Off to a good start?

[seaman0385]

Hello,

I'm fairly new to the forums. Since i've joined, I have just been browsing to get training techniques, nutritional facts, etc etc.

I started training in August 2008. I'm almost 24, 5'6'' and weighed 199. Right now, I am about 5-6 months in and i'm down to 160lbs. I've gained more muscle than I thought I was going to in the past few months, and I'm looking to gain as much muscle mass as I can right now. I can honestly say that these last 6 months have been life changing. I've altered my diet quite a bit in the last 2 months or so to start bulking up:

So I guess i'm posting this to see what everyone thinks, maybe some suggestions on improving anywhere, either from Diet aspect or Training aspect.

Diet:

4 egg whites. 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Morning snack (10am) protein shake mixed with 3 packets of oatmeal.

Lunch: 1/2 Chicken wrap (lettuce tomato, crunchy noodles, perrocini's, tomato, light dressing)

Typically after lunch (1pm) i'll do cardio for 45 minutes. 4-5 miles.

After cardio, I have the other half of my wrap and an apple.

Mid day snack (3-4pm) protein shake with banana.

Then i'll go lift for about an hour:
Typically 3 exercises per body part 8-10 reps per set, usually 3 sets.
Monday chest
Tues - Back, Bi's
Weds - Off
Thurs - Legs
Fri - Shoulders, Tri's

Post workout have about 5-6ounces of turkey & 1 or 2 vegetables.


Let me know what you guys think about this, and if I should be changing my routine at all.

 

[tkav1980]

for training go read the sticky growth principles for beginners, you diet is alittle light in protien and total calories. if body comp. becomes an issue readjust macros until you lean back out bot for now concentrate on more protien and more total calories.

 

[notsobig32]

Hello,

I'm fairly new to the forums. Since i've joined, I have just been browsing to get training techniques, nutritional facts, etc etc.

I started training in August 2008. I'm almost 24, 5'6'' and weighed 199. Right now, I am about 5-6 months in and i'm down to 160lbs. I've gained more muscle than I thought I was going to in the past few months, and I'm looking to gain as much muscle mass as I can right now. I can honestly say that these last 6 months have been life changing. I've altered my diet quite a bit in the last 2 months or so to start bulking up:

So I guess i'm posting this to see what everyone thinks, maybe some suggestions on improving anywhere, either from Diet aspect or Training aspect.

Diet:

4 egg whites. 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Morning snack (10am) protein shake mixed with 3 packets of oatmeal.

Lunch: 1/2 Chicken wrap (lettuce tomato, crunchy noodles, perrocini's, tomato, light dressing)

Typically after lunch (1pm) i'll do cardio for 45 minutes. 4-5 miles.

After cardio, I have the other half of my wrap and an apple.

Mid day snack (3-4pm) protein shake with banana.

Then i'll go lift for about an hour:
Typically 3 exercises per body part 8-10 reps per set, usually 3 sets.
Monday chest
Tues - Back, Bi's
Weds - Off
Thurs - Legs
Fri - Shoulders, Tri's

Post workout have about 5-6ounces of turkey & 1 or 2 vegetables.


Let me know what you guys think about this, and if I should be changing my routine at all.

#1 i have to say you arre off to a great start. I am so glad to read a post where its not someone asking what chemicals should i take. So great job on the weight loss. And good job providing the information needed.

What are your goals? Since you have leaned up, you can probably maintain the same bodyfat percentage and slowly add some nice clean mass. The sticky that tkav pointed out is a great place to start. Your workout does not look like you are overtaining. Honestly , great job man and keeep it up. Also as tkav said, you gotta get more protein in there

 

[seaman0385]

for training go read the sticky growth principles for beginners, you diet is alittle light in protien and total calories. if body comp. becomes an issue readjust macros until you lean back out bot for now concentrate on more protien and more total calories.

Thanks tkav. I have read the sticky, though i thought it was a little nuts going right to 500g of protein a day for my weight right now. I've been trying to keep my protein(g) to equal my body way. Around 170g a day.

 

[seaman0385]

#1 i have to say you arre off to a great start. I am so glad to read a post where its not someone asking what chemicals should i take. So great job on the weight loss. And good job providing the information needed.

What are your goals? Since you have leaned up, you can probably maintain the same bodyfat percentage and slowly add some nice clean mass. The sticky that tkav pointed out is a great place to start. Your workout does not look like you are overtaining. Honestly , great job man and keeep it up. Also as tkav said, you gotta get more protein in there

Thanks for the encouragement and motivation.

My goal is to drop as much body fat as I can, but at the same time put on as much muscle mass as I can . Basically I want to get big, and cut.

Would you recommend adding another protein shake somewhere in my diet, or keep it to 2 shakes a day and add more snacks (protein in between)? FYI, i've been on Syntha 6 since for about 4 months now.

 

[tkav1980]

Thanks tkav. I have read the sticky, though i thought it was a little nuts going right to 500g of protein a day for my weight right now. I've been trying to keep my protein(g) to equal my body way. Around 170g a day.

heres the idea behind over doing the protien. the more bricks you have the bigger a house you can build. if you have a surplus of calories and protien your body will use it to build you new muscle tissue. especially if that surplus of calories comes from protien. 8 oz of chicken has about 60g protien and 550 calories, so you can see how easy it would be to get insanely high levels of protien in one day. that number of 500 grams may not be attainable for you at the moment, there was a point when i just couldnt eat that much. but its what you need to strive for, if you make an attemp at it and lets say only get 350 grams thats still alot more than your getting now. you will grow. i got to the point where in only eat when im hungry and im getting verry high levels of protien and calories in each day. what you do during the day in and out of the gym will contribute to your appetite.

 

[notsobig32]

heres the idea behind over doing the protien. the more bricks you have the bigger a house you can build. if you have a surplus of calories and protien your body will use it to build you new muscle tissue. especially if that surplus of calories comes from protien. 8 oz of chicken has about 60g protien and 550 calories, so you can see how easy it would be to get insanely high levels of protien in one day. that number of 500 grams may not be attainable for you at the moment, there was a point when i just couldnt eat that much. but its what you need to strive for, if you make an attemp at it and lets say only get 350 grams thats still alot more than your getting now. you will grow. i got to the point where in only eat when im hungry and im getting verry high levels of protien and calories in each day. what you do during the day in and out of the gym will contribute to your appetite.

TKAV, i am not sure about you but for the OP i notice that when i do light to moderate cardio(such as he states he is doing) i am much hungrier. It makes it much easier to get the food down because there is nothing worse than eating 12 oz of tuna when you are already stuffed and you are only eating it because the clock says so. Do you notice this also(i.e. - the cardio helping)

 

[tkav1980]

TKAV, i am not sure about you but for the OP i notice that when i do light to moderate cardio(such as he states he is doing) i am much hungrier. It makes it much easier to get the food down because there is nothing worse than eating 12 oz of tuna when you are already stuffed and you are only eating it because the clock says so. Do you notice this also(i.e. - the cardio helping)

lol dot you know us phil hernon guys dont believe in cardio....hehehehe....the thing that i believe keeps me hungry is the diet i use. i honeslt dont do much cardio at all just what im told to do. trust me if your full dont eat. besides isnt it about time for you to jump on the bandwagon and hire Phil...lol....i think everything you want to accomplish can be done through training smarter and the proper diet. every 2 people are alittle different, ive always had an appetite like a bear just before it hibernates. that means that my body must need alot of fuel for day to day activities. so for me to build muscle i need to get myself full which is no easy task. im different than you and your different than the OP. thats where phil comes in. its not a guessing game for him. he knows how to work with your body better than you do(thats not an insult just that he has YEARS of experience doing this.). look at it like this, we all want to know how to be a pro, so if you have the opportunity, hire a bodybuilding legend.

 

[notsobig32]

lol dot you know us phil hernon guys dont believe in cardio....hehehehe....the thing that i believe keeps me hungry is the diet i use. i honeslt dont do much cardio at all just what im told to do. trust me if your full dont eat. besides isnt it about time for you to jump on the bandwagon and hire Phil...lol....i think everything you want to accomplish can be done through training smarter and the proper diet. every 2 people are alittle different, ive always had an appetite like a bear just before it hibernates. that means that my body must need alot of fuel for day to day activities. so for me to build muscle i need to get myself full which is no easy task. im different than you and your different than the OP. thats where phil comes in. its not a guessing game for him. he knows how to work with your body better than you do(thats not an insult just that he has YEARS of experience doing this.). look at it like this, we all want to know how to be a pro, so if you have the opportunity, hire a bodybuilding legend.

tkav, you are right. I think i definitely need to hire him. I am still doing exactly what i have always done and the results are what i have always gotten. maybe it is time to step outside the comfort zone and get with someone who really knows what he is doing. I am gonna look into it today.

Thanks for the common sense advice man.

 

[seaman0385]

Thanks alot for the advices, guys.

I really do appreciate it.

 

[oldfella]

tkav and Phil are correct. It is the diet that makes you humgry and also your training. You must give the body a reason to eat and then when you are hungry do just that........eat! But do not over feed. Eat enough to be satisfied and stop at that. Then in a short time you will be ready to eat again. it is the constant flow of nutrition that tells the body to burn up reserves of fat as they are no longer needed. Just eat all day long. This is exactly what i do. It works out to about 7 meals a day. I am hungry most of the time but not really hungry. When I get really hungry it is time to eat. Which is about 7 times a day now.

 

[Lenny]

tkav and Phil are correct. It is the diet that makes you humgry and also your training. You must give the body a reason to eat and then when you are hungry do just that........eat! But do not over feed. Eat enough to be satisfied and stop at that. Then in a short time you will be ready to eat again. it is the constant flow of nutrition that tells the body to burn up reserves of fat as they are no longer needed. Just eat all day long. This is exactly what i do. It works out to about 7 meals a day. I am hungry most of the time but not really hungry. When I get really hungry it is time to eat. Which is about 7 times a day now.

I agree 100% with Oldfella. If are not hungry something is wrong. Hunger is a good thing and is a byproduct of your exercise intensity/frequency and how you eat. Re-Fueling the body for the whole day keeps the engine burning constantly!

 

[notsobig32]

I agree 100% with Oldfella. If are not hungry something is wrong. Hunger is a good thing and is a byproduct of your exercise intensity/frequency and how you eat. Re-Fueling the body for the whole day keeps the engine burning constantly!

I did not mean to hijack this thread. For me, it is that i have always eaten the same exact way at the same exact times and i settle into a routine. it works fairly well for me but after listening to everyone, i think that there are other ways to do it that might yield better results. Like i said above, i need to look into a trainer. It is time to push the envelope so to speak. I would love to be able to be 240 and a bit leaner than i am now.