifts?
    I'm gonna try adding 150.

    And I'm not sure if you mean 'how' as in are they progressing or how as in what do I actually do, but they seem to be progressing somewhat but I usually just do whatever weight I'm capable of 8-10 reps of and haven't really been monitoring that too closely. If I pick it up and it seems too easy I do more.

    My routine is:

    Legs:
    4 sets 8-10 reps squats
    6 sets 8-10 reps calves machine
    6 sets 8-10 reps hamstring machine
    3 sets 8-10 reps quad machine
    as much abs as I feel like

    Push:
    6 sets 8-10 reps incline chest press
    6 sets 8-10 reps flat chest press
    3 sets 8-10 reps chest fly machine and then drop down and do pushups
    3 sets 8-10 reps reverse pec deck
    3 sets 8-10 reps face pulls
    6 sets 8-10 reps chicken wing shoulder movement
    3 sets 8-10 reps military press
    6 sets 8-10 reps triceps

    Pull:
    9 sets 8-10 reps rows
    6 sets 8-10 reps lat pulldown machine
    6 sets 8-10 reps lower back
    6 sets 8-10 reps biceps
    as much abs as I feel like

    Then an off day, and after that repeat the cycle
    Last edited by ebk91; 01-25-2015 at 02:37 PM.
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  10. #10
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Gxp23 View Post
    Gaining muscle is a slow progress so I hope you are patient, you may see better gains to begin with if you are a beginner, but yea, 0.5lb-1lb is ideal, I prefer staying below 1lb though.
    I'm not really sure how to classify myself as a beginner or intermediate or whatever. I'm started lifting 4 years ago and weight a ridiculously low 132 pounds at the time. My routine was crap though. In the past year I had not made much progress which I think was due to diet, which I've been tracking for 2 months. I have a very low appetite so what I was eating just off what 'felt right' was way too low.
    Last edited by ebk91; 01-25-2015 at 02:32 PM.
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  11. #11
    Good day Felicia Gxp23's Avatar
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    Maybe you should run a good strength program in with what you do too?
    Eat the damn yolk.
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  12. #12
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Brozef View Post
    So if you are gaining strength or size or both, I wouldn't worry about upping the cals for a while. 3100 cals @ 149lbs is a lot. You may notice a big jump in weight all of a sudden.

    I've done the gain 1 lb per week thing. I really don't think it's best, the fat adds up quick. You won't gain 4 lbs of muscle a month indefinitely, or maybe even ever.
    Regarding the weight jump, I've been doing the 3100 cal/day for the last 2 weeks and have only gained 0.2 pounds.

    What do you think about adding 150 cals just to see how my body responds?

    And other than weight how do you think I could track progress? I'd been been lifting hard af for the last year and not seen results.
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  13. #13
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Gxp23 View Post
    Maybe you should run a good strength program in with what you do too?
    Well every 4th workout I do lift heavy and do sets of 4-6 reps instead of the 8-10 just to keep it varied. Or did you mean something else by that?
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  14. #14
    Good day Felicia Gxp23's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ebk91 View Post
    Well every 4th workout I do lift heavy and do sets of 4-6 reps instead of the 8-10 just to keep it varied. Or did you mean something else by that?
    I mean run an actual structured strength routine programmed into the rest of your workout. 5x5, starting strength etc...you heard of these? You should check out the exercise section for a better idea of how to help throw one together.
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  15. #15
    Registered User ebk91's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Gxp23 View Post
    I mean run an actual structured strength routine programmed into the rest of your workout. 5x5, starting strength etc...you heard of these? You should check out the exercise section for a better idea of how to help throw one together.
    No I'm not familiar as of now but I'll look into them.

    Edit: I actually do all those exercise except for deadlifts, but I do isolate lower back
    Last edited by ebk91; 01-25-2015 at 02:43 PM.
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