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Originally Posted by dmbredsox36
Hey guys, nice to find a thread on this topic for us. I've been working out 4-5x/week over the last year or so and finally like the results it's gotten me. I've taken several pre-workouts, but now am taking Jackd and some cassein/whey protein mixes post workout. While I'm not a dictator about it, I do try to eat healthy all week, drink lots of water, milk, etc. So I'm just was looking for some additional advice.
I'm a pretty small guy thanks to my genes (25yrs old, 5'4", 135lbs) and am wondering how to add on weight/muscle over the upcoming fall/winter. I know everyone says you need to eat more calories, but my issue is what/when to eat more? I work a 8-4:30 job, then have gym time afterwards. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and I'd be glad to share any information/tips I've picked up as well. Cheers ~
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The good news for you is that being smaller (like me: 5'5", 148lbs) is that it won't take nearly as much to get bigger as someone larger.
There's two ways to approach getting bigger. You can do a "dirty bulk", which is pretty much eating whatever the heck you want to get that surplus. This isn't advisable though because you'll also probably gain alot of fat too, so when you start the cutting you'll have to do it longer (and cutting isn't the most fun).
Back to what I was saying about the benefit to being smaller, is that your maintenance levels are going to be much lower than someone who is, say 6'2", 205lbs, which means that you won't have to eat nowhere near as much as someone of that size to start building the muscle. Realistically adding a shake with the powder below and maybe an extra snack will be enough to hit that 500 calorie surplus (sounds like your diet is pretty good).
There's plenty of protein powders that are aimed specifically at building mass, like Optimum Nutrition's Pro Complex Gainer (650 calories, 60g Protein). That alone will likely contribute to a good chunk of your daily surplus (and protein intake). Other good options for snacks are almonds (servings are typically a handful, and provide a good 120+ calories per serving) and peanut butter. Of course you'll want to keep your macros in check and make sure you're getting your protein and carbs and all that, but these couple of things will likely be of great benefit to you during your muscle building.
The only downside to the powder is they're typically significantly more expensive than protein powders that are less calorie dense.