Hardcore bodybuilders, powerlifters, weightlifters, and even most other athletes eat a ton of protein in a day. OK, they don’t eat a “ton”, but they do eat more than the average person. There are myths and stories about professional bodybuilders and strongmen who eat 300-500 grams of protein each day. Most of us can’t follow that prescription so we end up with the nagging question, “how much protein should I eat in a day?” This leaves us with a number of additional oft-debated questions, such as:
“How much protein do the professionals eat?”
“Exactly how much protein do I eat?”
“How much protein is appropriate for me?”
“Can I physically eat ‘too much’ protein?”
“If so, what are the side effects?”
“Exactly how much is ‘too much’?”
Let’s stop to consider all of the factors that go into determining how much protein we should eat.
What Determines How Much Protein I Should Eat?
Need protein powder?
If you are looking for a pure protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers. Learn more about Optimum Nutrition.
Maybe you prefer all-natural whole-food protein bars. Visit RX Bars for awesome tasting bars. My favorite is Maple Sea Salt.
“Like eating 3 egg whites, 2 dates, and 6 almonds. With no B.S.”
As with daily fat intake and daily carb intake, daily protein intake depends on several important factors:
- age
- body size
- diet
- activity level
- lifestyle
The recommended amount of protein for a healthy adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Since a kilogram is roughly equal to 2.2 pounds, that translates into .36 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
An exception to this rule is the recommended levels for pregnant women, which say that pregnant women should eat 10 grams more each day than the recommended amount. Lactating women require an additional 15 grams of protein during the first six months of nursing, and an additional 12 grams after that.
I firmly believe that this recommendation is grossly inadequate. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend any less than .8 grams of protein per pound (rather than per kilogram) of body weight, for people looking to maintain healthy body composition, and I wouldn’t recommend any less than 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight for people looking for food to gain muscle.
Males who participate in regular vigorous exercise typically will eat from 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This can be both positive and negative for the body. The additional protein will assist in muscle recovery and fat loss, but the effects of digesting the protein will place additional stress on the body.
Why Should I Limit My Protein Intake?
While protein is as vital to cellular metabolism as oxygen, there certainly lies a threshold for healthy and unhealthy consumption levels especially for those in poorer health. Processing protein requires a lot from the kidneys and liver which is why those with problems with either of those organs are often ordered by their physicians to eat a lower-protein diet.
An indirect drawback of excessive animal protein consumption is its effect on the cardiovascular system. Since many types of meat contain a fair amount of saturated fat, this can lead to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, as well as obesity.
For example, only 25% of a T-bone steak’s calories come from protein while the rest comes from saturated fat. Even a leaner cut of beef like a flank steak is still roughly 50% fat. The same holds true for eggs. Only 31% of eggs’ calories come from protein. Fish and chicken are certainly better sources of protein.
Remember when eating a diet higher in protein drink plenty of water in order to replenish the considerable amount lost during protein metabolism. Try and stay on the safe side by avoiding extreme high-protein diets full of saturated fats like the ketogenic diets (Atkins) and you will be in much better physical standing (read more).
To Gain Muscle:
I recommend 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass for males and females who exercise at least 3 times per week and are trying to gain muscle mass.
A 200 lb man with 10% body fat would aim to consume about 180 grams of protein in a day. That’s 6 meals with an average of 30 grams of protein per meal, and THAT, my friends, is quite doable.
If you have trouble consuming that much protein with food alone, I highly suggest you pick up some Optimum Nutrition Protein Powders, a source of inexpensive, high-quality protein. One extra protein shake each day could make all the difference in the world.
To Lose Fat:
I recommend .8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass for males and females who exercise at least 3 times per week and are trying to lose body fat.
A 150 lb woman with 25% body fat would aim to consume about 90 grams of protein in a day. That’s 3 meals with 20 grams of protein per meal and 3 snacks with 10 grams of protein, and THAT, my friends, is also very doable.
More importantly, keeping your unhealthy fat consumption and processed carbohydrate consumption low will go a long way to preserve your health for the long haul.
For more information to help you decide how much protein should I eat, along with other macronutrient suggestions, check out these additional Project Swole resources:
- How many grams of fat should I eat?
- How many grams of carbs should I eat?
- What are the side effects of consuming too much protein?
Need protein powder?
If you are looking for a pure protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers. Learn more about Optimum Nutrition.
Maybe you prefer all-natural whole-food protein bars. Visit RX Bars for awesome tasting bars. My favorite is Maple Sea Salt.
“Like eating 3 egg whites, 2 dates, and 6 almonds. With no B.S.”
Tags: atkins, Diet, dietary, eat protein, eating, food, food intake, health, healthy, nutrition, nutritional, protein, protein consumption, protein intake, protein levels
That’s way too much protein if you ask me!
On what research or experience do you base your opinion?
damn, 90 grams of protein per day, how the fuck does one eat that? that's not an obese amount at all…………I consume an easy realistic amount try 20-30 a day, these rda recommendations are obese thinkers.
To Lose Fat:
I recommend.8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass for males and females who exercise at least 3 times per week and are trying to lose body fat.
A 150 lb woman with 25% bodyfat would aim to consume about 90 grams of protein in a day. That’s 3 meals with 20 grams of protein per meal and 3 snacks with 10 grams of protein, and THAT, my friends, is also very doable.
Read more: https://www.projectswole.com/diet/how-much-protein-should-i-eat-in-a-day/#ixzz1j01yUIh3.
To Lose Fat:
I recommend.8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass for males and females who exercise at least 3 times per week and are trying to lose body fat.
A 150 lb woman with 25% bodyfat would aim to consume about 90 grams of protein in a day. That’s 3 meals with 20 grams of protein per meal and 3 snacks with 10 grams of protein, and THAT, my friends, is also very doable.
Read more: https://www.projectswole.com/diet/how-much-protein-should-i-eat-in-a-day/#ixzz1j01yUIh3.
To Lose Fat:
I recommend.8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass for males and females who exercise at least 3 times per week and are trying to lose body fat.
A 150 lb woman with 25% bodyfat would aim to consume about 90 grams of protein in a day. That’s 3 meals with 20 grams of protein per meal and 3 snacks with 10 grams of protein, and THAT, my friends, is also very doable.
Read more: https://www.projectswole.com/diet/how-much-protein-should-i-eat-in-a-day/#ixzz1j01yUIh3.
Hi!
I am a 16 year old female, I have gained around 5lbs of muscle so far after a weightloss of 32lbs of fat in the last 4-5 months. I have hit many plateus and now to get back on track, I have brought the INSANITY workout DVDs to increase muscle mass and get a six pack. I was wondering how if whey protein powder is safe for me to take at around 80-90g per day? So a 1-lb of whey powder per month, is that safe?
Hi I am 19 years old and I weigh roughly around 158-160 lbs. I lift almost every day, and I dance 3 times a week for 3 hours each session. I use Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 (I take only 1 1/2 – 2 scoops when I use it) before and after I work out, and I also take BeyondRaw Ravage for a preworkout supplement. I live at college so getting 6 meals is nearly impossible, and I have an internship twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays in the morning. Any suggestions on protein intake?
I forgot to say that I am thinking about switching to the 100% whey protein supplement you have stated before.
I suggest protein bars, or bringing a Tupperware container with tuna or chicken with you, so you can eat every 3 hours.
Steve, you are right in saying that 30grams of protein per meal is doable. I’m a shift worker that sometimes can’t get to a fridge or microwave for hours on end. Instead I have a bag full of protein based snacks in my work bag that I use as meal replacements if I need to. I have things like tins of chicken and tuna, packets of beef jerky, whey protein powder in a shaker so all I need to do is add water, lo-carb protein bars and a variety of nuts. I am sure that there are plenty of other options that I haven’t thought of.
Hi i’m 14 and am 5’2 and weigh 115! I am on the chubby side and wanted to know if you had any good diets and useful information to help me lose weight:)
Hi im 26 years im 5ft 7 and weigh 80kg. I do a hour free weight session 3 times a week from a gym instructor and 2 seperate evening class, one of spinning the other circuit training and i rest over the weekend. I work as a baker and have to get up at 3am. My calorie intake is 2100 a day i have a bowl of cereals first thing in the morning, protein shake of 2 scoops at 6am, beef sandwich and half a large pot of plain yogurt at 9am. Finish work at 12 goto the gym and have a protein shake after, 2 boiled eggs and toast for lunch at 4pm. Dinner at 7pm of turkey breast and a packet of veg and i will have another protein shake before bed. Im just unsure if im not eating enough to get big but not fat but at the same time i dont want to put on to much weight to look fat and i want to look ripped by not eating to many calories, my goal is to looked stacked but not fat, i also work my abs before each class. So i just needed some advice on what im doing wrong if iam. Thanks for your time. I would much appreciate your response.
hi, im 23 years old and i had a baby 4 months ago…im trying really hard to lose weight but since i never had a weight issue i dont know exactly how to do it… im 170 pounds 5’4 my ideal weight is 130 pounds. how many grams of protein and how many carbs should eat a day?
I do 5 days of workouts per week (1 hr per day) alternating between 3 days of lower body workouts (squats, lunges, leg lifts and the like) and 2 days of cardio and circuit training. Sometimes I feel like my legs are very tired in the evenings. Am I doing right ? I do follow a low-cal, low oil diet and eat only lean meat n fish and also eat a lot of veggies too.
Sounds like maybe you are overtraining your legs. You should take one full day of rest between leg training so they can recover. And what about upper body workouts? Is that the circuit training?
According to what I have heard from a muscle building trainer yesterday, to gain weight you should take foods rich in protein based on your weight if your weight is 120 lb you should consume at least 120 grams protein daily till you gain weight then lessen the intake of protein rich foods if you’re starting to build muscle or to exercise.
Hi, i’m having trouble getting a six pack i can see the top 4 packs but can’t get the bottom i been trying for 2 3 months now im 8 percent body fat i don’t follow my calorie intake but i eat healthy peanut butter sandwich with a apple in the morning a salad for lunch and another peanut butter sandwich when i come from work and after working out i have a 51g protein shake and a tuna salad with a hand full of almonds.
I’m 25 years old 185 lb and 6 feet tall how do I gain muscle and lose fat at the same time I work out 5 times a week take shake after working out then eat an hour after that and then eat Once more at work at high in protein meals I don’t eat before bed cause I was told u burn fat wile sleeping
Hi,
34yr Male, 175lb,
Getting a bit of a belly so thought i would completely change my diet, cut out all processed foods and junk choclate, crisps biscuits etc,
all i eat now is low fat cereal, fruit veg, fresh fish, chicken, salad, think i need to loose a stone, have also started weight training, been doing it for 2 weeks now, according to my weight i think i would need to consume about 160g of protein a day, is this neccessary if i only work out 3 times a week doing only 3 or four muscle groups at a time and lasting roughly 40mins maybe less, has i say just started so any info would be great.
Thanks in advance
Marc…
Sorry forgot to mention i’m 5ft 10 tall.
Hi, iam 5 feet 10 and weigh 140lb. i have gained about 15 lbs in just over 3 months and i had been gaining muscle mass almost every week. but the last 2 weeks i have not gained a single pound, iam doing all the same things (diet and exercise wise) as i was. what can i do to break this barrier and gain more muscle mass ? …
thanks
you’ve hit a plateu it seems. this is when you need a new routine. do different things to work out your muscles in different ways. this will result in muscle confusion, which will get you off your plateu!
Oh yeh I also have kidney failure so I cant eat a lot of protein in a day ..
Hi,I am 36 yrs old at 5’3 I am 80 pounds..I was in a coma a few weeks and in the hospital for 2 1/2 months in Aug of last yr..I have lost all my muscle plus being under weight..I have tried and tried to gain..I am a vegan..But I have started eathing some dairy for now to try to gain..But the meat I will not eat..What can I do ??
Wow Michelle, that’s a tough one. I’m going to have to suggest that you talk to a licensed nutritionist to get specific dietary guidelines for your medical conditions. In the meantime I’d say you should try to increase your intake of 2% fat dairy, nuts, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Can you eat fish? A nice salmon steak once or twice a week will give you important essential fatty acids and some protein. Try to eat more healthy carbs and healthy fats. Drink lots of water. Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep a night. Stay away from drugs and alcohol.
Hi. I am 26, female, 141lbs, 5’3. I am trying to loose fat and build a little muscle, tone and tighten. I have been working out at least 4 times a week. 30 min of cardio and 30 min of weights….really I do 2 min of cardio followed by about 15-30 reps of lunges, core workouts, arm weights, or leg excersise. Alternating after ever 2 min or cardio. I eat fairly healthy, at about 1500 calories a day but with little protein. I have been fluctuating up and dwn in weight, not truly loosing. I have also been using lipo 6 black for her…which doesnt seem to work as well as the original lipo 6 I used in the past. Question is: what should I eat before I workout (I workout as soon as I wake up)? Should I incorperate more protein in my diet? How much? Should I cut out the lipo 6 black and switch back to the original? What about my excersise routeint?
I’m 16 years old, 6 ft, 130 lbs. I’m pretty underweight for my age. I just started working out everyday a couple of weeks ago and started drinking whey protein last week. How many scoops (25g) should I take everyday? I currently take 4 (One in the morning, one before and after workout, and one before bed). Is this healthy for me?
Is it fine to go beyond the recommended protein intake if it fits the daily calorie maintenance?
Yes that would be fine.
Please! Help! I’m 16 years old, formerly weighed about 170.. lost 30 pounds in about 4 months (far to fast) and i would like to start bulking up.. i don’t wanna slap on fat and be 170 with alot of lard.. i’d like to get about 150 but solid, i lift 5days a week and do light cardio.. never any serious running.
I am currently consuming 2600 calories a day; 50%carbs, 25%Protein, and 25%Fats (thinking i can put on about a pound of muscle a week).. i only take one supplement and that’s whey protein isolate once a day after my workouts which generally either happen after lunch or right before dinner, that’s just the only time i can fit them in ;(
Meals in general: breakfast 590calories, 200calorie snack, 500 calorie lunch, 450calorie snack, 600 calorie dinner. plus my protein supplement daily and severable chewable vitamins (i can’t swallow)
I log everything i eat, carbs come almost all from oats(breakfast) rice(lunch&snack) and potatoes (snack&dinner)
Proteins consist of egg white’s (i do eat one yolk a day) chicken breast, nuts, and canned sardines (do i want them in olive oil or water??)
I have berries with my breakfast and about 45 minutes before bed and lots of broccoli with lunch and dinner
My other intakes are beans occasionally, canned herring occasionally, plus i have almonds and walnuts daily.
Advice is greatly Accepted!
I don’t know man, it sounds like you know how to eat. Keep doing that, but switch to my Werewolf Muscle Training routine for 3 months and see what happens.
Hi Steve,
I’m 20 years old 5’11 and 155 lbs. I consider myself to be pretty fit, used to run 50+ mile weeks (still run a few times a week) and lift 3-4 times a week. My goal weight is to be 170 lbs. So my question is what would be a reasonable time frame for me to reach my desired weight, while consuming 1 gram of protein per bodyweight?
No reason you can’t gain 15 lbs in a year. Bulk with a purpose and you might add 10-12 lbs of muscle and 3-5 pounds of fat, but you’ll surely hit 170. Maintain 170 for a month or so, then use a fat loss routine to maintain your new muscle and drop those 5 lbs of fat.
Hey Steve, I currently am looking for the best advice to gain some normal weight possibly along with muscle weight. I currently weigh 145 lbs and am 6’2, I’m 20 years old. For the longest time I have been real thin, I have celiac disease (gluten free). I also have always had a high metabolism. The two combined make it nearly impossible to gain weight. Right now I’m drinking 2 protein shakes (50g per) a day, working out every other day. I’d say taking in around 150g of protein a day.Just wanted to know if its okay to take this much protein in if not doing extensive physical workouts. Right now I’m only using my perfect push up for a workout. I’m just trying to go maybe from 145 lbs to 170-180. Thanks for the help.
If you are only doing push ups for a workout, then you are wasting your time. Switch to a full body routine or use some kind of 2 or 3 day split. I’d suggest you get a gym membership and try my Werewolf Muscle Training routine for 3 months.
I live in afghanisan where nobody knows about these things. I wouldn’t ask you if could figure it out. I read it in afew places that its supposed to be 0.8 to 1 gram of proten per pound. but I am not doing a full body workout I am only doing shoulders and arms with dumbells.
please let me know if you can
thanks anyways.
If you are looking to gain weight and are not using muscle-building supplements, you should consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are trying to lose weight you should consume .8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. I also have to say that I don’t approve of your arms and shoulders only workout. You should work every muscle in your body, even if you use only one exercise per week for those other muscle groups. Your shoulders and arms will grow better when you work your whole body.
HI there,
I am 25 I weigh 132 I am doing doing bicep, tricep and shoulder excersise everyday 3 sets all the important moves.
would you please advise me if how much proten is nessesary for me each day
Thank you
You are going to have to read the article to figure it out, sorry.
Hi, I’m a 15 year old girl. I do crew, working out 6 times a week. Lately I have been fighting wrist pain/ cramping. I’ve been told one of my biggest issues is overuse and lack of protein. How can I increase my protein take-in to help me heal, gain a little muscle, but not gain any more than 6 lbs? Please help
My doctor says that I should be eating between 60 and 80 grams of protein per day. However, I am trying to loose weight so keep that in mind. But be careful about cutting out too much protein because it has serious heart effects if you do. For more information on heart health, I would check out the Harmony Heart Group website.
Help! I’m a 6’5″ tall…42 yr old male (currently at 270 lbs). I’m trying to drop fat, but add muscle too. I’m looking to start working out about 3-4 times a week. I bought some Whey protein, but what do you recommend for my intake level per day? signed…”Gym-less for last 6 yrs”
Choose your goal bodyweight… perhaps 210 lbs, and eat 1 gram per pound of your goal bodyweight. Expect more fat loss than muscle gain.
Hey, Im 5ft 4 and weigh 57 kgs, I want to get down to 52kg. I want to know exactly what exercise and what I need to eat to get down to that weight. That is the weight I feel most comfortable at, Not skinny, not fat, just right for my body type 🙂 Any help would be awesome!
Try my fat loss for women routine. If you still can’t lose fat, cut down on your calories. Consider trying an Intermittent Fasting diet for a while.
Hi Steve! im 24 yrs old, 140 ibs sometimes 135ibs, exercise everyday, i do use Isoflex protein in a shake after my work out, my diet is not that great and i do skip breakfast or lunch sometimes and eat one big meal a day, i was wondering if u had any tips for me as to how i should go about to gain 10 to 15 ibs? thanks very much for your time and effort. Bless!
I forgot to add that iam 5ft10 thx again!
Definitely start eating breakfast. Set a goal bodyweight, perhaps 160 lbs, and eat 1 pound of protein per pound of goal bodyweight each day. Make sure you use a properly formulated post workout shake within 20 minutes of finishing your workout.
hi im 29 yrs old and i weigh 210 lbs….im trying to lose weight and wanted to know how many grams of protein i should eat a day
Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of 80% of your goal body weight.
Ok so I am fairly new to your website I found this topic which I am very interested in. I’m 5’1 and 185 and I’m trying to lose fat and gain muscle I am currently on a nutrition plan that consists in eating every 3 hours 6 times a day without salt.
For example:
Meal 1: egg whites + 1 carb
Meal 2: Proteins shake
Meal 3: chicken or fish w/ 2 cups of veg + 1 carb
Meal 4: protein bar
Meal 5: chicken, fish or turkey w/ 2 cups of veg
Meal 6: Protein shake
But I feel I might be consuming very little protein because I do not know what is my lean muscle mass. I think I’ve consumed under because I am confused because I have heard that eating too much protein (more than 30g per meal) that it is stored as fat. How do I make the best educated guess to calculate the exact amount of protein.
It looks to me like you’re getting plenty of protein. If your goal is to weigh 150 lbs, then there’s no need to eat more than 120-150 grams of protein a day. 30 grams in one meal is a good target. The myth you’ve heard about keeping protein intake under 30g in a meal is false. Different people process protein differently, and it really all comes down to total calories consumed rather than grams of protein consumed.
Hi I’m happy to hear from you b/c I had worried about over consuming protein, but now that you responded to me I feel much better. I plan to go all the way to 125 lbs. The only problem is that I do believe I had focused on grams of protein and not counted calories (which I do believe I am under consuming b/c eating this way without sugar or salt has made it difficult for calories to add up)
I’m glad you feel better. I believe you are on the right track.
I am a 38 yr old woman. Was 288 lbs 2 months ago. Since the first of March, at 275, I’ve been on a liquid diet and lost 11 lbs. I feel like I’m not losing quick enough. I take in 7 protein shakes a day (150 cal.) and 2 small meals under 250 cal. Am I on the right track? All the drinking is driving me crazy with having to comsume a gallon and a half of water a day too. Any help would be great.
P.S.
What should be my caloric intake, protein intake in grams per day and do I have to workout in my hear rate zone to burn calories and fat?
I would rather see you eating 3 small meals (300-350 cals each) and 2 protein shakes (150 cals each), for a total of no more than 1300 calories. Drinking 7 protein shakes a day is not maintainable, nor is it very wise or healthy. For protein intake, I would like to see you around 120-150 grams a day, no more. A gallon of water is plenty. I suggest you not worry about your heart rate, except you don’t really want it to be too high for too long, as I wouldn’t want you to make yourself sick. Just workout as hard as you can in intervals. Try my Fat Loss Routine for Women, but substitute endurance cardio for HIIT cardio until/unless you can handle high intensity exercise.
You should really check out Shakeology (click on the link in my sidebar). It has made a huge difference in the weight loss plans for many overweight men and women. Read about P90X while you are at it. It’s a good routine for beginners to really shed some pounds.
Hi Steve,
Awesome site! I am a 28 year old female, 138 pounds. I workout 5 days a week. Weight training on my own 2 days a week and then 2 with my trainer and then a day of cardio (example spin class). I’ve only lost about 3 pounds since I started a month ago. I of however see alot more definition and my clothes fit better. At start I was 141.5 lbs and 32% body fat.
I did think that I’d lose more weight by now. I am currently eating between 1600 to 1800 cal a day. My trainer told me to consume 1 gram of protein per pound that I way. But after reading your article I’m thinking this may be wrong? Thx!
You only weigh 138, so a 3 pound loss in one month is OK, especially if you are following the advice of some run-of-the-mill personal trainer. If you want to lose more fat faster, try increasing the intensity and frequency of your cardio (try HIIT 2-3 times a week). Also increase the intensity of your weight training by using supersets, giant sets, circuits (HIRT), and by lifting heavier weights. 1800 calories is also a little high. I’d rather see you eating about 120 grams of protein a day and about 1500 calories, assuming your goal is to weigh around 125.
hi steve, i need serious help, and you seem the like the person who can help me. Im a 32 year old man slimmish in appearance with small bones but have a pot belly. Im 14 stones and i am a diabetic and i want to take protein shakes to build my body. can you give me some advice please, thanks.
I want to help you mustafa, and I probably could, but I am not a licensed dietitian or nutritionist, so I really have no business laying out meal plans for diabetics. That being said, you can probably just add a protein shake once or twice a day to your diet. I really don’t know anything else about the way you eat or train, so this post is not really the place to get into it with you. Sorry.
Hey Steve,I’m 14 years old,5’9, 172 pounds and play sports, mostly football. i eat 2000-3000 calories a day and take 25 grams per serving of protein before and after workouts.I’m a person who has a medium amount of fat on my stomach. i usually get to the weight room 3 days a week. i want to know how more grams of protein i should take and any other ways to speed up my buildup of muscle. thx
Keep doing what you are doing. Add protein if you’re not already getting at least 150 grams a day. Switch to my Werewolf Muscle routine so that you are training with a higher frequency than just thrice a week.
4 got i also do 30-80 min of cardio along with weights
im eatin150 gm of protien every 2 hours noyhing after 8 workout every day w/ lift everyday am i doing good ? weight206 try to get down 160-169 help
150 grams of protein every 2 hours? That doesn’t sound right. You might want to either look into Intermittent Fasting, or construct your meal system around 3 whole food meals plus 2 protein shakes. Consider ordering some Shakeology for your daily protein shake(s).
Hello. Im male, 5’7″ and 39 years young. I stopped eating meat over a year ago and have lost 47 pounds. Im currently weigh 147. I do muay thai boxing about 3 hours a week and jiu jitsu 4-6 hours a week with an occasional 3 mile jog around 2 a week. My calorie intake is about 1200 a day….im stuck at 148, but i would like to increase my weight to 155. I drink 3 whey protein shakes a day to supplement my protein intake. i average about 89 grams of protein a day….would it be ok to have 4 or 5 protein shakes a day? My nutritional break down average is protein 28.62%, carbs 54.2%, and fats 17.36%
Thanks
I am a 39 year old female, 5’11, 190 lbs. I want to loose pounds and firm up my muscle (not body building just fit and tight). I do spin class twice a week, circuit training, and strength training 4-5 times a week. I recently began supplementing my diet with 23g protein shake (for fear of burning muscle rather than fat) in a 200 calorie shake in addition to my normal diet. Is a 1200 calorie with 45 grams of protein too low? Not sure how many calories I should be eating on gym days and how much protien. Thanks for your help!
1200 calories is pretty low. You might be OK at that level for a couple weeks, but at some point you’ll need to bring it up to 1400 or so to maintain good health. We don’t want you bonking out during a workout. I’d like you to eat 120 grams of protein each day, the majority of carbs before your workout, and nothing 2 hours before you go to bed. Also consider reading up on Intermittent Fasting, which is a great diet strategy for most people.
Hey, I’m 22 years old , my height is 5″7 and I started working out/exercising 2 weeks ago at 130 pounds and since then I’ve lost 3 – 4 pounds whilst I’m actually trying to gain weight and achieve more muscle mass.
I have noticed subtle changes but I’m just a bit concerned as to why I’m losing weight quite rapidly rather than gaining. Would this be because I’m losing body fat quicker than I’m gaining muscle growth? I’m having 4 meals a day and with each meal I have 32g of protein, I do 3 full body workouts a week and I do cardio 2 days a week and have the weekend off to rest. I also have protein shakes as well whenever I can to make up missing protein in my meals.
Any help would be appreciated, cheers!
Hey steve, I started a high protien low carb diet about 2 months ago and Ive lost about 30 lbs. Im 19 and I now weigh 283lbs and im 6ft tall, everyone keeps telling me im not dong it the safe way, even though i get between 1300-1500 calories a day and 145g-165g protien a day (I use amplify xl for a majority of my protien, usually 2 shakes, 2-3 snacks ex: banana, and a good sized low carb meal) I work out very hard on a daily basis usually 2 hours, 1 hour of cardio and a 1 hour of lifting. I drink plenty of water everyday and I use celsius as my pre-workout. So obviously I have been trying to cut weight fast but its not like im starving myself to do it, just working my butt off, I really dont think its unhealthy how im doing it, but does it sound like it is to you?
Even though I might change some aspects of your training, as long as you don’t care about preserving muscle mass, that diet and exercise plan should work. With such a low calorie intake, I’d say you risk losing some muscle mass, especially when exercising 2 hours a day, but isn’t that pretty much what they do on The Biggest Loser or the show Heavy? These people are losing 20 or 30 pounds in one week! 30 pounds in two months comes out to 15 lbs a month and nearly 4 pounds a week. Where you started at 313 lbs, I would definitely say those are not unhealthy numbers. If you are really concerned, you should talk to a doctor, or a licensed nutritionist. Otherwise, carry on! To quote Charlie Sheen, you are definitely “Winning!”
Well to give you a better idea of my body type im one of those big bulky guys u see at the gym that have very little muscle definition just has big shoulders, arms, legs, etc. I usually alternate my days between chest, shoulders, back. Then the next I would do triceps, biceps, legs. And I do abs on a daily basis. My cardio is usually something like playing a 5-5 basketball game ( which is non-stop movement,usually like and hour maybe more) So I’m tired of being just a big guy, I wanna be cut and have definition. I haven’t noticed any decrease in strength at all, in fact its been the opposite (my bench has improved almost 25lbs , I can almost get 320lbs up) so my question is should i increase my protein intake to try and keep my muscle mass, but attempt to keep my calories relatively the same to lose weight? (I’m all new to this just trying to figure it all out)
Thanks
You should focus on dieting to lose fat while attempting to keep all of your strength. If you do this you might lose some muscle mass, which can be good if you feel you are ‘too big’, and you will definitely lose some fat mass, but in keeping all of your strength you will end up with rock-hard, strong, dense, muscle tissue that will look awesome when you are ripped. Follow a routine like my fat loss for men workout and I think you can accomplish your goals.
HI!
I’m 5’5, 20 years old, and weigh 111 lbs. I was just wondering if it is safe for me to take a metabolism booster (thermogenic) so I can loose my last couple of pounds. Also, how much weight does one loose if you take something like Panthera Pharma Diamond Fire X7 pills or some other metabolism booster?
Pills don’t make you lose weight, you have to help them along with diet and exercise. I prefer to use a thermogenic like Biotest Hot Rox Extreme to curb my appetite, give me extra energy, and keep my ass awake at work. Using a thermogenic can make your fat loss efforts easier, but your ultimate progress depends 75% on your diet and 25% on your exercise.
Just wondering how much protein I need in a day. I’m 22, 209 IBS, give me a email with the awnser..thanks
Sincerly
Glen
5000 grams. But seriously, read the article to get your answer please.
Hey Steve,
I’m vegan & cannot imagine how I’d get the protein I need in my diet. There are vegan protein powders out there but they only pack about 15 grams of protein. I’m also trying to lose about 40 lbs and trying to keep my calories at 1295/day. I’m working out 5 times a week -cardio all 5 days & circuit training 2-3 days/wk. I do allow for more calories on days that I workout. Any suggestions on how to get that many grams of vegan protein (154 g) in my diet w/o consuming too many calories?
First of all, since you are trying to lose weight, drop your daily protein intake down to 100 grams a day. Does that make it any easier? Consider adding nuts, grains, beans, legumes, tofu, and tempeh into your diet.
Hey Steve, Im a 25 yr old female I weigh 130 pounds and Im 5’7. Ive never really worked out in my life so Im new to this. But I have been going to the gym at least 5 days a week for the past month and a half. I feel great I enjoy working out but Im scard I might not be doing things right to get the results I want. I want to tone and lift my butt and thighs. And my stomach also. And also gain some muscle.I have a small frame but im def curvy. I need to lose a little weight in my mid section not much. And some weight on my thighs and butt. Ive been doing some strengh training and cardo. Please tell me if im doing this properly or wasting my time. I do cardio every time i go to the gym for at least 30 min on an elliptical. And legs every other day. And abs and arms every other day. Also would it benifit me to drink ovaltine post workout? Im lactos intolerant so I use water. Thanks.
I think you are on the right track, but remember it takes upwards of 3 months to really see results from a workout routine. Keep in mind that diet is responsible for 75% of your progress. You should follow a workout routine like Fat Loss for Women here at Project Swole. People have great results from both Swole Fat Loss routines. Pick up the intensity by switching from endurance cardio to high intensity intervals. Are you squatting, lunging, and deadlifting? If not, you should be. Ovaltine is probably OK post-workout. I just want to reiterate that diet is 75% of the game. If you are ‘cheating’ at all, you are wasting your time. Do not eat within 2-3 hours of bed time. Consider trying Intermittent Fasting.
I have tried many weight loss, fat burner, muscle building pill products in the market for the past 8 years and the Dr Max Powers BURN got to be the best one out there for men. I’ve tried Hydroxycut, Dexatrim and various others you can find at a GNC. The Dr Max Powers Burn has got to be best and fastest way to lower body fat percentage and develop toned muscles.
Of course, a good food plan and regular exercise or an active lifestyle are necessary, but when I tried this lifestyle with other products, it did not deliver the results I wanted.
I have muscles and less than 18% body fat percentage. So yes! I highly recommend the Dr Max Powers Burn and it will work if you stay committed to your exercise and diet plans and follow its instructions.
I was surprised that there weren’t any links submitted along with this comment, as it sounds terribly like spam. I prefer Biotest Hot Rox Extreme (HRX) or Lipo 6 Black by Nutrex. No experience with Dr. Max Powers Burn.
Hello, I’m a 22 year old Male… 6’5″, 191 pounds with 16% body fat. My goal is to gain muscle mass, and I just started 10% cardio/ 90% weights 3x per week, and increased my calorie intake to 2000-2500 per day, with 80-120g of protein on average. I’ve seen a little growth but nothing huge. Just wondering if this sounds about right to you, and if you have any suggestions.. Thank you!!
If you want to gain mass, lift heavier weights 4 times a week. Increase calories to 2700+ if you need to. Forget about cardio. Up your protein to 175 grams a day. Stick with it for 3 months then report back to me. Consider trying the Werewolf Training muscle gain routine.
Hey steve, im turning 16 in two days and i want to gain weight and muscle mass. I weigh 130 lbs and im 5’10”. i work out every day doing around 200 pushups and i do about 5 sets of 10 reps of 110 lbs benching. Im planning on getting some protein powder in acouple days. Do you know how much i should take? If so what should i take it with?
Also im not seeing much muscle growth in my arms anymore. Do you know how i could gain more muscle in my arms?
Use 1-2 shakes a day. Mix the protein with 1% or 2% milk to gain weight. For bigger arms, hit Triceps really hard for 2 months with compound exercises like close grip bench and dips. Stop doing 200 pushups though, as that it probably hurting your muscle gains. Too much endurance work.
so what if you are trying to build muscle and loose weight at the same time ? Should one avoid protien powders? My friend who used to body build put me one a high protien low fat diet will that help me reach my goal?
Don’t avoid protein powders. Follow your friend’s diet for now and if it doesn’t work, come back here to look for more answers. I should have my Project Shred diet plan up before summer.
Hey, I’m a 32 year-old female. I have a physically demanding job, alternate between light weights and cardio 6 days a week and eat 1200 calories a day (whole grains, yogurt, oatmeal) The more I exercise the fatter I get. What gives?
You might be eating too few calories and your metabolism has slowed way down. Honestly I can say what the problem is with really grilling you on your eat habits, workout routine, and lifestyle. That’s why people spend $120 a session to hire personal trainers.
Hey Steve,
Great site you have here! I will definitely start following you on Twitter and FB.
So, here’s the deal – I am 32 years old, 5’8 and weigh about 173 lbs. I have been, for the past 5 weeks, working out 4-5 times a week and have been eating healthy and in moderation. My workouts consist of 45 minutes of cardio followed by some weights and have lost about 5 pounds so far.
My question is more about my diet and I’m wondering if I should be eating more or less as my goal is to loss about another 10 more pounds before I start thinking about building muscle.
My Diet
1 HB egg for breakfast & a cup of coffee
6 turkey meatballs for lunch (167 cals total)
1 HB egg for a snack at 3:00pm
Piece of string cheese or piece of fruit around 5 before hitting the gym
Chicken or fish with veggies for dinner
Now, the only thing that changes is my pre-gym meal and my dinner, but everything else has been consistent for the past five weeks and I just feel like I should have lost more weight. Is it possible that I’m eating too many eggs throughout the week? Maybe I should lose the yolk?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
-Steve
For building muscle, some experts go as high as 2.5-3 g/lb.My personal opinion is that 1.3-1.5 g/lb is optimal
hi, i’m 13 years old, female i’m about 5 ft. and weights 80 lbs..i am thin. I want to know how much protein will i eat a day because i want to gain weight and to be sexy. i also want to know what food will i eat to be more fat..
ahm.
Thanks. 🙂
Just eat lean meat, fruits and veggies, complex carbs, and healthy fats. At 5 ft and 80 lbs you are not really underweight. Just workout a little and eat lots of healthy food. Maybe 100 grams of protein a day at the most.
hi, i’m 13 years old, female i’m about 5 ft. and weights 80 lbs..i am thin. I want to know how much protein will i eat a day because i want to gain weight and to be sexy. i also want to know what food will i eat to be more fat..
ahm.. any help would be great .!
Thanks. 🙂
Hi there
Im about 5ft 10 and weight about 140 pounds, im 18. Im fairly skinny, first of all i want to know how much protien fat ans so on to take a day, currently do around 130g of protein around 2000 calories and around 40g of fat per day. I work out 4 times a week each day something different. Shoulder/ legs. Chest/tricepts. Bicepts back. I dont really seem to be gaining that much muscle im just wondering if its becuase i only eat like 3 meals. I dont really have time to be eating like 8 smaller meals a day as i work 9-5 week days.
Any help would be great.
Thanks
You probably just need to eat more calorie dense food. Besides that, if you don’t keep a nutrition log you don’t really know how many calories you eat every day. Try adding to your diet: peanut butter, flax oil, and protein shakes made with 1% or 2% milk, or whole milk if you really struggle to gain weight. Eat bigger meals three times a day if you can’t eat more often. If possible toss down snacks or protein shakes between meals.
About getting a six pac, how much training do i need to be doing i hear that one of the most important things about building muscle is the resting time, does this apply the same with abs? I currently do 2 different exersises on my abs each work out means 8 different ones a week. 4 days a week. Is this not enough or too much. I do keep a log of my food, with an app on the iphone. I take around 2000 calories max a day, i will try and increase this but i currently take 2 protien shakes a day.
Is there something else i should take before a workout or does this seem okay, Will it just take time?
Thanks again
It will just take time. Remember though, if you want thick abs you need to be adding weight to your abs training such that you fail after 5-12 reps. If you need to be leaner to see your abs then it’s all about dieting. You might need to decrease carbs or something.
Im a 22 year old female, and Im 5’5 and 85 lbs. Ive been trying to gain some weight for years and nothing seems to work. I try to eat at least a small meal every hour and drink a whey protein supplement.. Any other pointers?
Use higher calorie food. Instead of eating a small meal every hour, eat a big meal every 2 or 3 hours. Cut back on your cardio if you do it for an hour a day every day. When trying to gain weight, keep cardio to a minimum. Eat a high protein + healthy fat meal an hour before bed. Make sure you eat breakfast.
i have a nine year old son who weights 67 lbs. he plays football,baseball and soccer all year long. he needs to gain about 8 lbs before july/august. is it ok to give him protein shakes twica a day. each serving it about 18 to 20 grams of protein
Nine years old is a little young to be drinking protein shakes twice a day. I’d try to have him eat more calorie dense food like natural peanut butter and 2% or whole milk. Check with his doctor before making any drastic dietary changes.
Hey Steve, I am 16 years old, male, 5’6″ and about 170 pounds and a football player I work out 3 times a week with my team…it always seems as though as if I am wasting my workout because I have been 170 for a while now…how much protein should I take in a day and after workouts to increase my results from workouts.
You should look into a post workout drink specially formulated for recovery. Give Biotest Surge Recovery a try. If you want to gain weight, add calories to your diet.
Steve,
I’m a 5’7, between 130-135 lbs, girl and I’ve been trying to get rid of fat for almost a year now. I have shin splints right now so I can’t run or bike or anything but lift weights while sitting and do core exercises… unless you can think of anything that I could do for cardio that wouldn’t require me to use my legs. Calorie wise, I don’t pay too close attention lately, I guess I’m somewhere around 1500 calories a day. I have protein powder that I drink in milk (that has 25 g of protein per scoop).How much protein should I eat to lose this belly fat and slim down? How many calories? What exercises until my shin splints heal? Thanks!
I am just about to publish 3 articles about this topic. Check out the first one here: What are Shin Splints?
Make sure you have the right kind of shoes, I thought I had shin splints for a long time then found out I had bought the wrong kind of shoes for the angle of my feet. A week in new shoes and the “shin splints” were gone.
I have been advised to try the Vibram Five Fingers to help alleviate shin splints. They are also great for leg training workouts. A pair will run you about $80. I’ll have to see if I can find an affiliate offer for those bad boys.
Hey Steve, I’m a 5’8″ guy, and I weigh 280. I’ve been on a balanced low calorie diet of about 2000 calories and go to the gym 4-5 times a week and do all cardio for 45 minutes. I am trying to go down to about 230, but after a month, I have not lost weight. According to this I should eat about 230 g of protein a day, but I am afraid that would hurt my kidney and liver. Also, how is it possible to get that much protein while keeping caloric intake to a level where I can lose weight?
You may be losing fat weight and gaining muscle weight. Or, you cannot count. At 2000 calories a day and the gym 4-5 times a week, you should be losing weight. I would recommend you really ensure that you are counting all your calories. I really cannot think of any other reason why you would not be losing weight. In general, with what you describe, I would think you should be dropping 1-2 pounds per week, at least in the beginning. Do another month, and watch those calories, ALL OF THEM.
Hey Steve, firstly, great website. I’ve seen some ‘experts’ giving out such terrible advice but everything I’ve read here I think is good advice.
Im 37 year old, 5’7. I’ve spent the last 5 months on a food and exercise program where I lost 35 pounds and am now at my goal weight of 140 (BMI 22). I’ve been going to the gym for about 4 months, 3-4 times a week, 50/50 cardio and weights. Now I would like to focus on building some muscle. I have just started taking whey protein shakes (1 in the morning, 1 before bed and 1 after workouts), and I try to only eat good calories. I also ride a bicycle to work 2-3 times per week which is about 90 mins per day so this burns alot of calories also. From what I’ve read I should be consuming 3,000+ calories per day for me to build muscle. I’m wondering what will happen if I continue to consume 150g of protein daily but have a net negative calorie count (I eat less calories than I burn)? Will I build muscle, lose weight, or both? Thanks dude, once again, great site.
You will most likely lose fat, and depending on how much your calorie intake swings day-to-day, you might build some muscle. For instance if you eat fewer calories than you burn for two days and train really hard for those two days, then you will burn fat on those days; then if you spend two days completely resting and eating more calories than you burn, you have a strong chance of building some muscle on those days. Then you would repeat.
I’ve never experimented with those kind of caloric mini-cycles, but I know some people have seen results using a diet strategy like that. You are more likely to lose fat faster or gain muscle faster, if you focus solely on either one of those goals for several months in a row.
Hey Steve,
I’m 6’2″ 176 pounds and 26 years old. I am trying to gain muscle mass, but am not in a rush. I recently bought some protein powder, that has 25g of protein per scoop. I used about 2 scoops so 50g of protein and made a shake out of it and drank the whole thing at once (I had very little protein today prior).
My question is, am I at risk for increasing the acid levels of my blood by taking 50g at once?
I plan on working out about 3-4 times a week (one time a week on chest and arms and abs), once or twice on legs and abs, a day devoted to abs and cardio. For my abs I have been using a cheap ab wheel and have been sure to be cautious with it (I can only do a partial knee rollout without straining my lower back)
Hey i have question. I’m 130 pounds, 14, and male, I woul
d like to gain at least 10 pounds over the next 5 months. I lift 4 times a day doing core lifts like squat, bench, snatch, clean… I just want to know how much protein I should consume a day
Disclaimer: since you are only 14 you should talk to your parents and your doctor about adding protein to your diet. That being said, in my opinion you should eat between 130-150 grams of protein each day.
I had a baby 4 months ago. Pre baby I was 145pounds, I am about 5’7. Before baby I ran 3-5 miles four times a week and weights about twice a week. I ate healthy but ate good size portions and cheated alot. I maintained a size six pre baby. I am trying to lose the last 18 pounds of my baby weight but have come to a stand still at 163. The baby does not sleep thru the night, gets up alot, every two hours so engery for workouts are hard. I at least get to the gym three times a week. What would be most beneficial to me, workout and diet wise??? How much protein should I eat to get lean not bulky?? Should I do cardio or weights more???
i am 20 and iam 5’6 and my weight is 60 kg i am going to gym from last 3 months and 2 days back i have started elite whey protiens but i dont know how much i have to take and how many times in a day so can u plzzz help me out with that coz my trainers are not telling me proper quantity
hi. im nico.
i’m 121 lbs. 5’5 and 18 years old, i want to gain muscle mass. what should i do?
thnaks for the help idol.
Hey Steve
I’m 6’2, 170 pound and 18 years
I go through two different cycles, one every two seasons(bulking being autumn-winter other being cutting spring-summer). On each cycle I have a different diet for my needs(bulking; 20% 20% 60%, P F C. cutting; 20% 15% 55%, P F C). I was wondering if you would be able to give any advice on my diet and toward helping achieve my goal as a strong, dense and lean 185lb middleweight?
I don’t know why you would use such a high % of carbs for either cycle, but definitely not for the cutting cycle. Stay tuned for my upcoming posts on Intermittent Fasting for a powerful new approach to dieting.
Studies show that most muscle repair comes from protein but muscle mass is a bigger percentage in the bulking cycle because of the content of energy that comes from carbs. I understand the cutting cycle is a bit big for the cycle, so I was wondering what would you recommend I do in the mean time?
Thank you for the post mate
Hi Steve I’m a 25 yr old male who wants to lose about 40lbs. I weight 235 workout 4-5 times a week what should I do. Any suggestions on what I should eat that would help drop the pounds would be appreciated. Thanks
hi, i’m 6.1 ft n weigh around 160-170 lbs. i’m confused about which type of protein supplement i should take. people have told me that if i’m taking any form of protein supplement for the first time, i should take a mass gainer first and then experiment with whey and other muscle mass increasing products as the latter have side effects and can lead to kidney stones. i want to add a little more muscle mass to my body. what do you suggest i should take: a mass gainer first or should i go ahead with whey??
Hi, Im 36 and 90 pounds. Im just small framed and no I do not have an eating disorder. Ive been tryin to gain weight for years. Made it 99.9 so close to my goal weight of 105 but lost it within a year due to a sick family member. Well Im tryin to gain it all back and I cant eat that much protien in a day. Seems also the mor I eat the mor I lose. Eggs hurt my belly so a friend said try the wrey protien drinks. My question is is it safe to drink 1 cup a day or 2 without working out? Please let me know if theres any side effects. Thanks.
Hi im 13, and i weigh 107 pounds. I know im quite slim cos my limbs and my face are skinny. But I really want to lose the fat from my stomach! I dont understand why my whole body is skinny but my stomach is really really flabby there are love handles and back fat too 🙁 I eat quite healthy and go for a run every day and walk my dog so i dont understand why its not working!
Are you sure you don’t have body dysmorphic disorder? I’m not sure how tall you are, but 107 lbs is not heavy. You might be going through some hormonal or peer pressure things right now, so please try to remember to be happy within yourself. Once you have a peaceful mind you will have a peaceful heart. Remember there are kids in this world who are blind or dead, have missing arms and legs, have no home, no food, no parents. Life can be much tougher than just a little excess bodyfat on your belly.
I suggest you start using weight training for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week to build up your muscles, which will elevate your metabolism and should burn off that excess baby fat. Adding some resistance training to a good diet and your current running regimen might be just what the doctor ordered. Remember, you might not have to lose weight, you might just have to add some sleek muscle to your frame, which will fill you out nicely. Learn how to integrate resistance training, cardiovascular training, and a healthy diet into your lifestyle now, and you will condition your body to be healthy and firm for the rest of your life.
Ahhhh no i dont have that disorder… im not obsessive over it or anything. Im just curious to why i have fat on my stomach but no where else! I know i dont have to lose weight and that im really light but this just all added to my curiosity! but thanks for the weight training advice 🙂
Im a 14 year old male. im 5’10 and 135. Im wondering what kind of supplements i should take to help gain muscle strenght. I play football and i want to increase my game.
I AM 40 YEARS OF AGE HAVE A LIL FAT ON MY CHEST MAN BOOBS 🙁 AND A LIL GUT BUT WANT TO GAIN MUSCLE MASS WHAT DO I NEED TO DO? PLEASE HELP
To lose man boobs, lose fat. Then once you’ve lost enough fat, focus on gaining lean muscle mass.
Hey, ever since I moved back to Egypt I have been attempting to go to the gym regulary. I had brought an amplified wheybolic extreme 60 and I just finished it a few days ago. I do see changes, but not as much as I want; but I am aware these changes will take time and I have to be patient. For the last month, I have been trying to push myself in the sets I do. I primarily work upper body, and cycle for cardio; but not much cardio, maybe 100 calories everytime I work out, which is 4 times usually a week. I tried to change my diet as well. I saw these posts and was wondering if we could be in touch if I have any questions. I believe you have my email, I am reachable from there anytime. If you could send me an email so I have your email as well. Thanks.
Go ahead and use the contact form if you have any questions. I get so many emails though, that some of them slip through and I can’t manage to answer all of them. Somehow I have to get that forum up and running.
Hey Steve!
I an 34, 5’2 and weight 180. I am trying to lose weight. I ran for 30 days 5 days a week and then did the elliptical for 30 days for 5 days a week and lost 9 lbs. I got a trainer and the trainer told me to not count calories – just eat lean and I am lifting weights 4 days a week for 1 hour with and additional 30 minutes of cardio after and only doing cardio on the 5th day. I gained those 9 lbs back as it was suggested I needed to put on 10 lbs of muscle which would help me lose weight. I am 5 weeks in with the trainer, however I feel like I am not loosing weight because I am eating too much. Should I be monitoring my calorie intake? I can see my legs getting toner but my clothes still fit the same. Any thoughts?
The weight gain is probably muscle but could also be fat. I think calorie counting is pretty important. You don’t have to record every calorie you eat (although keeping a food log is tremendously helpful), but you should have a general idea of how much you should be eating relative to how much you actually eat. If you are getting leaner but gaining weight and you notice your clothes are not getting any looser, then I must suspect that you are losing fat and building a little bit of muscle at the same time.
Hey Steve, I weight 150 and I am 5 foot 7 inches tall. My waist line at the navel is 32 inches. I’m trying to shed some inches off my waist, but I also would like to build muscle as well. I’ve cut my calorie intake to about 1400 and I go to the gym 6 times a week. Three days of Upper Body training, 3 days of Lower Body training, and all 6 days of cardio. I don’t mind growing muscle slowly for now, my main goal is to lose inches off my waist to start showing my abs, but I still want to make sure that I maintain as much muscle as I can or build more if I can. So, how much protein, carbs, and fats should I take in?
I’m sorry Alex, but I can’t give detailed responses to everyone. Please review the protein, carb, and fat intake articles I wrote and try to figure it out for yourself before asking me. I will say this: 1400 calories seems a little low for 5’7, 150 lbs. I think 1800 is more realistic if you want to maintain muscle mass.
Hey Steve,
I’m a break dancer and I’m looking to build strength to accomplish difficult moves and freezes. I’m finding that I get tired quickly during training. I just went back on protein powder, and most exercises I do are using my own weight. I weigh about 168 and my fat is 10 percent or under. I eat a lot of nuts, yogurt, and get about 50 grams of protein from powder. I also have to include that I’m vegetarian and allergic to beans. How many grams of protein should I get in a day?
You can probably get by with about 120 grams a day considering your body comp, your goals, and your exercise strategy.
Steve
Wow, nice advice, I am 40 year old man that weighs 200lbs, I have dropped 10 pounds since starting to workout 2 monthes ago. I have tried to eat tuna fish, chicken and eggs to meet my protein requirements (and dang its hard to do). I eat so much more food then I used too, however I have cut out almost all processed foods. I now take protein shakes, it’s so much easier.
My question, why am I not getting sore like I did when I was younger after working out, is it the protein or the processed food? Going forward, do I reduce my protein as I continue to loss weight? Am I lossing fat and gaining muscle at the same time or just lossing fat?
My workouts are M,W,F full body workouts, T,TH,S cardio, if I have to skip a workout its a cardio.
Awesome site Steve, and thanks in advance for any advice.
Not sure why you are not getting sore. It could be a better diet, but it could also be that you are not training with as much intensity as you used to.
I don’t see much of a need to decrease your protein intake very much as you lose weight. You might decrease it by 10 grams a day here or there if you need to decrease total daily calories when your total bodyweight drops. However if your goal is to gain muscle, just keep eating the protein.
Since you haven’t worked out in a long time, there is a good chance that you are gaining a small bit of muscle back while at the same time losing fat. You will probably not gain a lot of muscle if you continue to focus on losing fat, but I’m sure you will gain a little bit of it back.
I’m currently in college and have a perfect schedule for working out 3 times a week(MWF). I just bought some muscle milk whey protein which contains 27g of protein a scoop. I was wondering if I should take 2 scoops of protein as soon as I wake up everyday to break my sleep fast and then take two additional scoops of protein for my post-workout meal(MWF)? Thanks, I look forward to your response!
thanks!
-james
Sounds like a good plan to me, although I’d prefer you add some high GI carbs into the post workout meal/shake.
hi my weight is 67 kgs …n my height is 167 inches..how much protien do i need to build muscle..plzz advice steve
Please read the article to get the answer.
Hi I am 19 years old and wieght 145 lbs i barley starting working out 4 times a week , I dont take any protien bars or shacks. Do you think I should. ( I’m trying to get bigger muscle mass)
No reason not to supplement with a protein shake every day. Even regular people who don’t workout could stand to trade a high-fat or high-carb meal for a protein shake.
My name is Tyler, I am 17 years old and my weight fluctuates between 150-155 pounds. I am about 5’11-6’0 and my body type is athletic. I lift weights about 4-5 times a week and I am currently taking weigh protein 2 times a day (one before I lift and one after I lift.)
I am currently looking at buying Amplified Mass XXX for my offseason and was wondering if that would be a good choice for me to gain weight, if not what is recommended and is there anything else I could take to help gain weight? My goal weight is 170-175 pounds by the beginning of the next football season. Any help is appreciated! 🙂
To gain weight you have to eat, eat, eat. I don’t know much about Amplified Mass but it is probably OK. Choose meal replacement shakes, and use peanut butter and whole milk all day long if you struggle to gain weight.
HELLO .. M LOOKING 2 GAIN WEIGHT USING 5*5 . i m 5’9 at 66 kgs now.
bulk of my protein has neccesarily to come from boiled eggs.
so , i wanted to know how many of them can i consume safely in a day
I can’t say for sure exactly how many eggs are safe for you to consume. I wouldn’t be afraid of eating 3 eggs a day unless your doctor says your cholesterol is too high. You should really try to vary your protein sources.
Hi Steve,
I see you’re IFPA and ISSA certified … please remember that this does not make you a “nutritionist” and that you should be careful telling people what to eat and what not to eat as nobody has the qualification to do so without also having a bachelor of science in nutrition. In my honest opinion, a normal person who restricts their calories from 2500 to 1600(as you recommended earlier to one of your subscribers) can be extremely dangerous – and it’s downright irresponsible when you’re giving advice to a 14 year old who is liable to follow any advice you give without a second thought.
– Luke
While I used to be certified as a sports nutritionist, I no longer am, and I do realize that even back when I was certified, I still wasn’t a legit ‘nutritionist’.
That being said, I’ve been giving people nutrition advice since 1994 and I’ve experimented on myself about a million times, keeping food logs and trying just about every fad diet imaginable. You might see in various places around Project Swole disclaimers that I am not a nutritionist or a doctor, and that everyone should consult with their doctor before taking any of my fitness or nutrition advice.
Anyone who restricts their calories from 2500 to 1600 should do so cautiously and in stages. While I would jump right into a restricted calorie diet, I recommend most people to take 1-2 weeks to reduce their total calorie consumption by 50-100 calories a day until they reach their lower limit. Obese kids could do well on a restricted calorie diet as long as they are careful and do so under the supervision of their parents and a medical professional.
Thanks for your feedback though, I will be careful to provide more disclaimers when giving out nutritional advice.
Hey Steve, i am 23 years old and in the military. i am currently deployed once again and i want this one to have something to show for. i just picked up mass gainer protein shakes but some guys in my shop tell me to limit my protein intake to only 50g a day. now i dont get to eat all the time because the mission comes first and the planes have to come off the ground. any advice would be greatly appretiated due to the fact that i am seriously trying to bulk up. currently going to the gym like 6 times a week after work.
Hey steve
I’m 17, I weight 120 and I’m 5″3. I’v been eating no more than 600 calories a day for the past 3 weeks and I want to increase my calorie intake, but I dont want to gain the weight back, what should I do? Also how much protein and carbs should i be having?
Steve, I’m 22 years old, about 5’10 and weigh almost 160. I work out 6 days a week and drink 1 protein shake post-workout. I usually drink it mixed with skim milk, I’m trying to tone up and am eating healthy, though I was wondering if it was better to drink the shake with water or milk? Also, to lose weight how many carbs should I intake daily for my height and weight?
Post-workout I’d say drink your shake with milk. Any other time of the day, if your goal is fat loss, drink your shake with water. Daily carbs should between 70 and 120 grams 6 days a week and one day of 200-250 grams. 70 should be on rest days, 120 and 200/250 should be on workout days.
Hi Steve, im 28 and 194Lb cause I got tummy fat, Ive been working out for the past 45 days following a low calorie diet because i want to flatten my belly but at the same time I also want to get that athlete body. I am taking a protein weigh at morning wich is 130cal and 23g protein this i mix with half banana and 4 straberrys and thats my breakfast. later on I take an atkin protein bar wich is 140cal and 10g protein, for lunch i usually eat a 2 cup greensalad with tuna or chicken, then snack a string cheese 70cal 7g protein with a slice of fatfree ham 80cal 10g protein, and for dinner ill eat salmon,tuna or another salad. my workout is everyday 1 hour cardio from the p90x program 50 situps on bench, 50 pushups and 10 pullups. then everyother day I do weights i bought a home gym machine for this and some dumbbells 25Lb. on the machine im doing about 60-70% the max weight i could do in 4 sets of 8 reps. i do 8 reps of benchpress followed by 8 reps of pectoralfly and so on till i do 4 sets of each on this days i also do my 50 situps,pushups and 10 pullups and also 4 sets of 5 bicep curls and how many i can do of tricep curls using a chair. I started out at 210pounds so ive lost 16 pounds in this 45 days. but i dont really notice my belly shrinking. am i doing this right? am i taking enough proteins to help my muscles recover everyother day. is it possible to grow muscle and loose belly fat at the same time or should I focus on one of the 2 first.
thanks.
Doug,
thank you for answering my question. I did want to know how much protein I should consume daily. I realize that I need to up my protein intake. I currently eat around 110 grams and need to get it to 150g.
Hi steve I’ve been working out since June.Now I’d really like to try some suplements.I’m 152 lbs and i work out 4 times a week.Now i need to know just how much protein do i have to take for a fast muscle-grow,and how much will i need to maintain that muscle size?
To gain muscle would I have to eat 130 grams of protein everyday or just the days I go to the gym. Which is four times a week. Would I take a shake of optimum nutrition whey after cardio exercise as well? I’m 145 pounds with 9.5% bodyfat. I want to get up to 176 pounds
You can use a protein shake after cardio. What kind of cardio are you doing? With low bodyfat and gaining mass as your primary goal, I’d be careful not to use too much cardio. Focus more on Werewolf Training style workouts and save the cardio for the marathon runners.
The cardio I do would be canoe racing or rugby
I don’t run anymore. To get up to my target weight would I have to take 130 grams of protein on the days I don’t train aswell?
Hi, I am currently on a protein diet; therefore, I am having an amount of 120 grams of proteins for lunch everyday + I am hitting the gym 3 times per week for some cardiovascular and some weight lifting exercises. I need to know if taking protein bars along with my diet and exercise program would help me lose extra weight, and how much bars can I have per day? I am an 18 year old female weighing 67 kilograms; therefore I need to lose weight in the fastest and less amount of time possible. Thanks.
Use protein bars in your diet will only help you if you are replacing a meal or a snack. What I mean is that it won’t help you to add protein bars to your current diet, because adding calories to a proper fat loss diet never helped anyone lose fat faster, since calories consumed needs to be lower than calories burned in order to lose fat efficiently. However, if you are already eating too few calories and your metabolism has slowed way down, then adding a protein bar to your diet could actually help you lose fat faster.
Hi Steve, I am a 21 year old male, i’m 147lbs and 6ft 1, I work out 4 times a week, my bf% is 15.4, I want to lose body fat (working to get abs) without losing a lot more weight because i’m starting to look very unhealthy and losing a lot of muscle due to cardio. Currently I am eating 1400-1500 calories a day, about 140-150g of complex carbs and veggies, between 20-30g of good fats and around 150g-160g of protein either from protein shakes/ chicken fish or no fat dairy such as cottage cheese.
Do you think this diet is right for me, or should i eat more on work out days and less on non work out days? please help i am very confused..
Thanks
hi my name its miriam im 27ys i used to workout everyday and after my workout i drink a protein shake but now i got pregnant & i dont know if i still caan drink it
Your best bet is to check with your doctor, but I’d say you are safe drinking a protein shake while you are pregnant as long as it doesn’t contain any added supplements for fat loss or anything that can mess with your hormones.
Hi Steve,
I’m 138 lbs, height 5.8″. I workout 3 days a week. I recently bought Gold standard whey protein (24 grams per scoop). How many scoops should I take everyday and when. Please help
1 scoop, twice a day. With a meal or as a snack. Breakfast is a good time to add protein.
o ya and im 17
Hi I Wieigh 160 Pounds And Want To Get Ripped I Work Out 6 Times A Week Usually Im 5,11 how much protien do i need how many scoops a day 2? 3? im Using gold standard 100% whey protien one scoop is 29.4 so how many scoops ?? cuz i Think Im Taking To Much? Please Help
Sounds like 1 scoop per serving is plenty.
One Is That It. thank you. I was taking 3 and 4 in one day. cuz one when i wake. one three hours later. than after workout. and one before bed. is that bad cuz i also wanna get big muscle wise sorry.
hello steve thanx 4 ur previous reply…hav 1 more ques…i recently bought a gold standard whey protein…how many scoops should i take in a day and when should i take it….my weight is 160 lbs and my height is 5 ‘7’…i work out 5-6 times a week….thank u so much eagerly waitin 4 ur reply…!!!!
Use one serving, twice a day either as a snack, as part of breakfast, or as a post-workout meal.
Hi Steve I eat 12 raw eggs per day ( 6 in the morning breakfast & 6 after the workout ). Is it safe? I dont take lunch though. I exercise 6 days a week and also I am doing job in a company and I need to be their for atleast 10 hours. What advice would you like to give me. I am not suffering from any heart diseases. I also do not have any allergies.
Hi Steve,
I came across you website and found this post very useful. However I would like to ask a few questions:
1. I’m 5.8″ and my body weight is 63 kgs. I would like to start bodybuilding exercises on a 3 days a week schedule. Could you please suggest a schedule.
2. I recently bought Whey protein (24g protein per serving). Could you please suggest how many serving a day and at what time (pre workout or post workout) should I take this supplement.Should I take this supplement even on the days when I don’t work out.
I would be thankful if you could help and provide any other tips that you deem important for a beginner like me. Thanks in advance.
Regards
Muzi
hello,
i am a 5’6” 130# male with a small lean frame.
my goals are to increase lean mass but not at the cost of added fat and therefore i do cardio every day. i seem to be slowly reaching my goals but i have a question in particular to the rates at which the body is physically able to digest proteins. i am aware that different kinds are absorbed at different rates, but if we accept that on average 7g per hour is absorbed, then this indicates that anything more than 168 grams a day cant even be absorbed. i suspect the average rate is actually lower since metabolism is slower at nite.
so my question is these two:
1.
what is truly the average (lets just say 1:1 mix of casein versus whey) rate of protein absorption and what are the independent variables to this rate since im sure it varies?
2. since protein cannot be stored, it is likely converted to fat if not used — is that true? under what circumstances is protein not used?
my questions basically come from the fact that i weight train 6 days a week and do moderate-intense cardio at least 25 minutes each day. although i am gaining muscle (extremely slowly), and im losing fat, i believe i have more fat on my body than i should have and the desire to lose fat interferes with my muscle growth. my theory is that im consuming too much protein and it is being converted fat. but since muscle growth is slow, i dont want to physically test the effects of reeducing protein unless i am 100% convinced it wont impede muscle growth. the last month i have reduced my carbs to less than 20g per day(yes this is possible! sometimes even less), and i dont eat anything high fat except for normal portions of nuts/peanut butter. this has seriously shed fat off my body but now ive seemed to plateaed or im consuming too much protein.
any comments would be appreciated
Hey my name is Dalton. Im 18, 5’11, and around 170 lbs. im trying to get up to around 185 – 190 ish. I workout 5 days a week and I am getting stronger just not bigger… What can i do?
I had a friend like you in college. He was strong as hell and all he had to do to get stronger was just to be disciplined in hitting the gym 3-4 times a week. Once in a while he would get distressed though, because he didn’t look that strong – didn’t have ‘puffy’ muscles. I’d honestly rather have that problem than to be puffy and weak.
You are going to have to eat more food and stimulate hypertrophy by training in the 8-12 rep range. 20 rep sets of breathing squats are great too.
I wanted to know how much protien should I intake a day if I wiegh 156?
Thanx for replys,
You should read the article and find out. 🙂
hello steve thanx 4 da reply 2 my earlier post….just wanted 2 ask u dat as my weight is 73 kgs and my height is 166…so should i lose weight n if yes what should be my target according to my height n weight….or should i concentrate on strength or muscle building….pleaz advise me as to which one would be a better option 4 me….thanx so much….!!!!
You should make that decision based on whether or not you like what you see in the mirror and how your body feels on a daily basis. If you feel too chubby, lose fat first. If you look and feel lean enough, gain muscle first. It’s really not my decision.
Thanks for giving such brilliant advice regarding diet, carbs and information regarding protein foods for someone dedicated to weight loss it’s easy to lose sight of how important it is to remain healthy
Hi, my name is Rajesh, my weight is 80kg i want to gain muscle,how can i get good muscular bisceps? is there any side effect of protein supplement?
Good biceps comes from a good routine like Werewolf Training. There are very few side effects, if any, from protein powder. It really depends on your personal health. Check with your doctor if you have any questions.
Hi Steve,
I’m 34, weigh around 220lbs, and I’m 6’3″. I work out 3 days a week, weights and cardio. I’m not sure how much protein I should be taking in, though. I don’t want my muscles to be starving for protein, but I’m still trying to shed a little weight. So far I’ve been doing both enough to meet my goals. How much do you suggest I take in?
180 grams should be fine if you’re trying to lose weight
hi my name is davron and i got question. for how long should i take protein shakes and carbs,thanks
You can drink a protein shake or two every day for the rest of your life if you want. Carbs are just a part of life and must be accepted, even if you only eat fruit and veggies.
hey steve, thanks alot for your post, its been very useful..
Anyways i have a question i think you might be able to answer.
Im 18, weigh around 175 lbs n i have quite a big muscular build i go to th gym 4 times a week (most of the time).
Currently i have been trying to lose weight and get more toned, i have cut my calorie intake to 2000 and i still carry on normally with my weight training because i also want to carry on gaining muscle.
lets say i go with your reccomendation of 1g of protein per lb. will that make it alot harder to become toned? Because im guessing with all that protein comes alot of calories.
Is ther a way i can lose weight and gain muscle mass at th same time?
If so what do you reccomend i do?
Thank you in advanced,
Khalid
Dear Steve, I’m trying to gain muscle and I don’t know how much protein & carbs to intake a day and I weigh 130lbs. What do you think? I work out 3 days a week and I take protein only in the morning and after work out training.
This is your only warning. I see you are using the same URL but different names in your author description. You posted last week under the name Amanda Dany, using a different bodyweight but asking the same question. Either explain yourself or I am going to delete your comments. If I see your URL again under a different name I will flag all of your info as spam with WordPress.com.
First off Steve, thank you for making an awesome site here to help others. You are very supportive and good at what you do. I just have something bothering me and always crossing my mind and I just want another person’s opinion. So if you could help that would be great.
I’m 5’5 last time I checked Aug. 28th I weighed 204lbs. I work out 3 days a week and I eat protein, carbs, & fish oil as my healthy fats sometimes nuts, olive oil etc.. What my main question is how much carbs should I intake with each of my meal when I have my protein that’s about 20g or so.. I’m trying to lose weight and I just don’t know how to balance the carbs & protein together.. And should I work out more than 3 days to lose weight? I’m not in any hurry because this is going to my lifestyle and not to just look good. Anything will help. Thank you!
Diet is responsible for 75% of your progress. Therefore if you are working out 3 times a week then you are on the right track. I’d say maybe you could increase your workouts to 4 days a week and include some HIIT or HIRT training with your weight training. As far as eating carbs, if you are trying to lose fat you should keep your carbs under 100 grams a day, maybe even around 70 grams a day if you can handle it. That turns into roughly 15 grams of protein per meal/snack if you eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks a day, or maybe 25 grams of carbs for the 3 meals and choose 2 carb-free high protein snacks instead.
ok guys listen to me. First you dont need to take any supplements, because they have side effects. secondly if you work out, everything will come to you. if you want weight loss eat the required food, if you want muscles eat what you must eat. you can consume 150 g of protein for example without supplements, and do your work. just dont make it so big problem, just be patient and hard working nothing else.
steve m eagerly waitin 4 ur reply….hit me back fast as possible…thanx so much
hi, i am 14 years old about 5’2″ and weigh around 168. i am very muscular and dont look my weight at all i want to get down to around 140-145. I am very active. I need help on finding a diet that i can use that i will have enough energy for me to do all my activities and lose weight. any sugestions? and i need help on losing fat in my arms.. is there any really good excercises?
You should follow the fat loss for women routine on this site. For dieting, keep carbs under 100g a day and keep total calories under 1600 for at least a month.
Hi Steve,
I am a female, 5’8″ and about 142 lbs. I would like to gain more muscle while still losing fat. At the suggestion of a personal trainer I increased my protein intake from about 85-100 g per day to 150 g. It’s been difficult to fit in that much protein with natural foods alone, so about 50 g per day is coming from whey protein. I have still only been eating only about 1200-1300 calories a day WITH the additional protein, but I seem to be putting on weight in my midsection anyway. Do you know if additional protein can lead to fat gain, even if one maintains a healthy caloric range for his/her weight and height? Can ingesting so much protein slow down my metabolism and weight loss, or worse, cause fat gain?
Thanks for any info. you can provide.
This is sent for the posting on Nov. 26
At 14 years old you should probably think about the amount you’re eating. For me, I;ve been pretty surprised at the fact that all of the diets I’ve been on have recommended MUCH smaller portions than I’m used to. I have always been very healthy, but now I know very well that I can only eat 1 or 2 cups of blanket
1 or 2 cups of blanket? I am totally confused…
Hey I just wanted to know if my workout routine is ok im 18 my height is 5,5 and i weight around 127 and I’ve been Doing it for about 3 weeks now. So it starts out like this morning I wake up about 12 or 1 eat 5 egg whites along with oatmeal combine with cornflakes 2nd meal around 3 I eat spaghetti with broccoli about 5pm I eat like 3 apples if not cereals around 7pm I eat 2 slices of beef with peas n carrots around 9 I begin my work out 30 mins of cardio and weight lifting my workout takes about an hour n right after that I drink my protein shake which is egg protein So am I doing ok????? Plz reply
I don’t know what your goals are, so I can’t really comment. It does appear that your protein is low, since you’re only eating egg whites, 2 slices of beef, and a protein shake.
hey steve …i usually drink something called kefir cuz its really healthy…i wanted to ask can i put something like that in my protein shakes???
I don’t know what kefir is but you can probably add it to a protein shake.
hello steve…i m 22 years old male…my weight is 73 kgs and my height is 166…i hit the gym 5-6 times a week…i do strength exercise first and after that i do cardio…i want to lose my weight and build my muscle at the same time…is it advisable to take gold standard whey protein…will i gain weight if i take protein…pleaz give me some tips and i think am slightly overweight also…thank u so much…!!!
Regular whey protein mixed with skim milk or water will be great for maintaining muscle mass on a fat loss diet. You won’t gain weight specifically because you are using a protein shake. I don’t advise anyone to try to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, as this would be counterproductive. You should choose one goal and stick with it for 3 months.
I m 19 years old…wiegh 200.2 lbs and my height is 6’2….i wanna loose weight as well as gain muscle mass at the same time…i have been gymming since last two months and have lost 9 lbs….but there is no major change in my muscle mass…i would like to know my daily protein intake keeping in mind reducing weight and gaining muscle mass at the same time ? Any further suggestions will be highly appreciated…
I don’t advise anyone to try to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, as this would be counterproductive. You should choose one goal and stick with it for 3 months. Protein intake for losing fat should be about 160-170 grams, for gaining muscle it should be around 200-210 grams.
Hi steve..I’m 6’1 and weight about 187 pounds..I want to lose my midsections and get a 6 pack but I also want to gain muscle in my arm,legs,back..I don’t like to eat fruits or vegetables..I rarely 500 calories a day..I run 2 miles everyday and lift heavy every other day..I also take a powder shake before and after my workouts..what else can I do to get the 6 pack I want plus gain muscle in my arms,legs,etc…I. afraid I don’t get enough protein a day to gain muscle because I don’t eat fruits or vegetables..what to do..please help
If you want to gain muscle, you have to eat big. Lots of protein is good, especially after the workout. To get visible abs you’ll need to lose fat, but losing fat shouldn’t coincide with gaining muscle. You have to pick one goal and stick with it for 3 months. Fruits or vegetables have very little protein in them, but you should still eat fruits and veggies for good health. Eat meat, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts for protein.
Hi im 33 5 10″ 146 pounds looking to bulk up i have never really worked out in the gym. Im super athletic skied 126 last year. Im going to Maui to surf for a month and really want to strengthen up in the next 3 months before I go . Started on protein and a good diet just would like to know the best routine in the gym. I have a super high metabolism so I guess you could say im a hard gainer. I do have a lower back problem Disk L4 and L5 are hernated but the pain is real manageable. any suggestion on the diet would help as well. Thanks for your time.
You can try the Werewolf Training routine or the full body workout routine, but please be careful with your back. Until it is fixed and/or you’ve been through physical therapy, please do not push yourself too hard with squats and you should probably avoid deadlifts altogether. Consider leg presses, step ups, and lunges instead. Might want to do some of your exercises like overhead press seated instead of standing, until your back gets better.
Hi Steve, been reading your comments to the other guys and u seem so helpful. Wondering if u could see if im doing my training and diet the right way and help me out with when/how much whey Protein i shoild be taking too.
I work out 3/4 times a week, for an hour at a time, 2 days weights, 2 days cardio (which i burn of 500 calories each time)
My diet consists of Cereal or toast(brown bread) for breakfast, Sandwiches for lunch (tuna or cheese, brown bread), Meat/Fish/Veggies or Ommlette for dinner. 1 item of fruit. 2/3 tea coffee, 2 litres of water, 1 25g Whey protein shake after workout (when training or 1 in morning when not) with milk…. Oh and i do like the odd glass of red wine or beer…
Im 29, 160lbs, not big but have a bit of a belly, hoping to carve out sum abs and define my muscles.
ANYTHING IM DOING WRONG???
Thanks so much if u can help me
Add a third day of weight training. Turn your endurance cardio sessions in HIIT or HIRT cardio. Don’t have more than 1 drink at night. Keep a food log with calories, fat, protein, and carb intake. Keep calories under 1900 a day until you drop a solid 10 pounds of fat. Then see where you are and readjust if necessary.
hi, im 14 years old.i weigh about 157 pounds and i am about 5’9”. i want to build more muscle. my body is 53 pounds pure fat and i would like to make it more like 20-25 pounds of pure fat and the rest muscle. what is the best kind of diet and exercise i should use to help me reach this goal.i usually lift weight 2-3 times a week for about 30min.i also do bmx racing and ride my bike everyday for about 45min. i was thinking about using whey protein in my diet but first i need to find out what kind of foods i should eat, how much exercise i need, and when should i eat. any sugestions? thanks a lot.
Since you are 14 you will probably lose baby fat and grow into your body, but all the same you should really try to eat healthy. 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks each day. Lots of water. Weight training 3 days a week for 45 minutes. Lift heavy and increase intensity. Keep racing BMX. Fruits, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lean dairy products, and veggies.
Hi Steve,
I am 38 female and since giving birth 10 years ago, I have never been able to loose the lbs but as the years pass, I am putting more and more.
I used to be this skinny person weighting 150 lb wearing a size 4-6 dress for 5’9 but now I am 205. I am mostly putting lbs on my mid-section and chess. I would like to go back to my 150 Lbs.
A friend of mine has suggested “Body by vi”. But I am not only sure this is different from the Protein powder (whey powder) found on any drugstore shelves or if they have the same effect.
Two years ago, I used to workout 5X per week for 60 min each session for 3 years and still could not loose weight.
I am contemplating on taking protein powder to loose weight.
Any advice?
PS: I eat mostly whole grain and eat red meat occasionally.
I should have specify that I did loose all the prenangcy weight in the first 3 weeks after giving birth and started gaining them back 4 months after.
I think your overall diet is the problem. Adding protein powder is not the solution, however you could try replacing 1 or 2 meals a day with protein shakes or a meal replacement like Boost or Slim Fast. I tend to think the problem lies more with your overall calorie intake. What were you doing for exercises? Consider high intensity cardio and resistance training rather than endurance cardio sessions. Check out the full body fat loss for women routine here at Project Swole for a decent workout routine.
hi,
I exercise everyday but my only source of protein is mainly from fresh fruit, veggies, beans and tofu since I’m a vegetarian. Do I get enough protein by only eating above foods? I do eat raw salmon twice per week as well. Thanks
If you are concerned about your protein intake, you should keep a food log for a couple weeks to see exactly how much you eat.
Hello Steve,
I am a 20 year old baseball player at Ancilla College in Indiana and I am 6’1″-6’2″ and weigh 195 lbs. Im looking to cut down my belly fat and get my six pack back, but also want to build muscle all over. (Arms, legs, back…) How much protein should I consume each day? Im also looking into taking Whey Protein, Creatine, and Omega 3 Fish Oil tablets each day to help me, when and how much should I take these supplements? And one last question is, I have a heart murmur, will any of these supplements affect that in any way? Thank you so much for your concern and your time.
I am 5’11’ in height, weighin around 85 Kilos.I have been working out from few months now for 5 days a week…I want to reduce my weight & put on the muscular slim look. I have been taking whey proteins after my work out & I also eat 5 to 6 egg whites a day. I also eat chicken almost regularly…request you to kindly advice me , how much proteins should I be consuming, considering, I want to reduce my weight .
About 150 grams a day.
i need someone to tell me how much fat,proteins,carbs calories i need i get different answers from doctors and nutrionist . i am 6ft 265 and i just cant get my midsection gone i walk 3.5 miles a week 4 times aweek and lift 3 times a week what else should i do
HIIT, HIRT, and heavy lifting. Walking is not going to cut it. Listen to the nutritionist, not the doctor.
Hey steve,
I’m impressed that you reply to all these emails. I’m sure if I read every single one of your replies I’d find what I need but I’d like to ask you myself. I’m 21, 5’7 and I’m 120lbs.I’m in great health, very fit and have always been skinny all my life. I eat spaghetti with minced meat and meatballs almost every day for dinner, chicken, burgers and sausages for lunch and dinner too sometime and I have eggs and cereals for breakfast, sometimes oatmeals. I also take rice and chicken and veges for lunch sometimes.I work out regularly for 1.5 to 2.5 hours every other day and on those alternate days, I do light workouts(pull ups,bicep curl-dumbbell, tricep etc). But I’m still having so much trouble gaining weight. I’m currently into my 6th day of taking Real Gains. I doubt that even after I finish up the whole 6.85Ibs tub, id gain any weight. Its almost impossible for me to gain weight. Please advise.
Try GOMAD: Gallon Of Milk A Day. Drink it down. Eat peanut butter on everything too. Stay away from salad though, unless you are going to throw calorie dense toppings all over it. =)
Hi Steve
I am a 30yr old female weigh 205lb 5’7 don’t look like it im naturally built(meso)but with the excess belly fat! i would like to lose the fat and continue the muscle gains!I do weight training 3days a week and cardio 2-3 days week
i would like to lose the belly tone up upper body i don’t want to build more mass on arms or shoulders which are already shapely and broad but build more muscle mass on lower body ,how can go about that? how much protein is needed daily I am currently using BSN sythana-6, but i just brought the BNB true mass was goin to incorp that as well!also how many days should i train my lower body(legs/glutes)for max growth?? also am i doing enough cardio??
Thank You
You are a prime candidate for increasing your lower body HIIT sessions, try trading your 2-3 cardio sessions for HIIT sessions. The high intensity aspect will help to build muscle and the cardiovascular aspect will help you lose fat and stay conditioned. I recommend training your lower body 3 times a week, consider getting on a full body routine and prioritize leg training. For example, you’d train squats, deads, and lunges before you’d do any upper body training, possibly starting the second workout with a back exercise like rows or pull-ups but then transitioning directly to a leg exercise. You can end each of your workouts with a 15 minute HIIT session, or you can do your HIIT sessions in the morning (assuming you’ll be training at night) or on off-days.
Thank you very much Steve you really helped me alot:)!
i will do exactly as you said i also have another ? the full body routine will it be done on the same 3 days that i train my legs/glutes??
Hi im 20 yrs old and just had a baby bout 3 months ago im tryin my hardest to eat right consuming only 1250 cals a day and i work out mearly 6 days a week and still not seeing much results in my tummy area and i work that area the hardest i can feel the abs when i poke them but i cant get the fat to comre off the top! What can i do?
Just stick with it. You might need to alter the foods you eat and perhaps change your approach to cardio exercise. Use high intensity cardio rather than endurance cardio, and if you aren’t lifting weights you should start.
I have one more question, is it ok that i take a spoon full of liquid protein at night and protein shake durning the day? I havnt started yet but will be on monday. I just dont want to consume to much if that possible.
Not quite sure what this liquid protein is, but casein protein is best take, before bed. Using a protein shake during the day and a serving of casein protein before bed is perfectly fine, although usually people who are trying to gain muscle resort to casein protein before bed. People trying to lose fat tend to stay away from eating before bed.
my question is do i really need 140 grams of PROTEIN to build muscle? or do i just need to put more work into doing weights?
Both. If the calories and total protein are not there, you won’t get anything by lifting more weights. If you lift more weights, eat more calories, and eat more protein, you will probably build more muscle.
Hi Steve.
Im 19, 5’8 and 11 stone
my basic aim is to gain muscle mass as fast as poss. Although i am aware of the 6 or so meals needed to gain muscle mass i am finding it very difficult to consume the 1 gram of protein for each pound of bodymass.
I am currently getting most of my protein through egg whites, tuna, and quorn. perhaps getting 80 grams of the 140 grams i should be consuming a day.
I am not seeing results i am happy with taking into account how much i put into working out… i am working out about an hour 4 days a week, doing low reps with heavy weights.
my question is do i really need 140 grams of fat to build muscle? or do i just need to put more work into doing weights?
any response would be great, lenon
If you are struggling to build muscle, then you probably need to alter your diet. Consume more protein and total calories. Use protein powder to get more protein if you need to, and if you’re struggling to get total calories then try drinking a gallon of milk a day, add peanut butter and flax oil to your diet.
i am 17 years old, i weigh about 130 and i am 5 6….i have been working out for about 6 months…i am taking a powder that has 26 grams of protein per scoop…i take it twice a day and work out for an hour and a half 4 times a week…i want to make sure i am not over traing and if im taking enough protein per day
I don’t know how much total protein you are taking in. Working out for an hour and a half is a little long – I’d like to see a max of 60 minutes per session with higher intensity.
I am 36 5ft3 i weigh 156.I have a long story to shorten.Lost 20 pounds eight years ago by doing power 90.I stuck with it doing it 5-6 days a week for six years.Two yrs ago i took an anti anxiety pill and gained twenty pounds in two months.I came off the drug and kept working out all along.No weight loss.I did a harder p90x (3times).I lost no weight.It’s over two years off the drug and cannot lose “any” Weight.I’ve been doing HIIT, hill runs and walking two miles.I thought that maybe I was overtraining so I cut back from 5 days per week to 3.I just have a fat rubbery stomach.I’m not huge.I have no muscle definition in my legs.Actually they are quite out of shape for the workouts I do.Have lost muscle tone in my arms.I eat clean.I’m not sure if i’m eating enough or too much.Fiber cereal with 1% milk coffee with some creamer, natural almonds, salads with veggies and olive oil.Piece of lowfat meat veggies try to have brown rice.Overall, i make good choices.Sometimes I think I need to restrict myself more but then think maybe you’re not eating enough.I’m sick of being fat.I was trim and in shape while exercising before.Now, the exercise and diet don’t work.Please help with a solution.
You might really need to be evaluated by a trainer and nutritionist. I’d need to know much more about your daily routine, exercise, and diet to give you a solution. Off the top of my head I’d say you need to work on your diet – whether total calories or food choices. Sounds like you are doing most things right, so I wonder if you have a medical issue as well. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Greetings,
I am 214lbs… I finally tired of the weight…Im 5ft 10in…I have been drinking 1 gallon of H2O everyday. I do a early morning walk/run for about 1hr and 15mins…I drink a whey protein shake after my morning work out… My appetite has really been suppress due to the water intake. So i really don’t eat much through out the day…fruit, salad or a bowl of cereal. in the evening I hit the YMCA …I due 20-30 mins on the stairs…then I hit the weights for 30-40mins…I want to lose 40lbs…do u think its possible at the rate im going to complete my goal in 3 months???
Yes. Stick with it for 3-4 months, it will go by in a flash, and then you will be so happy you stuck with it. Also, I would like to see you do weight training first and cardio after.
Hello Steve,
I am 29 yrs of 130 lbs. I want to gain muscle. I have started workout for 2 months, but I don’t see much progress. I am taking ON Whey protein after workout. I am eating 1 egg + fruits + 3 meals a day..
My workouts are
Monday & Thursday – Cardio
Tuesday & Friday – Chest + Back + Triceps
Wednesday & Saturday – Legs + Shoulders + Biceps.
I want to gain muscle & weight, I am very skinny.
Can you please provide your suggestions.
Thanks
Raja
You just need to eat more total calories and at least 150 grams of protein in a day. Keep up the hard work.
hey steve,
im 17 years old and i weight 136lb and my body fat is 10% im guna start using whey protein to build up my muscles and bulk out a bit, how much should protein should i take a day? i wanna take it but i dont wanna gain weight around the stomach if i take too much. i go to the gym around 3 times a week maybe more. what should i eat to keep a good balance if i use the protein powder?
thanks
i forgot to mention my height im 5ft 8/9in if this affects the amount i would have to take 🙂
I’m am 6″2 240 pounds, play rugby and ice hockey. I workout 6 days a week, usually doing an hour of cardio in the morning (approx. 700 calorie exp.) then lift in the evening, doing one primary muscle group and a secondary. I’m really unsure of how much protein I should be consuming, I’m not looking to get huge amounts of muscle, just tone and really define them. Thanks for your help.
hi im 15, 133lb, and 5’7, ive been working out for months now and was wondering how much protien i should be taking aday, ive researched and have come to the conclusion of 200 grams aday. does that sound right? when i started working out i was 14, 110 lb,and was 5’3. my work out schedual is three days of lifting then repeat the routine on thurday til saterday so im working out 6 days aweek for 2-3 hrs at a time, (note:i dont work the same muscle twice in a row)so my schedual i think is ok.
Sounds good to me. I might have recommended about 170 grams of protein a day, but 200 shouldn’t hurt you.
Hi I’m 16 years old, I’m 5’10”, 155Lbs. I eat about 5-6 meals a day, but don’t seem to gain any weight, probably because I’m still growing. I started lifting weights everyday, doing a different part of the body everyday. I’m trying to put on more muscle, and I’m thinking of ordering 1 pound of protein powder. How much should I take everyday? I asked around a lot and people told me at least 150 grams everyday.
You should aim for like 180-200 grams of protein a day since you are trying to gain muscle. Also, you should increase your total calories from highly nutritional foods. Consider using a full body split or an upper body / lower body split like the Werewolf Training routine to gain muscle.
I AM 34 YEARS OLD IAM 5′ 7′ AND ABOUT 150 POUND HOW MUCH WHEY PROTEIN SHOULD I TAKE I AM DOING A WEEKLY 5 HAVEY DAYS WORK OUT PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW MUCH PROTIEN I ABLE TO TAKE
One or two shakes a day should be fine. Get the rest of your protein from whole foods.
I’m 16 this year turning 17 im 5’3 and about 108 pounds how much whey protein should I take cause I barely eat protein in a day though I do workout a lot
You should eat like 90-100 grams of protein in a day, unless you are trying to gain muscle, because then you should bump it up to like 120 grams.
Hi steve,
Im 24yr old female, 5’8 and 133lbs. Im 18% body fat. My goal is to reach a healthy 15%. My main source of protein is though Protein shakes(muscle milk). I have been having 1 a day (work out day or not) w/ 32g of protein in each. Im thinking of increasing them to 2 a day but worry that i may consume to much fat from the shake, although i do undersatand that some of these fats are actually good. what do you think?
Hi..im 16, 5’5, 118lbs but I want to get down to 110 pounds.. im naturally very muscular, and gain muscle wicked easy. but I dont want bulky muscle, I want to be lean and thinner every thing iv tryed just makes me gain more muscle mass…could I possibly be eating too much protien?
You could try eating less protein. Increase your reps when weight training as well.
I’m 18 years,185 pounds 5’7′.I’m trying to lose weight,will protein powder actually allow me to replace meals?
Yeah you can drink a protein shake instead of a meal if you are trying to lose fat.
Hey Steve,
I have been training for three years. I am 5 9″ and weigh 13.3 stone. I ahve always trained for strength, although I am pretty toned I still have a tummy on me.i know the set up of different muscle groups and when to rotate my training. Just wondering how many shakes should I be taking and what would help me bulk up and tone at the same time. May i mention i am also taking eph 25 at the min.
michelle
One or two protein shakes a day is enough. Get the rest of your nutrition from whole foods.
Hi i’m 13 going on 14 i’m around 150 lbs give or take 2 or 3 5’8″ give an inch or 2 and a football and basketball player i don’t know my body fat % but most of my fat is stored in my butt(which i can flex) , thighs(i can see quad definition when flexed) in chest(with slight upper ab defintion, and pecs that can flex but have layer of fat ) whichs i started a body weight regimen 2 weeks ago Bodyweight Exercise Ladder
Rungs Pullups Squats Pushups Situps
1 1 5 3 5
2 2 10 6 10
3 3 15 9 15
4 4 20 12 20
5 5 25 15 25
6 6 30 18 30
7 7 35 21 35
you start with 1 pullup 5 squats 3 pushups and 5 situps continue the levels till you reach set seven or till you can’t complete the nxt se with good form then you go back down i have also been doing a HIIT rountine 30 max 90 rest
i’m not sure how many calories i should be eating or how many grams of protein i would like to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time if possible i have seen some muscle gains and weight loss but am not sure if goin in the right direction
Thanks so much in advance if you can offer any help
Might need to decide on a priority – fat loss or muscle gain – and focus on that for 2-3 months straight. For muscle gain you should definitely consider lifting weights rather than bodyweight exercises. Use some of the Werewolf routines on this site to gain mass and strength. At age 14 you can definitely start learning how to lift with proper form. Keep the weight low until you’ve mastered the form though.
Your bodyweight routine could work OK for fat loss for a little while, but it lacks diversity and intensity. Keep doing the HIIT routines though, because that works great for conditioning.
Finally, you are going to need to learn how to eat. Read some articles on this site about eating to gain mass and eating to lose fat, then start practicing.
Hi!
I weight 196,I’m 5 ft 1 and I’m trying to lose 50 to 60 pounds in 5 to 6 months. I’ve been reading about Whey protein the last couple of days to inform myself on how much I should be drinking and what is the best way, and I have a couple of questions.
How many shakes of whey protein(protein + water) should I be drinking everyday?
How many grams of whey protein should I be drinking?
and I’ve been running like a mile and a half everyday is that enough?
I’m also eating around 1200-1500 calories a day is that okay?
You can have about 2 protein shakes in a day. Get about 140 total grams of protein. I’d like to see you use high intensity cardio plus weightlifting, but if you insist on running then I insist on also adding weight training to your workout plan, 4 times a week. 1500 calories should get you to your goal. 1200 sounds a little low.
Hey, Im 14 years old, 5’5 and only 105 pounds. Im really skinny and want to get bigger. what do you think i should do to start? Any advice would really be appreciated. Thanks
Eat at least 3000 calories a day and use the Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains program without the optional cardio, for about 6 months. 150 grams of protein a day minimum. 5-7 meals/snacks a day.
Hey,
I’m 23 yrs old at 5’11”, 145 lbs. I recently started working out and want to gain weight quickly. I’ve heard that GOMAD is a way to do this (gallon of milk a day). Is this a good way to gain weight in your opinion?
Thanks
Did you read that on the Stronglifts website? Haha. He’s always talking about GOMAD. Seriously though, drinking a gallon of milk a day is just one way for hardgainers to get a ton of extra calories. Just be careful if you are allergic to daily products at all. I have the lactose intolerance and drinking a gallon of milk a day would destroy me. If you have more money I would also suggest maybe only drinking half a gallon of milk, and invest in some protein powder and other whole foods.
Hey, im 6’0 222pds, i play college fball and i have aprox. 17% body fat… I usually have a protein drink (48g protein of Nitro-Peak) when i wake up in morning with 1 slice of whole wheat bread and some peanut butter before I go to work. A normal lunch would consist of a turkey and cheese sandwich with yellow mustard on whole wheat with some fruit. I workout 6 times a week at a pretty high level and take my protein drink after all my workouts. Just off my protein drinks thats about 96grams per day. What foods would you recommend for me if I’m trying to obviously build muscle but lose body fat?
Lean meat, legumes, whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lots of water.
Hey Steve, I’m 18, I’m about 5’7 and I weigh from 140-144 (the scale varies). I workout for two hours a day, usually an hour and forty-five minutes for weight training and the other ten to fifteen minutes at the end for cardio, I eat a good sized breakfast (about 2 bowls of cereal and milk for the protein), a smaller sized lunch (some type of sandwich like peanut butter and some fruit) and a medium dinner (ex. 2 small pieces of chicken, serving of potatoes and rice. and yogurt with fruit afterwards). And I’ll generally have a spoon of peanut butter every now and then throughout the day. During my workout, I drink my water and protein shake. I have some fat in my lower abdomen that I’d really like to take off, and I do lower ab workouts the most frequent in the gym. Would you think I’m eating enough to get bigger? But I’m most adamant about toning up my lower abdomen, it’s the main spot that I’d really like to address, any tips?
You can’t tone your lower abdomen unless you lose bodyfat. You can’t lose bodyfat unless you eat fewer calories that you burn. You can’t get much bigger unless you eat more calories than you burn. So honestly, you’ll have to choose. Furthermore, 2 hours of exercise in a row is a waste of time. If you must workout 2 hours a day, then split your workouts between AM and PM. Intense weight training should last no longer than 45 minutes per session, 60 if your body allows you to really push it. If after 60 minutes you are not sufficiently worked, you are not training with enough intensity.
I am 5’1 and 140 lbs. I work out about 3-4x a week mix it up with cardio and some strength training.I try to eat healthy but I think I over eat I don’t keep track of my calories. What is my recommeneded weight for my height? How many calories/grams of protein should I be eating a day to lose weight?
You can learn about protein intake by reading this article. Calories on the other hand, you can choose your goal bodyweight, multiply by 12, and start there. Adjust whether or not you lose at least 2 pounds in the first two weeks, but lower it if you’re losing 5 pounds or more a week because that is too much too fast.
hello im 44 years old and have been pumping iron for a very long time, i used to lift heavy,but now my joints are really taking a beating…i currently weigh 275lbs(not really fat,just weight lifting big basically..) i want to know how much protien do i need to build muscle..and how much should i eat it and what i the best way to get it from food only(the powders bloat me) for example,,,if i need 300 grams,how many skinless chicken breast do i eat in a one day?
You are going to have to do your own food research. Keep a food log for one month. Record protein, carbs, fat, and calories. To get protein in your diet, eat chicken, fish, turkey, and other lean means, as well as legumes, whole grains, and some dairy products. Sounds like 250-300 grams of protein a day is in order for you.
I’ve started jogging/running 5 X week, for about half an hour each time. In addition I do pilates about 3- 4 X a week. I started drinking whey protein shakes twice a day, for one week now.. and have gained 5lb!! I understand that protein makes you gain muscle, but since I’m not using weights and most of my workouts are cardio-based, is this normal? I’m 24, 150lb and 5’9”. I eat healthy, low fat and regular meals, and am happy with my weight now, but I dont want to put on any more and just want to to tone up.
The protein is probably not what’s doing you in. Take a look at your total calorie intake. I can’t really diagnose anything without knowing how and what you eat, and how your % bodyfat has changed in that time. The 5 pounds might just be an initial muscle gain due to just having started running, but again I’m not sure.
I’m 140 lbs and I’m 5,2im also a vegetarin I don’t really work out much though I know. I should work out I never have the modavation to work out.abouthow much protein should I get each day?
You will just have to read the article to find out how many grams of protein to eat. I just can’t respond to all these comments.
Steve,
Your thought and opinion on Kre-Alkalyn complete? and ENORMASS protein supplement.
I was given this 6 week workout routine. I have finished day 3 today. This is along with ~5k calories a day, 240grams of protein a day. ~6 meals a day.
Male, Age-23, height 5′ 11″ weight 161, 10% body fat. Goal weight – 200 lbs, no fat increase.
ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED.
WEEK 1 AND WEEK 2
DAY
1 CHEST TRICEPS
2 BACK BICEPS
3 LEGS SHOULDERS
4 OFF
5 CHEST TRICEPS
6 BACK BICEPS
7 LEGS SHOULDERS
WEEK 3 AND WEEK 4
DAY
1 CHEST BICEPS
2 BACK TRICEPS
3 LEGS SHOULDERS
4 OFF
5 CHEST BICEPS
6 BACK TRICEPS
7 LEGS SHOULDERS
WEEK 5 AND WEEK 6
DAY
1 CHEST SHOULDERS
2 BACK TRICEPS
3 LEGS BICEPS
4 OFF
5 CHEST SHOULDERS
6 BACK TRICEPS
7 LEGS BICEPS
CHEST SETS REPS
1) Flat Dumbbell press 3 10 to 12
2) Incline Dumbbell press 3 10 to 12
3) Flat Hammer Straight Machine 3 10 to 12
4) Incline Hammer Straight Machine 3 10 to 12
5) Incline Dumbbell Fly’s 3 10 to 12
6) Flat Dumbbell Fly’s 3 10 to 12
7) Decline Cable Fly’s (Standing) 3 10 to 12
* Close grip push-ups between each
exercise set. 1 10 to 20
TRICEPS SETS REPS
1) Robe push-downs 3 10 to 12
2) Incline Skull Crushers w/ easy bar 3 10 to 12
3) Single standing Triceps extensions
3) Overhand – d-ring 3 10 to 12
4) Underhand – d-ring 3 10 to 12
5) Bar Dips 3 To Failure
6) Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 10 to 12
* Tight elbows on all triceps exercises
BACK SETS REPS
1) Lat pull downs – wide grip 3 10 to 12
2) Close grip pull downs 3 10 to 12
3) Upright seated rows 3 10 to 12
4) Bent-over Dumbbell rows 3 10 to 12
5) Pullups 3 To Failure
BICEPS SETS REPS
1) Preacher Curl Bench w/ Easy bar 3 10 to 12
2) Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls 3 10 to 12
3) Single Preacher concentration Curls 3 10 to 12
4) Standing Alternating Hammer Curls 3 10 to 12
5) Standing Robe Curls 3 10 to 12
6) Wrist Curls 3 30
7) Reverse Wrist Curls 3 20
SHOULDERS SETS REPS
1) Standing Lateral Raises – single arm 3 10 to 12
2) Frontal Raises – single arm 3 10 to 12
3) Seated Overhead press w/ DB to EARS 3 10 to 12
4) Reverse Fly’s – single arm 3 10 to 12
5) Shrugs 3 20
LEGS SETS REPS
1) Leg Extensions (Quads) – light-medium 3 30
2) Squat Press 3 10 to 12
3) Hack Squat 3 10 to 12
4) Hamstring Curls – laying down 3 10 to 12
Calves
5) Feet pointed parallel 3 10 to 12
6) Feet pointed medial 3 10 to 12
7) Feet pointed lateral 3 10 to 12
The split could be OK as long as the 8th day is completely off. However, I don’t like the volume in your workout routine. You are doing too many exercises for chest and back, and FAR too many exercises for shoulders, biceps, and triceps. With training frequency being twice a week for each muscle group, I suggest you limit your exercise selection to 3 for larger muscles (chest, back, legs) and 2 for smaller muscles (shoulders, bis, tris). Where is your ab training? If you follow this program for longer than 2 weeks I guarantee you will end up overtraining. Either that or you won’t be training with maximum intensity, and while this program might not make you sick or injured, while you might make gains from it, you will surely be wasting your time doing too many exercises that you just don’t need to do. Each training session should be no longer than 45 minutes not counting warm ups and stretching, unless you add a HIIT or HIRT workout to the end of the session, in which case I can see training for 60-70 minutes to fit it all in. Then again you are looking to gain muscle, so I think adding extra cardio will be a bad idea too.
Hi, I am 23 years old, I weight between 205 to 210 and I am 6ft 2. I am a very active person and my job keeps me more active. I try to work out ever other day and im trying to tone my body up with muscle. How many calories and how many grams of carbs and protein do you recommend I consume on a daily
basis. What do you suggest I eat as well? Can You Please Help.
You will just have to read the articles to find out how many grams of protein and carbs to eat. I just can’t respond to all these comments personally.
Dear Steve,
I’m 19 years old, 186 lbs, and stand at 6’0″ tall. I currently lift 6 days a week. When I lift I do one day of Chest/tris, one day of back/bis/forearms, 3 days of legs (I play volleyball), one day of shoulders, and finish each of the 6 days with abs. On top of doing those work outs I run up the stairs of a toboggan sled run by my house (119 stairs, a foot tall each, at approximately a 64 degree incline) 5 times each day I go. I’m looking to try to drop down to about 175, but I have seem to hit a plateau at 185-186. I drink a 20 gram protein shake after each workout, and I eat a healthy diet (no fastfood, fatty foods, or anything sweet like candy) If I eat a snack, its usually a piece of fruit. Any suggestions on how to cut some weight?
10 Tips to Get Shredded
How to Lose Your Last 20 Pounds
Mike, you cant lose anymore weight because that would mean losing muscle in your case. the only way for you to lose weight would be to run more and work out less.
Hey Steve,
I’m 5’8 roughly 185-190lbs. Looking to lose body fat “I believe I’m 23% body fat”, I try to take 2600 calories a day (190G of protien, 256G of Carb & 86G of Fat) I try to reach 5-6 meals a day with 2 of them being whey protien and a gallon of water a da. i work out 5 days a week(working different body parts a day) with 20-30 mins of cardio(elliptical & stair climber) but havent seen that much progress besides my arms. Most of my weight is still in my chest & stomach, do you have any suggestions that may help me in really shedding my body fat?
10 Tips to Get Shredded
How to Lose Your Last 20 Pounds
Try it.
Your consuming way to much carbs!
Hi Steve,
I’m a 5ft 7, 127 lb, 25 year old that struggles to eat enough protein. I just don’t like any form of meat. I usually have small amounts of meat in large quantites of sauce. I’ve become concerned recently because I notice my face is pale quite often and I have dark circles as well as the fat on my body seems to be increasing.
My sources of protein are primarily eggs. I know that’s not enough and I do eat a little bit of red kidney beans and rarely eat chickpeas.
My question is, which protein shake do you think is the best? And do you think adding protein shakes to my diet will be enough protein for me, without need for additional protein in my diet? Currently not working out but would like to soon and I’m a flight attendant. Thanks
I can’t tell you for sure what your problem is, since I don’t know your daily diet. Optimum Nutrition makes a good protein powder that you can mix with milk, water, or 1000 other things. Can you eat fish? Also, I feel you are overeating if you are gaining bodyfat, and you need to start exercising.
Hello there,
I am 20, 6 feet 2 inches tall and i weigh 187 lbs. I want to tell you that i suffered from jaundice one year before. I know that according to my weight i should take around 150 gms protein a day. I just want to ask that will this dose be optimum or it might stress my livers? How much protein do you recommend for me? I have been working out in a gym 6 days a week for one month now. I would also like to know how many calories i can intake as well the amount of fat and carbs should i consume.
Thanks.
You really need to consult your doctor about this. I can’t make recommendations about jaundice, sorry.
I’m 5’6 and weigh 144 pounds. My trainer says I need 80-90 grams of protein per day to continue to lose weight. I have been at a plateau for 5 weeks now and I am frustrated. My trainer trains me 3x a week for 1 hour with weight training and cardio in between sets. I am dying by the end of the work-out with no weight loss. Any suggestions??
Change your workout routine up and maybe wait until the end to do cardio and take a cheat day at least one day every two weeks and jumpstart that metabolism load up on carbs for a whole day and see if that doesn’t help!
Your trainer is not giving you the right advice for weight loss. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to drop the protein down to about 60-70 grams. You need to do 45-60 min of cardio 4-5 times a week. You should do cardio before your workout instead of after. Buy Acai juice. This will help your craving for sweets and aid in your weight loss. Also your lifting should be done with lighter weights and high reps. 12-16 reps. Good Luck!
If you right Down your calorie intake per day it will work to loose weight..eat around 1500 to 1720 calories per day.. Do that for about a month an I’m pretty sure that will work..there’s also a program out there that will really help u…it’s called turbo fire..it’s about 18 months long but it will work….it will tone u up alot… Do some research on it to c if u like it..send me an email and I’ll help u through it..ttyl
I am 15, weight 135 pounds, and am 5ft. 11in. i am thinking about taking protein I have just started working out i work out like everyday for about an hour and half, I also want to become bigger. And I am tired of being the fit but skinny kid and would like to now if protein powder is right for me and if so how much of it should i take in a day?
Well i understand your wish to gain results quickly,but going into doing protein packs at your age isnt the best idea.You should first practice at least for a year without taking any powders,beacause you should first get to your maximum naturally before starting with whey powders!
Optimum Nutrition protein powder is the best. Eat like 150 grams of protein a day, or read the article to learn more.
What duke says is untrue. Protein is natural. It comes from milk. There are basically two types of proteins from milk – casein and whey. To build muscle, your body needs those amino acids that come from protein. You need to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight each day. So in your case 135 grams of protein. Take one serving in the morning, and one within 30 minutes after your workout. You might want to also look into taking creatine. This will jumpstart your muscle building goal and give you more energy/pump in the gym. Creatine is completely safe as well. All it does is convert ADP back to ATP which gives you longer bursts of energy. Good luck with your fitness goals!!
fuk that shit i weigh 150 pounds and im at 6 percent body fat and i intake around 190 to 200 grams of protein,which come from my 100 percent whey protein,chicken breast,tuna,and egg whites.And i intake grits,oatmeal,and sometimes whole grain breads
If u want to gain weight you need to increase ur calorie intake by alot..protein is good for ur body it will help ur body out alot..if u have a fast metabolism like me you need to eat alot…I figured out that I needed to eat around 3000 calories per day..I’m 30 and I used to weigh 155 lbs and now I’m up to almost 170lbs..but if you are eat meat try to cut down eating so much read meat..eat fish and whole grain rice..and just keep of ur calorie intake and make sure you ear healthy..if u want I’ll talk to u more about wat I did.. So u can email me at … (edited by admin: Sorry dude, but I think it’s a bad idea to post your e-mail address in plain text online.)
I am 17, 6’2 and now im at 232lbs but about a month ago i was 250. I am actually extremely active. I got to Bally Total Fitness everyday. And i play Football and Basketball. Problem is about a month ago i suffered a Herniated disk in my spine while playing basketball so i cant do all the activities and excersises i would like. I Finally ordered me some protien for the first time. (100% Whey Protien-gold standard)So like i was saying im 232lbs and want to try to get to 200lbs by the end of summer and start of school which is in about 6-7 weeks. Now if that’s too much weight in that time i would at least like to hit 210-215. But when i say loose weight i mean loose the fat and gain more muscle. i do about 25 to 30 mins of cardio when i go to bally and i Lift mostly upper body because of the back problem. So if you could can you tell me what i can do to loose the fat as quickly as possible while at the same time having muscles build in the place of the fat. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!
Is it pointLess to workout the same mucsle group twice in one day? Also I heard. That bicep workout is pointless that all ur other workouts take care of them?
It is overkill to workout the same muscles twice in a day and can lead to overtraining. Biceps workouts are pretty much pointless unless you are a competitive bodybuilder. If you train correctly, your biceps will grow from the other exercises. 3-6 total sets of biceps is all that is necessary for one person in a week, in my opinion.
I am 17, i weight about 135lbs, i am 5ft 81/2in. I take about ten different protein powders a day. I calculated my intake of protein which was about 400 a day, and my calories about 3,210. But i cut half my serving of my creatine and protein products on the weekend. I want to know is that healthy for me? I am also skinny and would like to get my arms buffer around wrist areas because my wrists are very skinny any suggestions? And i need some workouts to increase my vertical jump do you know any?
I don’t think you need more than 200 grams of protein a day and even that might be too much. Still, you gotta keep those calories up there, so I would suggest adding more complex carbs and healthy fats. The jury is still out on creatine… I hear now that using creatine dries out your tendons for life, increasing your risk of injury. Though you can definitely cut the protein intake in half for the weekend… although I’d recommend you cut that 400 gram in half all week long and keep it there. For your wrists do lots of heavy training – deadlifts, pull ups, bent over rows, and do some hammer curls too.
I am a college basketball athlete looking to improve my strength. I am 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and currently weigh around 215 pounds. My coach wants me to hit around 235-240 pounds by the time basketball season rolls around in 5 months. I am looking to change my diet now that I have changed my workouts. I do a lot of cardio, a lot of lifting, and a lot of basketball work outs. I have around 14% body fat, looking to trim down to between 6-8%. I also have a fairly high metabolism. How many calories and how many grams of carbs and protein do you recommend I consume on a daily basis. What do you suggest I eat as well? I also sleep 9 hours a night. Please help!!!
If you want to gain weight you need to cut down on the cardio, or at least switch to the type of cardio that will improve your strength. HIIT workouts are right up your alley. You’ll need to use a strength building workout so that you can build functional muscles… I wouldn’t want you to bulk up just for the sake of bulking up. Your new muscle should be stronger, faster, and more powerful.
To get up to 240 lbs you might need to eat in the range of 3400 calories a day or higher, and 250 grams of protein. Go for 5 meals a day and make sure to get your post-workout shakes in within 20 minutes of finishing a workout. Keep sleeping 9 hours a night!
hey im 130 lbs. 5’9in. 19 years old old im tired of being skinny. i just started working out everyday. one day upper body next day legs. im eating lots of peanut butter and now eat for meals a day. can you give me tips to gain 25+ lbs. in 4 months?
Just eat lots of calories and follow a routine like Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains at Project Swole.
Hi. I’m a 5’5 tall 140lb person just lost 15 pounds and went from 20% body fat to 16%. I’m scared that if I eat exses calories and protein that I will gain fat. I want to as quickly as I can gain muscle but not fat. Any advice on that? Thanks
If you want to avoid fat gain, you will have to gain muscle slowly. You can safely gain 1-2 pounds of muscle a month if you are pretty new to muscle gain workouts. Consider bulking for 2-3 months, cutting for 2-3 months, and repeat that system for a couple years. You will be happy that you did.
Thanks.also, how come my chest dosnt get soar after any work out, even ones I never done
You don’t have to be sore to make progress. Maybe this is happening because you don’t put enough intensity into your training. Also, the word is ‘sore’, not ‘soar’.
Hey,
I’m 18 years old a little under 175 pounds and about 5′ 11. I’m trying to gain muscle mass and am starting to work out daily. How much protein do you think I should consume daily without gaining fat? How possible is it to reach 180 pounds in four-six weeks?
180 grams of protein a day. You can definitely gain 5 pounds in 6 weeks if you eat, train, and sleep right, but expect the gains to slow down somewhat from there.
i steve im 18years old and i weigh 165 pounds i want to reach to about 180 im 5’11 i run everyday and i play basketball everyday and i have a protien shake after ever workout and i usually eat stuff like tuna and chiken and beans during the day im just wondering how much grams of protien i should have everyday and how much meals a day should i have to gain muscle a day also i usually eat supper then wait like 40 mins then workout and after that have a protien shake is that okay
Please read the article to get most of your answers. A post workout shake should be consumed 20 mins after a workout, then eat supper 30-60 minutes after the shake.
Hey steve i was wondering if it would be okay to use two diffrent types of protein powders on diffrent days. On the days i go to the gym i use optimum nutriion 100% gold standard whey and for off days i was going to use kaizen 100% whey protein. Is this alright.
Sure.
hey.I am 18 years, I weigh 122lb,I exercise 5 days a week, mostly cardio for about 30-35 minutes. I feel as though I gain weight rather than losing a few pounds. any suggestions about a exercise routine, and also a diet plan.
Switch to the full body fat loss routine for women, swap endurance cardio for HIIT and HIRT sessions, decrease total calories to 1450 at most, and aim for 100 grams of protein a day.
Im 14 years old 5’11” and 195 pounds. Im trying to gain muscle weight and loose some body fat. I dont think im over weight because i run at a decent speed. I play sports at least 6 times a week and go to the gym to work out almost everyday. Also how much protein do i need a day and how many calories
Please read the article to get your answers.
hi im 18 6-1 255 lbs i try to lift every outher day or every 2 days. how many calories fats and protiens should i eat and what are good things to eat during the day that are not to bad.
my goal is 220 lbs
Please read the article to get most of your answers. Fruits, veggies, low fat dairy, whole grains, and lean meats should comprise your diet.
Hey steve I think your a dick! Plus ur advise counterdicts itself. So let’s hook up and see who has the better body
Sorry about all the “counterdictions”.
Hi, i am 5’8, 170lbs, approx 22% body fat, i am trying to build mass and gain strength, as well as build my metabolism cause i barely used to and even if i did it was mostly junk, but its time for a change. I now workout 5 times a week and the other two days are for cardio. I am also drinking Myofusion whey protein and i just happen to notice that my blood pressure is on the high side 139/90. could this be due to over intaking of whey protein as i was consuming 2 scoops (1 scoop is 36g) x 3 drinks mixed in 18oz of water per drink a day and i have only started doing that since last week. Is it because of the excess cholestrol?
Increased protein intake should not affect your blood pressure. Might want to examine lifestyle changes first. If you have concerns you should talk to your doctor.
I am a 33 years old male 5’10 and doing strength training workouts two time for week. I am tring to get around 15 to 20 pounds in muscles, but I am not sure how much protein I should consume.I have read that I can gain between 1.5 and 4 pounds per month if working out and eating properly. Could you please tell me if that stimete is accurate for a 33 years old men?
Please read this article for your answers.
I am about 160 pounds and need to lose another 15 pounds. I eat bowls full of fruit and limited vegetables. I can’t stop eating fruit. I work out about 3 times a week but am not losing weight any more. By the way I am a vegetarian – I don’t eat anything that ever had blood in it. I take a number of vitamins and minerals. The past three weeks i have not been able to exercise due to some family issues. My calorie intake is about 1,000 to 1,500 a day. HELP.
Try HIIT cardio and HIRT sessions to burn fat. 1000 calories sounds too low. I have you around 1700 calories a day. Too few calories will halt a healthy fat loss plan.
im 6’3 270 lbs i do weight training 5-6 days a week…i do cardio on the tredmill 3-4 times a week…im a little built but im looking to bulk up more…but first i wanna loose 20-25 lbs first…im starting to eat alot healthier and take protein…my question is how much protein do i take per day…and if u have any other suggestions let me know please???
250 grams
is it true that u cant lose fat and gain muscle at the same time???
It is true in a literal sense. They can’t both happen at the same exact time. However if the program is right, your diet is tight, and you are pretty new to training, you can probably get away with dropping fat and gaining muscle over a long-term 3 month effort, for instance.
i usually weigh my self at the gym when i go…last week i weighed
around 265 i went a whole week without going to the gym…
today i went and weighed myself and i was 257…is it possible to
loose that much in a week without working out or is the scale broken???
It is def possible to lose 8 pounds in one week. It’s not always good to lose weight that quickly, especially if you are already in the middle of a fat loss phase, but it can be done.
I am 158 pounds. I became a vegetarian in January and launched a major lifestyle change. I have lost about 56 pounds since January but I am worried that I am not getting enough protein. I work about 2x a week. How much protein, carbs and calories should I be eating.
My new policy is not to answer anymore questions that can be answered by reading the articles. To get you started I’ll say you need about 100-120 grams of protein and 1500 or so calories a day based on your weight. Maybe more calories if you are looking to gain.
I was wondering exactly how much protein I should be consuming a day. I am 14, 5’10”, and weigh 125 lbs. I participate in physical activity about 8 hours a week. I am not trying to gain a lot of muscle, but could you maybe tell me what the recommended amount of protein I should get everyday is? I have been a vegetarian for some time and my parents are worried about how much protein I am getting. What would be a nutritional amount for me to get everyday so I can stay healthy.
100 grams
I am 5’7″, 27 yr old male, 290 pounds, large frame, wide shoulders, naturally just a big guy and have always been naturally muscular. Since college I have been working and less gym to no gym time and have gained 90 pounds to get me to the 290 that I am at now. I am wanting to cut down all this fat on me and start muscle building. I really want to bulk up. I am not so much interested in the hard 6 pack abs but I do want to slim up my waist and tighten it up. I started P90X last week and I am starting to take the Gold Standard 100% Whey this week. Can you give me some advice on what to eat, when, and how much protein I need to be getting in me? I plan on riding my mountain bike atleast 3 days a week, and do the P90X daily and also I am going to go to the gym and lift 3days or more a week. Does this sound like a good idea? Or to much? Also, how many times a day and when during the day should I drink the Whey? Thanks for any advice?
That exercise might end up being too much after a while. When progress slows or if you start to notice symptoms of overtraining, you’ll need to cut back. Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Assuming 200 lbs goal bodyweight, you’d be looking at less than 2400 calories a day and around 200-220 grams of protein.
Im 17 years old 5’9” and 128lbs im an active athlete and i need to put on some muscle mass is it bad if consume too much protein such as 200grams per day along with everything else because i expend around 3000 calories a day and i already eat alot. i just dont know what else to do to gain weight.
Eating twice your bodyweight in grams of protein might not be a great long-term idea, but you can do it for a little while. I’d like to see you increase your complex carb and healthy fat intake and keep your protein no higher than 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight.
how many grams of protein should i take at one time? and how much time should i leave in between drink my protein shakes in order to get the maximim benefit from it?
I answered your question here: how much protein should I eat in one meal.
Hi
I’m 5’2″, 22F. 106lbs. Quite frankly I’m trying to GAIN weight. I’ve been petite All of my life and want more of a shape. The only time I’ve really ever gained weight was while I was pregnant and I really enjoyed my figure (only gained a perfect 22lbs.) Only want to gain 16 of it back. Afterwards my weight went right back off, quite fast too. I just want to know how to get started using protein shakes or protein bars, what type to use for what I want, and how much to use for my body type? And Oh yeah, yes I know weight could possibly go to the undesired areas and I would still have to at least do some sort of excercise especially geared for shaping the buttock region. Seriously not trying to have manly muscles though ;-]
You should be at 100-120 grams of protein a day. Maybe you could supplement with 1-2 protein shakes or bar a day, with no more than 25-30 grams of protein per serving. Get the rest of your calories and protein from whole foods. You can use any workout routine that a man uses… you will not get bulky man-muscles unless you try to get bulky man-muscles, and even then it would be hard since you are female. Focus on using HIIT and HIRT workouts in addition to a full body workout routine thrice a week.
Im 15yo now , i am 5.6 ( 168cm ) i wight 56kg , i workout now for 1 month i have gained some 5 kg . i want to get to 61 kg. and how much protein i must eat in a day ?
Sorry, but please read the article. I am not going to answer anymore questions that can be answered by reading the article. I just have too many comments to respond to.
Hi, so i weight about 125lbs 5,5ft i workout 5 times a week and sometimes 6 i do cardio 30 mins mainly jog and stretchs then i do strenght training ive been working out for a month and 5 days people say i got bigger but i dont see anything… what im worried about is that you know how people say only work out a muscle and then let it rest well this is what i do so for example i work out my biceps till failure then the next day chest and next day shoulders next day triceps next day abs then when i get to my biceps again i dont feel like my arms grew or anything should i change my routine too work 2 muscles per day?
Yes, use 3 full body workouts each week, or use a 4-day upper/lower body split.
I’m 6’1 – 177lbs and have been working out 5x per week for about 6 months. (4 days combined cardio and weightlifting, 1 day only cardio). It usually starts with 30 minutes of cardio and an hour of lifting on combined days and 45 minutes of HIT cardio on cardio days. I went from 205lbs at my heaviest to my current weight now. Anyway to get to my question… I was mainly focused on weight loss for the past 6 months until I was looking too thin… I’m struggling to figure out how much cardio is too much? I don’t want to overwork myself and have my muscle building efforts go for nothing…. but at the same time I feel like I should still be doing a sufficient amount of cardio to stay fit and not to go back to my old self. Please advise.
If you want to focus on building muscle for a while, you should not worry too much about gaining a little bit of fat. Chances are, if you listen to your body, eat right, and exercise right, that you should be able to maintain a lean physique while gaining muscle, albeit a little slower than if you only focused on gaining muscle regardless of fat gain. Rather than relying on cardio to keep you lean, use your diet, which is responsible for 75% of your progress anyway. Rather than using endurance cardio, make sure you are using HIIT or HIRT workouts for cardio. Choose Crossfit-style workouts of the day (WODs), do some circuit training, throw down interval sprints, or jump rope.
hi
im 5’2 and weigh 121lbs i would like to get down to 112lbs.
how much protein, carbs fat should i be eating to lose weight, quickly but sensibly.
Also what sort of exercises should i be doing and how much to compliment the diet to get effective and fast results i mainly carry all my weight around my belly and have a family history of diabetes.
You should be able to get all that information from the articles on this site, but you gotta take the time to read and learn. Follow one of the routines on here as well – you’ll find a couple fat loss routines, one for muscle gain, one for strength gain, a couple generic workouts, and a bunch of specialization routines.
I am 15 5’9″ I’m not skinny i got some meat and im pretty cut, but i want to gain mass to be a better linebacker, i weight 170 pounds and i want to get to 200 within few months, any ideas how much protein i should eat a day for the best results?
200 grams a day!
Hey I weigh 250 lb, im 6’2″. Ive been taken protein for two years now, at my own time. I have gained muscle and lost fat, but i still have some fat i want to shave off. So my question is how much protien should I take, and what times during the day. Also I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of workouts I could take to lose the fat.
Thankyou for reading this.
All these questions are answered throughout this site.
Pick a goal weight and eat .8 times that weight in grams of protein a day. Eat 5-6 small meals and snacks a day, with an equal amount of protein.
Follow this fat loss workout.
I am 128lbs and lift real heavy 3x a week and do cardio and abs 3x a week. I am 15 and 5’7 , about 10% bf and how much protein you think I need daily, even on cardio days? I am real thin because I have a 6-pack , thinking about bulking up. I use whey protein , would it be dangerous if I take whey protein shake for breakfast,pre-workout, post-workout. 3x a day, would that be bad for my health , I am 15 like i said.
thx 4 answer my questions
That shouldn’t be bad for your health, but you might get sick of protein shakes. Try to get most of your protein from whole foods with only 1-2 protein shakes each day. For post-workout you should use a specially formulated post-workout shake like Biotest Surge Recovery.
Hi,
I am femal, 26 years old, 5’7’1/2″ in height and weigh 73Kg. I am trying to lose 10-13 Kilos. I bought a good protein powder today and was wondering how many protein shakes a still in the healthy range per day with one hour of weight lifting excercise per day? Will I have to skip dinner and replace it with a protein shake instead or can I still have dinner? Does anyone have a daily eating plan to offer? I am very much interested to read about your personal experiences with protein powder and a good sensiable diet to lose weight. I am aiming 10 kilos in 4 months, is that ok? Regards
You can accomplish all these things. Use 1-2 protein shakes a day. Eat 1-2 small meals a day and 2-3 healthy snacks. Overall calorie consumption is important when trying to lose fat. You need to burn more calories than you eat.
Hi,
I am currently 185lbs.Comeing from 160lbs.I was takeing a mass powder “Up Your Mass”.I want to gain muscle without the added belly fat.It is surely a dissapointment,I never had a big belly before.
Yeah, having belly fat sucks.
hi
im 6’4 and 92kg on the nose.
im looking to get back my six pack and gain lean muscle. is it possible to do this at the same time? or will i have to bulk up first then do lots of cardio etc? also how much protein powder should i use if im working out about an hour five times a week?
If you are starting again after a layoff, you will most likely have some success at gaining muscle while also losing fat. Typically this is not the case. I usually recommend losing fat first and then gaining muscle. Why? Because I have seen studies and have experienced the strange effect wherein people with higher bodyfat tend to store bodyfat easier, while people with low bodyfat seem to be able to maintain pretty easily within reason. Therefore, get yourself as lean as possible and then focus on building muscle for 2-3 months. Use 1-2 protein shakes a day.
Hi,
Getting back into training after a long lay off. I am 52, weigh roughly 13.5 stones 5, 8″ with a bit of a belly. I am trying to lose about 1/2 – 1 stone and put on muscle. I train for an hour cardio and muscle training. How much protein should i be taking to build muscle but not to put on more weight on my stomach?
Gary
Roughly .8-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Not quite sure what that converts to in stones, but you can find out easily enough.
I am a 25 yr old female. Im 5’6 and weigh 104. Ive been trying to gain lean muscle. I have whey protein, 1 scoop, in skim milk (cant have whole milk allergic) every morning with some strawberries. My lunch is yogurt and a bannana with p/b. dinner is fish or anther meat with vegies. I workout 5 days a week. 3 days of cardio 2 strength. Ive been loosing weight. Am I doing something wrong?
You aren’t eating enough to gain muscle, your cardio sessions outnumber your strength training sessions, and most likely you aren’t lifting with very much intensity. I don’t know for sure, but it seems like you are training and eating to lose fat rather than to gain muscle. Why don’t you buck the system and be one of the first women to try Werewolf Training to gain muscle?
yap ur gonna loose weight cause u don’t have enough protein take 100 grams protein a day and less cardio
Hi there, I am 27 yrs old, 5’5 and weigh 100lbs. My metabolism is very, very fast and I don’t have a big appetite. Of course I eat but I eat small portions throughout the day and I only eat what my body can take. Now this is not a diet I am in, I don’t do diets, I have always eaten like a bird 🙂 Well, I am taking a protein powder every day twice a day because that is my last attempt at gaining some weight because nothing else worked. I even tried over eating, eating after midnight, I have tried it all but when I over eat I get sick, so no more of that. I am trying the protein powder now and the one I bought says that it has 23g of protein in each scoop and it says that the daily value is 46%. I mix it with milk and it has 8g of protein (the milk has) so in the end it is like 31g of protein every time I have one cup. I make a cup of milk with 1 scoop. Well, I wanted to know if I should warm it up, I wanted to drink it with warm milk. I find it to be very sweet so it would be easier for me to drink it warm. Or I thought I could put half a cup of cold milk and one scoop of the protein powder. I also wanted to ask how much protein I should be taking a day, I wanted to gain about 20lbs. Would you please tell me how long it will take for me to start to gain weight? I take it twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. I don’t exercise because if I do, well I will fly with the wind LMAO. I can’t eat too much because I get sick, I mean not sick cuz I make myself sick but sick because my body is used to eating only the amount necessary and if I over eat I get sick. I used to over eat and not only did I NOT gain weight but I would also feel sick. Please help me put some meat on my skinny butt. lol
You might need a nutritionist and/or doctor to work with you to gain weight, since you get sick so easily. All I can see is you should get about 120g of protein a day, divided by 5-6 meals. Eat calorie dense food like peanut butter, nuts, cream, whole milk. You said you don’t exercise, but you really should or you will never gain muscle mass.
thnx for answering all my questions steve. This is great info your giving us!
Hi Steve, i’m a 21 yr old male height:5″9 weight:180. My desired weight is 160lbs but im still in the bulking phase. I currently take 165g of protein when i work out which is mon-wed-fri. I dont do much cardio but i do go hiking every friday after my workouts. Im trying to lose body fat to hit 160 but also keep my muscle mass. Any suggestions? Should i do cardio (HIIT) on tue-thur-sat? Should i also be taking 160g of protein on the days i do cardio? Is it possible to lose the 20 lbs in 8 weeks(2mths)?
You could lose 20 lbs in 2 months, but that’s pushing it. You say you’re still in the bulking phase, yet you’re trying to lose fat to get to 160, so I think you have your goals confused. Choose one… bulk or fat loss. If you choose fat loss, you should hit the full body fat loss workout for 2-3 months.
Im actually finishing up on my bulking phase. My bulking phase was from mar-apr-may then i plan to increase my cardio with HIIT on june and july. Should i also be taking 160g of protein on the days i do cardio? Or should I just take a lower amount than usual? I just need to know so i wont be wasting my protein powder.
You should take the same protein on all days. Off days are even more important, because that’s when your muscle are recovering.
I noticed that you respond to the posters on this website so I thought I’d ask you a question. I am a female who works in a blue collar job all day long. I am tired when I get home. I don’t consider what I do all day to be a workout, because from what I have heard my body has become accustomed to my daily job. I wore a heart rate monitor by bowflex for a week and during my 6hr shift I burned roughly 3200 k cals every day. I usually burned most of those k cals faster if I ate in the morning, if I did not, I would burn very slow. Anyway, you don’t need that info. My main point is that I am pretty tired when 5pm rolls around and I have not seen a gym in 3yrs. I am 5’9″ and weigh 240 lbs. I just need to know how much protein to eat, when to eat it, and how to modify it as I lose weight. I am going to try and stay under 80 carbs a day and I’m not really sure about the fat either. Could you give me a scenerio I can use day to day to stay on track. I would really appreciate the help. Also – I do intend to exercise in the form of lifting weights. High reps low weights. Just not yet.. I am always sore from work.
Would you consider working out before work? I highly recommend you check out your local Crossfit gym if you can afford it. Otherwise, following the Project Swole full body fat loss for women routine. Base your calories and macronutrient intake on your goal bodyweight. Is your goal 140 lbs? If so, then eat 140 grams of protein a day and about 1700 calories, although you could probably start at 2000 calories and decrease that number as you lose weight. You might have to increase those numbers even more based on the calories you’re burning at work, but I’d start with 2000 at most.
Protein is a must have that many don’t take in enough of when trying to pack on the mass. Thank you for a wellwritten posting
Im a 17 year old female, 6ft tall, i weighed in at 160 lbs at the beginning of last week, and have weighed the same for over half a year, but when i checked my weight yesterday, i was up to 175 lbs. i eat fairly healthy, and nothing in my diet has changed except i have started taking whey protein (with water), and i have begun lifting weights. is this weight gain just from building muscle mass? if so, why did it happen so fast?
I don’t know Emily, it sounds pretty sketchy to me. I think maybe you might be eating too much or something. Gaining 15 lbs can’t be explained away by weight training. Instead, I might expect you to lose 20 lbs of fat and gain 10 lbs of muscle, but that would still net a 10 lb fat loss. You are probably eating too many calories.
Help…….
I’m a 33 year old male that has begun strength training after about a 15 year hiatus. I played football all through high school so I understand enough about what I am trying to do. I am majorly overweight. I am 5’10 and 305 pounds. I want to lose fat/weight and gain muscle. How much protein should I be consuming daily? I keep on seeing 1 gram per pound of body weight. Getting 300 grams of Protein seems really tough. I am making sure I get a good protein source with each meal along with my snacks during the day. I also use whey shakes. Any tips or suggestions to help me go from flab to fab would be greatly appreciated.
1 gram per pound of bodyweight won’t work for you. You need 1 gram per pound of GOAL bodyweight. Let’s say you want to get down to 200 lbs. That would be about 2400 calories per day and 200 grams of protein. Maybe 100 grams of carbs on non-workout days and 140 grams on workout days. Don’t be concerned with gaining muscle or strength right now. Follow the full body fat loss for men routine for half a year or until you are comfortable with your weight. Then switch to a muscle gain routine. Otherwise you will never make the fat loss gains that you are looking for.
Hi Steve i 160 pounds i don’t know how much body fat im new to working out i have been doing it for only a week now i have been working out everyday. my goal weight is around 205 to 215 with little body fat as possible but im not sure what i need to do to get there, the workout that i need to do and the protein that i need i really don’t no anything can u please help me out to get started please and thankyou
I really think you need to read and learn, rather than just asking for the solution. Think about 200 grams of protein a day and follow the Werewolf Training routines until you meet your weight goals. Then follow the full body fat loss routines until you’re shredded. Then follow Werewolf Training to gain back any muscle and strength you lost with full body fat loss training.
Hi Im 28 yr female just had a baby and gained 50lbs that I did not lose. I was told to have 5 meals a day @ 10-15 Complex carbs and 20grams of protein and do 30 min of cardio 4xs a week is this a good plan and about how long can I expect it to take to drop 50lbs?
You need to get on a real workout routine, not 30 mins a day of endurance cardio. I would suggest either enrolling at your local Crossfit, or try the full body fat loss for women routine.
If you do it right, you can lose 50 lbs in 5-6 months. Otherwise you will be spinning your wheels for years.
Hello I am 20, I weigh 165lbs and am 5?10?. I workout 5 days a week, 2 days strength training workouts ,and 3 days cardio workouts.I know I need to eat about 160g of protien per day in order to gain mucles and lose fat.But My questions are when the days I doing cardio workout should I eat 160g of protien,too? or only when the days I do strength training workouts? how about the weekends when I rest,should I eat that much of protien,too?
Always eat the high protein. You need it even more when you’re not lifting, because that’s when your muscles are recovering and growing.
Okay so I’m 6’0, 240lbs, large frame, and with an annoying gut that comes out only when I sit lol. I got the gut after I lost a lot of weight a few years back and I think a lot of it is just excess skin.
I’m happy with my size as I’ve been lifting for a while now, but I want to get rid of the gut and tone up. Crunches don’t seem to be working too well. Any recommendations?
Full Body Fat Loss for Men
Hi Steve, I’m working out 4-5 times a week. I’m 5’2, 112 pounds, I want to build muscle and lose fat! I usually do cardio (HIIT) for about 15-20 and lift weight, I eat every 3 hrs, I eat very healthy. This is a sample of what I eat:
Breakfast: fruit, oatmeal, juice
snack: yogurt
Lunch: Chicken breast w/ salad
Snack: protein bar
Post-Workout Shake 20grms prot
Dinner:Tuna Sandwich
I’m not sure if I’m eating enough protein, I’ve been always skinny but for over the past 3-6 months I’ve gained weight aroun my waist (love handles) now that I’m working out and eating right, I’d like to know how much protein do I need?? am I doing the correct excercise to lose fat and gain muscle?? plse. advice!! thanks!!
I don’t know a thing about your workouts, but 4-5 workouts a week with HIIT cardio sounds like a good start. Protein should be around 100 grams a day. Can’t explain why you’ve gained weight on the love handles, but at 112 pounds I’d say you don’t have anything to worry about. If you are really that upset about it, you might have body image issues and should possibly talk to a therapist before you develop an eating disorder or something. Now, for gaining muscle I might recommend Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains, which is a great routine for anyone to gain muscle.
Hello. I’m 5’5, 137. I’ve recently lost 26 pounds and my goal weight is 125. I’ve hit a plateau. I’m trying to get lean/lose belly fat/tone my abs. I drink 2 protein shakes per day, do 30 minutes on the treadmill, running 2 miles and speed walking as a warm up/cool down everyday. I also strenth train as well. I limit my calories to 1,200 per day and my protein intake is around 100-115g per day. Is 1,200 the absolute minimum I should consume (should I be consuming more calories?)and not sure what daily limits I should put on my fat grams and carbs as well. What are your recommendations? Thanks 🙂
Congrats on your fat loss so far. I would start you at 1500 calories, so maybe 1200 is fine. For continued fat loss, consider 70 grams of carbs on days when you don’t workout and 100 grams on days when you do workout. 130 grams of protein should suffice. The rest of your calories should come from healthy fats.
i`m 25 yrs old, 5`10 about 176 lbs, is it ok to drink whey protein everyday or should i drink protein shake only during the day that i will go to the gym to lift weights, and how many grams of protein shake is required for me? tnx hope you can help me…
Hi raymon, actually consuming protein every day is a very essential part of our diet, and for us who work out every day or every other day, is essential if gaining muscle mass is dessired, i would say that go ahead consume aprox 160 grams of protein daily, just sum it up, start measuring your food, so you can have an idea of what you are consuming, then have your daily shake and after your workout have a shake and some carbs, not too much, just a little, that should help you a lot!
Thanks man. I’m struggling to find time to answer all these questions lately.
I’m 14, 5’7″ and im looking to gain weight and muscle. I go to the gym to work on my arms and legs almost every other day. I play sports almost everyday for about 2 hours with a one day break per week. I weight about 132. How many grams of protein should i have a day? also, how many grams right after i work out?
Probably about 130-140 grams of protein a day, and 20-25 grams after a workout.
Hi I’m a 22 yr old female I weight 135 and I’m 5″00 . I want to loose about 10lbs and tone up . I’m taking one 8 oz cup of whey protein a day after I work out will taking the protien make me gain more weight or will it help with my weight loss if I work out everyday ?
I ment to say I take it every day right after I work out ( protein shake )
hi i am 28 and i am in traning or amuture stong man comp at present i weigh 22.3 stone i am 5.11 and traing days a week for 5 hrs i do 2.5 hours weight and the rest cardio and swimming my muscle mass is about 16 -17 stone what protein amount do you think i should be taking
Hi i’m 28 years old 5’11” and 175lbs and slender. I work out everyday resting on the weekends i want to stay at 180 and get bigger and a little more cut. It seemed like i was getting there got the top abs just not the pesky bottom ones..than my body just stopped and its been four months. I just want to get bigger and more cut without losing weight and also any paticular workout i should be paying more attention to for the bottom abs?
I think you should do two things:
1) Lose fat so that your abs are more visible.
2) Use heavier weights with your ab exercises so that your abs will get thicker and more dense, then they will look even more impressive.
Hi
I am 32 years old with 5’10” – 83 kgs. I started working out 6 months before and by then I was 94 kgs. I workout 1 to 1.5 hours 6 days a week. Under proper diet for 6 days a week.low fat and high protein diet. I take 2 shakes of egg protein powder with each of 17 gms protein..I had bought Nature’s ISOPURE whey isolate zero carb version. THinking of taking 2 scoops – 50 gms as per their recommendation afterworkout. On a whole I take about 160 to 170 gms of protein per day incl the protein shakes.. My goal is to loose couple of kilos to loose more body fat and gain muscle. I have a little loose fat arround abdoman and hips area. What do you suggest..
Follow the full body fat loss for men routine, and keep up the protein intake.
hi
i need some help trying to get in really good shape
im going for ripped lean muscle like bruce lee or Jeong Ji-hoon (Rain from Ninja Assassin) i go to the gym about 5 to 6 times a week
i weightlift and do HIIT cardio, i do eat healthy
im 26yrs old i weight about 155lbs
how many protein shake(s) (like EAS myloplex lite 20-25g)
should i drink
and any other advice would also be helpful
thx in advance!!!
Use 1-2 protein shakes a day I guess. Keep up the hard work.
I am a 33 year old male, 5’8″ and weighing 190 lbs. I am looking to drop around 30 lbs. I work out 6 days a week, running roughly 3 to 4 miles a day while also doing light weight lifting as well. I currently take EAS protein drink before and after each work out each drink containing 23 grams of protein. Do you have any reccomendations for me?
I forgot to mention I do want to have definition but do not want to bulk up. Thanks!!!
Lift heavy instead of light. Switch from endurance cardio to HIIT. Use Optimum Nutrition protein powder. Make sure you get enough rest. Burn more calories than you eat. Is that good advice?
Helloo my dad is 41 years old right now. He used to lift weights but stop for about two years. And now he’s starting again and decided to put this protein powder stuff in his healthy juice. My uncle says taking protein at his age will just get him fat, is my uncle right or wrong? Because i saw it varies on age and everything else.
Your uncle is wrong, as long as you dad sticks to 1-2 protein shakes a day and limits each shake to 30-35 grams of protein. As long as he is lifting, that protein will go to good use.
Haha sweet, i knew he was wrong =] thank you so much!
Welcome. =)
heyy im 18 years old ( born on 26/10/1991 ) and i weigh about 184 pounds. I have a fat belly and my body is not in a good shape. I would like to get ripped and as well as get some more body mass. I have been in the gym since august 2009 and i dont see any change in my body. I never took protien shakes and i would like to know what excercises and what my diet should be. And also if it is necessary to drink protien shakes ( when should i drink it.. before or after workout ). Im ready to workout from monday to friday and i wanna get a good chest, biceps, triceps and abs. Please if you could help me with some excerxises for these parts of my body it will be really good cause im not gettin any changes in 7 months and i dont know what i should do. cause i do carido 2 days in a week n on mondays i do my chest and cardio and abs. Tuesdays triceps and shoulder cardio, Wednesday my back and legs cardio. thursday biceps, abs. Friday cardio and abs.
please let me know any more excersises to get ripped and a little more body mass.
thanks alot.
hope to get a reply from you soon.
Follow the full body fat loss routine for men.
Hi – I am 31, I did weigh 155lbs and am 5’4″. I started working out (cardio and resistance) about 2 months ago. I am also on a 1200 to 1500 calorie diet a day and drink a protein shake every other day. At first I lost weight quickly. I am now stuck at 139lbs from 155lbs. It seems like I have been stuck here for about a month. I work out 4-5 times a week and eat between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. Any advice on how to get back to loosing as my target weight is 125 while adding lean toned muscles.
Sounds like you need to monitor your nutrition a little more closely, 1500 the absolute MOST you should be eating with a goal bodyweight of 125. Not sure how much protein, fat, and carbs you are eating either. I wouldn’t be able to help you unless I knew exactly what and when you ate, and what your lifestyle consisted of in terms of work, daily activities, training, sleep, etc… Furthermore you might need to alter your training. Swap high intensity training for any endurance cardio you might be using, decrease rest periods and increase intensity for weight training sessions. Try to get 30-45 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, and maybe a little bit of low intensity exercise on a 6th day.
I eat pretty healthy, low carb, low fat, low calorie. 1500 is the max. I rarely eat less than 1200. I usually hit the gym in the am 3 times a week and in the PM 2 times a week. I sit at a desk all day so the exercise I get during the day is limited to my 20 minute brisk walk and I make it a point to get up every hour and move around.
On the weekends I am active I swim, boat,garden, and jog. I don’t know what else to do other than keep at it. I drink a protein drink every other day 26grams at a time. I drink and EAS protein drink every day only 17 grams.
I get most of my protein from food like chicken and tuna.
i’m 37 years old and 230lbs. i’ve been working out since the beginning of march and i have lost 14 lbs.. i workout 3 to 4 times a week cardio everyday and i want to know how much whey i should be taking everyday in order to get down to 200lbs. Is it possible for me to lose the wieght by the end of june safely with how i’m working out
Losing 30 pounds in 3 months is very doable. Consider using 1-2 protein shakes a day as snacks, or as a late night meal.
Keep up the hard work and when progress slows, just decrease your daily calorie consumption and be sure to clean up your diet if you are eating any unnecessary carbs like pasta or sugar. If you are doing endurance cardio, consider switching to HIIT or HIRT routines for increased fat loss. Don’t give up man!
Great site thanks for all of the quick responses i have been following for a while……..Well Sounds like the same question is asked over and over again, so all of that being said tell me if i understand the part no one gets or has addressed. I am 28yo 6’4″ 205 could stand to loose in the mid section just a little (tiny in bellly and those damn love handles). I am pretty tone but have been trying to get larger muscles and burn fat…. Sounds like that is not gonna happen. Still being realitivly young hand having a high metabolisim, i can loose weight pretty quick. I am going on a cruis in a couple of months and want to look my best. Sounds like i should counqer all of my weight loss goals before trying to get bigger????? is that right?
Lose fat, then gain muscle. That is the general rule.
Im 16 and im 5’8 wiegh about 164lbs on a full stomach.
I don’t really workout much i do once in a while, when i do workout i do at home workouts like pushups crunches squats etc(no wiehgts). I want to know how much protein i should take for my wieght and if you got any good at home workouts that will help me get bigger muscles. I do take Isolate Protein twice aday (morning and after workout).
Supplement Facts
130calories
2g 3% of total fat
3g 6% of Carbs
26g 52% protein……should i be taking more than 2 of these shakes???
Steve, I am 55 5’6 220lbs 35% body fat. I have just started working out..interval training on a treadmill…run a min rest for 30 sec and do this for 30 mins than hit the weights for a 1/2 hr.I want to lose 50 lbs. is the right cardio fat burning exercise i should do? I just really want to tone what I have. I do have some muscle and just bascially want to re-shape my look without bulking up.I have a whey protein (24gr)usually with yougurt mixed in and I take this after my workout. Chicken breast and veggys 5 of 7 days and try to get 5 small meals in with a high fibre cereal in the morning. Am I doing this right to get the results I am looking for in 5 to 6 months?
Hey there, Im Jayson 26 yrs old weighing 163lbs, 5’8″ in height.I just enrol this month in the gym and I wanna know how many times and hours aday do I have to go for gym?and when do I drink Whey protein shake? is it before or after work out?and the best kind of Whey protein for me or is it all the same kind to all ages?.Im trying to loss a lot of belly fat and gain muscles.Thank you
Once a day, 5 workouts a week: 3 strength training workouts and 2 conditioning workouts. 45 minutes max for the strength training and 30 minutes for the conditioning. Drink a protein shake with some carbs an hour before a workout and then drink a specially formulated post-workout shake like Biotest Surge Recovery within 20 minutes of finishing your workout.
Hi there My name Is Richard I’m 19 and have been working out on and off for 3 years sitting around 200 lbs at 19% bodyfat 5,8. My goal is 220lb at 10% body fat is that possible if I eat enough protein?
Yes, but you will have to train right, eat right, rest enough, and give yourself about 9 months to a year of hardcore dedicated training to accomplish this.
forgot to ask something again…sorry…i do progressive lifting, in other words my 1st set is lets say for example 70lbs, my 2nd is 90lbs, my 3rd is 110lbs and then my 4th and last is 140lbs, for muscle gain is this good or should i just warm up the most and do 4 set with my max weight????…thanks again
In my opinion you should do the Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains program. I’d say you should eat about 250 grams of protein a day. It is vital that you space out your nutrient intake, so the 6 meals a day is preferable to 3 meals a day, especially when trying to intake 250 grams of protein.
As for your ‘progressive lifting’, I also used to use this style, but I don’t believe it is the best strategy anymore. I’d rather see a set number of reps, let’s say 5 in each set. Then you’d do warm-up set if necessary, a work set stopping a couple reps short of failure, a work set that approaches failure, and a work set that attempts to break a PR either in weight or number of reps. For example when benching you might do a warm up with 135 x 10 reps, then 250 x 5, 275 x 5, and 285 x 5; where 250 is easy, 275 is just about your 5 rep max, and 285 is a weight you can barely get for 5 or maybe you need just a slight amount of help to finish the last rep or maybe you are only able to hit 4 or maybe it is easy enough that you go ahead a push a 6th rep, which means next week you’d likely try to hit 295 x 5. Does that make sense? If you are going to vary your number of reps I’d rather see you do that on different days. For example say you use a 2-day upper and lower body split like this:
Monday – 5 rep lower body day
Tuesday – 10 rep upper body day
Wednesday – off or cardio
Thursday – 10 rep lower body day
Friday – 5 rep upper body day
Sat & Sun – off or cardio
See what I mean?
Also, I enjoy Optimum Nutrition protein powder, which you can get from the link at the top of the right sidebar.
oh and my last question i forgot…as of right now i shoould 260 times 1.5 or 210 times 1.5 to get the amount of proteins i should eat a day??…thanks again
I would just use your goal bodyweight times 1, so maybe 260-300 grams of protein per day at the most. I don’t see why you would need more than 300 grams of protein in one day.
hey, i’m male 23 y/o next month be 24, i’m 6″6′, i weight 210pounds and i want to gain muscle and my goal is to reach 260lbs but i mean 260 already cutted, i know its not going to be easy and its not going to be fast, i dont care to gain a little fat alone with muscle as long as is not in my belly or at least not all of it, i am right now trying to gain the most mass of muscle i can a day to then rip off, i go to the gym mostly from monday-friday i was also drinking 1 whey gold standard protein shake a day and trying to eat the most chicken i could, i need to buy more shake powder but i was wondering if that was a good shake…im trying to reasearch to see like a protein table or something to see what should i eat to get those proteins i need a day…i also wanted to know how important is that you gain those proteins by eating 6 times a day vs 3 times a day…thanks in advanced i hope you can help me
It is better to spread your protein intake throughout the day. I prefer 6 meals/snacks over 3.
Hi Steve. I am a 28 year old female, who previously had no problems with weight. However, I am about 5ft 10in, weight fluctuates from 185-190, with a BMI of 27.3. I have recently signed with a fitness club, but really don’t know what exercises to incorporate to lose pounds. I would like to be about 165-170lbs. Can you please give me protein and exercise advice? I was thinkn of getting a personal trainer and also begin drinking protein shakes.
Thanks
Try the routine full body fat loss for women. Eat about 150 grams of protein a day, about 1800 calories, between 70-120 grams of carbs, and the rest healthy fats. If you are not losing at least 2 pounds a week, decrease your daily calories by 100 per day until you start losing fat.
Hey,i’m 18 years old 5’10 i’m skinny but ihave flab on my stomach.I want to know can i take whey protein to gain some muscles and loose belly fat???
Yes. Also trying lifting, eating the right food, and using high intensity cardio workouts.
Hi,
I am 27 and my wieght is 58 Kg. I want to gain some wieght / mass .
I dont have time to go to gym . I heard of Whey Protien powder , Can i use Whey to gain wieght / mass .. ??
You won’t gain much muscle if you don’t use resistance training, but protein powder can help you lose fat and maintain muscle mass on a diet. (but not that much… you really need to lift)
Hey Steve, I am 21, 5’7 and currently weighing 138 pounds. I used to weigh 180lbs back in Jan of 09′, then i started working out. I am trying to bulk up some muscles and my target weight is around 150. I have not taken or tried any protein supplements, but i might consider buying whey protein soon. I hope you could give me tips and suggestions, I work out at least 4 times a week. I am wondering on what good whey protein products are out there, when is the good time to take these protein supplements, and how much should I take. Thank you.
I would stick with Optimum Nutrition protein powder and lift heavy weights. Try the Werewolf Training for muscle gains routine to gain muscle.
I weight 160 lbs. with 20% body fat. For gaining mass and cutting my fat I need 1 g of protein/1 lb lean mass, so that’s 130 grams of protein per day. In a case of ON 100% Whey Gold Standart (24g/serving), do i need to take 5 servings per day of whey supplement? or will it be too much since it also comes from food?
You should try to get most of your protein from food and only use one or two proteins shakes a day.
Hi im 15 yrs old 6’0 ft and 170 pounds. I go to the gym 5 times a week and my goal is to gain 15 to 25 pounds of muscle asap. im also trying to eat 170grams of protien a day but how? you think you could help me out?
Just eat at least 30 grams of protein 5 times a day, and 20 grams once. Use protein supplements to add extra protein to your diet. Eat lots of meat, eggs, fish, and legumes.
thank you for the advice. I have also been having trouble getting rest. I would get tired during the morning/afternoon but have trouble sleeping at night. is this an indication that I am over training?
You might be overtraining. Either that or the lack of sleep is causing you fatigue. Try using Melatonin to get to sleep at night and maybe you won’t be tired anymore during the day.
i just started p90x and my joints hurt what should i do? is it because of inadequte nutrition intake?
Could be poor nutrition or lack of rest. You could try resting more and using a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for your joints.
Hi Steve, I am in the process of losing weight and building some muscle. I am 34 years old, 6’02’ and I have lost 15 lbs in 7 weeks, now weighting 290lbs. What do you recommend to accelerate my weight loss and start to see more of muscle building? I am working out 4-5 times a week for about 1 hr and taking protein share before and after workout. My goal is to get down to 240lbs and build good looking muscle. Also how long do you think it will take me?
I recommend you to lose fat while maintaining muscle first, then focus on building muscle when the fat is gone. You should alternate between strength training and cardio workouts for your training sessions. I recommend you try the full body fat loss for men routine. Since your goal is 240 lbs you should be eating no more than 2800 calories a day. In fact that even sounds a little high. Keep your protein intake around 240 grams a day, and carbs no higher than 120 grams on off days and 150 grams on workout days, with most of them coming before, during, and after training. Once you are down to 240 lbs, you should switch to Werewolf Training to gain muscle. You could probably lose those 50 lbs in 6-8 months. That is the best I can do without working with you directly. Best of luck!
Thanks Steve. I am actually eating on a 2500 calories diet and taking 24g of protein shake before workout and 60g after workout. I have to calculate the rest that I take during the day to make sure I am in 240g. Do you recommend taking some supplement like Hydrocut or other commercial product to accelerate the weight loss process?
Steve – what are your thoughts around my question? thanks in advance.
hi Steve, i work out 3 to 4 times a week, do i need to take protein only on the days i work out or all the week?
It is important to supplement with protein every day.
Thank you very much…
Hi im 23 and 5’9 and 180 pound im an appliance installer, by trade we have huge legs but i have a ripped back and arms but i have a little belly i do ab workouts and eat right is there any trick to belly fat? If u already eat heathly and exercise, i cant do intense cardio because of the condition of my knees from the 400 lb fridges any suggestions would be great
Can you do full body endurance cardio? The elliptical trainer is pretty low impact. I don’t usually advocate endurance cardio, but for someone like you it might be appropriate. Either that or eat less food, because eating fewer calories than you burn will cause fat loss.
I have never really tried i used to run but it just made my days at work that much longer from all the pain but recently i tried the insanity workout which lasted a whole 4 days its def interval training mixed with plyo which equals pain if u have bad knees lol so i just stick to evening walks with my wife and eat correctly im trying to stay under 2000 cal, i take a multivitamin and drink a protein shake in the morning, i eat a lot of fruit def no soda just maily water about 70 oz daily i have a bowflex which i do three mornings a week i just cant beat this belly problem…lol
Your belly problem might also be related to a weak transverse abdominus, which means you will puff out as if you are preggers. You should try to contract and hold your abs several times a day in a vacuum pose. If your abs are solid and flat, but you just have several inches of fat over them, then the answer really is just to eat less or different calories.
Hey,
Im about to turn 15. I am 5’10 1/2, weighing 147lbs and trying to gain about 3-5 pounds of muscle.I work out 3-4 times a week.Although i dont think i get enough calories and proteins,cause my mom is way to busy.CAn you give my some advice?
Drink whole milk and protein shakes, eat all natural peanut butter, use a post workout drink like Biotest Surge Recovery.
i am a 28 yr old woman. i’m 5’4″,135lbs, and about 23% body fat. i workout 6 days a week weights and cardio. how much protien do i need? i try to do about 100g.
100 grams sounds good.
Hi steve
very informative post,thanks for the info.
i just wanted to know an answer to a simple question i have been having
I am 26,5’6 164 pounds( i have been working out for almost 2 years now,and started out when i was 145)
my goal is to be 170 pounds( muscle weight)
I have a fit body at the moment,but i think i have reached a plateau
Will having protein twice a day help me reach my goals?( i don’t want to gain fat,as i have a small amount of fat on my belly)
i exercise rigorously at least 5-6 times a weak( with all the strength i have)( and sometimes put in the occasional cardio)
At present i take Whey protein and a post workout supplement after every workout(once a day,together),they are showing results in terms of lifting strength but not mass/size.
all other eating habits a very controlled,including a breakfast rich in eggs and carbohydrates.
Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
Try Werewolf Training for strength gains and definitely use protein supplements twice a day. You will hit 170 in no time, but I think you should aim for at least 180.
Need some advice: I am 235 LBS 6 foot. I’m trying to get down to about 205 and shred the fat. I am working out 5 days a week I do cardio everyday for 25 to 30 minutes and lift each day as well. I drink a shake of 50 grams of protein in the am and before I workout at night. It is Isopure protein and has only 1g of fat and no sugar. Am I doing ok do you think?
I think you are doing OK. Give HIIT and HIRT workouts a chance as well.
What does HIIT and HIRT stand for??? Thanks
HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training
HIRT – High Intensity Resistance Training
Hi Steve
I’m 20 years old, 5’11 and 175lbs. I have been going to the gym for almost 4 yrs now. I used to be obese (280 ibs of fat), but lost the the weight and has been working out to gain muscle eversince. I currently have a ok build. I workout five times a week and eat alot of protein. But Sometimes I feel like it takes longer for me to gain muscle. My goal is to gain at least 185-190ibs or higher in muscle. Anything else I should be doing, or stay with what I’m doing? Thanks
Doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results, is insanity. If you are not realizing your goals, you should either set new goals or change your approach. If your main focus right now is to gain muscle, I suggest you read up on Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains, and if you don’t like that then I suggest you lift heavier and/or increase intensity, and probably eat more.
Hi Steve
I’m a 30 year old female with 36% body fat, trying to get down to about 29%. I do 20 min cardio excersises 6 times a week and have begun a low carb diet. Do you have any tips that can assist me in this goal?
You should start lifting weights three times a week, and either increase the length of your endurance cardio sessions to 45 minutes, or switch to a HIIT routine for cardio. You could also switch to a protocol where you strength train twice a week, use HIRT twice a week, and throw in one or two HIIT sessions on the off days.
Also, in order to lose fat your calories in must be less than calories burned, so make sure you are not eating too many calories.
Hey Steve, I’ve been reading what you have to say and just wanna know if I picked everything up properly. I’m 6’3 185 Lbs I want a goal weight of 215 so I need just under 3000 Cals a day with 278 grams of protein a day to reach it?(following the 1.5 rule) This seems doable I am committing to 5 days a week of heavy lifting and 3 days of cardio. Am I missing anything? and if you could give me a guess how long do you think it’ll take to reach my goal?
To gain 30 pounds of lean muscle, you will probably need a solid 2 years of training, but you might be able to get it done in a year and a half. However, in one year you might end up gaining, for example, 20 lbs of muscle and 10 lbs of fat if you eat too many calories. This is easiest way to gain muscle – by eating more than maintenance calories, you will assure yourself of muscle gains, but you also risk some fat gains. When you eat to avoid fat gain, you also risk avoiding muscle gain by consuming too many calories. It is a give-and-take situation when it comes to gaining muscle and also staying super-lean.
steve im 25 6’2″ 239lb from 250lb i ride an exersize bike 9 miles in the morning before i eat or drink anything then eat 3 small meals a day mostly meat and fruit then ride 8 miles at night ride both in 20 min or less i feel like i should be loseing more its my 2nd week i lost 7 lbs the first week now i seem to be not loseing much at all i want to weigh around 200lbs what do you recomend???
I recommend you stop riding so much and start lifting weights. You would be better off investing your bike-riding time into HIIT and HIRT workouts, with at least 2 days a week of dedicated strength training. If your goal is to weigh 200 lbs, you should keep your total daily calories around 2400, possibly even lower, and your daily protein intake should be no more than 200-220 grams.
Thanks for your info and comments so far – very helpful. I’m a 23yr old guy, 6’3 and 175lbs. I’ve lost about 65lbs in the last 9 months strictly from cardio. I’m now thin pretty much everywhere in my body except my stomach where this layer of fat/flab just won’t go away. Have started doing about 30 minutes of various dumbbell exercises about 3 times a week and also drinking 1, sometimes 2 EAS Myoplex Strength Formula protein shakes a day. I also fit in about 30 minutes of cardio about 3 times a week. My ultimate goal is to remain on the leaner/thinner side, but also finally get a defined stomach and abs (don’t need to be totally ripped and some weight gain is OK). Any suggestions? Thanks.
Hit your abs hard every other day. Consider using the abdominal HIRT routine defined in the Werewolf for Strength gains program (or just follow that whole routine). Stick with your plan for a couple months, making sure to keep your calories in check in order to maximize fat loss. Your abs will show once you’ve added muscle to your body and continue to burn fat with exercise.
Steve, thanks for the site, this is really helpful for someone like me. I am 6’3″ and weigh 285lbs (down from 350). I dropped the weight with a low carb/high protein diet and rigorous work outs. I now am starting to lift regularly as well (thanks for the 5 bests) and take supplements/protein powders. According to your .8 calculation though, I should be consuming 228 grams of protein a day. I read somewhere that the body can only breakdown 30 grams every three hours though (maybe somewhere on here). Is there something you would recommend for a guy my size on a 2500 calorie diet?
30-40 grams every 3 hours is the max. Some people think they are doing the right thing by drinking a protein shake with 80 grams of protein in one sitting, but it’s not true. Your body can only digest so much protein at a time. Slow and steady should suit you perfectly.
I am six feet tall and weigh 170. I workout once everyday and workout twice for two days. On the days that I workout once I take one protein shake (20g) and one protein bar (30g). The days I workout twice a day I take two protein shakes (40g) and one protein bar (30g). This is not counting the protein that I am consuming during my meals. Am I taking too much protein?
You should be getting about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Add up your total protein including food and see what it adds up to. If you’re getting over 250 grams then you are pushing it. If you are somewhere between 160-200 grams, then you should be fine.
im 17 yrs old, im 5’2 and i weigh 125 pounds, ive been consuming 80 grams of protein per day, some times 85, is that enough protein intake or should i consume more, thanks.
Depends on your goals. If you want to weigh 150 lbs, then you should be eating between 130-150 grams of protein a day. If you are comfortable at your current bodyweight, then 80-100 grams should be fine.
I wud like to consume whey protein in order to gain my muscle size, but I’ve heard that whey protein causes hair loss, is it true?? Secondly, even if i consume a low amount of protein from whey protein will that also help me somehow?
thanks
Whey protein does not cause hair loss. That is absurd. You should get .8-1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Most of it should come from whole food, some of which includes whey, and you can consider supplementing with 1-2 protein shakes or protein bars a day containing from 20-40 grams of protein, whether it’s whey, egg, casein, animal, or any other kind of protein.
Hi
I was recently given a nutritional plan for building mass. Im 28, 5ft 10in, 22%bf and weigh 190lbs. Ive been told to consume 1950 calories per day, 225 grams of protein, 225 grams of carbs and keep fat to 20ish grams per day. In my opinion, that is a lot of protein and not enough calories. My aim is to reduce bodyfat while increasing muscle mass. I currently workout 4 days per week. Since starting this diet, ive been feeling very run down.
Would appreciate your views and advice.
i am a 16 year old female at about 6 feet tall. I workout about four days a week and struggle trying to get results from it. i realize that i dont eat right so now im beginning to start a protien diet. the only problem is that i am having a hard time trying to figure out how much to eat and how long to persue this diet. i dont want to be extremely swole like tthe hulk but still yet i dont want to be this little noodle. please help me.
I am a 24 year old female, about 5’5 and 163lbs. Over the past 5 years Ive lost almost 60lbs. Ive hit a plateu and I am stuck. I go to the gym about 6x a week not too much lifting i would love to loose 30lbs, any ideas!
Step 1: Choose a goal body weight and multiply by 12. This is your daily calorie limit.
Step 2: Eat .8 grams of protein per pound of goal body weight.
Step 3: Limit carbs to 100 grams on days you don’t workout, and 120 grams on days you do workout.
Step 4: Use 3, 45 minute weightlifting sessions a week to build muscle and elevate your metabolism.
Step 5: Use 3, 45 minute cardio sessions a week to burn extra calories, although I would prefer you use 3, 30 minute HIIT or HIRT sessions instead.
Step 6: Adjust calories in step 1 according to your weight loss progress after 2 weeks.
Step 7: Make sure you get enough rest and recovery.
Im 19, 130lbs and im very active in martial arts, i want to move up to 155, how many times should i take whey protien a day and when? thanks
One or two shakes a day would be good. Morning and pre-workout would be ideal as long as you have a good post-workout supplement like Biotest Surge Recovery. If you don’t have surge, then use a protein shake post-workout.
Steve,
I am 23, 6’3 180 lbs. I want to get to 200, and have the least amount of body fat possible (bruce lee, lol.) MY problem is, i am fairly thin throughout my whole body but, I have a little extra fat in my stomach. Since I am thin for the most part, how much cardio should i do? Keep in mind I want to attack my body fat. Thanks!
Your problem is probably more about diet than it is about extra cardio. Try adding some HIIT or HIRT sessions twice a week for increase muscle gain and fat loss – eat more to prioritize muscle gain, eat less to prioritize fat loss. It is hard to tell you what to do if you don’t choose a goal. Attacking body fat and gaining 20 pounds are conflicting goals, and that doesn’t work.
OK, well since i’d rather have more mass, do you suggest “bulking then cutting” I just want to gain mmuscle and be ripped.
Yes, bulk then cut. But don’t bulk stupidly and get really fat. Bulk intelligently to minimize fat gain for a couple months, then shred it up.
i am 18 year old, 6-2, 150 lbs and am trying to gain about 10/15 pounds of muscle. I have been lifting about 3 times a week since september but havent seen much results. Please help me determine how much protein/when to drink shakes, and if I should be working out more or doing certain exercises. Thank you very very much.
I am not going to do all the work for you. You are going to have to read. Get started by setting a goal weight, then multiply that by 14 to get total calories in a day. Get 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal bodyweight a day. Use Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains to gain muscle. Good luck!
Whats up? im 19 5`5 163 i work out everyday. im trying to loss fat and gain muscle at the same time what you recommend?
luis: I recommend you eat healthy, lift weights, and use additional cardio to burn fat. The cardio can be in the form of HIIT, HIRT, or endurance cardio as a last resort. About 1900 calories for fat loss or 2400 calories to gain muscle. About 150-170 grams of protein a day. Lower carbs for fat loss, higher carbs for muscle gain. For any other questions, you should read some Project Swole posts.
Hi Steve, I’m 32 years old, 5’9″ and weigh 155lbs after having my son 10 weeks ago (still nursing) and gaining nearly 60lbs during the pregnancy. I work out 6 days a week, but I’m not sure if I know what I’m doing. My goal is to lose fat in my belly and love handles while toning my arms, legs and abs. I eat plain cooked oatmeal for breakfast every morning and then hit the gym about an hour later. I do 30min intense cardio and alternate legs, arms, abs on weight machines. I eat a tuna or lean turkey sandwich for lunch and snack on yogurt, whole grain snack bars, cheese, almonds, etc. For Dinner I always have something made from whole foods, never processed. I really don’t seem to be losing any weight in the areas I’d like to see change. I also find it hard to keep up with the recommended caloric and protein intake for my body type. I don’t get why I’m not seeing results quicker, I seem to be doing all the right things – or am I?
It sounds to me like you are doing the right things. It is going to take some time to get back down to your goal weight… possibly 3-4 months. Of course you know fat comes off your whole body, not just in target areas. If you want to see quicker results you are going to have to either drop calories or increase exercise, but remember if you do too much you might make yourself sick. Stick with it for 3-4 months. The time will go by in a flash and the healthy eating will become part of your lifestyle. After 4 months you will look back and say to yourself, “WOW that wasn’t even very hard and look at what I’ve accomplished! I’m so glad I just stuck with it.” It really happens just like that all the time.
hey, im 14 almost 15 years old, im 6foot 2inches tall and weigh 125 lbs i have a very fast matabalism. i need too gain weight and muslce please help me any help would be very much appriciated.
Jason: you need to eat a ton of food and lift very heavy weights. It would do you good to read some articles around here. Try setting a goal bodyweight, multiplying it by 14 to get a daily calorie intake. Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of goal bodyweight. Lift 3-4 times a week. Avoid endurance cardio. If none of that stuff works, add 500 more calories to your daily intake.
hi. i am from Malaysia. i am a 20 year old man and going to be 21 in a month.my problem is that i’m 50 kilogram and i’m trying to gain weight instead of losing it. i’m not really active in sport but now trying to change.so, how to have an ideal weight for a man who’s going to be 21,what exercise should i do daily, and what should i eat in my daily routine since i eat rice every day in my country??
Increase protein by eating beans, fish, and chicken. Try to follow a full body routine for weightlifting 3 times a week. You can find one here: generic full body workout routine. If you want something harder, try Werewolf Training for Muscle Gains.
Hi Steve, I am 39, 5’10” 170lbs. I am training for a half ironman so I work out 6 days a week roughly 2-3 hours of cardio (swim, bike, run). I am not losing any weight, in fact I have gained 3 lbs since December when I began training. Whats up?
Sounds to me like you are either:
1) replacing fat with muscle, or
b) eating so many calories that you aren’t losing any weight
Hi Steve, I’m 5’11 and 210lbs. I workout frequently 5 to 6 days a week of weights and 4 to 5 days of cardio which usually consists of running the track for 20 or so minutes than going to the bike for another 15 minutes. I’m currently on a low carb diet, probably consuming around 30g a day and I’m really only trying to loose fat, while at least keeping my current strength. How much grams of protein would you recommend for me. I see a lot saying 1g of protein for every pound and others saying .4g for every lb. What amount would you recommend for loosing fat but maintaining my muscle mass(ideally I would like to improve muscle mass but I know that’s nearly impossible.) Thanks!!
Hey,i weigh 137/138 on mondays and i wrestle at 130 lbs. I have to weigh 132 on saturdays. i lift weights 2/3 times a week and run just about every day along with practice every day. How much protein should i be eating a day?
Does anyone read the article? Go back and read the article, then come back and tell ME how much protein you should eat in a day.
Hey Steve- thanks so much for the feedback and for the informative site. By the way- I have now lost 12 lbs. I think that I do need to add more protein because I’m starting to feel really worn out.
Thanks again for your time!
If you feel worn out you might need to take a rest or increase your calories for a couple days. Be sure not to overtrain, as this can cause loss of muscle, fat gain, injury, and can kill motivation to train. Consider taking an active recovery week where you don’t do too much lifting or high intensity cardio. Maybe some hiking, swimming, or short cardio sessions just to keep moving. You could do 3 days (M/W/F) of 30 minute HIRT training sessions where you don’t lift heavy weights at all. Then the next week you could jump back into your routine fresh.
Steve,
I am 19 yrs old, 5’5 130 pounds trying to gain some muscle mass; I should consume 1560 calories per day and ~130 grams of protein based on what you had written/told others. Should I focus mainly on my protein intake or caloric intake for gains?
Thanks for the article!
Assuming you want to get up to 140 pounds, I have you down for 1960 calories a day to gain weight and 140 grams of protein. The rest of your calories should come from healthy complex carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and healthy fats.
Oh and I am 5f 8i
I play football and am a sophmore in highschool.. I need to pack on some mass, I only weigh 150lbs and need to gain muscle fast, I did the math and will be eating about 170 to 180 grams of protein a day while working out 4 to 6 times a week and drinking lots of water. is this a good idea
Yes, it’s a good idea. Make sure you get enough overall calories too. Should be around 2500 calories minimum to try to get you up to 170 lbs.
I’d also like to say I’m 26 so I’m not getting any taller and it just seems like my weight is so concentrated in my middle that what little (lenght wise) waist I have I’m not happy with.
I am 5’2″ 112 lbs, I’d like to be more toned, currently I work out about 3-4 times a week and feel great but I’m just not getting toned around my mid drift. Any advice on how much protein I should be consuming a day? Or ideas on exercises?
Jackie: probably about 100 grams of protein a day. Want to lose fat? Decrease calories or increase exercise. Add some HIIT or HIRT routines to your training, or endurance cardio as a last resort. Train abs every other day if possible.
Thank you Steve! After researching for hours (yes, hours!), I finally found a website that has accurate information and is not bias. THANK YOU! I have other questions too. If you can answer them, I’d appreciate it very much, if you can’t, that’s okay too. I know that you must be busy.
My goal weight is 122 lbs (I am now 137). I understand the amount of protein I need to eat to lose fat. Once I have achieved my goal weight, in order for me to start gaining muscle I must eat 122 grams of protein, right? Just to make sure I understand. It seems like a lot! LOL.
Is it true that it’s better to choose Whey protein that’s lactose free? The one I take is 97% lactose free. (I am not allergic to lactose). Is certain Whey powders better than others in a nutritional sense? Or it’s just all a matter of taste? Also, I heard that Whey is better than Casein. Is that true or it just depends on whether I am looking for the quickest or longest digesting protein?
I am eating 6 meals a day (200 cal. each). Should each of them contain protein or for example, if I get all my protein intake from 5 meals, is it okay to just eat carbs for my sixth meal? I work out hard with weights 4x a week and sometimes I crave more carbs for energy.
Thank you again!!!
Vanessa: Sounds like you are on the right track. Your protein intake should be between 100-130 grams a day – stick to the higher number if you are trying to gain muscle. Casein is slower to digest than whey, that is the biggest difference. Whey, casein, and egg protein are the 3 best. Next would be meat protein, especially lean skinless chicken breast and fish.
Hi!
Thanks for posting this!
Is it okay to get all my protein from Whey? I read on several different websites that Whey protein is the best source of protein. What do you think? Also, you said for a person who works out at least 3x per week and wants to lose fat should consume .8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass. How do I figure out that number?
Thanks!
Vanessa: Multiply your goal bodyweight by .8 to get the grams of protein you should eat in a day when trying to lose fat. Whey protein is generally the best form, unless you are looking for the quickest digesting protein or the slowest digesting protein. A whey isolate would be the fastest to digest, while casein takes the longest. There are other good forms of protein too. Egg protein is good and vegetable protein is great for people who can’t digest lactose or are allergic to dairy.
Casey: It sounds to me like you are replacing fat with muscle, especially since you probably have some muscle memory from your Army days. By the way, thanks for defending us. Anyway, your routine sounds good, maybe even too much. Consider replacing endurance cardio with HIIT workouts and make sure you are using proper intensity when lifting. 1800 sounds like a good calorie allowance, given your 160 lb bodyweight goal. Be sure to get enough protein and eat mostly complex carbs unless it’s a post-workout drink. Lastly, give it another two months. Many people don’t start seeing the changes until at least 2 months after starting their training.
Dylan: I’m pretty sure you should get around 140-160 grams a day if you want to make muscle gains.
Hi Steve-
I’m 5’6, 197 lbs. and almost 33. I was in the Army and pretty fit, but when I got out three years ago, I continued to eat like I was still in the Army and began to eat a lot of fast food all the while living a mostly sedentary lifestyle. I started back at the gym four weeks ago (6 days a week) and I’m doing weights four of the days with cardio everyday. I’m also doing a kickboxing class 3 of the days on top of the gym. I have a trainer at the gym who has been trying to help me but I have not lost one pound so far and I’m beginning to get very frustrated! I’m trying to drop my weight to 160 and of course build muscle. My girlfriend has been making me a pretty balanced B/L/D with small snacks in between and she’s got my calories limited to 1800. Do you have any advice or ideas that may help me?? I’m about ready to give this up!!
Thanks for your time-
Hey, I am almost 16 years old and male. I vary from 140-145 lbs and am 5’8″. I am involved in organized hockey, plus I workout at the gym or on my family’s bowflex 2-4 times a week. My goal is to gain weight, how much protein would you recommend?
Thanks.
hi iam 5’1″ i weigh about 174 i need to get down to 120-125 iam now waling about an hour aday. how mucvh mor do i need to do and what type diet do i need to be on. iam 48 years old and had gained about 50 pound from my thyroid i have had touble all my life off and on,my doctor says we’re back on track again,and i really want to get this weight off. thank you
teresa: I recommend about 1500 calories a day, but you will need to adjust that number based on progress. Stick to a healthy diet, not a fad diet. Eat about 100-120 grams of protein a day, 100-150 grams of carbs a day (more on workout days, less on off days), and the rest of the calories should be healthy fats.
Hello, I’m trying to gain muscle, been working out consistently for 5 months 5 days a week. I don’t see any muscle progress. My lifting strength has increased dramatically. I’m 5’7″ weigh 185lbs. How much protien do I need to gain the 15 pounds of lean muscle. Thanks in advance
Rick: 185-200 grams of protein a day.
I am 31 years old and weigh 130 pounds. I run 3 days a week (I am usually training to run a half marathon) and do the eliptical and lift weights on most other days. I am trying to become more tonedand lower my body fat. For the most part eat healthy. Will eating more protein help me? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Thank you stave, I was searching google to find out why I lost muscle and I directed to this great site + with it’s great inputs.
I am keep reading most of the articles since this morning and your responds confirms that my protein intake is not enough and I am not doing much resistance training. thank you very much for great advices. I’m still reading and sure stay around this site and read your inputs.
Once again thank your very much for your great inputs.
gholagha: You’re welcome.
Hi Steve;
I am 6 foot tall, male and my body weight is 97.6 kg
Body Composition:
Intracellular Fluid (L) 35
Extracellular Fluid (L) 18
My body protein mass = 13.5 kg
My body bone mass = 4.25 kg
My body fat mass = 28 kg
My body muscle mass is 64
My Lean body mass is 71.5
My target weight is 80kg
I start going gym for about 2 months (5 days a week each session about one and a half hour and weekend rest) but I do walk about 6 kilometer a day on weekend. And at gym I do treadmills for about 30 – 45 minutes with incline 10 and speed 4 to 6 and most of the time is I stay with speed 5. in first month I lost 2kg fat and 2nd months I lost 2kg of muscle! What I am doing wrong Steve?
My daily food is for morning a glass of mix fruit juice (combination of carrot, green apple, celery and cucumber) and some other day is glass of fresh milk.
Lunch = a chicken thigh and drumstick, and sometime is chicken breast with wing. a
Some other days will be fish with little rice and vegetable as well.
At evening around 6pm sometimes noodles.
And at night will be 100% mix fruit only.
I use to smoke and not quit the smoking for about 6 months.
I wonder why have not lose much fat in my mid section.
gholagha: I didn’t seen any mention of resistance training. If are you just doing all cardio you will lose muscle mass; try lifting weights 3 times a week. Turn your endurance cardio sessions into either HIRT or HIIT training, both of which you can find on this site.
Furthermore I don’t see much protein in your diet. Instead of eating meals made up of 100% fruit, you should try to have a balance of healthy fats, complex carbs, and protein in all of your meals; and you should aim for 5 small meals a day rather than what you are doing now.
I don’t know how much protein I should be eating a day and I don’t know if I need a protein supplement. I am 26 years old and I am very active. I am currently training for a marathon. In the last 6 months or so I have gained about 10 pounds but all of my clothes fit the same and I am weight training a lot more andI have added a protein supplement (muscle mile light) to my diet. I generally eat about 100-120 grams of protein a day. I currently weigh about 147 pounds I am 5’9″, 6 months ago I weighed 137 pounds. Anyway, I just ran out of the muscle milk light and I am debating on whether I should buy it again. I only use about 1/2 a serving a day anyway, so it accounts for 13 grams of my protein a day. help.
hi
i am weighing 77 kg with 11-12% body fat and 1.76 m tall how many grams(to be safe) of protein should a eat a day i dont want to look like n body builder just lean and a bit built want to have body fat of 7-9%
kobus: The article didn’t answer this question for you? Go back and calculate how much protein you should eat in a day, post it in the comments, and I will tell you if you are accurate.
Thank you Steve.
Steve, I weigh between 198 and 202 pounds on any given day..depending on the scale ;). I’m 5’7″ and 43 years old. I want to get down to approximately 160 to 165 pounds. How much protein should I be eating while doing some light to medium workouts and cardio. I don’t know how much my wife weighs but she wants to lose weight also and does the same workouts as I do. How much protein should she be eating? She’s 42, 5’4″.
Ray: You can probably eat about 130-140 grams of protein a day. Your wife can probably eat about 100-120 grams. This is if you are not into intense weightlifting. If that were the case I’d bump you up to 160 grams a day.
Thank you Steve, for the insight…I’ve been eating 1650 calories..But I will definitely go up to atleast 1800. My target weight is about 190, I dont want to be too thin, I want to maintain my curvy body, just replace some fat with muscle. I do not exercise on weekends, only monday thru friday. Thank you sooo much again for the tips.
You are welcome, Chantal. Thanks for the feedback.
Hey Steve! Great article btw….I’m 21 yr old female, 5’11 & 225lbs…my goal is not necessarily losing weight but losing body fat..I’ve lost weight before, turns out I was losing muscle. I have ordered a body fat monitor, and will definitely be getting some optimum nutrition protein powder, but how do you think I will be able to lower my body fat percent? I want to look leaner, and I want my muscle definition to show…especially my obliques & glutes..
:-)..How many calories should I eat per day and how many grams of protein? I strength train 5 days per week, and do about 10 minutes of intense cardio also. But I definitely need tips on my diet. Thank you much!
Chantal: Let’s assume your goal bodyweight is 150 lbs, because frankly at 5’11 if you train right you will lose ‘weight’ along with your fat. I calculate your max daily calories at 1750-1800 and probably around 130 grams of protein. Those numbers might need adjusting as you lose fat. The problem might lie with your carb intake. Keep those carbs complex and under 120 (100 would be even better) grams a day, at least for a couple months, at which time you can experiment with eating 150-200 grams of carbs a day.
To get those glutes hardened up, do lots of squatting, lunging, and try to attempt some interval sprints. Deadlifts are good too. Don’t forget to work some HIRT training into your routine. Consider 3 days of 35-40 minute full body weight training sessions with a focus on gaining muscle and strength. End those workouts with 15-20 minutes of HIRT training. On the off days you can incorporate additional core training with HIIT workouts. Be sure to rest every 3-4 days OR take the weekends off for recovery.
Whats going on….My current weight is about 195 and I am 6’4″ tall. I hit the weight room 4 to 5 times a week and my target weight is about 210-215. Any suggestions?
200-220 grams of protein a day should be enough for you, Luke.
I am a 124 pound female, 5’6″ tall, and nursing an 18 month old. (I plan on weaning in two months…) I am on a rigorous bodybuilder routine to put on muscle until April, when I will begin cutting for a figure competition in July. I have been eating a diet consisting of 250 grams of protein a day, 250 carbs, 60 grams of fat, and around 2500-2800 calories a day. I do six days of weights in the morning, and three days a week, I go back to the gym for thirty minutes of cardio and thirty minutes of core/abs. I’ve been eating this way for six weeks and have continued to gain muscle and lose fat surprisingly. However, I’m starting to have stomach cramps each morning. I’m wondering if this could be related to the amount of protein I’m taking in. Would you suggest I continue my current diet or make some changes? Thank you.
Leslie: I can’t tell you what is giving you stomach cramps, but 250 grams of protein a day sounds excessive. At 124 lbs, I wouldn’t recommend more than 130 grams of protein a day, or maybe 150 at the most if you are on a serious bodybuilding workout. Honestly, I don’t know how to fix your stomach cramps, but perhaps eating less protein could help.
Hi, am 18 male 5 ft 7 and 142 lb, I would like to lose wieght but as the same time add muscle how much protein should I be taking in? as I don’t want to add more weight but at the same time I know I need more protien to add muscle.
Alan: About 120-150 grams of protein a day should be fine for you.
Deb: It is going to be pretty hard for you to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time… damn near impossible if I do say so myself.
For a goal bodyweight of 130 lbs, 1400 calories is a decent target for you. Make sure your carbs come from mostly whole grain sources, and if you want to lose fat please stop eating ice cream at night. You will benefit from increasing the intensity of your cardio routine from “a good walk/run program on the treadmill” to real exercises like jogging outside, riding a bike, or maybe even taking up a kickboxing class. You could also try an exercise DVD if you can find one with enough intensity. Basically, you are going to have to increase the intensity of your workouts if you want to see more progress. Being 51 means nothing. You can workout as hard as a 20 year old as long as you have no nagging injuries to your neck, hips, back, knees, ankles, or shoulders.
Now, if you want to gain some muscle I think I have the solution. Stick with your current diet, but stop lifting such light weight. Start pushing yourself a little in the weight room by either using slightly heavier free weights or by switching to machines where you can increase the resistance with less fear of injury (but really I’d rather see you using heavier dumbbells and maybe even barbells). Stop using a band for rows and start using weights.
Ultimately it is going to be about increasing exercise intensity. Just think about it.
I have read over a lot of your posts…I have a different health issue that maybe you can help with. I do have Chronic Kidney Disease (not life threatening, but do have to restrict my protein grams to 40 per day). So with just 40 per day, how can I lose weight and just a importantly, gain muscle. I am 5’3″, go between 145-148lbs and 51 yrs young. I should be somewhere between 115 – 125 lbs. I think my calorie intake is approx. 1250-1500 day. I do a good walk/run program on the tredmill 3-4 days wk, lift lighter weights (6-8lbs) 3-4 days wk, abs/obliques 2-3 days wk, use a band for rows, etc 3-4 days wk. I try to eat 4-5 carbs…3 fruit…3+ vegs…40 grams protein…small amount of added healthy fats…(and do snack on ice cream at night a few nights a week). With all of this, I still simply stay the same weight! This is a diet that a RD gave to me, but she is not a body builder or in that field, so I am not sure if she understands what I am trying to acheive. Can you help?
Hi Steve,
I’m female, 48 years old. 155lbs 33% body fat. I want to lose weight, and gain lean muscle mass. How much protein should I consume, and what should my caloric intake be?
I workout three times a week doing cardio and lift weights with a trainer for an hour on Tues, Thurs & Friday. I do an hour of cardio on Mondays and Wednesday.
I plan to stick to mostly lean meats, chicken, fish and turkey. I allow myself one cheat day (saturday). That means maybe a glass of wine or dessert.
Thanks for your help, love you site, and I think its great you take the time to tailor eating plans. Great info!
i am 22 yrs old .. working out 6 days a week ,,, doin da same body part i.e. chest and bicceps everyday … is it advisable to do the sae body part everyday ,,,
karan: it is not advisable to do the same body part everyday. You should either do full body workouts every other day, or split the muscles up throughout the week like:
Monday – Chest, Tris, Abs / Tuesday – Quads, Calves / Wednesday – Back, Bis, Abs / Thursday – Hamstrings, Calves / Friday – Shoulders, Tris, Bis, Abs
– or –
Monday – Chest, Vertical Back, Tris, Bis, Abs / Tuesday – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves / Wednesday – Off / Thursday – Horizontal Back, Shoulders, Tris, Bis, Abs / Friday – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves
Best of luck!
I don’t eat protein at all, no milk, no eggs, no meat. I eat only veggies & fruits & I never get sick, I have a ton of energy all day. My muscles are built. You don’t need animal protein. I also stay away from processed foods, fast foods. I guess I’m what you call natural.
Actually Jerry G, I think you are what I call a vegan. That’s perfectly fine if it works for you. Personally, I like fish and chicken.
Hi Steve.. I think u know lot about body building….. that’s y I’m asking u for a favor. I’d like u to give me some techniques to improve my health & to gain muscles :
I m jst 25 years old, height 5’10” and weight 60 kg only. My hands and legs are too thin. I wanna build my muscles. I eat lot but i can’t gain muscles.
How cud i build my muscles without side-effects?
Thank u
Shihan: Lift heavy weights often and continue to “eat lot”. Try a full body routine 3-4 days a week and a HIIT routine 1-2 days a week. Search this site for more detailed information.
Hi Steve
I am 45 and have always been fairly thin I am 5’7 and weigh 135lb
My butt has dropped and is pretty dam soft. I dont eat much of anything, and am afraid to gain weight, I need to lift my butt back to where it was when I was 30. What to do and how long should it take
I really have never worked out in my life.
Please help
Unhappy: You should get on a full body training program, lifting 3 days per week for 45 minutes with supersets. You should add in 2 cardio sessions a week. Start with endurance cardio for 30-45 minutes per session and work your way into HIIT sessions of 20-25 mins. Eat 5 meals a day, but make them small. Make sure to get at least 100-120 grams of protein a day, the rest of your calories should come from healthy fats and complex carbs. Drink lots of fluid.
You should see results within 2 months of starting to train, as long as you are training intensely. If you are training lazily and miss workouts, don’t expect to see great results. Each workout you should focus on lower body exercises like squats, deadlifts, Russian deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, front squats, lunges, good mornings, one leg squats, one leg deadlifts, and jumping drills; but don’t forget about upper body too. Hit those abs hard.
Oh and one more thing…I drink Ensure, with high protein. Will that do anything for me? Just curious.
I’m 24 years old, 5’5 and I weigh 103 lbs. Yeah..hmm, my problem is that my thighs and legs are extremely skinny, I think my upperbody looks okay, but my bottom half…I need to gain some weight there. How much protein and calories should I consume daily?? My goal weight is 110-115 lbs.
RachelB: Trying to gain lower body muscle mass? You should probably be getting between 100-120 grams of protein a day and 1500 calories a day. Add calories in increments of 100 if you just can’t gain muscle at 1500.
Furthermore, Ensure is probably OK. It’s kind of like Boost right? I used to drink a High Protein Boost post workout.
Im 30 years old 5’9″ tall and weigh 150 im airly skinny.I just got a home gym.It mostly does legs arms chest.I have been drinking 2 protein shakes a day at 56 grams of protein a drink.I whant to add around 5 to 8 lbs of muscle.Do i need more protein or something else.Can i have a little advise.
Steve,
I’m a 43 yr old female that weighs 210 and i am 5’2. I’m exercising 4 x /day. I jog for 30 sec and walk for 2 min I do this for 20 minutes. I’m eating 1200 calories and 70 gms of protien a day. I’ve been doing this for 3 wks and have lost 9 lbs. I am also colon cleansing once a day. Could the weight loss be from the cleansing? What formula should I be doing to lose the fat?
Cidy: the weight loss is clearly a combination of diet, exercise, and cleansing. A great diet low in calories and high in protein, plus an intense exercise routine, combined with quality supplements, will definitely help you lose fat fast. Keep up the good work. Consider adding an acai supplement to help burn fat even faster.
Nikhil: for someone looking to gain weight with a high metabolism, you can definitely eat that many carbs in a day. Try to minimize the sugars and high GI carbs though, except for post-workout.
Dan: My protein intake recommendations are primarily for weightlifters. That is to say: men and women who attempt to build muscle and/or lose fat via resistance and high intensity training. I stick to my original word.
AQ: gummy bears are not a horrible post-workout meal, but definitely not ideal. Try Biotest Surge or a different product with 20 grams of protein and 40 grams of high GI carbs.
Hey Steve,
I am 5’9″ and weigh 185 lbs and with 22.5% body fat. I am doing a lot of cardio now a days and hitting the gym Almost 4 times a week. I am open to doing weight training as well if it takes. I wan to reduce almost 30 pounds off my weight and build sone quality muscle. How much protien do u suggest me to intake ?? I am eating close to 70 gms of protien as of now and would like to increase the consumption if that is way it takes I am open to eating meat as well so can u suggest me the best protien intake !! And is it ok if I take protien powders ?? Which brand do u think would be better coz I wouldn’t take chances with anything I can get my hands on.
Ashwin: what is missing from my post that would allow you to answer your own questions? Please tell me because I don’t understand how I didn’t already answer these questions in the post. 1 gram per pound of body weight. Optimum Nutrition protein powder, but choose whole food over powders. Fish, chicken, turkey, and eggs are best.
Hi Steve. I am 38 yo, 5’11, 165 lbs (but look skinny). I recently started to workout and found out that my maintenance calories are around 3000 (I have a very fast metabolism). So I am consuming around 3700 calories a day- 225 gms (900 cals) of protein, 82 gms (740 cals) of fats and 515 gms (2060 cals) of carbs. I see that you mention that one should not have more than 300 gms (1200 cals) of carbs. But in a case like mine, how do I get the additional calories, if my protein AND carb intake is limited? Is my diet okay for now?
Thanks
Hi steve, i’m 17 nearly 18, i weigh 160 pounds, i’m 6ft 2 and fairly skinny and want to bulk up. I’v started going to the gym 3 times a week for just over half an hour a time and concentrating on upper body work outs, but i’m not sure how much protien to consume. I have bought some whey protien to take after work out sessions but really need to know how much i should take per day along with my other meals. I am a little confused as i found the RDA on this site https://www.time-to-run.com/nutrition/rda.htm is alot less than your recomended intake. Please can you help?
Thanks alot
Dan
Hi Steve, what do you reccomend for a postworkout meal? is protein powder and some gummy bears ok? thanks
Hi Steve,
You recomended me to first lose body fat and then gain muscle. Is there any way to do both together? I heard that if my calorie intake is lower than what i burn everyday all the protein will be consumed by my calorie needs. Also if this is the case (after i diet and start gaining muscle) is my calorie intake supossed to be a little greater than the ammount of calories I burn? So that protein goes directly to muscles? (I suppose this way i will be gaining body muscle weight…?)
I am a little confused about all of this.
thanks in advance.
Mike984: It is very difficult to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. You need a calorie deficit to lose fat and a calorie excess to gain muscle. See why it is hard to to both at the same time? Unless you are a newbie or on steroids, I suggest you choose one or the other for about 8 weeks, then you can switch back.
Steve, someone said that i only need to eat 70-75 grams of protein each day.
I weight 150 pounds and I’m 5’9 tall. I work out 3 times a week and wieght lift, but my weight lifting only consists of curls and regular bench press. I also do pull-ups, run on the treadmill for 5 min, and do about 130 sit-ups on my ab-lounge each work out (whi h is 3 times a week)… Also I box each sunday for 3, 5 minute rounds.
How much protein do you think I should consume each day?
cause i keep on getting different answers… some say 75 grams should do it, and some say you need to eat 150 grams or 112, like you.
Thanks in advance.
Saman: 75 grams is low for someone weighing 150 lbs. To maintain I’d eat about 120 grams a day. To gain muscle I’d eat about 150-160 grams a day.
If i want to lose 10 more pounds (135 lb currently) and gain more muscle. what do you recommend?
thanks
mike: I recommend eating less to lose weight, then eating more to gain weight. Lift heavy the whole time. Opt for HIIT training rather then endurance cardio.
Hi-
Website looks quite friendly and informative by the way.
I’m 45 years old, have lots of stress, and in January I weight in at 178+. I say + becuase it was weeks or months before I weighted which I don’t normally and don’t like it but… that was my last weight. I did a calculation of my goal weight, 140, and to loose 1 lb a week, how many calories I needed to consume per day to get there. I’m now at 156-159. I WANT to be my goal weight or even better. I go to aerobics, have for about 2 or more years, 3 x’s a week and walk 3 days a week 3 miles or more. Now I’ve always been active but teh minute I started counting calories the weight starting coming off. But now I’m stuck! I want a six pack!! 🙂 I’m thinking I need to eat more protein as I don’t really eat that much my main source is yogurt. Not much of a red meat eater. Anyhow, any suggestions you have would be awesome!
Thanks so much in advance for your assistance!
Debbie
Debbie: I’d start with a daily calorie limit of about 1480 calories. Subtract 100 calories a week if you don’t lose 1-2 pounds a week by the end of the second week. You can eat more protein, but then you must eat less fat or less carbs, preferably less carbs. Obviously it doesn’t make any sense to add protein to your diet without subtracting calories from somewhere else, if you’ve already hit a plateau. Try to eat more fish, chicken, and turkey.
It sounds like a lot of people are getting help here, and I think its time for me too. I’m 5 foot 10, 260 and have no idea where to start. I have lowered my diet down to 2000-2300 calories a day, broken down to about 250 carbs, 180 protein. about 30 fat and 5 sat fats. workouts are where i get really stuck, although I’m not sure my diet plan is good either. I want to get tone. not big, but not too lean either. any help would be awesome.
Hi, I am 25 years old, male, 5 ft 6 in, and weight 135 lbs. Over the last 3 months i lost about 20 lbs from dieting and doing cardio exercise. Now i want to build some muscle, just enough to look good and be in good shape. What do you guys recomend? I have increased my protein intake eating white eggs. I never tried any protein supplement (not sure how harmful/healthy they are). I guess i eat around 70 grams of protein a day. I exercise 3 days a week at home (old style workout). Any tips or comments would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
Mike: Go heavy and go hard to gain muscle. Don’t focus on 12 rep sets, which will build mass, instead focus on 5 rep sets that will build strength and density. Eat 120-140 grams of protein a day. Use Optimum Nutrition protein powder if you want a good supplement.
Hey Steve.
What are your thoughts on having something right before bed? I am trying to gain muscle mass and I have heard numerous things about this specific topic. Would it be a good idea to have, say a glass of milk or some cottage cheese? I know some like to have a shot of protein in the middle of the night but that just ruins my sleep.
Thanks man.
Cottage Cheese would be ideal due to the slow-digesting casein protein content.
Hi Steve, Iam 5’4″ I have been on an intense exercise regime for 11 weeks .I have lost about 6 lbs I thought with the amount of weightlifting and strict diet, I would be getting alot more lean .I started at about 28 percent bf now about 24. I weigh 130 .For 3 days, I eat 60 percent pro 20 percent carb and fat I realized that I am taking in 215 grams of protein on those 3 days is this too high? I want to maintain muscle mass but lose fat to look lean and slightly muscular on every 4th day I eat 50 percent pro 23 percent carb and 28percent fat. please help>
Steve – your soy comment is wrong. There is zero empirical proof that consumption of soy leads to “man boobs” or cancer, etc. In fact, studies have found the opposite – that people in countries that eat more soy have less cancer. The soy = estrogen = cancer is a theory based on the chemistry that has no empirical proof.
Here’s a summary and reference to a recent study: A recent meta-analysis that will be published in the journal Fertility and Sterility showed that neither soy foods nor isoflavone supplements from soy affect testosterone levels in men. Researchers looked at more than 50 treatment groups from articles in peer-reviewed journals for this meta-analysis. Soy foods contain phytoestrogens, including isoflavones, which have weak estrogen-like qualities.
Other research has shown that soy consumption decreases the risk of some forms of cancer and heart disease.
Hamilton-Reeves JM, Vazquez G, Duval SJ, Phipps WR, Kurzer MS, Messina MJ. Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: results of a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. June 11, 2009. DOI:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.038.
I am at 168lbs, down from 232. I’m female and 5’6″. I work out with a trainer twice a week and do weights and cardiokickboxing and other cardio on off days. I work out 5-6 days per week. I’ve been trying to get below 160 for months. My trainer says to bump my protein from 80grams to 160. I’m afraid of the extra calories. I try to stick to 1500. Is this correct?
i am currently trying to find a good musclebuilding diet i am 5’6 180 lbs i was told to eat six meals a day 3 hours apart protein 270 grams daily, carbs 360 grams daily is this good or bad? thanks
Rubbertoe: how much are you looking to gain? How lean are you currently? If you are super lean and have trouble gaining weight (which i doubt at 5’6 180) then those numbers might be OK, although 270 is a bit high for protein. If you are around 20% bodyfat then you should definitely NOT eat that many carbs. I would probably keep your carbs under 250 grams a day, probably even under 200 grams a day; and I would knock that protein down to about 200-220 grams a day max.
How do I know if I am over training? How do I know how many calories I should be eating to keep up with all my activity? I try to eat 4-5 small meals a day.
I am 5’3″ 135lb female and I just started adding protein shakes to my routine. I work out 7-9 times a week with a mix of intense cardio, interval work, circuit training, pilates, and power yoga. I am lacking the definition that I desire and can’t seem to figure out why I am not building more strength. I would guess I am eating about 90-100grams a day. What am I doing wrong?
Avienda, I can only assume that you are eating too many calories over all if you are not dropping the fat you want to drop. Another possible reason is that you are overtraining.
i weigh 205 and am female how much protein would i need to drink to lose 40 prounda
Mary, it’s not about how much protein you need to drink, it’s about how many calories you need to cut out of your diet. If your goal is to weigh 160 pounds, you should keep your protein intake around 140 grams a day, or 20-25 grams per meal for 5-6 small meals a day. Replace some nasty carbs and unhealthy fats with protein in order to hit your goal of 140 grams a day.
How much protein should a man intake everyday in means to build muscle when he is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds?
oh and how long should my training be a day for lifting and high intensity interval training? thanks alot
ye i meant 3 times a week. do i have to wait 12 months to see results or how long do you think till i start seeing improvements?
Hi im trying to gain muscle mass but need help on what to do. i want to build my chest and develope a six pack. i know what exercises to do but dont know how much protein i need. im a skinny guy,about 5’6 and my weight is around 130. Also do you recommend certain types of food to eat and how long before i see results if i work out 3 times a day?
Jose: I think you are a troll, talking about working out 3 times a day. But if I am wrong, and you are serious, this is what I say: work out 3-5 times a week, lifting thrice and using high intensity interval training twice. Eat about 150 grams of protein a day and try to get up to 150 lbs of bodyweight over the next 12 months. Good luck.
Hey! I’m 6’0 tall and weight 215lbs. I want to add muscle mass and slim done but not look like a sack of bones…….I am taking in 5 protein shakes of 20g of protein per shake, and have started eating a piece of toast with half of a tuna can as meals. I end up drinking 5 shakes and eating two cans of tuna per day. am i doing enough or not enough to get lighter with solid mass on my frame?? should i mix up the tuna with grilled chicken or turkey, just so i wont get tired of the same meat??
Thanks
oscar: what you are doing should be OK to jump start a diet, but if you stay on that plan for too long you risk getting sick of that diet and binging. If I were you, I would cut back the shakes to 2 a day and make sure you get 3 solid meals of different food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A tuna sandwich on whole grain bread is fine, but also consider mixing your tuna with other stuff. Consider switching to salmon, haddock, shrimp, crab, or some other seafood. Definitely consider adding chicken or turkey, and while you are at it have some eggs. A good diet is about whole food, not shakes and tuna 5 times a day every day. Think about it.
I am 21 and have been weight training 3/4 times a week for around 4 years. I am 5ft 10 and 161 pounds, I would like to get to around 175 pounds of good weight if possible. I have started to take Prolab pure whey post training and think I will need a shake mid morning and before bed aswell as breakfast, lunch and dinner to find any gains. I have looked at Prolab n large2 (higher carbs) and Nutrisport 90+ (higher protein) as possible products for these 2 occasions but unsure which to use, what do you think? I have 2 scoops per serving of each shake….
Ben: I prefer Optimum Nutrition protein powder. It is the highest quality for the cheapest price. I’m not sure about the two you are considering using, so best go with other reviews around the web for that info. If you are looking to gain 15 pounds I might opt for the higher carb version, but ONLY if those higher carbs are not a result of higher sugar.
i am an 19 year boy with 70kg weight i am intrested in doing body building competetion what type of powder i should take to gain 10kg of mass but not fat and also how to play (i have being going to gym for about 2 years)
Jithin: If you are going to be a bodybuilder, you better first have a solid base of strong, dense muscle tissue. Once you have built a strong foundation with heavy compound lifting, you can switch to hypertrophy training in order to gain extra mass. Any protein powder will suit you fine. I recommend Optimum Nutrition.
ok some one please help me i am 16 i way 350 pounds i go to the gym evry day and burn 300-500 calories how much whet protein should i take
Eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of your target body weight. If your target weight is 200 lbs, eat 200 grams of protein a day.
I am a 29yr old female that weighs about 178lbs right now and I am 5’7″ tall…I have no clue what my lean mass is but I don’t exercise regularly…what should my protein and calorie intake be to get to (and maintain) a weight of 140-150lbs?? I occasionally walk from 30mins-2hrs on average of 2xweek. Please help this all is so confusing 🙂
I hate the taste of most protein powders and was wondering if Muscle Milk is good to drink? I actually like the way it tastes. I mix one scoop in with a normal sized glass of milk daily.
Thanks
Nick, I suppose Muscle Milk is fine. It is slightly more expensive and has slightly less protein per serving than Optimum Nutrition, but it is still a decent product.
Hi Steve,
Thank you for all your ever so informative tips on this blog!
I am 65kg, and 5.3ft, and i have recently taken up on exercising again, and i am going to start taking some nutrients shake and would like to combine some protein shake with it(herba life)
Ideally i am thinking of taking one shake for breakfast and lunch time, and have dinner at night, or take one shake in the morning then have normal lunch, then nutrient and protein shake at night. Which do you think would be best?
I am unsure though, how much protein i should be taking everyday in order to lose weight an to be keeping lean muscle mass.
And is this the right way of doing it?
I do exercise everyday for around 45mins to an hour.
Can you please advise me?
Thank you
Sophie: Whole foods are always better. I might drink a shake for breakfast, then a small brunch whole food snack, a solid whole food lunch, followed by a small whole food afternoon snack, a shake for dinner, and finally a very small whole food after-dinner snack… perhaps a piece of fruit.
Be careful with Herbalife though. I’ve known more than one person who has gotten sick on that stuff… taking too many different herbal pills at once.
oh and one more thing there is one issue with that since i am in the military my max weight can not exceed 169lbs and my minimum i is about 130 so i am trying to lose as much body fat and gain muscle all at the same time
vannesa: Just focus on getting as strong as possible and conditioning the hell out of your body. For strength, lift heavy weight for not more than 5-7 reps per set. A solid 3×5 program would work well. For conditioning, skip the endurance cardio and give high intensity interval training (HIIT) a try. This would include any form of interval sprints where you are able to sprint at 100% maximum effort. For example you can reach maximal effort when running, cycling, or rowing, but you can’t reach maximal effort while walking, jogging, or taking batting practice. HIIT should be done a couple times a week for about 20-30 minutes. Sprint 30 seconds, lower intensity for 90-180 seconds, repeat 7-10 times.
Edit: oops, I just read that you have a knee injury. I guess you will have to focus on low intensity exercise for a while until it is healed. But rest and rehab that knee with 100% dedication so you can get back to high intensity exercise. You won’t be able to lose fat and gain muscle very effectively with a bum knee.
Please help, i am 22 5’10 179 and currently deployed and i am trying to lose weight and gain muscle without increasing my body weight i am afraid that taking protien will make me gain weight. I do about 45 mins of low impact cardio excercise due to a knee injury which prevents me from doing any high impact excercises, combine with weight lifting.
Here is one question I’ve always had. I’m definitely looking to gain more muscle but at the same time I dont want to overdo the protein and put my liver through hell. I work out about 4 – 5 times a week and some of my workouts reach up to two and a half hours.
So with that said, I’m just wondering if you have to eat the same amount of protein on days that you dont workout? Or say you miss 3 days at the gym (god forbid), do you still want to be eating the same amount of protein on the 2nd and 3rd missed day?? Should you alternate amounts at all, or just keep a consistent intake??
Also… I have no clue what my body fat percentage is, so my protein intake may vary slightly than what is recommended… any advice?
Brandon:
In my opinion, if you are trying to gain weight you should keep protein intake the same whether working out or not. If you are trying to lose fat it might be a good idea to cut the protein intake down a bit if you know you will be missing half a week of working out. This is not a precise science that you need to follow to a T. Once you know roughly how much protein you should be eating, you can basically just stick with it everyday.
One thing I want to mention though, is that you should cut those workouts down to 60 minutes tops. For 99% of people, exercising after the 45 minute mark results in a significant decrease in your return on effort.
I am a 38 year old, very active, busy mom. I have been underwweight all my life, but after recently finding out I’m allergic to gluten & having to avoid it, I have lost even more weight. I am 5’4″ tall & now weigh 81 lbs. I bought some wey based protein powder as used by body builders, it has 22 grams protein, casein & lots of amino acids. I also bought some digestive enzymes. My question is, “How many times a day should I drink the protein shakes & how many grams of protein should I consume a day to get to a healthy weight. Thanks,
Marsha
Marsha:
5’4 and 81 lbs?!?!? Yikes! Girl, you should crank up that protein, eat a bunch of regular food, and hit the weights at least thrice a week. Assuming your target bodyweight is 100 lbs, which still seems WAY underweight to me, you should be eating between 80-100 grams of protein a day. If I were you I would use one protein shake and get the rest of your nutrients from healthy food.
Seriously though, it seems to me that you are at an unhealthy weight and it might be a better idea to consult with your doctor and perhaps a certified nutritionist (I am no longer certified) to get a real meal plan. Try 3 full body workouts a week to try to put some mass on that frame, but for God’s sake please eat 6 small meals a day and at least 1500 total calories.
I was hit by a truck while jogging in ’89 and due to complications in surgery and (I believe)lack of exercise I developed lung complications and was on 100% oxygen for several years. I am totally off oxygen(and the 100 grams of steroids a day), live at 8,000+ elevation, and have been exercising 5 times a week for the last month at a gym. The problem, I gained 140lbs and weigh 290, I’m female. I feel great exercising, have noticeable improvements , a 20 lb weight loss and can walk without a cane now. I’m 5’11, I’ve started the hard part, now what do I eat?
oldput970, congratulations on your miraculous recovery. You just need to eat a normal healthy diet full of vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains, and lots of water. Avoid sugar, white bread, pasta, red meat, and other sources of saturated and trans fats. You could start by setting a goal weight of 200 lbs, which means you will be eating 2400 calories a day at most. Once weight loss slows down, you will want to decrease that number to keep the fat coming off. Try to eat 6 smalls meals or snacks each day. Good luck!
Im about 155 lbs.19 yrs old 6 ft tall and toned but want mass ive tried to gain mass but just cant i just keep getting more toned what should i do?
Jeremy: you need to eat more. That’s the answer. If you can’t accept it, you won’t gain mass. Try the Good Morning Protein Shake Recipe, or just sit around drinking whole milk and eating peanut butter all day. If you eat enough and lift heavy, you CAN gain mass.
A T-bone has slightly more monounsaturated fat than saturated fat. With fat trimmed to 1/8 inch, per 100 grams, 24 grams protein, 20 grams fat (8 grams saturated and 9 grams monounsaturated, less than 1 gram polyunsaturated), 54 grams water, zero carbs. USDA Nutrient Database. Also see Gary Taubes’ “Good Calories, Bad Calories” for an extensive look at the “science” and politics that demonized fat and fattened us with high-carbohydrate diets.
Kurt: Thanks for the info. I have recently decided to stop eating red meat, but I know more other Project Swolers do eat it. I have just read so many reports in the last 10 years talking about how bad red meat (and to a lesser extent, pork) are for you. Red meat contributes to heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and it has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
I still eat fish, chicken, eggs, and will continue to eat a small amount of red meat if someone else is buying. Certainly though, eating red meat is better for you than a diabetes-promoting high-carbohydrate diet.
Hi,
I am 6ft tall, weight 176lbs (80kg) and wish to lose alittle body weight, whilst toning up. I consume 140g of protein a day. Since weigh-training, I have managed to build bigger shoulders, arms and chest but have some problems getting rid of stomach area fat. About an inch, am i taking in too much protein? Also I eat very little carbs after 8PM, is this a good movie?
Thanks
dee: 140 g a day seems good but you could reduce it by 10 or 20 grams if you are trying to diet. Avoiding carbs after 8pm is key. Keep up the good work.
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Hi Im 17 years old. I lift chest/tricep mondays, back/bicep tuesday/legs wednesdays. Then I take a day break and repeat again. I also run 6-8 miles a day, swim 3 times a week, and bike 3 times a week. I just started lifting again getting ready for the season and noticed Ive been eating a lot of protein. I’m 6ft and weight a little over 150 pounds. I probably eat 160 or a little over grams of protein a day. (protein bar, protein soy shake, meat and rice for lunch, peanut butter toast, and some kind of chicken and salad for dinner. is that too much or am I ok? Im trying to just get toned in the gym so I do higher reps less weight.
Hi I am a 24 year old male, I’m 5’7″ and I weigh 178. I’m trying to gain more muscle I’m lifting five days a week but I feel like I’m consuming too much protein. I’ve been eating a 30g protein bar everyday during lunch and drinking a 28g protein shake after lifting and then eating around 80 grams of protein in the food I eat through out the day. So my question to you is am I consuming to much or not enough protein?
Thank You.
Jeremy
Jeremy:
In my opinion you are not eating too much protein. What makes you “feel like” you are consuming too much protein? Do you really “feel like” you are, and if so what are the symptoms that make you “feel” that way. Or is your mind telling you that you are because you are not used to eating that much protein?
I’m just over 6 ft and weigh about 185lb. I am a vegetarian and workout 3/4 times per week. I want to both tone up/lose body fat and gain strength/size. The gym I go to has given me a programme of 2 strength sessions and 2 toning sessions per week, with 20 minutes cardio each session and 1 additional 45 minute cardio session. My questions are: am I on the right lines, how much protein should I be eating, and how on earth do you get the levels that I think you are going to recommend from a veggie diet (I do eat fish). Thanks in advance!
Great article Steve. I will be taking that knowledge on board. I especially like how you dealt with shutupandsquat’s post. Nice work.
I do have an easy question for you though: Before I started weights and surfing I was a steady 141lbs (64kg). It’s taken me over a year, but currently I’m 158lbs (72kg). I will be increasing my protein intake in conjunction with my current weight training and surfing to reach my goal of 176lbs (80kg). When I reach that 176lbs goal, can I scale back the amount of protein consumption while staying at that target weight? Since I no longer want to gain any more weight/muscle, to me it would make sense to cut back a bit. If so, how much would you recommend?
Cheers from Australia.
Jason:
When dieting or following a healthy eating plan, you can safely eat .8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, or 1.76 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. Therefore at 176 lbs (80 kgs) you should be eating no more than 140.8 grams of protein each day.
When you are gaining weight you can up that to 176 grams of protein each day based on your desired bodyweight (1 gram of protein per pound of desired bodyweight or 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of desired bodyweight).
Hello, All of the sites that I have read state that the number of necessary grams of protein depend on your weight and they all give examples. However for someone like me who needs to loose weight. None of the sites make it plain to me whether I should use my current weight or my desired weight to accurately calculate the right amount of protein that I should consume. It seems to me that if I calculate the protein grams according to my current weight that I would be consuming far too many grams of protein. Therefore, should I use my desired weight to calculate the correct amount of protein that I should eat?
Thank You for your assistance.
Amy
Amy:
95% of the time you should base your calorie and macronutrient requirements on your desired or goal bodyweight. Fake it ’til you make it.
When I started this site I never really made that clear. Only lately have I based my calculations strictly on desired or goal bodyweight.
Typically if you are just trying to get stronger, or if you are trying to tone up a bit while adding or keeping your muscle mass, you can use your current bodyweight. I only say this because getting stronger doesn’t really change your bodyweight, and if you are only trying to lose like 5 pounds through weight training you might also gain a couple pounds of muscle mass so the end result is still roughly the same bodyweight.
Hi Im 26 year old female, I’m 5’6″ and weigh 180, 29% bodyfat. Im trying to loose fat and tone up and gain a little muscle. Im doing cardio 5-6x/week and lifting weights 3-4 days/week I’ve been told to eat 180grams of protein a day. Does this sound right? What are your suggestions.
Thanks for that Steve
Hi steve.
I’m 25 in july
I weigh 83.1 kg
My body fat is 15.4% (this has probably dropped recently)
My height is 6 ft 2
I run 3 times a week at the moment, and this is increasing in intensity as i have just finished a 10k run, and am now training for a half marathon.
I’m looking to start a 3-5 day workout where
my objective is to build muscle mass whilst toning up. I think my body fat is ok, so im not really bothered about losing weight. I’m trying to figure out what i can eat in my 6 daily meals but am baffled by the different opinions people have with regards to how much protein i should be consuming:
-180g with 2700 calories
-166g with ? cal
-I was told in one instance that i should be consuming something like 3500 cal?!
Confused about this barrage of differing opinions. Any advice you have with regards to this would be much appreciated.
I was recommended cyclone as a protein powder to build muscle. Is this a good choice fopr what i want to achieve?
GregR:
I would choose Optimum Nutrition protein powder over Cyclone protein powder. Optimum is much better quality. You can get some pretty cheap by following the links in this post.
Now the problem with my giving advice to you, is that you want to ‘tone up’ and build muscle at the same time. You can’t really do that effectively, but I’ll take a stab at it.
Start at your maintenance levels of 2566 calories and 145 grams of protein. Since you run so much, you might need to up the total calories to 2700 as you mentioned, but at that level you might be concerned with retaining some calories as fat. If you are serious about building muscle, definitely up the calories and up the protein to 180. However if you are more concerned with staying lean and light for your half marathon, stick to the 2566 and 145. That’s my best guess.
hi i am 17 years old and 159 lbs and 6 ft. im looking to gain muscle mass but still look cut and im struggling to find the right balance of protein,carbs,oils etc
my goal weight is probably about 180 lbs.
currently i try to have about 90 grams plus 40 grams from whey protein powder 60 grams on workout days
how much protein, carbs would u reccomend for me per day to build lean muscle?
I was just wondering how much protein do I have to intake to gain muscle. I weigh about 140 and I am on a strict workout routine to gain mass. I take ON 100% WHEY twice daily as well as high protein meals. Could you tell me how much protein I should consume daily to gain mass?
RK: Probably like 150 grams or so. Start at 150 and add more protein as you gain weight.
Alright thanks for the info! 🙂
Powerlift:
If you weight 241 lbs your upper limit for protein intake should be about 250 grams at most, and that’s if you are only focusing on building muscle. If you are trying to cut up, I wouldn’t go higher than 190-200 grams.
After a workout your focus should be firstly on getting some dextrose or maltodextrin into your system, at least 40 grams. Your second focus should be getting 60% of that amount of when protein isolates into your system, or about 25 grams.
For a person of your size, you can bump it up to maybe 60 g of sugars and 40 g of protein, but I wouldn’t go higher than that. The perfect supplement for this, is Biotest’s Surge.
Your next meal should still not go above 40 grams of protein. It’s much better to space out your protein intake during the day, than to chug down 170 grams in one sitting. I personally don’t eat more than 30-40 grams of protein in any one meal or snack.
But if I were you, I would lay off the soy. =P
good. i’m glad we have that clarified then.
Alright so I’m 19 and weigh 241 pounds I am not very active but some how manage to have some good muscle mass ( Capable of lifting heavy weight ) and because of that my goal is to be a Power Lifter I am kind of confused with all the different info out there
it sounded like I should have been taking 140-180 grams of protein after a workout and a little before hand ( Protein shakes )but according to this site I am basically seeing that that’s far too much or am I mistaken?
Just started finally working out and I am wanting to gain as efficiently as possible I want to gain weight of course muscle mass.
Thanks for reading.
Steve,
You don’t know ****. I’m vegetarian and I can guarantee my lifts surpass yours. You name it: squat, bench, etc. You’re clearly not a physician, so you’re not qualified/educated enough to deem certain food choices insufficient. If you knew anything about biochemistry, then you would understand that all you need to gain muscle is a complete set of amino acids, which you can get as a vegetarian from different types of foods that are synergistic in completing the AA chain. e.g. beans and rice.
shutupandsquat:
Well, I guess you told me.
I do know some ****, but I don’t know all of the ****. I appreciate you sharing your **** with me. In reality, vegetarians can build muscles if they know how to eat properly. You can’t just eat vegetables and ****, and hope to build muscle. By optimizing your intake of beans, rice, peas, and other legumes, even vegetarians can build muscle.
Steve,
I currently workout 5-6 days a week. I have been doing this for about 6 months now. I have seen definite changes in my strength and body. I am currently doing the zone diet, which I take in any where from 18-20 blocks a day. I am 5’11 164 lbs. I roughly take in about 147-160 grams of protein a day. My goal weight is 180, when I started I weighed roughly 168. I have definitely toned up more but still a work in progress, was just wonder if there is anything else I can do to get to my goal weight. I do not take any supplements at all.
Thanks for the help.
Steve…I have been a vegetarian for 11 years since 14 and have recently started to try to tone up and gain some muscle. I haven’t been getting much protein until recently but I am wondering how much protein should I have??? I am 5’4 and 150 and I am trying to lose 20-30 pounds but want to tone also. Can you suggest anything. I do calanetics 2 times a week for 1 hour and use the bike 3 times a week.
I am 5’6 and have a lot of belly fat..I tried everything and its just not working for me….I need some help…
The answer is almost always to reduce your calories (most likely either starchy/sugary carbs, or saturated/trans fats). The exception to that rule is if you are already eating too few calories, in which case I would say you need a full nutritional overhaul and probably a brand new workout routine. Because I know nothing about you, I have nothing to analyze, and therefore can’t make any other useful suggestions.
Yeah protein is really important in building muscle. I once remember when I went for a whole month without much protein and there was a significant loss in the gains that I made
I’m 17, just a bit over 6’3, 75 kg. I go to gym at least 5 times per week. I eat like a beast,it just seems my body doesn’t want to gain weight,so Ill start taking protein pills from next week.
Any side effects? If I take more proteins than I should how big is the risk of developing kidney stones and is it risky to remove them in case they are formed?
I hope I was clear,Im not English. Peace.
i am not being sacarstic but my mother do not believe that protein is save for consuming.
How can i convince her
Btw i am 16
Hallo, there
myself has joined jeam, but not able to increase size. also power is much lower than needed. what diet u will suggest?
i am veggie. give me proper source of pro.
I’d also like to add that my daily consumption of fat is a maximum of 15 grams and no more.
Hey Steve,
Thank you for that great article. I’ve been weight training for 4 years now. I’m 6ft 1in tall and my starting weight was 72kgs. I bulked up to 96 kgs but with loads of belly fat too. I never used to count my calories or fat intake – just my protein intake which was 80-90 grams a day. I decided I wanted a 6 pack and hence lost all my fat and successfully attained my goal using this diet:
In the morning I have 2 bowls of Nestle Cookie Crisp cereal with skim milk. It’s purely wholemeal with 3g of fat (of which 1g saturates) in a 100g serving. I skipped lunch and only have dinner which is high protein low fat – like grilled chicken pieces in wholemeal bread (2 sandwiches of those).
I’m down to 74 kgs now and I now want to maintain this. I run everyday for 30 mins at 12.5km/hr burning 350-400 calories on an average. I then do my abs and then whatever muscle group I have to train for that day. I do this for 5 days a week where the 3rd day is only cardio and abs. I feel like I need to have a light lunch like a can of tuna or something but fear losing my 6-pack. I’ve looked around a lot on articles about maintaining a lean physique but haven’t found any. I’m hoping you can help me out.
Many Thanks
Maneck
im 19 and i am just starting to try to build some muscle on me and was wondering what happends when you consume to much protien and your livver or kiddnys cant handle it what are the side affects?
I will try to respond directly to some of the excellent questions posted above. I know everyone wants a custom exercise and nutrition plan, and I can’t do that, but I will respond in more detail to your questions if you will be patient. Thanks for commenting everyone! =)
math:
Actually I didn’t do any math wrong. Regardless of lbs or kgs, you are eating 1 gram per pound of lean body mass for gaining muscle and .8 grams per pound of lean body mass for losing fat. Do the conversion from kgs to lbs then figure it out.
180 grams of protein for a typical person is not astronomical at all. Many bodybuilders consume upwards of 200-300 grams of protein each day. Anyone who lifts weights and wants to gain muscle should be eating close to, but slightly less than, their bodyweight in protein each day (150 lbs = 120 grams).
Thank you for your comments never-the-less.
You did the math wrong. .8g/1kg lean body mass. Assuming you’re 200 lbs with 10% fat. you’ll need approximately 64.8 grams of protein per day. 200lbs/2.2lbs/kg (coverting lbs to kilograms) = 90.9 kg*.10= 9.1
90.9kg-9.1kg=81.0kg*.8g/1kg (or 1.0g/kg)= 64.8. Get your conversion factor straight, can’t compare apples with oranges. 180 grams of protein for a typical person is astronomical! 🙂
sorry dont eat meat or fish i ment 😀
hey im 17 now . iv been liffting weight for about a year now. im a veggeterian dont eat any meat or eggs but if still reachdd my goal . i was eating 5 fruits a day and 3 protein shakes , rice cakes , scrambled eggs with brown bread poridge and that and it amazing how mutch it worked sooo i think it dosent matter if youre a veggie.
Hi. I just came upon this blog and found it VERY helpful! I am a 22 y/o guy. I’m 5’9″ tall and I weigh 175lbs. I have this natural muscular frame, so I don’t look fat at all, but I am actually overweight. I basically want to gain about 4-5lbs of lean muscle mass while at the same time lose about 10-15lbs of Fat. I weighed about 160lbs about 2 years ago and I was very toned and low fat. Basically what I want is to be toned (but not ridiculously) and a tiny bit bigger muscularly. I’m not concerned with strength as I am naturally pretty strong and am happy at my level.
What kind of workouts should I be doing and how often? -Cardio every day to lose fat? Weight training 3 times a week? What kind of diet should I eat? Low carbs? low fat? High protein? I’d like to weigh about 165 and get rid of the extra fat, and do it as soon as possible. Any info you can give me would be Great and much appreciated! Thanks!
I am 5’2 and weigh 204lbs. My weight fluctuates between 195 and 204. One week I can be 195, the next week I will be 204. I exercise everday, I started using weights last November. I had a total hysterectomy in 1998 and things have been out of wack since the surgery. I am taking armour thyroid, which is a bio identical thyroid hormone. I dont eat sugar, wheat, red meat, pork, honey,
soda, cheese or any junk foods. Having the tyroid thing makes it so hard to lose the weight. I will not give up. Here’s the questions. How much protien should I be taking in to loose the weight? Most of the weight is in the belly area. I know that I can do this. I just need the right equations for me. I need to keep the weight from going up and down. How many calories should I be taking in? Can you suggest an exercise plan?
I have what some might think a very unusual issue with my weight. I’m a 34 man , I’m 6’3, and I weigh almost 220 lbs. and I have always been very muscular. I have not lifted a weight in almost 13 years, and my body looks like I’m a football player. I’ve done some research on how to lose muscle, and what I’m finding is that I should cut down on protein and load up on carbohydrates. I’m either playing basketball or doing yoga almost 5-6 days a week, so I am very active. I’ve even toyed with the idea of becoming a vegetarian and cutting meat proteins completely out of my diet just to rid of some of the muscle I have. Is this problem common, and what should I do. I can’t imagine not eating a steak or chicken any longer, but if that’s what I have to do then so be it. What would you advise.
Nice post Steve 😉
I am 51, weigh 129, and am 5’6″. I am not sure what I need to be getting for protein but I want to increase my muscle strength and lose about 5 pounds. I just started taking “Light Muscle Milk” for extra protein, l-glutamine for muscle support, 1000mg of fish oil for anti-inflamatory and vitamins. I am beginning to study more about amino Acids and Omega 3 and 6, chain amino acids and such. I have been having soft tissue pain in my shoulder area for 3 years and have seen many doctors and have had physical therapy 3 times. I am trying to strengthen my romboids because I am over using my traps. I seem to be having less pain since I started this extra protein and such at Christmas time. I am trying to put togetehr a program I can stick to. I could use some advise.
I don’t know how much muscle mass you carry, but you’re carrying about 157 lbs of fat-free mass.
As far as protein, I would stick with 150g for now since you are only trying to lose weight. Increasing your intake by 50 grams x 4 calories = an additional 200 calories a day. You’d be better off subtracting some fat and carbs from your daily diet than adding protein.
10 pounds a month lost over the last 3 months sounds like excellent work to me though. Maybe you shouldn’t change anything at this point. Let me know how it goes.
Im unclear regarding the amount of Protein i should be taking. Im 245lbs (I was 273lbs 4 months ago). I suppose im stuck on the 1 gram of protein per 1lb of lean muscle mass. Im approx body fat of 36%. what weight of lean muscle mass would I be?
I exercise 6/7 x a week, 3/4 gym sessions and 3 swimming.
I want to lose weight and add muscle. Im currently having 1 40g protein shake per day adn would estimate that im eating in total approx 150g protein per day
Would you recommend the 200g protein amount as kelly above??
Need to make sure for those consuming more than 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight, to make sure you divide into smaller meals 5 to 6 times a day….at 3 to four hour meals.
Kelly:
It sounds to me like you need a combination of 2 things. 1) eat fewer calories and 2) burn more calories.
Start by multiplying your goal weight, lets say 200, by 14 = 2800 calories. That would be your maintenance caloric intake at 200 lbs. Let’s begin by subtracting 200 from that. Your dietary caloric intake is now 2600 calories a day. It would be OK to vary between 2600 and 2800 as long as you are losing at least 2 pounds a week on average. If you are still not losing weight, decrease that number more. Aim for 200-220 grams of protein a day, you shouldn’t need more than that.
Next, either add a weight training workout or add at least 1 INTENSE cardio workout. You should be exercising at least 4 times a week for at least 45 minutes per session, and you should be working HARD.
If you do these two things, you should be able to escape from your plateau. Let me know how it goes. Also check other articles on this site for more tips and info.
I am 29 years old and have been overweight my whole life. I am 5’6″ and weigh 275 lbs. Everytime I say that it makes me sad. 6 months ago I weighed 310 so I have made some progress. I have been sticking to the high protein diet but I’m not sure I’m getting enough. What would you recommend for me? I do work out 3 times a week but I have come to a standstill on my weight loss. I need help. I am getting married June 2009 and I don’t want to be this way for my wedding.
Taffy:
I don’t see how you could be fat at 104 and 17.8% bodyfat, but if you feel the need to lose weight in a HEALTHY WAY, far be it from me to discourage you. Thanks for the kind words.
Paul:
Listen, I am no wrestling coach but my take on it is this: if you stick with 125 lbs you best put on some serious strength so that you can dominate your weight class. Obviously you will have an easier time dominating at 119 lbs, and if this is what your coach wants maybe you should consider it. Suck it up and put forth the effort to come in at 119 lbs. If you find that it just doesn’t work for you, then you better bust your ass to get stronger so that you can better compete at 125 lbs.
I am a newcoming high school wrestler, whom weighs in on an average of 124.4 lbs every day, before physical activity.
If my coach wants me to go down to 119lbs, and I have a lean body and less than 10% fat, should I go for it or should I stick with 125lbs and hope to be Varsity?
I’m going to take your advice and have about 85 grams of protein a day (not hard for me, I eat a lot of meat). I’m female, 104 lbs and have 17.8% body fat. Might sound skinny to some, but I carry a lot of fat in my back and stomach area. 🙁 I’ve been trying to eat healthier (my biggest problem) and work out harder. I’m pretty active, so I’m beginning to realize my diet is probably the culprit. Thanks for all the time and work you put into writing the articles and maintaining this site. It really is going to help me in my quest to no longer be a skinny fat girl! 🙂
Better to take good food like soya beans whcih is very good for ehalth
David:
There’s really not a whole lot I can do about your height. Besides, if you are 24 yrs old you are probably as tall as you will ever be. Use this article to figure out how much protein to eat. As far as aminos, use a product called XTend by SciVation.
o, yeah i’m 24 I was told i got about one more year to try to get height. what amino, vitamins should i take?
I’m 5’9 at 175pounds. I want to add muscle but also get cut and try to grow about an inch in height does anyone have any suggestions on how much protein to intake and or what to do? Thanks
Maria:
I totally agree with you. There’s so much false nutrition advice out there. People continue to spread myths and supplement companies continue to make up myths. The best we can do is try to weed out the inaccurate data, and avoid the unqualified.
I feel that I am qualified to give nutritional advice because I used to be a sport nutritionist and I’ve been studying the industry for about 13 years now, learning as much as I can about controlling the body through nutrition. I could quote sources other than Wikipedia, but Wikipedia is eat to get to and often has all the information I need on a single page. Sorry if you’re offended by that.
Oh, my god! It’s SCARY to hear so many people give nutrition advice with no qualifications and from sources like magazine Wikipedia where Anyone can write anything they like!
And eggs do not eat cholesterol if you only eat the whites – i.e. from a carton etc..Seems common sense, but nobody that’s posting here seems to get that.
None of the studies indicated that eating soy foods increased breast cancer risk, but Trock says the jury is still very much out on soy supplements. – from the link I posted on WebMD. Wikipedia, although a shady reference, doesn’t say soy causes cancer either. High-dose soy supplements are questionable at this point. Also none of the studies say it causes cancer, but rather could possibly aid growth. So could 1000 other things. You sound like you’re working for the meat industry. Who do you know that has man-boobs and cancer because of eating some soy products. In moderation, I don’t believe it’s harmful. Eating fish too much can give you mercury poison too in some cases. Nothing is 100% safe, but don’t over generalize and make false accusations because you are pro-meat.
Naweed:
If you are male and lift weights seriously at least 3 times a week, then I would consider bumping up your protein intake to 130-140 grams a day. Give it some time and I think you will enjoy the difference.
i wieght 176 lbs and i eat 70 grams of protien a day…..
You are absolutely right – processing protein requires a lot from kidneys and liver. Thats why I’m baffled when I see people work out hard / eat appropriately but then go out binge drinking then and wonder why they aren’t seeing results…
If you can figure out how many cups of chicken that is, you can go here: click to get amount of protein in chicken in order to get macro-nutrient break downs for 1 cup of roasted chicken. The top level domain for the link I just gave is Fit Watch, then choose Calorie Counting >> Calorie Counter to get macro-nutrient breakdowns for many foods.
But the confusing thing for me…
How do I work out the amount of protein in meat and eggs
if I eat 100grams of chicken that’s not 100grams of protein… or is it :\
Depends on your goals. If you are trying to build muscle I would increase it to 100 grams a day. If you are trying to get or stay ‘toned’ I would keep it at 70 grams. What is your goal weight? If 115 lbs is good for you, I think you are eating enough protein.
i weigh 115 lbs and im 5ft 4 and i usually comsume about 70 grams of protein is that to much or can i eat more ….
Bryan:
Indeed you are correct. Apparently I can’t publish an article without at least 20 typos. Thanks for the help!
“The recommended amount of protein for a healthy adult is 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight. A kilogram is roughly equal to 2.2 pounds.”
I think you meant “0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight.”
The range is 0.8 – 1.8 g/kg bodyweight as far as I know.
Steve –
it is true that too much Soy (in any form is bad) However red meat stays in your body for couple of weeks YUCK!
And Chicken well you better raise them yourself because otherwise you are eating
chemical sponge
Eggs=cholesterol..
Organic is the way to go No Doubt but myself I prefer Quinoa,trail mix,tofu,veggie burger etc.
Kuba
Indeed I did. No one should be eating a pound of protein per pound of bodyweight. I made this mistake twice in the article (so much for proofreading), and have thus made corrections. Thanks for the help!
I think you meant to say:
“1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass ”
instead of
“1 lb of protein per lb of lean body mass “
Unfortunately, soy-based products are bad for several reasons. The phytoestrogens in soy are directly related to increased estrogen in men, and several forms of cancer, including breast cancer, in women. Soy is contraindicated for infants as well.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy
“Soybeans contain isoflavones called genistein and daidzein, which are one source of phytoestrogens in the human diet.”
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens
“Phytoestrogens sometimes called ‘dietary estrogens’ are a diverse group of naturally occurring non steroidal plant compounds that because of their structural similarity with estradiol (17?-estradiol), have the ability to cause estrogenic or/and antiestrogenic effects.”
So yeah, if you are the kind of guy that enjoys stunted growth, saggy man boobs, inhibited muscle growth and fat loss, and various forms of cancer, then by all means EAT UP!
The correct way to ingest protein is to embrace organic lean meat sources such as turkey, chicken, and fish. Eggs are OK, but most high-fat beef and pork products should be limited. Eat meat + vigorous training = muscle growth.
You do not have to eat meat products to gain enough protein for your body. You always can get enough of protein from lentils, beans and soya based products. This way is much better as you will never build up saturated fat in your body and invite heart problems.