Attempting to Gain 10 Lbs in 30 Days

[Josh]

10 Lbs ...30 Days

Current weight: 155.5 lbs
Goal weight: 165.5 lbs

I am attempting to put on 10 lbs of muscle mass in 30 days. Starting today. I work out regularly and consume a good amount of food. I have plateaued at ~155.5 lbs. I am going to try and increase that this month by consuming more food throughout the day and changing my workout regime.

I'm going to keep an updated record of everything I eat and it's estimated nutritional value. If you would like to keep up...read on.

Day 1- 8/30

7:30 AM:
Protein Shake (Mass Gainer) - 1/2 serving - 425 Calories + 25 g Protein

9:00 AM:
3 scrambled eggs - 190 Calories + 15 g protein &
2% Reduced Fat Milk - 130 Calories + 8 g protein

10:45 AM:
2 Slices wheat bread with peanut butter on each slice - 275 Calories + 12 g protein
Casein Protein Shake (1 serving) - 120 calories + 24 g protein

12:45 PM:
Egg Salad sandwich on wheat bread - 480 Calories + 14 g protein

3:30 PM:
1 Slice wheat bread with peanut butter - 160 Calories + 8 g protein
Casein Protein shake (2 servings) - 240 calories + 50 g protein


5:45 PM: Pre-workout shake- 430 Calories + 25 G protein

-----------------------------------------
GYM - Chest/Triceps day (used as much weight as I could to get to 6-8 reps. went fast/intense):
Incline barbell press - 3 sets - 7 reps
Flat-bench dumbbell press - 4 sets - 8 reps
Weighted dip - 4 sets - 7 reps

Close-grip bench press - 4 sets - 7 reps
Lying triceps extension - 3 sets - 6 reps
-----------------------------------------

6:45 PM: Post-workout shake- 430 Calories + 25 G protein

Decided to go swimming after I worked out for about 30-45 minutes. Got home, did another protein shake.

8:30 PM: 300 Calories + 12.5 G Protein

9:00 PM - Dinner:
9 oz atlantic salmon - 468 calories + 51 G protein
1 cup brown rice - 218 calories + 5 g protein
1 cup black beans - 227 calories + 15 g protein

Will be doing this before bedtime:

10:50 PM:
Casein Protein shake - 120 calories + 24 g protein
1 wheat english muffin - 134 calories + 6 g protein
light Peanut butter - 50-60 calories + 2 g protein

...More to come: will be updated throughout the day/weeks. Will also post the workout that I do each day.

Suggestions on what to eat for lunch/snacks throughout the day are welcome as is advice. I'm going to pretty much stick to a regiment, with little substitution as far as food is concerned except for Lunch and Dinner. I work throughout the day so I have to keep it simple with peanut butter/wheat bread/protein shake (no microwave/fridge at office).

Moving posts to the Blog: http://putonpounds.blogspot.com/

 

[Nik]

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

 

[Saint Nick]

You need more calories. Aim for 3000+. You are at 2020.

 

[Josh]

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=52

Whoops! Meant to post it there. Mods please move.

 

[bignateyk]

I tried that once. I weigh about 152lbs eating 3 full meals a day. (~3000 calories).

I lift regularly, so I wanted to get bigger. I literally had to eat to the point I wanted to vomit 5 times a day to get my weight above 165lbs.

Needless to say, it just wasn't worth the effort, and I dropped back to my comfortable weight of 150-155lbs. I've just accepted the fact that I'll never be able to bench over 185lbs.


edit: But if you really want to do it, you need more than just a shitload of protein. Your body needs an excess of calories before it will start using all that extra protein you are dumping into your body to make more muscle. If you aren't getting enough carbs/fat, it will just convert that protein to energy for immediate use.

My advice: Toss 3 tablespoons of olive oil into every shake you make. Eat a half pound of whole wheat pasta every night before you go to bed. Put olive oil into anything you can. It is loaded with calories, and is actually healthy.

So in summary, you are eating too much protein without eating enough good fats/carbs to back it up.

 

[Train]

"Work out regularly" ... need to mix it up.

If you keep doing the same workouts, on the same schedule, you'll just plateau. Go grab a musle mag, find a powerlifting routine that is totally out of your comfort zone and try that. Especially if it hits muscles you dont usually hit. Change it every week, or better yet, pick out 3 or 4 workouts and rotate them, adding/dropping workouts every week or so.

Even if done right, 10 pounds of musle in 30 days is tough, especially when starting at 155.

 

[Josh]

You need more calories. Aim for 3000+. You are at 2020.

My day is not close to over. I'm going for around 4000 calories. Still have two more protein shakes (pre workout/post workout) as well as dinner and a pre-bedtime snack/shake.

 

[BassBomb]

go to whole milk, dont rely on these protein shakes, start getting some substance

or do GOMAD

 

[Train]

I've just accepted the fact that I'll never be able to bench over 185lbs.

Seriously? I was bencing 200 when I was a skinny 115lb 8th grader.

What kind of chest workouts are you doing?

 

[Josh]

"Work out regularly" ... need to mix it up.

If you keep doing the same workouts, on the same schedule, you'll just plateau. Go grab a musle mag, find a powerlifting routine that is totally out of your comfort zone and try that. Especially if it hits muscles you dont usually hit. Change it every week, or better yet, pick out 3 or 4 workouts and rotate them, adding/dropping workouts every week or so.

Even if done right, 10 pounds of musle in 30 days is tough, especially when starting at 155.

Agreed. I am changing up the routine completely for these upcoming 4 weeks.

 

[Saint Nick]

I agree. The protein powder will work, but definitely get some whole milk! :thumbsup:

 

[GagHalfrunt]

You need more calories. Aim for 3000+. You are at 2020.

And he's at 3:30, so he's got another major meal and a couple of snacks to go. Even that might not be enough though. If you're lifting heavily or indulging in any other serious exercise program you're burning off a lot of calories. 3000+ might be the break-even point. It could take 4000 or even a lot more to put on weight. When I was playing football in college during our 2 a day phase the calorie intake was 5,000 to 6,000 to maintain weight. 4000 a day we would have been losing weight at an unhealthy rate.

 

[Josh]

I agree. The protein powder will work, but definitely get some whole milk! :thumbsup:

I was using whole milk, but it felt very filling + I don't want too much fat gains (pot belly, etc).

 

[JTsyo]

"Work out regularly" ... need to mix it up.

If you keep doing the same workouts, on the same schedule, you'll just plateau. Go grab a musle mag, find a powerlifting routine that is totally out of your comfort zone and try that. Especially if it hits muscles you dont usually hit. Change it every week, or better yet, pick out 3 or 4 workouts and rotate them, adding/dropping workouts every week or so.

Even if done right, 10 pounds of musle in 30 days is tough, especially when starting at 155.

the logic on that to get muscles that you don't regularly use to get bigger to add mass?

 

[kalrith]

GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) will put the weight on you. Also, note that if you want to put on 10 lbs. of muscle mass in 30 days, you'll probably need to gain around 13-15 lbs. total, because you won't be able to gain 100% muscle mass unless you gain weight really slowly (maybe 2 lbs. per month).

 

[Train]

the logic on that to get muscles that you don't regularly use to get bigger to add mass?

The logic is that muscles that arent trained often stand the most potential to gain quickly compared to muscles that are trained regularly. Sort of like when someone starts working out for the first time, the initial gains are usually the biggest.

I know that it sort of flawed in the sense that usually these muscles (the ones not used often) are likely small muscles, and wont be able to add the serious weight of major muscles like quads and pecs, but hitting them would still help. And possibly help spur the main ones into faster growth.

 

[Josh]

And he's at 3:30, so he's got another major meal and a couple of snacks to go. Even that might not be enough though. If you're lifting heavily or indulging in any other serious exercise program you're burning off a lot of calories. 3000+ might be the break-even point. It could take 4000 or even a lot more to put on weight. When I was playing football in college during our 2 a day phase the calorie intake was 5,000 to 6,000 to maintain weight. 4000 a day we would have been losing weight at an unhealthy rate.

I'm shooting for 4500. I have a 625 calorie shake pre workout and one post workout scheduled. Then have a 900+ calorie meal for dinner (salmon, black beans, brown rice, etc) and finally a right before bedtime meal of Casein Protein, wheat english muffin w/ peanut butter. Should put me right around 4500 or so calories for the day.

 

[ShockwaveVT]

1. eat a lot like you are planning, except get some damn vegatables in there. do not eat/drink "low fat" versions of stuff.
2. drink 24oz of whole milk 5 times a day

google GOMAD and starting strength for more specifics

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

I tried that once. I weigh about 152lbs eating 3 full meals a day. (~3000 calories).

I lift regularly, so I wanted to get bigger. I literally had to eat to the point I wanted to vomit 5 times a day to get my weight above 165lbs.

Needless to say, it just wasn't worth the effort, and I dropped back to my comfortable weight of 150-155lbs. I've just accepted the fact that I'll never be able to bench over 185lbs.


edit: But if you really want to do it, you need more than just a shitload of protein. Your body needs an excess of calories before it will start using all that extra protein you are dumping into your body to make more muscle. If you aren't getting enough carbs/fat, it will just convert that protein to energy for immediate use.

My advice: Toss 3 tablespoons of olive oil into every shake you make. Eat a half pound of whole wheat pasta every night before you go to bed. Put olive oil into anything you can. It is loaded with calories, and is actually healthy.

So in summary, you are eating too much protein without eating enough good fats/carbs to back it up.

BIGnate can't bench 185#?

 

[bignateyk]

BIGnate can't bench 185#?

The "big" isn't referring to the size of my chest

 

[jlee]

I was using whole milk, but it felt very filling + I don't want too much fat gains (pot belly, etc).

I put on 20lb in 6 weeks (8lb in 11 days) and didn't get a pot belly..

 

[Josh]

1. eat a lot like you are planning, except get some damn vegatables in there. do not eat/drink "low fat" versions of stuff.
2. drink 24oz of whole milk 5 times a day

google GOMAD and starting strength for more specifics

Getting some veggies in for dinner

I'm shooting for 4500 calories a day and will get there without the milk so not sure if I want to add that in right away. If I don't see some decent changes in 2-3 weeks maybe I will switch it up and "GOMAD"

 

[Josh]

I put on 20lb in 6 weeks (8lb in 11 days) and didn't get a pot belly..

What type of body type were/are you? Ectomorph? Mesomorph? Endomorph?

 

[Genx87]

I gained 26.5 pounds of muscle in 9 weeks from college football winter workouts.

Basically this is how it went down.

6:15 AM, workout begins.
Day A, Bench + Squat
Day B, power cleans

Workout days were Monday, Tues and Thurs Friday.

These workouts were followed by a situp routine and some sprinting down on the track. Total workout was about 90 mins. And you were exhausted. I stuffed my face with anything I could fit in it. Typically breakfast consisted of 3-4 eggs and a shitload of bacon with a bowl of cereal. The thing was they needed us to eat within 2 hours of working out for max muscle rebuilding. I was taking a F&N class at the time and had to plot our diet. Think I was pushing near 6000 calories lol.

Think I started at 174 pounds with 12% body fat and ended at 189 pounds with 5%. Believe that comes out to 26.5 pounds of lean muscle growth in 9 weeks.

I also put on 20 pounds in a month doing a routine with a nose tackle during a j-term in May my last year for graduation. Our routine was lift for an hour like crazy, come home make chicken, and smoke a bowl then have PB and Jelly and watch a movie. We did this literally for 30 days straight. And I went from 195 pounds to 215 and looked like fucking mike tyson lol. But I dont think my body fat lowered on that one. Still right around 8-10% hehe.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

10lbs of what in 30 days? You don't need to eat 4500 calories a day at 155 to put on weight. Not unless you're burning a bunch of calories doing something else(job/fapping/cardio/etc).