Tip Stop Messing Around Eat For Gains Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip Stop Messing Around Eat For Gains Can you gain 30 pounds of mostly-muscle in 10 months Here' s how one expert did it by Tony Gentilcore October 23, 2016June 16, 2022 Tags Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Protein, Tips What's the biggest mistake beginners make? Well, every guy first starting out makes the same mistake: not understanding how much he REALLY has to eat in order to put on size. Whenever I have a beginner wax poetic about how he can never put on size despite "eating all day" I ask a simple question: "What did you have for breakfast this morning?" I usually get nothing but crickets chirping. The first few weeks of training are a weird phenomenon because it's not uncommon to see quick strength gains. I've seen some guys double their squat or deadlift numbers in a matter of weeks due to the neural adaptations involved. Now, granted, for some that's going from a 100 pound pull to a 200 pound pull, but it's still impressive and speaks to how wonderfully adaptive the body is. That said, many get frustrated when they don't see the immediate results in the mirror. 10 Months of Real Eating I lifted weights throughout high-school and college, and while I wasn't bashful about taking my shirt off on the beach, it wasn't until I made a conscientious effort at age 25 to eat my balls off that I really started to see results with my physique. I decided I was going to experiment and give myself a 10-month window to eat. I went from 180 to 210 pounds. Here's what a typical day looked like back then: Breakfast 1-2 cups of oatmeal and blueberries with scoop of Metabolic Drive 5 egg omelet with cheese and spinach Mid-AM Snack 6-8 oz lean beef Veggies (anything) Early PM prior to training Half Serving Surge Workout Fuel During Training Half Serving Surge Workout Fuel First Post-Training Meal 60 Minutes Later 3 cups cereal with one scoop Metabolic Drive 1 cup cottage cheese Apple Second Post-Training Meal 60 Minutes Later Pasta (2-3 servings) Chicken breast Third Post-Training Meal 60 Minutes Later 2 cups oatmeal Rest of the Day I'd try to force down one more whole food meal around 7-8 PM, then watch Alias. (Remember, this was circa 2004-2005.) I'd fluctuate my caloric intake based off training days vs. non-training days to control body composition. It took me a while to work up to that much volume of food, but it's what had to be done. Any time I have a beginner tell me he can't put on size, it's almost always because he's not having an honest conversation with himself about total food intake. The body isn't going to make muscle out of nothing. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Supplements How to Change Your Body Weight Set Point The right training and the right supplement can help to move your body weight set point, making it easier to stay lean and build muscle. C3G, Dietary Myth Busting, Fat Loss Training, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements Bill Roberts December 31 Eating How to Burn Stubborn Body Fat Eating less and exercising more isn't going to get rid of stubborn pockets of fat. Here's the smart way to blast those love handles and saddlebags. Diet Strategy, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements Dr Jade Teta May 6 Supplements Tip CBD For Lifters It won't get you high, but it might be just what the hardcore lifter needs. Nutrition & Supplements, Powerlifting & Strength, Super Health, Tips Bronwen Blunt October 12 Supplements Tip Increase Insulin Sensitivity Get Abs Are you training your abs and eating clean yet still can't seem to uncover that six-pack? Here's what the problem could be and 5 ways to fix it. C3G, Carb Control, Insulin Sensitivity, Nutrition & Supplements, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Tips TC Luoma March 20