Well, i am new to this board, and i would like some advice
I was born skinny and i can't seem to gain much weight. i eat healthy and excessively to try to gain the weight, but it does not seem to work. Currently, i am trying to gain muscle mass. Does anyone have advice, any advice on this?
Sets? rep? which exercises best for which muscle group? etc.. open to any advice
Age: 15 , beginner to weight training
Hey, young man! I give you the best wishes for success within all of your fitness goals.
Welcome to the finest fitness forum on the planet. Keep reaching for education young man, it will serve you well within life, and may you always act reasonably and prudent in your action and reaction to your personal goals you seek.
While one could question, how involved a 15 year old should get in knowing the basic mechanics of diet, it goes with out even saying the power this can bring to the table when reasonably applied at this age, and lets not undermine the power of a young man willing to try to understand and apply the well known truths. Additionally, you will gain knowledge that is far superior than most in the "general public" when comes to diet and fitness, and will serve you well into your adult life.
It's my opinion, at 15 you are at an advantage and disadvantage when it comes to diet and fitness. I say this because some of biological processes are not mature (or naturally fully developed yet) to take "full" advantage of your efforts in the gym; however, properly training and properly setting your nutrition/calories will set a solid and healthy foundation that will provide many obvious benefits with the "maturity set" that is already in place and/or taking place.
So, lets begin with your diet, briefly.
It is not all that uncommon for a healthy 15 year old male, to have a "healthy" and fast metabolism. In its most "raw" form, you deal with a high metabolism, with eating more. The problems happen when one "thinks" they are eating enough, but once their eating habits are thoroughly examined and compared to the known basics of nutrition (i.e. calories), one can sometimes learn they weren't eating as much as they thought they were. Additionally, you "may" have such a high metabolism, you may defy some of the rather accurate calorie approximators (i.e Benedict formula). In addition, I believe it is logical and prudent for the body to "need extra calories at this age because some of the "biological processes" during this age period is well, "rather expensive" to process. Of course, one can still eat over what one needs, I am just saying it is logical to need more nutrition/calories at this age as compared to an adult where this "maturity switch" is already off and has been for quite some time, and this is a major difference between you and another mature adult.
There is nothing wrong with taking the basic mechanics of diet, and comparing it to what you are presently doing, and adjusting your eating habits through the education it provides you. I am not saying get obsessive, what I am saying is to give you a "general idea" and a foundation to work from--to improve your situation, and adjust from this to combat your fast metabolism. Its my opinion, a healthy and fast metabolism even at your age can be effectively dealt with--reasonably.
With you being so young. And, to begin an educated talk on nutrition and calories, that will do you very well in your personal growth, this is what I want you to do.
I want you to teach yourself:
1. Your base calorie need.
This is the personally approximated calorie level one needs, if they laid in bed all day, and did nothing.
2. Your MT-Line.
This is the amount of approximated amount of calories one would need when considering all activities.
You go here and do this:
(Originally Posted by Wrangell)
Put your answers here for all to see.
It is quite possible, that these figures can be off--because your age (and the factors I outline in this post). But, this will give you an idea--to adjust from. In other words, if you are eating at a certain level of calories, and this isn't producing "HEALTHY WEIGHT GAIN", then you would increase your calories until you do.
Young man, I wish you the best.
Do not ever forget how important educating is. It is simply your best friend.
Best regards,
Chillen