Slow Bulk at 21% BF

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TayTayDrenDren
TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Has anyone tried doing a slow bulk at 21% BF or should your BF % be lower than that (even if underweight)?
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  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Ideally you should be sub 15%...
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Ideally you should be sub 15%...

    Poster is female...so maybe sub-20% would be more ideal?

    However, if you are underweight...then you would have to bulk to gain weight, use a progressive overload program, and just be aware that fat gains will happen and keep the surplus small to keep that under control.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    edited April 2017
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    OP since you are underweight you really have nowhere to go but up and gain. Try not to concern yourself with your BF% (which is a fine place to start a bulk anyhow.. usually low 20% and under is ideal) As mentioned keep the surplus small and lift.
  • CJ_Holmes
    CJ_Holmes Posts: 759 Member
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    I started doing lifting and crossfit at 24% bodyfat 2 years ago. Once I started heavy work, I gained around 10 pounds over 2 years, and am now at 16% bodyfat (dunk tank). That would be a very, very slow bulk/recomp? I wasn't bulking on purpose, just worked hard and ate a lot, but it was great to have tons of energy and see consistent strength and muscle gains.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    sammyliftsandeats wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Ideally you should be sub 15%...

    Poster is female...so maybe sub-20% would be more ideal?

    However, if you are underweight...then you would have to bulk to gain weight, use a progressive overload program, and just be aware that fat gains will happen and keep the surplus small to keep that under control.

    I missed the female part...

    If that is the case then gen 18-20 would be better range
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
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    I would be a bit more comfortable bulking if i lost some of the fat but im worried about losing muscle in the process. Also ive been having a bit of a binging problem so im worried i might be on thin ice here. I dont know what to do! I want to lose the fat i gained during the whole binging fiasco but i just dont want to lose any muscle.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    I would be a bit more comfortable bulking if i lost some of the fat but im worried about losing muscle in the process. Also ive been having a bit of a binging problem so im worried i might be on thin ice here. I dont know what to do! I want to lose the fat i gained during the whole binging fiasco but i just dont want to lose any muscle.

    I would gain weight on a slow bulk until you are safely in the healthy BMI range and then consider recomposition, or maintaining your weight while lifting to reduce fat and add muscle.
  • jpoehls9025
    jpoehls9025 Posts: 471 Member
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    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    I would be a bit more comfortable bulking if i lost some of the fat but im worried about losing muscle in the process. Also ive been having a bit of a binging problem so im worried i might be on thin ice here. I dont know what to do! I want to lose the fat i gained during the whole binging fiasco but i just dont want to lose any muscle.

    Maybe a recomp first? being that your not to high bf% but a slow bulk might end up making you to high on bf% and most of us been through that struggle in the beginning. I remember how long it took me to wake up from the "bulk" when I was 18% that was a bad Idea haha. Most of us in my opinion have less of a struggle with bulking then cutting and if you are around that bf% I bet you would do great in a good recomp, easy diet to stick to and great results when you are already fairly lean. But thats just my opinion good luck on any goal you set out on!
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
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    Ok so how exactly do i recomp? Also im about 116-117lbs so how long would it take for me to get to a healthy weight? (Around 125-130lbs in my case)
  • jpoehls9025
    jpoehls9025 Posts: 471 Member
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    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    Ok so how exactly do i recomp? Also im about 116-117lbs so how long would it take for me to get to a healthy weight? (Around 125-130lbs in my case)

    Theres a lot of information on it and Im not trying to be lazy but this article seems to explain the basics well
    http://physiqonomics.com/body-recomposition/

    There is good threads on MFP forums about body recomp as well. Will have to do a lot of reading, but I still stand by the fact at your BF% I feel you could achieve your goals this way.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    You want to be as lean as possible before undertaking ant type of bulk. Either look at cutting down to a suitable bodyfat or look to recomp.

    As a female 18-20% is ideal, as a male 10-12% is ideal.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You want to be as lean as possible before undertaking ant type of bulk. Either look at cutting down to a suitable bodyfat or look to recomp.

    As a female 18-20% is ideal, as a male 10-12% is ideal.

    While normally I would agree, "as lean as possible" isn't always a good idea.
    OP is fairly underweight at 5'10", 116 lbs (as per her other thread). She has nothing to cut and definitely needs to bulk to get to a healthy weight.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    You want to be as lean as possible before undertaking ant type of bulk. Either look at cutting down to a suitable bodyfat or look to recomp.

    As a female 18-20% is ideal, as a male 10-12% is ideal.

    While normally I would agree, "as lean as possible" isn't always a good idea.
    OP is fairly underweight at 5'10", 116 lbs (as per her other thread). She has nothing to cut and definitely needs to bulk to get to a healthy weight.

    I see, wasn't aware of the OP's situation.
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks guys! Im going to go for a recomp for awhile and try to improve my situation that way. This would probably take some stress off of my mind and keep me from falling into a binging cycle that caused me to gain the fat in the first place.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    TayTayDrenDren wrote: »
    Ok so how exactly do i recomp? Also im about 116-117lbs so how long would it take for me to get to a healthy weight? (Around 125-130lbs in my case)

    Those suggesting a recomposition I believe are thinking that you use that to stay at current weight and get your body fat down to a lower level. Then bulk with a surplus to add more weight in the form of muscle. One reason for this is that the higher your body fat, the more likely any added weight is going to be fat instead of muscle.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    @usmcmp that advice is spot on. I agree with all of it and didn't even consider putting off lifting due to her weight because it could be dangerous. OP time to put your health first.
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
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    usmcmp wrote: »
    With the OP's height and weight I actually think that lifting or recomp is potentially dangerous. Her BMI is 16.6, which doctors would consider ED if she doesn't have a medical condition causing the weight loss. Weight gain should be her first goal. She should also consider talking to her doctor or a professional about how she sees her body and her fear of gaining fat because those are disordered thoughts.

    ETA: She's getting her body fat reading off of calipers that she's using herself with little to no experience and only using the 3 site method. It's possible that her body fat is lower than she states.

    Im sorry. Im just really overwhelmed by all of the things ive been reading. Everyone tells me that weight gain should be my first goal which i definitely agree to. However, a bunch of people are telling me that 21% BF is too high and therefore i shouldnt focus on gaining and instead focus on losing a bit of that fat so that i dont become insulin resistant whenever i need to cut. My parents have already realized that my head is totally f***ed up and they've already taken my food scale away because of how obsessive ive become over this. Ive also told them about my problems with binging but they just see me as thin and think that my metabolism is the same as before i became underweight butbi know its not due to the loss of muscle. Sorry about my constant worrying and posts for all who have seen them, but its been 4.5 months since ive started and i just want to make some freaking progress for once!!! Im glad that you guys are trying to help me because i feel so alone trying to figure this out.
  • TayTayDrenDren
    TayTayDrenDren Posts: 65 Member
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    Also, i got 21% BF using the Parillo method. With all of the calculators out there i get results from 15%-22% and i dont know what to believe.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    First of all your body fat percentage is likely inaccurate. The people telling you that it is too high don't know that your BMI is not only underweight, but dangerously underweight. No matter what your body fat is your weight is a serious health risk. You will not become insulin resistant by gaining enough weight to put you into the normal category.

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