Get yourself upto a solid 2500cals a day and a consistent 0.7g to 1g of protein per pound of body weight and you’ll start seeing strength and muscle gains in a matter of months.
@lucaannibale There are controlled studies observing people in their 70's gaining muscle mass after periods of resistance training.
If you've done the same thing for one and a half years, it is a good time to do something different, though. Like changing sets, rep-ranges, movements etc.
@lucaannibale WhT are your macros? 20% bf at your height and weight is insane for the effort your putting in. Are you getting 180+ grams of protein a day? What’s your intensity like? I think in general your calories are way too low. You and I are the same height and almost the same weight and I’m at about 11% bf. I workout in my basement. People assume I’m 200lbs but I’m like 182 in the mornings. I think your calories are way too low and your protein intake is probably low. Also yes everyone should take creatine. Plain old wal mart brand creatine.
@lucaannibale You need to eat more, your body needs resources to build muscle, and that calorie range is on the low side. Protein is essential. Aim for around 150 to 180 grams per day. Make sure you are sleeping enough. Lastly, you have to apply the concept of progressive overload in your training. If you want to grow, your training must provide you with enough stimulus to force your muscles to grow.
@lucaannibale Are you getting stronger? How do you feel energy wise? How is your sleep? Do you feel like you need a lot of caffeine? How’s your sex drive?
@lucaannibale You definitely should be eating more, adding creatine, more protein than however much you’re currently eating (1.2-1.4G per LB of weight) and at least 500 extra calories a day if you intend to keep training this much, though I’d reduce the amount of days you train for given your age.
@lucaannibale Aim for 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Hitting that target will keep you in protein synthesis and allow your body to turn on muscle building processes. Given how much you workout this should through time make a significant difference to your physique.
@lucaannibale The diet is dogshit if you want gains. 2K calories is nowhere near enough for a reasonably active lifestyle at your height, especially if you want gains. Idk exactly how much you should be eating but I would guess you need around 3k a day if you're very active. I'd look it up yourself though. It's not just caloric intake, you also want to make sure you're getting the right ratio of protein/carbs/fats so you can build muscle while still feeling energetic.
Other than that, I'd just say to manage your expectations, but you should absolutely be able to make gains if you're starting with a baseline diet of 2k calories a day.
@lucaannibale Im 55. Train 3 days a week. Been training my whole life. You're also coming up on the age where you start to lose muscle mass no matter how hard you train. Keep that in mind. I switched to lower weights, higher reps to keep tone and functionality. Creatine helps for sure! Just make sure your doc monitors your kidney functions with a non creatine based test.
@lwbf95 Thx! I checked with my family dr and rheumatologist and they both said I’m ok to take Creatine and Protein. The rheumatologist did mention that he needed to know if was taking creatinine as tests would be skewed. Thx for your help.
@lucaannibale Try drinking micellar casein protein at night, just before bed. It's slow-release and will give your body plenty to work with while you sleep and recover. There are actually studies showing that even people who don't lift gain muscle mass by doing this.
