Gaining Weight/Bulking Up - Nutritional Priorities - Have You Got Them Right
Dear DM, I need to gain some serious weight.
I am thinking of taking creatine.
I just need some advise about how much creatine I should take and with what and how many times a day.
I am a 5"7', 139lbs varsity football player who needs to get huge and muscular.
Please help me, as I've never used creatine before.
daBeast Dear daBeast, Try this: Breakfast - Big Mac, Large fries, Choc milkshake Lunch - 20 doughnuts with peanut butter, 1 Large pizza (any variety) Tea - Repeat Breakfast again Dinner - A big plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, butter, and mashed potatoes Before bedtime - 5 tbsp Cooking oil You'd easily gain up to 20 lbs in 12 weeks! Okay, seriously now..
You are going about this all wrong if you ask me.
Supplements - creatine included, should always be 'in addition to' a good eating plan.
Yes, you need a good eating plan even if your goal is to gain weight.
What do you eat in a day? How many calories? To gain mass, you need to eat more than your body uses up.
For most people, the amount of calories needed to gain mass is somewhere around 16 to 20 times their bodyweight in pounds daily.
Which means, for a 100 lb.
person trying to gain mass, this would be between 1600 and 2000 calories daily.
For you, this would be between 2220 and 2780 calories daily - not junkfood, but good healthy whole foods (and lots of it!) at up to six meals a day.
The exact amount of calories required is actually pretty hard to determine and depends on you and your activity level.
Are you even consuming sufficient calories in the first place? Ask yourself that.
Creatine, does not make muscles grow - it hydrates them so that they are in a better state to repair themselves from all the wear and tear caused by exercise.
I will state that I notice good results with creatine, and it is indeed an awesome supplement, but again, it really just allows your body to heal quicker as well as some extra stamina/strength.
Thats basically it - it's not a magic bullet.
Perhaps you've been hypnotised by flipping through too many Celltech advertisements? Supplements DO play a role once you've got your nutritional foundation in check, and if you're looking for convenience and a little extra 'edge'.
But other than that, if you're still struggling with gaining bodyweight and can't get the basics right..
I'd advice you to spend some time reading up and to drop the supplements and try to eat right first..
or you are wasting your money.
Some guidelines to help you - To cover your protein needs, your diet should consist of skinned chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, and good lean beef.
- As for carbs - the carb source I would say to avoid is pizza and stuffing yourself with burgers - unless you want all the weight to go to the gut.
- Try eating 5 to 6 meals a day instead of 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
- Reduce the amount of cardio you do - Weight train no more than 4 times a week for no more than 1 hour each time.
- At the gym, focus on compound exercises - Never neglect Deadlifts & Squats..
they are powerful mass builders.
- Drink a protein shake before bed.
I know of some who wake up at 3am to down a quick protein shake.
A bit extreme for me, but it seems to help for most people I know.
Give this a shot..
and you should see a difference over time.
I am thinking of taking creatine.
I just need some advise about how much creatine I should take and with what and how many times a day.
I am a 5"7', 139lbs varsity football player who needs to get huge and muscular.
Please help me, as I've never used creatine before.
daBeast Dear daBeast, Try this: Breakfast - Big Mac, Large fries, Choc milkshake Lunch - 20 doughnuts with peanut butter, 1 Large pizza (any variety) Tea - Repeat Breakfast again Dinner - A big plate of spaghetti with meat sauce, butter, and mashed potatoes Before bedtime - 5 tbsp Cooking oil You'd easily gain up to 20 lbs in 12 weeks! Okay, seriously now..
You are going about this all wrong if you ask me.
Supplements - creatine included, should always be 'in addition to' a good eating plan.
Yes, you need a good eating plan even if your goal is to gain weight.
What do you eat in a day? How many calories? To gain mass, you need to eat more than your body uses up.
For most people, the amount of calories needed to gain mass is somewhere around 16 to 20 times their bodyweight in pounds daily.
Which means, for a 100 lb.
person trying to gain mass, this would be between 1600 and 2000 calories daily.
For you, this would be between 2220 and 2780 calories daily - not junkfood, but good healthy whole foods (and lots of it!) at up to six meals a day.
The exact amount of calories required is actually pretty hard to determine and depends on you and your activity level.
Are you even consuming sufficient calories in the first place? Ask yourself that.
Creatine, does not make muscles grow - it hydrates them so that they are in a better state to repair themselves from all the wear and tear caused by exercise.
I will state that I notice good results with creatine, and it is indeed an awesome supplement, but again, it really just allows your body to heal quicker as well as some extra stamina/strength.
Thats basically it - it's not a magic bullet.
Perhaps you've been hypnotised by flipping through too many Celltech advertisements? Supplements DO play a role once you've got your nutritional foundation in check, and if you're looking for convenience and a little extra 'edge'.
But other than that, if you're still struggling with gaining bodyweight and can't get the basics right..
I'd advice you to spend some time reading up and to drop the supplements and try to eat right first..
or you are wasting your money.
Some guidelines to help you - To cover your protein needs, your diet should consist of skinned chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, and good lean beef.
- As for carbs - the carb source I would say to avoid is pizza and stuffing yourself with burgers - unless you want all the weight to go to the gut.
- Try eating 5 to 6 meals a day instead of 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner).
- Reduce the amount of cardio you do - Weight train no more than 4 times a week for no more than 1 hour each time.
- At the gym, focus on compound exercises - Never neglect Deadlifts & Squats..
they are powerful mass builders.
- Drink a protein shake before bed.
I know of some who wake up at 3am to down a quick protein shake.
A bit extreme for me, but it seems to help for most people I know.
Give this a shot..
and you should see a difference over time.
Source...