How to Ensure a Successful Lean Bulk

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  • lukejoycePT
    lukejoycePT Posts: 182 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    An interesting meta analysis on the effects of weight training on hormones. Says nothing about all the testosterone coming from the legs. Only references that larger muscles will produce a larger effect but that all muscles worked help increase T.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293581734_THE_EFFECT_OF_STRENGTH_TRAINING_ON_THE_TESTOSTERONE_LEVEL_IN_MEN_Corespondence_to

    An interesting excerpt from the conclusions:
    Different methods of strength training make a different impact on the level of TE in men, and among them the method of submaximal effort to failure manifests the strongest effects, and it is reasonably characterized as the method for muscle hypertrophy

    In the body of the study they define submaximal effort as 75% of max for 8 to 12 reps. So, not the "heavy" lifting typical in strength oriented programs. Interesting!

    You do realise back squat will be performed in strength cycles. You can’t do maximum effort all the time. You will not see increases and you will burn out your CNS.
    For example
    Squat:
    5 x 5 each session till you plateau
    Next session: Test 8 rep max
    Following week: Test 5 rep max
    Then: Test 3 rep max
    Then: Test 1 rep max

    Start 4 X 8 at 75% of 8RM each session untill you plateau
    Test 8 rep max
    Test 5 rep max
    Test 3 rep max
    Test 1 rep max
    And so.

    A program like above is the kind of thing you’d look at for strength.

    You won’t see the kind of gains you want with doing high reps/low weight. Unless you are doing roids. You could lift a water bottle and see results on steriods

    Just to clarify... what is your definition of high rep low weight? To be honest I rarely go under 8 reps, I don't back squat and usually don't go over 100lbs for my front squats which I also don't do very often. I do deadlift but usually around 8-12 reps and nowhere near my max, so the weight is very manageable and not "heavy". And while I do increase it is usually in overall volume. I think there are many ways to go about muscle gain, as long as you are progressively overloading.

    There are plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say. But if we are talking about efficiency and maximising muscle gains then strength should be the foundation to all programming.

    If you were my client I would recommend you added strength into your programs with your deadlift and squat - back or front squat is still very much a compound but focus on other parts more than others. With fronts the load is more focused on your Abdomen and quads where as back squats is focused on back, hamstrings and glutes. I use both personally.

    Rep range depend on the exercise. I’d never go above 6reps on deadlift. If we take for example a lat pull down then 8 - 12
    Is fine best as it is an assistance exercise.
  • THS2HASPASSED
    THS2HASPASSED Posts: 1,055 Member
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    There is no such thing as a lean bulk in my opinion. You will add some fat but don't have to get fat, to add muscle. I started my journey at 472lbs near death from conjestive heart failure. I had to change or die! I dropped from 472lbs to 209lbs from diet and a lot of cardio over 2 years. I am 6'6" and at 209lbs I was too skinny and had bad loose skin issues. I began lifting as a means to help loose skin and I got addicted to it! through trial and error I learned what worked to add muscle and not add too much fat because I was afraid of going back to the old fat version of myself. I don't focus on calories that much. I just aim for my protein goal. I mix my training up depending on how my old joints feel. if I feel good, I go heavy. if not I do volume for the day. I have done a few bulks and then cut to get where I am today. I average 275lbs or so after a cut. in a bulk I go up to close to 290-295lbs. I am at my leanest now and just about to finish a bulk. If you eat clean with a surplus of calories and lift consistently you will add muscle! Remember when lifting you need to keep adding weight to the lifts or add reps as you can to keep improving. I wouldn't worry about looking fat as you go if your lifting is on point. Just set a goal and smash it. learn what works for your body, adjust what doesn't.. good luck!
  • lukejoycePT
    lukejoycePT Posts: 182 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    An interesting meta analysis on the effects of weight training on hormones. Says nothing about all the testosterone coming from the legs. Only references that larger muscles will produce a larger effect but that all muscles worked help increase T.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293581734_THE_EFFECT_OF_STRENGTH_TRAINING_ON_THE_TESTOSTERONE_LEVEL_IN_MEN_Corespondence_to

    An interesting excerpt from the conclusions:
    Different methods of strength training make a different impact on the level of TE in men, and among them the method of submaximal effort to failure manifests the strongest effects, and it is reasonably characterized as the method for muscle hypertrophy

    In the body of the study they define submaximal effort as 75% of max for 8 to 12 reps. So, not the "heavy" lifting typical in strength oriented programs. Interesting!

    You do realise back squat will be performed in strength cycles. You can’t do maximum effort all the time. You will not see increases and you will burn out your CNS.
    For example
    Squat:
    5 x 5 each session till you plateau
    Next session: Test 8 rep max
    Following week: Test 5 rep max
    Then: Test 3 rep max
    Then: Test 1 rep max

    Start 4 X 8 at 75% of 8RM each session untill you plateau
    Test 8 rep max
    Test 5 rep max
    Test 3 rep max
    Test 1 rep max
    And so.

    A program like above is the kind of thing you’d look at for strength.

    You won’t see the kind of gains you want with doing high reps/low weight. Unless you are doing roids. You could lift a water bottle and see results on steriods

    Just to clarify... what is your definition of high rep low weight? To be honest I rarely go under 8 reps, I don't back squat and usually don't go over 100lbs for my front squats which I also don't do very often. I do deadlift but usually around 8-12 reps and nowhere near my max, so the weight is very manageable and not "heavy". And while I do increase it is usually in overall volume. I think there are many ways to go about muscle gain, as long as you are progressively overloading.

    There are plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say. But if we are talking about efficiency and maximising muscle gains then strength should be the foundation to all programming.

    If you were my client I would recommend you added strength into your programs with your deadlift and squat - back or front squat is still very much a compound but focus on other parts more than others. With fronts the load is more focused on your Abdomen and quads where as back squats is focused on back, hamstrings and glutes. I use both personally.

    Rep range depend on the exercise. I’d never go above 6reps on deadlift. If we take for example a lat pull down then 8 - 12
    Is fine best as it is an assistance exercise.

    But what if that doesn't suit my goals and what I've been doing has been working great for me? Heavy lifting/low rep doesn't bring me to the gym. I don't enjoy it. I love high rep deadlifts, especially Romanian and using dumbbells. Why would you recommend something that I dislike and steer me away from what has been working for my goals? If I wanted to build the largest quads and hamstrings ever, maybe I would consider it, sure. But that is not what I want, at all!

    If you don’t enjoy strength then don’t do it. You will still get results by progressive overload.

    Romanian deadlift isn’t a conventional deadlift and Is always done 8 - 12 reps.

    You’ll never produce insane muscle size unless you are a genetic outliner or on steroids.

    If you are seeing results don’t stop and change just because some guy on the internet told you that strength is optimum.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
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    psuLemon wrote: »
    OP, one tip you could try is going very slow, like gaining a lb or two a month. And once you start to fear your "fatness" a bit, then lose a few lbs and start all over.

    Heck, I have seen people put on 10 lbs without really gaining much fat. It was done over an extended period of time (like a year), but they were able to stay lean and still add mass.

    ETA: good timing on the thread below. And since it's a female, it makes things harder. Very slow bulk. Added more mass, and you can't really see any fat gains.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10748202/female-first-time-bulking-how-much-longer-its-summer-body-fat-estimate#latest
    Thanks for the tips!! I am keeping the surplus at 200 based off of me maintaining at around 2500 I went up to 2700. However in just three days I have gone from133 to 136. I’m not sad cause irrespective of my goal I was below my maintenance range but should I be at all worried by that rapid hop?
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    dpr73 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    OP, one tip you could try is going very slow, like gaining a lb or two a month. And once you start to fear your "fatness" a bit, then lose a few lbs and start all over.

    Heck, I have seen people put on 10 lbs without really gaining much fat. It was done over an extended period of time (like a year), but they were able to stay lean and still add mass.

    ETA: good timing on the thread below. And since it's a female, it makes things harder. Very slow bulk. Added more mass, and you can't really see any fat gains.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10748202/female-first-time-bulking-how-much-longer-its-summer-body-fat-estimate#latest
    Thanks for the tips!! I am keeping the surplus at 200 based off of me maintaining at around 2500 I went up to 2700. However in just three days I have gone from133 to 136. I’m not sad cause irrespective of my goal I was below my maintenance range but should I be at all worried by that rapid hop?

    No. You didn't gain 3 lbs of fat in 3 days by eating 200 cals more per day. It's just a random fluctuation. Probably water weight. You may want to utilize a weight trending app for a longer picture. You will fluctuate up and down. It's the trend over time that matters.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
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    sardelsa wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    An interesting meta analysis on the effects of weight training on hormones. Says nothing about all the testosterone coming from the legs. Only references that larger muscles will produce a larger effect but that all muscles worked help increase T.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293581734_THE_EFFECT_OF_STRENGTH_TRAINING_ON_THE_TESTOSTERONE_LEVEL_IN_MEN_Corespondence_to

    An interesting excerpt from the conclusions:
    Different methods of strength training make a different impact on the level of TE in men, and among them the method of submaximal effort to failure manifests the strongest effects, and it is reasonably characterized as the method for muscle hypertrophy

    In the body of the study they define submaximal effort as 75% of max for 8 to 12 reps. So, not the "heavy" lifting typical in strength oriented programs. Interesting!

    You do realise back squat will be performed in strength cycles. You can’t do maximum effort all the time. You will not see increases and you will burn out your CNS.
    For example
    Squat:
    5 x 5 each session till you plateau
    Next session: Test 8 rep max
    Following week: Test 5 rep max
    Then: Test 3 rep max
    Then: Test 1 rep max

    Start 4 X 8 at 75% of 8RM each session untill you plateau
    Test 8 rep max
    Test 5 rep max
    Test 3 rep max
    Test 1 rep max
    And so.

    A program like above is the kind of thing you’d look at for strength.

    You won’t see the kind of gains you want with doing high reps/low weight. Unless you are doing roids. You could lift a water bottle and see results on steriods

    Just to clarify... what is your definition of high rep low weight? To be honest I rarely go under 8 reps, I don't back squat and usually don't go over 100lbs for my front squats which I also don't do very often. I do deadlift but usually around 8-12 reps and nowhere near my max, so the weight is very manageable and not "heavy". And while I do increase it is usually in overall volume. I think there are many ways to go about muscle gain, as long as you are progressively overloading.

    There are plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say. But if we are talking about efficiency and maximising muscle gains then strength should be the foundation to all programming.

    If you were my client I would recommend you added strength into your programs with your deadlift and squat - back or front squat is still very much a compound but focus on other parts more than others. With fronts the load is more focused on your Abdomen and quads where as back squats is focused on back, hamstrings and glutes. I use both personally.

    Rep range depend on the exercise. I’d never go above 6reps on deadlift. If we take for example a lat pull down then 8 - 12
    Is fine best as it is an assistance exercise.

    But what if that doesn't suit my goals and what I've been doing has been working great for me? Heavy lifting/low rep doesn't bring me to the gym. I don't enjoy it. I love high rep deadlifts, especially Romanian and using dumbbells. Why would you recommend something that I dislike and steer me away from what has been working for my goals? If I wanted to build the largest quads and hamstrings ever, maybe I would consider it, sure. But that is not what I want, at all!

    If you are getting the results you want that is great. To be honest, though sometimes people need to do something they "don't like" or is out of their current comfort zone to get results. Applies to most activities in life IMO.
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
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    mmapags wrote: »
    Phirrgus wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    Phirrgus wrote: »
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    mmapags wrote: »
    An interesting meta analysis on the effects of weight training on hormones. Says nothing about all the testosterone coming from the legs. Only references that larger muscles will produce a larger effect but that all muscles worked help increase T.
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293581734_THE_EFFECT_OF_STRENGTH_TRAINING_ON_THE_TESTOSTERONE_LEVEL_IN_MEN_Corespondence_to

    An interesting excerpt from the conclusions:
    Different methods of strength training make a different impact on the level of TE in men, and among them the method of submaximal effort to failure manifests the strongest effects, and it is reasonably characterized as the method for muscle hypertrophy

    In the body of the study they define submaximal effort as 75% of max for 8 to 12 reps. So, not the "heavy" lifting typical in strength oriented programs. Interesting!

    You do realise back squat will be performed in strength cycles. You can’t do maximum effort all the time. You will not see increases and you will burn out your CNS.
    For example
    Squat:
    5 x 5 each session till you plateau
    Next session: Test 8 rep max
    Following week: Test 5 rep max
    Then: Test 3 rep max
    Then: Test 1 rep max

    Start 4 X 8 at 75% of 8RM each session untill you plateau
    Test 8 rep max
    Test 5 rep max
    Test 3 rep max
    Test 1 rep max
    And so.

    A program like above is the kind of thing you’d look at for strength.

    You won’t see the kind of gains you want with doing high reps/low weight. Unless you are doing roids. You could lift a water bottle and see results on steriods

    Just to clarify... what is your definition of high rep low weight? To be honest I rarely go under 8 reps, I don't back squat and usually don't go over 100lbs for my front squats which I also don't do very often. I do deadlift but usually around 8-12 reps and nowhere near my max, so the weight is very manageable and not "heavy". And while I do increase it is usually in overall volume. I think there are many ways to go about muscle gain, as long as you are progressively overloading.

    There are plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say. But if we are talking about efficiency and maximising muscle gains then strength should be the foundation to all programming.

    If you were my client I would recommend you added strength into your programs with your deadlift and squat - back or front squat is still very much a compound but focus on other parts more than others. With fronts the load is more focused on your Abdomen and quads where as back squats is focused on back, hamstrings and glutes. I use both personally.

    Rep range depend on the exercise. I’d never go above 6reps on deadlift. If we take for example a lat pull down then 8 - 12
    Is fine best as it is an assistance exercise.

    But what if that doesn't suit my goals and what I've been doing has been working great for me? Heavy lifting/low rep doesn't bring me to the gym. I don't enjoy it. I love high rep deadlifts, especially Romanian and using dumbbells. Why would you recommend something that I dislike and steer me away from what has been working for my goals? If I wanted to build the largest quads and hamstrings ever, maybe I would consider it, sure. But that is not what I want, at all!

    If you are getting the results you want that is great. To be honest, though sometimes people need to do something they "don't like" or is out of their current comfort zone to get results. Applies to most activities in life IMO.
    This is the most important part when it comes to a lifting routine.

    If you’re half assing the most optimal program because it doesnt keep you motivated, then it’s much less optimal than a so called sub optimal routine that motivates you to give it everything you’ve got.

    This. The assumption is that everyone who lifts wants to gain mass and strength, quickly as possible. It's more nuanced than that.

    Yes, that is exactly the issue with some of these "one size fits all" blanket recommendations.

    I completely agree, and honestly that tendency to fit everyone under a blanket assumption is the primary reason I don't post much about my routine, which is bothersome because there's some great advice from certain folks on these boards. But I've learned ways to work around various issues/injuries I have that works for me and don't want to explain it every time I post a question lol.

    Then there are folks like sardelsa (among others) who obviously knows what she's doing and what she wants, getting unsolicited advice for something she isn't shooting for. Sorry but that's annoying as heck. Ok rant over :D

    I feel you brother! :D And some of these generic prescriptions get posted in such a way that I wonder if the person that posted it even read the OP stated goals.

    Isn't that the truth. :) Hopefully the OP here got some good advice among the "debate."
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
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    Another question: I am in the hospital all day from 4am to sometimes 9pm without much time to eat. On days when I get in so late after the gym (like 10pm or 11) is it ok to just backload my day’s calories and eat like 1400 at once between dinner and a large protein smoothie?