Ratio's are a very inefficient way to approach macronutrient breakdowns man. The general rule of thumb is for bodybuilding and strength training purposes to consume 1.5 - 2g of protein per kilogram of lean bodyweight that you are / want to be. The same concept is used for fat (typically 1-2g per kilogram of body weight that you are / want to be). From there, your carbohydrates will fill in the deficit between the calories that the two prior macronutrient counts give you and the total daily energy expenditure of your desired weight.

If you're looking to gain weight, you want to slowly integrate this meal plan. You don't go from what you are doing now to that new number over night - you want to slowely prime your metabolism to properly handle the new load.

In summary:

- Determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) of the weight that you want to attain.
- From that weight, determine your protein requirements (1.5-2g/kg).

- From that weight also determine your fat requirements (1-2g/kg).

- Take the remaining calorie difference between what you have calculated from the PRO and Fat requirements and divide that number by 4 (4kcal per gram of CHO), that is your carbohydrate number.

- Slowly integrate.

I'm sure other people have other methods they prefer, hope that helps.

 

hi scott i have a question

i am 180 cm and my weight is 71 kg ,my goal is gaining muscle ,when i started 5 years ago my weight was 58 , i am ectomorph ,here 's my problem,my weight is stopped at 71 for about one year but i do everything correct,workout ,meal,.... i don't know wht s the problem

Hahaha, I thought you had to gain loads of fat to gain loads of muscle?

Right on man! I'm sooo keen to make lean gains rather than just bulk. Have been making some progress in terms of weight gain, I'm just hoping it's muscle! :D

 

I just had a few questions from what you said you have been doing...

What do you find is the best way to cook your asparagus?

What do you do for cardio?

Also, I normally have kumara/sweet potato with my dinner, and yoghurt before bed. Obivously these have carbs, and I was just wondering do you think I could eat something better to maximise lean gains? What sort of food do you eat once you start sticking to just protein?

 

Gotta keep progressing with those lean gains!

HTH!

 

Over the last month I have been everywhere and the hardest thing about traveling is that it completely throws your schedule out the window as far as training. But luckily for me I have still been able to keep a level head and progress with my gains.

 

Keep in mind that as a Natural Athlete it will take time to build lean muscle and depending on how long you have been lifting, gains will slow down a bit. In fact, you will see the majority of your muscle gains in the first two years.

 

Muscle gains don't slow down because you are doing something wrong. It's because yor body does have a natural limit.

 

For me, with proper training training and eating I can expect to see about 5lbs of lean muscle gain a year. That is why "bulking" is such BS in my opinion. It's an ego inflation method. Don't feel like you need to gain 40lbs just to lose 35lbs of it when you "cut". Makes no sense. But we can chat more about that later.

 

Now back to my training.

 

I have had to get very creative due to my lifting schedule being so spuratic.

 

A typical week for me has been something like this:

 

Monday

• Intense 5 x 5 deadlift followed by an intense circuit consisting of 4 - 5 rounds of 4 - 5 exercises followed by 20-25 minutes of cardio

Tuesday

• Chest / Triceps / Traps / Abs
  • To maximize time I am supersetting exercises for my traps between all my sets on chest. The same with Triceps and Abs
  • I always start off with a heavy 5x5 bench press

Wednesday

• 20 - 30 minutes of skill work to continue to build upper body strength. Lately I have been focusing on practicing muscle-ups and human flags followed by an intense circuit consisting of 4 - 5 rounds of 4 - 5 exercises followed by 20-25 minutes of cardio

Thursday

• Quads / Glutes / Calves / Biceps / abs
  • To maximize time I superset calves between all my quad and glute exercises and do the same for biceps and abs
  • I always start off with a heavy 5x5 Squat

Friday

• Hamstrings / Back / Traps
  • I take my time and hit my hamstrings on their own, however I don't take long rest periods. For back and traps, I superset the exercises to utilize time

Saturday

• Shoulders / abs / Cardio
  • Once again to save time I superset the shoulders and abs exercises. However, I start off with a heavy 5x5 of overhead presses uninterrupted then go into the supersetting

 

Sunday is a rest day or a light jog

 

Now depending on the week if I am traveling I try to move the days around so I perform the circuits when traveling. This is because they can be done anywhere and if limited on time it makes it much more convenient.

 

MEAL PLAN

I am still hitting the same macros (280-300 protein, 150-180 carbs, 90-100 fat) but I am making sure I am getting more veggies. Lately asparagus and broccoli have been my best friends. Asparagus is a natural diuretic which helps with keeping that lean look.

 

I also have been getting the majority of my calories in before 5pm and stick to just eating protein until about 8pm. I have found that if I eat too much carbs before bed my body tends to store more body fat. There is no need to eat food that you are not going to need for energy while you sleep.

 

How are your results coming along Nation? Stuck in a rut? Need some help? Let me know and I will do my best to make some suggestions.

 

Have a great week!

 

Awesome @Scott_Herman!

 

I'm so gutted, i went to the supermarket at the weekend intent on getting some asparagus...only to find it won't be in season in New Zealand until the end of the year! :(

 

Guess it will be good old broccoli for a little while yet! haha

I have also been meaning to ask, I take it the free shipping of supplements over $25 does not include New Zealand? I'm pretty keen on getting some Syntha 6-Isolate!

 

Cheers for the tips man!