Calorie Calculations/Requirements

Bigger Stronger Leaner Beginners
1

Okay, I need some help here.

I weight about 180lbs. I’d say my lean weight would be about 147lbs.

I do a decent intensive 5 day, 40 minute a session workout program.

Now, I’ve read all the Bill Phillips etc stories about six smaller meals a day etc.

Just read flex this evening.

That’s telling me that I should consume 20 calories - the right calories - per lbs of weight. Using 147, rather than the chubby 180, I come out at 2940 calories. Are you sh*ttin me. Even if they were the purest and best 2940 calories and I worked my @ss off I’d be 20 stone of lard by the end of the year.

I am trying to stick to the six meals - supplemented by protein/or meal replacement shakes, depending on protein/carb (fast/slow) requirements that I might/should have, but I really cannot see that I will do anything other than gain weight.

A bit of help here lads.

I’ve spoken to mates who are in decent shape - i don’t mean olympian here - who have said the same as me. All those calories, even if good = FAT!!!

I have tried reducing the numbers but even then = FAT!

The best shape I was ever in was skipping breakfast, ham salad lunch and chicken and rice for dinner. Did that, I wasn’t massive but I was in pretty good shape - more bruce lee admittedly.

HELP!!!

How much eating like I’m told I should do before the amount of muscle will start eating away the tubbyness?

Don’t get me wrong, I can cut carbs/eat carbs and run/cycle/walk skip until I lose fat but I just can’t reconcile the amount I’m being told I should eat with my previous experience…

2

so your saying you would only eat twice a day when you were in the best shape of your life?

3

Pretty much mate. I know its hard to take in. I was in decent shape aswell.

4

Something tells me that you were leaner back then for sure. I am going to raise the flag when you say “best shape of your life”. Just because you were not lugging around some extra fat does not qualify you as fit, my friend.

I personally eat 12-15 times a day. Thats right. Each little feeding time is on the order of 200 calories. I understand that depending on your career, this may not be possible. But I have no problem reaching into a lunchbag at work and eating something small every hour or so.

  1. Don’t skip breakfast, especially if you are doing some no-shit exercise now.

  2. What are your goals? Increase strength/lean mass, or cut? How tall are you?

  3. Know the difference between intense and intensive. Intensive workouts will not get you far, look at my pictures and you will see a guy who worked out intensively for years. My results are nothing to balk over. Intensity over intensiveness, all the time.

  4. Post up your sample diet and training routine.

Good luck.

5

I’m 6’-1" and 185 and I eat 3200 cals a day.

I’m not fat.

Toss up your physical stats and goals (both physical and/or in the gym)…

6

First, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Training:

Monday: Chest - hammer strength incline/decline/straight - 60/70/80/90 kg (total)
Incline dumbbell flies 30/35/40/50 ibs per side

Tuesday: Back - hammer stength pull down/straight row/pull up(?) 60/70/80/90 kg (total)
Hyperextensions with 5/10/15/20 kg plates

Wednesday: Legs - usual suspects - weights depend on how I feel.

Thursday: Arms - Tricep cable bar push down/dumbbell curls 25/30/35/40 ibs/Tricep overhead extensions/smith machine biceps/cable bar reverse grip pull down for ticeps.

Fridays: Shoulders: side and rear machine/hammer strength push up with 50/60/70/80 kgs/Shrugs though to be fair I only need to look at my traps and they grow.

All sets I do ten reps. 60 seconds break between each set. Session takes 40 minutes.

I dont stick to particular weights - if something feels like its working I do it.

I am using machines a lot but that is part (a) confidence (b) I am really feeling a good level of response with them. I know I should lift in 3D (supporting a weight laterally on a press is as important as pushing up and lowering). I am 9 weeks in to training after 5 years of sporadic training. I will mix up the training soon and add free weights as I think fit.

Diet:

8am - Myoplex shake/Mulit vit tablet/glucosamine
10am - Cottage cheese with brown bread (one slice)
12pm - 1/2 mypolex with 5g creatine (pre gym)
2pm - Lean gain (Dorian formula) 5 g creatine/l-glutamine tablet
4pm - chicken
7pm - meal - chicken with veg
10pm - myoplex
Take also fat burner

I am starting from being overweight - years of injuries and marriage/contentment. Lots of corporate entertainment - i’m a lawyer who spends his whole life at his desk.

In terms of stats:
5ft6
178lbs - which I can easily drop
Chest: 42
Shoulders: 50
Waste: 32
Biceps: 15 1/2
Thighs: 25
Neck: 16

I’d say I am a good 147lbs lean. I want to get to about 154/161lbs cut. So I dont want to be Lee Priest freeky small guy, but similarly dont want to be Ricky Hatton at fighting weight - stringy looking.

7

Hmm. Seems like the vast majority of your training is on machines. I highly suggest you focus on free weights to better recruit your stabilizing muscles. I know that you recognize this but sometimes you just have to reach down and grab a pair.

I am relatively new to PL myself but I have learned the power of free weights over machines. Learning the form correctly from the beginning with lesser weight will undoubtedly lead to bigger gains in the future.

Also, your description of your leg workout as the “usual suspects” could mean something very good or very bad.

Good: Squats and deadlifts as the basis
Bad: Leg curl, leg extension, leg press as the basis

One more point: It looks like you are relying a bit too much on supplements for a beginning. Does not seem like you are eating very much food at all to be frank.

Even if the Myoplex shakes are meal replacements, my personal suggestion is to down some real food and use supplements for supplementation, not as a substitute. Take my opinion worth a grain of salt as others will likely disagree, just my two cents.

8

Hey boss. ill throw you a bone. you want somewhere around one gram of protein for your lean muscles bodyweight. im not doing the calculations for you. protein is 4 cal / per gram.

The rest of your total calories is dependent on how much you currently weigh and how much you exersize. bodybuilding.com has a calories calculator thing.

Other than that, work hard. if your doing something wrong in the gym, people will tell you over and over again.
dont use machines either…

9

IMO, 20 calories per pound sounds a bit high. I eat about 15 per pound, with 1-1.5g of protein per pound per day.

I would support the above suggestions, ESPECIALLY regarding the supplements. You need more solid food.

10

[quote]Paul Davies wrote:
First, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Training:

Monday: Chest - hammer strength incline/decline/straight - 60/70/80/90 kg (total)
Incline dumbbell flies 30/35/40/50 ibs per side

Tuesday: Back - hammer stength pull down/straight row/pull up(?) 60/70/80/90 kg (total)
Hyperextensions with 5/10/15/20 kg plates

Wednesday: Legs - usual suspects - weights depend on how I feel.

Thursday: Arms - Tricep cable bar push down/dumbbell curls 25/30/35/40 ibs/Tricep overhead extensions/smith machine biceps/cable bar reverse grip pull down for ticeps.

Fridays: Shoulders: side and rear machine/hammer strength push up with 50/60/70/80 kgs/Shrugs though to be fair I only need to look at my traps and they grow.

All sets I do ten reps. 60 seconds break between each set. Session takes 40 minutes.

I dont stick to particular weights - if something feels like its working I do it.

I am using machines a lot but that is part (a) confidence (b) I am really feeling a good level of response with them. I know I should lift in 3D (supporting a weight laterally on a press is as important as pushing up and lowering). I am 9 weeks in to training after 5 years of sporadic training. I will mix up the training soon and add free weights as I think fit.

Diet:

8am - Myoplex shake/Mulit vit tablet/glucosamine
10am - Cottage cheese with brown bread (one slice)
12pm - 1/2 mypolex with 5g creatine (pre gym)
2pm - Lean gain (Dorian formula) 5 g creatine/l-glutamine tablet
4pm - chicken
7pm - meal - chicken with veg
10pm - myoplex
Take also fat burner

I am starting from being overweight - years of injuries and marriage/contentment. Lots of corporate entertainment - i’m a lawyer who spends his whole life at his desk.

In terms of stats:
5ft6
178lbs - which I can easily drop
Chest: 42
Shoulders: 50
Waste: 32
Biceps: 15 1/2
Thighs: 25
Neck: 16

I’d say I am a good 147lbs lean. I want to get to about 154/161lbs cut. So I dont want to be Lee Priest freeky small guy, but similarly dont want to be Ricky Hatton at fighting weight - stringy looking.
[/quote]

Here is my take on what I would change; but it’s just me.

Workouts:

All in all, not too terrible, if you have access to free weights/dumbbells etc…utilize them. This isn’t because we are all meatheads here; free weights have the ability to work stabilization muscles as well as the main muscles.

Diet:

I’m assuming b/c your married and have a fulltime job that time is an issue. I hear ya. If you can spend 1hr once a week cooking; you’re all set.

8am - Myoplex shake/Mulit vit tablet/glucosamine
–>Not a bad start; I’d add some fruits on non-training days and maybe some toast on training days
10am - Cottage cheese with brown bread (one slice)
→ This is a fat and carb (F+C) meal; I’d suggest replacing the cottage cheese with some protien (eggs, ham or something…)
12pm - 1/2 mypolex with 5g creatine (pre gym)
→ Not too shabby, similiar to what I have.
2pm - Lean gain (Dorian formula) 5 g creatine/l-glutamine tablet
4pm - chicken
–>This is your post workout meal; one of the most important meals of the day. Have some rice and/or veggies with this and you’ll see some size gains (and not the bad kind)
7pm - meal - chicken with veg
–>Looks good
10pm - myoplex
Take also fat burner (this is a placebo; it’s only my opinion but this brand is horrible. Its all advertising; GREAT advertising though)

If your looking for a fat burner, HOT-ROX or HOT-ROX Extreme (HRX) is the top of the line.

You seem to eat healthy; so good work man!

You could toss that cottage cheese in with your 10pm meal of a protien shake, having protien and fats before you go to bed is a great way to keep your body fed at night.

Continue reading and continue working hard!

11

[quote]Paul Davies wrote:
deleted[/quote]

egh?

12

B rock, I know you are locked on, but I think you missed one point.

“10am - Cottage cheese with brown bread (one slice)
→ This is a fat and carb (F+C) meal; I’d suggest replacing the cottage cheese with some protien (eggs, ham or something…)”

Definitely not. Cottage cheese is extremely high in protein while low in fat and carbs. Thus, his meal is P+C and is OK. Just my two.

13

i think you got me there. its been a while since i have had cottage cheese and i just used it at night since its a slower digesting protien; good for your body while you sleep.

he’s on the right track tho

14

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