Lifestyle physical health/fitness thread

[MikeAU]

MikeAU Perfect Cell Thanks guys, appreciate the support. :D

So far I've been feeling pretty good with going out once a day, though seeing as I'm not running the whole way just yet I suppose that'll change pretty soon. I've been making some efforts to improve my diet, like going to Subway over Pizza Pizza when I eat out and eating until I'm full instead of until I hate myself, lol.

Not a problem -- I had others that provided me some advice when I made some big changes last year so pay it forward I guess.

Sounds like you're taking the right approach managing portion size and understanding the caloric value of food and how nutritiously dense food is. I'd strongly recommend using something like Myfitnesspal (an IOS/Android/Web based app) that will really provide an insight to what you're eating. I personally, only use the calorie screen to get an understanding of how much a food is worth, what % of my recommended daily intake it consumes, etc. Nowadays I have a good handle on what it's all worth from a calorie/kilojoule aspect and also, your macro-nutrient requirements.

Some pointers around food -- everything in moderation and always ensure that you don't starve yourself. Over the past 6 months I have progressively cut out all bad fats/oils, breads, processed sugars, soft drinks, etc. from all of my meals. It is impossible to always control what you eat/have access to so when eating out I try and compromise. At first it was a challenge but now its an involuntary action. Over the past year I've progressively approached 14% body fat and a lot of what I have achieved has been since I took a very disciplined and measured approach to my eating.
Some foods definitely worth trying out and incorporating (that actually taste alright): Quinoa (white is nice, red/black is a bit earthy but my favourite), Amaranth, lean meats, fish (steamed), cruciferous greens (kale, broccoli, etc). If you use oil in any of your cooking try healther alternatives: Macadamia oil, coconut oil, almond are quite cook -- each with a bit of a different taste.

But yeah, there is not a one-size-fits-all diet or approach to eating. Just know what you are eating, whats inside it, how much of your RDI it represents, etc.

 

[Perfect Cell]

I wanted to mention this yesterday, but hey, no time like the present.

I've noticed recently that I've been having some trouble with my body freezing up when I need to do some explosive movements, and this hasn't happened before. As soon as I need to sprint/throw hard/jump/ect, my legs or arms lock up and I can't bend them or throw. As a result, not only do I lock up pretty badly, but I look like a goddamn idiot while doing it. I'm positive I don't have arthritis or anything like that, either. Hell, if I wanted to make a Pokemon analogy, I've basically been Skill Swapped the ability Slow Start.

I've tried stretching, cooldowns, plenty of water, food ect ect, but I'm still locking up pretty badly. How can I circumvent this, because it's really getting on my nerves right now.

 

[Lee]

You're definitely hitting all your RDA's? No deficiencies in nerve- related stuff like potassium?

 

[Perfect Cell]

Yeah, I'm hitting them all. I haven't deviated from my diet that hasn't caused me any problems before.

The only thing I can think of right now is that my sleep schedule has been shot to hell. Wake up at 6 AM, do all the day stuff, take a nap from 2:30-4ish and stay up till 2AM, then repeat. I still don't think that's it, though.

 

[kalphite]

Hey all,
So I made a mistake and tried telling myself I could gradually add to my mileage every workout instead of actually following a beginner's plan when I started running recently. I worked my way from 1.5 miles to 3 miles over the course of about 6 workouts, with one space in between each day. While I was happy to finally reach my long-time goal of making it 3 miles, I then immediately cut back on running due to starting a full-time job for the first time. After I finally made it 3 miles, I tried running a couple more times, spaced out a week apart. The time I ran after I made the 3 miles I still made it 2.25 miles, but with each of the next two weeks' runs I haven't even been able to make it a mile without my back and legs starting to hurt a lot. This leads me to believe that I've injured myself with my impatience, so I want to just restart everything and do c25k so I actually build distance up properly. The last time I tried running was 2 days ago, and I could not even make it half a mile before the pains started setting in. Should I wait longer before I stat c25k, and if so how long? and would it be too damaging if I lifted or did bodyweight exercises in the meantime? I just feel gross when I stop exercising for long periods of time like this and know that I have time to be doing something better with my time than sitting around.

 

[Lee]

Check your form, stretch thoroughly before starting (especially your lower back...can you touch your toes?), try running in a different pair of shoes etc. As for cross-training, does it hurt? If so, probably best not to do it!

 

[MikeAU]

The last time I tried running was 2 days ago, and I could not even make it half a mile before the pains started setting in. Should I wait longer before I stat c25k, and if so how long? and would it be too damaging if I lifted or did bodyweight exercises in the meantime? I just feel gross when I stop exercising for long periods of time like this and know that I have time to be doing something better with my time than sitting around.

Just be careful -- if you're in pain it means something isn't right. Listen to your body and seek some medical advice if it doesn't clear, the last thing you want is to injure yourself. With regards to your legs hurting that is probably due to the running, lower back could be due to what Lee said -- lack of stretching, poor form, etc. But it could also be referred pain from somewhere else. Look up some lower back exercises, try that twice a day and maybe consider doing a light warmup before hand? I have tried to get in to the habit or doing a short 20minute light workout before running to get the body warmed up. Using a 9kg medicine ball; 4x15 squat throws (against a wall), lunge w/ body twist, push ups, one hand on the ball then roll it to the other, crunches with the ball and finished with some burpees.

Quick question for the viewers/contributors of the thread, has anyone had an injured T4 facet joint? I'm currently going through physio to fix it, getting quite better but of an afternoon/evening I get quite severe discomfort in my lower back and shoulders. I've kept exercising light at my physio's instructions, I've been incorporating some light body work exercises and all to keep myself relativaly active. Can't wait to get back to the gym though, leg day Friday's were my favourite :P

 

[Lee]

Stallion - status report?

 

[Stallion]

Lee here goes....a lot of this is what I sent to my trainer in my weekly progress report (copied and pasted parts)

For anyone who thinks cutting without steroids is easy, it fucking isn't. I've never been so tired, moody and hungry in my life. Firstly, some before and after pics.

NOTE: THE PHOTOS ARE TOO BIG. IF YOU WANNA SEE THE DIFFERENCE ACCURATELY, SAVE THEM AND THEN SHRINK THEM!

Before, weighing in at 82.4 kilos: http://imgur.com/a/093ix#0

Now, weighing in at 78 kilos after 5 weeks of dieting: http://imgur.com/a/h50Xk#0

This last week has been by far the toughest on me mentally and physically. I've been quite moody, had very little libido and have had comments saying that I'm looking tired. I was worried that the cut was the reason behind it, until I remembered Armin only was Sunday and I could very well have been coming down (2 caps of mdma). Usually to handle a comedown I eat and eat a lot but obviously I haven't been able to do that here, so maybe that's why it's rougher than normal? If the moodiness and other problems continue to persist this week however, then maybe it isn't a comedown and there are other issues at hand?

Still enjoying the diet for the most part. I'm quite sick of cacao powder though to be honest, I know it's good for me but it is so goddamn bitter it's like eating medicine. I wish they used artificial sweeteners or something. I've been having the biggest pregnant lady cravings for Zambrero's and Grill'd in the past week, like it's getting pretty intense - especially when I'm working late at night and that's the only food option open along with McDonalds. I know there's probably no way to incorporate these into a cutting diet of all things even in moderation, but even some recipes so I can make my own burrito's or burgers for dinner and still fit my macros would be fantastic. I love steaks but I'm getting bored of eating the same things, innovation with sauces and spices is pretty much all I have right now.

I have seen the high standards of the other competitors and while I'm confident I'll come in to the comp shredded enough, I don't think I have enough muscle mass to do any damage in September, so my coach at my request, has decided to diet me down to 6-8% body fat and then start a bulk (apparently your body absorbs nutrients like crazy at low body fat percentages). Because I'm cutting, not having my lifts go up like I'm used to when I'm working hard is really discouraging. I've been paranoid that I'm losing muscle (not helped by the fact that 3/4 of the gym I train at is probably on roids and hasn't seen an exercise bike or a treadmill in their life yet are shredded) or that I'm not improving. Just been in a terrible headspace lately to be honest, and I don't think I can blame it on a comedown because these thoughts are still entering my head and it's over a week later :/. I know I'm looking much better, but I'm telling you all it isn't fucking easy.

 

[Lee]

Feeling your pain on the cravings, it's one of the reasons I've never got into the sorta thing you're doing, I'm just too weak-willed on that front. Your line of work makes your willpower even more impressive, I can't imagine coming out of a club at 3am and NOT grabbing some greasy fast food. and aren't you worried you'll be up against a bunch of roidheads in your comp? it's the other reason I've never bothered, the fact that you basically need to get into steroids to stand any chance of winning. you've had to work twice as hard for half the result and that must be hard to stomach...but hey, it's an integrity thing innit.

I am particularly interested in your cutting stories as i'm about to attempt to lose 10kg~ while minimising strength losses and am prepared for a lot of frustration in the process. I'm pretty much planning on carrying on as I am with regards to strength training (my understanding has always been that the body won't/can't sacrifice strength if you're constantly calling upon it to utilise said strength although I suspect science will trump my anecdotal findings on that), making a few dietary tweaks (less calories and increased glutamine and CLA namely) and just logging a few hundred more miles on the bike than I have been doing each week.

i'm pretty motivated on this front...coaches have always told me I could be great if i lost a little weight...one of the all time greats of my sport was the exact same height as me and had a similar style...unfortunately I weigh 12 stone to his 8. That alone wasn't enough to convince me but it has recently become painfully clear to me that, unless i lose weight, i will never escape this cycle of injury. Running these sorts of distances at these sorts of intensities while being technically overweight is hell on the joints and gravity simply dgaf whether it's muscle or fat. Vanity be damned...

 

[MikeAU]

Hey Stallion glad to hear you're still on track! Btw - how was Armin?

Looks like you're on the right track. Re: cacao powder, it's awesome but I don't mind the bitterness. If I ever eat chocolate its 80%+

With regards to variation, i've steadily become sick of the taste of chicken/steak/fish without variation to it's taste. About 2 months ago I used a spare patch out in the yard so I used some left-over bricks and built a garden bed. Filled it with herbs, chilli's, etc. Now I just use that mostly for adding flavour to salads/lunches. It is kind of cheating but i've found it progressively easier to drop my junk meals and essentially, consume a small portion. Like today, i've been craving subway like crazy for a few days (italian herbs, bacon, chicken fillet, southwest sauce) -- so i came home cooked some salmon, green vegies and ate it. Then had 1 bite of the sub, gave it to my bro :P Essentially I just filled myself up on healthy proper food then the last thing I ate was a "junk" mouthful and I felt as if i'd eaten the whole thing.

Long-term it isn't the answer, but atm i've had a rough few weeks, work's been shockingly busy, half-recovered from my injury so can't do a lot of exercise and it'll be very busy in the lead-up to EOFY. I've recently worked out that I stress-eat, generally go for junk food but really its just seems to be whatever I had last time, so i've been keeping almonds and all handy for a snack here and there.

Just been in a terrible headspace lately to be honest, and I don't think I can blame it on a comedown because these thoughts are still entering my head and it's over a week later :/. I know I'm looking much better, but I'm telling you all it isn't fucking easy.

It never is but I guess that's where the challenge is. I'd probably say it is a lot of pressure with what you're trying to achieve. Just give it your best and stay committed, you're doin great so far.
I'm 8 weeks away from my 14km run and well, different to what you're doing but I really understand how your mental space can factor in to progress, etc.

I've been having the biggest pregnant lady cravings for Zambrero's and Grill'd in the past week, like it's getting pretty intense - especially when I'm working late at night and that's the only food option open along with McDonalds.

I purchased a vitamix back in January, best thing I ever did. You can do anything through it to be honest, I often alternate between recipe's but either go down the lines of water, ice and a stack of greens. Or if I go milk, i'll go almonds, seeds, nuts etc, berries, etc. I find it very filling -- sometimes it puts me over my daily intake but usually on days post gym where I find that I am rampantly hungry. Bottle it and keep it in a fridge at work -- you get some intrigued looks when you are drinking something either purple or dark green. But it's a great way to get more stuff in rather than going through the hassle of chewing and 'eating' it all.

 

[Soul Fly]

Hi, one of my friends is looking for a way to work out since he will be moving every few months around rural places in the country for some sales gig, so gyms are out of the scene. He recently managed to cut down over 10KGs of fat and wants to continue at least maintaining his current healthy weight, and build up stamina and core body strength, while aiming for a lean body.

When he asked me for ideas I suggested he could try getting into running or trying a running based workout with running substituting for his cardio, and some mat exercises for rounders. But I really don't have much idea about a holistic non-gym fitness routines.

Any help on this regard Smogon runners?

 

[CPrime]

wants to continue at least maintaining his current healthy weight, and build up stamina and core body strength, while aiming for a lean body.

I've never been interested in going to gyms; you can run, do push ups, do sit ups, planks, leg lifts, etc without any equipment other than some shoes. I just keep on a loose routine of these exercises and it seems to fill out all of those conditions listed up there. Different things work for different people though, I've been the same lean weight for the past couple years without monitoring diet and exercise too much.

 

[MikeAU]

Hi, one of my friends is looking for a way to work out since he will be moving every few months around rural places in the country for some sales gig, so gyms are out of the scene. He recently managed to cut down over 10KGs of fat and wants to continue at least maintaining his current healthy weight, and build up stamina and core body strength, while aiming for a lean body.

When he asked me for ideas I suggested he could try getting into running or trying a running based workout with running substituting for his cardio, and some mat exercises for rounders. But I really don't have much idea about a holistic non-gym fitness routines.

Any help on this regard Smogon runners?

There certainly are plenty of options and going to a gym is not always the best/only way to get fit, lose weight, etc. I've never been big on team sports, and with having an extremely stressful job I find the combination of gym + headphones a great way to get away from everything and get fit at the same time. Running is a good way however, i'd get them to consider the following as with minimal equipment you can cover off a wide range of exercises and muscle groups. Although I have a gym membership at home some times I like to do a bit of light exercise of a morning before work (i.e winter when it is NOT fun to go to the gym at 5AM). A medicine ball is quite good and diverse -- you can do squats, squat throws (throw the ball at the wall at a decent height, catch it and go down), lunge-twists (not sure of the correct name but basically moving the ball side-to-side as you lunge). Pushups with both hands on the ball, vary it by having it under one arm, push up then slide it across to the other hand. Medicine ball twists, etc. You get the idea, there is SO much you can do with it and they aren't that expensive.

Also, a weight-vest can be quite interesting, I have one and 20kg worth of the kevlar weighted bricks that go in it, great to turn yard/house work in to some core-like exercises. Kettlebell(s) are quite useful too. There is heaps around and certainly plenty of variety. Running is great for cardio too.

 

[Lee]

Hi, one of my friends is looking for a way to work out since he will be moving every few months around rural places in the country for some sales gig, so gyms are out of the scene. He recently managed to cut down over 10KGs of fat and wants to continue at least maintaining his current healthy weight, and build up stamina and core body strength, while aiming for a lean body.

When he asked me for ideas I suggested he could try getting into running or trying a running based workout with running substituting for his cardio, and some mat exercises for rounders. But I really don't have much idea about a holistic non-gym fitness routines.

Any help on this regard Smogon runners?

If his goals are to keep weight off while building stamina and core strength then he doesn't really need to look any further than running. The fact he's living in rural areas will make it all the more tempting for him too. Build up an aerobic base with 3-5 long runs per week at 70-100% effort with a few supplementary exercises like planks and press-ups thrown in for good measure. Once a base is established (16 weeks~), start working in stuff like time trials, hill sprints, fartlek sessions etc and maybe around this time progress the supplementaries too to work in stuff like jackknifes and pull-ups.

 

[Soul Fly]

Lee define a 'long' run, since this is typically 5 day-a-week thing you're suggesting, I'm thinking 3-5k?

 

[Lee]

It's for the individual to define tbh, whatever seems 'long' to him at the time and whatever time constraints allow. Like if I said do some 'heavy' squats, that would likely have a different implication to everyone here; same deal with a 'long' run. Just add up mileage at the end of each week and try to gradually increase it.

The above plan was very general as i don't know anything about your friend's fitness/dedication/time constraints etc so it'll be up to you/him to make it more specific.

 

[Stallion]

Mini update (bullet points, not a full one).

- Fixing libido has fixed everything, I've started taking Testogen (a natural test booster + a proven libido enhancer) and as my libido has increased, my mood, energy in the gym etc has skyrocketed too. Seriously 100% recommend the product, best supplement I have ever taken - and my stack currently sits at something ridiculous like 8 so I've taken a few in my time haha.

- Currently at 77 kilos after starting at 82.4

- Lifts are actually staying solid and I've surprisingly maintained most of my muscle. For proof here's a sneaky flex shot

Dat arm game tho

- This week my cardio has been upped to 2 HIIT sessions of 15 minutes (15 sec sprint, 45 sec rest) and 5 400 Calorie MIT sessions a week.

- Next week my calories are being cut, however the week after I get a REFEED DAY (300 carbs over what I've been eating) so please give me ideas of homemade foods that are high in carbs.

 

[Perfect Cell]

Nice Stallion, keep up the awesome work! I wish I had a food idea for you, though.

For some substance to this post, last week I ran 5km for our FSE(or ISU as you might call them) in Gym. Unfortunately, I didn't do as well as last time and got 21:33 (as opposed to 19:23 in December). Maybe it's because I'm Canadian, but I can't run in the heat as well compared to the cold. I also got sick after the run, which hasn't happened before. Oh well, it's not a bad time at the very least. I even got a cool picture for when I finished, so I'll have to post that here later.

For the runners in this thread, do you find it harder to run in the cold, or the heat?

 

[Soul Fly]

heat is much better for me, cold just fucking sucks. I have a harder time breathing and sweating in the cold also sucks because I usually have some sort of a jacket/windcheater on.

But then again I live in a rather hot city so i might be acclimitized, but the dry-hot summer months are much better with my sweat evaporating near instantly and consequently I just have a way higher degree of comfort while running.

By the way those are nice timings. I am at the moment stuck at 3km ~24:00m. I'm not a runner but I at least want to hit 5k for around ~20:00, how do I go about doing that?
(Note: I only recently started running, before that it was exclusively a part of cardio at the gym)

How do you gradually increase your distance and pace to respectable levels?

 

[Perfect Cell]

I think it might be an issue of acclimitizing(new word?) too. The way I see it is that I'm running to stay warm in the cold, but I'm running to beat the heat in the summer. While you can't overheat in the cold, it's almost too easy to overheat in the summer.

How recently have you started running? It took me around 4 months to get <20:00 for 5km. Generally, I tried to keep a consistent schedule while running, something like 1 mile on Monday then an increasing distance on Thursday, like 5 laps -> 6 next week -> 7 next ect till I hit 5km, then alternated between 4 and 5km. I don't really have much advice to it other than stay consistent to a schedule. I started off with a 7:47 mile in September, but I managed to cut it down to <6:08 in this June as I kept at it.

Incidentally, they posted all the times for our run. The fastest guy there got 15:07. The only thing I could think of was "goddamn that's 3 minutes a kilometer."

Good luck!

 

[DHR-107]

Okay, so with some trepedation I am going to post here...

I've recently started at the gym thanks to MikeAU's constant nagging haha... Starting off slow at the moment to try and find out where I am at. So far I am doing between 7.5km and 10km on a bike (with burst inverals) and then doing a 1k row, I then usually do another 5~10 mins on a cross trainer to cool down. The times for both are coming down well. Last night was the first time I did a sub 4 minute 1km row (which was a big achievement for me). And even though ive been going less than a few weeks I've already noticed feeling better/fitter generally.

I've been stretching before I use the equipment too, but I've noticed other people don't at all. I thought that was a really bad way to work out? Is it better for me to stretch things out before doing things? What I do now is stretch then do about 1km on the bike and then stretch again. feels great. After finishing I steetch again and that feels really good too.

Mike is convinced I need to start on weights, but I have neither the confidence or the strength to do so (my arms are like twiglets lol). I'm going to start in the "light weight" room to begin with and just see how far I get. I don't really want to bulk up, just lose a few kilos (cause I've put it on). The biggest problem I have is regulating my heart rate, it skyrockets to 160/170 ish which is well into the cardio zone, and I've read that for someone my age that 130 or so is better for burning fat?

lol loads of questions there, any help would be appreciated :)

 

[MikeAU]

Okay, so with some trepedation I am going to post here...

I've recently started at the gym thanks to MikeAU's constant nagging haha... Starting off slow at the moment to try and find out where I am at. So far I am doing between 7.5km and 10km on a bike (with burst inverals) and then doing a 1k row, I then usually do another 5~10 mins on a cross trainer to cool down. The times for both are coming down well. Last night was the first time I did a sub 4 minute 1km row (which was a big achievement for me). And even though ive been going less than a few weeks I've already noticed feeling better/fitter generally.

I've been stretching before I use the equipment too, but I've noticed other people don't at all. I thought that was a really bad way to work out? Is it better for me to stretch things out before doing things? What I do now is stretch then do about 1km on the bike and then stretch again. feels great. After finishing I steetch again and that feels really good too.

Mike is convinced I need to start on weights, but I have neither the confidence or the strength to do so (my arms are like twiglets lol). I'm going to start in the "light weight" room to begin with and just see how far I get. I don't really want to bulk up, just lose a few kilos (cause I've put it on). The biggest problem I have is regulating my heart rate, it skyrockets to 160/170 ish which is well into the cardio zone, and I've read that for someone my age that 130 or so is better for burning fat?

lol loads of questions there, any help would be appreciated :)

Great to see you found the motivation to start -- It wasn't nagging. You said you really wanted to, so I just gave you a bit of a push/nudge. And luckily I didn't get booted from #oi many times. Persistance paid off :P In all seriousness though - it's great you made the leap and I'm certain you'll be glad you did! :D

Anyway, re: weights. Everyone will have different goals but I'd highly recommend it from a holistic approach to increasing fitness, living a healthier (more active lifestyle). Coming from a really bad point the cardio certainly helped me shift the KG's but it was once I started weight training and moved from an (80%cardio:20%weights) to a more 30:70 split. I noticed that although my weight would slowly creep up a little but not in terms of 'fat' I just felt like my body was operating more efficiently. As I suffer from GORD/GERD (different name in different countries, essentially -- reflux) I found strenghtening my core, keeping lean really helped, to the point where i take my tablets only when I know i'm eating heavy foods/spicy, etc.

The main thing to be 100% certain and confident with is technique and form. It's hardly worth your time (and safety) to injure yourself (youtube is a perfect example of what can happen if you search for it). But also you wont bulk up too much/get huge unless you're really doing a lot, adjust your diet, etc! Keep in mind, superseding sets/exercises and trying out some cross-fit'esque cirtcuits are quite challenging and will help

With regards to your HR, check out a heart rate monitor -- they're quite good in keeping you in that designated area and alerting you when you drift over the optimal level. However, you will probably find that as your fitness increases your HR won't spike so high.

 

[KM]

heya :)

some recent potential health problems made me realize that I'm doing jack shit with my summer and at some point I'd like to bulk up a little bit. I'm currently around 175 cm and 47 kg (5ft9 and 104 pounds) and the only real muscle definition I can claim is having a 6-pick purely due to how skinny I am.

I'm not looking to bulk up a lot, just maybe to around 120 pounds and the point where I can't wrap my hand around my upper arm would be nice ;). So, to do this, I have a couple questions.

1. It's fucking hard for me to gain weight. I've been trying to gain weight over the last two weeks or so, and I've been eating 3 meals a day + occasional snacks, and trying to bulk up the size of my meals as well. I eat really healthy, so I've just been adding a lot more fatty nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts), carbs (mostly bread), and lots of olive oil. I haven't gained any weight, and I realize it's not something that goes this fast, but I wanted to know about the order of business. Should I be doing exercises to bulk up to drive up my appetite and eat more at the same time, or bulk up through eating first and then convert it into muscle mass?

2. I have access to a lot of stuff at home, so I don't think I really need to go to a gym. I have a pull-up bar, yoga mat, free weights from 3-30 pounds, barbell, leg lefty thing (<-- clearly experienced), and a couple of other gadgets. As I'm more trying to get into a healthy and somewhat muscular range rather than a full-out buff god, is this plenty?

3. What kind of exercises should I be doing to start off with? I've always felt a little bit silly lifting weights due to the fact that I'm pretty skinny, but should I just lift small amounts of weight or focus on stuff like pullups/pushups to get started?

thanks ;o

 

[Stallion]

heya :)

some recent potential health problems made me realize that I'm doing jack shit with my summer and at some point I'd like to bulk up a little bit. I'm currently around 175 cm and 47 kg (5ft9 and 104 pounds) and the only real muscle definition I can claim is having a 6-pick purely due to how skinny I am.

I'm not looking to bulk up a lot, just maybe to around 120 pounds and the point where I can't wrap my hand around my upper arm would be nice ;). So, to do this, I have a couple questions.

1. It's fucking hard for me to gain weight. I've been trying to gain weight over the last two weeks or so, and I've been eating 3 meals a day + occasional snacks, and trying to bulk up the size of my meals as well. I eat really healthy, so I've just been adding a lot more fatty nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts), carbs (mostly bread), and lots of olive oil. I haven't gained any weight, and I realize it's not something that goes this fast, but I wanted to know about the order of business. Should I be doing exercises to bulk up to drive up my appetite and eat more at the same time, or bulk up through eating first and then convert it into muscle mass?

2. I have access to a lot of stuff at home, so I don't think I really need to go to a gym. I have a pull-up bar, yoga mat, free weights from 3-30 pounds, barbell, leg lefty thing (<-- clearly experienced), and a couple of other gadgets. As I'm more trying to get into a healthy and somewhat muscular range rather than a full-out buff god, is this plenty?

3. What kind of exercises should I be doing to start off with? I've always felt a little bit silly lifting weights due to the fact that I'm pretty skinny, but should I just lift small amounts of weight or focus on stuff like pullups/pushups to get started?

thanks ;o

Yo, welcome to the best thread on smogon.

1. You may think you're eating enough but everybody's metabolism is different. You've been given a freakishly fast one, so you need to eat more until you start gaining weight. The best part about your physique is that you don't even have to be healthy 100% of the time while doing it. People like me who are on a cut can't eat fast food because it's packed in calories for its size, but for people like you it can actually help - although I stress that you should still have it in moderation. Foods that'll help you put on weight: nuts and nut butters, avocado, oats, pasta, rice, steaks, weight gaining shakes etc. Most average people don't need enough protein so I'd definitely focus on aiming for a minimum of 1g per pound of bodyweight a day as a minimum. All the food you listed above isn't a high source of protein. Smash some red meat, chicken, cottage cheese, tuna, protein powder, hell even beef jerky if you're feeling lazy.

2 + 3. Unless you can't afford it, join a gym. People think that lifting heavy weights will automatically turn you into some super jacked Greek God, it won't. I'd say I'm relatively muscular compared to your casual gym goer but I'm nothing special - not even close to what you're describing, and I train 5 days a week and watch everything that I eat. It would take you many years to get where you described, so no need to worry about that. I highly recommend doing an all body split 3 days a week to begin so your body can get used to the stress of lifting stuff. Don't neglect your compounds, squats, seafood's, military press etc. Most beginners go straight for bicep curls but the compounds hit the most muscle groups, so don't neglect them. If you're looking for a routine I strongly recommend Googling Starting Strength!

Tl;dr eat way more, join a gym, do an all body split like starting strength 3 times a week.