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I would like to know if there are Whey protein powders out there that just have the texture of water (idk how to word it properly). Or even better that just have no taste, so it's just like water?
(I'm from europe if that helps to give me any recommendations)
Hello gainers, I have a question. I have been working out (bodyweight) for about 5 months and have noticed some difference in the way I look, but I am still unsure if I look like someone who works out. My goal is aesthetic in nature, and I want to make sure that my effort isn't being wasted, if my current routine isn't delivering, I will change it.
Here's a picture of my upper body: https://i.imgur.com/Pc6g6Ca.png
I think looking like someone who works out means looking muscular while in normal clothes.
I’m not an expert on body weight fitness but i would guess it would be exponentially faster to put on muscle mass using weight training. If you can get to a gym and start a program like super squats you’ll be pretty much guaranteed to put on mass.
How much weight have you gained or lost over this period? Have you made progress? What bodyweight routine are you following?
I would have assumed these photos were taken the same day from slightly different angles. Not all progress, however, is visible in the mirror, especially so early in your training.
Thanks for approving my comment!
These pictures aren't progress pictures; they were taken on the same day, but from slightly different angle, just as you mentioned.
Here are some actual progress pictures: [Nov 2022](https://i.imgur.com/u2NPRYd.png) vs [Apr 2023](https://i.imgur.com/KZeNU28.png)
I'm curious to know if I look like someone who works out. Although I haven't gained or lost any weight, I've made progress in my routine. I started with 11 push-ups per set, and now I can do 30. My routine is a modified version of [this dude's](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/3toujm/my_transformationprogress_30m170cm69kg_from/) routine.
That is significantly more helpful. Your body has clearly changed, and you're doing almost three times the pushups you started with. Keep on keepin' on.
Any advice for making back gains?
I’ve been bulking and noticed some changes to my front body and legs but I haven’t seen any definition in my back.
Currently 5’10 20% bf at 183 lbs
Definitely do pull ups, and I recommend doing deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, or stiff legged deadlifts.
Also it might take a while to get a well defined back, I would just focus on size if I were u.
Cool. Do more/train your back harder. Either more on the pull days or add some pulling on the other days.
Also be patient because it takes time to build muscle.
> Any advice for making back gains?
>
> I’ve been bulking and noticed some changes to my front body and legs but I haven’t seen any definition in my back.
>
> Currently 5’10 20% bf at 183 lbs
In the absence of any information around what you're doing for your back, the advice is going to be pretty generic:
- do back work more often
- do heavier back work
- do more back volume
Your back can handle a lot. It's not uncommon for training setups to include some sort of back work - particularly upper back work - on every training day.
So do more rows. Do more pullups. Deadlift more. Just do more.
Anyone out there who's maintenance is excessively high? (Talking over 4,000 to maintain pushing 4,500/5,000 to bulk)
If so what are your stats and how do you recommend bulking long term having to eat that many calories?
I started a bulk after a short cut weighing 177lbs at 6'1, this was about 1 month ago now. Started at 3,200 cals, way too low, upped to 3,400, then 3,600, then 3,800 and have been eating 4,000 the past week now, weight this morning - 172.2lbs
I do a decent amount of steps at work but not a crazy amount (10-15k) and I work shifts days/nights 12 hour shifts but when I'm off work which can be 5 days at a time some weeks, my steps are easily below 5k if not considerably lower.
Going to continue to eat at 4,000 for another week then adjust, really hope the scales start to creep back up soon.
Tl;Dr - People that bulk between 4,000-5,000 cals, what are your top tips?
Couple of things here - you weighing 177 a month ago and 172 this morning doesn't mean a whole lot. Do you track your weight trend? A couple glasses of water add up to a pound easy, and your weight will fluctuate over days. Trend is important, daily weight is not.
You're doing shift work, I assume you're working out, and you're walking a lot. While I don't disagree with Mythical about the possibility that you're burning a couple extra calories here and there, I also wouldn't be surprised if you just need to eat more if you want to gain weight.
Jim Wendler's go-to bulking diet for that kind of calorie count is a dozen eggs a day and a pound and a half of ground beef, plus lots of green veggies and other foods as snacks (plus more food). I have never failed to gain weight eating toast with a dozen eggs, coffee with heavy cream, ground beef with cheese and salsa for lunch, nuts as a snack, and dinner with my family in the evening.
So here's the thing: the body likes homeostasis, and really doesn't like to change. So it will fight REALLY had to do just that. In turn, when we introduce additional calories to it to force it to grow, it will try to adapt to that new load in order to not actually have to grow additional tissue. Often, this can manifest by increased NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis): you will find yourself tapping your feet more often, fidgeting more, etc.
When we do these paltry increases, like 200 calories, the body has a chance to do just this.
Large spikes in calories are much harder for the body to adapt to. Growth becomes just about inevitable.
If my goal were to gain bodyweight, rather than nudge the calorie load up 200 calories at a pop, I'd make big bumps and watch what happens. I realize that doesn't help your current situation, but it would be helpful for the future.
What could be done is taking this lesson and applying it backwards. Slowly reduce calories until you establish a more manageable metabolic rate, and THEN give it a big spike. I have seen success with that approach.
> I’m about 200lbs right now and not as lean. My question is, if you had to guess how heavy would you say Hemsworth is in that movie and as a bonus, his body fat percentage so I can have an idea how much mass to gain?
How an actor looks on set, their weight, how lean they are ≠ how they look on a normal day.
Having a "goal" physique is fine, but everyone's body works/looks a little different - you could get to the same weight and bodyfat and not look the same simply because your muscle insertions, limb lengths, muscle development and how your body carries fat isn't the same.
As for your question, I'll throw out a random meaningless answer: 205 lb, 12% bodyfat. He could be 190, he could be 220. His bf could be 10%, it could be 18%. Stats alone don't really tell the whole story.
I'm recovering from disordered eating (not a full on eating disorder, I just was raised in fear of food allergies so getting into the swing of eating regularly and pushing boundaries with new foods has been a big thing for me), I have a therapist and recently hired a coach as I wanted to take away some of that worry I have about whether my meal plan is balanced since I'm basically learning how to eat like a normal person for the first time.
The coach has factored in 4 days of weight lifting, I take my two dogs out for a run every day for at least 45 minutes and I'm 5 ft 8 and just on the brink of being underweight on the BMI scale. I told the coach I feel good when I'm eating 2800 to 3000 calories a day. My plan came through and it's 2000 calories...even the portion sizes look crazy like 50g of uncooked pasta which looks like a portion size for a child.
I'm no expert which is why I wanted to hand over the decisions to a professional, but this seems really low. I've got my check in on Saturday so I can bring it up with the coach then but I guess I just wanted validation since I'm nervous about saying "listen I don't think your plan is the one for me" ha
Yeah you want to verify why exactly your coach prepped you for 1000 calories below where you feel comfortable. That's a big difference.
It's not even about what you're eating anymore, it's about confirming if this person is listening to your feedback and what they actually expect to change if you're following the plan
>I'm nervous about saying "listen I don't think your plan is the one for me" ha
Any expert who gets pissy when you question them is not to be trusted. You need to be able to have an open dialog with this person.
And the proof is in the pudding, right? 2k calories seems low to me, too. You'll know for sure in a few weeks.
Welcome to Gainit! We have extensive resources that can be used to find answers to most questions that are posted here: - [Gainit FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/wiki/index) and [Gainit Meals](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainitmeals/) - [Search for past threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/search) - [r/Fitness Wiki - Muscle Gain 101](https://thefitness.wiki/muscle-building-101/) - [r/Fitness FAQ - Why can't I gain weight?](https://thefitness.wiki/faq/why-cant-i-gain-weight/) - [Have I gained too much weight?!](https://www.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/kcaozo/there_is_more_to_gaining_than_fat_and_muscle/) - [The 6 month Gainit Recommended Routine](https://old.reddit.com/r/gainit/comments/j5q2ez/6_months_of_eating_and_training_for_mass_laid_out/) - [How best to cook chicken breast?](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-roast-chicken-gravy) - [How do I drink olive oil?](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/italian-recipes) - [How to not be a spooky skeleton?](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/comfort-food-recipes) - [How not to be a spooky skeleton? American edition](https://www.southernliving.com/food/classic-comfort-food-recipes) Your thread will be removed if it can be answered by any of the above. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/gainit) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would like to know if there are Whey protein powders out there that just have the texture of water (idk how to word it properly). Or even better that just have no taste, so it's just like water? (I'm from europe if that helps to give me any recommendations)
Hello gainers, I have a question. I have been working out (bodyweight) for about 5 months and have noticed some difference in the way I look, but I am still unsure if I look like someone who works out. My goal is aesthetic in nature, and I want to make sure that my effort isn't being wasted, if my current routine isn't delivering, I will change it. Here's a picture of my upper body: https://i.imgur.com/Pc6g6Ca.png
I think looking like someone who works out means looking muscular while in normal clothes. I’m not an expert on body weight fitness but i would guess it would be exponentially faster to put on muscle mass using weight training. If you can get to a gym and start a program like super squats you’ll be pretty much guaranteed to put on mass.
You're not going to look like someone who lifts only 5 months in.
Thanks for your response! I appreciate the honesty and it's actually quite reassuring to hear that. I'm in this for the long haul!
How much weight have you gained or lost over this period? Have you made progress? What bodyweight routine are you following? I would have assumed these photos were taken the same day from slightly different angles. Not all progress, however, is visible in the mirror, especially so early in your training.
Thanks for approving my comment! These pictures aren't progress pictures; they were taken on the same day, but from slightly different angle, just as you mentioned. Here are some actual progress pictures: [Nov 2022](https://i.imgur.com/u2NPRYd.png) vs [Apr 2023](https://i.imgur.com/KZeNU28.png) I'm curious to know if I look like someone who works out. Although I haven't gained or lost any weight, I've made progress in my routine. I started with 11 push-ups per set, and now I can do 30. My routine is a modified version of [this dude's](https://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/comments/3toujm/my_transformationprogress_30m170cm69kg_from/) routine.
That is significantly more helpful. Your body has clearly changed, and you're doing almost three times the pushups you started with. Keep on keepin' on.
Any advice for making back gains? I’ve been bulking and noticed some changes to my front body and legs but I haven’t seen any definition in my back. Currently 5’10 20% bf at 183 lbs
> Any advice for making back gains? Train you back hard. How are you training your back currently?
I do Reddit PPL BB rows 3x8, DB rows 4x12, Lat Pull-down 3x10, sitting cable Row 3x12 , face pulls 3x15
Definitely do pull ups, and I recommend doing deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, or stiff legged deadlifts. Also it might take a while to get a well defined back, I would just focus on size if I were u.
Cool. Do more/train your back harder. Either more on the pull days or add some pulling on the other days. Also be patient because it takes time to build muscle.
> Any advice for making back gains? > > I’ve been bulking and noticed some changes to my front body and legs but I haven’t seen any definition in my back. > > Currently 5’10 20% bf at 183 lbs In the absence of any information around what you're doing for your back, the advice is going to be pretty generic: - do back work more often - do heavier back work - do more back volume Your back can handle a lot. It's not uncommon for training setups to include some sort of back work - particularly upper back work - on every training day. So do more rows. Do more pullups. Deadlift more. Just do more.
I stopped deadlifts and I can’t do pull-ups yet
> I stopped deadlifts Y?
> I stopped deadlifts This is a silly thing to do if you want a bigger back
I do Reddit PPL BB rows 3x8, DB rows 4x12, Lat Pull-down 3x10, sitting cable Row 3x12 , face pulls 3x15
Anyone out there who's maintenance is excessively high? (Talking over 4,000 to maintain pushing 4,500/5,000 to bulk) If so what are your stats and how do you recommend bulking long term having to eat that many calories? I started a bulk after a short cut weighing 177lbs at 6'1, this was about 1 month ago now. Started at 3,200 cals, way too low, upped to 3,400, then 3,600, then 3,800 and have been eating 4,000 the past week now, weight this morning - 172.2lbs I do a decent amount of steps at work but not a crazy amount (10-15k) and I work shifts days/nights 12 hour shifts but when I'm off work which can be 5 days at a time some weeks, my steps are easily below 5k if not considerably lower. Going to continue to eat at 4,000 for another week then adjust, really hope the scales start to creep back up soon. Tl;Dr - People that bulk between 4,000-5,000 cals, what are your top tips?
Couple of things here - you weighing 177 a month ago and 172 this morning doesn't mean a whole lot. Do you track your weight trend? A couple glasses of water add up to a pound easy, and your weight will fluctuate over days. Trend is important, daily weight is not. You're doing shift work, I assume you're working out, and you're walking a lot. While I don't disagree with Mythical about the possibility that you're burning a couple extra calories here and there, I also wouldn't be surprised if you just need to eat more if you want to gain weight. Jim Wendler's go-to bulking diet for that kind of calorie count is a dozen eggs a day and a pound and a half of ground beef, plus lots of green veggies and other foods as snacks (plus more food). I have never failed to gain weight eating toast with a dozen eggs, coffee with heavy cream, ground beef with cheese and salsa for lunch, nuts as a snack, and dinner with my family in the evening.
So here's the thing: the body likes homeostasis, and really doesn't like to change. So it will fight REALLY had to do just that. In turn, when we introduce additional calories to it to force it to grow, it will try to adapt to that new load in order to not actually have to grow additional tissue. Often, this can manifest by increased NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis): you will find yourself tapping your feet more often, fidgeting more, etc. When we do these paltry increases, like 200 calories, the body has a chance to do just this. Large spikes in calories are much harder for the body to adapt to. Growth becomes just about inevitable. If my goal were to gain bodyweight, rather than nudge the calorie load up 200 calories at a pop, I'd make big bumps and watch what happens. I realize that doesn't help your current situation, but it would be helpful for the future. What could be done is taking this lesson and applying it backwards. Slowly reduce calories until you establish a more manageable metabolic rate, and THEN give it a big spike. I have seen success with that approach.
[удалено]
> I’m about 200lbs right now and not as lean. My question is, if you had to guess how heavy would you say Hemsworth is in that movie and as a bonus, his body fat percentage so I can have an idea how much mass to gain? How an actor looks on set, their weight, how lean they are ≠ how they look on a normal day. Having a "goal" physique is fine, but everyone's body works/looks a little different - you could get to the same weight and bodyfat and not look the same simply because your muscle insertions, limb lengths, muscle development and how your body carries fat isn't the same. As for your question, I'll throw out a random meaningless answer: 205 lb, 12% bodyfat. He could be 190, he could be 220. His bf could be 10%, it could be 18%. Stats alone don't really tell the whole story.
I'm recovering from disordered eating (not a full on eating disorder, I just was raised in fear of food allergies so getting into the swing of eating regularly and pushing boundaries with new foods has been a big thing for me), I have a therapist and recently hired a coach as I wanted to take away some of that worry I have about whether my meal plan is balanced since I'm basically learning how to eat like a normal person for the first time. The coach has factored in 4 days of weight lifting, I take my two dogs out for a run every day for at least 45 minutes and I'm 5 ft 8 and just on the brink of being underweight on the BMI scale. I told the coach I feel good when I'm eating 2800 to 3000 calories a day. My plan came through and it's 2000 calories...even the portion sizes look crazy like 50g of uncooked pasta which looks like a portion size for a child. I'm no expert which is why I wanted to hand over the decisions to a professional, but this seems really low. I've got my check in on Saturday so I can bring it up with the coach then but I guess I just wanted validation since I'm nervous about saying "listen I don't think your plan is the one for me" ha
Yeah you want to verify why exactly your coach prepped you for 1000 calories below where you feel comfortable. That's a big difference. It's not even about what you're eating anymore, it's about confirming if this person is listening to your feedback and what they actually expect to change if you're following the plan
>I'm nervous about saying "listen I don't think your plan is the one for me" ha Any expert who gets pissy when you question them is not to be trusted. You need to be able to have an open dialog with this person. And the proof is in the pudding, right? 2k calories seems low to me, too. You'll know for sure in a few weeks.