Taking a week off

[bud_2005]

I just started my 10th straight week of lifting. I saw a lot of gains at first but they are leveling off now and its frustrating. Plus I hurt my right wrist a little last week and now I don't have the strength in my right arm that I used to. Am I due to take a week off?

One more question: I know calories are relative to size but are they relative to strength. I'm "powerlifting" right now looking for mostly strength but I don't take in very many calories a day (1,000-1,500).

 

[navyseal2101]

How are you alive with so few calories, I thought you need 2000 to maintain bodyweight and survive. And in order to get stronger you need more muscle mass which is developed with a high calorie/protien diet.

 

[speakeasy]

I probably get somwhere between 1,000-1500 a day as well. Everyone's metabolism, weight, height, daily activity is different. For me to eat 2000 calories a day I'd have to practically force myself.

Or I could just eat one of these a day...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6498304

 

[mrRuckus]

Crap i had one of those last weekend on the way up to Ocean City, MD.

I didn't eat the bun though. Low carb

--

Yes you probably do need some time off. I wouldn't take it OFF OFF though. Whenever I do that, I regret it. Look into a "cruise" week where you do less sets and such to give your body time to catch up on recovery. If anything, you'll get more gains on the off week since your body finally has time to grow. It's up to you to decide just how hurt that wrist is. I ding crap up all the time but usually it's just sore and annoying for a few days to a week rather than a real injury.

 

[EFFORT]

I'm "powerlifting" right now looking for mostly strength but I don't take in very many calories a day (1,000-1,500).

What kind of powerlifting are you doing eating 1000-1500 cals a day?

 

[bud_2005]

3-4 reps with sets of 3. I am 5'8 and weigh 173 lbs. I want to get down to about 160 lbs. I started 10 weeks ago about weight 185 lbs and have added a lot of strength. Here is a sample of what I eat in a day:

7:00 am bagel with low sugar jelly
9:30 am 20g Protein Shake
12:00 Lean Cuisine
3:00 pm Apple
6:00 pm 30g Protein Shake
7:00 pm Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

 

[EFFORT]

3-4 reps with sets of 3. I am 5'8 and weigh 173 lbs. I want to get down to about 160 lbs. I started 10 weeks ago about weight 185 lbs and have added a lot of strength. Here is a sample of what I eat in a day:

7:00 am bagel with low sugar jelly
9:30 am 20g Protein Shake
12:00 Lean Cuisine
3:00 pm Apple
6:00 pm 30g Protein Shake
7:00 pm Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

i really don't know what kind of gains you expect to get with that diet, i take in more than your whole days worth of eating for every meal

 

[bud_2005]

I am also taking Fish oil, GNC Mega Men Multivitamin, and I just started taking Tetrazene Extreme(similiar to Hydroxycut). But I'll guess I'll just have to force myself to eat more but I stick to that schedule I'm never hungry.

 

[bud_2005]

So for my height(5'8) about how many calories should I take it if I want to weigh about 160 lbs and have 6-8% body fat?

 

[shaunuk]

Hmm I know you say you're lifting mostly for strength but to me that just begs the question...why? It just makes pure sense to me to have the muscle that would come along with it

It's not a simple matter of 'forcing yourself to eat more' - eating is what should always be on your mind. Slamming down the protein, carbs and fats. And this ain't about eating an extra slice of toast at lunch and an extra tin of tuna. You need to be eating big calories and protein if you wanna gain some muscle.

If you do wanna gain muscle and gain it the right way, you look like you need a bit of help mate. I would say you could do with asking EFFORT to help you but I can't just go offering his time out to people, lol..

-shauny

 

[bud_2005]

The reason I'm talking about strength training and not looking to put on size is because like a lot of people I would much rather look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club than look like Jay Cutler any day. When I was in high school there were a lot of wrestlers who weighed 140-160 lbs but they were like the toughest kids in school and very strong. I want to take in enough calories to gain strength and some muscle, but I also don't want to take in calories which will add to my waistline.

 

[Throttle]

good luck...when your gains freeze up entirely (any day now), you can come back to us for diet advice ("eat more.")

 

[beastmaster79]

is this a joke. dude you seriously need to eat more. in high school i tried to get ripped by eating like that and i maintained low bodyfat for a few months then i got really hungry and gained like 15lbs in a weeks. for you information a lot of wrestlers are faggots with eating disorders. if i had kept it up i would have been seriously anorexic. as long as you stay away from sugar and refined carbs(white bread, white rice, white flour, etc) and hydrogenated oils most of the weight you gain will be muscle. and don't worry about how much fat you consume as long as they are healthy fats(olive oil, flax oil, fish oil, canola oil, all natural butter all preferably organic). eat at least 1-2 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight. you should be eating between 2500 and 3500 calories a day if you are a young.

 

[monster squad]

1,000-1,500 calories a day?! That's like a pre-breakfast snack.