Bulking

I'm after some help and advice I'm now down to what I would class a good starting weight to begin bulking a little but struggling to understand what carbs, protein, and fat levels I should be consuming to achieve it. the settings on the app are currently 241g carbs, 181g protein, 80g fat

my current weight is 11st 10lb and height is 6ft 1" I do undertake tanning which is a mix of weights and cardio 3 nights cardio, 3 nights weights.

if someone can stair me in the wright direction it would be much appreciated

Thanks

Replies

  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
    Youll probably want to do a clean bulk yo minimize fat gains. Eat a small calorie surplus 250-500 calories. Protien is important youll want at least 1 gram per pound of lean body weight, you could do more tho, like 1 gram per pound. I cant remember how to calculate how much fat you need hopefully someone else can help with that. The rest of your macros go to carbs, which will help you fuel your workouts.

    Also your main focus should be lifting weights on a good progressive overload program. If youve never done a program you could do something like stronglifts 5x5, or if youre more advanced im currently doing Wendlers 5/3/1 and im seeing great results. There are plenty of other peograms you could do as well.

    Cardio is kind of counter productive to bulking because youre using some of the surplus calories that you want going to building muscle. Now if your surplus is 500 calories and its only 30 minutes of cardio its not a big deal, but you just want to make sure youre still in a calorie surplus even with the cardio. (Also im not saying dont do cardio its still great for your health, im just saying stay in a surplus and your focus should be lifting.)

    Final tip, youre on the wrong subforum. This one is for weight loss, go checkout the one for gaining weight, there are usually quite a few posts on bulking there and more people with your goals.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    Your macros look pretty good. Just make sure your monitor progress to ensure you are gaining 1/2-1 lb per week. Also, what lifting program are your following?
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    edited June 2017
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Your macros look pretty good. Just make sure your monitor progress to ensure you are gaining 1/2-1 lb per week. Also, what lifting program are your following?

    That's the other problem, I'm not currently on a said program as most of the training I do is at home and in the garage with my own weights, I am seeing results in my shape and weights I'm lifting. what program would be recommended I've been training for around 9 months now.

    it all started as a bit of a weight loss venture as I was 14st 11lb when I started, but now its becoming an addiction because I can see the difference.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,389 MFP Moderator
    dalerst wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Your macros look pretty good. Just make sure your monitor progress to ensure you are gaining 1/2-1 lb per week. Also, what lifting program are your following?

    That's the other problem, I'm not currently on a said program as most of the training I do is at home and in the garage with my own weights, I am seeing results in my shape and weights I'm lifting. what program would be recommended I've been training for around 9 months now.

    it all started as a bit of a weight loss venture as I was 14st 11lb when I started, but now its becoming an addiction because I can see the difference.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Look at that list and see what can fit within your equipment limitations. Bulking can be done with even just body weight, but you might not get the most out of it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    dalerst wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Your macros look pretty good. Just make sure your monitor progress to ensure you are gaining 1/2-1 lb per week. Also, what lifting program are your following?

    That's the other problem, I'm not currently on a said program as most of the training I do is at home and in the garage with my own weights, I am seeing results in my shape and weights I'm lifting. what program would be recommended I've been training for around 9 months now.

    it all started as a bit of a weight loss venture as I was 14st 11lb when I started, but now its becoming an addiction because I can see the difference.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

    Look at that list and see what can fit within your equipment limitations. Bulking can be done with even just body weight, but you might not get the most out of it.

    this, and you might also want to look into how much cardio you are doing as the additional calorie burn is going to require that you eat more calories or it will eliminate your surplus.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    Thanks for the information, I will take a look and see whats best compared to what I'm already doing.

    I will keep my macros as they are for now then and just see how I get on in a couple of week, I only changed them last week so its still early days to tell.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    Great work. You're down to 164 lbs but don't look "skinny" so your lifting has paid off. Your calorie break-down is good. If needed for energy you can move some of the protein and fat calories to carbs. Total calories are 2420, you may want to bump that up by 200-300 until you're gaining 1/2 per week. Critical to success will be a good lifting program. Best advice here is don't create your own, pick an established program.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    loulamb7 wrote: »
    Great work. You're down to 164 lbs but don't look "skinny" so your lifting has paid off. Your calorie break-down is good. If needed for energy you can move some of the protein and fat calories to carbs. Total calories are 2420, you may want to bump that up by 200-300 until you're gaining 1/2 per week. Critical to success will be a good lifting program. Best advice here is don't create your own, pick an established program.

    Thanks for the advice. I have been doing my own programme for the last 9 months and fairly happy with the progress but it's now time to step it up so I want to follow a good programme?

    With you saying drop for protein cals for carbs would I just be better piping the per day cals with mainly carbs and keeping the protein and fat about the same as they are! Or is that too Much carbs?
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    dalerst wrote: »
    With you saying drop for protein cals for carbs would I just be better piping the per day cals with mainly carbs and keeping the protein and fat about the same as they are! Or is that too Much carbs?

    Agreed, if you're increasing calories, and your protein and fats are good, adding carbs would be fine.



  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    Well up to now it's not going so good lol been eating like mad 200kcals surplus on my daily intake from what the app says which it taking me to 3200 cals per day and I've lost a 1lb this week. :/

    I'm finding it very hard to get the cals in and still keeping to my 45c 25p 30f my fat is tending to be much more where am i going wrong?
  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
    A 200kcal daily surplus is a negligible amount if your bulking in my opinion, I'd increase that to a 500kcal daily surplus. Eat more healthy calorie dense foods like nuts and nut butters.
  • dalerst
    dalerst Posts: 174 Member
    A 200kcal daily surplus is a negligible amount if your bulking in my opinion, I'd increase that to a 500kcal daily surplus. Eat more healthy calorie dense foods like nuts and nut butters.

    That's what I've been doing but that's taking my fat way over my macros allowance which is currently set to 100g per day.
  • DresdenSinn
    DresdenSinn Posts: 665 Member
    Macro's shmacro's..don't sweat the macro's!