Gym: morning or afternoon?
December 29, 2007 - 7:41am
Support rabble | Advertise with us | Contact our staff | About rabble | Log-in or Register for a new account | Corrections | Privacy policy | Newsfeeds | Mailing lists
rabble: Features | Columnists | In Cahoots | Blogs | Books | Photos | What's Up | Polls
babble: Forum Topics | Active Topics
The rpn: Become a Podcaster | Find a Show
rabbleTV: Program Guide | Features | Indie Inside | Best of the net
Copyright © 2001-2012 the authors
Syndicate
Babblers,
Who works out? I used to work out, lift mainly, in the afternoons. Recently I've switched to early morning lifting. I've noticed a significant difference in the results and I was wondering if anyone else had this same experience.
I lift to put on weight. I try and pack on weight in the winter, which I subsequently lose over spring-summer-fall. And it seems the only way I can put on healty weight is to lift. But since I switched to a morning lift, I've lost weight, not made my usual gains. I think this is either a metabolism thing, the morning exercise amping the burn throughout the day, or maybe I'm simply not following my workout with a meal. The secondary question is what's a good non-meat source of protein. I want to stay away from shakes and energy bars, if possible.
I suspect you would already know about Glutamine. Some people I know take just that as a supplement to stave off catabolism. And I agree with what you've implied - that you must eat. Losing fat is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's generally a sign you're not eating enough to maintain anabolic state. Chocolate is high in fat and largely anabolic by what I know.
I used to buy a mixture of powders, casein and whey - from Muscle Madness near downtown Ottawa. That can be somewhat expensive, but these guys pointed out to me that there are all kinds of additives in the commercial brands, like aspartame which I don't care to ingest into the temple. Sometimes I buy a can of Methoxy Pure - it has both slow and fast absorbing proteins. BCAA's? Beef liver tabs? Whole milk and eggs for a few weeks if your cholesterol levels are A1. Are you getting enough rest? Because you won't grow if tired throughout the day. Might as well not even lift if that's the case eh.
[ 29 December 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]
No, not tired during the day. I like working out in the mornings. Plus the gym isn't very busy at six am.
I eat all the time, to excess, and never put on weight unless I lift. I stop lifting in the summer, because I have issues with going to the gym in the warm months and because I'm usually tired.
I think this must be diet related, though. When I was lifting at four or five in the afternoon, then eating my usual three plates of meat, taters and veggies, I didn't have this leaning out issue. I'd like to keep my supplemental eating into the whole foods sphere, which is why I dislike manufactured bars and shakes and such. Maybe an egg and cheese sandwich as an after exercise treat. Toss some hot peppers on it...
Eggs and cheese are well known bodybuilders. I sometimes have a problem maintaining calorie and protein intake. It's hard when your normal activity isn't the same from week to week. Try peanut butter, honey, and cheese sandwiches on pumpernickel or light rye. One of those every coupla between meals will cause stairtreads to squeek under my feet. I soemtimes like low fat cottage cheese before a nap or toddling off to bed. Casein has a trickling-absorptive effect in the gut, which is great for building muscle while yer asleep. Just be careful you don't get out of breath shuffling down to the fridge at night. My mama always used to say that strength goes in at the mouth. She was right. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
quote:Originally posted by Fidel:
Eggs and cheese are well known bodybuilders. I sometimes have a problem maintaining calorie and protein intake. It's hard when your normal activity isn't the same from week to week. Try peanut butter, honey, and cheese sandwiches on pumpernickel or light rye. One of those every coupla between meals will cause stairtreads to squeek under my feet. I soemtimes like low fat cottage cheese before a nap or toddling off to bed. Casein has a trickling-absorptive effect in the gut, which is great for building muscle while yer asleep. Just be careful you don't get out of breath shuffling down to the fridge at night. My mama always used to say that strength goes in at the mouth. She was right. [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
A lot of the weight building websites articulate the slogan of "1 gram of protein a day per pound of bodyweight". That's a hell of a lot of eggs, cheese, peanut butter, dairy, fish, powder, and meat. One egg has 6 grams of protein, a glass of milk has 8 grams. Those people sound very rich.
I suspect these magic formulas and ratios are artificial. 3000 quality calories a day should work fine unless you're the guy who always comes in 3rd at triathlon who wants to improve to second.
quote:Originally posted by 500_Apples:
A lot of the weight building websites articulate the slogan of "1 gram of protein a day per pound of bodyweight". That's a hell of a lot of eggs, cheese, peanut butter, dairy, fish, powder, and meat.
I think nutritionists recommend 0.8 grams/kilogram of body weight per day. As far as bodybuilders go, some will ingest 2g per kg of body weight, or more, and depending on how much bodyweight they're trying to maintain. Elite athletes, and again, depending on the individual's metabolism, the sport, and training regimen, overall caloric and protein intakes will vary widely. 3000 calories might even be too much for a larger person while not enough for a smaller person with higher metabolism.
A general rule is that a lb of muscle represents about 2500 calories(1 lb of fat about 3500 cal) If you were to aim for a gain of one lb of lean body tissue per week, and that's overly ambitious, then you'd have to make sure to consume 2500 calories/week over and above what you expend through exercise and basal metabolic rate in general. Bodybuilders aren't the healthiest people in the world. But if I have a choice between eating well and having physical strength through my 60's and maybe into my 70's versus being a sinewy stringbean and lasting to 79 or 80 years of age, I might be okay with that. You can't gorge on those bodybuilder diets all year round or you'll develop atherosclerosis before your time. A balanced diet with a variety of foods is recommended.
But the real issue here is, are you enjoying the am workouts well enough, FP? I think it's a good feeling to get things done and out of the way before the day starts.
[ 29 December 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]
I'm contemplating signing up for a gym membership, but I'm worried that I won't actually get my money's worth. I can't see myself waking up at 5 AM to head in before work, but after a nine hour day and two hour commute I'm doubtful that I will head in in the evening. I need to get a job at the Googleplex, or somewhere else with a built-in gym!
quote:Originally posted by jrose:
I'm contemplating signing up for a gym membership, but I'm worried that I won't actually get my money's worth. I can't see myself waking up at 5 AM to head in before work, but after a nine hour day and two hour commute I'm doubtful that I will head in in the evening. I need to get a job at the Googleplex, or somewhere else with a built-in gym!
I'd do some at home workouts in that situations, maybe buy some weights. For the same cost as a gym membership you can buy a decent hybrid bicycle. You could also try a month to month membership.
I hate commuting myself. It was the worst part of living in Montreal and going to McGill for me. 2+ hours every day, if you include CEGEP I did that for six years. It's why I prefer smaller cities.
quote:Originally posted by jrose:
I'm contemplating signing up for a gym membership, but I'm worried that I won't actually get my money's worth.
I purchased an elliptical several years ago and I've been exercising daily ever since (I much prefer to go hiking, but the elliptical will do as a substitute)
I think morning or early day exercise is best if weight loss is your goal (must be a metabolism thing) Owning an elliptical just makes it so convenient. Somewhere between 6mths and 1yr, it just becomes addictive!
I personally think daily, regular exercise is the foundation to a healthy mind and body.
Yes, I do like the morning workout better. I don't like crowded gyms, for one, and most gyms are busy in the late afternoons and early evenings.
Sounds dumb, but I guess I never took into account how the time of day affects the process of exercise and muscle building. I'm sure that my issue is diet related. And if I need to treat myself to a sausage-bacon-cheese-egg breakfast sandwich (this is after my usual round of two apples and either granola and yogurt or oatmeal) as a post-workout treat, that's not going to be such a big problem.
Generally, I put on ten pounds over four months of winter lifting and heavy eating. Then it gradually melts off during the spring and summer. If I didn't put on that weight, I'd still lose about ten pounds, and I'd start looking and feeling emaciated.
JRose, yes, there's probably not much point getting a gym membership that you aren't going to use. However, I have found that once I get into a gym routine, it gets addictive.
It's crucial that you take in some protein within one hour of exercise. You're tearing muscle down in the gymn. And your body is looking for something to use to build it back up again asap. This is why bb'ers and athletes like protein from whey, bc it's fast absorbing. I've never known many farmers who don't work pretty hard all day long as a rule, so that's why I suspected a fuel issue. More carbs, FP?
More carbs? I'm not sure how much more I can eat. I pile through carbs like a pro cyclist. My favourite carb loading snack is Jake Bake pretzels. I go through a three pound bag in ten days.
I'm going to investigate a little more. I'm not against a post-workout bar, but I think I'd rather stick with my whole food diet. Plus, I assume bars are expensive, as are shakes. I spend enough on food as it is.
Be careful with bars. I find too many of them are old stock and taste like cardboard. They shouldn't be stale for the amount of money they want for them. This is a cached page for Charles Poliquin's site talking about supplements. Charles is originally from Ottawa, and he knows his stuff when it comes to exercise science and nutrition. I would probably not recommend fish oil unless you're sure of the quality. There are concerns about PCB levels in algae-eating ocean fish.
Building strength and muscle will not happen without increasing your intake of nutritional building blocks, vitamins and minerals to facilitate protein synthesis. It's a law of physics.
[ 30 December 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]
Do a lot of places offer month to month memberships? I hear so many stories where people seem to be locked in of contracts that they can't break.
This is not an option for most people who live in small apartments or are on tight budgets. But this Canadian person is a welder and fabricator and makes high quality home gym equipment. Apparently if you send him a photo of a piece of equipment you want, he can create it and ship you one. It's a lot of money up front, but consider what you would spend on gym memberships, transportation, time spent travelling to a from etc over several years. That's if you're committed to fitness. And there are other ways of staying fit, yes there are.
I like going to the gym, just because it gets me out of the house and all the motivation surrounding that ritual and routine. I know people who've been going to the Nepean Sportsplex for like 15 or 20 years. But not everyone has a decent fitness centre handy like some people do. And some people are so into fitness that they have both a gym membership as well as their own home fitness contraptions. It's handy for those days you just don't feel like going to the gym or are pressed for time.
With gym clubs there are distractions and lineups to use the equipment. I have a commercial brand(Tuff Stuff) safety squat&benchpress cage in my basement that cost me about $700 bucks on sale a few years ago. If I ever needed to sell it to free up some room or for whatever reason, I could do that because it is a sought after piece of gym equipment. I'm not sure what I would get for it, but I wouldn't let it go for too much less than what I paid. It shouldn't depreciate in value like a new car after the first year or anything.
quote: This is not an option for most people who live in small apartments or are on tight budgets.
Unfortunately, unless we're talking about a small set of weights, most exercise equipment isn't practical for home use. I did however receive one of those monsterous yoga balls for Christmas, though I plan on using it more as a desk chair (for posture) than I am for working out.
[ 30 December 2007: Message edited by: jrose ]
I know someone who trains with weights as regularly as he can, has a wife and kids, and he drives long distance transport trucks for a living. You wouldn't believe the stories he's told about scheduling workouts around adversity and being away from his home gym. I find that's typical of living and working in Canada. It's a struggle to do anything outside of work and home life.
I have a cousin in England who's a truck driver, and another who drives bendy buses. One of them exercises very little, while the other one could never enjoy weight training in the confines of his basement or even a club. He walks all the time and cycles. I think he's bicycled through just about every country in Europe.
I thought that lots of little weight repetitions lead to more healthy heart, and less repetitions but more weight each time lead to bigger muscles. Have you maybe changed this?
Also I find a quick easy snack is a dessert plate half full of frozen veges (beans and peas have protein). add any of- a small tin of tuna, grated cheese, an egg. Microwave on high until heated, and egg is cooked.
Also bananas are a great easy after workout snack.
I have always heard if you want to lose weight to go to cardio in the morning, if you want to gain weight perhaps you should consider working out in the evening and then fishing off your night with a high protein shake so your muscles can evolve as you sleep.
Tudor Bompa was one of several exercise scientists who developed a training system referred to as periodization Amateur fitness enthusiasts around the world have applied these principles to their own fitness routines for the last several years.
I'm surprised no-one has mentioned beans and legumes as a non-meat source of protein for someone who doesn't want to take supplements. When I was a vegetarian, I was also running 6 miles a day 6 days a week, and was never healthier (I was not a vegan so there was also dairy).
Generally, I'm leery of supplements and would never use them (other than multivitamins). But those powdered drinks--who knows where the ingredients came from or how old they are? And what about the long-term implications of an extremely high protein diet? When I was in school, we learned that high protein diets are hard on your kidneys.
Trouble with working out in the evening, I've found, is that it can interfere with your sleep.
Sineed, I think the difference might be in the exercise of running vs the weight lifting, and the nutritional demands of each. Fidel has hit on my issue. Not enough protein to go along with a regular schedule of lifting. I wasn't putting on the weight I usually do, with a basic heavy weight, low rep routine. I thought this was maybe a metabolic issue of morning vs late afternoon workouts, but I can see now that it's likely a simple nutritional deficiency. Good call on the legumes.
What I'm going to try is either buying myself a breakfast burrito (from a reputable deli cloes by the gym) or make up my own egg\cheese\tortilla\whole wheat bagel concoction and scarf it immediately after working out.
I'm leery of supplements, too, for the same reasons. If I can't quickly identify the source of what I'm eating, I get nervous.
JRose, why not get a set of dumbells to go along with your ball. I use a ball in the gym for several exercises and it's amazing what it does for core work. Dumbell press, dumbell flys, seated on the ball curls and presses, it all makes for a serious workout with manageable weights.
Here's what I'm going to try:
whole wheat bagel, toasted (label says 5grams protein per half, so ten grams total)
three slices of cheddar (probably around 20g protein)
one round breakfast sausage (label claims 5g)
protein total for my after workout treat: approx 30 gram protein
That's on top of my regular breakfast of yogurt mixed with almond granola and a handfull of raisins.
Let the gaining begin.
That sounds like a fairly healthy breakee, FP. Just keep in mind that if you're not experiencing gains for some reason or other, that it's likely you're expending more calories than are needed to sustain growth. As you made mention of already - the most common method of knowing that you're ingesting enough calories to sustain muscle growth is to see some fat accumulation around your waist(the waist is where most people put on excess fat). Another check is to use a tape measure on limbs and waist. A third is to weigh yourself on same accurate scale(don't rely on the cheap one at home) once a week at the same time on an empty stomach, and you should be noticing gains of at least a pound or two. And yes, not all of that weight gain will be muscle.
Your only other alternative is to start weighing each morsel of food against a daily food plan, and-or hire an Olympic nutritionist and chef to monitor your progress scientifically. Just remember to go back to balanced meals by at least springtime. Have regular health checkups(as in, see a qualified doctor on a regular basis) for sure.
And if you're tired after several weeks of giving it your all for no more than one hour per workout and no more than 3or4X's per week, then it's likely you're in a state of being overtrained, which is taxing on your immune system, muscles and overall health, and you won't make any gains. You'll feel like shit, sore and exhausted in general. see periodized training
eta: Clean/lean carbs and protein are fine, as you and Sineed have pointed out are necessary for normal, healthy eating. But what you're trying to do isn't exactly normal, is it? Keep in mind that most of the cells in your body are made up of a number of things, including cholesterol, or fat. You wouldn't want to begin building a barn with one-by-fours and bits of trim, would you?
[ 06 January 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]
Not normal in what way?
I usually know when I'm overtraining because I start not being able to lift what I usually lift, or the gains in strength slow-stop.
quote:Originally posted by Farmpunk:
Not normal in what way?
I usually know when I'm overtraining because I start not being able to lift what I usually lift, or the gains in strength slow-stop.
That's one of the side effects. Bodybuilding and weight training in general are not common to everyone's exercise routines.
Very many people will start into an exercise routine gung-ho - there is no lack of effort on their part. Some will join a club or buy a weight set/home gym. And about the twelvth week into it, they find it really difficult to get out of bed one Saturday morning. The mistake is that the new weight trainer, or the person who's been away from it a while, has recently been dedicated to exercising, sometimes lifting weights, breaking down his/her muscles in the gym, and not worrying too much about replenishing their bodies with protein, vitamins/minerals, and rest. That's why a balanced diet is important. Fat is part of a balanced diet, and some bb'ers tend to increase that part of the balanced diet a little for several weeks at a time to provide all of the nutritional building blocks necessary for muscle growth.
Lifting heavy weights taxes your immune system during recovery and forces your body to try to repair and build itself up again during rest and especially during sleep. The person who is overtrained is likely undernourished as well for the amount of effort they put into their workouts. They may have a cold and feel rundown. And they definitely won't perform physically as well as they should be able to. The gung-ho exerciser will tend to give up and quit going to the club or mothball the home gym at that point wondering what's wrong with themselves. It's very normal to lose weight after expending more calories than you take in, especially after several weeks of weight training. And that's if your goal is to lose weight. Losing weight is hard on your body as well.
eta: If you desire to, you can tell absolutely whether your body's in a state of "ketosis", or lacking enough carbs and calories in general leading to breakdown of fat(and then when there's no more fat to burn, muscle is broken down and used for fuel). Ask a pharmacist for Ketostix, or test strips that you void/pee on. They change colour if you're in a state of metabolic ketosis, which is not what you want when trying to build yourself up.
[ 06 January 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]
No Coffee, No go to gym.
Can't drink coffee later in the day.
So, it's a morning practice, for me. Swimming and yoga, mostly.
Well, the new nutrition program is apparently working. I'm making gains. About five, six, pounds since I started in early January. I feel like switching to more of an egg mcmuffin style after workout sandwich, but I don't want to be frying eggs at five thirty in the morning. The ambiguously meat breakfast sausages are much easier to manage.
I just joined a gym and have been going in the early morning and I quite like it as there is usually only 1 or 2 people so I don't have to wait for the machines. I also like the early mornings because after work I am a lazy slug and cannot get my butt in gear to even take the garbage out let alone go to the gym.
This is a great idea for a thread and we should keep it up so we can keep each other going.
Whoa! I see nobody's been to the gymn since 2008? C'mon! Here's a great way to get your lower backs and hams in shape for gardening/flower bed season. You should do a couple of weeks with an empty barbell ie. just the bar and no weights. "Good mornings" are a back/hamstring exercise that you should progress into doing slowly after some initial lower back strengthening over the course of a few weeks first.
Do these easier exercises first, the superman exercise for toning and strengthening lower back muscles. I have lower back pain the odd time, and doing these makes my lower back feel really good. If you have no lower back pain, begin with two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions each to start off with. Rest those back muscles for a day to allow them to recover. Continue the day after a complete day of resting those same muscles ie. no supermans and no good mornings for one day after doing them. Day of work followed by day of rest is a recognized scientific approach to strength training.
My go to exercise is push-ups. At least 300 last Saturday. Still feel like Popeye. Gotta start off slower next time though. Winter football helped and have summer Euro football planned.
With all the fishing, I might just get in shape.
300? My GAWD that's a lot! And I feel good if I do 30.
Normally. same here Fidel, 0 is my max. I just messed up and went all out and I'm still sore today. Can't jump all-in, work it up slowly.
I have a treadmill - just use it winter when there's snow on the roads, because the roads are not cleared, and we have no sidewalks. I hate walking in deep snow.
You must be in pretty good shape if you can do that many pushups. That's excellent.
I like the idea of a treadmill for winter walking. I think I might get one. A stationary bike is an excellent piece of equipment, too. It lowers the impact on knees and ankle joints.
Excellent, guys! We were designed to be in motion. Everything works better with exercise they say.
I had two stationary bikes, but overall I didn't use them much - I found the first one uncomfortable, the second even more so, so I got rid of them both and got the treadmill. I love it.
I'm getting my treadmill soon...Fidel, start with 1 pushup and work from there my friend. I need you in good shape.
And Boom Boom, where did you find time to post? Drop and give me 1.
Walking, pushups, it's all good. Not many articles we read about the benefits of exercise will mention the lymphatic system I think it's one of those systems of the body that is not entirely understood by medical science. They know it's part of your immune system. And unlike blood flow, the heart doesn't work to pump lymph fluid. Instead, lymph is pumped against gravity by muscle actions up through your torso, neck and head before draining into the veinous system to the liver where it is filtered. So it's really important not to be sedentary for a lot of reasons and more than a lot of people realize. Fresh, juicy fruits are a really good idea. And water! Water is a natural anti-inflammatory and the only fluid your body really asks for. We need it for all kinds of things, from lubricating joints while exercising to keeping us from drying up and blowing away in the wind. Ha!
Water! feed me Fidel. :(
I pick the morning....or the afternoon....go to the gym whenever you want, I'll be at home on the couch.
Politicalnick and I concur on this one.
You CAN do it!!!
Dropping for 5
How about a couch potato thread? We could type off some demotivational commentaries in that one and still be on topic at the same time. Might take some effort though.
How about a couch potato thread? We could type off some demotivational commentaries in that one and still be on topic at the same time. Might take some effort though.
Yeah, a couch potato thread.
I need a wireless keybourd though so i don't have to get off the couch to participate.
Maybe you could just pay someone's grandmother to post for you?
Maybe you could just pay someone's grandmother to post for you?
Do you know one that's available?
Damnit, I didn't do nothin' today cept go for a short walk. I'm now going to plant a thought in your mind, Nick. It's a form of brainwashing, I know. But here goes... Don't be a slug, making walking your drug.
Okay now that you're in my trance, I wan't you to schedule in some walking. Start small. To the mailbox, or to the corner down the street and back. Build yourself up to walking a city block, then around the block. Repeat three or four times a week. Just don't short change yourself on exercise.
Damnit, I didn't do nothin' today cept go for a short walk. I'm now going to plant a thought in your mind, Nick. It's a form of brainwashing, I know. But here goes... Don't be a slug, making walking your drug.
Okay now that you're in my trance, I wan't you to schedule in some walking. Start small. To the mailbox, or to the corner down the street and back. Build yourself up to walking a city block, then around the block. Repeat three or four times a week. Just don't short change yourself on exercise.
Actually I was just being a little fecesious. I walk my dog with my wife everyday (about 1.5 miles) and we walk to the store a lot since it is only 10 minutes. I still play hockey twice a week and visit the pool regularly in the summer months.
Thank you for caring though.
This thread popped up at just the right time for me. I used to work out 3 hours in the morning and do martial arts for 2 hours a few nights a week. I had never felt better. One car accident later and it put me out but now that is a few years behind me I want to start up again, I have a complete home gym as I always worked out at home but am going to start out bicycling.
Here's a note on protein, just a case study of me but I was having issues with short term memory and working memory as well as with energy levels. I had remembered before my accident I would take extra protein on my martial arts night and it would boost my energy so I added extra protein to my diet (the 1 gram per pound Fidel talked about earlier) and it solved not only my energy levels but my memory issues. To this day - five years after the accident - if I don't get at least 1 gram per pound 3 days a week I start to have troubles with my working memory.
What martial arts did you take Refuge?
Judo
Great thread. Got me going again. I'm of the opinion that I like excersizing any time of the day. One week later I still had trouble doing 10 push ups last night. The abs still hurt. Dropped for 10 again tonight and it might finally be easing up.
The winter hasn't helped. I need to stretch all the time.
Hoping to play some soccer, basketball and tennis soon.
Sorry to hear about the accident Refuge, I have a very similar story as I had a motorcycle accident at 20 that really hampered my participation in physical activities. I've been slowly involving myself with more sports and exercise.
[ 29 December 2007: Message edited by: Fidel ]
Just wondered if you could elaborate on the glutamine and chocolate for me, as I already consume pretty decent quantities of proteins through shakes, eggs, chicken, tuna and cottage cheese but I am a hard gainer, always have been with a fast metabolism and a small frame just wondered if you could explain how chocolate and glutamine could help.
Judo
Sorry to be nosey but shodan? ...
In my gym rat days, I used to hit the weights in the morning and then spend a couple of hours on the mats pretty much every day. When my knees finally reached the point that competitive judo was out of the question and I stopped serious judo training I ended up with a weight lifting partner that owned the local black iron gym so I'd work out with him in the morning before the gym opened. That was fine and I made good gains but at some point he moved and I couldn't access the gym first thing in the morning. Ended up working out with the new owners after the gym had officially closed - my gains increased exponentially.
It sounds like you're eating well enough to gain. I have used Methoxy Pro for over ten years, but anything that has both whey and casein sources is good. Sometimes you can find shops that will mix powders for you, but that can be expensive. You want both the faster absorbing whey and slow/trickle absorbing casein sources together for optimal effect. Try some branch chained aminos, and beef liver tabs along with the glutamine. The issue with muscle and weight gain in general is one of physics. You can't gain mass from thin air - you have to eat. Building a building or anything requires building material, right? Think of food as your building materials that will be used during rest and recovery to repair and build muscle that's been torn down in the gym. If you're hard gainer, then it's probably a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've seen the so-called skinny, hard-gainers make some fairly impressive gains. If you are made of a lot of slow-twitch muscle fiber, then you know you must lift heavy and allow for recovery aka adequate rest. Most "hard gainers" are simply over-trained. Don't do that - because your body perceives overtraining as a stress and releases catabolizing hormones. Same with hunger. Don't do hunger, it causes your body to release cortisol, and cortisol causes muscle to waste. All your steaks, filly mignons, and tuna down the drain. Don't let yourself go hungry. By the time you recognize the hunger, it's too late same with thirst and dehydration.
Sound like youre getting enough protein, but what about overall calories from carbs and fat? Lean muscle cells are made of fat and cholesterol. Maybe youre eating too lean and not enough to maintain muscle gain? Chocolate, eggs, whole milk! Have a cheeseburger and chocolate shake. Have a jar of peanut butter on hand at all times. Make yourself cheese, p-butter and honey sandwiches now and then. After a while of that you won't be thinking youre a hard gainer at all. You may experience nausea from eating more than youre used to, but after a while it comes easier, trust me. And remember not to indulge so much when taking a break from the gym. Bad habits sometimes get out of hand. You don't want to make the Olympic eating team just build muscle.
Check out periodization and periodized workouts by either Tudor Bompa or Charles Poliquin, both Canadians. Periodization is gaining muscle and strength the scientific way.
My grandma used to say that strength goes in at the mouth, and she was absolutely right. Every country has their strong people another hand, there are many health pluses to the vegan and leaner diets I'm finding. Big and bulky is nice when youre young, but youre not always going to be young. Think on that, too. You should really think about feeling good and being healthy on the inside as well. And feeling good from the inside out usually isn't compatible with high calorie diets like body-building promotes.