I’m 16, 155 1bs and I intake about 4000 cal a day over 5 meals, however i gain weight fairly slow. Is my metabolism real fast or is this a normal amount of food to eat. Also is a high cal intake like this harmfull over a long period. (I never feel like i’ve over ate either)Any suggestions would welcomed.
I hear you loud & clear. I’m 27, 151 lbs and almost eat myself out of house & home. Fortunately, I too, still have a fast metabolism. (Trust me, you’ll appreciate it in 10 years or so when your old buddies can’t see their shoes over a huge gut.)
I’ve tried to put on mass & poundage lately. I’ve gained 6 lbs in the past 3 months (which is pretty damn good; natural/no drugs nor creatine). This is what I’ve learned…
(note that this is a very BREIF & basic summary of some of the most imoportant fundamentals that have been said time & time again by many, many people.)
If mass & weight are your goal, as extreme hard-gainers we must:
Train less. Yes, that’s right. We need to conserve as mush energy as possible for our workouts & nothing more, otherwise all our efforts to feed our muscles will be spent. I’m talking training twice every 8 days…MAX! Twice every 10 or so, even better. Your body’s response will be your guide.
Don’t do any stenuous physical activity AT ALL (well, as little as you can) outside of the gym.
Make your workouts under an hour. Concentrate mostly on the ‘big’ movements (Squat, DL, Bench, Chins and limit the rest, except abs. Rest no more than 90 seconds max between sets to maximize hormone production.
Eating five meals now? Eat 6.
Caloric count isn’t enough. Eat at least 0.8+ grams of highly bio-available protien per pound of body weight per day (ion-exchanged or cross flo micro filtrated Whey, egg, fish,…). Adjust your complex carbs & essential fats accordingly.
SLEEEEEEEEEEEEP! 8-10 hours a night. This is not an option if you wiah your body to grow. Muscles don’t grow while we are lifting, only while resting.
Personlly, I’m happy about my gains but realistic. Now, I’m gonna be focusing more on strength gains. What ever mass comes with that, so be it. Besides, I just can’t eat THAT MUCH! (I you can & you’re still hungry, more muscle to ya…eat more! Though, I can’t imagine that too long a term diet like that is very healthy. Your body will tell you when enough is enough. You’re only 19, no prob. Eat & grow!!
Good luck!
djl