I'm trying to build muscle but I'm just losing weight.

What's going on?

I've been lifting at my limit for a couple months now, trying to build bulk. I'm eating a lot of protein, a little carb just before a workout and. I've upped my caloric intake.

But shit if I'm not losing weight! I'm getting more cut (which is nice, but not what I want) but I'm not really bulking up.

Is this just a case of I need to increase my caloric intake even more? Is there an easier way? I don't really want to do Creatine, but I will I guess. I just want some more muscle mass.

Anybody have experience?

Is this a new thing? A humblebrag shtick?

No I'm serious. I got a great deal a few months back on a sweet weight set so I've been trying to bulk up.

Is that bragging?

I sculpted my pecs all summer and by spring I should be ready to display them. Was wondering if any of you fellas had some pointers on removing chest hair? Wax it or shave it is the question.

Some peoples' bodies just aren't made for carrying a lot of muscle. No matter what they do and how hard they work, they will still always be little wussies.

tTito wrote:Some peoples' bodies just aren't made for carrying a lot of muscle. No matter what they do and how hard they work, they will still always be little wussies.

See that's the thing. I have been able to build muscle in the past. In gact , my body readily used to add bulk. Its just not working right now. I think it might be because I'm old?

steveschneider wrote:I sculpted my pecs all summer and by spring I should be ready to display them. Was wondering if any of you fellas had some pointers on removing chest hair? Wax it or shave it is the question.

Keep the hair brah. Unless you're Italian or of middle eastern descent. In that case shave because you might rip your skin off with it if you wax.

Rocinante wrote:


Keep the hair brah. Unless you're Italian or of middle eastern descent. In that case shave because you might rip your skin off with it if you wax.

My dad is Greek and shaves his chest. It's a bad ****ing look.

Keep the hair no matter what.

Rocinante wrote:What's going on?

I've been lifting at my limit for a couple months now, trying to build bulk. I'm eating a lot of protein, a little carb just before a workout and. I've upped my caloric intake.

But shit if I'm not losing weight! I'm getting more cut (which is nice, but not what I want) but I'm not really bulking up.

Is this just a case of I need to increase my caloric intake even more? Is there an easier way? I don't really want to do Creatine, but I will I guess. I just want some more muscle mass.

Anybody have experience?

40 yo.

you're getting old.

So is it impossible to build muscle at 40?

How often are you working out each muscle group and are you allowing sufficient rest between workouts on the same group? You can't go by what you did when you were young, you need to experiment with frequency because it's likely that you need more recovery time than you used to.

Code_Warrior wrote:How often are you working out each muscle group and are you allowing sufficient rest between workouts on the same group? You can't go by what you did when you were young, you need to experiment with frequency because it's likely that you need more recovery time than you used to.

Pretty much every other day I rotate Chest arms to back and shoulders. Legs I do sporadically because 1). I ride a bike a lot so my legs are alright, and 2). lifting with my legs legitimately makes me puke.

Up your calories. Also you can't build muscle and not gain fat. They go hand in hand, bra. If bulk is what you want, then don't worry about fat. After the muscle is built them you can do a cut to use since fat, but you will also lose some muscle.

Steroids are the only way to build muscle only.

Stop doing 30 reps per set. Do 3 to 5 heavy instead

LoneWolfSparty wrote:Up your calories. Also you can't build muscle and not gain fat. They go hand in hand, bra. If bulk is what you want, then don't worry about fat. After the muscle is built them you can do a cut to use since fat, but you will also lose some muscle.

Steroids are the only way to build muscle only.

Can't I operate near my needs? I mean, obviously I need to up my calories, but do I have to be consuming more than I need? I'll experiment.

Blanch32 wrote:Stop doing 30 reps per set. Do 3 to 5 heavy instead

I'm not. I'm doing heavy sets.

Then you weak. Even I can bench the bar more than 5 times

Rocinante wrote:What's going on?

I've been lifting at my limit for a couple months now, trying to build bulk. I'm eating a lot of protein, a little carb just before a workout and. I've upped my caloric intake.

But shit if I'm not losing weight! I'm getting more cut (which is nice, but not what I want) but I'm not really bulking up.

Is this just a case of I need to increase my caloric intake even more? Is there an easier way? I don't really want to do Creatine, but I will I guess. I just want some more muscle mass.

Anybody have experience?

You're not eating enough. Seriously it is that simple. If you want to lose weight, calories in < calories burned. If you want to gain weight (including building muscle), calories in > calories out. It is not rocket magic.

That said, a couple of things are probably happening. First you are obviously burning calories lifting that you weren't before. This has probably also stoked your metabolism. Also, the more muscle you build the more calories it takes to fuel.

Increase your calorie intake. Including carbs. If your goal is to gain weight/muscle, don't cut your carbs. You should eat some protien and carbs before (so they are in your system immediately after your workout) and after your workout. There are studies that a carb + protein after a workout is better than protein by itself. Google it, there are some articles out there. I'm just too lazy to look them up and regurgitate the science of it. Also, if you aren't eating carbs, your body is just going to vulture your protein for energy (again, see the simple equation above).

Now you can monitor your calorie intake and build muscle slowly while staying lean. But if you really want o maximize muscle growth, you need to overeat. Which means you will add some fat. After a few months you can switch to a fat burn routine. Right now your body is burning your excess fat to keep up, which means you are not maximizing your muscle gains.

Creatine is not going to build muscle mass. The biggest thing I've noticed about Creatine is it does help with muscle recovery. Quicker recovery = more lifts per week. Some say it makes them stronger and some people it has no effect. I'm 40 and it takes me wayyyy longer to recover from a lift than when I was 20 or 30. I've done the Creatine cycle a couple of times when doing a strength routine and it definitely helped speed up the process. The initial weight gain you will see is water weight. Creatine helps your muscles absorb and retain water. The muscle gains will come from lifting more, not Creatine. You can also try Beta-Alanine (google and research it), but it didn't seem to help me at all so I don't take it.

Other than food and Creatine, what kind of routines are you doing? Free weights? Sets and Reps?

I'm almost 39 and have been lifting heavy for 10 years. I've really noticed the last two years how much more recovery I need between workouts. I have always found the 6-10 rep range to work the best for me for adding muscle as long as every set is to failure or one rep from it. I do upper/lower body split, so I only lift 3-4 days a week. The biggest thing is to focus on compound movements and leave the bicep curls for finishing off your workout.

Monday/Friday: Monday 3 sets each, Friday 4 sets each: Bench/Lat Pull Down, Incline Bench/Seated Rows, Shoulder Press/Upright Rows, Then do a circuit of 4 sets of Shoulder Shrugs/Tricep Extensions/Bicep Curls/Lateral Shoulder Raises. It takes me between an hour and an hour 15 minutes.

Wednesday/Saturday Legs (I miss a lot of Saturdays) 12 sets of squats on the Smith Machine. I start light (12-15 reps) and add 10 lbs on each side after each set until I hit a 3 rep max, then I take 10 lbs off each side until I reach 12 total sets. I do a set of standing calf raises between each set of squats. I might throw in some extra exercises if I feel like. I finish off with single leg calf raises on the stairs where I do a set on each leg on each stair until I reach the bottom.

Other than food and Creatine, what kind of routines are you doing? Free weights? Sets and Reps?

Thanks!  I'm doing free weights.  My routine kind of follows this recommendation from muscle and fitness:

Muscle and Fitness

...Obviously I'm not expecting to put on that much bulk that fast, but I liked the variation in the routine.  I'm hanging around on the weeks one and two schedule.  although I'm not deadlifting or doing hanging anything.  I'm going for max number of reps I can do with the heaviest weight I can do the exercise successfully with.  No less than 6 reps.

Sounds like AIDS.

Izzo Court wrote:I'm almost 39 and have been lifting heavy for 10 years. I've really noticed the last two years how much more recovery I need between workouts. I have always found the 6-10 rep range to work the best for me for adding muscle as long as every set is to failure or one rep from it. I do upper/lower body split, so I only lift 3-4 days a week. The biggest thing is to focus on compound movements and leave the bicep curls for finishing off your workout.

Good stuff. I agree with all of it. See my post above on Creatine/recovery and try it. It was taking me 5+ days to fully recover from a heavy bench workout. On a Creatine cycle it was back down to 3-4.

Remember, you build muscle in the bed (rest) and at the table (intake). Lifting only tears the fibers, rest and intake rebuild them bigger.

Nordic wrote:

Good stuff. I agree with all of it. See my post above on Creatine/recovery and try it. It was taking me 5+ days to fully recover from a heavy bench workout. On a Creatine cycle it was back down to 3-4.

Creatine and whey protein are the only supplements I have found that actually are worth paying for. Creatine really reduces my recovery time, reduces fatigue during my workouts, and increases my lifts about 10 pounds. The problem I have is that it gives me GI issues so I rarely use it.

Here's a simple full proof solution I've learned: drink mo beer. Weight loss not problem on this ens

Why no creatine?

Not that it will solve your problems, just wondering

Blanch32 wrote:Here's a simple full proof solution I've learned: drink mo beer. Weight loss not problem on this ens

Terrible advice. To process the protein you take in you need to drink a gallon of water. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means even more water intake is necessary.

Most people will tell you drinking calories is a bad idea.

LoneWolfSparty wrote:

Terrible advice. To process the protein you take in you need to drink a gallon of water. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means even more water intake is necessary.

Most people will tell you drinking calories is a bad idea.

Look. He wants to gain wt and I provided a solution. Sorry teatoter

Blanch32 wrote:

Look. He wants to gain wt and I provided a solution. Sorry teatoter

Has nothing to do with my feelings an drinking and everything to do with it being bad for his goals.

LoneWolfSparty wrote:

Terrible advice. To process the protein you take in you need to drink a gallon of water. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means even more water intake is necessary.

Most people will tell you drinking calories is a bad idea.

Hockey players once drank beer on the bench between line changes because it has the perfect balance of carbohydrates to protein and is actually a good post workout drink. It actually hydrates better than water until you reach the diuretic effect caused from the alcohol. So a beer or two is a good recovery drink, 8 beers not so much.

www.examine.com/supplements/creatine

It's good for you

Rocinante wrote:



I'm not. I'm doing heavy sets.

Are you trying to build muscle or strength?

LoneWolfSparty wrote:Remember, you build muscle in the bed (rest) and at the table (intake). Lifting only tears the fibers, rest and intake rebuild them bigger.

Rest is important, but working out consistently is by far the most important aspect. Your nutrition can suck, you can have trouble sleeping at night, but if you're consistent with your workouts you will make good gains. An efficient workout done consistently is 85% of the gains. Nutrition and sleep is the other 15%. This only refers to normal people trying to get bigger and stronger, not those that are bodybuilding or doing anything on a professional level.

Rocky style. 4-5 raw eggs (of the best quality available) every morning. Put them in either a green or fruit smoothie if you can't stomach them on their own

Rocinante wrote:What's going on?

I've been lifting at my limit for a couple months now, trying to build bulk.  I'm eating a lot of protein, a little carb just before a workout and.  I've upped my caloric intake.

But shit if I'm not losing weight!  I'm getting more cut (which is nice, but not what I want) but I'm not really bulking up.

Is this just a case of I need to increase my caloric intake even more?  Is there an easier way?  I don't really want to do Creatine, but I will I guess.  I just want some more muscle mass.  

Anybody have experience?

I don't know what others said, but if you  losing weight and having trouble putting on muscle
you are fortunate actually. Adding protein or fat will likely have no benefit.  Add complex carbs if needed and load carbs prior to workouts for energy, and eat protein immediately after Lifting.
Its essential in that order. Carbs prior and Protein afterwards.

1) You need to make a base. 2 months would be the minimum to build the base- So keep lifting regular sets 3x10 ( to exhaustion) for each muscle group ( Back/bi's, Chest Tries, Legs- abs every day) at least 1 month mores. Do no more than 10 minutes of cardio per day and if you are prone to being thin- none. ( especially if you can do "supersets" once your muscles and bones are sufficiently conditioned. Then your lifting program will give you all of the cardio you need )

2) Once your muscles, bones, tendons and joints have adjusted to weight lifting- you can cut the reps and do fewer reps at higher weights. Not max, but 3 sets, 5 reps at 80% max. Then you can do 1 set at 90% max ( 1-2 reps with a spotter) and perhaps a burn-out/fail/negative reps where the spotter must literally do the lift for you.

3) When you can consistently get into the 80% max routine- you should lift each muscle group 1 day per week. Always working to exhaustion. Always eating protein afterward- quality protein as in beef or other high quality protein such as quality protein shakes. At 40, once you are conditioned,  you will not benefit from training each muscle group more than 1 time per week.

4) The key is that you must OVERLOAD your muscles and your body in general in order to create a response to the stress. Your body building muscle, blood and bone is the response to the stress. Then it will stay where it is at unless you stress it some more. That's when you add reps, change lifting order or weights. Again your body will respond to the stress in order to handle the workload.

Bottom line: Stress. Nothing happens without stressing the muscles to exhaustion.  But build the base. Be patient. At 40 years old it may take you 6 months to build the base to handle the heavy lifting of the workouts that will really build the muscle that shows. But it will indeed happen.

Code_Warrior wrote:How often are you working out each muscle group and are you allowing sufficient rest between workouts on the same group? You can't go by what you did when you were young, you need to experiment with frequency because it's likely that you need more recovery time than you used to.

Oh hell no! I'm 63 and still building. Blanch is right. Do lesser reps per set, more sets and increased weight. Also, if you're eating a lot of protein you'll lose any body fat. You want to gain weight with muscle.

I had no idea we had so many lifters on tSwill. Do we need a body building forum? Should we get some mirrors and shit so we can flex?

Nordic wrote:I had no idea we had so many lifters on tSwill. Do we need a body building forum? Should we get some mirrors and shit so we can flex?

I took a "before" pic a couple months ago. I'll post if the "after" is anything awesome to look at.

Rocinante wrote:

I took a "before" pic a couple months ago.  I'll post if the "after" is anything awesome to look at.

Maybe that will make the horse in the window excited.

InTenSity wrote:
Maybe that will make the horse in the window excited.

He never gets excited. He is the picture of serenity.

Jethro Bodeen wrote:

I don't know what others said, but if you  losing weight and having trouble putting on muscle
you are fortunate actually. Adding protein or fat will likely have no benefit.  Add complex carbs if needed and load carbs prior to workouts for energy, and eat protein immediately after Lifting.
Its essential in that order. Carbs prior and Protein afterwards.

1) You need to make a base. 2 months would be the minimum to build the base- So keep lifting regular sets 3x10 ( to exhaustion) for each muscle group ( Back/bi's, Chest Tries, Legs- abs every day) at least 1 month mores. Do no more than 10 minutes of cardio per day and if you are prone to being thin- none. ( especially if you can do "supersets" once your muscles and bones are sufficiently conditioned. Then your lifting program will give you all of the cardio you need )

2) Once your muscles, bones, tendons and joints have adjusted to weight lifting- you can cut the reps and do fewer reps at higher weights. Not max, but 3 sets, 5 reps at 80% max. Then you can do 1 set at 90% max ( 1-2 reps with a spotter) and perhaps a burn-out/fail/negative reps where the spotter must literally do the lift for you.

3) When you can consistently get into the 80% max routine- you should lift each muscle group 1 day per week. Always working to exhaustion. Always eating protein afterward- quality protein as in beef or other high quality protein such as quality protein shakes. At 40, once you are conditioned,  you will not benefit from training each muscle group more than 1 time per week.

4) The key is that you must OVERLOAD your muscles and your body in general in order to create a response to the stress. Your body building muscle, blood and bone is the response to the stress. Then it will stay where it is at unless you stress it some more. That's when you add reps, change lifting order or weights. Again your body will respond to the stress in order to handle the workload.

Bottom line: Stress. Nothing happens without stressing the muscles to exhaustion.  But build the base. Be patient. At 40 years old it may take you 6 months to build the base to handle the heavy lifting of the workouts that will really build the muscle that shows. But it will indeed happen.

All muscle groups every day to build a base, then hit each muscle group once per week? Where are you getting this from? Not being critical, but I have never heard this strategy before.