Can anyone recommend a nutrition / meal plan program? The girlfriend is doing one with light HIIT with the aim of toning and losing weight. They provide a weekly shopping list, recipes, etc and wondered if there were any options for trying to put on weight and to support building strength.
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Soldato
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I think the first part of the lift is the problem for me - I've been lifting with my upper body instead of lower, hence the lower back pain IMO. I will be focusing on form, though.
I think I've got quite a strong imbalance between left and right hand sides, and the right has taken the brunt, so my hip is aching like mad today. I watched a video about suitcase deadlifts just now, so I'm going to start doing those on a different day (got A, B, and C workouts now!) to hopefully help prevent more damage. I'm also starting a routine of hip-specific strengthening exercises, which are just things like leg raises, bridges etc that I can do at home.
Which one did you watch? He's done at least 4!
Focus on unilateral stuff.
Soldato
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How do you mean? I need to deal with the hip pain somehow and it seemed like a good way to do it.
Man of Honour
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Time to build up some leg strength then.
So, unilateral exercises are those that stress a single side of your body: single leg squats, single arm press, etc.
Hip thrusts will do *some* stuff assuming you do them correctly, but unilateral stuff makes it very difficult to hide or compensate for weaknesses or *sided-ness* issues.
Suggestion would be:
- deficit Bulgarian split squats
- single leg hip thrusts
- single leg deadlifts/reverse lunges
- single arm rows
- dumbbell bench/press (alternating)
- concentrator curlz (
)
Soldato
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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I've got a few split exercises in my routine currently so I'll try and focus on them a little more.
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Assuming your training is conducive for getting stronger and you're getting adequate rest, it just comes down to being in a small calorie surplus such that you gain weight very slowly (since a bigger surplus just means more fat gain), eating a decent amount of protein and eating a variety of whole foods (for the vitamins/minerals). The rest is just preference - what foods you enjoy eating - and patience.
If you're not sure what foods are what, there's loads of basic visual resources like this.
Soldato
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So a week ago I decided it was finally time to get out of the calorie deficit! 9 months and almost 2 stone lighter (though annoyingly still with a bit of belly...).
Went up to 4 meals a day trying to get above 2000kcls. Didn't realise it would be quite so difficult if you're trying to do it clean! If anyone has any meal prep recipes or ideas they'd like to share to help me get the calories up then that'd be great
Went up to 4 meals a day trying to get above 2000kcls. Didn't realise it would be quite so difficult if you're trying to do it clean! If anyone has any meal prep recipes or ideas they'd like to share to help me get the calories up then that'd be great
Man of Honour
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Sore legs, leg day was Sunday. Deadlifts today? I finish work early, so it seems logical. Sometimes the soreness goes.
I just eat what I can when I can. Yesterday was typical of when I am not in work..
Breakfast - Porridge, honey, peanut butter then pre-workout before I head to the gym
Lunch - 3 chicken breasts, sweet potato fries, frijj milkshake
Mid-afternoon - coco pops or protein shake
Dinner - 3 chicken breasts, sweet potato fries, frijj milkshake
Later on - coco pops
Before bed - protein shake with milk, banana, two scoops of protein powder, honey, multivitamin, peanut butter
This varies from time-to-time, but this is the basic template. I still struggle to put on weight - still getting stronger though.
I just eat what I can when I can. Yesterday was typical of when I am not in work..
Breakfast - Porridge, honey, peanut butter then pre-workout before I head to the gym
Lunch - 3 chicken breasts, sweet potato fries, frijj milkshake
Mid-afternoon - coco pops or protein shake
Dinner - 3 chicken breasts, sweet potato fries, frijj milkshake
Later on - coco pops
Before bed - protein shake with milk, banana, two scoops of protein powder, honey, multivitamin, peanut butter
This varies from time-to-time, but this is the basic template. I still struggle to put on weight - still getting stronger though.
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Soldato
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Good jesus man, that's a hell of a lot of chicken xD
I don't think I could get that much down, not least because it would cost me a bomb! Though I guess if you struggle to pack on the weight then you sort of need to got that hard. Just worried that all the weight I've lost will go back on if I don't keep things relatively measured.
I weigh most things and let myfitnesspal do all the work
Aye, pretty much been doing this since last week. I'm just following the basic math of doubling the weight of whatever protein I'm having that meal in carbs.
Man of Honour
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It has been a really gradual build up. I have had to eat more and more to chase ever more difficult to reach strength gains. I guess my stomach has stretched slowly and my metabolism burns the rest off. I do find it amazing how I can have a huge meal, yet 2-3 hours later am absolutely starving again. Lord knows how the big bodybuilders do it in between training.
I also buy frozen chicken in bulk that generally works out cheaper and then just put what I need in the fridge the day before cooking.
The Frijj milkshakes are probably killing me slowly, but they also give me the extra calories that I need to keep going with my program.
Aye that makes sense. I think people greatly underestimate the role of nutrition when they decide to get in shape. As a good, hugely muscular friend of mine said to me at the start of my training, "precise training is like getting the best workies in, eating right is giving them the tools to actually do the job".
Man of Honour
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Yup, I always smile to myself when I think of what I used to eat (or more to the point, not eat) in the early days of my workout. I was miles off the diet I needed. I also tend to agree with those who say nutrition is more important (and harder to achieve) than what you do in the gym.
Nutrition is also up there with the most common issues I come across when talking to people in the gym -
number 1 - shoulder issues (almost every single person I talk to - it would help if they did something other than just bench one rep max lifts)
number 2 - the ongoing struggle with a diet that leads to muscular gains, but not lots of fat
number 3 - back issues
Yup, I always smile to myself when I think of what I used to eat (or more to the point, not eat) in the early days of my workout. I was miles off the diet I needed. I also tend to agree with those who say nutrition is more important (and harder to achieve) than what you do in the gym.
Nutrition is also up there with the most common issues I come across when talking to people in the gym -
number 1 - shoulder issues (almost every single person I talk to - it would help if they did something other than just bench one rep max lifts)
number 2 - the ongoing struggle with a diet that leads to muscular gains, but not lots of fat
number 3 - back issues
Definitely man. I know for a fact that if I'd have not been in a deficit these past 9 months then I'd have certainly made better gainz in every respect. Twas a really difficult thing that I had to face last November. keep training strength because I enjoy it but make no real progress outside of some minor gainz, or do loathsome cardio which would likely lean me out quicker but me more likely to derail me as time went on (precisely because I wouldn't enjoy it).
Making peace with a lifetime nutritional change as well as finding a training regime you love to do are absolutely key imo.