Bad bulking progress over the last month.

99JT

I have been bulking @4000 calories and here are the results.
Weight 172-175
chest 38.5-39
hips 38-37.5
arms 14.5
thigh 22
calf 15
my big concern is my waist went from 31.5-33.75

quiksylver296

Bulking means you're going to gain weight - fat and (hopefully) muscle, assuming you're lifting heavy on a proven progressive lifting program. Your body appears to store excess fat around your middle.

Not sure what you're asking.

99JT

is it bad that my waist went up 2.25" in a month?

jdscrubs32

How are you measuring your waist increase? Sounds like you might be doing a dirty bulk in that you are eating everything and anything. Did you know what your maintenance calories were before you started bulking? You may have started at too high a calorie level to bulk at.

I'm open to correction as I'm no expert but reduce your calories by 250 and see if you can bulk slower on that amount. Still gaining too much after a month, reduce again.

99JT

i was @3500 and not gaining now at 4000 i gained 3lbs in a month. so ill try 3750.

jdscrubs32

Yeah reduce it to 3750 for a month and see how you get on. You jumped by 500 which is normally recommended if you want to do a dirty bulk while 250 is normally recommended if you want to do a slow bulk where the increase in fat and muscle should be more or less the same (again open to correction by those more seasoned than I). If you are really uncomfortable at the weight you are on now, maybe come back down to maintenance for a month or two to let the weight stabilize and start bulking again.

trigden1991

99JT wrote: »

is it bad that my waist went up 2.25" in a month?

Yes that means you gained a lot of fat. Your measurements don't seem to reflect your small weight gain but everyone is different.

I would reduce your surplus or even eat at maintenance for a while to recomp

LonsyBoy

If you are bulking, your muscle sizes should be increasing more than the small stomach gains, if you are only gaining stomach thickenss then you're bulking wrong

usmcmp

Try measuring your waist every day for a few weeks to see if it is bloating. My waist can go up 3" from bloating over night even if my weight is going down.

99JT

Im thinking its time for a cut. any idea on my BF% im guessing 15-20%.

psuLemon

I'd agree with your assessment.

blackcomaro

trigden1991 wrote: »

99JT wrote: »

is it bad that my waist went up 2.25" in a month?

Yes that means you gained a lot of fat. Your measurements don't seem to reflect your small weight gain but everyone is different.

I would reduce your surplus or even eat at maintenance for a while to recomp

I agree with this... i think mfp has your calorie intake to high. Your maintenance is 3500.... Id suggest Recomp aswell.