What are
/r/gainit's
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/gainit:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/gainit:
MyFitnessPal
Cronometer
ResearchGate
FatSecret
ConsumerReports.org
Fitocracy
WebMD
Costco
Fooducate
Smallpdf
JEFIT
Gyazo
Mayo Clinic
Amazon
Jet.com
The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/gainit:
Progression Workout Tracker
FitNotes - Gym Workout Log
Personal Training Coach
Libra - Weight Manager
Fit - Fitness Tracker
Wendler log 531 Pro
StrongLifts 5x5 Workout Gym Log & Personal Trainer
Wendler 5/3/1 log
Insight Timer - Free Meditation App
Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal
Runtastic Six Pack Abs Workout & Trainer
Progression Body & Weight Log
FORZA - Gym Workout Tracker & Trainer
BodyComp Fitness
2_Suns 531LP
The most popular reviews in /r/gainit:
Reading your responses, I just have to say - Wow... You've done WAY more research for your son than most new guys do before they post for themselves! Amazing job! It sounds like you've got a great base of knowledge and are anxious to learn.
To answer your question - The reason people don't recommend mass gainers is not only because they are expensive, but because the majority of the calories are from a very inexpensive simple carb (maltodextrin). When you are making your own, you have control over everything. You can add healthy fats like PB and olive oil. You can add healthy complex carbs like oats. You can add fruit (bananas, berries). You can add vegetables (spinach). You can add things like chia/hemp seeds. You can control the sweetness with honey. One scoop protein, or two? You decide! It's just so flexible, and gives you way more nutritional value than a mass gainer will.
My strategy has always been to track my meals for the day. By night time, I look at the remaining calories, carbs, fats, and protein, and I make a shake tailored for that day to fill in all the gaps.
As for creatine, 5g of Creatine Monohydrate daily is what is recommended. I like ON Micronized Creatine. $40 for 380 (THREE-EIGHTY!) servings.
I got grips like 3 years ago and they really changed my forearms in both looks and strength. I got mine from amazon, similar to this
Fat Gripz - The Simple Proven Way to Get Big Biceps & Forearms Fast (Used by Many NFL Players & Special Forces Soldiers) (2.25" Outer Diameter) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QKML1SL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JjoeEb6KK9DTR
Use them anytime you touch a bar, machine or dumbbell.
I saw this a little while ago through this article
Basically tl;dr: "We don't want a guy that makes us feel insecure about our body." and "We like being the pretty one." Those aren't the girls you care about anyway.
A gallon of vegetable oil for $5.98 is one of the best calories per dollar I can think of. It has 30,720 calories; that's 5,137 calories per dollar.
My favorite is talking diet with non-lifters:
"How much do you eat every day?"
The look on people faces when you tell them 3K calories is great.
Was out with friends this weekend and my steak alone was 3K and they were absolutely amazed I ate the whole thing...baked potato and slice of cheesecake, while my short chubby friend couldn't finish his 16oz Prime Rib.
When I worked out first thing in the AM, it was always fun to bring that pump into work and catch a few of the ladies 'mirin too.
X2 on the jeans. Buying +2" waist jeans just so you can fit your ass/thighs in them gets to be a pain. $15 Urban Star jeans at Costco are a life saver.
The Bad:
You're never as strong as you want to be.
Cutting below 185 makes me feel small AF
There's a grain of truth - some medicine is designed not to break down in the stomach if it needs to be absorbed by the intestine, for example (see here) however I've not seen anything that means fish oil needs such a delivery system.
The capsules are because the oil tastes nasty af, I have no idea why /u/Jukenut thinks they taste good!
Use this. Throw it in the washing machine after you are done so that bacteria doesn't grow on it (like on a loofah).
I'm 23, 6 feet tall, 160lbs and also have that lanky arm problem. It's a difficult area to build mass and I remember absolutely hating my arms when I was your age. Honestly I still don't like my arms but I learned to dress my arms up so they aren't so distractingly lanky. I'll swear by these Doublju shirts Their sleeves aren't as wide as typical American shirts so they won't flap around when you walk. Doublju tend to fit skinny guys well, avoid American/European clothing brands if you can, they tend to target heavier people than you or I.
Diet: at your weight eat everything, anything, and more of it. Get a calorie counting app like myfitnesspal on your phone and ignore the weight-loss mumbo jumbo. Track your calories everyday and you'll find areas you can add more. Worry about macros after you hit you hit consistent caloric surplus.
Training: I recommend compound exercises. Pushups, pullups, and especially dips if you can do them. Warm-ups and stretches help reduce soreness and speed up gains. Ask your basketball coach for some recommended exercises that will complement your sport and playstyle. The diet and clothes are more important than the actual exercise.
I personally use this and I think it's the best value you can find anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Monohydrate-Micronized-BulkSupplements-Performance-Bodybuilding/dp/B00E9M4XEE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=creatine&qid=1561080642&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Yeah I got this small blender that I also use to mince garlic.
You can definitely use one blender alone but it might come out a bit thicker and it’s already a pretty thick shake. The small blender allows me to make the oatmeal powder-like before I add it in. If you use one blender I’d suggest going with 2 cups of milk instead of 1.5.
Edited my comment sorry for typos, I’m posting from my phone. Oh and I’ve learned the hard way not to be cheap with blenders. I bought one of those $100 Ninja blenders that serves as my “large one” that has 3 levels of blades. World of a difference.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ - Sign up, its free and probably one of the most important tools you can use for tracking your calories. It's all good saying you're eating 6 meals a day etc, but are you eating above your TDEE?
Check out /r/leangains. The community sucks but the method is awesome and works great. Even if you don't fast with your diet, the concepts of RPT and double progression work great for preserving muscle mass and ensuring you're not going overboard with lifting on a caloric deficit.
The real pro tip. I have small wrists and if I bought any old men's watch I saw, it would typically be ginormous on me. My forearms are beefier these days after years of deadlifting, but my wrists have stayed the same. Slim watches are the way to go. My everyday watch is the Timex Easy Reader and it's 35mm. For a dress watch I would go even more minimal, or wear none at all. Something like this is similar to what I have, which is a black leather Bulova watch. Amazon has a lot of watches and you can filter by case diameter in search.
If you weigh 120 lbs, when you do standard pushups you're lifting up 66lbs (source).
Most barbells weight 45 lbs, so if you're able to do at least 5 pushups, doing just the barbell shouldn't be a problem. You want to start at just the barbell and work your way up to develop proper form anyway. I you want to, starting with pushups isn't a bad idea since it might be more convenient. If you want to do more pushups, you can increase your incline by doing pushups off a chair or table and it will decrease the weight (see the source above).
NO SOLUTIONS IN THIS THREAD THAT OP WANTS.
hi bbycakes 😘 lemme hear ya oatshake making process here. There are an inconceivable amount of permutations in which people are preparing their oats erroneously. Please describe this process in grave detail, including what you are wearing at the time, and what your feet smell like, and which oats you use.
You may enjoy the Habitica app, https://habitica.com/static/front
It's like an RPG for daily life chores and could be applied to lifting too!
Great job on your successes, keep up the hard work man!
Buy this book and run the diet and training program within it.
> I can visually put [muscle] on fairly quickly (within 2-3 weeks)
This is extremely likely to be a pump/water/perception. Muscle just doesn't grow in the timeframe.
But to answer your question, cut. In addition to accurately and rigorously tracking EVERYTHING that goes into your body with a tool like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ - pick a program and stick with it. Eat at a caloric deficit and you will lose that fat, even if it takes a while.
And do cardio on your off days. You don't have to get in marathon shape (in fact, you shouldn't) but get on a bike for 20-30 mins and push yourself. Don't worry so much about the idea that being in a caloric deficit will kill your gains (it won't) because the combination of a clean diet, weightligting, and cardio is good for you, good for your gains, and good for your health. And as a relative novice, you can put on muscle while losing fat if you're consistent, diligent and patient.
You can bulk if you really want to get big and don't care so much about the belly fat in the immediate future, but if that's your concern, do a cut before bulking. If you still want to bulk, don't do it too aggressively as to minimize fat gains on your midsection. Something like 3-500 above your TDEE.
Wendler 5/3/1 to use with Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 workout.
I downloaded an app called "Insight Timer" and play "deep sleep" (69 mins) not too loud and it knocks me out every time.
Also limit technology before bed.
Bed should only be used for sleeping and sex. Don't lie in it for hours watching TV.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotlightsix.zentimerlite2
*Edited correct app name.
You probably won't like the responses you get.
Skipping legs is pretty much heresy in /r/gainit, for good reason.
Using cable machines as a primary workout is also frowned upon, also for good reason.
The low volume (3x5, even considering an AMRAP set) is facepalm-worthy.
If you wanna bulk and gain muscle, your best chance of success is to pick any one of the many linear progression programs that utilize compound, full-body lifts, and stick with it. You're still pre-"noob gains," so you have everything to gain from a solid, consistent lifting foundation. Don't squander your time with fuckarounditis.
If a gym membership (even the YMCA?) is too much for you, you will be best served by /r/bodyweightfitness and following their recommended routine progression. They even have an app to make it even simpler to start training.
The generally recognized formula for gains can be shown as:
F(Gains) =
food - Poop;
F(poop) =
(.4)Food
Simplifies this is:
F(gains) =
(.6)Food
Example:
Gains =
(.6)10 = 6 gains
(Source: poop is generally 75% water 25% solids, I'm assuming some water is from the food itself)
Taco bell food has the ability to destroy everything in its path and produce a greater amount of poop than than the meal should produce. The formula for gains is really:
F(gains) =
food - poop; where food != Tacobell
food - poop^2; where food = Tacobell
Ex for taco bell:
Gains = 10 - (.4(10))^2 = (-)6 gains
Conclusion: Eating taco bell leads to exponentially increasing negative gains proportional to the amount of taco bell consumed
(Notice: No scientific research was used to produce these findings and they should not be relied on for making dietary choices.)
Hope this was helpful 😉
Besides the calories and sugar, the one thing I'd watch out for with Muscle Milk is the levels of certain heavy metals in it (and not in the awesome way). Consumer Reports did some research on this in 2010. I believe the company's countered some of the claims, but take this for what it's worth.
The CR study is here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/overview/index.htm
There's a handy graph comparing several different brands here: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/food/protein-drinks/whats-in-your-protein-drink/index.htm
And here's a synopsis I grabbed from Wikipedia:
"A June 2010 investigation by Consumer Reports, a US consumer advocacy magazine, found that two of Cytosport's Muscle Milk products contained levels of heavy metals near or exceeding levels proposed by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Muscle Milk's Chocolate powder had four heavy metals, and three of these metals were found to be at the highest levels of all the health drinks tested. Average cadmium levels of 5.6 µg in three daily servings exceeded the USP limit of 5 µg per day, and the average lead level of 13.5 µg also topped the USP limit of 10 µg per day. The average arsenic level of 12.2 µg was near the USP limit of 15 µg per day. Muscle Milk's Vanilla Crème powder had 12.2 µg of lead in three daily servings, exceeding the lead limits, and 11.2 µg of arsenic. In response, CytoSport said, "Importantly, the tests underscored the fact that Muscle Milk Chocolate liquid shakes, by far and away our company's most popular consumer form of Muscle Milk, did not exceed the proposed maximum levels of any heavy metals tested, even when used three times per day.""
Yeah I learned this from overweight friends who got discouraged when they sometimes "wouldn't lose anything" over a week despite a 500 calorie deficit, or would weigh themselves on back to back days and gain, like, two pounds even though they ate 1400 calories.
You can automate this by getting an app like Libra -- you put in your weight every day and don't worry about the number, and then you watch the trend line. Once you're a couple weeks in the trend line shows where you're headed and you won't worry about daily fluctuations (water, poop, gains/loss goblins, I don't know, I'm not an expert), weighing errors, or whatever.
Use a TDEE calculator to calculate your requirments then eat 500 calorie surplus. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
Use an app like myfitnesspal http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ to log all the good you eat to get the numbers.
Read the FAQ side bar >>
If you lift 2 days a week and have whole milk as a major component of your diet, you owe it to yourself to buy, read and follow this book
It will solve your issues.
I've had this one for a couple years. I think Wal-Mart carries it too.
Check out https://titan.fitness as well.
Just looked them up on amazon but they’re sold out now, I started out with 1.0 but as someone who’s been strength training for a while I wish I would’ve at least gotten the 1.5-2
You use a microwave egg cooker to cook eggs in a microwave dude
I use that for breakfast on weekdays
So for a squat rack, you probably want this. It's way better than a $300 power cage has any right to be.
Benches are pretty basic if you just want a flat one and aren't benching super heavy. I'd recommend the AmazonBasics if you can find it, it's not listed for some reason. But otherwise I'd grab a $50 starter bench and not worry about it, by the time you need something nicer you'll know more about your particular needs like a wide bench, adjustable, fat pad, etc.
For a barbell and plates, you're honestly probably best off hitting up Dick's Sporting Goods for one of their $300 starter kits. Ordering is really just going to kill you on shipping.
I think they mean the apps from Runtastic. I use it most days as well, would recommend it.
Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runtastic.android.sixpack.lite&hl=en
IOS https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runtastic-six-pack-abs-workout/id685857245?mt=8
Olympic level athletes that were put on a cut of approximately 1000 calories managed to maintain their LBM. The cut was ~5weeks. You can find it here if you'd like to give it a read.
So it seems like bumping up your deficit to two pounds a week for a short period is practical. Assuming you are getting enough protein.
EDIT: Protein intake was at 1.2g-1.8g/kg for reference.
Part 2:
Sleep, Recovery, and Athletic Performance:A Brief Review and Recommendations (2013)
> Although sleep is recognized as an essential component of recovery from athletic training and anecdotally reported to be the single most efficacious recovery strategy (8), assessment of sleep quality in competitive athletes reveals a substantial prevalence of poor sleep quality (19)
> These data indicate that athletes may have an increased need for sleep with general recommendations suggesting 7–9 hours to ensure adequate physio-logical and psychological recovery following training, of which 80–90 % should be during the night (3). Further-more, adequate sleep is particularly important for athletes who are injured,traveling, or in heavy periods of training or competition phases (23). Of particular concern when training elite athletes is the identification of signs and symptoms of poor sleep quality,indicative of sleep deprivation, which may result in an inability to appropriately recover from training.
The author goes on to make five practical recommendations for athletes trying to optimise sleep. Read the full article for details
Stress, Sleep and Recovery in Elite Soccer: A Critical Review of the Literature (2015)
> Sleep deprivation may be detrimental to the recovery processes after a match, that is, impaired muscle glycogen repletion, impaired muscle damage repair, altered cognitive function and an increase in mental fatigue. Consequently, prolonged sleep deprivation may act as an additional stress to the stress imposed by exercise itself, similar to that of altitude or heat [132] or training in conditions of reduced carbohydrate availability [133]
Wrist curls are a great forearm lift. I'd do low rep, high weight sets of 4x8 or 5x5 if you are trying to prepare for heavy deadlifts. http://www.passion4profession.net/en/forearm-exercises/
Another great one that I do often is behind the back wrist curls. normally do 4x12 of a decent weight so that Im struggling on rep 8 or 9.
If you have a lot of wrist flexion in your bicep curls that will also work your forearms a bit, but the two I listed above are good starting lifts.
Sugar will kill your appetite when you eat too much. Some good snacks that you can replace some of that candy with:
- High fat nuts like cashews or almonds
- Protein shakes without milk (when you get to the page click on the bottom right where it says skip to recipes) For protein powder I use optimum nutrition but that's just me.
- Click on any thread on this page
I have been using this one
Really solid performer.
I make the dankest 1000 cal shake imaginable. Follow these steps:
- Get a 8 pound tub o' whole oats powder from Amazon
- Get a 2 pack of 28oz Blender Bottles from Amazon
Recipe/Instructions:
- Put some blended mixed frozen fruit in the bottle (blend the frozen fruit in a blender in bulk with water - keep refrigerated for further use throughout the week)
- Pour a little milk in
- Put 1.5 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder in
- Pour a little milk in
- Put 1 scoop of the oat powder in
- Pour a little milk in
- Put 2.5 generous spoonfuls of vanilla or plain greek yogurt in
- Put 5 tablespoons of peanut butter POWDER in
- Pour enough milk to reach near the top of the bottle
Close it up, secure it, and shake - enjoy the dankness - super smooth consistency - EZ
Also, you'll notice - my ingredients are very similar to yours but the key difference is POWDERED whole oats, POWDERED PB, and BLENDED (w/ water) fruit.
Pick up the book Bigger Leaner Stronger (its like $13 on Amazon ) by Mike Matthews. He’s really into the science of building strength and size. Also checkout his 1 year challenge. It’s a tough workout, but that’s what you want 😉
There's an official free app I found really helpful when I started, I had it on android not sure about iOS. It tells you what weight to use, how long to rest between each set etc and keeps track of it all.
Edit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.stronglifts.app
First of all congratulations on beating your cancer and I hope you stay well in the future.
Secondly I honestly don't think you should feel disgusted with how you look; you're skinny but you're not horrible to look at in the slightest (though I might be biased: 22, 6'2" and 148lbs).
To gain weight though it looks like /u/nike747 has covered all of the bases. Eat, train and sleep well and the weight will come. I use Jefit to plan workouts and keep track of what I've been lifting. It has a pretty large exercise library with GIFs and and an overview for proper form. It's a free for both Android and iOS and I find it works well for me.
Good luck on your quest for gains!
>The doctor's recommendation for dealing with this is to eat foods that are easy to digest.
Can your GP give you a referral to a GI specialist? A lot of the standard things that get recommended around here won't work for you due to your dietary restrictions.
I assume you've done similar research, but this has some ideas around foods that work better for people with gastroparesis: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355792
>What's the consensus on the suggested beginner exercise routine?
That's covered in the wiki, but here is the consensus: nearly anything will work, consistency and patience supersedes everything.
Costco has a special this month on Muscle Pharm's Cookies & Cream. My wife and I just switched from ON to this, for the financial gainzzz. It's fairly sweet (no more sugar than ON though). If you don't have a Costco membership, just get someone else to get one for you.
$36 for 5 lbs is awesome.
edit: added more z's
MyFitnessPal - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
Popular site to log all your food and see how many calories you are eating.
Most people use it to lose weight, in /r/loseit or elsewhere.
/r/gainit people more commonly use it to make sure they are eating 500 over their TDEE, or whatever their goal is.
I had insomnia and with a few tricks I managed to beat this.
I know you don't have insomnia but you want to better your sleep quality so it could be of interest to you.
I can't post everything here, it's a bit long but I can give you a link: https://www.scribd.com/doc/263264698/The-Best-Way-to-Cure-Sleep-Insomnia
>3 small peices = ~~320 cal / 19 g fat / 9g protein~~
171cal / 9g fat / 7g protein
A single blueberry bagel will get you:
280cal - 1g fat - 55g carb - 9g protein
Don't make drastic changes too fast, you'll increase the chances of burning out. Take your time making incremental changes.
Get a food scale. Remember, you cannot manage what you do not measure.
To track Calories, macros, and micros; I recommend cronometer
Set your minimum protein intake to 1g per current body weight
Set you maximum protein intake to 1.5g per body weight
Your fat to carbohydrate ratio doesn't matter at this point.
Working out will increase your appetite over time so don't worry too much about not hitting your goal.
You can eat the same thing everyday but variety will balance your diet. The app mentioned above can help you spot holes in your vitamin and nutrient intake.
As others have stated, you can skip the gym if you want fat, but it is recommended to put the weight on in muscle. You'll put on fat in the process.
If you have an issue with eating, try this 1000 Calorie Shake to drink between breakfast and lunch. It's thick so feel free to add water over time.
Here's another paper from 1999
http://ajpgi.physiology.org/content/277/5/G935.short
>A significantly higher percentage of the malabsorbed raw egg protein was recovered in urine as fermentation metabolites.
...and another from 2006
>The absorption of 25 g of 13 C-, 15 N-, and 2 H-labeled egg protein, both cooked (C) and raw (R) were evaluated. Measurements of mean 13 CO 2 exhalation rate in breath after the ingestion continued for 6 h. The cumulative amount of administered dose of 13 C recovered in breath over the 6-h period was 17.23 ± 0.69 g (68.92%) for (C) and 8.20 ± 0.94 g (32.8%) for (R), giving an estimated absorption rate of 2.9 g/h and 1.4 g/h respectively for cooked and raw egg proteins
Here is the specific one I use. I found it while searching Reddit for whey protein that's easy on the stomach. I read a comment that recommended that specific flavor (double chocolate). It just tastes like chocolate milk, and I have not had any stomach pain. It is $48 with Amazon Prime, $52 without for a 5 pound container.
I really like drinkable egg whites as a non-diary protein drink. They're odorless and flavorless and mix with just about anything. I like to mix them with PBFit/Naked PB: basically a powdered peanut butter. Naked PB will really answer the mail here as it has NO sugar, let alone artificial sugar.
With that, you have a diary-free/no artificial sugar protein drink.
For the egg whites, they're running a sale at the moment: if you type in "FALL" at checkout, there's a discount.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.monstrapps.nsuns531program&hl=en
I just use this app which has all of the variants. If you're on ios I'm sure there's an equivalent just search nsuns
Despite all the flak against them here, I 've been using them since like week 2 (I use these evo 2 gloves). Its not just a safer grip for me (I have really sweaty hands, guess I could use chalk and make a mess but these are easier), it actually offers me some wrist support for my dinky wrists and stops blisters/calluses on the palm of my hand which were bothering me. Plus it just gives me a better grip avoiding having to use over/under for DLs. I still get a workout on my forearms from using them, and my fingers still get calluses so I don't think its as big a deal as most are making it out to be. TBH I don't see many other people using gloves thou.
This right hurr. Check out the play store app. Been using it for a month now and it breaks down everything perfectly including rest times and rep schemes.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.monstrapps.nsuns531program&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sarasoft.es.fivethreeone
There's a trial version that's fully functional for the first cycle. Lots of options, you can choose to do the same exercise for BBB or opposite like wendler suggests, you can add a first set last, lots of stuff. And the developer is quick to respond to issues.
I use now protein isolate. No filler ingredients and easily flavored with pb and bananas or other shake ingredients. https://jet.com/product/detail/d4c26562cab340539df7b2515a03fe15?jcmp=pla:ggl:JD_cons_Gen_Health__Beauty_a2:Health__Beauty_Sports_Nutrition__Diet_Protein__Meal_Replacement_a2:na:PLA_786070218_37816651621_pla-292659657043:na:na:na:2&code=PLA15&a...
You might find this study interesting.
Like everyone else is saying you just have to eat. Eat when you aren't hungry and eat beyond when you feel full. For the first few days it really really sucks. The next few days it's doable. After that it becomes normal. You'll find yourself 2k down for the day and be really hungry for dinner.
Also peanut butter. And olive oil. I have used both to fill gaps if I am coming up short any day. Use myfitnesspal to track all your calories.
Read the FAQ (http://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/wiki/index). SS will do you fine. Focus mainly on food. The only supplements that are pretty essential* are whey protein and creatine. Find some good chicken recipes and eat eggs every day. Track your food intake with something like http://www.myfitnesspal.com/. Good luck!
Edit: *the average person would want to include after reading about them
What are some protein powders that you personally like, if you use em? My brother suggested this kind for me, but i've had some crappy experiences with buying some nasty-tasting powder (lookin at you, Muscle Milk Vanilla). So i'm just trying to see what'll be reasonably cheap and tasty before I go and buy a big tub of the stuff.
I usually eat Svunt shake for breakfast ( caloriecount.about.com/svunt-shake-half-whole-milk-recipe-r559324 ), with 2 cups of milk instead of one and no honey. For lunch I eat a cup of rice, can of beans, 1/2 lb brocolli and a 14.75 oz can of salmon from TJs ( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/trader-joes-alaskan-pink-salmon-14-75-oz-135570286 ). According to MFP this is 3.1kcals, gluten free and non-processed (i think? not totally sure what that means). Macros work out pretty nicely too. If 3k cals isn't enough, you can always have some kind of dinner snack (i.e. PB+Milk).
I didn't do my research before I started my program last year. I was just guesstimating EVERYTHING from my calorie intake to my weight training. I got better muscle tone, but very little mass.
Please, for the love of god, Calculate your TDEE and track your calorie intake BEFORE you start. STAY ORGANIZED AND STAY CONSISTENT!
You might like Cronometer. It will track your macro and micronutrients throughout the day, including all forms of protein, so you can ensure you are getting them in sufficient quantity.
I've just recently started gaining, pretty much the same situation as you, here's what I've been doing.
Go to myfitnesspal, make an account and log absolutely everything you eat. Considering you're a similar frame to me, aim for around 3000 calories a day.
As for meals:
Breakfast: Weetbix + museli + fruit/yoghurt, a lot of it.
Lunch: ~~peanut butter~~ sandwiches, chicken, leftover dinners
Dinner: I buy mince in bulk and make con carne with it (1.5kg mince, two cans of beans (mixed/red kidney), can or two of diced tomato, 1-2 cups rice + taco seasoning). Also spaghetti bolognaise.
When money was tight i bought a shitload of pasta and a shitload of canned tuna and made tuna pasta.
For snacks buy a heap of ~~peanut butter and eat it out of the jar, you get used to it.~~
You've probably heard it a million times but the main thing is keep eating, make yourself full 100% of the time, thats whats helped for me :)
There's some scientific evidence (first 3 results) that this is more beneficial to your overall workout as well.
It shouldn’t be concerning at all. If you are working out and depending on your diet it shouldn’t be a concer. Alarming would be unexpected weight loss
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/unexplained-weight-loss/basics/definition/sym-20050700
These help prevent my crippling back pain from returning.
Beyond that I do leg swings, core and a ton of wrist stretches at jujutsu.
I was actually planning on doing this Darebee program for 30 days until I can get a gym membership. don't know how effective it'll be. But if it's heavy and makes your muscles sore in the morning, I must be doing something right, eh? (link: http://darebee.com/programs/ironborn-program.html)
I've been using Jefit for almost 3 years. One of my favorite features is when it lets me know when I've set a personal record and the chart your progress features that shows you how your 1RM has changed over time.
I've just used the JeFit app and website for tracking workouts. Creating programs and tracking progress is super easy with that thing. It also gives you graphs of progress on both lifts and measurements.
Just remember to ALWAYS SYNC your progress. I reinstall my phone pretty often and I don't even want to know how many workout stats I've lost because of it.
With tracking and graphs, you can also tell which of your lifts are stalling. In case you didn't notice that you're not putting more weight on the bar.
There are a lot of protein cereals out now because protein is "in" right now - Special K, Cheerios, etc. I personally wouldn't eat these because they have too much sugar, especially when you consider how hard it is to eat just one serving of cereal :P That said, I recently read this post: https://spoonacular.com/blog/healthiest-breakfast-cereal
looks like Ezekiel and Uncle Sam have 7/8 grams of protein per serving, which is probably around 14/15 grams per 100 grams. Neither of those is sweetened.
> because i physically can't eat 3500 calories
There’s your problem; you’re trying to eat way too much too soon. At your age, height, and current weight, your total daily energy expenditure (assuming light exercise 1-2 times a week) is only 2,224 calories, even less with little to no exercise. People trying to bulk usually eat at about a 500 calorie daily surplus, which for you would be 2,724 calories based on the activity level I assumed. Trying to eat 3,500 calories (a 1,276 calorie surplus) is absolutely unnecessary, needlessly difficult, and probably not the healthiest way to go about gaining weight.
Considering how underweight you are, shooting for a little over a 500 calorie surplus probably wouldn’t be unreasonable, but also isn’t necessary.
https://old.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/khjabq/3_solutions_for_skinnyfat_trainees_from_across/
Were I you, I would buy, read and follow everything in this book
I eat these to make sure I get my fiber in, and eat a high fiber cereal. I probably get like 15g of fiber from the 2 servings of cereal at breakfast, and then just 2 of these bars gets me past my fiber goal. Honestly if these bars were your only source of fiber then you’d still only need to eat 3 to reach the recommended fiber intake. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075MJ5D32/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_XJA14VR06CMW8RXAQEGH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
First I would buy a 12V portable fridge. And I'm assuming OP has access to a gym/shower?
Fairlife elite shakes. 42g protein per bottle. Also they are delicious.
Order in bulk on Amazon and they are pretty affordable.
Core Power Elite High Protein Shakes (42g), Chocolate, Ready to Drink for Workout Recovery, 14 fl oz Bottles (12 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DDIRDZA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_V2P3GMBTHEFR5HYCAPYZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
For those like me who are technophiles and prefer an app to a whiteboard for tracking lifts, Ultimate 531 seems to work fairly well. I'm not associated with the app, just a fan.
Unfortunately you will have to set up your own template for BBB Beefcake, as they only have the premade for the regular BBB. BTM is preloaded though.
This is the one that I get:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008QHPVO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HTKF670TF11BE7MTH738
I used to buy whole oats and grind them up in a blender first, but this is just so much more convenient.
It should be at the end near the "challenges" section.
Don't know off the top of my head if there's some free challenges on Wendler's website, I can take a look when I'm free if you're unable to find any.
Ginger is one of the few "natural medicines" that actually works; it always fixes my nausea/low appetite. Just buy a "hand" of fresh ginger at the grocery store and grate it into tea or water. I use a microplane, which IMO is an essential kitchen tool.
P.S. cinnamon is also effective at boosting appetite. The fresher the better. If you buy a big bag of cinnamon sticks like off of Amazon, you can grind it yourself
I usually grab my Greek yogurt from Costco (Kirkland brand) and was pleasantly surprised to find they now stock a Chobani full fat Greek yogurt.
Edit: This is the product at my Costco in San Diego (amazon link cuz it actually wasn't on Costco's website, so maybe it is just my Costco):
https://www.amazon.com/Chobani-Plain-Whole-Greek-Yogurt/dp/B004B3KMTQ
Buy Optimum Nutrition (ON brand) Serious Mass on amazon. Its a mass gainer specifically for hard gainers like us. 1 scoop in whole milk is just under 1000 cal. Its also fucking delicious if you get the chocolate. Hands down THE BEST protein shake I have ever had. All other brands make me gag.
Get a shaker bottle. I like to have one scoop in 16oz of whole milk for breakfast and then one after my workout and maybe one before bed. I chug it. If you can manage it, drink the whole thing in one go. Easier to trick the stomach into accepting that much food at once that way.
I had the same problem and tried everything .. even added forearm exercises at the gym and none were helping add size. I then bought this grip strength trainer off amazon and my forearms have gotten a lot bigger and stronger. I typically do 2-4 sets of 50 every day.
Dude, you waited 40 minutes for a response in homegym.
Those aren't generally called power cages. they're called power towers.
This is a power cage: FitnessReality810
The one you're asking about looks fine, but expensive.
I bought this from Amazon. I bought it last Thursday but it didn't ship till today so if you do buy it just keep that in mind. I've been using two chairs in the meanwhile to do them. I got the yellow one and I'm glad I did because I think it says the other two color options won't ship for at least a month so if you want to get it I suggest getting the yellow variant. Price wise it's $50 but I didn't really find anything cheaper than it.
I'm 6'0 and started lifting at 145lbs. It's going to be a total learning experience, so the best thing you can do is find an app to log progress on. I like this one: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.jamesgay.fitnotes&hl=en_CA
Start with the bar, understand how to properly move the weight and get the form down. Start sliding 5-10lbs on either end when you're ready and feel it out. I'd say you want to find a range where you can do 5-8 reps.
I want to add a bit to this: I live in the US and I once saw a dietitian who specializes in the low FODMAP diet. She was extremely helpful.
I believe the app is $10 US.
Sure! https://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-CompleteGest-Mealtime-Capsules/dp/B0013OSFCW?th=1
I like to recommend this one because it contains "phytase", which helps break down the phytic acid in Oats.
Read Mindset by Carol Dweck (Stanford psychologist). She talks about a couple fundamental beliefs that can have a huge impact on how our productivity reacts to depression. It's a quick read and changed my life for the better.
You can make progress on that alone but if you bought a cheap blender (blends in the bottle so less cleaning): http://www.amazon.com/Oster-BLSTPB-WBL-250-Watt-Blender-Travel/dp/B004P2OLB8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1442923339&sr=8-3&keywords=smoothie+blender
You can stick in a banana, PB, cheap oats... you got a high calorie and pretty healthy protein shake.
Calipers are the way to go. Scales are junk for measuring bodyfat.
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Health-6575XXXX-Skinfold-Caliper/dp/B000NN9SDO
Google how to do a three point test - you can do it yourself. You grab a measurement from your belly, pec, and thigh.
I'm aware of the quality variances. I've spent a lot of money on olive oil in specialty shops. I know how to sample olive oil straight by sipping it and breathing in with it on your tongue. I also know that you can still get genuine olive oil that you're referring to for $3/2000 calories, instead of the $1.50 I quoted earlier. The cheaper stuff is still a good source of fat and calories.
I question whether the nutritional differences to a bulker matter. We're not trying to get nutrients or antioxidants out of olive oil. We're just looking for a fat source that's healthier than bacon, heavy cream, and butter.
I would just buy some cheap whey protein and use two-three scoops of that a day with your milk. Optimum whey is about 80 cents a scoop if you buy a 5lb container. It tastes delicious with milk.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
You would also probably want a blender bottle to go with it:
http://www.amazon.com/BlenderBottle-Classic-Shaker-Bottle-Clear/dp/B00MVMCUK8/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_img_z
Also, buy some SMOOTH peanut butter and throw that into the blender bottle too. Whey+milk+peanut butter, cheap and delicious bulking meal
http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Sunflower-Seed-Butter/dp/B007HTCY56
Probably better to buy it in store if you can due to that $5 shipping. Other "natural" type grocery stores would probably stock it too. If you're in to cooking, it might be cheaper to make it yourself.
Even cheaper ones available, depending on size
There's something to be said about a financial commitment driving us to remain consistent.
If you do get that rack, this is a great starting point
https://www.jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101085062-2016-help-a-friend-get-stronger
And then THIS is the magic bullet
https://www.amazon.com/Super-Squats-Pounds-Muscle-Weeks/dp/0926888005
Hey! It was a lot of stretching like you said. It was also building a lot of general forearm strength. If I remember, it was something like:
Get there, play with some clay to warm up the fingers/forearms Finger extensions (pushing and pulling a towel closed/open using only forearms) Finger extensions (opening this web thing) Crushing (closing the web thing) Forearms curls and reverse curls. Also one where you go vertically up and down, and also one where you hold and end of the dumbbell and rotate it around.
With this you can do a lot of the extensions/crushing type, and with a small bath towel you can do those as well. Let me know if anything doesn't make sense.