I really want to gain some muscle mass, but I am having a hard time. I have some muscle that is only noticeable when I flex, but its a little "soft" on one side. I am not looking to be ripped at this point, but I want to have muscle that is noticeable. I've been eating more, but my metabolism is fast. There are parts of me that still thin. I eat protein but, the amount is probably not that high. I am not on testosterone and probably won't be for some time.
Do you have access to a gym or any weights? If you're looking to put on muscle mass you're going to have to eat a lot (and eat healthy), get a lot of protein (1 gram per lb of bodyweight a day is ideal for building muscle) and you're going to have to work out. Lifting weights is ideal but it is possible to gain some muscle mass with bodyweight training. You won't see results as fast if you don't lift weights though. If you do have access to weights, something like a 5x5 program would be good. You'll get stronger and put on some muscle. If you don't have access to weights, I can give you an idea of some type of routine you can do.
EAT, lift, EAT, lift, EAT, EAT, EAT, EAT! at your age it should be fairly easy to gain muscle and mass. up your calories slowly. about 100-150 calories per week. you must find out your BMR/TDEE though. for me, i had to eat over 3,000 calories per day to gain weight as my metabolism is also fast. I used to be kinda thin for my height (6'2"), 160lbs, with 13.5" arms. i started lifting a year ago and now i'm at 195lbs with 16.5" arms. just remember to stay consistent in your diet and you must continue lifting heavy weights at least 3 to 4 times a week. Good luck!
Thank you. What does "BMR/TDEE" mean? I've never heard of it. ---------- Post added 26th Jul 2014 at 04:24 AM ---------- Thanks. The only gym I have excess to is an all female gym. It's probably the only gym I can use without raising an eyebrow from my family, since I used to go there and they have a membership. I just feel weird about going somewhere that was specifically meant for women. I do have some weights but, they are rather light at 3.3lbs.
BMR stands for Basal metabolic rate, it's basically how many calories (energy) your body uses while doing nothing (at rest). TDEE = Total daily energy expenditure. basically this is how many calories you burn every day during your everyday activities. both these numbers are used to calculate how many calories you should be eating to 1) maintain weight, 2) gain weight or 3) lose weight. for example, if you require 2,500 calories everyday to maintain weight, you must eat an additional 200~ calories (2,600-2,800 total) as a base to gain weight. if you're tying to lose weight then you'd obviously go below 2,500. this link should help you get these numbers: Calorie Calculator - Scooby's Home Workouts "clean bulk" is basically what you want. that means eating slightly above your daily calories requirement by about 200-300 calories. eating too many calories above your requirement would not be a good idea because you'll likely gain more fat in the process. basically you want to gain weight slowly to minimize fat gain.. slowly means about 1/2 to maybe 1lb per week tops. if you find you still aren't gaining weight (checking weekly) then continue upping your calories slowly, checking the scale each week for progress. just make sure you continue lifting as you continue to eat, otherwise you'll just gain fat not muscles
Personally I'd switch gyms if I were you. If anyone asks you could always just make the excuse that the equipment sucks. And yeah, three pound dumbbells aren't going to help you. (Although you might be able to do dumbbell push-ups with them so it's easier on your wrists.) By weights I mean barbells and plates. Like I said, a 5x5 program would be good. Get Stronger With The StrongLifts 5x5 Routine If you really don't have access to weights, there are several bodyweight exercises you can do at home. Squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and abdominal exercises (crunches, oblique crunches, leg raises, etc.) will still build muscle and strength, though not as effectively as lifting weights. I've posted in threads similar to this one before, so if you go to my profile and look through the threads I've posted in you should find my posts on possible routines. I'm typing this from my phone and don't have time to post all of it up again.
