FORUMS > Gaining Weight Forum Rules

This is a subject for all my dance peers out there. I'm 5'9 and 135 pounds. It fluctuates because I do so much cardio with dancing almost everynight. at one point i was 150 which I loved. I hate feeling this way but I love to dance. But I also want to bulk up to. Any advice?

To be fair, I'm not a dancer. But how many dancers have you ever seen who you could think of having "bulked up"? The build of a dancer is very lean, and not very large. While dancers tend to be very strong, they'll typically only have large, visible muscles in their legs and rear; the arms and chest will be much less visibly developed.

If it's merely a question of how you can gain weight while still doing a whole lot of cardio, at the risk of sounding like chuckystud, that really involves eating a ridiculous amount.

MSUBioNerd saidTo be fair, I'm not a dancer. But how many dancers have you ever seen who you could think of having "bulked up"? The build of a dancer is very lean, and not very large. While dancers tend to be very strong, they'll typically only have large, visible muscles in their legs and rear; the arms and chest will be much less visibly developed.

If it's merely a question of how you can gain weight while still doing a whole lot of cardio, at the risk of sounding like chuckystud, that really involves eating a ridiculous amount.

Well, male Broadway dancers nowadays are sometimes pretty muscular, occasionally very muscular.

But, yes, ballet dancers, though probably more muscular than they used to be, are not bulked up. They're generally slim.

protein shakes... I was as contemporary dancer for 8 years... you'd be surprised by how much more protein your body requires.

Carbs and fats. Unless you're tearing down muscle via weight training or high intensity sports, you wont' need a bunch of extra protein. Carbs are your body's preferred source of energy. Protein alone won't provide the calories you need to maintain normal weight. That's bad advice. Carbs are much better for keep your body sugar up and are protein sparing / muscle sparing. If you force your body to burn protein for fuel, you'll compromise your lean muscle mass along the way, and create metabolic lag. Eat the carbs, any you body will burn that, instead, and spare your muscle, as well as have a higher level of performance. Glucose is the name of the game. Fats are also good for long term energy and unless you have very high blood sugar / high insulin when eating them won't make you fat, if you're eating the good ones (poly and mono). If you're dancing for long periods, what you need is fat.

EAT. Lift weights. Simple stuff for a very basic question.

If you eat more calories than you burn you'll gain weight and vice versa. It's not at all complicated, and very much a common sense thing.

chuckystud saidCarbs and fats. Unless you're tearing down muscle via weight training or high intensity sports, you wont' need a bunch of extra protein. Carbs are your body's preferred source of energy. Protein alone won't provide the calories you need to maintain normal weight. That's bad advice. Carbs are much better for keep your body sugar up and are protein sparing / muscle sparing. If you force your body to burn protein for fuel, you'll compromise your lean muscle mass along the way, and create metabolic lag. Eat the carbs, any you body will burn that, instead, and spare your muscle, as well as have a higher level of performance. Glucose is the name of the game. Fats are also good for long term energy and unless you have very high blood sugar / high insulin when eating them won't make you fat, if you're eating the good ones (poly and mono). If you're dancing for long periods, what you need is fat.

EAT. Lift weights. Simple stuff for a very basic question.

If you eat more calories than you burn you'll gain weight and vice versa. It's not at all complicated, and very much a common sense thing.

Actually, you tear a lot of muscle in dancing.

calibro saidActually, you tear a lot of muscle in dancing.

dear gawd, i adore roberto bolle!

im a dancer as well i dance hip hop choreography (like americas best dance crew) and contemporary for my dance company ... i guess i do so much dancing and practice that i eat watever i want... and still maintain the weight.... well actually ive lost a couple of pounds but what ever i blame that on my body adapting to the difficult moves and skills we have to achieve.... actually theres is alot of extremely talented dancers that are big or heavy built and still able to move like a ballerina or a break dancer.... i guess because dancing is such a full body workout!!!!