Hey, easy question. I am looking to pack on about 30 pounds of muscle. What would you suggest my macronutrient ratio should be at. I know the RDA is 50% carbs 20% protein and 30% fats. Is this what veterans of the eating game also recommend?
1 gram of protein at least per LB and well the C and F find what works for you and your goals.
Your going to get 500 different answers there and they are ALL right its what works for them.
Pick one try it and see some do great on lower crab some on high
Phill
What Phill said. And just to expand a little, here’s a basic strategy:
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Protein is the foundation. At least 1g/lb, (I like 1.5g/lb) and that remains constant.
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Carbs are your variable. By now, you prob know how your body handles high-carb intake. Experiment with moderate and low-carb intake and see how your body responds in the gym and in the mirror.
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Fats then make up the difference, going up and down depending on your carb intake.
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When you’re keeping carbs low for an extended period, it’s a good idea to up the protein as well. (you’ll have already upped your fats intake)
Good luck. Not that you’ll need it, since this becomes very easy very quickly.
T-Man, as much as I love numbers and percentages, I have to say it just doesn’t matter. What matters is what what Phill and chillain said. Start be making sure you’re getting enough protein.
Macronutrient percentages are fluid and will change from day to day. They’ll be different on days you do resistance training and eat PWO starchy carbs, as an example. They’ll be different for the same individual, depending on whether he’s bulking or cutting.
Another thing is that as it relates to carbs, at a given percentage (say the 50% you listed as being recommended by the RDA), carbs can have entirely different effects on your body composition. There’s a difference between consuming starchy carbs, sweets, processed carbs and bread that spike insulin and consuming fibrous green veggie carbs, beans and fruit.
So don’t worry about what the macronutrient ratios are right now. Put together your plan, give it a trial run, make adjustments, and then when you have a dietary plan that gives you the results you want, then make note of what percentage of calories are coming from P, F and C so that you can reproduce those percentages when dieting with that particular goal (i.e., bulking or cutting)
Are you needing some help putting together your plan?
Thanks for the information. I guess I jsut need to get some numbers infront of me and do some trial and error before I get it all right. Well I think my only problem is information overload. I was doing pretty well, and then I started to read about massive eating.
I became so focused on cutting carbs out of a P+F meal or fat out of a P+C meal that I think I lost calories. I think during this bulk I am not going to care too much about about separating and just aim for calories and of course adequate P, C and F. This will allow me to make 700-1000 calorie shakes with bananas, protein powder, milk and peanut butter.
I think I do pretty well with my diet but I remember being told my 2.5 cups of cereal and yogurt being a bad PWO meal even though I think I read about it in massive eating. Hows this for a PWO meal, NON whole wheat spaghetti (starchy carbs) and meatballs with some tomato sauce? Or a turkey breast with white rice?
I could probably use a hand. Can’t I just eat what a 210 pound guy eats until I am 210 pounds?
[quote]T-man21 wrote:
I could probably use a hand. Can’t I just eat what a 210 pound guy eats until I am 210 pounds?[/quote]
Sure. Only you’ll be fat once you get to 210.
I assume you want 30 lbs of muscle, not fat, right…?
By the way, be patient. Despite what people around here might tell you, you’re not likely to put on that much muscle in less than 1 year (if you do everything right).
T-Man, I hear you on the “information overload”!!! (grin) Don’t worry. Over time, if you keep on reading and keep on experimenting to see what your body responds to, it will get easier and you will become more confident about how and what you need to eat to achieve your goals.
I tend to recommend the same amount of protein and fat whether a person is bulking or cutting. What is different between the two is the number of calories and the type of carbs you’re consuming.
When cutting, you’ll consume:
- less calories (below maintenance)
- P = 1g x TBW per day
- F = 0.4g x TBW per day
- all the fibrous green veggies you possibly can
- limited, measured amounts of fruit and beans
- PWO starchy carbs in a measured amount
When bulking, you’ll consume:
- more calories (above maintenance)
- P = 1g x TBW per day
- F = 0.4g x TBW per day
- more P+C meals than when cutting
- more starchy carbs and less fibrous green veggie carbs
- PWO starchy carbs in a measured amount
If you put together a plan and are following that plan, you do something that’s called “Outcome Based Decision Making.” In other words, if you weigh in each week and are making progress towards your goals, you keep doing what you’re doing. If it aint’ broke, don’t fix it, right? (grin) On the other hand, if you weigh in each week and aren’t making slow and steaady progress towards your goals, then you need to tweak/adjust your plan (if you’re following it faithfully) or tighten up (if you’ve been following your plan a bit “loosely”).
Hang in there, T-man! It does get easier, and if you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Can’t I just eat what a 210 pound guy eats until I am 210 pounds?
In theory, yes, but it may or may not work. Everyone’s different. Some people’s metabolism is slow. Other have trouble putting on size and could eat you out of house and home. If you’re a hard gainer trying to eat what a 210 pound male with a slow metabolism eats, you’re not going to get to where you want to go. You need to eat as much as YOU need to eat, and you need to evaluate your progress every week … that “Outcome Based Decision Making” I was telling you about.
If you’d like some help with your plan, I can lead you through the process.
What time do you get up and what time do you go to bed? What time do you work out? I know your goal weight, but what’s your current weight?
Tampa-Terry,
Just wanted to say that we’re lucky to have you back here posting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Thank, chillain!!! It’s good to be back and to be able to give back. I’ve told a lot of people that I know what I know today about body composition and macronutrient manipulation because of the caliber and quality of information made available on this site.
[quote]Tampa-Terry wrote:
Thank, chillain!!! It’s good to be back and to be able to give back. I’ve told a lot of people that I know what I know today about body composition and macronutrient manipulation because of the caliber and quality of information made available on this site.[/quote]
Second that… I put T up there with Lowery, Berardi, Barr and the best of them.
I’m SO glad to see you posting here again!