Struggling to gain muscle mass

[beaconlight94]

@jrock8787 So you are quite lean so probably the training schedule is not the issue. I think it always helps to push a bit harder and try to get closer to failure at most exercises. But...

You gotta eat more food if you want to grow muscles. They won't magically appear out of thin air. You should focus on a slow weight gain i.e. 1kg/months and if you train consistently you will gain mostly muscle.

 

[zrcalo]

@jrock8787 It's generally all about your caloric intake. I was 195cm 80-ish kg when I went vegan, over 5 years, I'm up to 105-ish lean. You already know it but don't like - download myfitnesspal, buy kitchen scales and track everything you eat. Start with 3000 calories and continue until you stop gaining weight, then add 300 calories. After a while, you'll need to track less as you'll memorize how many calories are in each item.

Sure, food quality, protein intake, and training program matter but nearly as much as eating in a caloric surplus.

It's by far the hardest part for me at least, but also what definitely works.

 

[samwente]

@jrock8787 I would cut the running. If you are trying to build muscle mass, that is counter-productive. You are burning the calories your body would otherwise use to sustain muscle growth. Also, producing more cortisol, that goes without saying.

Besides, your workouts are somewhat long (90 minutes). I would try to limit them to 70 minutes tops. 50-60 minutes preferably.

Other than that, train to failure or close to, sleep well, and eat a caloric surplus.

I am on a similar boat (just a few years younger than you), vegan for 12 years, take some meds that would freak out most people trying to build muscle, but I am still on my journey and doing quite fine. You will do fine, too.

 

[jrock8787]

@samwente I really love running actually. I used to do two 20km runs a week but had to drop them because of a knee injury last summer. Also running is very good to clear my head, also dealing with depression.

I don’t really understand what cortisol has to do with this, can you elaborate?

I might give cutting my gym time a shot. Maybe cramming in as much exercise as possible isn’t a good idea. 3000 kcal seems like a lot

 

[samwente]

@jrock8787 Cortisol is a hormone that the body produces under stress (either physical or mental). It contributes negatively to muscle growth. I personally suffer from anxiety disorder, so my cortisol level is usually sub-optimal, but well, just giving you a piece of advice that might help in your journey. The less exercise other than what is directly linked to muscle growth, the better.

If you want to keep the running, I would advise eating more calories to compensate, then. If you could replace the running for sprinting or swimming, it would have a better impact on muscle growth than long-distance running. But I understand that if it helps with your mental health, it is pretty difficult to replace it with something else.

 

[jrock8787]

Thanks for the help! I’ve been overeating since Wednesday, and felt like a pig . But I have to say that I noticed a big difference in the gym today. Not so easily exhausted, could actually lift more. Awesome!!