Bulking not necessary for significant muscle gains - research out there

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    This is one of my sources that I can easily find:

    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    Contreras there is contrasting recomp, clean bulk, and dirty bulk. All 3 are very different things that will have very different results. They suit different people depending on the individual's goals.
    Recomp limits you to your current weight. A person with low body fat who wants to gain muscle will have to do a bulk of some sorts. I went from 150 lbs at my adult height to a peak of 230 lbs because I wanted to be as big as possible. Recomp could not have gotten me there.

    wow...good for you! Did you find the leaning out difficult? How long did it take?

    I don't remember exactly how long it took because that was 17+ years ago, but no, leaning out back then was pretty easy and I could drop 1-2 lbs a week without too much suffering. Agree with others above that aggressive bulks/cuts got less productive and harder as I got older.

    If you don't mind me asking, how old are you (approx age accepted :blush: ).

    I worked with a 36 year old women, who used cross-fit to recomp. In two years, she went from 153 @ 26% body fat, down to 150 @ 14.1% body fat. And that is validated by DEXA scan. So while @Hornsby is a beast, women can do it, too. And it can be quite effective.
  • serapel
    serapel Posts: 502 Member
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    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    This is one of my sources that I can easily find:

    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    Contreras there is contrasting recomp, clean bulk, and dirty bulk. All 3 are very different things that will have very different results. They suit different people depending on the individual's goals.
    Recomp limits you to your current weight. A person with low body fat who wants to gain muscle will have to do a bulk of some sorts. I went from 150 lbs at my adult height to a peak of 230 lbs because I wanted to be as big as possible. Recomp could not have gotten me there.

    wow...good for you! Did you find the leaning out difficult? How long did it take?

    I don't remember exactly how long it took because that was 17+ years ago, but no, leaning out back then was pretty easy and I could drop 1-2 lbs a week without too much suffering. Agree with others above that aggressive bulks/cuts got less productive and harder as I got older.

    If you don't mind me asking, how old are you (approx age accepted :blush: ).

    40 years young.

    I'm older than you haha!
  • serapel
    serapel Posts: 502 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    richln wrote: »
    serapel wrote: »
    This is one of my sources that I can easily find:

    https://bretcontreras.com/to-bulk-and-cut-or-not/

    Contreras there is contrasting recomp, clean bulk, and dirty bulk. All 3 are very different things that will have very different results. They suit different people depending on the individual's goals.
    Recomp limits you to your current weight. A person with low body fat who wants to gain muscle will have to do a bulk of some sorts. I went from 150 lbs at my adult height to a peak of 230 lbs because I wanted to be as big as possible. Recomp could not have gotten me there.

    wow...good for you! Did you find the leaning out difficult? How long did it take?

    I don't remember exactly how long it took because that was 17+ years ago, but no, leaning out back then was pretty easy and I could drop 1-2 lbs a week without too much suffering. Agree with others above that aggressive bulks/cuts got less productive and harder as I got older.

    If you don't mind me asking, how old are you (approx age accepted :blush: ).

    I worked with a 36 year old women, who used cross-fit to recomp. In two years, she went from 153 @ 26% body fat, down to 150 @ 14.1% body fat. And that is validated by DEXA scan. So while @Hornsby is a beast, women can do it, too. And it can be quite effective.

    Holy cow! That's amazing. Thanks for sharing!
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
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    I've been able to do recomp over the last 4 months eating right around maintenance (a little higher one week, a little lower the next, but never significant in either direction). I've gone from 119 lbs to 118 lbs, and from 19 to 17% body fat. I've gained a ton of strength, lost a few inches, and can feel my body changing. It's a slow process, of course. My friends on a bulk definitely put on muscle faster than I do, but after losing 60 lbs in the previous year, I'm not quite ready to try my hand at putting some back on and have always aimed for the slow changes so I can become accustomed to a better lifestyle in general rather than swinging back and forth.

    I do pay close attention to my macros--usually aim for 40 carbs, 30/30 protein and fat, but my typical day looks like more 35/35 carbs and protein and 30 fat, for what that's worth.
  • serapel
    serapel Posts: 502 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    Yes, you can gain muscle and lose fat while eating at maintenance. I know of at least one example of a 37 year old male adding roughly 20lbs of muscle while losing the same amount of fat in roughly 2 years time.

    Is it slower than bulk/cut cycles? Yes.

    If I am consistent and eat 130g protein per day, eat at maintenance and focus on progressive overload, how much muscle could a 45 year old woman theoretically gain after 1 year? I would guess that I have gained approx 3-4 lbs of muscle since late April. I am curious and you have a lot of experience.

    Thank you.

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