It’s Q&A time again! I got the same question 3 times this week, so I think I should address it here since the answer was the same for each of the 3 people that wrote in and asked the question. The questions all went something like this:
“I have been working out for X months. I have been training hard using X workout routine and taking X supplements . I am not getting any bigger!? I have put on [insert small weight here] pounds in [insert long time here]. I should be getting bigger but I’m not growing. Please help!”
So the simplified version of that is, why am I not building muscle?
After an email or 2 with each of the guys asking this question it quickly became clear why they were not growing. They were not eating enough calories. Simple as that. That’s the simple answer to that question almost every time it’s asked. New lifters focus on 2 things before their diet, training and supplements. This is the wrong way to go about it because diet is absolutely critical to muscle growth.
So the next question is, how do I know how many calories I need?
To work out how many calories you need you must first calculate your basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is the number of calories you need to eat on a daily basis to maintain your current weight.
The easiest way to calculate your BMR is to use a BMR calculator. This calculator uses the Harris Benedict Formula (one of the most accurate methods) to calculate your daily calorie requirements.
Now, you want to build muscle and gain weight, so your calorie intake needs to be more than your expenditure. So take the figure the calculator gave you and add 500. This is how many calories you should be eating every day to build muscle.
Example:
- Your calculated BMR is 2,450 calories
- You require 2,950 calories for weight gain
- You require 1,950 calories for weight loss
Now you know how many calories you need, the next step is to split up your calories into meals and build your diet. Check out my how to create a bodybuilding diet post for details on how to do that.
With your diet sorted out you should be on the road to building muscle! Now get back in the gym!
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All right iam 15 5 feet 6 inches will turn 16 in 5 month’s i’ve started weight training 1 week ago my full time that i want hit my goal which is to look like i have very little fat and be able to easily see good definition in my muscles is 4 months reading this article it shows how many calories you need to gain weight and lose weight but i weight 155lb’s and my stomache in my oppinion is chubby about 3/4ths an inch of fat as i said i working out right now my question is what should i eat if i want to to lose my fat but still be able to gain muscle.
P.S. Iam taking creatine and whey protein right now.
You have to choose what you want to do - build muscle or lose fat. You won’t be able to do both at once. You might see a small amount of fat loss and muscle building at the same time when you first start, but that will quickly plateau off.
So decide what you want to do, then use the calculator to work out your BMR. Then +/- 500 calories off that figure to gain or lose weight.
Also everyone say there fat because they eat to much sugar but if i lose majority of my fat and it eat small amounts of chocolate and cerial while still maintain the calories i should and working out are sugars really bad for you then.
I am considering getting a steroid injection in my right deltoid. I have been lifting heavy (for me) on flat barbell bench press and seated barbell military press for a few months. Thought that’s what I needed to do to build muscle. The area under the right front delt hurts pretty bad now when I bench press. Barbell military press is no longer an option. Doing seated dumbell shoulder press and Arnold Press. Takes shoulders a day or two to not hurt and they will wake me up at night hurting. Taking Aleve and using topical methyl salicylate liniment. Helps. Care to hit me over the head and say, “if it hurts when you do that, don’t do that”. I am obsessed. Love to lift weights. 52 going on 53. Weight training has kept me from losing my mind since I’ve been unemployed. So should I get the injection? Drop the weight? Stop doing barbell bench and do dumbell bench? Stop doing anything that causes significant pain? Doing shoulder rehab exercises to isolate and stretch tendons but probably need to give shoulders a rest. Yes?