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I am an avid crossfitter 22 y/o, 6 foot 4 inches and 200 lbs. I recently started using cronometer to moniter my food intake and just to maintain bodyweight it reccomends 2700 kcals a day and 600 more if i work out. But thats just to maintain body weight. My ratio is set at 20 20 60 for protein carbs and fat.

The question i have is, is gaining weight equivilent to gaining mass. And is mass equivilent to strength. I plan on supplementing my wods with some power lifting to build strength.

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 Mass means just that, mass. That mass could be made up of body fat or muscle. Usually of course when one goes for a so called mass gain they'll get a bit of both. – ben61820 Sep 14 2011 at 1:20
You must TRIGGER your body to gain muscle IN THE GYM, then, IF its able to and allowed (diet+recuperation) it will adapt and grow. The most simple way to do this is pick four exercises. Squat, Pullup, Bench and Press. Do one set to failure, at least 10 reps then go up in weight next time (72hrs aprox later). Simple to gain 10lbs in under 60 days doing this. Google Search ARTHUR JONES – Bill1102inf Nov 10 2011 at 4:59

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I'm not a Crossfit guy, but I understand those workouts are fairly brutal. It will likely tax your recovery ability to then add more workouts on top of the WODs. On the one hand, you're 22 and can probably get away with almost anything. On the other hand, if you really want to gain muscle, I think you'd be better served with a "Starting Strength" style routine, plus lots of food and recovery time. Go back to Crossfit when you are the size you want to be.

One thing I've learned in my 52 years is that you don't get stronger/faster/better in your workouts, you get stronger/faster/better between them.

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well said mike :-) – Sunshine Sep 14 2011 at 17:20
Thanks for the insight mike. I definetley make it a point to rest and take time off to recover. I dont plan on adding too much strength training just some heavier lifts 3 days a week prior to metcons which are generally 10-20 mins long. Ive never had much natural strength and am looking for a power increase to match my endurance increase. It doesnt matter if i can go fast for a.long time if i hit muscle failure before a.wods done if you catch my drift. Pullups and pushups are killing me i can barely do any pullups and pushups are weak to say the least – Hurricane Sep 15 2011 at 8:29
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Amen, Mike. It has taken me quite some time to get the same insight. Funny, how the phrase "power naps" (get rested fast! Back on your feet in no time) reflects our culture's normalization of manic. I have friends who run 4-6 ultra marathons per year. Overweight, carb-bloated, no doubt chronic inflammation - and not seeming to have much fun. I say this as a former distance runner. Loved it in my 20s; no regrets. At 57 I spend much less time with workouts of all kinds, and am decidedly more fit than ever. Sleep? Get as much as I can, love it...

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From my experience doing crazy metabolic conditioning or the WODs will make you super fit at first but in the end you will loose muscle mass and a little overall strength as well.

If you're looking to get jacked, and gain crazy muscle mass lift heavy and lift often. Squat, deadlift and Olylifts have helped me significantly. I try to limit my "conditioning" to sprints on Sundays, other than that I pretty much stick to progressive weight training.

The Crossfit WODs thing does decrease my overall muscle mass and strength to a certain degreee. Basically if you want to get big, anything that increases your heartrate will cut your muscle and strength to a certain degree i.e., Nigeran marathon runner vs Jamaican sprinter.

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If you eat enough carbs you won't lose muscle mass. – cliff Oct 23 2011 at 20:39

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