Skinny fat and weak

[harvey416]

Hi I'm looking for some advice and help to get where I want to be, I first started out training when I was 16, it wasn't too serious I just brought myself a weight set and bench and played about abit, I knew I wanted to be bigger and stronger but had no real plan, as the years went on my knowledge of dieting and training grew but I did not.

I'm 26 now, stand at 5'11 and weigh 70kg with skinny arms and legs and fat around my gut. I've tried everything from 5x5 to 4x10, full body workouts splits, I've tried high carb diets to keto, all sorts of supplements from weight gainers, all in ones, different creatives, baca, eaa, pre and post workouts honestly the money I've spent over the years is scary to say I don't even look like I lift, on top of that now I have IBS so certain foods can ruin me now, bread is a definite no no, I'm basically eating chicken breast and boiled potatoes several times a day.

I'm stuck as where to go now, I'm currently on a 4 day split but don't feel like once a week per body is quite enough, I'm thinking maybe stripping everything back to basics like starting strength, shorter workouts nice and heavy loads which hit my muscle groups several times a week would be better, any advice/help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[jathan_howe]

Bump. I'll see if I can contribute anything after school

 

[Woody]

Supps aren't magic and this process isn't easy.

Jump on a PHAT program. Hit body parts twice a week. Try to progressively increase your intensity or volume (whether it's rep or total weight lifted).

Calculate your TDEE and track your calories. Eat whole foods - lean meats fruits veggies (including leafy greens). Want to lose weight? Eat less than your TDEE. Want to gain weight? Eat more than your TDEE.

It kinda sounds like you're expecting quick results. You gotta get rid of that idea. A lot of us have been doing this since 1776 and still aren't where we want to be.

Once you get your diet and training down we can discuss supplements. A lot of products out there that you can benefit from.

Also - fasted cardio with YHCL/alpha-Y + caffeine will help you lose fat. But it comes down to being in a deficit. So you may want to add some size then start your cutting.

 

[harvey416]

Thank you for the replies,

I understand supplements are only an add on so to speak, and for the quick results I've been going at this properly some years now, calorie counting 6-7 meals a day, right now I'm just using a weight gainer and green powder as I try to eat more starchy carbs rather than filling my plate with vegetables, if I try bulking my stomach gets bigger, if try cutting down I get really skinny arms and legs and feel weak.

I've just started starting strength today I'll hit 3 times a week, frequency and volume is another factor for me as I'm a really active worker and my job is demanding, there seems to be a fine line between getting enough in my workouts without it negatively effecting tomorrow's day at work if you see where I'm coming from

 

[jswain34]

I like your idea of restarting with starting strength. Im a huge fan of high frequency training though so i may be biased in that.

You need to figure out how to eat properly, that seems to be your biggest issue. If you work a physical job and you want to put on muscle, you're going to have to eat, a lot. What is your tdee and current macro breakdown?

edit: especially if you work a physical job, id recommend training NO MORE than 4x per week. That gives plenty of time for recovery and also will make it easier for you to hit your daily calorie needs. There is no reason to train more than 4x a week, especially as a beginner, unless you are doing frequent short sessions for one reason or another (time constraints, etc).

 

[harvey416]

I'm trying to hit 40% carbs 30% protein and fats, think my calories should 3200 for gaining, I try to keep my macros quite close, too many carbs not enough fats I find my gut blows up and my joints will ache more, a lite more fat and less carbs I find I handle better.

Meals currently look like this
Breakfast will be a shake containing two scoops of reflex one stop extreme, 2 whole eggs, 50g oats, tablespoon of peanut butter

During the day at work I'll have 2 lots of chicken breast, boiled potatoes and nuts

Post workout or when I get home will be another shake just containing reflex one stop extreme

Dinner will be anything from steak,turkey,salmon with sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white rice, or some noodles.

Supper/snack could be some rye crackers with some cottage cheese or something like that

 

[Woody]

You definitely need some leafy greens and more veggies in general.

Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, jalapeños, onions, bell peppers, etc.

They're pretty important beyond hitting your macros. They're loaded with micronutrients that you can't really replicate with a greens powder.

 

[harvey416]

Broccoli, sprouts, chillis and onions are no goes, I have IBS and these ruin me, high fibre does me as well, spinach peppers cucumbers and tomatoes I do eat normally with dinner forgot to add that in before

 

[jswain34]

Peas and green beans are great options.

 

[Cole Dreyer]

OP I know how you feel because I started skinny fat and very weak myself.

After reading your posts two things jump out to me immediately.

1. It seems you need to reach a higher level of training intensity and proper training.

2. You need to stick to an eating plan that doesn't bother your IBS and is sustainable long enough to see how #1 changes your body.

Starting Strength is a great program but you need to really push intensity. Training should be hard. Every set should be hard and training should never feel easy. That type of working out changes the body.

As far as diet goes honestly I would determine what your current TDEE is then place your protein at 1 gram per pound of body weight, your fat at 30% of your daily calories and the rest of your calories input as carbs.

Do that for 2-4 weeks and assess what happens.

 

[harvey416]

Thanks for your reply, I'll take it on board

 

[Cole Dreyer]

Thanks for your reply, I'll take it on board

Yessir absolutely - let us know how we can help further if we can.

 

[AntM1564]

Supps aren't magic and this process isn't easy.

Jump on a PHAT program. Hit body parts twice a week. Try to progressively increase your intensity or volume (whether it's rep or total weight lifted).

Calculate your TDEE and track your calories. Eat whole foods - lean meats fruits veggies (including leafy greens). Want to lose weight? Eat less than your TDEE. Want to gain weight? Eat more than your TDEE.

It kinda sounds like you're expecting quick results. You gotta get rid of that idea. A lot of us have been doing this since 1776 and still aren't where we want to be.

Once you get your diet and training down we can discuss supplements. A lot of products out there that you can benefit from.

Also - fasted cardio with YHCL/alpha-Y + caffeine will help you lose fat. But it comes down to being in a deficit. So you may want to add some size then start your cutting.

Yohimbine and caffeine are great together and is cost effective. Be careful with the Y though. Dose it very low at first. Even at low doses, people experience heart palpitations and anxiety. I respond that way and always suggest Alpha-Y instead of just Y. TA2 Max is an Alpha-Y only product that can be used in conjunction with caffeine.

 

[harvey416]

I stay clear of stimulants, I train in the evenings and even a cup of black coffee will interfere with sleep later on, I'm a terrible sleeper, I'll wake up a lot during the night and have only just got a decent routine set out where I'm sleeping better

 

[Mitch2405]

Hi Harvey416 I would suggest getting a full blood work done to find out certain hormone levels such as testosterone, HGH, insulin, thyroid hormone, cortisol and oestrogen. That would be step one from there you can work out what needs to be done to manipulate levels to where they need to be in order to strip dat and gain muscle. If you get it done and send me the results I can give you some advice I have a lot of experience in this from working as a PT in a specialised studio that really focuses our training and nutrition plans around these issues. You could also go to a bio signature practitioner who will do an advanced skin fold technique which can give good indication of what hormones need adjusting this technique is very effective and I have been using it for quiet some time on clients.

Also here is a link for some further reading if you are interested.

allmaxnutrition.com/post-articles/supplements/6-hormones-to-control-for-advanced-muscle-building-results/

 

[cheftepesh1]

I've just started starting strength today I'll hit 3 times a week, frequency and volume is another factor for me as I'm a really active worker and my job is demanding, there seems to be a fine line between getting enough in my workouts without it negatively effecting tomorrow's day at work if you see where I'm coming from[/QUOTE]

This is an excuse. If you want results you must do the work.

 

[harvey416]

Would you care to elaborate? It seems since changing to less days I've broke past weighing 70kg and stood at 72.5kg yesterday morning, I don't feel as skinny or as weak in fact I feel really strong and haven't trained or worked since Friday. Where as when I was doing 5 times a week busting my balls I felt rubbish.

Maybe before posting a comment you should ask abit more about me and my life, an office worker could quite possibly trained hard everyday but for someone like me who works in construction carrying heavy materials all day, up and down ladders, building extensions on to properties then my approach to training has to be a little different.

Thank you for your comment even though it was neither informative nor helpful, you did take the time to reply

 

[PaulBlack]

2 cents...
Just off the top of my head, (and I understand the more physical your job is, the better it is to manage your recovery, intensity and ability to build or gain progressive momentum, without too much inroad into your daily life), do you or can you do the bigger heavier work (say squats or deads if you are?) on say a Friday or Saturday, where you could get 1-2 days rest in between from the construction job, then lighter work on those, say in the mid week? As you better adapt and bring up your work capacity, you may/will be surprised at having more tolerance and fitness to gain.
Be patient, as these levels can take a little time to build too.

Also, many have addressed the physical points of both diet and fitness, but do you feel your sleep habits or disrupted sleep, is due to some emotional or worrisome points? Simple meditation (for even 10-15 mins daily) can bring more light and relaxation into your life and thus spread to the physical aspects, less stress hormones and well being outlook as well.
The reason I mention this, is because I know from my own experiences, when I am in a great mood and not overthinking or worrying, my lifting is much better focused and tuned in, than when I am compromised with nutty thoughts and wake up a good bit churning thru the night.

 

[harvey416]

My sleep could definitely be improved, it's getting a lot better but for years I have been a light sleeper, I would wake numerous times during the night and never feel well rested, I have read into sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system and know getting a good balance is ideal and have tried some meditation at times, maybe it could be worth giving it ago some more.

As for training I'm feeling quite good at the moment but I do like your idea of lighter work during the week and then maybe a heavy session on the weekend

 

[smthanGod]

I've just started starting strength today I'll hit 3 times a week, frequency and volume is another factor for me as I'm a really active worker and my job is demanding, there seems to be a fine line between getting enough in my workouts without it negatively effecting tomorrow's day at work if you see where I'm coming from

This is an excuse. If you want results you must do the work.[/QUOTE]
I have had many clients who work hard doing construction and labor jobs and my recommendation is the same. Seek to hit each body part with high intensity only 1X weekly and focus on your food to obtain your results!

Would you care to elaborate? It seems since changing to less days I've broke past weighing 70kg and stood at 72.5kg yesterday morning, I don't feel as skinny or as weak in fact I feel really strong and haven't trained or worked since Friday. Where as when I was doing 5 times a week busting my balls I felt rubbish.

Maybe before posting a comment you should ask abit more about me and my life, an office worker could quite possibly trained hard everyday but for someone like me who works in construction carrying heavy materials all day, up and down ladders, building extensions on to properties then my approach to training has to be a little different.

Thank you for your comment even though it was neither informative nor helpful, you did take the time to reply

 

[harvey416]

I've tried doing splits for years and never really felt great, since changing to a starting strength type plan, 3 days a week focusing on big lifts like squats deads bench and rows, my joints feel better, my energy has improved and I don't feel weak during the times I don't train, I plan to carry on for a few months then maybe change the rep range as well as incorporate some HIIT

 

[jswain34]

I've tried doing splits for years and never really felt great, since changing to a starting strength type plan, 3 days a week focusing on big lifts like squats deads bench and rows, my joints feel better, my energy has improved and I don't feel weak during the times I don't train, I plan to carry on for a few months then maybe change the rep range as well as incorporate some HIIT

Stick with what you're doing. Especially if you feel like it's working for you. Keep up with the nutrition and hit the big lifts with SS.