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by the_hangman 4603 days ago
You're really confusing yourself here trying to make these numbers work. Furthermore, it's not really proper to just pull some numbers out of the air with no basis (e.g., 1500 kcal/lb for muscle vs. 3500 kcal/lb for fat) and then use them as a basis to disprove someone else's calculations based on ACTUAL data.

It takes ~2000 kcal/day to maintain an average person's body weight. The only way to build muscle is through strenuous exercise which results in more kcals being burnt during exercise and muscle repair. These two facts alone should tell you that it would be physically impossible (as in, defies the laws of physics) to gain 34 lbs. of muscle in a month eating just 3500 kcal a day.
1 comments
jere 4603 days ago
1500 kcal/lb is a conservative estimate, considering the caloric density of fat vs protein and that the vast majority of muscle mass is water. I've heard the number 600 kcal thrown around quite a bit on body building forums. I'm sorry I can't find the actual number anywhere (I've looked), but I think a conservative bound is perfectly valid for demonstrating a back of the napkin calculation in casual conversation.

It doesn't really matter because I've already stated that eating 7000 kcal is doable. And that (grossly exaggerated) number was based on false assumptions, something to which delluminatus has already agreed.

I think you're the one confused about calories. Even an hour of strenuous lifting burns only ~ 500 kcal. http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Calories-burned-in-30...

Ferriss claims to have spent only 4 hours in the gym throughout those 28 days, which amounts to approximately 2000 kcal in a month. Meaning he had to somehow find within himself the strength to eat one additional large pizza in a month. Even if he was in the gym for an hour a day, eating 500 extra calories per day is hardly difficult.

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the_hangman 4603 days ago
I'm not really sure you understand the things that you are saying. You're the one saying that it's feasible to gain 34 lbs. of muscle in one month eating only 3500 kcal/day. Then you said that this guy did it working out for four hours a day, and strenuous lifting burns only ~ 500 kcal/hour. Then you say that all he'd need to eat is one additional large pizza in a month. None of this adds up to a coherent point.

4 hours * 500 kcal/hr = 2000 kcal

This would be IN EXCESS of what he would have to eat to maintain homeostasis, which means that he'd need somewhere in the ballpark of 4000 kcal/day JUST TO MAINTAIN HIS WEIGHT. Then he would need an ADDITIONAL amount of calories to allow his body to repair muscles and form new muscle. I'm not even saying it's impossible to gain 34 lbs. of muscle in a month -- just that it would take at least 6000-7000 kcal/day to gain weight that rapidly, not one large pizza/month. Or 3500 kcal/day. It's all nonsense.

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jere 4603 days ago
>Then you said that this guy did it working out for four hours a day

Nope, that's not what I said. I even linked to the article that has that exact claim; apparently, you didn't read it.

>just that it would take at least 6000-7000 kcal/day to gain weight that rapidly

I've also said repeatedly that I didn't think this was an obstacle, if it indeed was the amount required. I guess you didn't read that either.

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