Can't eat much/active lifestyle.

Ryuji Takayama

Hi, I'm 20, Male, weigh around 68KGs.

I'm maily looking for dietary advice here.

I've got a job as a postman with the Royal Mail. I've been training for a year, and had a 3 month break to go back to Japan recently (been training again for 1 month).

I cycle 3 miles to office in the morning, 4 miles to my round, spend 6 hours doing my round (walking), and then a 3 mile ride back home.

I'm finding it difficult to get back into my training because of my job, it burns off lots of calories when I don't eat much. Currently I work out 7 days a week, chest, tri, back, biceps, shoulders, legs, 2x cardo, about 2 hours a session. I eat around 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day, mainly - rice, noodles, miso soup, fruit, vedge, protein powder /w milk, tuna, pasta, oats.

So, for someone who's trained quite a bit in the past but has had a long break, and has an active life, what kind of calorie/protein intake should I been looking at? Also, any ideas on additional foods? Or maybe a change to my training (I'd like to train every day).

I'm not used to eating a lot of food (anything over 2,000 calories scares me). I do eat healthily, but I never bulk up (just tone up).

Al_Fernz

ATM I'd say you're wearing yourself into the ground. All that activity on less than 2,000cals is ridiculous. You're burning the candle at both ends. Working out trying to build muscle based on your lo-cal diet makes about as much sense as Homer Simpson buying a hairdryer.

IMO:
1- 7 days a week??? You need rest to grow. Take 2 days off a week.
2- Eat more than 2000 cals a day. Your body is probably telling you this anyway. Beef, eggs and salmon FTW.
3- Doing cardio even though your job and commuting involves a lot of physical activity is ridiculous. Cut it out, your job/commuting is more then enough.
4- The 2 hour sessions have got to go.
5- Make heavy compounds the focus of your workout. For example:

Day 1
Deadlifts 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5
Barbell Curls 3x12

Day 2
Barbell or Dumbbell Bench Press 5x5
Military Presses 5x5
Tricep Dips 3x12

Day 3
Back Squats 5x5
Stiff Leg Deadlifts 5x5
Calf Raises 3x12
Weighted Crunches or Weighted Hanging Leg Raises 3x12

IMO this routine along with a more sensible diet will be far more conjuicive to you achieving the low BF decent muscle mass toned look.

Your current approach won't achieve anything.

Arsenal1986

totally second what al fernz says there 2000 calories way too little an ur training way too much.....diet seems varied enough quantities must be quite small though? oats are quite calorically dense up amount of these u eat, milk another easy way of getting calories in try drink 2 litres a day in addition to ur current diet thatll be another 1000 calories for starters