Critique my diet and workout plan (bulking)

[darkdiablo]

Diet:

Will try to wake up every morning at 7 am (might not be doable on some days where I need to study for exams late into the night). Eat meal one, head to school gym (have to go early, else gym will be packed later).

(7 am) Meal 1 - 4 eggs fried in olive oil + 1 cup oatmeal + 1 Orange + 1 banana
(10 am) Meal 2 - 2 slices whole grain bread (toasted) w/ 4-6 oz sliced low-sodium ham w/ tomatoes made into a sandwich + 1 cup of whole milk (1x lactaid pills)
(12 pm) Meal 3 - Protein Shake (approx 40g protein) with 1 cup of whole milk (1x lactaid pill) + 1 handful raspberries + handful of mixed nuts
(3 pm) Meal 4 - 1 large chicken breast (fried in olive oil) + 1 cup brown rice + 1/2 cup mixed nuts + 1/3 pound of celery sticks
(6 pm) Meal 5 - 3 hard boiled eggs dipped in soy sauce + whole grain crackers (with dip) + 1/5 pound Kim chi (Korean pickled cabbage)
(9 pm) Meal 6 - 2 cups of whole milk (2x lactaid pills) + whey protein + 1/2 handful mixed nuts

(10 pm) Will try to head to bed around this time, again, might not be possible.

1/2 - 3/4 gal of water /day (depending on how much milk I drink.)

Comes up to be about 3000 - 3500 calories. Will try to drink as much milk as possible in the hours leading up to bed, to pack in more calories. Every Friday for dinner (meals 5 - 6) will be my cheat day. Will go out and eat some Chinese food . Will prepare most food on weekends and store in fridge. Bring to school, for meals not able to eat at home.

Supplements:

1. Multivitamin (Opti-men) - Taken with breakfast and with meal 5
2. Vitamin C (HEB brand 500 mg vita C) - take 4000 mg per day (2x tablets every 3-4 hours)
3. Vitamin D (HEB brand Vita D) - take one 5,000 mg capsule per day with breakfast
4. 2 g of fish oil per day, spread over 6 meals.


Workout plan

A

3x5 Squat
3x5 Barbell bench press
1x5 deadlift
3xfailure pull ups

B

3x5 Squat
3x5 overhead press
3xfailure inverted rows

Alternating between A and B, with ~ 48 hour rest in between. Monday, Wed, Friday.

Increasing weight by 5 pounds per workout for squat and bench. Increasing weight by 10 pounds per dead lift day. (Will try to) increase weight by 5 pounds every week for overhead press (if I can't make 5 pounds per week on this lift, will stay at same weight for another week).

Edit: If I'm not able to eat that much food in one day. I might consider buying supplements that boosts metabolism (black hole).

 

[KoolDrew]

How much do you currently weigh? What is the macronutrient breakdown of your diet? To determine whether or not it's enough calories for you, you'll just have to track for a week or two and see if your weight changes. If it's going up 0.5-1lb a week, then you're good. If not, you know whether or not to adjust it. Just remember to get enough protein (1g per lb of bw) and as long as you're eating enough total calories, the rest isn't going to matter that much. I'd add fish oil and creatine to your supplements. I also question why you feel the need to take Vitamin C.

Workout routine looks fine. If you start becoming pretty strong at pullups and inverted row, I'd suggest switching them out for weighted chins/barbell rows though.

Edit: If I'm not able to eat that much food in one day. I might consider buying supplements that boosts metabolism (black hole).

Huh?

 

[darkdiablo]

How much do you currently weigh? What is the macronutrient breakdown of your diet? To determine whether or not it's enough calories for you, you'll just have to track for a week or two and see if your weight changes. If it's going up 0.5-1lb a week, then you're good. If not, you know whether or not to adjust it. Just remember to get enough protein (1g per lb of bw) and as long as you're eating enough total calories, the rest isn't going to matter that much. I'd add fish oil and creatine to your supplements. I also question why you feel the need to take Vitamin C.

Workout routine looks fine. If you start becoming pretty strong at pullups and inverted row, I'd suggest switching them out for weighted chins/barbell rows though.


Huh?

I weigh ~ 150 pounds (5' 8''). The caloric breakdown is about 40% carb, 40% protein, 20% fat. ~ 300g protein, ~ 300g carbs, ~ 70g fat. Vitamin C is very helpful in recovery, as well as immune system. A medical student with a major in nutrition says vita C is best when taken at 4000 mg per day. As for fish oil, I think the olive oil would make up for it, wouldn't it? I do have fish oil, not sure if I need it.

As for black hole, here it is: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/black.html

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I weigh ~ 150 pounds (5' 8''). The caloric breakdown is about 40% carb, 40% protein, 20% fat. ~ 300g protein, ~ 300g carbs, ~ 70g fat. Vitamin C is very helpful in recovery, as well as immune system. A medical student with a major in nutrition says vita C is best when taken at 4000 mg per day. As for fish oil, I think the olive oil would make up for it, wouldn't it? I do have fish oil, not sure if I need it.

As for black hole, here it is: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/black.html

Vitamin C has very, very little research backing its beneficial effects on immune function and almost none on recovery. The med student you talked to doesn't exactly know what he's/she's talking about. On top of that, 20% intake from fat is very, very low and actually unsustainable in the long run. A much more moderate and maintainable skew is 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. It's still entirely healthy and promotes lean muscle mass. If anything, you should cut back a bit on the carbs, which will put your body in a better hormone balance for fat loss.

Fish oil's primary benefit is the omega-3 monounsaturated fatty acids (DHA and EPA). Olive oil's primary benefit is just monounsaturated fatty acids, which don't have the same effects as DHA and EPA. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease LDL (bad cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, improve cognitive function, reduce chronic inflammation, etc. Olive oil has shown to increase HDL. That's it. Get fish oil and take it. Don't get flax seed oil or any other plant oil supplements because they contain a different omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which isn't very readily converted into useful things in the human body.

 

[darkdiablo]

Vitamin C has very, very little research backing its beneficial effects on immune function and almost none on recovery. The med student you talked to doesn't exactly know what he's/she's talking about. On top of that, 20% intake from fat is very, very low and actually unsustainable in the long run. A much more moderate and maintainable skew is 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. It's still entirely healthy and promotes lean muscle mass. If anything, you should cut back a bit on the carbs, which will put your body in a better hormone balance for fat loss.

Fish oil's primary benefit is the omega-3 monounsaturated fatty acids (DHA and EPA). Olive oil's primary benefit is just monounsaturated fatty acids, which don't have the same effects as DHA and EPA. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease LDL (bad cholesterol), decrease triglycerides, improve cognitive function, reduce chronic inflammation, etc. Olive oil has shown to increase HDL. That's it. Get fish oil and take it. Don't get flax seed oil or any other plant oil supplements because they contain a different omega-3 fatty acid ALA, which isn't very readily converted into useful things in the human body.

He's actually been lifting for 14 years, very very strong for his body weight. As well as thousands of hours of research + personal training..etc

Why is 20% fat not sustainable?

I will definitely add fish oil to my diet.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

He's actually been lifting for 14 years, very very strong for his body weight. As well as thousands of hours of research + personal training..etc

Why is 20% fat not sustainable?

I will definitely add fish oil to my diet.

Lifting and personal performance do not indicate individual's knowledge of reliable research. Vitamin C has been the subject of great attention for something like the past 20 years and no consistent research has shown benefits to immune function nor recovery. On top of that, high doses of vitamin C have been indicated in significantly increased rates of certain cancers (which may seem counterintuitive, but have been reproduced in research). Again, your friend does not read the research it seems.

In long-term studies trying to promote very, very low-fat diets, subjects are unable to maintain compliance with a 20% or lower fat intake. The body begins to crave fat as an energy source and the intake will increase to around 25% at the very least. Higher intake of healthy fats is actually more beneficial, especially if you're trying to gain weight since research shows that more fat in the diet (whether animal or plant) increases synthesis of testosterone. People just tend to naturally stay above 20% of calories. It's silly to contemplate that especially since fat is the primary fuel (provides ~70% of energy) for resting skeletal muscle. It's not a moderate diet at all and will likely not promote strength gains, recovery, or muscle gains.

 

[darkdiablo]

Lifting and personal performance do not indicate individual's knowledge of reliable research. Vitamin C has been the subject of great attention for something like the past 20 years and no consistent research has shown benefits to immune function nor recovery. On top of that, high doses of vitamin C have been indicated in significantly increased rates of certain cancers (which may seem counterintuitive, but have been reproduced in research). Again, your friend does not read the research it seems.

In long-term studies trying to promote very, very low-fat diets, subjects are unable to maintain compliance with a 20% or lower fat intake. The body begins to crave fat as an energy source and the intake will increase to around 25% at the very least. Higher intake of healthy fats is actually more beneficial, especially if you're trying to gain weight since research shows that more fat in the diet (whether animal or plant) increases synthesis of testosterone. People just tend to naturally stay above 20% of calories. It's silly to even contemplate that. It's not a moderate diet at all and will likely not promote strength gains, recovery, or muscle gains.

8 capsules of fish oil/day should up more fat intake then. I actually add whole milk to the diet, so I guess that can also up the fat intake

Also, could you link me to these research you're quoting?

 

[KoolDrew]

What makes you think you need 2x your bw in protein? 200g would be about the max I'd go with and you don't even need that much when in a surplus.

If anything, you should cut back a bit on the carbs, which will put your body in a better hormone balance for fat loss.

His goal isn't fat loss.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

8 capsules of fish oil/day should up more fat intake then. I actually add whole milk to the diet, so I guess that can also up the fat intake

Also, could you link me to these research you're quoting?

Eight capsules of fish oil is overkill to say the least. On top of that, there are better sources of fat than whole milk. I'm not saying that it's not an effective tool with weight gain, but it's not optimal for actual health.

Which research would you like? I'll actually have to find the articles again so specify a bit. I'm not going to post every research article I'm basing my statements on Too much dang work.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

What makes you think you need 2x your bw in protein? 200g would be about the max I'd go with and you don't even need that much when in a surplus.



His goal isn't fat loss.

Yeah, realized that mid-post, but forgot that part.

Also, agreed with the statement about protein. 1-1.5g per pound of LEAN BODY MASS (not entire body mass) is more than enough.

 

[darkdiablo]

Eight capsules of fish oil is overkill to say the least. On top of that, there are better sources of fat than whole milk. I'm not saying that it's not an effective tool with weight gain, but it's not optimal for actual health.

Which research would you like? I'll actually have to find the articles again so specify a bit. I'm not going to post every research article I'm basing my statements on Too much dang work.

I will most likely take 1 capsule with every meal. So 6 total in one day. Nuts (which is in my diet) is also another source of fat. So total I got nuts + olive oil + whole milk + fish oil. Not sure what else can I add.

Could you at least link me to the article where it says 4000 mg (some number similar) might lead to cancer?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I will most likely take 1 capsule with every meal. So 6 total in one day. Nuts (which is in my diet) is also another source of fat. So total I got nuts + olive oil + whole milk + fish oil. Not sure what else can I add.

Could you at least link me to the article where it says 4000 mg (some number similar) might lead to cancer?

Well, the problem with that much fish oil is that it can inhibit inflammation to such a degree that proper inflammation is knocked out. Acute inflammation that occurs with injury (both detrimental and planned via working out) allows the body to heal and recover. High levels of inflammation are typically not good, but some inflammation is necessary for proper adaptation. At 150lbs, you need about 2000mg of EPA/DHA per day for proper health benefits that don't actually inhibit inflammation to a suboptimal degree.

And I'll find the research tomorrow on superdoses of vitamin C.

 

[KoolDrew]

1-1.5g per pound of LEAN BODY MASS (not entire body mass) is more than enough.

I agree. However, for somebody that is already pretty lean and a low bodyfat, the difference between LBM and total bodyweight isn't going to be huge. I'm assuming if he's bulking his bodyfat is at least under 12%, perhaps even lower. At 10%, the difference between LBM and total weight would be 15lbs. Also, because getting an accurate bodyfat % is always a pain, it's hard to truly know LBM anyway. I'd also rather have the individual have a little too much protein than too little. For these reasons, I tend to stick with bw for individuals looking to gain weight. But even 1-1.3xbw is fine for bulking (in this case, around 150-200g). I usually use higher values (1.4-1.5xbw) for lean individuals looking to cut though. Even then that'd be 225g max for him.

Overweight people are a different story. Telling a 300lb guy at ~30% bodyfat to eat 300+g of protein would be absurd, and in this case I'd either give an estimate for LBM (which is even harder for overweight clients) or just use a reasonable target bodyweight to set protein.

Well, the problem with that much fish oil is that it can inhibit inflammation to such a degree that proper inflammation is knocked out. Acute inflammation that occurs with injury (both detrimental and planned via working out) allows the body to heal and recover. High levels of inflammation are typically not good, but some inflammation is necessary for proper adaptation. At 150lbs, you need about 2000mg of EPA/DHA per day for proper health benefits that don't actually inhibit inflammation to a suboptimal degree.

Are you saying 6x1 gram capsules are too much? Because the standard cap is 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA. So 6 capsules is 1.8g total, which is a pretty standard dose.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I agree. However, for somebody that is already pretty lean and a low bodyfat, the difference between LBM and total bodyweight isn't going to be huge. I'm assuming if he's bulking his bodyfat is at least under 12%, perhaps even lower. At 10%, the difference between LBM and total weight would be 15lbs. Also, because getting an accurate bodyfat % is always a pain, it's hard to truly know LBM anyway. I'd also rather have the individual have a little too much protein than too little. For these reasons, I tend to stick with bw for individuals looking to gain weight. But even 1-1.3xbw is fine for bulking (in this case, around 150-200g). I usually use higher values (1.4-1.5xbw) for lean individuals looking to cut though. Even then that'd be 225g max for him.

Overweight people are a different story. Telling a 300lb guy at ~30% bodyfat to eat 300+g of protein would be absurd, and in this case I'd either give an estimate for LBM (which is even harder for overweight clients) or just use a reasonable target bodyweight to set protein.

Are you saying 6x1 gram capsules are too much? Because the standard cap is 180mg EPA and 120mg DHA. So 6 capsules is 1.8g total, which is a pretty standard dose.

Typically, LBM can be guesstimated. Let's say he's 15% body fat, which is pretty average. That means he only has to get around 125-190g of protein instead of 150-225g of protein. Sure, it's not that big of a difference, but that's the difference between forcing yourself to eat a chicken breast or not. It may be minor, but I'm just trying to optimize comfort since I know bulking typically isn't the easiest thing to do, especially once you're full.

My fish oil capsules contain 900mg of actual DHA/EPA. With those, that would be 5.4g, which would be way, way too much. I forgot that capsules typically come containing 300mg of DHA/EPA.

 

[KoolDrew]

Typically, LBM can be guesstimated. Let's say he's 15% body fat, which is pretty average. That means he only has to get around 125-190g of protein instead of 150-225g of protein. Sure, it's not that big of a difference, but that's the difference between forcing yourself to eat a chicken breast or not. It may be minor, but I'm just trying to optimize comfort since I know bulking typically isn't the easiest thing to do, especially once you're full.

I'm definitely not disagreeing with you. Just mainly pointing out that, like you said, in cases of lean individuals the difference isn't going to be huge enough to really worry about.

My fish oil capsules contain 900mg of actual DHA/EPA. With those, that would be 5.4g, which would be way, way too much. I forgot that capsules typically come containing 300mg of DHA/EPA.

That's what I figured, and yes... just a little too much.

 

[darkdiablo]

What do yall think about the black hole supplement? I will attempt to eat that much, but if it doesn't work, I may just have try out the supplement to increase my appetite. So I guess the regular dose for fish oil is ~ 2 g. I'll just split that over the course of 6 meals. I added fish oil as my additional supplement to the first post.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

What do yall think about the black hole supplement? I will attempt to eat that much, but if it doesn't work, I may just have try out the supplement to increase my appetite. So I guess the regular dose for fish oil is ~ 2 g. I'll just split that over the course of 6 meals. I added fish oil as my additional supplement to the first post.

Save your money and just drink a lot of your calories via milk. The gallon of milk per day is popular amongst those trying to gain strength and muscle rapidly. You don't have to go to those extremes, but half a gallon of milk per day on top of your other food intake is much easier than eating all your calories.

The Black Hole supp just contains non-psychoactive cannibanoids that stimulate hunger. If you're not full though, you can continue to eat without the supplement. That's where milk comes in. Liquid calories (juice, milk, protein shakes) have shown to have little impact on satiation and perception of hunger, which is why people who drink lots of soda tend to become obese (soda calories + normal calories = caloric excess). Try the milk thing - it works every time if you're consistent.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Found the research Vit C - my university doesn't have access to it directly so I've had to request an interlibrary loan. Should come around in a few days.