When to bulk

BeccaLoves2lift

What bf% for a female to start a bulk?

sardelsa

I was actually just about to discuss the same exact question. According to sources I've seen, females should be under 20%, so ideally 19-24%. Me personally, now that I have a decent muscle base, I like to be under 18%. (Whatever that means since I don't track my bodyfat%) I kind of get a feeling of my lean happy place when I am ready to bulk.

But this is all recommendations. Some females will start a bulk a bit higher depending on their experience and comfort levels...I've always heard you don't want to start off too high because of nutrient partitioning (basically the higher bodyfat you have, the more fat vs muscle gain) also, the mental aspect...if you have stubborn problem areas, they will get worse when you bulk. However, some people don't have the muscle base to keep dropping weight so it comes to the point where they will have to accept some stubborn fat and just start gaining. (That would apply to someone at the lower end of the BMI with little to no definition, sometimes you just gotta bulk!).

I would love to hear what others have to say !

Rusty740

Here's a great article by Lyle McDonald with female numbers.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html/

Looks like he uses 19 to 24-27% as the range to stay between (i.e. bulk at 19 and cut at 24-27), but the article's worth reading. I'm not sure, but I think the top end of 24-27 varies dependent on the individual.