I have been working out everyday and I began to consume much more calories a day. My weekly workout consists of Weight Lifting on Monday, Wednesdays, Friday's and Sundays or Saturdays and Cardio on the Tuesdays, Thursdays Sat or Sun. So I started off lifting light because I wasn't very strong, but now I ca lift about 30-40% more than I was able to before. I can see muscle now, but I am not happy with my results because I feel I have been working much harder and my diet has been pretty strict. I am thinking about taking supplements but want to get advice before I get into something like that. What are the best brands and how effective are they? What experience have you had or seen from friends? Are there any other suggestions? I am consuming about 2500 calories a day and break my meals into 5/day What am I missing? Or am I just being impatient? How long does the muscle building process take? I am going on 2 months now... Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
OYea that and protein shots, or if you dont have the money, eat Eggwhites, about 5 or 6, an egg contains about 4 proteins
If you want to try a supplement, try NO Shotgun. That stuff has been amazing for me the last 6 weeks.
2500 calories per day is most likely the cause of your problems. Depending on your age, that may just be the normal daily calorie intake you should be eating. You should be eating significantly more than that if you're working out everyday.
But won't I gain fat? I still have to get rid of small love handles, I am trying to eat more, but I don't want to eat more than I can take.
Try and cut down on the amount of cardio you are doing. You are probably not eating enough and burning too many calories.
it's really difficult to add muscle, and drop fat at the same time. it can be done, but it can't be done quickly. so, either be patient or eat more and add a few lbs of fat. 2500 calories/day isn't going to be enough if you're trying to bulk.
Does it really matter if you gain 5 lbs of muscle and 1lb of fat? I think that's a trade off you can live with. Eat as clean as possible and not only can you add muscle but you can keep the fat gain to a minimum.
What is the ideal calorie intake? I recently stopped the intense cardio and only play basketball. Should I stop that as well? I run a lot on the court though, I am a hustler.
What movements are you doing in the gym? Hopefully you are doing compound movements and you are not just another curl jockey. Deadlifts and Squats will add muscle quickly. Bench, military press, bent over rows, and upright rows are other good exercises to build muscle. You have to push big weight to build muscle -- so load up the bar and cut down on the reps. NO MACHINES and definitely no Smith Machine. Free weights only. If you do cardio, make it high intensity, such as sprints, jump rope, weight ropes (advanced), or power lunges. Cut down on carbs after lunch.
Day 30, I actually can see definition coming in, I have a 3 pack!!! (two upper abs complete, but still keg on the bottom)
