I started lifting about three months ago. I started at about 125 lbs, and now I’m about 140. My lifts have gone up, but they are still pretty pathetic. What can I expect in terms of beginner gains? I haven’t been eating nearly as much as I should, but it is extremely hard at my university and with my current schedule and financial situation. Hypothetically, if I had eaten enough since I started lifting, how much weight could I have put on?
Also, I’ve recently increased my protein intake to about 200g per day. If I really buckle down and force myself to eat as much as I can, will I gain weight to make up for what I should have gained, or will it still start to slow down? Finally, am I completely wrong about this whole idea?
Sorry for all the newbie questions, but I’m trying to figure out where I am right now compared to where I should/could be. Thanks in advance.
From my understanding, the beginner gains are where you can quickly add weight to your lifts (5-10 every session/or week); and also the time when you can lose a lot of fat while still building muscle.
You’ve admitted that you aren’t eating as much as you “should,” but you’ve gained about 5 pounds a month. Have you gotten fatter? Or have you gotten bigger without the fat gain?
do you want to get big big big, and not worry about putting on fat, and then cut down to a low body fat? Or do you want to go slow and steady?
I’m sure the college crowd can advise you on how to eat as healthy as possible at a cafeteria.
Provide some more info, and I’m sure you’ll have more answers to your questions!
[quote] Xanatos wrote:
…I’m trying to figure out where I am right now compared to where I should/could be…[/quote]
Don’t.
Lift what you can, eat what you can, sleep what you can, and you’ll see results over time. Trying to figure out where you should be will drive you insane.
But if you really want to, you should be at least 160 by now and jerking 200.
Don’t worry about it. It isn’t worth your time to worry about could have beens. You are new to lifting, just lift, eat, and rest; let everything else fall into placer.