Muscle potential and bulking calories

McCloud33

So I've read it several places that muscle gains dwindle over time as you get closer to your muscle potential. So theoretically, if eating right and given enough stimulus, a guy might be able to add 20lbs of muscle in their first year of training, 10 the next, 5 the next...something like that.

So here's my question. How does this work when figuring out your bulking calories if you're trying to do a "clean" bulk adding as little fat as possible. I think I probably still in the newbie category and should be able to gain a fair amount of muscle my first year, but as the years go on and I'm only able to gain 3 lbs of muscle in a year of training, the math works out that if you're doing 50/50 muscle to fat while bulking, you would only eat about 60 cals over maintenance. If you ate more than that, wouldn't those excess cals go straight to fat? I'm planning on doing a 250-300 calorie surplus starting my first real bulk in June.

Any tips?

josueg123

Here's the thing, there's no such thing as a "clean" bulk that adds very little fat. As long as you're in a calorie surplus your body is going to put on muscle (granted you follow a strict workout regimen) and it's going to put on fat. Whether you hit your surplus eating salads or cheeseburgers, the fat gain is always a guarantee, and it will always be constant. This isn't taking into account the adverse affects that unhealthy foods will have on your body by the way, I'm speaking purely from a fat gain perspective.

My advice is to keep bulking until you reach your goal, you're going to get fat on you but try not to worry about and don't get discouraged. Once you feel satisfied with your bulk, begin cutting by lowering your calories, increasing your cardio but maintaining your lifts constant. Once you're body fat is down towers your comfortable, maintain your weight by equaling out the calories in to calories out. Keep doing this until you're ready to bulk up again.

One last thing, bulking in June is rarely a good idea. You'll be going out a lot more and spending more time out so it'll be tougher to get your macros in. Not only that but summer time is usually short sleeve, tighter fitting shirts, beach time. Keep in mind that your body may look a bit flabby during this time. If you don't care than go right ahead but most people tend to bulk from fall to summer unless they do a year around bulk.