hey guys, so I was doing research on bodytypes and i am definitely an endomorph. pear-shaped, man boobs, love handles, fatty thighs, but skinny legs. and I'm a dude. Depressing right? But at the same time, I'm a skinny guy and bony guy, or so people tell me. I'm 23, 5'6, 135-140lbs. I just have little muscle volume. My bodyfat percentage is like 23-25% i forgot what the nurse told me. My trainer wants me to bulk and said I should be eating atleast 2500 calories a day. I've seen some pretty good muscle gains in the two months I've been working out, but I've also seen a little more fat gains as well. Specifically in my manboobs (i hate that word). He tells me cardio is the enemy and only wants me to do it for about 5 minutes prior to my lifting just to get my heart rate pumping.
I don't eat unhealthy. and I'm naturally not a big eater.
I eat a scoop of protein, 12oz milk, tbs of PB, a banana, and cup of oatmeal all blended in a shake.
Usually go to the gym. eat a banana and drink a protein shake immediately after.
eat a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread. or chicken and brown rice.
then dinner, which is usually fish/chicken with mashed potatoes and a veg. or pasta.
then another shake with milk, banana, pb, and oatmeal before bed.
I don't have a set diet plan, because of my work schedule. but when i go to work, I usually make a healthy meal. like chicken, brown rice, and veggies. and will bring an apple or a banana for a snack.
I know you can't bulk and lose fat at the same time, but right now I'm starting to blow up and my main concern is my manboobs. they're just getting bigger and it's embarrassing in the summer months because you can't wear layers. What do i do? Can i still do cardio? I feel like if i do cycling and increase the resistance I can get a good cardio workout while also build definition in my legs, which are my weakest asset. I'd like to build up some muscle and melt away the fat, but i'm just conflicted and feeling very discouraged. thank you.
Posted by: Gazhole
Sounds like your trainer is telling you to do something you don't want to do. Remember you're paying him to get you into the shape you want to be in, not the shape he thinks you should be in. If you want to cut first then bulk later by all means do that. You're only going to get fatter on a bulk, which by the sounds of things is only going to kill your motivation to work out. If you don't want to bulk - don't bulk!
Posted by: gtbmed
First, I'd recommend posting your diet and training on here so we can see what you're currently doing. A lot of times people's problems aren't what they think.
Second, it seems strange that someone would recommend that you bulk up when you're carrying more than 20% bodyfat.
Third, if you are going to be bulking up and eating a lot of food, there's nothing wrong with doing extra cardio, but keep in mind that this is not going to keep you lean. So long as you're consuming enough calories, you're going to be gaining both muscle and body fat.
EDIT: To add, I don't believe the stuff I hear about "body types" to be at all true. Don't pigeonhole yourself based on those ideas.
Posted by: sax
thanks guys. my workout has been a lower/upper body workout during the week. so upper/lower/rest/upper/lower/rest/rest/repeat.
I'm going to take it upon myself to actually change it around a bit, because I feel like I'm doing too much on my upper days. Because I'll be in the gym for over a hour and a half to 2 hours on my upper days, and like 45 min on my lower days. So to keep my workouts shorter, and in my opinion, more effective, I'm going to try the following four days a week:
biceps/back
lower
chest/tris
lower
and throw in some core building on an off-day. i honestly don't do any core building, which is really bad. but i have a swiss and medicine ball at home i can use to do that.
I'm going to talk to my trainer about this. He's a cool guy and really knows what he's talking about. Right now, his main concern is building me some muscle mass because I have none at the moment, but I'm definitely going to try to incorporate some cardio, preferably cycling or swimming.
Posted by: gtbmed
If you are at more than 20% bodyfat, my recommendation would be to lose weight first. It's a lot easier to bulk cleanly after you cut down. Built and people more well-versed in dieting call this "partitioning" I believe.
Shorter workouts have worked very well for me. I've always felt disinterested after about 45 minutes.
That said, could you post a bit more in detail? What you have looks to be decently balanced, but it's impossible to tell without us knowing what you're actually doing (what exercises, number of sets and reps, percentage of your max efforts).
Posted by: Gazhole
I thought it was weird for him to reccomend bulking aswell. Just seems you're going to have more fat when you've finished, and will have to cut even longer than you would if you did it now to get into good shape.
Posted by: PushAndPull
Originally Posted by Gazhole
I thought it was weird for him to reccomend bulking aswell. Just seems you're going to have more fat when you've finished, and will have to cut even longer than you would if you did it now to get into good shape.
Yup, and cutting is painful So it's logical to believe, the longer you have to cut, the less chance you have of success.
Posted by: sax
I honestly just float around and look at the machines and look at the diagram that shows what muscle groups they hit and do 3-4 sets of 10. Forgive me for this vague response.
i always do pull-ups on my upper days. preacher curls, chest flys/press with cables, dumbells, or machine. two machines that target upper and lower back. other days i switch it around and do the HTS row which targets back, biceps, and traps. tricep pulldowns. shrugs with plates.
lower: weighted squats and lunges. then isolation with leg extensions for quads. and leg curls for hams. and a machine that targets quads and glutes, which i really like.
my new regimen is going to look more like this:
bi/back: pull-ups, lat pulldown, lowrow, dumbell rows, preacher curls, shoulder shrugs. There's a lower back machine that works my lower back and abs.
tri/chest: assisted dips, tricep pulldowns, chest fly/press. I'm afraid of the benchpress because i don't like asking for help lol.
lower: weighted squats, weighted lunges, isolation exercises, and the quad/glute machine.
core: swiss and medicine ball at home.
I remember my trainer telling me he was circuit training me. From my understanding that means you're constantly moving with little rest in between sets and exercises. Maybe I am resting too long between sets and between different exercises. and i only meet with the trainer once a month, it's a free service.
Sorry, I'm all over the place and I'm a beginner to this.
Posted by: Gazhole
Didn't your trainer draw you up a program for the 20+ days a month he isn't with you?
Posted by: sax
yeah, but he worked with me a little bit more and introduced me to more exercises and different formations. now that i'm more comfortable with the gym, i take it more upon myself to do what i want. his initial regimen for me was a very basic, beginner regimen that was too easy for me.
Originally Posted by Gazhole
So it's logical to believe, the longer you have to cut, the less chance you have of success.