Bulking, No Gain After 3 Weeks

Training Competitive Bodybuilding
1

In an attempt to put on a reasonably lean 15 lbs, I have taken up my daily caloric intake by about 1200.

I arrived at this number by taking the maintenance caloric intake for my current weight, and adding to it difference between it and the maintenance intake for my goal weight. 4000-2800 = 1200.

I am currently hovering around 170, aiming for 185. I used to eat minimal carbs except for morning oatmeal, a Metabolic Drive pre-workout & rice, pasta, or sweet potatoes along with the post workout meal because I seem to have somewhat high (98) blood glucose which is presume means I am on the insulin resistant side.

Now, I am a finance guy not a scientist, so after reading carb cycling codex, and refined physique transformation and a couple other articles I put together an excel spreadsheet to develop the macro breakdown I interpreted was necessary. I set it up using the guidelines for poor insulin sensitivity 45% protein, 25% carb, 30% fat.

After 3 weeks, I have not gained an ounce. I eat all day, turkey, chicken, salmon, and buffalo, and either sweet potato, or brown rice with spinach, toss in 2 protein shakes some almonds and peanut butter for fats. All damn day I eat, but no weight gain.

I have noticed that having more carbs in my diet has improved my lifts, shit even my mood. But the bulk isn’t coming.

How long should it take and is my assumption of eating for the weight I want to achieve incorrect?

2

If you’re not gaining weight, you’re not eating enough calories. Growth takes a lot more energy than maintenance does, so if maintenance for your goal is 4000, you’re going to have to eat more than 4000 to get to the point where it’s ok to eat 4000 maintain.

Carbs are not the enemy. Neither is insulin.

3

Are you 100% sure your eating 4kcal+ a day? Are you consistent? Are you doing heaps of cardio or non exercise activity?

Within 2 weeks you can assess your current diet to see if its producing any results. If its been 3 weeks and you haven’t gained anything, then I’m afriad you just have to eat more.

Drink milk imo.

4

Calories = weight gain/loss. Eat too few, you’ll lose weight. Eat too many, you’ll gain weight. Eat the same amount, you’ll stay the same.

It’s simple math.

If you aren’t gaining weight, no matter how many calories you eat, you need to EAT MORE.

Despite literature telling you “you need to eat this and that amount at your weight”

FUCK IT.

If you’re eating 7000 calories and you aren’t gaining weight,

EAT

MORE

Just eat more! Keep a log, make sure you’re actually eating wha tyou say you are, AND FUCKING EAT!!!

5

mmm delicious milk, 2litres a day and counting

6

Weight yourself every morning at the same time, after you get up or some shit… scale not gone up EAT MORE.

Really IS that simple !

Olive oil

Coconut Oil

protein shake

list is ENDLESS of more quick ways

7

Right. C’mon now, you should know it isn’t rocket science. If you’re not growing or getting stronger, just eat more.

L I S T E N T O Y O U R B O D Y.

8

[quote]eric_lacrosse wrote:
In an attempt to put on a reasonably lean 15 lbs, I have taken up my daily caloric intake by about 1200.

I arrived at this number by taking the maintenance caloric intake for my current weight, and adding to it difference between it and the maintenance intake for my goal weight. 4000-2800 = 1200.

I am currently hovering around 170, aiming for 185. I used to eat minimal carbs except for morning oatmeal, a Metabolic Drive pre-workout & rice, pasta, or sweet potatoes along with the post workout meal because I seem to have somewhat high (98) blood glucose which is presume means I am on the insulin resistant side.

Now, I am a finance guy not a scientist, so after reading carb cycling codex, and refined physique transformation and a couple other articles I put together an excel spreadsheet to develop the macro breakdown I interpreted was necessary. I set it up using the guidelines for poor insulin sensitivity 45% protein, 25% carb, 30% fat.

After 3 weeks, I have not gained an ounce. I eat all day, turkey, chicken, salmon, and buffalo, and either sweet potato, or brown rice with spinach, toss in 2 protein shakes some almonds and peanut butter for fats. All damn day I eat, but no weight gain.

I have noticed that having more carbs in my diet has improved my lifts, shit even my mood. But the bulk isn’t coming.

How long should it take and is my assumption of eating for the weight I want to achieve incorrect?[/quote]

Other than you eating too little, consider that you also need to increase your strength by a good margin on your exercises to gain muscular bodyweight…
Not that you could gain significant strength for moderate to high reps without eating enough in the first place.

9

If you aren’t gaining just eat fucking tonnes until you do. A whole nation of Americans cannot be wrong (no offence guys, I love your country.).

10

[quote]eric_lacrosse wrote:
In an attempt to put on a reasonably lean 15 lbs, I have taken up my daily caloric intake by about 1200.

After 3 weeks, I have not gained an ounce.
How long should it take and is my assumption of eating for the weight I want to achieve incorrect?[/quote]

3 weeks?..get real! Check back in 3 months. If going from 2800 to 4000 didn’t add weight in three weeks; then 2800 was NOT maintenance level(your still filling the hole). Pay as much attention to strength inceases in your big compound ‘money’ lifts(did you make a spreadsheet to calculate and track it?) as you do your diet- like CC said.

11

you outweigh me by 10lbs but i outeat you by 400+ calories a day. I track everything on fitday.com and KNOW how much i eat. Do you really eat 4k? How do you know?

12

I agree with BlueCollar; you’re not giving this enough time. You want to put on the weight while staying relatively lean, so you only upped the calories by 1200. Fine. That may or may not be enough, but if you want to make your gains lean, and eat like it, you have to expect them to come more slowly. Give it time, or ditch the ‘relatively lean’ bit and eat like it’s going out of style.

13

[quote]Brant_Drake wrote:
Growth takes a lot more energy than maintenance does, so if maintenance for your goal is 4000, you’re going to have to eat more than 4000 to get to the point where it’s ok to eat 4000 maintain.

Carbs are not the enemy. Neither is insulin.

[/quote]

Thanks, this was helpful. My unscientific head did not distinguish between growth and maintenance.

14

[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Are you 100% sure your eating 4kcal+ a day? Are you consistent? Are you doing heaps of cardio or non exercise activity?

Within 2 weeks you can assess your current diet to see if its producing any results. If its been 3 weeks and you haven’t gained anything, then I’m afriad you just have to eat more.

Drink milk imo.
[/quote]

Yep, I’m sure it’s 4K cal a day, I did my research and put a lot of time into the spreadsheet. I do cardio 40 min 3X a week. On those days I’ve been adding 600 calories since that is what the cardio burns up. I guess I need to stretch my gut to hold 6000.

15

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
eric_lacrosse wrote:
In an attempt to put on a reasonably lean 15 lbs, I have taken up my daily caloric intake by about 1200.

After 3 weeks, I have not gained an ounce.
How long should it take and is my assumption of eating for the weight I want to achieve incorrect?

3 weeks?..get real! Check back in 3 months. If going from 2800 to 4000 didn’t add weight in three weeks; then 2800 was NOT maintenance level(your still filling the hole). Pay as much attention to strength inceases in your big compound ‘money’ lifts(did you make a spreadsheet to calculate and track it?) as you do your diet- like CC said.

[/quote]

I wasn’t expecting to put on 15 lbs in 3 weeks, but also did not want to wait 3 months before seeking advice. I get Brant’s point about growth vs maintence, so I’m glad I asked the question this early.

and I do have spreadsheets to track lifts.

16

[quote]eric_lacrosse wrote:
hardgnr wrote:
Are you 100% sure your eating 4kcal+ a day? Are you consistent? Are you doing heaps of cardio or non exercise activity?

Within 2 weeks you can assess your current diet to see if its producing any results. If its been 3 weeks and you haven’t gained anything, then I’m afriad you just have to eat more.

Drink milk imo.

Yep, I’m sure it’s 4K cal a day, I did my research and put a lot of time into the spreadsheet. I do cardio 40 min 3X a week. On those days I’ve been adding 600 calories since that is what the cardio burns up. I guess I need to stretch my gut to hold 6000.
[/quote]

6k is probably overkill. Increase it by 500 at a time and see what results you get.

17

[quote]eric_lacrosse wrote:
hardgnr wrote:
Are you 100% sure your eating 4kcal+ a day? Are you consistent? Are you doing heaps of cardio or non exercise activity?

Within 2 weeks you can assess your current diet to see if its producing any results. If its been 3 weeks and you haven’t gained anything, then I’m afriad you just have to eat more.

Drink milk imo.

Yep, I’m sure it’s 4K cal a day, I did my research and put a lot of time into the spreadsheet. I do cardio 40 min 3X a week. On those days I’ve been adding 600 calories since that is what the cardio burns up. I guess I need to stretch my gut to hold 6000.
[/quote]

Maybe you should mellow out on the cardio a bit. What kind are you doing?

18

[quote]PRCalDude wrote:
eric_lacrosse wrote:

I do cardio 40 min 3X a week. On those days I’ve been adding 600 calories since that is what the cardio burns up.

Maybe you should mellow out on the cardio a bit. What kind are you doing? [/quote]

Good Point!
A 40 min cardio session is a bit long; even if you re-supply the calories. I think twenty is about it when the goal is size & strength.

19

The other thing is, if you’re trying to track this all out on spreadsheets with a macro breakdown and all that, I think you’re going to burn out with this. Bodybuilding is supposed to be fun, not a job.

Why don’t you just try to get 1.5 - 2 g/(lb of bodyweight ) and just eat? If you’re not gaining, then eat more. Add weight to the bar every time you go to the gym. Maybe you’re burning up all of these calories in your brain just thinking about all this. Eat more carbs, too.

20

lol bulking with 25% of the diet being carbs,

if you are only eating 4000 cals per day, if you bust ur ass at the gym you wont gain too much fat, and it will be lot faster to cut after,

people are taking this fucking carb shit too far,

eat more carbs brah it wont kill you