Stagnant. Advice please!

scrawnylad

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I'm 180 cm tall, about 73 kg, body fat last checked 3 months ago was 15%, basically, I am scrawny. My target is to gain 5 kg muscle mass and I'll be happy. Don't intend to have huge muscles because I don't have the time to maintain them. I'm a medical student so meal times and hours are very crazy most of the time.

Currently, I am doing early-morning exercises (three days cardio about 30 mins run, three days resistance of about 45 mins) and evening exercises (on resistance days about 45 mins). I'm following Tony Horton's Bring IT program, and top it with some back and chest exercises in the evening of resistance days but not very religiously on the diet because it's kind of difficult to follow that strictly since my schedule and meal times are crazy. I'm a huge bodyweight exercise fan but i don't mind some dumbbells work. Gym is out of the question (no time to travel).

Problems are:
1. I can't gain weight - either not eating enough or not working out enough
2. I find it difficult to concentrate during workouts, any tips?
3. I'm on SciVation 100% whey at least one shake each day.
4. I want to build chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs - everything but I thought I ought to focus one by one?

p.s. Is it possible to build and lose fat at the same time?

Please help! I've gone through so many websites etc and now I'm basically overloaded with information.
 

SweetLou321

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Set a total goal for cals and hit your protein requirements. Im to lazy to convert kg to lb but 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight should be fine for protein. Start at 3000 cals perday. Hit the protein then just fill the rest with carbs and fats, which ever is easiest. Meals times doesnt matter at this point, just make sure to get again, your protein and cals in. If you dont gain lb in a week, add 500 cals to get 3500 and continue till you start gaining weight.

Idk what tony whatevers program is, but id do it as outlined and skip the "extra" stuff. It was written that way for a reason. Best of luck.
 
Rosie Chee

Rosie Chee

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I'm 180 cm tall, about 73 kg, body fat last checked 3 months ago was 15%, basically, I am scrawny. My target is to gain 5 kg muscle mass and I'll be happy. Don't intend to have huge muscles because I don't have the time to maintain them. I'm a medical student so meal times and hours are very crazy most of the time.

Currently, I am doing early-morning exercises (three days cardio about 30 mins run, three days resistance of about 45 mins) and evening exercises (on resistance days about 45 mins). I'm following Tony Horton's Bring IT program, and top it with some back and chest exercises in the evening of resistance days but not very religiously on the diet because it's kind of difficult to follow that strictly since my schedule and meal times are crazy. I'm a huge bodyweight exercise fan but i don't mind some dumbbells work. Gym is out of the question (no time to travel).

Problems are:
1. I can't gain weight - either not eating enough or not working out enough
2. I find it difficult to concentrate during workouts, any tips?
3. I'm on SciVation 100% whey at least one shake each day.
4. I want to build chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs - everything but I thought I ought to focus one by one?

p.s. Is it possible to build and lose fat at the same time?


Please help! I've gone through so many websites etc and now I'm basically overloaded with information.
1. It's highly likely that you're NOT EATING ENOUGH! - If you were, you would be gaining body mass. And, if you ARE eating enough, you may not be training appropriately for mass - note that "not working out enough" is not a reason you would not be gaining if your nutrition was adequate, and you could make gains on only ~3 training days a week.

2. Have a goal for each session. Go in there with a plan and don't be random about it. Concentrate on what you're doing. Use music. Have less recovery time. Don't use the gym as a socializing zone. Do shorter sessions.

3. Protein shakes should only be used as convenience when you cannot eat a real meal, since you should be able to get all of your protein requirements from food.

4. You should be doing the compound, multijoint lifts for mass. Although The Essential 8 is in the fat loss section, the same exercises that are best for fat loss are also the best for gaining muscle!

P.S. Yes, it is possible to lose fat whilst gaining muscle mass. However, this is usually only done by two types of people: 1) Newbies starting out, but they do not do it intentionally, and it only occurs as their body transitions and adapts to training or new nutritional methods; and 2) Experienced trainees who know how to perfectly manipulate their nutrition for recomping. Recomping is a slow process, with results slow in both directions, and no guarantee that you will lose bodyfat as you gain - you could just maintain your current body composition but increase body mass, gaining only a small amount of bodyfat.

As I mentioned earlier, if you want gains, then you need to eat enough for them, and no supplement is going to help you gain muscle if you're not eating for it, period! NUTRITION and TRAINING are the two factors that you need to focus on. FOOD, FOOD, and MORE FOOD is going to be IMPORTANT - if you want muscle gains, you needs to EAT for it!

Next to nutrition for mass is training. You have to be training correctly for mass - check out the article How To Maximize Mass Through Weights And Adaptation for an idea of how to train correctly for mass.

I recommend having a training programme (AND nutrition plan - can't forget your nutrition, since that's what is going to make or break your success with gaining muscle mass!) written specifically for YOU for your goals and needs. This is the best thing you could do, IMO.

If you're SERIOUS about making gains, then you will do what it TAKES to get them - making sure you eat enough, training correctly, and MAKING the time to ensure you DO do it all properly - instead of making excuses for why you can't. There are many individuals on this forum who lead busy lives - the same if not more than you - who make progress and get results because they MAKE the time to fit it in and make it a priority!

~Rosie~
 

scrawnylad

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Thanks rosie! And thanks to others for the advice. One thing though, I prefer bodyweight exercises. Does it mean I have to work harder or it's no different to weights in terms of outcome?
 

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