Road to Six Pack ABs - Get Ripped!
proanthonylee
Posts: 35 Member
I'm down to where I want it as far as fat % goes.
145 lbs with 14.2% body fat, Now I want to gain muscle weight 20 lbs.
this is my goal.
Do you want to gain muscle? Do you want to get Ripped to the core? Do you want to have six pack showing like WoW
Follow this discussion. Comment. Let's share the progress and get to our goal of gaining muscle weight together~
145 lbs with 14.2% body fat, Now I want to gain muscle weight 20 lbs.
this is my goal.
Do you want to gain muscle? Do you want to get Ripped to the core? Do you want to have six pack showing like WoW
Follow this discussion. Comment. Let's share the progress and get to our goal of gaining muscle weight together~
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Replies
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Good luck with gaining 20 lbs of pure muscle and keeping that six-pack. If that's how bulks worked I'd look like Christmas Abbott
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I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.0
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ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
And how long do you think that would take? YEARS. I do bulk/recomp cycles, no cutting necessary, but the processes is like watching grass grow.0 -
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It can be done - with lots and lots and lots of drugs. It is amazing that a lot of people have the misconception that any bodybuilder beyond being a newbie (less than 1 year or so) can just go out and gain 20lbs (and not gain any fat to boot). Wow! If you can do that without drugs, please do share the secret. That concept is a wet dream to the supplement companies! I don't honestly know if most people even really know what adding 20lbs of muscle would look like. Think of what a 20lb piece of meat would look like and then imagine that added to your frame. It takes time for a natural body builder to add muscle.
Your best bet if trying to make steady gains is the same thing that is repeated over and over on MFP; Lift heavy weights on good programing that emphasizes progressive overload, eat at a reasonable surplus of ~250-500 calories in decent macro ratios, get as much rest as possible, and end the bulk when you are ~15% or less body fat. Then you enter a cut to slowly get to ~9-10% body fat, and repeat process until you get where you want. Oh, and one last thing, this is important and probably what messes more people up than anything else. Have a realistic expectation. If you want to look like one of the behemoths in a magazine then go on a steroid cycle.
But for a natural, gaining 20lbs in a year without fat is like owning a unicorn; it just cannot be done. Instead just put in the work, enjoy the process, and keep at it and you will get there.0 -
Incidentally, to the OP, if you are at 14.2% body fat, you need to cut more before going on a bulk (or recomp). Hormonally, it is hard to store surplus calories as lean muscle if you are above ~15% body fat. The process of partitioning calories as fat or muscle is called the P-ratio.0
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OP, your profile pic looks like a good place to bulk. I'm guessing it'll take about 2 years to put on 20 lbs of muscle and be about 10% fat. I'd say go for 4 bulk/cut cycles. Good luck man0
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20lbs of lean muscle and keep abs? Maybe it they were on some gear.ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
Adding muscle means adding fat. The reverse also happens when someone leans down (lose some muscle along with fat).
Body recomp is possible, but for 20lbs of lean muscle that's gonna take a LONG LONG time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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The author of this blog wishes he had done a clean bulk initially. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/ectomorph-hardgainer/ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
It's not just most people around here. It would be nice if the conversation could have people apply personal experience, not just what they hear. Want to try it?
I'm sure there are other examples as well.
Also, in case there was confusion, I didn't literally mean trying to bulk without gaining an ounce of body fat. Take for example a man who is 130 pounds with 8% body fat. That means he would have 10 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lbm. If he does a clean bulk to 150 pounds and 9% body fat in 12-15 months, he would likely still have visible abs. However, that would mean he would have gained 3-4 pounds of fat (almost 25%).
In contrast, say this person goes to 150 pounds in 3-4 months and ends up at 14% body fat. That would mean over half the weight gained would be fat. So now he's got to work to get his body fat down, but if he had tried to gain the weight over a longer period of time, he wouldn't have to.
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It has been stated you havr dream expectatios op. I agree. I see you look pretty muscular already. Good luck adding 10 lbs muscle in 5 years and keeping similar conditioning. Person might add 30 lbs of muscle above what they carry naturally. Thats it.0
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Like other have said gaining 20 lbs of fat free mass is quite an undertaking for a drugfree person of your size. I would pick a more achievable goal. Start with trying for 5 lbs. Once you achieve that then shoot for another 5 lbs.0
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BB coach might have fallen for the hype. Adding 20lbs of pure muscle on your frame would put you at elite level natural body builder level. Not sure it would even be possible in a few years. Even harder at 37 years old.
If you are legit looking for support then listen to the others on setting realistic goals. If you are here to sell your product....0 -
I also want to get ripped and gain at least 20lb of muscle and get me some abs. But I've given myself a deadline of 50 for the six pack
Haha I'm serious, I think another 10 or so bulk/cut cycles should get me there.0 -
Incidentally, to the OP, if you are at 14.2% body fat, you need to cut more before going on a bulk (or recomp). Hormonally, it is hard to store surplus calories as lean muscle if you are above ~15% body fat. The process of partitioning calories as fat or muscle is called the P-ratio.
Discouraging advice for me assuming it's true (you sound very knowledgable). Initially I wanted to start actually trying to gain some muscle when I got down to 200. Then I decided 190 (when according to a calculator I might be near 14% body fat). I mean seriously, how do guys trying to get in shape actually make any progress? Am I supposed to just lift on a deficit and never make progress?
To BFDeal...
Not trying to be discouraging. Quite to the contrary, I would like to be helpful. Initially starting out at a higher body fat is the toughest mentally, or at least it is for many. If you are at 190 lbs and 14% your lean body mass (LBM) is 163.40 lbs. To figure your goal weight for a specific body fat % use the following: Goal Weight = LBM/(1-Goal BF% as a decimal). Doing the math for you, I figure that you need to be at 181.56 lbs. It is reasonable to lose about 1-1.5 lbs. per week (until you get to 10% where it gets really tough!) So you are within about a month of your goal. After that you can reverse diet and go on a bulk that should last you about 4-6 months. During this time, you will eat a lot and should make steady and considerable gains. Your strength will skyrocket and you will make noticeable changes in your physique.
It is not fun to get to the BEST starting point, but it is worth it in the end. Honestly, you need time to make the most of a bulk and you need the hormonal advantage to make sure as much of your weight gain is muscle. You will be amazed at what you can do, but it is so important to do it right without spinning your wheels. Far too many guys waste their time doing the wrong things only to get discouraged and quit. I wish I could tell you about a magic bullet, but that just isn’t the truth to how it works. I am happy to help if I can but it doesn’t involve perpetuating some dream of getting huge in 6 months because that is just not reality.
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I am in for a 6 pack beer after that0
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It can be done - with lots and lots and lots of drugs. It is amazing that a lot of people have the misconception that any bodybuilder beyond being a newbie (less than 1 year or so) can just go out and gain 20lbs (and not gain any fat to boot). Wow! If you can do that without drugs, please do share the secret. That concept is a wet dream to the supplement companies! I don't honestly know if most people even really know what adding 20lbs of muscle would look like. Think of what a 20lb piece of meat would look like and then imagine that added to your frame. It takes time for a natural body builder to add muscle.
Your best bet if trying to make steady gains is the same thing that is repeated over and over on MFP; Lift heavy weights on good programing that emphasizes progressive overload, eat at a reasonable surplus of ~250-500 calories in decent macro ratios, get as much rest as possible, and end the bulk when you are ~15% or less body fat. Then you enter a cut to slowly get to ~9-10% body fat, and repeat process until you get where you want. Oh, and one last thing, this is important and probably what messes more people up than anything else. Have a realistic expectation. If you want to look like one of the behemoths in a magazine then go on a steroid cycle.
But for a natural, gaining 20lbs in a year without fat is like owning a unicorn; it just cannot be done. Instead just put in the work, enjoy the process, and keep at it and you will get there.
so your saying I can't own a unicorn AND put on 20 pound of muscle...
MFP is so negative...0 -
Sure you can! There are drugs that can help with both. LOL 0
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Immediately after my last bodybuilding competition I started a bulk. (I'm a female) I gained about 12 pounds of lean mass in 12 months and my abs are barely visible now.
@LolBroScience has been bulking. Not sure how much muscle he's added, but he's stayed fairly lean.
ETA: We are both natty.
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ForecasterJason wrote: »
The author of this blog wishes he had done a clean bulk initially. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/ectomorph-hardgainer/ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
It's not just most people around here. It would be nice if the conversation could have people apply personal experience, not just what they hear. Want to try it?
I'm sure there are other examples as well.
Also, in case there was confusion, I didn't literally mean trying to bulk without gaining an ounce of body fat. Take for example a man who is 130 pounds with 8% body fat. That means he would have 10 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lbm. If he does a clean bulk to 150 pounds and 9% body fat in 12-15 months, he would likely still have visible abs. However, that would mean he would have gained 3-4 pounds of fat (almost 25%).
In contrast, say this person goes to 150 pounds in 3-4 months and ends up at 14% body fat. That would mean over half the weight gained would be fat. So now he's got to work to get his body fat down, but if he had tried to gain the weight over a longer period of time, he wouldn't have to.
You do understand that somatotypes are bullsh*t right? It was a theory suggested by a psychologist in the 1940's and it has been proven wrong over and over.
Ectomorph/hard gainer=Someone who doesn't eat enough for their activity level
Mesomorph=Someone who eats appropriately for their activity level
Endomorph=Someone who eats too much for their activity level.0 -
Those are great gains! I am on a bulk as well. I doubt that my abs will be defined at the end of around 15%. Obviously the references for body fat % I made above are for men.
At least for me, the strategy to 'recomp' or stay as lean as possible while increasing muscle will only come when I am pretty much completely satisfied with my physique. I am not a formal contest body builder so it is just for my own gratification. Anyway, making gains while staying lean is very, very difficult and very slow for anyone who is beyond intermediate. I lift because I enjoy the process even though it can be frustrating at times.
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I've not previously bulked, and I'm not saying that it's easy. I was just using that as a rough example. You could even extend that time period in that example to several years. But for the skinny person who already has abs, it seems ridiculous to me to think that a person like this can't realistically bulk up without gaining a significant amount of body fat. Now for the person who is at 15-20% body fat and trying to bulk, obviously trying to get a six pack would be a lot harder.ForecasterJason wrote: »
The author of this blog wishes he had done a clean bulk initially. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/ectomorph-hardgainer/ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
It's not just most people around here. It would be nice if the conversation could have people apply personal experience, not just what they hear. Want to try it?
I'm sure there are other examples as well.
Also, in case there was confusion, I didn't literally mean trying to bulk without gaining an ounce of body fat. Take for example a man who is 130 pounds with 8% body fat. That means he would have 10 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lbm. If he does a clean bulk to 150 pounds and 9% body fat in 12-15 months, he would likely still have visible abs. However, that would mean he would have gained 3-4 pounds of fat (almost 25%).
In contrast, say this person goes to 150 pounds in 3-4 months and ends up at 14% body fat. That would mean over half the weight gained would be fat. So now he's got to work to get his body fat down, but if he had tried to gain the weight over a longer period of time, he wouldn't have to.
Just consider what you just proposed, going from 130 8% to 150 9% then throwing out a time frame of 12-15 months. How realistic do you think it is for someone to be able to do that? Do you think it's easy? Have you ever attempted a feat like that? Then to think he would still likely have visible abs. I ask again, have you ever done that. Have you ever bulked before?
I realize we've discussed this before, and I purposely did not mention "ectomorph" in my previous post. Although he goes by somatotypes, that's irrelevant in this case. The point is that he did not do a slow bulk and then later regretted not doing so.You do understand that somatotypes are bullsh*t right? It was a theory suggested by a psychologist in the 1940's and it has been proven wrong over and over.
Ectomorph/hard gainer=Someone who doesn't eat enough for their activity level
Mesomorph=Someone who eats appropriately for their activity level
Endomorph=Someone who eats too much for their activity level.
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Man I wish I could put on 20 lbs of lean muscle.0 -
Well, maybe you are right then.@ForecasterJason
The reason it seems ridiculous to you about the concept of how hard it is to do what you are talking about is because reading it and doing it are completely different. When you try it a few times, you outlook changes.
Personally, I am not that far right now from the starting stats I mentioned in that example. For all intents and purposes, I would be considered a complete beginner in consistent weight training. For my entire life I have always been very lean. At this point, I am trying to do a slow bulk. I don't expect to be putting on 20 pounds in the next year at the pace I'm going. But because of my age, muscle/fat ratio, and perhaps other factors, I have been blessed with a lightning fast metabolism right now. I know it will slow down as I get older, and for that reason I am hesitant to slow it down by gaining unnecessary body fat right now. This is why I do believe (for me, at least) gaining muscle on a slow bulk is hard, and why I am setting my expectations low.
But clearly, I seem to be an outlier in this thinking.0 -
@ForecasterJason
I am 37, 6'1" and been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....
So putting on 20 lbs of lean muscle, is freaking hard.
Trust.
So yeah, reading and doing are two different things
Good luck though
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Thanks. I don't know how thin you were to start, but I do know some skinny people have a lot of potential. I know of a guy running a muscle building page who started at 6'2" 130 pounds and got up to 185 with visible abs within a few years. He obviously had an advantage over the rest of us though given how skinny he was to start.@ForecasterJason
I am 37, 6'1" and been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....
So putting on 20 lbs of lean muscle, is freaking hard.
Trust.
So yeah, reading and doing are two different things
Good luck though0 -
If you are a total beginner in the lifting sense of the word, you may be able to put on a pretty serious amount of lean muscle in your first year. Learn how to do it right to maximize those gains, trust me!
As MityMax96 said I wish I could put on 20 lbs. I doubt very seriously that I can put on another 20 lbs in the rest of my life! Enjoy the gains while you can, because soon enough you will be lucky to gain 5 lbs of muscle in an entire year and that is doing everything right and working your butt off!0 -
ForecasterJason wrote: »
Thanks. I don't know how thin you were to start, but I do know some skinny people have a lot of potential. I know of a guy running a muscle building page who started at 6'2" 130 pounds and got up to 185 with visible abs within a few years. He obviously had an advantage over the rest of us though given how skinny he was to start.@ForecasterJason
I am 37, 6'1" and been lifting for almost 20 yrs now.....
So putting on 20 lbs of lean muscle, is freaking hard.
Trust.
So yeah, reading and doing are two different things
Good luck though
Out of HS at 6'0" and 135 lbs
Now I will admit that my diet was one place where I was extremely stupid on. For a very long time. If I could redo those early years with what I know now. I think things would be a bit different
So make sure u understand ur nutrition and what u need for ur goals0
This discussion has been closed.
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