excercise to GAIN weight?

[LadyFaile]

i'm planning on joining the gym, my boyfriend is a member but he never goes, and well he needs to get into shape cause bike season starts in a month or so (he races in cross country mountain biking events). he keeps whining that he doesn't like working out alone, and well i've tried everything to gain weight and i can't seem to get over the 100 lb mark. everyone i've talked to have said to try weights.

so for my sake and the bf's i'm going to start working out with him. thing is he'll be doing a lot of cardio. while i could use the cardio, i can't afford to burn the calories, i already eat as much as i can stuff in me.

what excercises other than weights can i do for overall health that won't burn too much, and what weight machines and techniques should i be using to put on some muscle? areas of concern: upper body mostly, i can't support my own weight with both arms (i could never do monkey bars as a kid) and i can't lift much, it sucks sometimes, and i'd like to tone my abs. my legs are in good shape cause i walk a lot but everything else is either all bones or all fat, no muscle

[rainbowmoon]

My first thought is walking on the treadmill for a cardio exercise that really doesn't burn a lot of calories. You can go at a moderate intensity with moderate incline and still only burn about 150 calories for an hour of working out. Walking has been shown to reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health without really burning a TON of calories.
Its also good to take into account that when you work out, you should be hungrier and eat more. So, just be sure to take into the account the calories you are working off and eat them!
As far as weights- I don't know what kind of equipment you have access to or how much expertise you have with weights, but most people I know go one of two ways- they use machines or free weights. I, however, think its a good idea to combine the two, and reap both of their benefits. At any rate, how many days a week do you have to train? I would say that creating a weight routine has a lot to do with how many days you choose to do it on- there are so many ways to do it.
Good luck!

[LadyFaile]

well the idea is that i'm going with my boyfriend to keep him motivated, and ideally he should be going 3 or 4 days a week. now there are classes we can join at the gym as well, there's one for weights and one on stationary bikes that would be good for him. i'd maybe take the weights class with him, since i don't know much about doing weights this way i have some instruction and supervision, but the biking class may be too difficult for me and burn too many calories so i may go off on my own while he's in that one.

walking i do anyway, i walk to work most days and on days off i take walks, either around town just for something to do or to go do shopping or cash my paycheque etc

i suppose cardio-wise i can do a little on the bikes, that's where the bf will spend a lot of his time anyways, i'll just have to be careful not to overdo it.

anyway we'll probably only make it to one class a week cause the schedule's a bit wierd and my work schedule is all over the place so i'm just not sure what i should be doing in the meantime.
it's a big gym and they have pretty much every machine. i guess i can always ask the staff which machines are best for me but i'm not sure how much info they'll give out freely, they really push members to sign on for personal trainers which costs a bloody fortune. while a trainer would be helpful i can't justify spending the money.

also while i'm thinking of it, what about eating before and after working out, how long before working out should i eat, what should i eat, and what should i have afterwards to restore calories? i'm thinking load up on carbs before and protein after? does that sound right?

[Jinga]

In order to build muscle, you need to consume more calories and strength train. If you are already consuming the max amount of volume you are comfortable with, try replacing some low caloric density foods with higher caloric density foods ... ie-add things like PB, avocados, veg oils, etc. They are less filling, so you should be able to eat more.

[zoebird]

weight training/lifting is a process. You can work on strength gains over time--since you are going to be doing this over time. It is possible to gain weight/muscle--and it involves the dietary issues that Jinga mentioned.

i personally like functional training. it's free weights, so you are free to really find your own groove and work at your own pace. the exercises are basic and they take about 30 minutes to work through. i only do it twice a week, and i'm considering cutting back to once now that i'm taking up rock climbing seriously. so, here is my twice a week routine (which, btw, works best for underweights/ectomorphs):

1. squat, bench press, overhead press, weighted crunches and weighted side bends
2. dead lift, row, pull downs/chin ups, weighted crunches (pulley crunches) and weighted side bends.

because belaying (for rock climbing) uses the right arm/shoulder more than the left, i've added in rotator cuff exercises to protect the rotator cuff AND i've added shoulder exercises to make sure that my left shoulder is as strong as my right (lateral raises, front raises). This is simply to be sport specific and balanced--it's not really part of functional training.

Now, as i may be going down to one day a week, the program will likely look like this:

dead lifts (i prefer them to squats and i'm biomechanically better suited for them), bench press, row, overhead press, pull down/chins, weighted crunches and weighted side bends.

this workout should take about 45 minutes or so. then, i do about 30 minutes of cardio and about 15-20 minutes of yoga to get stretched out (sun salutations A and B, hip openers like crescent lunge, pidgeon pose, and hanumanasana--splits--and then a couple of back bends, an inversion, and savasana or rest).

anyway, should be able to gain muscle thus.

[LadyFaile]

i have no idea what any of those are :dunce: but i'm sure i can look them up

er what's ectomorph mean, i've heard that term before but no idea what it is ?

thanks for the info!

[zoebird]

ectomorph refers to the greek body typing system. generally, it means short muscle bellies, small muscle, long thin bones and relatively low body fat. most underweights and professional models are 'ectomorphic body types.' the other types are mesomorphs and endomorphs. mosemorphs have medium, long muscle bellies that show full muscle, medium bone structures, and relatively little fat. people who can do nothing (no exercise) or exercise and have a terrible diet, and still have a lean, musclar look, are mesomorphs. Endomorphs are individuals who have large muscles in the upper arms and thighs and a nice layeer of fat evenly distributed around their bodies. they have a 'soft' look to them--and when they start to exercise their legs or arms, they get huge muscle gains very quickly. they tend not to be 'lean'--no matter how hard they work.

look up the movements--there are some pictures online or in the books Brawn and Beyond Brawn by Stuart McRobert. Good luck!

[EjGlows]

There is a simple equation you need to follow here...

#1 Lift heavy objects. Lots of them. Try not to lift the same muscle groups back-to-back, they need 36-48hrs recovery. Aim for 8-12 reps (really make those count!)
#2 TO gain 1lbs you must eat +3500 Cals. There is no getting around this. Slowly add food to your diet. Add oils and extra protein rich foods.

good luck...

e

[LadyFaile]

i just can't eat that much :no: i'm struggling just to get my daily minimum requirements of 1600 calories in order to maintain my weight. so far that's working, i got back up to 100lbs and have stayed there, whereas before i'd to 100 and drop back to 95 the next week. i'm doing well in the sense that i'm not fluctuating, but i can't get past the 100 lbs mark and i just can't make myself eat any more than i already do.
i'm trying though, my daily goals are to eat at least 3 meals a day (i used to eat 2) often i manage to have 4 if my work schedule allows it, and at least 2 snacks, and also to include a meat substitute in at least one of those meals. so far i'm achieving those goals, i'm just not sure what my next goal should be, what i can add into a day or a meal etc.
at lunch i eat as much as i can stuff into me, ditto for supper, and at breakfast well i just can't eat a lot in the morning. i have to eat, i never ever skip breakfast or i feel sick all day, but i can't eat much more than a bagel or toast.
today i slept in late so breakfast was more like lunch so i had pancakes and veggie sausage patties, but i can't eat like that right before work

i dunno, this is why i need excercises that don't burn too many calories, i can't afford to burn anything. my brother has had the same problem as me his whole life, he's about 5'6" and 130 lbs or so and eats constantly, tries several different protein and weight-gain shakes and supplements, tried creatine, nothing has helped him. he works out and has good muscle definition but no bulk. like the muscles are there and they're good but they're small and he just can't build up. he's in good shape but scrawny. i guess it's just the way my family is built and there's probably not much i can do about it. but i can at least get what i do have into better shape like he did and that's better than nothing right?

anyway another reason for wanting to start excercising is that i heard that women start to lose their flexibility in their early-mid 20's, and mine's been going downhill real fast for a couple years now. does yoga burn much calories or is there a specific type of yoga that would be best for my body type? the gym offers a class in it as well, but yeah i'm scared to do too much too fast and lose weight again :(

[Jinga]

No offense, but you are asking the impossible. If you exert more energy, but refuse to eat any more, you will lose weight. Thats how the body works. In order to gain weight (muscle or fat), you need to eat more than you are currently consuming to maintain. Also keep in mind, that if you build new muscle, your metabolism will increase and you will need to eat more to maintain. I've already stated my recommendation of eating more calorically dense foods (nuts, veg oils, avocados). Thats the easiest way to eat more calories without feeling like you are consuming a great amount more of food. 1600 calories is not very much. I'd recommend upping it to at least 1800 with the mild workout. Thats one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of PB. You should be able to do that without any problems.

[LadyFaile]

yeah i was just asking for which excercises/machines would help build muscle without burning a lot of calories. i'm not looking for a miracle excercise i just need to know which ones are best for my body type and my goals. i know i need to increase my calories and i'm trying. and i know i need to eat more when i'm excercising, i'm kinda going with the idea that if i'm working out i'll be hungrier so that should help. 1600 calories is my minimum. like absolute bare minimum to not lose weight and to make it through the day and not drop 3 pounds overnight (literally!!!) and be dizzy and sleepy the whole next day. i aim higher but it's like once i get to 1600 the pressure's off and i can eat whatever i want and it's just bonus calories.
but yeah i just needed some excercise recommendations, i have other food threads on the go so i don't want to hijack the whole site with my food issues

[zoebird]

when you are exercising, as you gain muscle, you'll feel hungrier--so you'll be able to eat more.

my husband eats about 3500 cals a day, and he needs to. i eat about 2000/2200 a day, and that's what i need. people are different. but, you definately need to get more than 1600, once you start exercising.

[LadyFaile]

alrighty. thanks for the info.
i'm really hoping excercise will also help movitave me into cooking more often, i tend to be lazy with meals lately

[LadyFaile]

hey so as i mentioned in another thread, i started at the gym finally. just wondering, how many days in a row should i work out and how often should i take a day off? i mean i know when my brother was doing weights he'd work for 3 days and take a day off, then 2 days and a day off then back to 3 (or something like that)
i've gone 2 days in a row and just not sure if i should go again today or take a break. i won't be able to go tomorrow, so i don't really want to take 2 days off in a row but i don't want to overdo it either.

the person who signed me up at the gym said i need to cut back on cardio, at the moment i'm following my bf's routine cause we have similar goals. we warm up on the crosstrainers which are great, and after our workout we do cardio and cooldown on the bikes. i think i need to cut down on my time on the bike though cause it always leaves me exhausted, though in a good way but i think that means i'm burning a lot and i don't want to do that.

yeah so, we're not doing much in the way of freeweights, i don't know how to properly use them yet but i'll be starting my sessions with my trainer soon so i'll get him to go through it all with me.
is there anything specific i should ask him about?

thanks :)