Advice needed!

[Jambo1309]

Hi, looking for some help and advice and thought speaking to people who may have been in a similar situation at some point could be the best way to go.

I'm 35, 5ft 8' and weigh roughly 11st (70kg). I've trained for a few years but never used to give it 100%. I get disheartened easily when not seeing results and give up too easily. I'm back training and am deadly serious about it, 5 days a week at 6am before work. I won't lie, it is hard but I feel I am rightly motivated now so I manage it.

My problem is I find it very hard to gain weight. My weight at the moment is good but I need to be bigger as I feel I struggle to lift heavier. I find this is because of my job. I'm a builder and I am burning hundreds of calories per hour. It's very active and involves lots of heavy lifting and constant wheeling barrows. I try and eat throughout the day but I do struggle with it. I also struggle with prepping meals through time as I have a young family. Originally I thought I was eating too clean so now I'm actually really just eating anything along with a couple of 600 calorie shakes per day.

In the gym I can bench 70kg (my weight) but struggle to get by it. Dumbell press I can lift 32kg per side.

So I guess I'm asking is it a case of perseverance and the gains will come? What's the easiest way to replace those lost calories through the day? Do I keep eating whatever I can through the day as I am a hard gainer or do I really need a proper Meal plan?

ANY advice is very much appreciated. I feel if I don't get it right this time and fall away again I don't know if I can get back into it But as stated above I am more serious these days than I have ever been.

Thanks

[ironwill2008]

Hi, looking for some help and advice and thought speaking to people who may have been in a similar situation at some point could be the best way to go.

I'm 35, 5ft 8' and weigh roughly 11st (70kg). I've trained for a few years but never used to give it 100%. I get disheartened easily when not seeing results and give up too easily. I'm back training and am deadly serious about it, 5 days a week at 6am before work. I won't lie, it is hard but I feel I am rightly motivated now so I manage it.

My problem is I find it very hard to gain weight. My weight at the moment is good but I need to be bigger as I feel I struggle to lift heavier. I find this is because of my job. I'm a builder and I am burning hundreds of calories per hour. It's very active and involves lots of heavy lifting and constant wheeling barrows. I try and eat throughout the day but I do struggle with it. I also struggle with prepping meals through time as I have a young family. Originally I thought I was eating too clean so now I'm actually really just eating anything along with a couple of 600 calorie shakes per day.

In the gym I can bench 70kg (my weight) but struggle to get by it. Dumbell press I can lift 32kg per side.

So I guess I'm asking is it a case of perseverance and the gains will come? What's the easiest way to replace those lost calories through the day? Do I keep eating whatever I can through the day as I am a hard gainer or do I really need a proper Meal plan?

ANY advice is very much appreciated. I feel if I don't get it right this time and fall away again I don't know if I can get back into it But as stated above I am more serious these days than I have ever been.

Thanks

You're going to have to take much tighter control of your calorie intake. Figure how many calories per day you need in order to take in a 500-calorie surplus---every day---and then eat that much---every day.

Yes, you can eat whatever you want---within reason---while being mindful to include enough protein and good fat, and adequate vitamins/minerals/fiber.



Spend some time reading the info found in the links provided here; they'll answer most, if not all, of your questions:
https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=168581133

[Jambo1309]

Excellent. Thanks for my first response. I will study this over the weekend and see if I can come up with a plan to get those calories in. I do love my food bit find it hard to get into any sort of routine at work. Will definitely report back here with what I think is the best solution and who knows, maybe it will help others.

J

[startingat56]

OP, look at the guys in this pic

They never heard of the word "hydration"
Their daily protein intake was probably very low, in fact, I would bet their calorie intake overall was way low

But i'll bet pound for pound they were strong as heck, and if they ate and slept considering today's knowledge, they would be a whole lot bigger.

Diet is a key factor

having said this, lifting is not equal to wheelbarrows unless you progressively increase load and distance of the activity.

You need to invest the time into understanding and applying diet as it is one third of the equation (sleep and exercise being the others)

Get the kids involved in prepping your meals (and theirs) because kids who learn to cook early are much better kids in the long run

[socksndtubes]

Try that grass-fed butter, peanut butter (less oil the better), avocados, lots of lean meat. Your instinct is right, you will not see gains right away but at 35, weight gain problems is something a lot of guys your age would be jealous of.

[EjnarKolinkar]

I get disheartened easily when not seeing results and give up too easily.

Consistency is the name of the game with training. Instead of worrying so much about 100% find a way to keep it going for life.

Consistency in terms of nutritional support (adequate macros, micros, balance, joy) is the name of the game with diet too.

[bodyhard]

Hi, looking for some help and advice and thought speaking to people who may have been in a similar situation at some point could be the best way to go.

I'm 35, 5ft 8' and weigh roughly 11st (70kg). I've trained for a few years but never used to give it 100%. I get disheartened easily when not seeing results and give up too easily. I'm back training and am deadly serious about it, 5 days a week at 6am before work. I won't lie, it is hard but I feel I am rightly motivated now so I manage it.

My problem is I find it very hard to gain weight. My weight at the moment is good but I need to be bigger as I feel I struggle to lift heavier. I find this is because of my job. I'm a builder and I am burning hundreds of calories per hour. It's very active and involves lots of heavy lifting and constant wheeling barrows. I try and eat throughout the day but I do struggle with it. I also struggle with prepping meals through time as I have a young family. Originally I thought I was eating too clean so now I'm actually really just eating anything along with a couple of 600 calorie shakes per day.

In the gym I can bench 70kg (my weight) but struggle to get by it. Dumbell press I can lift 32kg per side.

So I guess I'm asking is it a case of perseverance and the gains will come? What's the easiest way to replace those lost calories through the day? Do I keep eating whatever I can through the day as I am a hard gainer or do I really need a proper Meal plan?

ANY advice is very much appreciated. I feel if I don't get it right this time and fall away again I don't know if I can get back into it But as stated above I am more serious these days than I have ever been.

Thanks

I've been through this all my life, you have to eat A LOT and if you are like me where you can't fit a lot of food in one setting break it up into several meals a day but make sure you are eating at a surplus EVERY DAY that includes weekends as well. People who are not skinny will never truly understand the struggle it is to gain weight, my normal body weight is roughly 158lbs and my body fights me to stay at that weight. However when I am eating and training hard I can get to 190lbs + but once I stop my body goes back down to 158lbs but ironically never below that.

Most here will not agree with me on this, but it works for me, drink some calories from a shake in between your meals, trust me it will help you add weight. But whatever you do don't substitute the food with the added shake rather ADD in the shake in between your meals.

Here is a comparison pic so you can see how skinny I am at 158lbs vs me at 190lbs

[EjnarKolinkar]

But whatever you do don't substitute the food with the added shake rather ADD in the shake in between your meals.

That's a good point. My youngest son always fights to gain weight too, every pounds is a struggle to gain. For him liquid calories go a long way if drank between meals, but not in place of them. Basketball season just started and he lost 3 pounds. He was a little upset because for him those 3 pounds were a lot of work. He will look for a higher cal drink option but not so filling it interferes with his next meal.

[bodyhard]

That's a good point. My youngest son always fights to gain weight too, every pounds is a struggle to gain. For him liquid calories go a long way if drank between meals, but not in place of them. Basketball season just started and he lost 3 pounds. He was a little upset because for him those 3 pounds were a lot of work. He will look for a higher cal drink option but not so filling it interferes with his next meal.

if he is playing basketball and has trouble gaining weight, that is a double whammy. I can only imagine how much weight I would lose if I do any kind of cardio. He will need to up his calories even more

[AleksanderLon]

You should be more patient and it is best to go to a dietitian to arrange a diet for you. Then there is no way you can not get on the mass. Just look for a good dietitian on the net or among your friends!
Do not give up, everyone wants to have muscle growth daily, but unfortunately this does not work

[akaMarko]

I'm back training and am deadly serious about it, 5 days a week at 6am before work.

Serious always falls short when it comes to nutrition, eh?
If you are serious about fixing your gaining problem, take one of those 5 days and instead of going to the gym, pick one day to do all your meal prep for the week.

Whether you're trying to gain muscle or lose fat, you can't out train a poor diet.

[BDStraining]

Find a way to fit in more food- before bed, between meals, something easy to consume and calorie dense. Echoing what's said above, there's no point having training dialed in if your diets off- both are key to progress.

I currently sit at a leanish 240lbs, and I have to eat a lot to maintain that, even when I'm not hungry. If you aren't gaining, you gotta get a routine, a habit of eating- and do it consistently, day in day out. Muscle gains take a long time, so just stick with it.