-16 yrs. old
-133 lbs. 5"8
-9-13% bf (guessing, not a major concern)
-not sure about lifting stats put probably embarrassingly low.
Before I go on I’d like to say that up until recently I was in extremely bad shape and fat (to be very to the point). I somehow managed to get where I am by eating a bit healthier and getting moderate exercise. Only in the last month have I found T-Nation and read through the vast plethora of articles on here and similar sites. I think that is why I have my current problem.
I’m just now accepting that I’m eating way to little (1500-2000 kcal/day) and need to stop worrying about imperfections and start to gain strength and muscle mass. I’ve been focusing on losing this small belly I have hanging around rather than overall fitness and strength. Thats all about to change though…I know I’m not in great shape but I think I can stop worrying about being fat now.
In about 1 month my soccer season starts and thats when I’m planning on being ready to truly get bigger and in better shape (I’m going on two trips b/w now and then).
I’m planning on focusing on basics like having a good routine, eating enough, and resting enough before worrying about macronutrient breakdowns and stuff (if I ever do). I will, however, make sure I get carbs in the morning and after workouts. The only supplements I take are Surge and Metabolic Drive.
During sports since I’ll be very active (at least 2 hours sports+ 1 hour lifting) and know I’ll have to eat more (G-flux principles)…probably at least 3500 calories per day to gain. Have any of you had positive experiences without getting to strict about diets?
I know it wouldn’t hurt to record everything but that all seems like it’s just opening up a whole nother can of worms. I’d rather eat food from mother nature the way she provides it rather than monitor and plan the hell out of everything.
As long as I eat enough healthy foods in about the right percentage breakdown do you think I will reach my goals? I just want your opinions on the way I’m handling this… I’ll probably take this path no matter what and see what happens than tweak it as I see fit.
BTW, my goals are to gain a as much strength and muscle as I can without too much fat gain. I’m doing this about 65& for function and 35% for looks.
I just realized how bad I am at describing my thoughts so I will try to clarify anything as best as I can in response to any of your responses.
Also, I don’t think I’ve been eating enough carbs because I don’t have very much energy anymore. Would it be safe to try and raise them up a bit to like a 40-45%, 30%, 25-30% ratio? and see what happens at my age? And I don’t think I mentioned that I do get at least 1.5 g of protein per day in the other post. Thanks.
Okay well by reading your post it seems you have a basic idea of what the hells going on, which is good. As far as your worries about carb ratios and all that stuff, don’t worry about it for now. Yea I said it. I would just shoot for your guesstimate 3500 calories.
Just try to balance as best you can but don’t put toooo much thought into it. You can adjust things as you need. How can you decide what you need before you find out anything about how you respond to a certain diet/workout.
The only thing I would caution you on is increasing calories sparingly. Whereas you’ve lost weight recently your body is going to want to readapt to your past state.
Now, are you interested in a full body routine or a split routine? How many days a week? What exactly is your goal? You provided a decent amount of background info but you need to give specifics.
Also , while we’re hammering this stuff out START your diet ahead of time so you can get a rough idea of what you need to eat to get your 3500 calories. If you’re really not worried about the 8 or 9% bodyfat you have it won’t matter if your diet makes you gain a pound or two while you get a routine figured out.
I’ll definately ease into eating that much rather than start right away since I won’t be getting the right workouts down for a few weeks. Thanks for that advice…
As far as my goals go for workouts…
As I said before, I’m in this 65% for function and 35% for looks. I definitely want to add overall mass (again, I’m only 133 lbs) with minimal fat gain (i’m thinking that all the sports will keep fat gain down but some gain is ok).
My upper body is very weak compared to my lower body so I would like to focus on gaining a lot of strength there and gain strength everywhere else. Once I have a more functional body and have good form on most essential lifts I’ll focus more on putting on muscle mass as well as strength gains (heavier weights/lower reps in a couple months).
I plan on doing a 4-day per week split routine. I have looked at a few here in the beginners forums but am not sure about which one yet. I might even try to design my own. I’m still figuring all that out right now
[quote]Qi wrote:
Still looking for any input![/quote]
Worrying about the minitia of things is going to get you no where at this stage. You won’t find a “perfect” program, pick something like ABBH or Westside for skinny bastards and do it.
2 hours a day of sport + a 1 hour workout will far outweigh a 3500kcal diet - it’s not enough. You are worrying about upper vs. lower body when you have to add mass all over, worry about balancing it out when you reach a healthier weight.
Stop planning and start doing. None of this 65% for function bullshit - what the hell is that supposed to mean?
