Lean enough?
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BeccaLoves2lift
Posts: 375 Member
Am I lean enough to run a bulk? I lost weight last year and have been in maintenance/recomp since July. My butt is smaller than I would like and I'm not sure if it will grow in maintenance. If I do run a bulk I'm not planning on starting until late summer/fall because I go to the pool a lot and want to look good for the summer. Here are my photos.
http://imgur.com/GwCtpK7
http://imgur.com/WiLp9vk
http://imgur.com/GwCtpK7
http://imgur.com/WiLp9vk
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Replies
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It seems reasonable that you could run one at your current bf%.
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Going to need pics to accurately judge the situation0
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If you feel like you can feel comfortable with a few extra pounds go for it. The ideal cut/bulk range is a matter of preference. For me I cut in summer until abs are visible and in winter I go till they disappear.3
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If you feel like you can feel comfortable with a few extra pounds go for it. The ideal cut/bulk range is a matter of preference. For me I cut in summer until abs are visible and in winter I go till they disappear.
Exactly....sure there are unofficial guidelines, it is suggested that women stop their cut at 20%bf and stop their bulk at 25% body fat....for men, cutting should stop at 10% and bulking should stop at 15-17%. I do not follow those guidelines since I have a small thin body frame, so if I were to cut up to 10% body fat, I look like I don't lift. So I prefer to end my cut somewhere 12-13% body fat and I usually end my bulk somewhere around 18-20% body fat just because I like how massive I look at that point even if the definition is almost gone.0 -
Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
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If you feel like you can feel comfortable with a few extra pounds go for it. The ideal cut/bulk range is a matter of preference. For me I cut in summer until abs are visible and in winter I go till they disappear.
Exactly....sure there are unofficial guidelines, it is suggested that women stop their cut at 20%bf and stop their bulk at 25% body fat....for men, cutting should stop at 10% and bulking should stop at 15-17%. I do not follow those guidelines since I have a small thin body frame, so if I were to cut up to 10% body fat, I look like I don't lift. So I prefer to end my cut somewhere 12-13% body fat and I usually end my bulk somewhere around 18-20% body fat just because I like how massive I look at that point even if the definition is almost gone.
These guidelines are hard for me because I don't know by bf%. My scale says one number and the caliper another so I have no idea.0 -
Don’t rely on those things, just go by your image in the mirror.0
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Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.0 -
Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.0
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Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How do you measure your bf%? I think this is where I feel hung up. I don't think I see my body accurately and the two methods of measuring I have done have been consistently different by about 5%.0 -
BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
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BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How do you measure your bf%? I think this is where I feel hung up. I don't think I see my body accurately and the two methods of measuring I have done have been consistently different by about 5%.
I do Bodpod. There's a university 7 minutes from my house that does it, so it's really convenient.1 -
BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
I've gained 10 lbs in the last 4.5 months. Started at 126 and am sitting at 136.6 as of this morning. I had a Bodpod done last month and was still between 18 and 19% so I'm doing this much cleaner than usual. I'm going to try to get up to 145 lbs, and then probably recomp from there.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
I've gained 10 lbs in the last 4.5 months. Started at 126 and am sitting at 136.6 as of this morning. I had a Bodpod done last month and was still between 18 and 19% so I'm doing this much cleaner than usual. I'm going to try to get up to 145 lbs, and then probably recomp from there.
Ahh yes you are very lean still. I have been bulking around 5 months too. My pants don't fit anymore so it's almost time to call it quits for me lol0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
I've gained 10 lbs in the last 4.5 months. Started at 126 and am sitting at 136.6 as of this morning. I had a Bodpod done last month and was still between 18 and 19% so I'm doing this much cleaner than usual. I'm going to try to get up to 145 lbs, and then probably recomp from there.
Ahh yes you are very lean still. I have been bulking around 5 months too. My pants don't fit anymore so it's almost time to call it quits for me lol
My work pants don't fit well, but my jeans still do. I have stretchy skirts and dresses too, so I'm going to keep going.0 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
I've gained 10 lbs in the last 4.5 months. Started at 126 and am sitting at 136.6 as of this morning. I had a Bodpod done last month and was still between 18 and 19% so I'm doing this much cleaner than usual. I'm going to try to get up to 145 lbs, and then probably recomp from there.
How tall are you?
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BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!
See, this is where I think I am. I actually lost about 1-1.5 pounds since January, this is based on my Libra trend, and I think my lower belly looks worse. Probably a lack of muscle there.
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BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Davidsdottir wrote: »BeccaLoves2lift wrote: »Bodyfat % - wise, sure you could definitely run a bulk. I know you have been back and forth a while and it can be difficult deciding what to do when you get to a certain point.
I will ask you this.... do you think you are mentally ready to gain weight? You will gain some fat, there can be bloat which can make it feel even worse. The scale will be going up. You may have doubts. You might be tempted to do more exercise or eat less when the going gets tough. It can become very uncomfortable. If you think you are ready to take the plunge though, go for it!
Yes, I agree with what you are saying. This is why if I do go for it I'll wait until after the summer. I will have also been at maintenance for over a year. It does scare me to think of gaining weight but at the same time my dream body requires more muscle than I have. I think more muscle will help tighten my lower abdomen as well (of course it probably won't be noticable until I lean out again). You have such a great attitude about bulking and cutting and staying positive, very inspiring.
That is usually the driving force that keeps me going through the bulks. It is hard, especially at first, but once you successfully run a few of them you start to trust the process (a bit more).
I don't measure my bodyfat% at all. I use those photos to "guesstimate" but basically when I see adequate definition (in my back, abs, quads, glutes), and I am getting so lean that my problem areas aren't getting better, and it seems I start to lose muscle, that is when it's time to gain. However... deciding when to start your first bulk can sometimes be the most difficult because you don't have that muscle base and the definition may not be as apparent. So that is why the mirror and bodyfat % can be tricky!Davidsdottir wrote: »Bulking can be really difficult mentally. My longest previous bulks only lasted four months because I got to a place where I couldn't deal with how fat I thought I'd gotten. This time, I'm four months in and still have an additional 9 lbs I want to gain before stopping. I usually start been 16-17% body fat.
How much weight have you gained so far? I can usually only do 10-12lbs per bulk so I have to split it up into smaller cycles. I am nearing at the upper end right now and pushing to 14lbs.. .. it is very uncomfortable for me! I think you are still very lean right, so that helps.
I've gained 10 lbs in the last 4.5 months. Started at 126 and am sitting at 136.6 as of this morning. I had a Bodpod done last month and was still between 18 and 19% so I'm doing this much cleaner than usual. I'm going to try to get up to 145 lbs, and then probably recomp from there.
How tall are you?
I'm 5'5.5"1
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