How to get one's body to better utilize food for growth?

[Evom1]

First off I'd like to say hi and thank you for having me as a part of your forum. I've been on various boards posting and researching for about 6years. I currently have a coach who is working with me in an effort to help me reach my goals.

However, I feel that given the quantity and quality of food I eat, combined with training properly and intensely, sleeping 7-8hours a night, and using various aas cycles outlined by him, I should be growing more than I am, so I'd like some outside input.

Currently 6'3ish 227lbs 14%bf. I started out at 140lbs and got to 200 before touching anabolics which was back a few years ago.

My current diet, I can calculate exact calories out but I do know it totals over 6,000 which is why I'm lost as to why I've not gained more than a pound since July even while using gear.

I eat 7 meals per day. Some examples would be meal 2 is 10oz chicken, 12oz sweet potato, and 3oz broccoli, meal 3 is 8oz steak 1 cup brown rice 2tbsp coconut oil and 3oz broccoli. I drink 40g karbolyn and 10g bcaa's intra workout in addition to me meal 1 hour Pre workout, my post workout shake, and meal shortly after getting home.

Currently using a combination of test Cyp, test prop, primo, and tren e. It's been suggested I add in gh and possibly humulinR as well.



****my question is..... I see many guys on this board with substantially more muscle mass than I have, most stating they consume less calories than I do on a daily basis. I have no issue eating more if that's what I need to do. I do however want to know if there's something I'm doing wrong, causing my body to not use all the food I'm putting in to build muscle as I'd like ***


Thank you to those who take the time to respond, and I hope this is in the appropriate section.

 

[oldDIRTYbastard]

I always wonder how people like you are tracking your calories. At your weight, 6k cals should be more than enough. Not calling you out just thinking out loud I guess.

 

[Evom1]

Hey thanks for the reply. I used my fitness pal and a couple different apps to help calculate the nutritional content on everything. I'm not trying to exaggerate, or filling my diet with crap food.

As you said, it should be more than enough which is why I'm so confused. Sure I may have a fast metabolism, but something doesn't add up. I'll eat more if I need to, I'm not looking for a short cut, simply trying to find out if there's some component I'm missing, causing me to need so much more food than I see guys eating who are 50lbs heavier than me

 

[p-lethal]

Post up your training routine. Have you done blood work to make sure your test is gtg? What amounts?


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[ajdos]

Its about manipulating insulin sensitivity by phasing the diet- sounds like you have a linear approach a cyclic diet will help with this.

 

[thehazzle]

Genetics and metabolism biggest factor on how well someone grows on certain amount of calories. I know guys that are much bigger than I on the shittiest diet ever.

What will help you though is probiotics and digestive aids. A really good one when bulking is called ravenous by anabolic designs.

 

[Evom1]

Post up your training routine. Have you done blood work to make sure your test is gtg? What amounts?


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I've not had blood work done to test my current stuff. Altho I know 3 people who use the same lab with success, previously I was using a different lab.
Currently as I said I'm under someone else's guidance but here is my protocol :
Test c 450mg e3days
Tren e 100mg e3days
Primo 150mg e3days
Aromasin 12.5mg eod

I do also have gh and humulinR on hand which I'm contemplating adding in. This has been my cycle since 1/24 with 25mg dbol for the first few weeks.

Training varies, for the past few months it's been in the 10-20rep range, 60 second rest.
Sunday chest
Monday arms
Tuesday Hams Glutes
Wednesday shoulders traps Calfs
Thursday back
Friday rest
Saturday quads and calfs

Focusing on getting a pump, strict form, slower reps, big stretch, hold the contraction etc.

Within the past week or two I've switched to a more traditional 8-12rep range, with a 60 second rest, and incorporating fst7 as well.

Its about manipulating insulin sensitivity by phasing the diet- sounds like you have a linear approach a cyclic diet will help with this.

I may already be doing what you're talking about there. On my leg day I'm on a higher carb diet, other training days it's less carbs but still a high amount and on my rest day it's low carb.

Genetics and metabolism biggest factor on how well someone grows on certain amount of calories. I know guys that are much bigger than I on the shittiest diet ever.

What will help you though is probiotics and digestive aids. A really good one when bulking is called ravenous by anabolic designs.

I take probiotics daily, as well as digestive enzymes with every meal. Also daily, I take fish oil, vit d, vit c, multi v.

Genetics I know I'm fighting against. I was always extremely skinny, no one in my family is over 180lbs. I find it hard to believe tho that with gear at 6'3 I'm struggling to get to 230+. I'd love to see 250. And some day down the road 280-290 would be amazing. I know this is a marathon not a sprint, but when I don't see any gains over 6months, while other, bigger guys are gaining on less food, it makes me wonder

 

[thehazzle]

Could always drop food down slowly metabolism will follow focus on getting lean n then insulin sensitivity will be super high. And can then work calories up again.

 

[Evom1]

Could always drop food down slowly metabolism will follow focus on getting lean n then insulin sensitivity will be super high. And can then work calories up again.

That was a thought as well. The current plan is to be bulking until April, and then from may to July run a different blast, and focus purely on leaning out. I know I should continue growing straight through, but for other reasons I'd really like to be down at a much lower body fat percentage for the summer before going back to focusing on growing. I'm just hoping to put on more size between now and then.

Even having added in 2 cheat meals per week... The scale refuses to move which baffles me.

 

[Cml41987]

Nice read!

 

[sammy555]

At 14% body fat you can afford to cut for a bit and prime your self for growth. 1 step back to make 2 forwards. You shouldn't be bulking at 14% imo. Cut back to 8 or 10% and your grow on 4000 and grow in the right places. Probably not what you want to hear. Just think how easy your cut if you're maintaining on 6000

 

[Evom1]

At 14% body fat you can afford to cut for a bit and prime your self for growth. 1 step back to make 2 forwards. You shouldn't be bulking at 14% imo. Cut back to 8 or 10% and your grow on 4000 and grow in the right places. Probably not what you want to hear. Just think how easy your cut if you're maintaining on 6000

It's not a matter of what I want to hear or not, it's what's going to work and what I need to do. That was what I was thinking as well. I had leaned out last spring, and started bulking around may or June at I believe 10-11% so your plan does sound right. Thank you for your input.

 

[sammy555]

It's not a matter of what I want to hear or not, it's what's going to work and what I need to do. That was what I was thinking as well. I had leaned out last spring, and started bulking around may or June at I believe 10-11% so your plan does sound right. Thank you for your input.

That's cool that your receptive to the idea. I come across a lot of guys that have platued trying to grow and they ask me advice. I tell them what I told you but they're so scared of droping calories and looking smaller for a while or losing a few reps on bench that they just up dose and continue to look the same or eat Extra junk food as Its the only way to get extra calories in and they just get fatter and more insulin resistant. I've done both these things myself so not preaching, just want others to learn from my mistakes

 

[Evom1]

So that's the method I am going to take. Cutting calories, adding some cardio and focusing on leaning out for a while, then shoot for some lean growth! Thank you for your advice.