Body Fat percentage

se015

Hey everyone, so I have a few concerns. I want my abs to show more, but at the same time right now I'm currently trying to bulk. This will be my first real bulk. I know that if you want to gain weight you have to accept the excess belly fat that may come with it. Is there any way around this probably not right? Anyways my next question is, once I've reached my bulk weight, what are steps I take to cut up so I can keep the muscle mass I've gained but lower my body fat percentage? I'm sure it's more of a diet change than lifting change? I know it's a lot to ask, but any advice on this would be very helpful. Thanks!

terizius

I can help you with the first question, though I don't really have the answer you are looking for. Unfortunately, pretty much any bulk is going to be associated with a fat gain and there isn't too much you can do about that if you really want to maximize the muscle building aspect as well. I'm dangerously close to losing my 6 pack for the first time in my life. Fortunately, I have accepted that and will continue for another 5 weeks or so. The only advice I have heard to minimize fat gains is to do a "clean" bulk, eating only 250 or so above maintenance and aiming for 0.5lbs a week weight gain.

As to the cut, I'm in for advice. I did a bulk last year, but my starting body fat was so low that I didn't have to worry about a cut afterwards.

Hendrix7

You won't be able to lean your midsection out while bulking, no.

Just don't cut too many calories too quickly when you start cutting and keep lifting reasonably heavy to maintain your strength and muscle mass - be patient. Losing muscle on a cut doesn't actually happen as much as people think as long as you don;t do anything silly.

rbreshears1

For bulking I would recommend adding about 5% to your maintenance calories or roughly speaking, 1 pound a month. This will minimize fat gain. You can only add so much muscle at a time if you are natural.

For cutting after your bulk, I would recommend reducing your maintenance calories by 20% or around 1 pound a week for the average Joe. This will minimize muscle loss.

To find out your maintenance calories, search for TDEE calculator and fill in the blanks.

se015

Thank you all, you guys gave really good solid reasonable answers, much appreciated!

Brolympus

Welcome to the struggle bro. You just kind of have to dive in and look at the long term. We all do it.

Bulking - The self-confidence struggle, as you lose your abs in a matter of weeks, and look less and less like you workout, even though your lifting stats are climbing through the roof and you feel great.

Cutting - The self-control struggle, as you try to workout just as much as you were before, with way less calories, your stomach growling all the time, and that first month of seemingly no progress with what seems like tons of sacrificing.

Springfield1970

rbreshears1 wrote: »

For bulking I would recommend adding about 5% to your maintenance calories or roughly speaking, 1 pound a month. This will minimize fat gain. You can only add so much muscle at a time if you are natural.

For cutting after your bulk, I would recommend reducing your maintenance calories by 20% or around 1 pound a week for the average Joe. This will minimize muscle loss.

To find out your maintenance calories, search for TDEE calculator and fill in the blanks.

You've got it back to front unfortunately.

Men can gain half a pound of muscle a week, add the tag a long fat and you are looking at a pound a week GAIN.
It's best to lose the fat at a slower rate, so not to catabolise muscle. Minus ten percent from maintenance should do it. That would be about half a pound a week.
For women...half those numbers.

Hopefully everyone setting off on a bulk has spent a lot of time working out their maintenance, and exercise burns, and testing them. No point wheel spinning.

Your bulking method would be extremely difficult to execute, and more like a recomp. Most of us who have successfully added muscle sucked up the inevitable fat gain that comes with maximum muscle rate development. Cutting afterwards is relatively easy and if you're body fat is low enough to start with, the fat gain is tolerable.