Calling Female Hard-Gainer's (help?)

[TacyTeresa]

Ladies, I've "searched" first and didn't see anything really specific to female hard-gainers. The guys talk quantities that aren't realistic for me and my goals..perhaps some of y'all can help.

Here's the deal: I'm 5'10", 130-135 (natural weight), and in my family, we are all twigs. LONG limbs (torso is 3 in.), so muscles are stretched out and I never seem to "look" strong.

I had a heart defect when I was born; it was repaired at age 7 but I recovered slowly...always skinny, wimpy, little. At age 20 I started "filling" out if you wanna call it that but I'm still naturally thin.

My metabolism is insanely fast....

My apptetite is small....

Goal: 150 lbs. weight with a "strong" look, minimal fat.

To hit that goal, I'm doing my best to consume my body weight in protein and am also taking creatine. I've gained 5 lbs. in 5 days. I'm working out HARD (as heavy as I can handle, 8 reps; 3 sets), and only working out 2 days a week. I've been waiting till the soreness is gone before going back to the gym. I don't do lots of little exercises, I focus on the major groups (bench, lat pull, leg extensions, curls, blah blah blah...)

(After a few months of this I'll work in some cardio to drop any extra fat gained with current "load up" diet).

The good news is, I gained 5 lbs. But I'm really having trouble eating so much food and protein. I'm just not that hungry and I get full quickly.

Will a Meal Replacement Powder be a dumb idea? I figure if I split one portion out over 3 time periods (1 portion: 1875 calories + 74 gms of protein) then eat dinner (meat or chicken + veggies + salad), then drink another regular whey shake after my work out (1 hour after); then a glass of milk before bed, then I'm hitting my protein count and calorie count without having to eat but one "real" meal.

Seriously, I don't have the appetite or time to eat 6 times a day.

What do y'all think?

Thanks,

Tacy

[fit21]

Diet,diet,diet.It's very hard to get in 5-6 meals a day but if your goal is to put on lean mass its very important.Replace 2 meals with a MRP .When your body gets used to eating this way you will find that you're hungry.Stick with your heavy compound exercises and consider adding in another day of training.You didn't mention how you train (split,whole-body,etc.)Don't worry about the cardio if your goal is to put on size.Good luck!

[TacyTeresa]

Oh, sorry... I do full body when I do workout. I start with arms and work around to the legs. I take at least 2 and 1/2 minute "rests" between each set. And, on "rest" days, I try to resist the urge to be hyper-vigilante (no more daily pushups or dips, etc...)

[Amkey]

"Seriously, I don't have the appetite or time to eat 6 times a day."
Well this is your first mistake! Make the time or don't make the goal

If you are getting too full then you are not balancing your nutrients correctly. Refer to Gaffers Food Experiment in this forum for timing tactics.

I do not endorse Creatine because you get more than enough in meat and it makes you look puffy but as soon as you quit taking it then it's gone. I think it is a stupid supplement and nothing you can't get naturally.

You want to gain and have the "strong" look?

Eat/train hard/eat/eat/eat/rest/rest/rest

Weight gain = consuming more calories than you burn.

[laura817]

Great advice gals!

Because gaining weight for someone with high metabolism is extremely difficult, you will have to eat more calories than your body is used to. The goal is to eat enough calories to allow your body to build muscle while limiting the amount of body fat. Another suggestion is train with heavy weights.

[rrouleau]

Originally Posted by Amkey

"Seriously, I don't have the appetite or time to eat 6 times a day."
Well this is your first mistake! Make the time or don't make the goal

Im not a female but....

BAM!!!!! there ya go!! Listen to Amkey!


Just eat more. Some people need to eat more then others!!!! Experiment with you body, see what it needs and doesnt need to reach your goals.

[CF-OC_gal]

I know what you mean about fast metabolism and a slim body. In my 20's I was just like that, but not as tall as you are. I found that I could go all day if I put my mind to it and that was part of the problem. I thought "more was better." Instead I should have been patient and give my body time to adapt the the changes in eating and working out. At the same time you get to know yourself and the little things that trigger growth or overtraining.

I'd recommend using a training journal and start writing down the details about everything, your training goals, your weight/bodyfat% goals (a better indicator than a scale), your sleep habits , energy level, moods, etc.
Fitday.com is great for analysing what you eat.

Here is a link to a good article about healthy eating for gaining weight. It is designed for the general population not bodybuilders, but there is definately something to be gleened from the advice.

http://www.ivillage.com/diet/experts..._65988,00.html

Avoid long endurance type workout sessions. You want to go heavy and not for long (pay attention to good form of course)

[TacyTeresa]

You all rock, thanks for your input. I guess I'll have to keep forcing myself to eat more and hopefully I'll adjust (and not fall asleep at work; I get sleepy right after I eat). I've been keeping a log so I'll keep that up and start taking some pictures/measurements to track gains.

Thanks again everybody! When I look like Demi Moore in "GI Jane" I'll post a picture! (ha ha, not sure I can get that strong...we'll see)

[Tuna Fish]

Since you are just starting and using the full-body workout approach, you might think about starting with muscle groups located near your centerline and working outward. What I mean by this is beginning your workout with the largest muscle groups and ending with the smallest.

Upper body: start with back(rows or deadlifts), then chest, then delts, then triceps, then biceps.
Lower body: start with quads/glutes (squats), then hams, then calves.

If your training regimen is sound, you'll get the most out of your diet (and vice versa!)

Good Luck!

Tuna

[fit21]

Tuna's right on.Work the larger muscle groups first.They require the most amount of energy.

[TacyTeresa]

Thanks girls, you've validated what I learned in highschool (always start with biggest muscles/groups first then work down to isolate smaller ones...)

[midgetcop]

Someone else also mentioned this, but I agree: add another day of training in there. Your muscles will adjust, and the more you train the hungrier you will be because of the energy you've spent.

:

[TacyTeresa]

So instead of 3-4 day rests I should do 2-3 day rests... okay. I'll give it a shot. Interestingly, my soreness doesn't really set in till day 2-3 of the rest anyway.

Another issue, if anybody is still reading, is that I can't get my legs sore... Squats aren't an option in my apartment gym, but I'm doing leg extensions and curls... I though I was doing enough weight (and my knees certainly think it's enough), but no soreness. Just soreness in my upper body.

Any suggestions? Perhaps the answer is to get to a gym where squats are possible?

-TTT

[Lady C]

How are you warming-up those knees before doing the leg extensions? I have found this to be critical (for this grandma) to being able to get the joints warm before loading the muscles with heavy weights. After a good warm-up I can lift more and more reps. Sometimes will not be able to walk the next day without soreness.

Side note: I personally do squats because I'm too short for those leg machines and I can't find the right settings without hurting my knees.

I would not wait 3 days between workouts. Split your routine such that you workout almost everyday with cardio in between weight days. I do a 3 say split so I have everybody part worked out 1-1.5 times per week.

[TacyTeresa]

Originally Posted by Lady C

How are you warming-up those knees before doing the leg extensions?

I would not wait 3 days between workouts. Split your routine such that you workout almost everyday with cardio in between weight days. I do a 3 say split so I have everybody part worked out 1-1.5 times per week.

I'm not really warming up...guess I should. I could do a 8 min. on the stair climber thing to warm up. Historically, I don't have healthy knees (part of the problem in having such long legs and little muscles to support them). I've even had surgery on one of them to remove a cyst... it sounds like a bowl full of Rice Krispies when I work out or hike up stairs. So far, no pain though.

With regard to your suggestion about splitting my routine...that makes sense (upper one day, lower another), but in the research I've done my understanding is that doing cardio is a BAD idea for my body type.

Imagine the most hyperactive metabolism that you can...that is me. I've read articles that my type (ectomorph) should do everything we can to keep the heart rate down: no cardio, no running, no extra workouts (like doing push-ups/dips when I'm bored or feeling hyper); One article even suggested meditation to try and slow down my brain (thus slowing down my body).

So, I'm gonna stay clear of cardio. A quick warm up for my legs makes sense, but I won't make it longer then 8 min. I've stopped all extra excersise besides heavy lifting.

Does this make sense? I know I may gain extra body fat by avoiding cardio but I'm okay with that. After my strength is where I want it I'll do cardio to drop the unneccessary weight.

-TTT