Gaining muscle and strength after anorexia recovery

Hi guys and girls,
I’m new to the forum however have always been interested in fitness and have wanted to pursue bodybuilding but never got round to it. I know there are loads of experienced people on these forums who might be able to offer some advice and would appreciate any tips I could get...

I unintentionally lost a lot of weight by doing way too much cardio and not eating enough to fuel my workouts... by the time it all happened It was too late and I was left in a very vulnerable and severe state where I had to quickly recover and follow a meal plan to bring my health back up. Now I’m at a healthy weight however it seems like my upper body especially is extremely weak due to the loss of muscle mass that occurred along with weight loss.

I am left in a bad position since i’m now too weak to lift dumbells and have resorted to bodyweight exercises but it seems like it is not making a difference. I would ideally like to gain some more mass particuarly on my upper body as it seems like my lower body still has a decent level of muscularity and strength.

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

Maintain a strong diet, eat plenty of protein and carbs. Keep a steady and balanced meal intake but potentially consume more meals a day, depending on how much exercise you're actually doing. In terms of dumbbells, start with a lighter weight and do more reps until you feel comfortable moving onto a slightly heavier weight. Don't go too hard too fast by trying heavier weights. Switch up your workouts every now and then. Do high reps with bodyweight exercises, and high reps with low weights and gradually (not immediately) you will notice a difference.

Reply 2

black tea

Are you male or female? How long have you been doing the bodyweight exercises for? Are you eating enough protein and calories?

It will likely take you months to build up the muscle again. Obviously not an option right now, but it might be worth getting some sessions with a personal trainer once lockdown is lifted and gyms re-open again.

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Thank you so much for the advice so far guys! I have been eating things to fuel me through the workouts so for instance I have a banana and porridge with milk in the morning and maybe a chicken curry for dinner with salad. Since I’m asian we eat a lot of curries so I mostly eat that for lunch too with roti. I also eat lentils (dal) and vary it up every day with the cooking. Thanks, I think i’ll use the lightest that will still push and work my muscles and when I get a bit stronger gradually up the weight. I’ve been doing lots of push ups and sit ups ect.. but it seems like the push ups aren’t working to build my upper body and I haven’t seen any changes yet.

I am female and still a teenager. I have been doing them for about four months now and whilst I don’t count calories I definitely am eating enough to gain weight since i’ve been checking it every week and it is gradually increasing. It just is disappointing that I can’t tell any difference in my upper body.

Yes I will definitely consider that since it would be great to get more support.

Gaining muscle and strength after anorexia recovery

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you