23 y.o. female with questions about chasing them gains!

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gr8fishingmadness

New member
Hi VeganFitness! I'm a 23 y.o. female looking to gain weight/build muscle mass. I think I've got my diet down- I know I've got to carb up/get my vitamins in! But does anyone have a streamlined lifting routine that they could recommend for me? I have about an hour that I can workout on my lunch and then on some days I might be doing longer workouts after.
  • I do have degenerative arthritis in my spine, but I practice mma and I'm good to lift! - so if anyone has any advice for lifting/putting on weight with back issues I welcome that as well.
Thanks!

Full Disclosure: I'm looking to gain about 20 pounds in ~3-4 months.

EDIT NOT 20 POUNDS OF PURE MUSCLE. 20 POUNDS IN GENERAL, BUT ALSO STILL BUILD MUSCLE.
 
@gr8fishingmadness Stronglifts 5x5 is pretty much the "go to" program for the first few years of general weight training. Plenty of info and guidance available at that link.

Agree with others that 20# of muscle is not possible in 3-4 months (without use of PEDs). 20# in two years is a more realistic goal.

gl hf
 
@gr8fishingmadness ehh..most people in the fitness world aren't looking to add pounds through fat gains, really doesn't require any effort (eat eat eat). I suppose you could go for some 450cc upgrades and add two pounds that way...?
 
@brielle I weigh 93 pounds and I am 5' 5", I'm looking to gain healthy weight in general. I will be lifting, but am also just looking to up my number on the scale per my doctor's request.
 
@gr8fishingmadness Maybe a bit late the post, but....
There are a lot of good lifting routines out there for beginners. Some of the most widely recommended on reddit are Stronglifts 5x5 and Starting Strength. I started Stronglifts with no strength training background, and it did help get some of my lifts up quickly. One of the main reasons stronglifts is so popular is because the protocol is simple and easy to follow. However I think it has its drawbacks.

First, are you interested in training centered more around powerlifting (focus on squat, bench press, and deadlift), bodybuilding/physique, general strength, or something different? There is a lot of overlap between these areas, but the differences are significant. For example, while stronglifts might be good for linearly advancing compound barbell movements (squat, bench press, overhead press, barbell row, deadlift) and developing some initial general strength, it wouldn't be considered optimal for someone who focuses more on improving their physical appearance (due to a lack of specific movements beyond the compound lifts).

That said, if you are a beginner you will see progress in whatever program you choose. The Greyskull LP (http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/greyskull-lp/), is another great beginner program that is arguably more sustainable and flexible than SL5x5 or Starting Strength (the link is to a powerlifting website, and the article talks about the program in terms of powerlifting.) Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 (https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout) is a program that has compound lifts and more specific isolation exercises, making it a good beginner bodybuilding/physique program. This is a great Push, Pull, Lift program (
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for
), which breaks your workout days into those focusing on pushing movements, pulling movements, and lower body movements (as you might imagine) and has a simple progression protocol.

Feel free to ask if you have questions.
 
@gr8fishingmadness 20lbs that quick? That's pretty quick, try and bulk as leanly as possible, takes away the effort of fat loss after the bulk, personally I'd just use iifym.com and choose to bulk at 5-10%, if you're putting on more than 2lb a week, cut back by 100cals and reasses two weeks later, after you've figured if you're putting on or losing weight. :)
 
@gr8fishingmadness Well, you won't (not considering fat gains, though). You need a good amount of every macro and a surplus of calories above your TDEE so don't simply bank on increasing carbs (this seems to be a trend in the vegan community for some reason). Use IIFYM as someone else said. And as far as a lifting program goes, I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5 but I don't know if doing squats, deadlifts and pendlay rows is healthy for someone with your condition. Maybe having a doctor look at you before starting lifting would be a good idea.
 
@gr8fishingmadness Good, so then you should try out Stronglifts, as other people here have also recommended. Although it isn't a hypertrophy-specific program, it will most definitely make you stronger, get you used to lifting and using a barbell, and provided you are eating at a surplus whilst ensuring adequate protein and carbs, help you build mass. Learn the ins and outs of the program, and use /r/stronglifts5x5 to get advice on form and other doubts you may have. Good luck.
 
@gr8fishingmadness It's okay, I was the same when I got into bodybuilding/powerlifting/making gainz, did it too quick, you do it too quick and you put on far too much fat! It sucks, but then again, iv been training a while so perhaps 1lb a week for a begginer is good! :D
 
@gr8fishingmadness I would figure out your TDEE, then aim for about 500 calories a day above this. That should see you gain around 1lb a week. Remember that if you do work out twice a day, or for long sessions, you're going to be burning lots of calories which you'll have to eat back.

I've just begun Stronglifts 5x5 so don't have much feedback on it yet, but it is a tried and tested beginners program so I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try. Check out /r/xxfitness too, I see a lot of posts from other vegan girls, and they have great information about bulking that can easily be adapted to a vegan diet.
 
@gr8fishingmadness Women can put on about 1lb per month of muscle max, so I would bulk a bit slower if I were you. If you really want something efficient look into the VeganFitness youtube channel. I started doing their high intensity training and it only takes 10 minutes.
 
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