/qa/ - Question & Answer

Have you tried muscle building? Cardio won't do much, try calisthenics

>>2310
Age is an important factor. As long as you're still growing your metabolism is gonna be much faster i.e. more calories are burned (even if you don't exercise). It's called 'basal metabolic rate' or BMR. There really isn't anything you can do right now to change that. You just have to wait until your body finished growing and your metabolism will slow down. For men that usually happens around the age of 18, but for some it takes until their early twenties.
In some cases an unusually high metabolism could be attributed to hyperthyroidism, (but that usually develops later, in your early twenties) so maybe ask your doctor to check your thyroid levels (again, unlikely at your age)
I wouldn't worry too much about bulking or gaining huge amounts of weight right now. Just stick to your exercise routine, yes even the cardio (it's le good for you) just maybe don't overdo it (as you don't want to burn too many calories), if your goal is to put on muscle. If you're having trouble with cardio, don't worry. Most people hate doing it, I certainly hated it for the longest time until I grew to actually enjoy it. Starting out always sucks. Do what you can, try out interval training.
As for gaining weight (bulking or whatever you wanna call it) carbs are your friend. Complex carbohydrates such as rice and oats are great. It'll take your body much longer to break them down, therefore energy will be released over a longer period of time, it'll keep your blood sugar levels stable, makes you feel more alert and you won't feel tired right after eating. Try being a bit more consistent with your eating tho. 5 meals a day sounds great if you can spare the time, but you need to spread them out throughout the day.

>>2311
>try calisthenics
That's what I do most of the times cause I can do it whenever I want to and I'm too lazy to move plates
>>2312
>For men that usually happens around the age of 18, but for some it takes until their early twenties.
>In some cases an unusually high metabolism could be attributed to hyperthyroidism, (but that usually develops later, in your early twenties)
Stop worrying me, I'm 22
Also, regarding cardio, if I already get my heartbeat up during my workout (specially during leg days), is it really necessary to do specific cardio exercises?
>Try being a bit more consistent with your eating
Yes I know, the problem is that my schedule is a mess and I study quite away from home so I can't bring too much food with me, meaning that some days I eat a lot for breakfast and nothing as my second meal and other days I'll eat little for breakfast but more later in the day.

>>2316
Yes! I'd say cardio is must.
If you're feeling gassed out from doing squats, that's because your cardiovascular system isn't all that trained yet. You'd be surprised how much your performance increases once you've started doing cardio. So definitely work on that. Not only for your health, but also for the sake of making gainz.
Do you count your calories? If not, definitely dive into that. It really helps you keep track on what your input is. Don't stress on the percentages too much, just focus on the overall number and your protein intake. Keep in mind that it's very easy to over- and underestimate your needs. I'm guessing at your height and weight you're probably lean as fvck (which doesn't have to be a bad thing obv.) So yeah, you probably need to eat more… I know they're always telling you that a 500 caloric surplus above maintenance is sufficient, but that's not true imo. I certainly had to eat way beyond that.
Also don't worry about the thyroid stuff, if it doesn't run in your family, you're probably not affected by that.
Calisthenics are great exercise, you can actually build a pretty solid physique just by doing pushups and pullups. Weights do have their place however and it's probably best if you'd try to mix things up by alternating between bodyweight movements and weight exercise. Just don't waste your time with doing isolation exercises (i.e. bicep curls). Focus on compound movements such as squats/bench/pullups (engage multiple muscle groups).
Maybe tell me what you're working with/ what equipment you have and we can figure out a plan, maybe you even have one already…
Also, if you could tell me (roughly) how much you're eating in a day (in kcal) that'd be great. Protein intake too… numbers are always helpful.

>>2317
>So definitely work on that. Not only for your health, but also for the sake of making gainz.
I guess I'll have to, I decided to workout today (I didn't since I while, I've been on holidays), and while doing some squats (with some rather heavy weights, not the best thing to start with tbh) I got my heart pumping like crazy while barely feeling anything in my quads
>Do you count your calories?
At some point I did and I was trying to be autistic about percentages, I aimed for 3000Kcal, don't think I ever came close to that doe. The thing I learned from that is that I can achieve my fat "goal" easily, but I lack protein and lots of carbs from.
>Just don't waste your time with doing isolation exercises
Well, those are my favourite tho
>Maybe tell me what you're working with/ what equipment you have and we can figure out a plan, maybe you even have one already…
Sure, I do upper body on mon,wed,fri and lower body on tue,thu, I rest on weekends.
Upper body:
<Push ups, four sets, until failure
<Overhead presses, 3x12
<Biceps curls, 4x12
<Bech dips, four sets, until failure
Lower body:
<Squats, 4x5 at the gym, 4x20 at home
<Lunges, 4x20 always with dumbbells (don't like doing this with a bar at all)
<Deadlifts, 4x5 at the gym, I don't do it at home
At my peak I could do 1.5 plates on squats and 2.5 on deadlifts. 0 on bench and overhead presses. I don't know how much I could do now, I haven't gone to the gym in a while, I may go back in February.
>Also, if you could tell me (roughly) how much you're eating in a day (in kcal) that'd be great. Protein intake too… numbers are always helpful.
Sure, I'll tell you the numbers for today (I haven't eaten dinner yet):
<Fats: 95
<Carbs: 137
<Protein: 92
<Kcal: 1771
I'll probably end the day at 2200-2300Kcal

>>2322
>I guess I'll have to, I decided to workout today (I didn't since I while, I've been on holidays), and while doing some squats (with some rather heavy weights, not the best thing to start with tbh) I got my heart pumping like crazy while barely feeling anything in my quads
Well, that was probably a bit too much then, but you clearly figured that out already lol.
Don't overdo it. More isn't necessarily better. Especially if your goal is to induce hypertrophy (which is pretty much essential for muscle growth) you should aim for at least 10 sets. Use a weight that you're feelibg comfortable with. Especially if you're without a spotter.
Also do your cardio.
>At some point I did and I was trying to be autistic about percentages, I aimed for 3000Kcal, don't think I ever came close to that doe. The thing I learned from that is that I can achieve my fat "goal" easily, but I lack protein and lots of carbs from.
I see… now we know what your problem is. 3000 kcal isn't enough, that's just very slightly above your maintenance needs. And 2300 puts you in the weight loss range (le bad)… I did some calculator shenanigans (images attached). I would argue tho that you should aim for 3500.
Counting calories is kinda important. don't worry tho, it'll become second nature eventually. If you've done it for a while you'll be able to guess how much you've already eaten.
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Your exercise routine looks actually fairly decent. I can tell that you know what you're doing.
I'd suggest you crank up the volume a little.. at least on the lighter lifts. 4-5 sets of squats/deadlifts is good enough, especially if you're using heavy weight.
Also add some pull exercises like pullups, chinups, dumbbell rows etc..
If you're having trouble with pullups, use the lat pulldown machine at your gym.
Also, instead of doing bicep (dumbbell?) curls, use the straight bar instead. It'll engage more muscle groups.
So basically pick some more exercises and add them to your routine, so that you end up with roughly 6 exercises per session.
The push/pull split that you're doing is great tho. I've seen some good results with that.
>1.5pl8 on squat
>2.5pl8 on dl
That sounds insane…
You know that one pl8 equals 20kg and you count them on each side. So 2.5 would mean you've been deadlifting 120kg (20+20+10 on each side + 20 bar) that's more than double your bodyweight.
If that's actually true, then you've got some serious talent my dude.
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>90g of protein
I know it sounds impossible, but you should try to double that. Try to get that up to at least 140/150ish.

>>2323
>Especially if your goal is to induce hypertrophy (which is pretty much essential for muscle growth) you should aim for at least 10 sets
Really? Ok, I guess I'll lift less weight then
>I would argue tho that you should aim for 3500
The problem is that I'm basically force feeding myself at that point, my appetite isn't that high
>Also, instead of doing bicep (dumbbell?) curls, use the straight bar instead. It'll engage more muscle groups.
Currently I work out at home so I can only use dumbbells, I'll use bars once I go to the gym doe
>That sounds insane…
There was a guy at my gym who didn't believe the weights I lifted either, I don't get it, I thought deadlifting was one of the easier exercises?
>You know that one pl8 equals 20kg and you count them on each side. So 2.5 would mean you've been deadlifting 120kg (20+20+10 on each side + 20 bar) that's more than double your bodyweight.
Tbh I only achieved one set at those weights, when I do squats and deadlifts I progressively lift more plates (so I'd do something like 1.5-2-2.25-2.5)
>I know it sounds impossible, but you should try to double that. Try to get that up to at least 140/150ish.
I guess I'll eat more eggs, lentils, yogurt and chicken, don't know what other protein rich food is cheap

>>2331
>Really? Ok, I guess I'll lift less weight then
Well, what I'm saying is that you should focus on the 10-15 rep range. Doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't switch it up with strenght training. You've been clearly making lots of progress in that regard as evident by your one rep max dl/squat (which again, is very respectable)
The idea is that hypertrophy is achieved through performing the exercise with a weight that you can lift for 10-15 reps (but no more than that). 1-5 rep range is for strenght, above 20 is for endurance.
>The problem is that I'm basically force feeding myself at that point, my appetite isn't that high
That's a problem, yes. Choose nutrient dense foods, other than that, it's really just getting used it I guess.
>There was a guy at my gym who didn't believe the weights I lifted either, I don't get it, I thought deadlifting was one of the easier exercises?
Well, it's pretty respectable. I've found this chart. (pic attached)
Definitely try not to injure yourself. Especially since you're just starting out. Do you use a belt?
>Tbh I only achieved one set at those weights, when I do squats and deadlifts I progressively lift more plates (so I'd do something like 1.5-2-2.25-2.5)
Yeah, that's your one rep max.
You're doing good, don't worry too much about that. Your strenght training is pretty much on point. You're clearly making good progress.
Keep doing that.
But for muscle growth you need to increase the volume a little. As I said, try to add two or three more exercises and go for 10-15 reps (4 or five sets). You need to add some chest exercises (bench/smith machine/pec deck/cable flys) you can do whatever. Bench or smith machine would still be best I guess. Also, maybe add some rowing exercise (dumbbell rows/barbell rows/cable rows/bodyweight rows) it's just for your shoulders and back. Do have a pullup bar? Do some pullups, I know they kinda suck (I hate doing pullups, chinups are great tho) but you kinda need to do them, it'll only get harder when you're beginning to pack on size, so better start now.
>I guess I'll eat more eggs, lentils, yogurt and chicken, don't know what other protein rich food is cheap
Pretty solid choices. Don't rely on eggs too much, at least not as your primary protein source. They're good but they don't have all that much protein and will just make you feel full. Yoghurt is much better, it's lighter on your digestive tract. Lentils are great, beans, peas and certain types of cheese that are low in fat are all good choices. Go for chicken breast if you can, but I know it's kinda expensive. Nuts (or just peanut butter) are also great choices, high in fat (helps you meet your caloric needs)
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So in conclusion: I'd suggest you keep doing what you're already doing. You just need to add some volume to your schedule (i.e. more exercises/rep ranges 10-15) especially upper body exercises (upper body has smaller muscle groups= takes less time to recover, therefore can be trained more often/legs are much bigger= need longer recovery time)
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You need to bump up your calories. That's really the main culprit here. Your training is good (although not ideal) but I'm guessing you've been doing this for quite a while now, you should've gained some mass, but with insufficient food intake that's just not happening. In my previous post I made a minor mistake, I said 3000 is slightly above maintenance (it's clearly way higher than that) So try to aim for 3000kcal a day (protein being around 150). If your weight doesn't increase within the first two weeks, go higher. Increase your surplus by 300/500.

i came here to make fun of you and call you all copers but you know what
im tired of being a lazy and blackpilled little chud
i WILL get back on the /fit/ bandwagon this year

>>2334
Sounds good man!
Feel free to come back if you need advice or wanna talk about your training or whatever.

>>2333
I'll try doing what you've told me, January is a bad month to make changes because of exams or something doe, I'll do what I can

>>2355
Sounds good!
Yeah, take it slow. Big changes don't happen over night. It's a marathon, not a race. Also tuna is a pretty cheap source for protein (if you don't mind the taste)
As a matter of fact, I'm also trying to get back into the groove… My cardio game is on point, but I need to get my strenght back up.
Let's keep this thread alive, maybe there's others who would like to join in on the discussion.
Well, anyway you know where you can find me.

Best of luck, my friend!