I need/want to gain weight...

[sammy]

I'm joining an MMA dojo that offeres BJJ + Muay Thai 6pm-8pm mon-thursday.
I'll be working 5 hours shifts as a summer job from 11-4 mon-friday.
Right now my main goal is gaining weight but I've fallen inlove with MMA. Thing is, I do ZERO cardio. I'm sitting at 145lbs 5'10" around 10% BF. I can definitely afford gaining more weight without losing some speed. I'd like to weigh around 165-170. Seeing as I'm doing BJJ+Muay Thai mon-thurs, this means I'll be doing tons of cardio. Is it possible to still gain weight if I count calories and eat around 700+cal above maintenance??

[loafyofbread]

yes. and please hit the weights and eat and eat and eat and eat and eat and...you know the drill.

[DrBdan]

Originally Posted by sammy

I'm joining an MMA dojo that offeres BJJ + Muay Thai 6pm-8pm mon-thursday.
I'll be working 5 hours shifts as a summer job from 11-4 mon-friday.
Right now my main goal is gaining weight but I've fallen inlove with MMA. Thing is, I do ZERO cardio. I'm sitting at 145lbs 5'10" around 10% BF. I can definitely afford gaining more weight without losing some speed. I'd like to weigh around 165-170. Seeing as I'm doing BJJ+Muay Thai mon-thurs, this means I'll be doing tons of cardio. Is it possible to still gain weight if I count calories and eat around 700+cal above maintenance??

By definition if you are eating "above maintenance" you will gain weight. Now that you are doing BJJ and Muay Thai you will have to eat more food to meet your maintenance level but the same basic principle holds, eat above maintenance and you will gain weight. If you want that weight to be muscle I'd check out the S&P forum, read the FAQ and choose a routine from there to do 2 or 3 times a week.

edit: 700 calories above maintenance might be a lot. I'd recommend starting with something more 300-400 and if you aren't gaining weight slowly increase it every few weeks. Also, for more detailed info check out the D&S forum.

[N4th4n]

Originally Posted by DrBdan

By definition if you are eating "above maintenance" you will gain weight. Now that you are doing BJJ and Muay Thai you will have to eat more food to meet your maintenance level but the same basic principle holds, eat above maintenance and you will gain weight. If you want that weight to be muscle I'd check out the S&P forum, read the FAQ and choose a routine from there to do 2 or 3 times a week.

edit: 700 calories above maintenance might be a lot. I'd recommend starting with something more 300-400 and if you aren't gaining weight slowly increase it every few weeks. Also, for more detailed info check out the D&S forum.

I'd just like to discuss that edit.
Don't you think that perhaps, eating 700 calories over would be good? And if he noticed fat gain, he can just drop the calories from there til he's gaining as he likes?
Just a thought.

[DrBdan]

Originally Posted by N4th4n

I'd just like to discuss that edit.
Don't you think that perhaps, eating 700 calories over would be good? And if he noticed fat gain, he can just drop the calories from there til he's gaining as he likes?
Just a thought.

In my opinion it makes more sense to start smaller and increase the caloric excess until he hits a point where he is happy with his weight gain. You could start with a large excess but that way you run the risk of eating way more than you need and gaining more fat than you need to. With any weight gain it won't be all lean muscle but you can maximize the muscle gain (and minimize the fat gain) by slowly increasing your caloric intake instead of just adding a tonne of calories right away.

[N4th4n]

That's fair enough then, my theory is that you may as well eat enough over so that you know you'll be gaining and adjust as necessary, instead of running the risk of not gaining and wasting time, but i see where you're coming from now.

[DrBdan]

Originally Posted by N4th4n

That's fair enough then, my theory is that you may as well eat enough over so that you know you'll be gaining and adjust as necessary, instead of running the risk of not gaining and wasting time, but i see where you're coming from now.

Yeah I see what you mean and I think it would depend on your end goal. For example, if you were a fighter looking to add muscle (maybe to go up a weight class or just become stronger for your current weight class) you would want to go slow and avoid unnecessary fat gain. On the other hand if you were a powerlifter and simply wanted to gain strength with a specific weight range being less important eating well above maintenance and gaining a bit of extra fat wouldn't be an issue.

[Doug Miller]

eat eat eat eat eat eat eat than sleep, and repeat