Building Muscle

[Drago]

Legs are my hard gainers. Arms and shoulders average. Back and chest only have to think about exercise and they've grown 2 inches. My full on lat spread is truly impressive.

 

[Tribansman]

I've tried upping my protein and doing a fair bit of resistance training but no discernable difference. I think in my case it may be due to a pretty chronicn lack of sleep - which is apparently as important as training and diet for building muscle

 

[Slick]

This was the top Google result for my suspicion that we are actually eating too much protein.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180522-we-dont-need-nearly-as-much-protein-as-we-consume

There's a great documentary on Netflix, the gamechanger. Strong man champion posed the question about the strongest animals in the wild and likened himself to a bison, but also asked, how much protein does a bison eat?

It was definitely promoting veganism, but it's an eye opener all the same.

 

[Drago]

I've tried upping my protein and doing a fair bit of resistance training but no discernable difference. I think in my case it may be due to a pretty chronicn lack of sleep - which is apparently as important as training and diet for building muscle

You're spot on there. A good solid 8 hours kip is crucial, as are rest days between body parts, and at least one full test day a week (usually Sunday for me).

The other atteibute you need is determination and consistency. As aforementioned, my legs are hard gainers, and I recall it took or 4 months to start noticing an improvement, and 2 years before they really did improve. Unless youre going nuts like pro bosy builders - 6 hours a day in the gym, split into 2 visits - hard gaining parts can take a while tomrespond in my experience, so you just need to hammer them, keep hammering them, and measure progress by the season rather than the week.

@Slick is right, unless you're going for major hypertrophy, many folk take too much protein. Im not a true bodybuuilder, im into a combination of mass/strength training (see Peter Koch's excellet website for the ethosmI follow) and aim for a gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight - about 260 grams a day in my case. If I relied on food alone, no matter how lean, it would be nearly impossible to ge that much protein, and thats where thenprotein shakes come in. Were not a good degree of hypertrophy part of my goal I would need nkwhere near that amount, and it does raise my eyenrows when i see gym monkeys of lean and ripped, but otherwise fairly normal, build supping away on peotein shakes. No, no, no - if your diet is good you simplymdon't need them at that level.

 

[cyberknight]

Legs are my hard gainers. Arms and shoulders average. Back and chest only have to think about exercise and they've grown 2 inches. My full on lat spread is truly impressive.

in my "prime" sorry for the budgie smugglers it was a sprint tri , i actually gained upper body from swim training for this

 

[Drago]

What has been seen can never be unseen!

 

[Lovacott]

I think you've picked the wrong activity if you particularly want to build muscle.

I've never been one to exercise for the sake of vanity. I'll leave that to the instagrammers.

I only started cycling again to give me a routine to follow when I was furloughed last year for six weeks.

The weight and fitness thing is just a perk.

I have some pretty big hills on my commute so I get a fair bit of resistance training each day.

Upping my protein intake recently, has seen my leg muscles gain a fair bit of size.

 

[cyberknight]

I've never been one to exercise for the sake of vanity. I'll leave that to the instagrammers.

I only started cycling again to give me a routine to follow when I was furloughed last year for six weeks.

The weight and fitness thing is just a perk.

I have some pretty big hills on my commute so I get a fair bit of resistance training each day.

Upping my protein intake recently, has seen my leg muscles gain a fair bit of size.

leg size and speed uphill are not really related . look at the top hill climbers and they can all be hidden behind a piece of string , its down to power to weight .

 

[Lovacott]

You're spot on there. A good solid 8 hours kip is crucial, as are rest days between body parts, and at least one full test day a week (usually Sunday for me).
Im not a true bodybuuilder, im into a combination of mass/strength training (see Peter Koch's excellet website for the ethosmI follow) and aim for a gram of protein for every pound of bodyweight - about 260 grams a day in my case.

I've been reading up on poor sleep and the biggest change I've made, is to not eat too late in the evening.

I now have my dinner as soon as I get in and I make sure it's protein and veg heavy with not too much carbs. This reduces the sugar spikes and troughs and helps you sleep better. It seems to be working for me.

Prior to that change, I was getting maybe less than 100 grams of protein per day and getting most of my calories from carbs and fats. I'd eat at 9.30pm and be passed out by 10pm. I'd usually wake at around 3.30am and struggle to get back to sleep.

We are not big red meat eaters. Those of us who eat meat, prefer poultry and we are also partial to fish (Devon is great for locally caught Bass etc.). But I've always been a carb freak and I'd rather eat six chip butties than a 1/4lb steak or half a chicken.

 

[Lovacott]

leg size and speed uphill are not really related . look at the top hill climbers and they can all be hidden behind a piece of string , its down to power to weight .

I habitually go up hills in the highest gear I can manage. I don't like quick pedalling up hills and much prefer to put some power into each rotation.

This is probably down to my having grown up riding a single speed bike and having no choice but to give it some welly?

 

[Blue Hills]

I've been reading up on poor sleep and the biggest change I've made, is to not eat too late in the evening.

I now have my dinner as soon as I get in and I make sure it's protein and veg heavy with not too much carbs. This reduces the sugar spikes and troughs and helps you sleep better. It seems to be working for me.

Prior to that change, I was getting maybe less than 100 grams of protein per day and getting most of my calories from carbs and fats. I'd eat at 9.30pm and be passed out by 10pm. I'd usually wake at around 3.30am and struggle to get back to sleep.

We are not big red meat eaters. Those of us who eat meat, prefer poultry and we are also partial to fish (Devon is great for locally caught Bass etc.). But I've always been a carb freak and I'd rather eat six chip butties than a 1/4lb steak or half a chicken.

plus one to min minimising carbs in the evening and also having lots of veg.
Stir fries often for me.
and ditto for not eating late - am always bemused by the fact that those self-appointed masters of food the italians have a habit of eating late.
Alcohol is also bad for sleep of course.

 

[cyberknight]

I habitually go up hills in the highest gear I can manage. I don't like quick pedalling up hills and much prefer to put some power into each rotation.

This is probably down to my having grown up riding a single speed bike and having no choice but to give it some welly?

its a balance between the two, go up a big hill over geared and your legs can blow before you reach the top

 

[cyberknight]

chocolate milk is supposed to be the business , i just have a glass of milk most nights i believe unless you aiming for arnie like muscles then a balanced diet should contain all the protein you need for cycling repair and maintenance of your muscles

 

[bikingdad90]

I am doing the Dukan diet (high protein, low calorie dense vegetables) and lost about 6lb so far over three weeks. I’ve platoued on it as I’ve kick started running and upping exercise to at least 150mins a week (30mins a day). I’m currently enjoying a blow out weekend (cheat days) in the hope my body will think there is no famine and it will kick start my weight loss again. I hope to get from 172lb down to 149lb, lose 2” off my waist and get my fitness up again. I’m only 5ft 7 and want I get back to a healthy bmi.

 

[Lovacott]

its a balance between the two, go up a big hill over geared and your legs can blow before you reach the top

I do the same hills every day so I've learned the right balance of gearing/effort for each hill to suit me. When I first started, I was having to dismount on some of them and do a bit of walking. A combination of improved fitness and better gear selection means I now get up all of them without too much trouble.