I've got a weight problem....

[MattB]

I'm too damn skinny. I'm 6' and 165 pounds dripping wet. My metabolism is just too high. I've tried the protein drinks and all that jazz, but never gained a single pound. Exercise doesn't help that much either. I went through a phase where I was a serious cyclist (cat B) and only managed to gain 10lbs worth of muscle. After I got too busy with school for that I dropped back down to the 165 and stayed there. Now I'm starting to get back into riding and distance running and really need some bulk to help develope muscle. Oh yea, it's not like I don't eat either. I do tend to eat really healthy....I avoid saturated fats, eat a lot of carbs and protein, but I don't really avoid fatty foods. I'm just not a fast food junkie.

 

So should I worry about gaining weight or just go on eating and training like I currently am?

[Outcast]

Have you seen a physician to be sure that your thyroid isn't out of whack or that you don't have any other metabolic disorder? If you have and you're fine, you may get the all-clear to eat a lot more calories. Protein drinks aren't the way - you maybe have to start having milkshakes often and eating other calorie-dense foods. But be sure your family hasn't got cholesterol issues or heart troubles that you might inherit.

[hoppy28]

i just went to the doctor the other day for the same thing......................

 

im 5'10 or 11 and wieght in at 146lbs. i have an approx body fat % of about 3-4.

i went because i was concerned. i always get the "your so skinny" thing.

sometimes it becomes offensive almost like caling someone fat.

what he said was it very well could just be my genes. and although i am skinny its better to be that then overwieght. i did a bloodtest for thyroid and metabolizm. will now results in a week or so.

i spent three months with a personal trainer and lots of money. i gained 3lbs over those three months. and lost it just as quick when i stopped.

you wouldnt look at me and think "strong" i just dont have the size thats associated with "strong". dont be fooled. id bet money that i can out work(physically) out run(longer and faster) 95% of the guys i know.

 

i try to just be comfortable with what i was given. i like the term "aerodynamic".

[littlekitty]

Check out some bodybuilding sites. While this isn't necessarily what you want to achieve, they will be good direction in terms of 'bulking up' diets and the best type of training for building muscle. Hard weight training would work, as this puts small tears in the muscle and as it repairs will the muscle grows.

 

Building muscle/fat is the only way you are going to change your body shape if you are that unhappy with it.

 

But there should be no reason why with enough hard work you can't easily fill out. But you will have to work at it, and keep at it. Having the body you desire doesn't come easily to 98% of the world. Most of us work hard at it!!

[blue16]

I would also suggest lifting weights. I mean sure...you might not gain a lot of FAT, but any kind of bulk or muscle or anything will probably increase your weight and make you look bigger. Keep up with those protein shakes too because protein helps repair and build muscle.

[bluefin]

well

since oyu have tried everything ata your disposal it is necessary now to take help of a physician

only he or a good dieticia will be able to hel oyu now

all the best

[Slapshot2286]

I went through the EXACT same problem. I was even the same weight. I'm 5'11, and now weight about 185 lbs. A year ago, when I went to college, I was 5'11, 155lbs. I did the protein and crap too. I took NO2, supplements, the works, and nothing ever worked. I went and saw a nutritionist. They said I was doing what I should.

 

Here's your problem: You're doing all cardio! Running and cycling will elongate your muscles, and increase your endurance. If you want to bulk up, endurance and elongation are your enemies. You need to concentrate on the slow-twitch fibers. When I really started gaining weight, I put myself on a strict diet regimen of about 5300 calories a day. Yes, that is absolutely insane. You have to eat constantly. Every 2 hours, if not more often than that. I would eat lean chicken breast, whole wheat items, peanut butter, oatmeal, good cereal (like Basic 4 for instance, which is what I eat now), among other things. I worked out 5-6 days a week (resistance training only, no cardio). I would work one muscle group per day, maybe two. It is a lifestyle change that you have to be willing to take on. Send me an e-mail ([email protected]) if you want some major help. I've been through it man, trust me. The minute I stopped taking the protein and supplements, and started replacing it with realy animal protein and healthy food (and LOTS of it), I started packing on the mass. Seriously though, shoot me an e-mail...I'd be glad to help ya out.

 

Ross

[SuperMonk]

I went through the EXACT same problem. I was even the same weight. I'm 5'11, and now weight about 185 lbs. A year ago, when I went to college, I was 5'11, 155lbs. I did the protein and crap too. I took NO2, supplements, the works, and nothing ever worked. I went and saw a nutritionist. They said I was doing what I should.

 

Here's your problem: You're doing all cardio! Running and cycling will elongate your muscles, and increase your endurance. If you want to bulk up, endurance and elongation are your enemies. You need to concentrate on the slow-twitch fibers. When I really started gaining weight, I put myself on a strict diet regimen of about 5300 calories a day. Yes, that is absolutely insane. You have to eat constantly. Every 2 hours, if not more often than that. I would eat lean chicken breast, whole wheat items, peanut butter, oatmeal, good cereal (like Basic 4 for instance, which is what I eat now), among other things. I worked out 5-6 days a week (resistance training only, no cardio). I would work one muscle group per day, maybe two. It is a lifestyle change that you have to be willing to take on. Send me an e-mail ([email protected]) if you want some major help. I've been through it man, trust me. The minute I stopped taking the protein and supplements, and started replacing it with realy animal protein and healthy food (and LOTS of it), I started packing on the mass. Seriously though, shoot me an e-mail...I'd be glad to help ya out.

 

Ross

 

Sounds like you're an ectomorph (naturally skinny) this is the formula that I use to get big...

 

Simple bodybuilder formula to get big:

 

1. Eat a lot of meat

2. Do weights a lot

3. Lots of sleep

4. 1hr of intense cardio or 2 hrs of moderate cardio MAX

5. Lots of fresh food

 

PS. Not sure about listening to women on advice on how to bodybuild. Bodybuilding was invented by men, perfected by men, and for men.

 

PS #2. LOL, Eat more fat will increase body fat not body size. get your facts straight and Protein does not "build" muscle. LOL. It helps KEEP the muscle, what builds muscle is FOOD, SLEEP after working out.

[SuperMonk]

i just went to the doctor the other day for the same thing......................

 

im 5'10 or 11 and wieght in at 146lbs. i have an approx body fat % of about 3-4.

id bet money that i can out work(physically) out run(longer and faster) 95% of the guys i know.

 

.

 

Sure man sure, whatever you say. Post a picture for proof with you holding a sign that says your nickname.

[MattB]

here's the problem with the whole cardio thing. I'm a runner and a cyclist. I like doing those things and I really don't want to give them up. One of my long term goals here is to be able to complete a tri. I'm already up to running half marathons and riding full centuries. If I stop the cardio, all that training goes out the window. Fortunatly winter is coming, so I'll be focusing more on swimming, and my time running and riding will sharply decrease, but theres no way I can sacrifice my lung capacity just to bulk up....but to be strong enough to run a marathon, ride a century and swim all that way is gonna require some muscle mass. That's my catch 22

[Slapshot2286]

Sounds like you're an ectomorph (naturally skinny) this is the formula that I use to get big...

 

Simple bodybuilder formula to get big:

 

1. Eat a lot of meat

2. Do weights a lot

3. Lots of sleep

4. 1hr of intense cardio or 2 hrs of moderate cardio MAX

5. Lots of fresh food

 

PS. Not sure about listening to women on advice on how to bodybuild. Bodybuilding was invented by men, perfected by men, and for men.

 

PS #2. LOL, Eat more fat will increase body fat not body size. get your facts straight and Protein does not "build" muscle. LOL. It helps KEEP the muscle, what builds muscle is FOOD, SLEEP after working out.

 

Not sure why you quoted me for this...but yes, I am an ectomorph. I am naturally skinny and must eat a ton to overcome my metabolism. I never said anything about eating more fat, so I don't know what you're talking about. The only fat thing I mentioned was peanut butter...and I didn't even say the word "fat;" peanut butter is known to be fatty. Second, I never said anything about protein building muscles either. I stopped taking protein because I wasn't building any muscle....it wasn't helping. Once I started eating healthy, lifting heavier, and sleeping more each night, I started putting on weight. I am a firm believer in natural weight gain...not by synthetic proteins and supplements. So I don't know what you were reading there...but none of that is what I said.

 

 

Now...SuperMonk....what is so hard to believe about a 5'11 man weighing in at 146lbs with 3-4% body fat? That sounds absolutely correct to me. I don't know why you need proof? I am the samy way as hoppy. I look at other guys at the gym, and I can lift more weight than they can, and run farther, as well as faster, than 95% of them as well, but I'm nowhere near as big. The thing I had to get over is that its not about comparing to other people. I don't want to lift more than them, I want to lift more than ME. I want to go to the gym, and increase my weight based on what I did last week, not based on what the guy next to me can do. Size is not a good measurment of strength.

[Slapshot2286]

here's the problem with the whole cardio thing. I'm a runner and a cyclist. I like doing those things and I really don't want to give them up. One of my long term goals here is to be able to complete a tri. I'm already up to running half marathons and riding full centuries. If I stop the cardio, all that training goes out the window. Fortunatly winter is coming, so I'll be focusing more on swimming, and my time running and riding will sharply decrease, but theres no way I can sacrifice my lung capacity just to bulk up....but to be strong enough to run a marathon, ride a century and swim all that way is gonna require some muscle mass. That's my catch 22

 

 

You're exactly like me. I'm in Army ROTC, and I play hockey, which both require intense stamina. We run 3-5 miles a day at about an 8min/mile pace in ROTC, and I thought I was going to be dead, since I did only weight training all last year. I couldn't have been more wrong. After gaining all that weight, and doing NO cardio, I was out in front of the pack on the second day. On Friday, I ended up being about 1/4 mile ahead of everyone by the end. Your body, with its fast metabolism, also has great stamina naturally. I can understand not wanting to give up something you enjoy doing - by all means, don't - but to bulk up, you have to make some compromises. If you're worried about losing lung capacity, I would recommend doing a 1hr-1.5hr high intensity cardio workout one to two days a week. I would include sprints primarily. What you have to understand is that the body of a weight lifter and the body of a runner are COMPLETELY different. It is close to impossible to excel at both. Think of it this way, in terms of cars: a jeep wrangler has absolutely no aerodynamics; it looks like a box. But it packs the muscle to climb up 40* inclines, yet, it can't hit 110mph. Then take any sports car...the Enzo for example. It could not climb over a rock 3in tall, but it is amazingly aerodynamic, and can hit speeds of over 200mph. This analogy applies to running and weight lifting, as well. A runner's body is aerodynamic, sleek, and built for moving at high speeds for extended periods of time. A weight lifter's body is built for explosive movement with heavy weight for short periods of time. Come to the middle, and you're driving a Ford Taurus, which is good at neither. You can't be a large triathalon competitor. Think of all the extra weight (whether its muscle or fat) you'd have to lug around in each event if you decided to "bulk up." The mass you gain would slow you down. I say you need to decide what's more important: looks or functionality.