Am I doing it ( Bulking) right?
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gemmamummy wrote: »I'm 4'11 & 99lbs and currently on 2000 a day for my bulk. Gaining about 0.25lbs a week. You need to eat more!
Well put. I'm 5'6", 124 lbs and eating 2600-2700 for my bulk, just the help the OP with perspective.
wow! we are almost the same, 2600-2700!? how much do you gain a week with that calories???? ( drooling imagining all the food I can eat......)0 -
We have the same stats. I'm 5'7" 123 lbs and I've been consuming 2,000 for a slow bulk.
I was able to slowly reach 127 without much fat gain (my current profile pic) but if I stay anywhere lower than 2,000 for a week or two I'll lose again. Thus I'm back to 123 after only two weeks of eating around 1,800.
My advice to you is to step away from the scale and stop looking at your weight. Really commit to eating 2,000 and only keep tabs on your progress by looking at the mirror or taking pics. Bulking / maintaining is a whole different game than losing. It does mess with your mind. But you have to remember, it's about how you look and feel not about that number. You weight becomes pretty much meaningless when you are trying to build muscle. If it goes higher it does not necessarily mean muscle gain, it might mean fat gain. If it goes down it doesn't necessarily mean muscle loss, it might be water loss.
I find that if I weight myself I start eating less because I see the numbers go up even though my body comp is fine. I have to comment though that not looking at the scale has made me eat less by being afraid to gain too much without being aware and that is why I lost some weight. So damned if you do, damned if you don't
but again, it's all in the mind. We have to learn to let go and focus on the goal, which I promise myself I will stick with for the next 6 weeks - 2,000 cals not matter what.
Good luck!
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gemmamummy wrote: »I'm 4'11 & 99lbs and currently on 2000 a day for my bulk. Gaining about 0.25lbs a week. You need to eat more!
Well put. I'm 5'6", 124 lbs and eating 2600-2700 for my bulk, just the help the OP with perspective.
wow! we are almost the same, 2600-2700!? how much do you gain a week with that calories???? ( drooling imagining all the food I can eat......)
dido!!!0 -
gemmamummy wrote: »I'm 4'11 & 99lbs and currently on 2000 a day for my bulk. Gaining about 0.25lbs a week. You need to eat more!
Well put. I'm 5'6", 124 lbs and eating 2600-2700 for my bulk, just the help the OP with perspective.
wow! we are almost the same, 2600-2700!? how much do you gain a week with that calories???? ( drooling imagining all the food I can eat......)
dido!!!
I have a high TDEE, around 2300, so I'm trying to gain .5 lbs/week.0 -
Keep in mind it is harder to gain weight using machine training compared to free weights, particularly full body exercises like squats, deadlifts, benches, presses, good mornings, rows, etc. Not impossible, but harder. Pick one of the tried and true methods like 5 x 5 or a high volume program. High volume means a lot of sets. Take a weight you can do for 8 - 10 and do 10 sets of 4 or 5. By avoiding high reps you avoid fatigue which is the key to volume. Today I did 10 sets of 3 deadlifting, I warmed up with a few sets of light squats and deadlifts.Good luck.0
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Hey, since you can't do barbell lifts, do progressive BW compound exercises. Add some weight to those exercises where applicable.
A girl your size should bulk about 200 to 250 calories above TDEE. Gaining .25-.50 lb / week. Cut at the same rates, just flip the calories below TDEE. Do the same exercises. Don't worry much about cardio, especially while bulking. Hit your macro and calories err day.
Its less of a mind eff after the first bulk. Remember you'll look a lot better after a cycle of bulking and cutting. I'm on my 4th right now and it's fun! You get two have fitness seasons. One where you get to eat a lot of crap and be seriously okay with it. Also ridiculously strong. Then another season where you're physically looking gooood, just more having more clean and less overall food. Still strong, just not superhuman.
The payoff is huge once you commit to it.
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dalecharles99 wrote: »Keep in mind it is harder to gain weight using machine training compared to free weights, particularly full body exercises like squats, deadlifts, benches, presses, good mornings, rows, etc. Not impossible, but harder. Pick one of the tried and true methods like 5 x 5 or a high volume program. High volume means a lot of sets. Take a weight you can do for 8 - 10 and do 10 sets of 4 or 5. By avoiding high reps you avoid fatigue which is the key to volume. Today I did 10 sets of 3 deadlifting, I warmed up with a few sets of light squats and deadlifts.Good luck.
Thank you!0 -
LeadingMuscle wrote: »Hey, since you can't do barbell lifts, do progressive BW compound exercises. Add some weight to those exercises where applicable.
A girl your size should bulk about 200 to 250 calories above TDEE. Gaining .25-.50 lb / week. Cut at the same rates, just flip the calories below TDEE. Do the same exercises. Don't worry much about cardio, especially while bulking. Hit your macro and calories err day.
Its less of a mind eff after the first bulk. Remember you'll look a lot better after a cycle of bulking and cutting. I'm on my 4th right now and it's fun! You get two have fitness seasons. One where you get to eat a lot of crap and be seriously okay with it. Also ridiculously strong. Then another season where you're physically looking gooood, just more having more clean and less overall food. Still strong, just not superhuman.
The payoff is huge once you commit to it.
Thank you! I am back to 2030 daily now, I will see how it goes in a week or two then I will adjust it.
Well, I balm the season that I am eating way too much sweets but I am trying to keep everything under my macro. I plan to cut or recomp ( depends on how I feel by then) next spring. It takes time and I will just have to have faith in it
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I wanted to point out that while compound barbell free weight exercises are generally the go to number one exercises to build a routine around, there are plenty of compound exercises you could do with dumbbells or cables that would work alright.
Goblet squats, dumbbell bench presses, dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell one arm rows, dumbbell deadlifts, and then add something like a pull up/chin up if you have the strength to do them or a cable pull down if you don't... and there you go. 0 -
Considering that the OP mentioned that she has spent much of her life trying to lose weight, I would think a slow bulk without a real cut would be better. I don't see a real advantage to doing a bulk/cut cycle, especially in her case.LeadingMuscle wrote: »Hey, since you can't do barbell lifts, do progressive BW compound exercises. Add some weight to those exercises where applicable.
A girl your size should bulk about 200 to 250 calories above TDEE. Gaining .25-.50 lb / week. Cut at the same rates, just flip the calories below TDEE. Do the same exercises. Don't worry much about cardio, especially while bulking. Hit your macro and calories err day.
Its less of a mind eff after the first bulk. Remember you'll look a lot better after a cycle of bulking and cutting. I'm on my 4th right now and it's fun! You get two have fitness seasons. One where you get to eat a lot of crap and be seriously okay with it. Also ridiculously strong. Then another season where you're physically looking gooood, just more having more clean and less overall food. Still strong, just not superhuman.
The payoff is huge once you commit to it.0 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
Considering that the OP mentioned that she has spent much of her life trying to lose weight, I would think a slow bulk without a real cut would be better. I don't see a real advantage to doing a bulk/cut cycle, especially in her case.LeadingMuscle wrote: »Hey, since you can't do barbell lifts, do progressive BW compound exercises. Add some weight to those exercises where applicable.
A girl your size should bulk about 200 to 250 calories above TDEE. Gaining .25-.50 lb / week. Cut at the same rates, just flip the calories below TDEE. Do the same exercises. Don't worry much about cardio, especially while bulking. Hit your macro and calories err day.
Its less of a mind eff after the first bulk. Remember you'll look a lot better after a cycle of bulking and cutting. I'm on my 4th right now and it's fun! You get two have fitness seasons. One where you get to eat a lot of crap and be seriously okay with it. Also ridiculously strong. Then another season where you're physically looking gooood, just more having more clean and less overall food. Still strong, just not superhuman.
The payoff is huge once you commit to it.
Hi Jason, it doesn't matter where she was at most of her life, it matters where she's at now. Considering her height/weight, she's in a good place to start. Are you speaking from a place of experience. Have you done a bulk and cut?
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I'll admit that I haven't actually done a true bulk and cut, but am trying to do a slow bulk now. Considering that I've always been very lean, the last thing I want to do is gain a fair amount of body fat from bulking and then have to worry about losing it.LeadingMuscle wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
Considering that the OP mentioned that she has spent much of her life trying to lose weight, I would think a slow bulk without a real cut would be better. I don't see a real advantage to doing a bulk/cut cycle, especially in her case.LeadingMuscle wrote: »Hey, since you can't do barbell lifts, do progressive BW compound exercises. Add some weight to those exercises where applicable.
A girl your size should bulk about 200 to 250 calories above TDEE. Gaining .25-.50 lb / week. Cut at the same rates, just flip the calories below TDEE. Do the same exercises. Don't worry much about cardio, especially while bulking. Hit your macro and calories err day.
Its less of a mind eff after the first bulk. Remember you'll look a lot better after a cycle of bulking and cutting. I'm on my 4th right now and it's fun! You get two have fitness seasons. One where you get to eat a lot of crap and be seriously okay with it. Also ridiculously strong. Then another season where you're physically looking gooood, just more having more clean and less overall food. Still strong, just not superhuman.
The payoff is huge once you commit to it.
Hi Jason, it doesn't matter where she was at most of her life, it matters where she's at now. Considering her height/weight, she's in a good place to start. Are you speaking from a place of experience. Have you done a bulk and cut?
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I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.0
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I can definitely understand bulking/cutting in your situation since you have a lot of lifting experience and it sounds like you are into professional body building.I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
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I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
Trying to do a bulk myself....what a huge mind f**k this is....
Sad to see the definition go, that is for sure
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I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
wow! you look AMAZING! I am doing slow bulking, my TDEE + 150, I will see where I am next spring and cut ;-)0 -
I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
Trying to do a bulk myself....what a huge mind f**k this is....
Sad to see the definition go, that is for sure
I hear you! I was just asking around if I will lose my abs definition when bulking... hopefully I will see more of it after my cut!
Good luck on your bulk!0 -
I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
Trying to do a bulk myself....what a huge mind f**k this is....
Sad to see the definition go, that is for sure
I hear you! I was just asking around if I will lose my abs definition when bulking... hopefully I will see more of it after my cut!
Good luck on your bulk!
Yeah, prolly will go....I still have some....but prolly not much longer....
I may need to up calories again soon0 -
I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
Trying to do a bulk myself....what a huge mind f**k this is....
Sad to see the definition go, that is for sure
I hear you! I was just asking around if I will lose my abs definition when bulking... hopefully I will see more of it after my cut!
Argg.. I am so scared of losing my definition too... I hear the abs can fade with bulking but they will come back! Trying to remind myself of that everyday, it is very hard to get into this mindset for sure
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I'm doing a bulk after my first show and everyday I'm constantly battling with the increased weight. What I've come to the conclusion is that as long as you're killing it in the gym and pushing yourself to grow with the increase in food, the muscle will come, yes it'll come with fat, but when you do end up cutting it'll be okay because your shiny new muscle will be there and it'll be worth it.
Trying to do a bulk myself....what a huge mind f**k this is....
Sad to see the definition go, that is for sure
I hear you! I was just asking around if I will lose my abs definition when bulking... hopefully I will see more of it after my cut!
Argg.. I am so scared of losing my definition too... I hear the abs can fade with bulking but they will come back! Trying to remind myself of that everyday, it is very hard to get into this mindset for sure
LOL! my definitely is disappearing, also my belly is getting bigger... sigh, I usually gain on my belly first... I am glad I am bulking now cause the weather and I am so hungry. I can't wait to cut and see if I really get some more muscles!0
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