New guy intro

[cryogenic]

Hey y'all, been looking around this forum a while so decided to jump in and introduce myself

I've been lifting consistently for about a year now, started out at about 140lbs at 6'2" and up to 160lbs. Goal is to hit 180-190 mix of muscle and fat. (My body fat is stupid low, always has been. Right now at about 4% trying to get up to 8-10% for health reasons)

My biggest struggle has always been eating enough. Been to the doctors numerous times, swapping between them doing nothing and then saying it's just acid reflux or whatever else, but not doing much else for me.

Currently I'm putting down around 2800cal a day. Starting off with a 600cal protein shake in the morning. Usually hit up fast food while I'm at work for lunch, and lots of rice/pasta and chicken for dinner.

My routine is currently a 5 day split of PPL -- Monday, push; Tuesday, pull; Wednesday, lower; Thursday, push; Friday, pull. And weekends are my rest days, mostly cause those are the days I'm not in town/at home.

Current routine:
Push:
5x4-6 bench
5x6-12 seated ohp
3x8-12 pec Dec
3x6-8 vbar pushdown
3x6-10 cable ohp
3x6-10 cable overhead extensions

Pull:
4-5x6-8 weighted pull up
4x6-10 cable row
3x4-6 standing preacher curl
4x6-10 reverse grip ez bar curl
3x6-10 ez bar curl

Lower:
5x4-6 squat
4x4-6 deadlift
4x6-10 leg press
3x6-10 lying leg curl
3x6-10 leg extension

Pretty basic on the supplements right now, just creatine.

Always have an ear for information and learning. I'll be honest I've just been winging it and changing things up based on the arguments I find on other forums, so I really don't know all what I'm doing, I'll admit it right now, but hopefully that starts to change.

Feel free to critique anything I've said I'm all ears lmao

 

[Big-paul]

Sounds like you are ectomorph. That's an advantage considering your goals. Most of us have to diet in order to get where we want to be.

You are in the right place. Work hard and what you want, it will happen.

 

[Rickt]

Ectomorph just like any of the three is a blessing and a curse. It is hard to bulk but easy to cut. Ectomorph will usually drop body fat and muscle at the same time.
Frank zane was the most famous ectomorph I can think off off the bat. He looked ridiculously good all year round. He peaked at 18 inch arms and I don't think he competed over 200 pounds.

So work with what your blessings are. 4% year round is dangerous. You get sick and can't eat for a week you die. Do your best to get to 6%.

Eating smaller meals more often like every 2 hours can help. And eat more of that sugar and fat. Once you hit 6% eat clean again and try to maintain it.

10% seems to be the sweet spot for fast gains. But slow and steady wins the race.

Ask around. I'm sure there is plenty of help. Cj and send0 are what i consider my go to experts here. They are solid and honest and well versed. One or both will drop in on your intro. Listen to them as if you are in church.

Good luck. Hi.

 

[CJ]

What's the problem with eating more, from your perspective?

 

[cryogenic]

What's the problem with eating more, from your perspective?

It's mostly an appetite thing. Like for example, i struggle to finish off my half a protein shake in the morning. I'll start drinking it, and after a few sips I'll lose my appetite and start to get sick if I keep drinking it. Same goes for food. I can't hardly eat much In one sitting, and if I do the multiple smaller meals more often, it doesn't work great cause I'm not hungry at all from the last time I ate. Sometimes I can get more down but it probably won't be much before I get sick.

 

[Send0]

Let's see a picture of this 140lb frame at 6'2. You're eating 2800 calories a day; it should be near impossible for you to not gain weight if you only weigh 140lbs.

 

[CJ]

It's mostly an appetite thing. Like for example, i struggle to finish off my half a protein shake in the morning. I'll start drinking it, and after a few sips I'll lose my appetite and start to get sick if I keep drinking it. Same goes for food. I can't hardly eat much In one sitting, and if I do the multiple smaller meals more often, it doesn't work great cause I'm not hungry at all from the last time I ate. Sometimes I can get more down but it probably won't be much before I get sick.

Add olive oil to your chicken and rice.

Try slowly adding 100 Cals to your meals every other week.

Eat a big meal before bed, so you have the night to digest it.

 

[cryogenic]

Let's see a picture of this 140lb frame at 6'2. You're eating 2800 calories a day; it should be near impossible for you to not gain weight if you only weigh 140lbs.

I am 160lbs right now, and I say, 2800 cal, but that's probably just on a good day.

 

[Send0]

I am 160lbs right now, and I say, 2800 cal, but that's probably just on a good day.

So you've put on 20lbs. I don't understand what your complaint or issue is. You only need about 300 calories over maintenance to put on tissue. You don't have to eat like a morbidly obese asshole to gain.

If it's working for you then keep doing it. If you're whining because eating is hard, then I suggest you learn to force feed. Your body will eventually get used to it and in turn you'll eventually want to eat the amount of food you're targeting; at which point you'll not need to force feed anymore.

It took me a solid year of forcing myself to eat before it was my norm, and no longer difficult.

 

[Rickt]

You sure aren't 4%. Maybe 10% if I'm being kind.
Send0 is right it isn't so much the food. I'd say training intensity or hormones as a very outside.
I would get yourself a pen and pad and write down in full the weight of all the ingredients of your meals and post it in general or as a log in training log with the same detail to your weight training.
If you think you are 4% bf you may be way off on other aspects of training and food.
Don't take this as hate. Just understand a lot of us have been doing this over 30 years. And often new people live in a fantasy world with unicorns and women that have three breasts.
Only honesty will fix your problems.

 

[Send0]

And often new people live in a fantasy world with unicorns and women that have three breasts.

I feel attacked.. let me have my total recall fantasy without being judged.

 

[cryogenic]

You sure aren't 4%. Maybe 10% if I'm being kind.
Send0 is right it isn't so much the food. I'd say training intensity or hormones as a very outside.
I would get yourself a pen and pad and write down in full the weight of all the ingredients of your meals and post it in general or as a log in training log with the same detail to your weight training.
If you think you are 4% bf you may be way off on other aspects of training and food.
Don't take this as hate. Just understand a lot of us have been doing this over 30 years. And often new people live in a fantasy world with unicorns and women that have three breasts.
Only honesty will fix your problems.

That 4% number actually came from my local university. They have this machine you sit in and does whatever it does to give you your body fat. My doctor wanted me to try it so I did, it was like $40 and I did it a few months ago, it was pretty cool, honestly. They've also got a pod looking machine they can use to get your resting metabolic rate. May check it out too just out of curiosity.

But I definitely do appreciate the response, and will, going forward keep just trying to force my self.

As for tracking exactly what I eat, I haven't been doing that but I definitely may start. I have usually just been estimating for the most part, so I could very well be...very off.

 

[cryogenic]

Add olive oil to your chicken and rice.

Try slowly adding 100 Cals to your meals every other week.

Eat a big meal before bed, so you have the night to digest it.

I have actually just recently started adding more oil to my food that I eat. I read somewhere that I should be focusing more on carbs and fat over protein in order to bulk.

As for the eating before bed thing, I'll Definitely give it a try, but I know my doctor said to avoid that to avoid acid when I'm asleep. But only one way to find out

 

[cryogenic]

So you've put on 20lbs. I don't understand what your complaint or issue is. You only need about 300 calories over maintenance to put on tissue. You don't have to eat like a morbidly obese asshole to gain.

If it's working for you then keep doing it. If you're whining because eating is hard, then I suggest you learn to force feed. Your body will eventually get used to it and in turn you'll eventually want to eat the amount of food you're targeting; at which point you'll not need to force feed anymore.

It took me a solid year of forcing myself to eat before it was my norm, and no longer difficult.

Hey, sorry I didn't mean to come off as like complaining or anything. Just that eating and gaining weight has always been my main struggle that I've had to focus on. The weird thing though, is yeah a year ago I was 140, and now I'm 160, but the first few months I jumped that 20 lbs, and have been 160 pretty much on the dot for the last 6 months. I'm definitely hitting some weird kind of plateau and am going to take everyone's suggestions and see what I can handle

 

[snake]

SendO and Rickt are on the mark here. All I have to add is a welcome

 

[cryogenic]

SendO and Rickt are on the mark here. All I have to add is a welcome

I agree, I think i just got more good info in the last hour than i really have in the last 6 months lol, and thanks!

 

[Send0]

Hey, sorry I didn't mean to come off as like complaining or anything. Just that eating and gaining weight has always been my main struggle that I've had to focus on. The weird thing though, is yeah a year ago I was 140, and now I'm 160, but the first few months I jumped that 20 lbs, and have been 160 pretty much on the dot for the last 6 months. I'm definitely hitting some weird kind of plateau and am going to take everyone's suggestions and see what I can handle

It seems to me you should still be gaining at 2800 calories.

Are you still getting stronger despite the lack of weight gain? Are you doing cardio in addition to your weight training? Or is your job physically demanding? If so the reduce the amount of cardio or physical work at your job if possible... add another 100-200 calories and monitor yourself closely.

Keep adding calories little by little every 2 weeks until you see the scale start to move. It's pretty much this simple.

 

[Send0]

@cryogenic Can you post your diet in full? Break it down by meal. This should include every ingredient used in your meals.

Be sure to include total grams of carbs, proteins and fats eaten for the entire day, and if possible list out the total calories per meal.

 

[Rickt]

@cryogenic Can you post your diet in full? Break it down by meal. This should include every ingredient used in your meals.

Be sure to include total grams of carbs, proteins and fats eaten for the entire day, and if possible list out the total calories per meal.

And a nude pic of your lady. That helps me put it all together.

 

[cryogenic]

It seems to me you should still be gaining at 2800 calories.

Are you still getting stronger despite the lack of weight gain? Are you doing cardio in addition to your weight training? Or is your job physically demanding? If so the reduce the amount of cardio or physical work at your job if possible... add another 100-200 calories and monitor yourself closely.

Keep adding calories little by little every 2 weeks until you see the scale start to move. It's pretty much this simple.

Yes, I am getting stronger. I do not do cardio in the gym. Most of my cardio happens just from work (I am a mechanic on Heavy equipment). I think my issue, judging based on what y'all have said so far, is that I have mostly just been shoving whatever I possibly could down, vs. keeping strict control over exactly how much I am taking in, so i'll definitely start to try and make that change