Help with diet please - Trying to get stronger and gain weight

accensi0n

I'm looking for advice on my diet, whether I'm leaving anything out that I really shouldn't be.

Okay, so here's some current stats and training:

Sex: Male
Age: 23
Height: ~5' 7"
Weight: ~64kgs (Have put on about 4kgs since January)


Mon/Weds/Fri:

Squats: 85kgs - 3 x 5
Press or bench: 30kgs - 3 x 5 / 50kgs - 3 x 5
Deadlift: 95kgs - 2 x 3
Pullups: Something like 1 x 8, 1 x 5, 3 x 4

Tues/Thursday:

Run

Fri or Sat:

Sprints


Here is how I am usually currently eating:

Meal 1: Porridge, banana and scrambled eggs
Meal 2: Chicken and green veg
Meal 3: Chicken and green veg
Meal 4: Tin of tuna and green veg
Meal 5: Tin of tuna and green veg

I'd have red meat maybe twice a week. (Usually sirloin steak)

I'll drink 2-3 litres of milk and snack on nuts as well. (Usually almonds)
I take a multivit tab and a cod liver oil tab each day.

In the last couple of months I havn't eaten biscuits, cakes, sugary things.
The worst I've had is some packaged noodles.


I think that I should be eating more carbs like brown rice and pasta? Should I be eating these before or after my workouts?

I think I could eat a better variety of veg. Get some peppers, cucumbers, lettuce etc. in there.

I could definately be eating more fruit.

I reckon I should try to get more fresh fish in as well.

I have been feeling very good so I'm writing this because I've been weak or tired or anything.


Any thoughts? Thanks a mill.

kevpants

I'd say you probably do need more carbs. The diet is really healthy and I know I could be proved wrong by 1000 articles stating you can add lean mass with high protein, low carb diets and that carbs aren't necessarily needed to transport protein to muscles but I stand by my beliefs. The dream would be to get bigger and stay in really low BF% but I think it's a lot of theory and for smaller blokes I think it might be particularly uneffective. Maybe add the carbs in the morning and lunch, no need for them in the evening I suppose.

I mean you're running, if someone asked me how to gain mass but to run twice a week I'd get them to eat a lot more carbs than that. What's the running for, if you don't mind me asking?

Bog Butter

Have a read through this for a recent debate re. carbs:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055570167

accensi0n

kevpants wrote: »

I'd say you probably do need more carbs. The diet is really healthy and I know I could be proved wrong by 1000 articles stating you can add lean mass with high protein, low carb diets and that carbs aren't necessarily needed to transport protein to muscles but I stand by my beliefs. The dream would be to get bigger and stay in really low BF% but I think it's a lot of theory and for smaller blokes I think it might be particularly uneffective. Maybe add the carbs in the morning and lunch, no need for them in the evening I suppose.

I mean you're running, if someone asked me how to gain mass but to run twice a week I'd get them to eat a lot more carbs than that. What's the running for, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm perfectly comfortable with my bf% increasing, which it has been. (Goddamn milk! )

I plan on starting rugby in August and reckon it'll be easier taking a hit at 70kgs than at 60kgs. Rugby is the reason for the running as well. Also ran a couple of races which I loved so I want to run races every few months or so.

I have been thinking of dropping the running during the week though and just doing the sprints on the weekend. Every time someone posts here about gaining weight and says they run a few days a week, someone will always say; "Stop running".

Think chicken, rice and veg will be the way I'll go. As you say, in the morning and afternoon.

accensi0n

malman wrote: »

Have a read through this for a recent debate re. carbs:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055570167

Cheers.

Most of that thread seems to be; "this bread sucks, this ones ok, no have this ryvita...".

ragg posted this though which seems relevent,

"Carbs are essential before and after the gym - but if you are attempting to lose weight - i would steer clear of bread & significantly reduce all other carbs on your off days.

My carb intake on a non gym day is only around 30 -40 gs.

Which is essentially one slice of granary with my eggs in the morning & 2 baby potatoes in the evening - the rest is made up from veg.

Where as on a gym day my carb intake is closer to 200g."

ronbyrne2005

You do squats 3 times a week and sprint?

accensi0n

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

You do squats 3 times a week and sprint?

Yeah. The sprinting has only been for the last couple of weeks though. (~40m x 10)

I have had a couple of poor squating sessions in the last few months and had to reset the weight by 5kgs... maybe something to do with running a few days a week...

ronbyrne2005

I'd recommend doing 5x5 squats once a week. Deadlift once a week. Bench once a week. More carbs ,even on non gym days as your body needs them for recovery and growth. I'd build your routine on doing the 4/5 big basic compound exercises once a week each to maximise gains. Drop sprints or do them after squats on squat day(if you can manage after really heavy squats). Do that for a few months and then move onto more sprint and rugby specific work.

accensi0n

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

I'd recommend doing 5x5 squats once a week. Deadlift once a week. Bench once a week. More carbs ,even on non gym days as your body needs them for recovery and growth. I'd build your routine on doing the 4/5 big basic compound exercises once a week each to maximise gains. Drop sprints or do them after squats on squat day(if you can manage after really heavy squats). Do that for a few months and then move onto more sprint and rugby specific work.

Cheers.

chimmychanga

From personal experience, a good supplement eg Cyclone from maximuscle will definitely increase your strength and bulk up ur musle mass. It's quite expensive (approx €45-50 per tub) but it will help you.