Clean Bulk for women (very thin!)
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OP - what do you mean by "clean" bulk"?
here is my advice:
1. eat in a 250 calorie surplus.
2. get in on a structured lifting program. I would suggest strong lifts, new rules of lifting for woman, or all pro beginner routine
3. set your macros to .65 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight and fill in the rest with carbs.
4. make sure you hit micros, but don't be afraid of calorie dense foods like ice cream, pasta, bagels, etc.
5. repeat until you get desired results
This is a really good starting point. Personally, I liked strong lifts because it seemed less confusing to me, and having never picked up a barbell really, I wanted it as simple as possible. But, all three programs suggested I've heard a lot of food things about.0 -
I'm about to start bulking as well. Based off what I've read (here and elsewhere), I really wouldn't worry too much about thinking us ladies have different needs for bulking. The difference is really just in the size of calorie surplus. Stick to 250. We still need to hit the same macros (ndj noted them in this thread).
About your struggles to gain, the only thing I would comment on based off my personal experience during maintenance, be careful to plan ahead if dinner is your biggest meal. That's how I tend to eat as well. I like light breakfast/lunch with snacks and a large dinner. But if I don't plan ahead, I screw up and end up not hitting my calories because the meal didn't have as many calories as I thought or I got full. Or I do get the calories but my macros are all over the place. So just keep a plan in mind so you don't end up getting to the end of the day and realizing you don't have a surplus. I know that'll be a big focus for me. Maybe that's why you're struggling to eat enough. You have to get that surplus in or it doesn't matter what strategy you're using for lifting. And like other posters said, don't worry about trying to hit that surplus "clean" and fear heavy foods. You can use things like ice cream to help get your surplus. You didn't really say anything about what you're currently eating but I suspect that might be an issue here.
If you are looking for advice on exercise, definitely follow a structured program. Good suggestions here. Lots of options...just get the surplus too.0 -
I can't wait to bulk again, not that I really ever left...
Yeah, 250 daily and your there OP.
Enjoy the extra feeds.
Its glorious.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »MamaBirdBoss wrote: »Eat enough to gain a quarter pound a week. Do some kind of hypertrophy-oriented pyramid. Guy workouts work for us, too. If you have newbie gains, you could put on prolly 2lbs a month for a short while. After a few months, cut if you gained too much fat.
why would you recommend a pyramid scheme to a beginner????
Because they had us doing pyramids in 9th grade? That's pretty beginner.
She also says she already lifts and is looking for "bulk."
I'm coming to the conclusion that other people's athletics programs were really light on the weight room compared to ours. LOL. We lifted 2x per week from 7th grade onward and had progressive lifting programs by 9th grade. You could choose either a "bulk" schedule or a "toning" schedule, and you had a card and went through it, station by station. This is what our volleyball players did, even
you have no idea what OP means by "lifting"…she could consider lifting using 10# dumbbells or machines….
why is your reference point 9th grade and high school????
Maybe you should let OP clarify these things so we can all give her knowledgeable information. If a pyramid scheme is so basic then why had OP never heard of it? All you did was confuse her.
We like to keep the pseudo science/bro science/lack of overall misinformation to a minimum in this forum. I would ask that you do the same.
cosign0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »I can't wait to bulk again, not that I really ever left...
Yeah, 250 daily and your there OP.
Enjoy the extra feeds.
Its glorious.
I have about 2.5 months until run mine again ...0 -
nakedraygun wrote: »I can't wait to bulk again, not that I really ever left...
Yeah, 250 daily and your there OP.
Enjoy the extra feeds.
Its glorious.
I have about 2.5 months until run mine again ...
Likewise!0 -
I have the same issue, I lift weights but I dont eat enough to gain any bulk. I am afraid I will put on more fat than muscle. so I am just going to follow your thread
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I have the same issue, I lift weights but I dont eat enough to gain any bulk. I am afraid I will put on more fat than muscle. so I am just going to follow your thread
assuming a regular ratio your fat to muscle gain should be 1:1 so if you put on 10 pounds, five will be muscle and five will be fat.
if you want to bulk, then you have to accept that you WILL gain fat, no way around it.0 -
Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.0 -
musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....0 -
musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
It doesn't even have to be more quantity either. It can be finding things that are more calorie dense or make what you eat for meals more calorie dense (using butter when frying up your eggs versus the spray - things like that)0 -
PikaKnight wrote: »musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
It doesn't even have to be more quantity either. It can be finding things that are more calorie dense or make what you eat for meals more calorie dense (using butter when frying up your eggs versus the spray - things like that)
oh I go for quantity ..:)
but I know what you mean ...0 -
asflatasapancake wrote: »musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
I like eating, don't get me wrong. But I'm kind of looking forward to my cut. It's like opening a Christmas present. What muscles lie beneath the fat? But I will imagine it will suck eating so much less.
true, it is nice to reveal what lies underneath..
I just found that 2200 calories looks pretty paltry when compared to the 3100 I was eating on my bulk ...0 -
PikaKnight wrote: »musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
It doesn't even have to be more quantity either. It can be finding things that are more calorie dense or make what you eat for meals more calorie dense (using butter when frying up your eggs versus the spray - things like that)
oh I go for quantity ..:)
but I know what you mean ...
Yeah, sorry. It was really directed to you. I quoted you to add on to what you were saying to the poster you were replying to. :laugh:0 -
asflatasapancake wrote: »musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
I like eating, don't get me wrong. But I'm kind of looking forward to my cut. It's like opening a Christmas present. What muscles lie beneath the fat? But I will imagine it will suck eating so much less.
true, it is nice to reveal what lies underneath..
I just found that 2200 calories looks pretty paltry when compared to the 3100 I was eating on my bulk ...
I know what you mean but my cut is usually at 3000 calories already so I don't get that hungry most of the time. On my bulk I have to go up to 3800-4000 just to gain and it is tough day after day to hit that goal.
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musclegood_fatbad wrote: »asflatasapancake wrote: »musclegood_fatbad wrote: »Like others have said, eat in a small surplus and lift weights. You should aim to gain about 1/2 lb per week as a female. Clean or dirty doesn't really matter especially while bulking. Analyze your progress every few weeks to see if you need to make calorie adjustments based on what you have gained.
I start my bulk in about another month and a half. I find it much harder to bulk than cut.
really???
bulking for me is easy ...just eat more food...
I find cutting difficult, especially the first month after a bulk ....
I like eating, don't get me wrong. But I'm kind of looking forward to my cut. It's like opening a Christmas present. What muscles lie beneath the fat? But I will imagine it will suck eating so much less.
true, it is nice to reveal what lies underneath..
I just found that 2200 calories looks pretty paltry when compared to the 3100 I was eating on my bulk ...
I know what you mean but my cut is usually at 3000 calories already so I don't get that hungry most of the time. On my bulk I have to go up to 3800-4000 just to gain and it is tough day after day to hit that goal.
I have a guy on my FL whose bulk is that much. I've seen his diary sport large quantities of lucky charms and kerry gold butter (not together) before :laugh: And he only does two meals a day.0 -
Hard to eat while bulking? My recommendation would be to take another look at your training. How do I put this... if your lift days are too easy and you are not ravenous afterwards, you might be taking it way too easy in the gym.0
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asflatasapancake wrote: »nakedraygun wrote: »Hard to eat while bulking? My recommendation would be to take another look at your training. How do I put this... if your lift days are too easy and you are not ravenous afterwards, you might be taking it way too easy in the gym.
Yeah my calories are around 3700 on my lift days and I'm finding myself very hungry. Feed me Seymour! I keep a bag of almonds from the store handy. 1 oz of those suckers are 160 calories. I've also been going through peanut butter like it's been going out of style. Dammit! Now I'm hungry.
lol. Almonds yes! #1 bulking snack!
Speaking of which, I just had a 600+ calorie snack. Go me!0
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