My Bulk Progression!

coryrood
coryrood Posts: 100 Member
edited November 2024 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
So I'm a Month into my bulk and just thought I'd post a progress report and ask for any input on changes I should make.

28 Year Old
Male
6'1"
175lbs

Category/Start/Today

Weight/173.1/175.2
Squat/125/175
Bench/70/100
Row/90/120
OHP/45/75
Deads/175/215
Pullups/5/13
Dips/8/13
Bicep/11"/11.25"
Waist/32.75"/31.5"
Hips/36"/36.25"
Thigh/21.75"/22.75"
Chest/37"/37.5"

I'm doing Strong Lifts 5x5. I have been doing this prior to starting this bulk so that's why I'm not starting at 45lbs on everything. All of my lifts have gotten to the point that I fail once then get it on my next workout. Pullups and dips are totals of 5 sets. I've been eating ~2750cal per day plus an extra 250 on days I lift. Macro split is 45C/25P/30F. The 2lbs I gained were gained the first week and since then I have been holding steady at ~175lbs. Anything I should change or adjust?

Replies

  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
    Are those start numbers from a month ago? Seems like your calories are a bit low if you are losing on your waist. Or are you trying to recomp?
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    edited October 2015
    richln wrote: »
    Are those start numbers from a month ago? Seems like your calories are a bit low if you are losing on your waist. Or are you trying to recomp?

    Yes they are from a month ago. I am not trying to recomp. I was thinking the same thing that I might need to up the calories. All the weight I gained was in the first week. Glycogen replenishing? My plan was to shoot for half a pound a week.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Cannot bulk doing a recomp.. Only eating a surplus on weight lift day, sounds like recomp.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    Cannot bulk doing a recomp.. Only eating a surplus on weight lift day, sounds like recomp.

    I agree.
    You haven't really gained, so you probably need to up your calories more and figure out when you are truly at a 250 calorie surplus.
    Then eat that every day.
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    Are those start numbers from a month ago? Seems like your calories are a bit low if you are losing on your waist. Or are you trying to recomp?

    Yes they are from a month ago. I am not trying to recomp. I was thinking the same thing that I might need to up the calories. All the weight I gained was in the first week. Glycogen replenishing? My plan was to shoot for half a pound a week.

    Sounds like you should add a hundred calories or maybe more. 2750 sounds low for someone your size. I usually gain about 4-6 lbs the first week, but that all depends on how glycogen deplenished you are going into the bulk. If you haven't gained any weight in 3 weeks, it is time to experiment with eating more.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    richln wrote: »
    coryrood wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    Are those start numbers from a month ago? Seems like your calories are a bit low if you are losing on your waist. Or are you trying to recomp?

    Yes they are from a month ago. I am not trying to recomp. I was thinking the same thing that I might need to up the calories. All the weight I gained was in the first week. Glycogen replenishing? My plan was to shoot for half a pound a week.

    Sounds like you should add a hundred calories or maybe more. 2750 sounds low for someone your size. I usually gain about 4-6 lbs the first week, but that all depends on how glycogen deplenished you are going into the bulk. If you haven't gained any weight in 3 weeks, it is time to experiment with eating more.

    agree, I am a 5-10 male at about 181 now, and am bulking on about 3000 calories a day which is a little over a half pound per week gain for me....

    OP - up your calories to at least 3000 a day and see what happens, you can always back off if you gain too fast.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Thanks for the advice everyone. Echoing exactly what I was thinking. Gonna up my calories to 3k a day and reevaluate in a month. Still happy with my gains I noticed a difference in the mirror. Upper abs are more noticeable aswell as my traps and triceps. Tempted to stick to what I've been doing but I'd like more strength gains to prepare for a big cycling event next summer. Need to get my squat up for the hills.
  • coryrood
    coryrood Posts: 100 Member
    Pretty sure upping the calories was the right choice. I was making slow gains in weight progression(success one workout followed by failure) to making gains every workout. Recovery has been a lot better too!
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    Pretty sure upping the calories was the right choice. I was making slow gains in weight progression(success one workout followed by failure) to making gains every workout. Recovery has been a lot better too!

    Yay! Glad to hear :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    coryrood wrote: »
    Pretty sure upping the calories was the right choice. I was making slow gains in weight progression(success one workout followed by failure) to making gains every workout. Recovery has been a lot better too!

    awesome, glad to hear it.
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