Thread: Hello, I need to bulk up...

Originally Posted by Gormine

I've been reading and trying to learn as much as possible over the past month or so. I'm 24 years old, 6'1" 170lbs.

Do you know your BF%?

I started a diet on the 24th of may, going by what I learned off of here. Going on such an extreme diet (very clean and very much food) I expected more than what I've gotten so far. I have been weighing myself every morning before I eat or drink anything and it is ALWAYS 170 on the dot. People notice me looking better and I can see a difference from when I started. Just today someone commented on my neck looking bigger and I can tell as well as others that my arms are bigger. My stomach has also improved.

Congratulations!! This is EXCELLENT to start with - it sounds like you have improved your body composition (lost body fat and gained lean mass).. Which is better than straight bulking if your BF% was high to begin with.

So don't immediately dismiss it - It has probably set you up to have a cleaner and more effective bulk.

It just don't make sense that I haven't gained even one pound. Anyways, here is about what I eat every day (changes a little)... Let me know if I should post this in another section.

Right - Well, I can't really give you much input because you have not included your BF% or quantities for your foods.... But I can give you rough recommendations.


I am just going to calculate of 'generic figure'... So, lets say we pick 15% as a BF% - then your lean mass is 145 pounds...

So start off with something like:
360g carbs (breakfast, pre and PWO esp. important)
220g protein spread over your meals (or 30-35g/meal).
About 70-75g of fat

TOTAL= 3000 cals.

Could be used.

1. Then, if you have eat roughly this amount for 2-3 weeks without gain - Increase your calories by ~10% (300).
2. Monitor yourself over 2-3 weeks. If you see no gains - increase by 330 cals (10%).
3. Repeat.


Seriously though - your diet could improve...

1st meal:
1/2 cup oats
1 cup cottage cheese
apple
2 TBS nat PB

Add more carbs here. 0.5 cups of oats is nothing. Probably too much PB too...

What about:
0.75 cups oats
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 apple
1 tbs PB
2 fish oil capsules

(71g carbs, 37.5g protein, 13g fat)

2nd meal:
protein shake
large salad

This is not a 'bulking' meal. You want to add carbs and fats to this. Also - if you can get away with it, real food is better than protein shakes.

What about:
1 cup rice
1 scoops protein
Salad
0.5 tbs olive oil
2 fish oils

(44g carbs, ~32g protein, 12g fat)

between 2nd and 3rd i usually eat an apple or banana

Well - how about you eat it WITH meals instead...??

3rd meal:
chicken breast
yam
broccoli

Have an apple here.
Make sure you are getting a good serve of protein (4 oz).
Have a decent serve of yam (say, 8 oz)

(76g carbs, 36g protein)

Post Workout
1/2 cup oats
protein shake

0.5 cups of oats PWO?? And you are trying to add mass?? I am a small female and I have more PWO carbs than this!

What about:
0.75 cups oats
1 banana
1 cup skim milk
1 scoops protein

78g carbs, ~40g protein, 4.5g fat

4th meal:
chicken breast
yam

Add healthy fats +/- vegetables

4 oz chicken
8 oz yams
0.5 tbs olive oil
2 fish oils
vegetables

56g carbs, 36g protein, 12g fat

5th meal:
1 cup cottage cheese
apple

You would be better off adding healthy fats to this meal and then having it last thing at night. Instead, have the next meal here....

1 whole egg + 4 egg whites
One pieces whole wheat bread
1 TBS nat PB
+/- vegetables

(18g carbs, 28g protein, 14g fat)

6th meal:
Might also want to replace the apple - you are already eating 3 peices of fruit... eg:

1 oz walnuts
1 cup 1% cottage cheese

(10g carbs, 32g protein, 16g fat)


That gives you totals:
~353g carbs
~240g protein
~72g fats

CALS ~ 3000 ish

Also, if I get hungry between meals, I usually grab a piece of whole wheat bread or two. And on non-workout days, I might still eat an extra meal to replace the post workout one.

If you are going to snack between meals then make sure you snack on something that is a little more balanced- add some protein and fats (eg: spread some cc on the bread and grap some almonds as well). or eat something more complete - such as hard boiled eggs.

Or, make up a shake and keep it in the fridge (oats + milk + protein powder + PB) and sip on this through the day.

Same goes for the meal you replace your PWO with - make sure it has protein, fats and carbs.

I workout with weights every other day, alternating upper and lower body.

The split looks good -but iIf you are finding it hard to gain you might be over training - you are probably best not to train more than 2 days in a row. So do:
upper
lower
off
upper
lower
off
off

I must add that due to my schedule, I only get about 6 hours of sleep a night during the week (10 on friday and saturday). Could lack of rest be the main problem?

Probably not. Lack of quality food + possible overtraining are more likely contributing.

First of all, thanks a lot for the very good and detailed response. That is what I was hoping for!

Also, to help you understand my schedule.. I am a computer tech for the first 6 hours of the day. Then I have about 3 1/2 hours until I go to my 2nd job at a grocery store. I work there until the time I should be going to sleep. My first job is easy to eat whenever I want. The grocery store isn't. I get a 15 minute break to eat in the 4 hours I'm at the grocery store.

Do you know your BF%?

No. I am not even sure how to tell exactly. I bought some calipers one time but wasn't comfortable using them (wasn't sure if I was doing it right). Can't find them anymore... But I have never really had any noticeable fat... I'm pretty skinny. The kind of person that can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. I find it hard to believe that I've gained muscle and lost enough fat to make no change in weight.

Add more carbs here. 0.5 cups of oats is nothing. Probably too much PB too...

What about:
0.75 cups oats
1 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 apple
1 tbs PB
2 fish oil capsules

(71g carbs, 37.5g protein, 13g fat)

What are these fish oil capsules? Where can I get them? I work in a grocery store and have looked for them without any luck.

This is not a 'bulking' meal. You want to add carbs and fats to this. Also - if you can get away with it, real food is better than protein shakes.

What about:
1 cup rice
1 scoops protein
Salad
0.5 tbs olive oil
2 fish oils

(44g carbs, ~32g protein, 12g fat)

For this meal, I am eating lunch at work. My protein shakes are Isopure. They have 25g of carbs 50g of protein and 50% of a crapload of vitamins. It is hard to eat a complex meal at work. My 8lb tub of Isopure is almost gone.. I plan on getting ON whey protein to use after the Isopure runs out.

I am able to go to the grocery store for lunch but I can never think of anything to get other than a huge salad.

Well - how about you eat it WITH meals instead...??

I eat this while I'm at work and not on break. The job is really laid back though but I am not sure I would be able to use the microwave or not. I really don't know what to eat at this time (between 2nd and 3rd meals there can be over 3 hours sometimes).

The split looks good -but iIf you are finding it hard to gain you might be over training - you are probably best not to train more than 2 days in a row. So do:
upper
lower
off
upper
lower
off
off

I never even workout two days in a row. However, I don't take off more than one day in a row or weekends. It goes like this...
upper
off
lower
off
upper
off
lower

Been doing a bunch of research today after I got my shopping list together from reading your reply. I can't decide on a protein powder to buy. I have decided on allthewhey but can't decide which kind to get. Would the supermass 600 be good for me considering my high metabolism? The only thing I don't like is that it has a TON of sugar in it (31g/serving). Or should I go with the concentrate? Suggestions?

Fish oils are capsules you get fro healthfood stores or chemists (I live in Australia but I think people mention a place called costo's?? )...

They are a source of essential omega-3 fats and you want to take about 6-10g a day.

Originally Posted by Gormine

Been doing a bunch of research today after I got my shopping list together from reading your reply. I can't decide on a protein powder to buy. I have decided on allthewhey but can't decide which kind to get. Would the supermass 600 be good for me considering my high metabolism? The only thing I don't like is that it has a TON of sugar in it (31g/serving). Or should I go with the concentrate? Suggestions?

Those pre-made shakes are pure crap.

Get a pure protein powder (no carbs) and then, if you can't have 'real food' just grind up some rolled oats and add this to your shaker bottle with the protein powder instead. Then have a handful of walnuts or add some PB as well.

I decided to go with chocolate ON 100% whey. Also ordered http://www.vitamins.com/pages/file.a...&PID=5232&np=1, a multivitamin and a b-50 complex.

Originally Posted by Gormine

I decided to go with chocolate ON 100% whey

Good. Much better than the sugary 'mass gainer' crap.

Also ordered http://www.vitamins.com/pages/file.a...&PID=5232&np=1.

The fish oils look fine. They are a bit more than normal strength (normal caps usually have ~180 EPA and ~120 mg DHA, so if you aim to get about 4 to 8 capsules a day then you should be fine.