Advice on how to reach 160->180 cleanly

[derekqa]

What I've been doing now:

Bought GNC creatine and whey protein
eating healthy (fish, wheat, chicken, etc)
3x/week gym
3x/week running (should I stop at cardio since I'm trying to bulk up?)

I'm looking for 20 lbs lean muscle, not fat. What else should I do?

[mspiegelo]

the protein is good. you need at least 1.5 grams of protein for every kg of your weight every day in order to gain muscle mass. you should up the weights (every other day) with full body routines, not isolated muscle groups (i.e. dont do legs monday, shoulders and chest wed, bis/tris fri, but do everything monday, wed, fri).

cut the cardio down. do sprints instead of long distances and work on anaerobic (Short bursts) instead of aerobic (i.e. longer distances). you can afford to stock up on carbs too. whole wheat pastas are very good, especially in combination with chicken/fish and other protein!

good luck.

[derekqa]

thanks for the advice! there has been a lot of talk of when to use whey protein.. they are:

in the morning, before and after workouts, 3-4 spread out times around the day, and at night before you sleep.

which of these times should I follow and at each time, how much should I drink for my size?

My estimation is: 20g in the morning, 20g before workout, 80g after, 20g at one random time of the day (I can't do 3-4 times, don't have the time/schedule to do that), and 20g right before I sleep.

Is there an easier way, such as say, drinking 40g when you wake up, and 120g after workout?

[derekqa]

I have the same question as to when to use the creatine. I heard creatine should only be used before/after workout, not in the morning or night.

[mspiegelo]

protein should be consumed post workout. drinking before can make u feel sluggish, but perhaps if it is a low dosage, you won't have digestion issues. ingesting more than 40 g of protein in one take is futile because the human body can only digest 40g at a time. if you take 60g for example, you will end up excreting around 20g of the protein. thats why protein shakes, indigestion, and grueling sessions on the toilet often go hand and hand. try not to go to nuts with the potein....

[derekqa]

So would you recommend taking it 4 times a day then?

40g*4=160g, which is what I'm supposed to take for 160lbs.

40g in the morning, 40g after workout, 40g before I sleep. That's 120g of whey.. I figure I can get more protein in the foods I eat throughout the day. Is this schedule good?

And during non-workout days, is 40g good? Or should I up it to 80?

[derekqa]

Also, my height is 6'1. Is 180lbs recommended for me for boxing? Or should I just aim for 8 more lbs at 168?

[mspiegelo]

Also, my height is 6'1. Is 180lbs recommended for me for boxing? Or should I just aim for 8 more lbs at 168?

the protein plan above works. 4x a day at 40 g a serving.

i woouldnt worry on beefing up though if you want to box. being lightweight at your height is a actually considered an advantage at lower weight classes.

you'd be fighting amateurs though (i presume) so you're two possibilities for weight classes would be 165 and 178. coincidentilly, i am 6'2'' and have the same option, but i am the opposite. id love to trim down to 165, but when i got to 170 i was 4% body fat and fatigued from overtraining so my trainer had me stay at 178. if i were you, id worry about skills first. then when its time to fight, worry about weight. if you do want to fight, id reccommend 165 for you, but if you insist on bulking up, 178 is the next logical choice.... good luck.

[derekqa]

thanks! that's all the questions i have, appreciate ur help!

[SOY-COMO-SOY]

What I've been doing now:

Bought GNC creatine and whey protein
eating healthy (fish, wheat, chicken, etc)
3x/week gym
3x/week running (should I stop at cardio since I'm trying to bulk up?)

I'm looking for 20 lbs lean muscle, not fat. What else should I do?

I was told by two different GNC workers that creatine can mess up someones liver unless they drink a lot of water throughout the day.

When I took protein I took 20g of whey protein when i woke up, 20g of whey 45 mins before I worked out, and 40g of whey as soon as I got done working out. But I also took 40g of casein protein right before I went to bed.

If i was you I would invest into some casein protein. The difference in whey protein and casein protein is that whey is a fast digesting protein 35-50 mins. And casein protein is a slow dissolving protein 2-5 hrs.

If you take whey protein before bed its not doing you any good cuz your not working out while you are sleeping. But if you take casein protein before bed by the time you wake up it will still be in your system. Hope this helps