Bulking time question.
Serah87
Posts: 5,481 Member
I am doing my very first bulk in January sometime and I was wondering how long to bulk?? 4 weeks? 6 weeks? 12 weeks? or however long you want it to be? TIA 
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Replies
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Most people set a goal for number of pounds rather than a time limit, from what I've seen.0
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Ok....didn't think of that. Thanks.
I want to do a clean bulk, so about a 1/2 pound a week.0 -
1/2 a pound a week is unlikely. If you're lucky you'll be adding 1 lb a month. Maybe a couple fractions more. Maybe.
I would fine with that, this is my first time so any advice will be help full thanks.
What is your TDEE? between 2400-2500 calories
What is your current caloric intake now and macros in grams? protein about 120+ grams carbs 260+ fat 70+ (I weigh between 110-114 lbs)
what will those numbers be in a bulk? thinking around protein 150+, fat 80+, carbs 300+
How long have you been cutting? never cut, I just hit my goal weight in September and have been working on finding maintenance calories
How much weight did you lose during that time? 121 pounds
What is your training like now? I walk 6 miles 5-6 days a week and heavy lift 5 days a week
What will your training event like on your bulk? ??
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Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady. 0 -
Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady.
I gained 6 lbs (not including water weight, which I lost within a couple of days of coming off my bulk). One of the biggest mistakes I made was too much cardio/not enough of a surplus.
The protein you list for your bulking macros is excessive. Honestly, you really don't need more than 100g or so with your weight. More protein will just act as a very expensive carb source at that point. Unless you really love pounding protein and don't care about expense.0 -
Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady.
I gained 6 lbs (not including water weight, which I lost within a couple of days of coming off my bulk). One of the biggest mistakes I made was too much cardio/not enough of a surplus.
The protein you list for your bulking macros is excessive. Honestly, you really don't need more than 100g or so with your weight. More protein will just act as a very expensive carb source at that point. Unless you really love pounding protein and don't care about expense.
ok......
I walk 6 miles daily, except Sundays (rest day), about 3.5 to 4.0 mph, should I stop my walking when I start?.....wouldn't that change my calorie intake? Thank you for helping.
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Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady.
I gained 6 lbs (not including water weight, which I lost within a couple of days of coming off my bulk). One of the biggest mistakes I made was too much cardio/not enough of a surplus.
The protein you list for your bulking macros is excessive. Honestly, you really don't need more than 100g or so with your weight. More protein will just act as a very expensive carb source at that point. Unless you really love pounding protein and don't care about expense.
ok......
I walk 6 miles daily, except Sundays (rest day), about 3.5 to 4.0 mph, should I stop my walking when I start?.....wouldn't that change my calorie intake? Thank you for helping.
As long as you account for that burn, it's fine. I usually walk a few miles a day on my lunch break as well. I just had a mentality where I was afraid to go over a certain number of calories and I had to burn a certain amount. I was too obsessed. I'm much less strict this time and doing better.0 -
I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.0 -
Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady.
I gained 6 lbs (not including water weight, which I lost within a couple of days of coming off my bulk). One of the biggest mistakes I made was too much cardio/not enough of a surplus.
The protein you list for your bulking macros is excessive. Honestly, you really don't need more than 100g or so with your weight. More protein will just act as a very expensive carb source at that point. Unless you really love pounding protein and don't care about expense.
ok......
I walk 6 miles daily, except Sundays (rest day), about 3.5 to 4.0 mph, should I stop my walking when I start?.....wouldn't that change my calorie intake? Thank you for helping.
As long as you account for that burn, it's fine. I usually walk a few miles a day on my lunch break as well. I just had a mentality where I was afraid to go over a certain number of calories and I had to burn a certain amount. I was too obsessed. I'm much less strict this time and doing better.
^ If you really enjoy the walking and it keeps you sane, keep it. If you only do it because you were previously trying to lose, you could cut it out (or down). It will lower your total calories expended meaning you can eat a little less to bulk at the same level, which will be cheaper considering you'd have to consume less food. Either way will work. And the walking isn't excessive exercise that would limit your lifting.0 -
Thank you. Even if it's only a pound a month I would be happy with that, not looking to be in big hurry doing this, slow and steady.
I gained 6 lbs (not including water weight, which I lost within a couple of days of coming off my bulk). One of the biggest mistakes I made was too much cardio/not enough of a surplus.
The protein you list for your bulking macros is excessive. Honestly, you really don't need more than 100g or so with your weight. More protein will just act as a very expensive carb source at that point. Unless you really love pounding protein and don't care about expense.
ok......
I walk 6 miles daily, except Sundays (rest day), about 3.5 to 4.0 mph, should I stop my walking when I start?.....wouldn't that change my calorie intake? Thank you for helping.
As long as you account for that burn, it's fine. I usually walk a few miles a day on my lunch break as well. I just had a mentality where I was afraid to go over a certain number of calories and I had to burn a certain amount. I was too obsessed. I'm much less strict this time and doing better.
^ If you really enjoy the walking and it keeps you sane, keep it. If you only do it because you were previously trying to lose, you could cut it out (or down). It will lower your total calories expended meaning you can eat a little less to bulk at the same level, which will be cheaper considering you'd have to consume less food. Either way will work. And the walking isn't excessive exercise that would limit your lifting.
I do. Thank you.
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101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!0 -
101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!
Tell me about it! I am 5'10", weight 183lbs and I have been on 2,550cals a day an it was hard hahaha. I am currently eating 3,210 cals a day with no cardio at all.
I guess if you love cardio that much and have the time just make sure is not high intensity cardio.0 -
101810191020 wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!
Tell me about it! I am 5'10", weight 183lbs and I have been on 2,550cals a day an it was hard hahaha. I am currently eating 3,210 cals a day with no cardio at all.
I guess if you love cardio that much and have the time just make sure is not high intensity cardio.
I do circuit training (which as far as I can see is the 'old' name for HIIT) once a week, even when I'm bulking to maintain my cv fitness (I usually play 80 minutes of Rugby on a Saturday too). I just have to eat through it. Shame.0 -
101810191020 wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!
Tell me about it! I am 5'10", weight 183lbs and I have been on 2,550cals a day an it was hard hahaha. I am currently eating 3,210 cals a day with no cardio at all.
I guess if you love cardio that much and have the time just make sure is not high intensity cardio.
You probably shouldn't give up cardio completely but reduce it to a minimum for aerobic health. I'm bulking and still do 60-90mins a weak cardio so I can maintain my resting HR at about 45 and feel more energetic. Of course, it does make bulking a bit more difficult but my goals are for long-term health not just aesthetics so I guess in the end it's all about your goals.0 -
SteveJWatson wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!
Tell me about it! I am 5'10", weight 183lbs and I have been on 2,550cals a day an it was hard hahaha. I am currently eating 3,210 cals a day with no cardio at all.
I guess if you love cardio that much and have the time just make sure is not high intensity cardio.
I do circuit training (which as far as I can see is the 'old' name for HIIT) once a week, even when I'm bulking to maintain my cv fitness (I usually play 80 minutes of Rugby on a Saturday too). I just have to eat through it. Shame.
Circuit training can be a type of HIIT but HIIT goes beyond just circuit training. If you try a true Tabata protocol (not the newer version that has a rest period and lower intensity in general) you will see that it's nothing like circuit training.
tabataprotocol.com/ The true Tabata is listed with the disclaimer to not try it.
Oh, and when they say rest they mean lower intensity pedaling and not a stop. A lot of the original participants would regularly fall off of the bikes and throw up and they were elite speed skaters! 0 -
SnuggleSmacks wrote: »Most people set a goal for number of pounds rather than a time limit, from what I've seen.
That is a dangerous goal. You could go eat 6000 calories per day, gain about 5 lbs in fat per week, and say "Woo I'm done!" without gaining any lean mass.
On a bulk (calorie surplus with heavy weights 4-5 times per week) your body is going to produce about 1lb of muscle per month, maximum. That is assuming you ate enough calories to meet metabolic needs and still have leftovers for synthesizing muscle fiber, you supply your body with enough building material (protein) to make the muscle, and you provide the right stimulus consistently to signal the muscles to grow.
The sad part of this process is if you are a female, I'm sorry to say, you can expect to gain exactly half what your male counterparts do in lean mass per month
So I would say....pick one of the following: a) strength goals that you want to reach before you switch or b) a maximum body fat you will allow yourself to get to before you say "Ok, time to cut for a bit."
On a bulk, you need to get mentally over the hurdle that you will get a bit of pudge during the process. It is typical (myself included) on a first bulk to try and "clean bulk" and eat a very small surplus to avoid fat gains. I will tell you from experience that is just going to make you extremely frustrated when you can't seem to gain anything. Best advice I got was to set a fairly high new calorie bracket (I went to 750+ over my daily needs), and then "grow into" that bracket. Yes, you will get a bit pudgy, but the big thing is you will be able to grow at your max rate. It is a HELL of a lot easier to drop fat than build muscle.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »SteveJWatson wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »101810191020 wrote: »I say stop all cardio, you can be lean and add weight slowly without cardio. You want to save calories so that they turn in to the lean weight you are trying to gain.
http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
check this out to calculate your calories, that is what I use. I don't count the calories I burn when I exercise.
I like to do some cardio so I can eat MORE. 2700 cals/day is not nearly enough!
Tell me about it! I am 5'10", weight 183lbs and I have been on 2,550cals a day an it was hard hahaha. I am currently eating 3,210 cals a day with no cardio at all.
I guess if you love cardio that much and have the time just make sure is not high intensity cardio.
I do circuit training (which as far as I can see is the 'old' name for HIIT) once a week, even when I'm bulking to maintain my cv fitness (I usually play 80 minutes of Rugby on a Saturday too). I just have to eat through it. Shame.
Circuit training can be a type of HIIT but HIIT goes beyond just circuit training. If you try a true Tabata protocol (not the newer version that has a rest period and lower intensity in general) you will see that it's nothing like circuit training.
tabataprotocol.com/ The true Tabata is listed with the disclaimer to not try it. Oh, and when they say rest they mean lower intensity pedaling and not a stop. A lot of the original participants would regularly fall off of the bikes and throw up and they were elite speed skaters!
tabata is F'ing brutal...try running Tabata sprints...ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh0 -
SnuggleSmacks wrote: »Most people set a goal for number of pounds rather than a time limit, from what I've seen.
That is a dangerous goal. You could go eat 6000 calories per day, gain about 5 lbs in fat per week, and say "Woo I'm done!" without gaining any lean mass.
On a bulk (calorie surplus with heavy weights 4-5 times per week) your body is going to produce about 1lb of muscle per month, maximum. That is assuming you ate enough calories to meet metabolic needs and still have leftovers for synthesizing muscle fiber, you supply your body with enough building material (protein) to make the muscle, and you provide the right stimulus consistently to signal the muscles to grow.
The sad part of this process is if you are a female, I'm sorry to say, you can expect to gain exactly half what your male counterparts do in lean mass per month
So I would say....pick one of the following: a) strength goals that you want to reach before you switch or b) a maximum body fat you will allow yourself to get to before you say "Ok, time to cut for a bit."
On a bulk, you need to get mentally over the hurdle that you will get a bit of pudge during the process. It is typical (myself included) on a first bulk to try and "clean bulk" and eat a very small surplus to avoid fat gains. I will tell you from experience that is just going to make you extremely frustrated when you can't seem to gain anything. Best advice I got was to set a fairly high new calorie bracket (I went to 750+ over my daily needs), and then "grow into" that bracket. Yes, you will get a bit pudgy, but the big thing is you will be able to grow at your max rate. It is a HELL of a lot easier to drop fat than build muscle.
Thank you. Yeah I was planning on doing a clean bulk (little nervous).....750+ would be a little scary, but I am willing to try anything. Thanks for your advice.
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