Bulking question
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putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
I'd add "proper" lifting where gains are actually made. I know guys that have lifted for years and because of an unwillingness to bulk, constantly stressing over "mah abs" and refusing to progress their lifts are not even close to 90% of their genetic limits.
I wonder if they started a proper program, ate enough to support growth and checked all the right boxes if they could still make the same gains as a novice, even though years of "working out".0 -
jseams1234 wrote: »putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
I'd add "proper" lifting where gains are actually made. I know guys that have lifted for years and because of an unwillingness to bulk, constantly stressing over "mah abs" and refusing to progress their lifts are not even close to 90% of their genetic limits.
I wonder if they started a proper program, ate enough to support growth and checked all the right boxes if they could still make the same gains as a novice, even though years of "working out".
I watched a Steve Shaw video where he talked about this.
https://youtu.be/lpv7ywukYws 2 -
jseams1234 wrote: »putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
I'd add "proper" lifting where gains are actually made. I know guys that have lifted for years and because of an unwillingness to bulk, constantly stressing over "mah abs" and refusing to progress their lifts are not even close to 90% of their genetic limits.
I wonder if they started a proper program, ate enough to support growth and checked all the right boxes if they could still make the same gains as a novice, even though years of "working out".
I agree, forgot to add that word.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
I'd add "proper" lifting where gains are actually made. I know guys that have lifted for years and because of an unwillingness to bulk, constantly stressing over "mah abs" and refusing to progress their lifts are not even close to 90% of their genetic limits.
I wonder if they started a proper program, ate enough to support growth and checked all the right boxes if they could still make the same gains as a novice, even though years of "working out".
I watched a Steve Shaw video where he talked about this.https://youtu.be/lpv7ywukYws
Good call, I've been watching Steve since he was the Bearded Beast, and I highly recommend his channel for any serious lifter.
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
I'd add "proper" lifting where gains are actually made. I know guys that have lifted for years and because of an unwillingness to bulk, constantly stressing over "mah abs" and refusing to progress their lifts are not even close to 90% of their genetic limits.
I wonder if they started a proper program, ate enough to support growth and checked all the right boxes if they could still make the same gains as a novice, even though years of "working out".
I watched a Steve Shaw video where he talked about this.https://youtu.be/lpv7ywukYws
Good call, I've been watching Steve since he was the Bearded Beast, and I highly recommend his channel for any serious lifter.
I follow him...maybe a little too religiously sometimes LOL1 -
Interesting video - however, isn’t he assuming a pretty standard starting spot? Telling a 6’2 super skinny guy who’s just started bulking he will only be able pack on an additional 35 pounds over his lifetime when he currently weighs 140 with 20% body fat would be a bit demotivating.
Quite the common predicament with some guys - visit gainit on reddit and you will find an entire community... I’d think it may depend on how underweight you are to begin with.1 -
jseams1234 wrote: »Interesting video - however, isn’t he assuming a pretty standard starting spot? Telling a 6’2 super skinny guy who’s just started bulking he will only be able pack on an additional 35 pounds over his lifetime when he currently weighs 140 with 20% body fat would be a bit demotivating.
Quite the common predicament with some guys - visit gainit on reddit and you will find an entire community... I’d think it may depend on how underweight you are to begin with.
That's an interesting thought. I'm 5'5"ish and started at 126 lbs up to 137 ATM for this bulk. I'm pretty sure there's no way in hell I have 30-35 lbs of muscle potential. I hope i have 20 on my life!1 -
jseams1234 wrote: »Interesting video - however, isn’t he assuming a pretty standard starting spot? Telling a 6’2 super skinny guy who’s just started bulking he will only be able pack on an additional 35 pounds over his lifetime when he currently weighs 140 with 20% body fat would be a bit demotivating.
Quite the common predicament with some guys - visit gainit on reddit and you will find an entire community... I’d think it may depend on how underweight you are to begin with.Davidsdottir wrote: »jseams1234 wrote: »Interesting video - however, isn’t he assuming a pretty standard starting spot? Telling a 6’2 super skinny guy who’s just started bulking he will only be able pack on an additional 35 pounds over his lifetime when he currently weighs 140 with 20% body fat would be a bit demotivating.
Quite the common predicament with some guys - visit gainit on reddit and you will find an entire community... I’d think it may depend on how underweight you are to begin with.
That's an interesting thought. I'm 5'5"ish and started at 126 lbs up to 137 ATM for this bulk. I'm pretty sure there's no way in hell I have 30-35 lbs of muscle potential. I hope i have 20 on my life!
It's just really a theoretical example in my view. The main idea is that successive bulks yield less results. Everything is subject to si many individual variables just like weight loss.
Generally women should expect around half of what men would gain from what I understand.2 -
I would set up a caloric goal and track your macros. When I started going gym, I didn't track my caloric intake, so when I did, I under ate by 1000 calories hence why I didn't gain anything significant for 3 months. So, I then decided to go on a bulk eating anything to reach my goal, and went from 110lbs to 145lbs (5'8) in 4 months from a dirty bulk. I gained some muscle, but mostly fat. Had I followed my macros to the tee, most of my gains would have been muscle. So, my advice would be to track your macros and make sure you hit it every day. Don't make the same mistake as I did. I gained so much in such a short time that scratch marks started to appear on my legs and glutes.0
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putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
We're almost in the same exact boat! lol, except I'm 5'7". What's your goal weight? I know I'd ideally like to be 180 lbs at sub 10% but not sure how realistic that is
. Right now I'm bulking and I'm at around 175 lbs with 13-14% body fat. 0 -
putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
We're almost in the same exact boat! lol, except I'm 5'7". What's your goal weight? I know I'd ideally like to be 180 lbs at sub 10% but not sure how realistic that is. Right now I'm bulking and I'm at around 175 lbs with 13-14% body fat.
That's hard to do naturally unless you are really gifted genetical. At 5'8 I found 165-170 my best for 10%ish.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
We're almost in the same exact boat! lol, except I'm 5'7". What's your goal weight? I know I'd ideally like to be 180 lbs at sub 10% but not sure how realistic that is. Right now I'm bulking and I'm at around 175 lbs with 13-14% body fat.
That's hard to do naturally unless you are really gifted genetical. At 5'8 I found 165-170 my best for 10%ish.
Yea true, I was 160 lbs at around 10% about 2 summers ago and I've been basically bulking ever since because I was very cut but thought I could still have more mass so went back to bulking but doing it slowly for about a year or more until my bf is too high or feel that I've gained too much fat and then probably stick to maintenance for awhile and then slowly cut.0 -
putitwhere wrote: »Hey all! So im cureently going to attempt my first bulk ever. I was just wondering what yalls thoughts are on bulking using one of two options. The options being: setting a caloric goal and tracking through macros vs going about it much the way Jim Wendler describes in his 5/3/1 book (which i perceive to basically be the "see food" diet, BUT using whole nutritious food instead of just any old thing you can stuff your face with). Does anyone have experience with bulking by just eating as much as you can? Or by tracking calories? Or even both? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Tracking is the best way, but it requires more effort.
I usually start with a calories number (or you can use the mfp calories suggestion for a lean bulk which would be 0,5 lbs per week gain). I eat that same number of calories per day.
I Weigh myself when I wake up after going to the bathroom and before eating my first meal and with little clothes as possible.
After 7 days, I add all my weighings and divide it by 7, that becomes my week's average weight and I compare with my previous weeks average...make sure before making any changes to your calories intake that you have been eating with the same number of calories for at least 3 weeks. If after 3 weeks, my average weight went down, it means my calories is too low, I need to higher it up by 100, 200 or 300 calories (depending how much weight I lost)....if the weight remained the same, I increase it by 100....if I gained around half a pound, then I stick with those calories until it plateaus....and if I gained too much weight (over a pound per week), then I have to lower it by 100 or 200 (depending how big the weight gain was). I am not good at explaining things, but I hope this did.
There are many different methods that other people use with success, but I am giving you an example on how I bulk.
Thats pretty good. How long have you been doing it this way? How much have you gained?
I have done a cut and bulk for 5 years, but it's been 2 or 3 years that I've been doing it correctly. On my last bulk and cut cycle, I went from 165 lbs to 180 lbs and then from 180 lbs to a low record 153 lbs (I should've stopped at somewhere around 155-160 lbs, but I did it as a challenge). Ever since I've hit 153 lbs in April, now I am at 164, I'll probably stop bulking at around 170-175 lbs. Beyond 175 lbs, I start getting man boobs... that's no good . I am 5'9 fyi.
Since I have been lifting closer to 5 years now, I try to bulk slowly since muscle gains slow down at this point unlike the first couple of years where you gain big time. In fact, they say that after 4 years of lifting, you have already gained 90% of your muscles that you can gain genetically, the last 10 % is usually slow to come by naturally.
We're almost in the same exact boat! lol, except I'm 5'7". What's your goal weight? I know I'd ideally like to be 180 lbs at sub 10% but not sure how realistic that is. Right now I'm bulking and I'm at around 175 lbs with 13-14% body fat.
I am 5'9 and 180 lbs makes me just chubby...not fat, but no muscle definition whatsoever...so without gear, it looks unlikely you can hit that goal unless you have some genetic freak. My goal is somewhere around 170-175 lbs, basically I stop when I notice my chest is starting to become boobish and my 6 packs are gone (or almost gone), that's a sign that I have to stop and cut.
I am thinking maybe of maintaining my weight at around 168 lbs eventually, that's when I look big and full, but yet my six pack is still visible. It's the best of both world at that weight.0 -
Yea I might have to consider lowering that idea then and I'm two inches shorter so maybe my goal should be 165-170 lbs at <10%.0
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