Gorilla Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 Any tips on mass-building greatly appreciated! My typical daily menu at the moment looks something like this: ---Breakfast:Fruit salad with pumpkin seeds. Bowl of porridge oats, with a small amount of ground linseed and hempseed sprinkled on top. Snack:Dried fruit, nuts Lunch:Salad with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts. Bowl of quinoa. Snack:Rice cakes, peanut butter, banana. Dinner:Steamed veg, riceor Wholemeal pasta in tomato sauce with mushrooms or courgettes or broccolior Lentli/bean dish with veg, potatoes Snack:Bowl of puffed amaranth cereal, fresh fruit. --- I drink still mineral water all day long: with meals, in between meals. I drink lots of herbal teas too. With my breakfast I take an echinacea tablet, gingko tablet, garlic tablet, and since I've been in Germany I've been taking a one-a-day slow-release multivit and mineral tablet. These are the only dietary supplements I take. I don't take any protein powders or protein tablets. I was drinking soya milk for a time and using it on my cereal but I read an article that warned very strongly against soya products, saying that it decreases testosterone levels. I'm not sure about it. I've read contradictory articles about soya and I just don't know what to believe. Yes, the rice cakes and puffed amaranth cereal are "processed" but there are no additives in the products I buy. I've read contradictory articles about rice cakes and other puffed cereal. Some say that they are high G.I, cause insulin spike, diabetes, fat production, while others say that they are an easily digestible, wholesome source of carbohydrate and fibre. I always combine the rice cakes and the cereal with low G.I fresh fruit so I'm hoping I'm not doing anything bad. Pasta is another controversial issue. When I'm out and about I always have a packet of "Studentenfutter" (nuts and raisins) to snack on! Any comments appreciated. Suggestions on foods that I could add to my diet. Things that I have overlooked. I'm planning to prepare more dishes with pulses and also have a go at some home-made hummus. Anyway, here are those photos thatI took last week to show where I am at at the moment http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/5246/guitar7ev.jpg http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/4999/sculpted16lw.jpg http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9788/sculpted28cb.jpg http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/1323/sculpted37jp.jpg Best wishes, Gorilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gym hater Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Junk food can help with mass, just not the good mass I guess you could just drink some more soy milk, and increase the portions of everything you eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Have you tried creatine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 i dont think that you should use creatine until you hit some sort of plateau, adn then you can use it to help you through that. gorilla, your diet is very healthy, but in order to bulk you have to add more protein and more fat. the reason why you are not gaining could very well be that you're not actually eating much more than the average person. for protein, try adding tofu and tvp. dont worry about soy reducing testotesterone - asia eats moutains of the stuff and they have no testosterone issues, and there are many studies to support this.seitan is also excellent, and very high in protein, but is also expensive. i would consider adding a protein smoothie to your daily food intake - this is a typical one for me: 1 large banana400ml pinapple juice30g soy/pea protein30-40g rapeseed oil3g spirulina powder5g flax oil sometimes i make up to a litre of smoothie and drink it in one sitting, and sometimes, when avocadoes are cheap, i use an avo instead of oil. which brings us to fat. you cannot be scared of the stuff if you want to bulk. fat has more than twice as many calories than protein or carbs, so its invaluable. when you are cooking, just add more oil. add more to your salad and as i said, its great in smoothies. finally, try substituting half of the water that you drink each day with fruit juice. say that you drink 2litres of water a day. just by adding 1 litre of juice, you gain 450 calories good luck with the gains mate! jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilla Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Nice one guys. That's great. I really appreciate your support. I've also found a really good oat drink in one of the health food shops in town: http://www.vitaquell.de/techno/index_produkte.php 1 litre of that gives you 420 calories. And you're right about my calorie intake. When I started training seriously I kept a very detailed diary, counting every calorie I consumed, and I know how much I need to consume to reach 3000-4000 calories a day. It just takes a bit of forward planning and determination. Yes I'm increasing portion size and frequency: bowls and bowls of cereal, fresh fruit, oat milk. They've got blueberries and raspberries in the stores here now, which is great. I'm resisting the temptation to use creatine again. I was using it last year in Oxford when I was training with a champion powerlifter. I don't know if it was just a placebo but it did seem to help with my lifting. However I found it really messed with my bladder: I don't have any problems in that department any more. Plus when I stopped using it I got really bad muscle cramps. I think that's a no to creatine then. I think I can get bigger and stronger by just increasing my calories and of course keeping it clean: a serving of fruit with every "meal". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willpeavy Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I think a lot of people get cramps from creatine when they are either taking too much of it, or not drinking enough water, or both. It works well for me to take a gram every day or two to gain or maintain weight since I'm naturally really skinny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 i dont think that you should use creatine until you hit some sort of plateau, adn then you can use it to help you through that.Doesn't doesn't result in any lasting gains. Will just give you a little peak while you take it. gorilla, your diet is very healthy, but in order to bulk you have to add more protein and more fat. the reason why you are not gaining could very well be that you're not actually eating much more than the average person.And more carbs. You don't need to change the percentages between the three of course. Just get more total calories. for protein, try adding tofu and tvp. dont worry about soy reducing testotesterone - asia eats moutains of the stuff and they have no testosterone issues, and there are many studies to support this.seitan is also excellent, and very high in protein, but is also expensive.I've heard they don't eat mountains of the stuff. They usually eat relatively small amounts here and there and what they do eat is usually fermented. The way soy is now being used in the west is not like it is used in Asia. i would consider adding a protein smoothie to your daily food intake - this is a typical one for me: 1 large banana400ml pinapple juice30g soy/pea protein30-40g rapeseed oil3g spirulina powder5g flax oilSoy from protein shakes is not fermented. This shake is OK though as long as you still feel good while consistently consuming it. I'm not really a fan of bulking. Yes, you'll get stronger, but you'll gain fat too. If you just want to be a big guy who can lift heavy weights but would rather keep his shirt on, then that's fine. But if the goal is to stay as cut as you currently are while gaining muscle, I'd just consistently lift and eat how much you feel like eating and hopefully you'll get stronger relative to your bodyweight. I think strength versus bodyweight ratio is what matters. Although I guess the world became a much politer place when I gained 50 pounds many years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilla Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 Thanks for the feedback. Yes I'm prepared to put on some fat whilst gaining strength and putting on some more size. You gained 50 pounds, Jay? Mostly muscle, I presume... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 jay and me a e tall guys - ive gained 75lb of mostly muscle in 2.5years of veganism. still have 50lbs to go.... jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Awesome! I gained 60 pounds after I went vegan and got interested in lifting weights and serious about bodybuilding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 You look in great shape in those photos Gorilla, good luck achieving what you want. What is your height and weight? Sorry if you already posted, I can't see it. In my rubbishy opinion, a large part of building mass is the size of the weight you're lifting. No matter what you eat, if you're not lifting heavy enough your muscles won't be stimulated to grow. Obviously, the same can be said the other way round; that no matter what you lift, if you don't eat right you won't grow either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilla Posted January 29, 2006 Author Share Posted January 29, 2006 Thanks Richard. Yep definitely: eat big lift big seems to be a widely-recognised principle for building strength and size. My "stats": 1.86 m 76 kg = 168 lb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbwii Posted January 29, 2006 Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi Gorilla! I got a PB/PR for dips 180lbs and a PB/PR on the bench 305lbs as a Fruitarian, so lifting big and eating big don't always match up! I think your in great shape as you are but I totally relate to wanting to be bulkier!!! I decided a while ago that I wanted to bulk up as you know, so I ate real good whole foods no junk!!!! and I also drunk a gallon of water each day and I grew like wild fire, I found that the more I ate the more I would drink!!! and the bigger I got, bulking up isn't always a good indicator of muscle growth as I found out later! I found that I really wasn't getting the muscle I thought I was and that most of it was water retention and fat with very little muscel growth! and the thing is that to maintain your bulk you got to keep eating big! and that was hard for me too! Remember that if you take anything to get bigger as soon as you stop taking it you'll be back to square one! I reached 200lbs and felt like crap! here's some photo's just thrown in for fun! Fruitarian not working outhttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Fruitarian%20Album/82305.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Fruitarian%20Album/Ava079.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Fruitarian%20Album/Ava080.jpg Bulking up and working outhttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Bodybuilding/Ava5518.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Fruitarian%20Album/920.jpghttp://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/Bigbwii/Bodybuilding/Ava5516.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorilla Posted January 30, 2006 Author Share Posted January 30, 2006 i dont think that you should use creatine until you hit some sort of plateau, adn then you can use it to help you through that. gorilla, your diet is very healthy, but in order to bulk you have to add more protein and more fat. the reason why you are not gaining could very well be that you're not actually eating much more than the average person. for protein, try adding tofu and tvp. dont worry about soy reducing testotesterone - asia eats moutains of the stuff and they have no testosterone issues, and there are many studies to support this.seitan is also excellent, and very high in protein, but is also expensive. i would consider adding a protein smoothie to your daily food intake - this is a typical one for me: 1 large banana400ml pinapple juice30g soy/pea protein30-40g rapeseed oil3g spirulina powder5g flax oil sometimes i make up to a litre of smoothie and drink it in one sitting, and sometimes, when avocadoes are cheap, i use an avo instead of oil. which brings us to fat. you cannot be scared of the stuff if you want to bulk. fat has more than twice as many calories than protein or carbs, so its invaluable. when you are cooking, just add more oil. add more to your salad and as i said, its great in smoothies. finally, try substituting half of the water that you drink each day with fruit juice. say that you drink 2litres of water a day. just by adding 1 litre of juice, you gain 450 calories good luck with the gains mate! jonathan Thanks so much Jonathan. I finally bought myself a blender! I didn't bring one to Germany and kind of forgot about it. Smoothies rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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