Eating to add mass

[Adam_Schwartz]

I just began a mass adding program and really want to get more "scientific" in terms of my diet.

I have decided to start eating 14 cal/lb/day over 6-7 meals, which is just over 3000 cal/day. That may seem low, but my genetics allow me to add mass easier than I can shed it, so I'd rather start with 14 cal/lb and move up if I need to. I am also not looking to get HUGE, just add ~5 lbs of muscle over the next 3-4 months.

Also, I am thinking that the meals directly before and after my workouts need to be higher in calories than my other meals. Is this a safe assumption? Or should I be more concerned with my post-workout meal? In other words, should those 2 meals be more than 500 cal each, which is the avg calorie count of each meals if I eat 6 meals a day? Maybe make each one 600 cal and then strip out 200 cal from the other 4 meals?

I know this will just take some adaptation so I am trying to find a good starting point. The actual food is not a problem, I have that down. It's the timing and amounts I will need to play with.

[Wraab Wall]

I try to "bulk" the same way I lean down - just flip flop everything. Increase food over time as you decrease cardio.

As for the food - I would definitely make sure that the food right after you lift is the higher cals (carbs). Just remember that it's over the next hours and days that your body is really doing it's rebuilding, so making sure you are eating enough over that time frame is also important.

[Adam_Schwartz]

Interesting - I would not have thought about slowly upping the calories over the 12 weeks and slowly decreasing cardio. I may begin with less than 3000 cal/day, maybe like 2600/day and top out at 3200/day by the end, or something along those lines. I would have thought to eat the same amount of calories/day over the entire 12 weeks. Eating so specifically is new to me, as you can tell.

I will keep in mind that my post-workout meals will need to be higher in calories, on average, than my pre-workout meals. I might make meals #1, 5 and 6 higher than meals 2-4 and see how that works.

[Adam_Schwartz]

BTW, I don't necessarily need to eat more calories in the meal right before I lift, right?

[Euro-Man]

I dropped cardio completely. Just like you said - it depends on your genetics.
I am also currently doing the 3000 cals a day thing, eating 6 clean meals of 500 cals. Well, I guess 1 meal during the day isn't "perfect" since I have some simple carbs in there, but meh!

I AM, unlike you, trying to go for max size and don't really care about the fat. I know I'll easily burn it off just like I did before, so I'm trying to focus everything on lifting big and eating big. :cool:

Not to mention that this program is whooping my ass like it's a german in a russian war camp.

[Wraab Wall]

BTW, I don't necessarily need to eat more calories in the meal right before I lift, right?


Right.

[Wraab Wall]

Interesting - I would not have thought about slowly upping the calories over the 12 weeks and slowly decreasing cardio. I may begin with less than 3000 cal/day, maybe like 2600/day and top out at 3200/day by the end, or something along those lines. I would have thought to eat the same amount of calories/day over the entire 12 weeks. Eating so specifically is new to me, as you can tell.

I will keep in mind that my post-workout meals will need to be higher in calories, on average, than my pre-workout meals. I might make meals #1, 5 and 6 higher than meals 2-4 and see how that works.


Yeah - but I would do it a little faster, than when I'm leaning out. I do the leaning out slower to spare every bit of muscle. Going the other way, you don't have that worry. But it still helps to ease into it overall - it's just that you don't have to be as anal about it.

[Adam_Schwartz]

Good stuff. I may stick with the 3000 I am at now and top out around 3500 for the last 4 weeks and make any changes as I go along. I really don't want to add fat if I can help it. I'll have to make sure I bust ass in the gym so I can use those calories.

Here is what I will start with then. 3000 cal/day over 6-7 meals, eating more calories in meals #1, 5 and 6 than in meals #2-4. I'll move to 3200-3300 cal/day for weeks 4-8 and then to 3500-3600 cal/day for weeks 8-12. I will still do cardio because I think that will still benefit me since I am not lean, but will reduce it over the 12 weeks.

[Wraab Wall]

I've been eating to add mass - just the wrong kind. :snipe:

I'm looking like a guy who works out and eats out of the garbage.....from behind mcdonalds. :loser:

[Simmster]

I've been eating to add mass - just the wrong kind. :snipe:

I'm looking like a guy who works out and eats out of the garbage.....from behind mcdonalds. :loser:

You, too! :woot:

[Stevo Stitches]

I've been eating to add mass - just the wrong kind. :snipe:

I'm looking like a guy who works out and eats out of the garbage.....from behind mcdonalds. :loser:

Women weaken legs..

http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~vklepad/rocky2-3.jpg

[Wraab Wall]

Women weaken legs..

http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~vklepad/rocky2-3.jpg


It's true, I was there. :cry: