questions for the experts

B

batman2004

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Hi again. I have a couple of questions.

1.) If I am trying to gain weight, should I workout everyday, or every other day? I've read somewhere that it is better to work out every other day because it gives the muscles a chance to relax. (Lifting Weights)

2.) How intense should my workouts be? How long should they last?

3.) I generaly workout at night because that is when I get home from work. About an hour or so after the routine, I usually go to bed. Is there anything wrong with this?

4.) I take the protein powder supplement (if you have read my previous posts) right before the workout and have gradually increased the amount I take in per day. I started with 1x per day, now im on 2x, and I intend to increase it until 3-4x gradually. Anything wrong with that?

5.) I use to mix the powder with milk, but now I mix it with plain old water because someone on these forums said that dissolving the powder in milk degrades the quality. Is this true? What is better: Milk or Water?

6.) The container reccommends that I take at least 1.5 cup liquid and mix it with the sppon they provide. However, is it okay if I take the same amount of powder but a little less water?

Thanks in advance :)
 
1.) If I am trying to gain weight, should I workout everyday, or every other day? I've read somewhere that it is better to work out every other day because it gives the muscles a chance to relax. (Lifting Weights)
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You should give each muscle group at least a day to rest. You can work out every day, but it's not wise to work the same muscle consequtively without rest. Also, it's not about giving the muscles a chance to relax, it's giving the muscles a chance to grow. Rule of thumb:

Muscles grow at rest after a workout, not *while* you're working out.

2.) How intense should my workouts be? How long should they last?
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Depends on your goals and your commitments. As far as intensity goes, in terms of weight lifting, here's another rule of thumb:

Higher weight/Lower reps = Great strength gain, okay size gain; Lower weight/Higher reps = Great size gain, okay strength gain.

As far as cardio goes, you'll either want endurance (30+ minutes) or high intensity intervals. Overall, except on rare occasions where I just go nuts, my workouts last between 45 min - 1 hr.

3.) I generaly workout at night because that is when I get home from work. About an hour or so after the routine, I usually go to bed. Is there anything wrong with this?
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Some people say working out in the morning gives you more energy and a fitter body and therefore, a better workout (this has always been my experience). Others just prefer to workout at night. The only downside of working out late at night is that you get your heart rate up which, even though you might be *tired*, should actually make it harder for you to sleep.

Not everyone experiences this the same way though. Give mornings a try and see which you find more to your liking.

4.) I take the protein powder supplement (if you have read my previous posts) right before the workout and have gradually increased the amount I take in per day. I started with 1x per day, now im on 2x, and I intend to increase it until 3-4x gradually. Anything wrong with that?
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It's fine as long as you don't get more than about 30g in one sitting. It varies from person to person, and some people say you can absorb much more protein, but this has been the rule-of-thumb since I've been involved in fitness and nutrition. When you say 2x per day, do you mean 2 times throughout the day, or twice as much before a workout?

5.) I use to mix the powder with milk, but now I mix it with plain old water because someone on these forums said that dissolving the powder in milk degrades the quality. Is this true? What is better: Milk or Water?
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I prefer milk because it tastes better and contains its own protein (which will be absorbed at a different time if your protein powder is non-casein, like whey or egg-white). I imagine that water improves absorption, but I doubt the losses will be remotely significant.

6.) The container reccommends that I take at least 1.5 cup liquid and mix it with the sppon they provide. However, is it okay if I take the same amount of powder but a little less water?
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Your fluid is going to be your delivery mechanism. I wouldn't go under a cup of fluid, but it should be fine. You are probably going to have better absorption the more fluid you have, though - so if it's just a taste issue, you might want to sacrifice a little bit of that for the improved absorption.

You should be getting tons of water in a day anyway, no reason why you shouldn't get it with your protein.
 
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Thanks for the information Fil.

I've been following my routine for almost 4-5 months now and I haven't gained a single pound. I eat over 2,000 calories a day, I drink over 1 gallon of water a day, I take my protein supplement twice a day every other day, I lift every other day (on the days I take the supplement), I take a little snack before going to bed but despite all this I have not seen any results whatsoever. I believe I weighed the same a year ago from now.

Im 18 y/o and I know I am definetly underweight for my age. I think I should have gained atleast a pound or two a month. What am I doing wrong or what am I not doing that I should be doing?

[thanks in advance :) ]
 
2,000 calories a day isn't very much if you're trying to bulk. You might want to shoot for more like 3,500.
 
you are what is called an ectomorph
(sorry) lol
as Fil says you need to eat more. lots more.

i haven't read the whole thread but i get the feeling you think your diet matters most on days when you train - it is in the rocovery process that you will gain - so keep the protein and healthy fats high on recovery days also
 
yep ectomorph for sure, this means you need to concentrate on eating more and eating healthy. to eat that much will take some time to adjust yourself. if you eat 2000 now it might take 2 weeks to start eating 3000. which depends on alot of things. anywho your workouts wont change, but your water consumption will with the added food. milk with protein will not degrade it but mearly slow it down. don't make the mistake of thinking faster is better in that subject.
 
I proabably am what you say. I'm not trying to rush things, I understand that bulking up takes time-- but was just wondering why I haven't been gaining weight for the past year. I eat healthy all the time and I make sure I get my fruits in at least once a day. You may be right that I was concentrating more on eating and taking my supplement on the days that I work out. I will definetly work on that.

However, could my body have a problem absorbing foods and liquids? Somtimes I get the feeling that as soon as water enters my system, five minutes later, it is leaving my system (you know how). Even when I workout, I sometimes feel this way. I am usually very active throughout the day.


Thanks in advance.
(Also, thanks to phaledax, shimmering, toby1986, and Fil for the previous advice)
 
i doubt that - it is probably just that your body is working TOO efficiently

try upping the food (good food - as natural as possible) and see how it goes

if you still have trouble, then say and i and others will be able to give you more advice
 
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