Building Muscle Questions

[csi]

I'm 5'8" 158 lbs (157-163 depending on foot/water/time I weigh myself) and currently on bulk. I actually have don't have a sense of when I should stop or what is a good number to go for. I have gained nearly 20 lbs in the last 7 months on a pretty clean diet.

I'm averaging 3000-3300 cals a day, 160-200g of protein and have a matrix of approx 25-30% fat/ 40-45% carbs/ 30% protein

Anyway while I have made PR's and definitely am getting stronger in the past month my weight has stalled at 158. I think I may have lost a pound while gaining strength.

1. So if my weight has stabilized I would have increase my cal intake by 10-20% correct? That increase would be sufficient to increase muscle mass? If i exceed that 20% mark does the excess cals immediately turn to fat? In other words when I bulk it is more effective to just slowly increase(10-20%) as opposed to just jumping up to 4500+ cals a day?

2. What I have been doing, from what I see from other members here, is that before bed I take Nitrean milk shake. Would be more harmful if I started to eat a meal before sleep? What about just taking weight gainer like maximus before bed?

3. I work out 7-9pm on weekdays and eat dinner after workout. If my dinners usually have at least 40+ grams of protein should I still be taking Maximus post workout? or try to shove it after some other meal?

[BFGUITAR]

1) There is no such thing as "immediate" when it comes to our body. The Fat:Muscle ratio will decrease as you eat more per day, but it doesn't all turn to fat past a certain point.

2) I would rather eat something 1-2 hours before bed... because while you sleep you don't really digest much. This way after 1-2 hours, depending on the meal, at least a good portion would have been digested and in the process of being absorbed.

3) Just eat food when ever you can/want.

[Slim Schaedle]

... because while you sleep you don't really digest much.

This is very incorrect.

[Slim Schaedle]

In other words when I bulk it is more effective to just slowly increase(10-20%) as opposed to just jumping up to 4500+ cals a day?

Yes.


EDIT:

More effective for gaining muscle? No.

More effective for gaining muscle and not adding unwanted extra lard? Yes.

[BFGUITAR]

This is very incorrect.

Hmm? I had always thought digestion itself slows down when sleeping? Can you explain?

[cphafner]

1. Increase somewhat slowly (up 300-500 cals) until you find your need level needed to gain weight.

2. Not a meal per se, but something before bed it good. Cottage cheese, milk+protein, something.

3. I drink a shake right after I workout (around 8) and then have a full meal about 1-1.5 hours later.

[csi]

1) There is no such thing as "immediate" when it comes to our body. The Fat:Muscle ratio will decrease as you eat more per day, but it doesn't all turn to fat past a certain point.


Just for clarification purposes are you saying when I initially ramp up my cal intake most of those calories will be converted into fat? Then once my body gets accustomed to the new rate more of those cals will be used in developing muscle?
or are you saying as you eat in excess of your maintenance level more of that excess will be used in muscle development then compared to the below maintenance cals? So in other words if my maintenance level was 3000 cals, the 2900-300 cals say would be devoted 70% fat and 30% muscle while the 3500-3600 cal would be 50% fat, 50% muscle? This seems counterintuitive so I may have just misunderstood what you are saying here.


1. Increase somewhat slowly (up 300-500 cals) until you find your need level needed to gain weight.


3. I drink a shake right after I workout (around 8) and then have a full meal about 1-1.5 hours later.

1. When I increase should I be increasing and comparing per week or day? or what time interval? In other words say I ramp up to 3500 cals, how many days is good enough to see if that number is a good benchmark before increasing?

3. Is there a reason why you eat a full meal 1-1.5 hours later? Like is there greater benefit to eating hour later as opposed to eating right after having the shake?
I live at home, and when I come home the meal is already prepared. I figure when I come home directly from workout i'll be hungrier so I just eat right after my whey/creatine shake.

[Bako Lifter]

Wow, it's not rocket science. You are maintainting on 3-3300 cals, so eat 33-3600 from now on.