Am I setting my heights too low at 1lb a week

workaccount

Hi,
As per title I've been eating and putting on weight for the last few weeks now. I'm eating +500 cals a day to gain a lb a week.

I'm lifting for the past month also @ 3 days a week following starting strength.

I have very little body fat and am an ectomorph. What would happen if I ate +1000 a day to put on 2lbs a week?

It will be a little bit more of challenge for me to get that extra 500 in per day - Is it a waste of time eating that much extra though? - surely I can only put on so much muscle every week - the rest is going to be fat.

It would be nice if I could meet my goal of gaining just under 2 stone in half the time.

kevpants

As you said you're currently an ectomorph with little bodyfat. You can really afford to eat more, 500 extra calories combined with hard training would just dissappear I think. I think Starting Strength gives some calorie guidelines?

My advice would be to eat as much as you can, you're kind of off the mark in worrying that extra calorie are just going to be stored as fat. If you are under the calories your body would ideally like to grow you are just going to hamper your progress.

I know I'm coming across as the marketing spokesman for Glanbia but top up what you're currently eating with as much milk as you can drink. It's a cheap efficient way of getting calories and all the protein and fats you need. I'm not an ectomorph but apparently milk is pretty effective at adding mass to skinny guys.

J.S. Pill

If you're a bit on the ectomorphic side always ALWAYS err on the side of more calories. Step you eating up a gear and see what your weight and BF levels are after 6 weeks. If you think you're gaining too much fat, cut back/clean up your diet.

In relation to weight gain, somebody here made a very good analogy about not knowing how much a jug can hold until its overfilled...c'mon, you know who you are