reached a nice size, now thinking of bulking to gain muscle

quigz90

so iv lost about 2.5/3 stone since my heaviest and like the way i look, although i have not hit my goal weight ( got 10/14lb to go) i want to start gaining muscle and i am lifting out 3 times a week.

where do i go from here to gain muscle but not pile on the lbs of fat?

my bmr is 1826 and my tdee is 2511.

thanks in advance

KarenJanine

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

HIITMe

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/



StrongLifts 5×5 Workout A:
Squat 5×5
Bench Press 5×5
Barbell Rows 5×5


StrongLifts 5×5 Workout B:

Squat 5×5
Overhead Press 5×5
Deadlift 1×5

ndj1979

what kind of lifts are you doing, and how long have you been lifting for?

You should slowly start adding back calories every week...so week 1 add 100 calories a day, week 2 add another 100 until you get back to maintenance..then stay in maintenance for about two weeks and add on another 100 and stick with that for weeks and see how your lifts progress....Once you find a intake where you are slightly gaining and putting on some muscle stick with that for six to eight weeks and then slowly cut back...

ndj1979

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

I thought 8-12 reps was more fat burning range and 4-8 muscle building/strength....???

jasonalvear

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

I thought 8-12 reps was more fat burning range and 4-8 muscle building/strength....???

1-6 and around there is strength, where as the 8-12 is a good range for muscle building as it wears down the muscle by the heavier load than by pure fatigue, such as repetitions of 15, which is just mainly keeping the muscle active and engaged. Those repetitions are based on effort though, so if repetition number 8 goes up fairly easy, go for the 12, and if number 12 is easy as well, time to up the weight and get at it again.

CarlKRobbo

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

I thought 8-12 reps was more fat burning range and 4-8 muscle building/strength....???

the "fat burning reps range" is probably one of the worst wordings ever created, whoever created it needs a good slap.

ANY rep range will burn Calories, Fat loss\muscle gain will happen with either ranges (one more than the other...) but only in a calorie surplus.

Low reps are generally more for strength, high reps are generally for muscle building

alyhuggan

Generally for building muscle you want to go around 250-500 calories over your TDEE depending on if you want to make sure you gain as much muscle as possible. Don't listen to anyone saying to do 5x5 or any low rep workout plan. Yes, you will gain muscle with low rep workout plans but those are aimed more at gaining strength. You want more of a bodybuilder approach but I can't be bothered arguing my points here as the amount of bro-science spitters will be on my tail, go watch how Kai works out, high reps, low rest, constant tension on the muscle. Now you don't see anyone using strongman style workouts up on the Olympia stage do you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nXSIqyw1lc

quigz90

Thanks guys such a quick responses. Im not following a proper program, im using a multi-gym ( awaiting comments of use free weights/ go the gym) its working for now, im aiming for 10 reps 5 sets wirh 45 sec rests. Bence press, butterfly press, latt pulldown, tricep pushdown, bicep curl, front cable raise, and squats. Iv upped my cals today to about 250 under mainenence and will keep upping untill im about 250 surplus, iv just been scared to up incase i gained to much fat but comments of you guys are making me feel better, although im finding it hard to up my cals feel stuffed

LolBroScience

Generally for building muscle you want to go around 250-500 calories over your TDEE depending on if you want to make sure you gain as much muscle as possible. Don't listen to anyone saying to do 5x5 or any low rep workout plan. Yes, you will gain muscle with low rep workout plans but those are aimed more at gaining strength. You want more of a bodybuilder approach but I can't be bothered arguing my points here as the amount of bro-science spitters will be on my tail, go watch how Kai works out, high reps, low rest, constant tension on the muscle. Now you don't see anyone using strongman style workouts up on the Olympia stage do you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nXSIqyw1lc

Wait so you mean I can't do strength & hypertrophy work as assistance? I have to pick one or the other?

It's a good thing Kai Greene is an IFBB pro, not natural, and in the genetic top 1% of people in the world. Not someone you want to base your training program off of imo.

erickirb

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

I thought 8-12 reps was more fat burning range and 4-8 muscle building/strength....???

1-6 reps is the strength rep range, muscle building (bodybuilder) is more in the 8-15 rep range. So you will gain more strength doing the 1-6 rep range, but more muscle size doing the 8-15.

ndj1979

Aim to eat around 250 cals over TDEE, aiming for around 1lb of weight gain per week. There will always be some fat and water gain along with muscle but you can cut that off later.

What lifting program are you doing? If you're not already you might want to think about moving into the hypertrophy range of 8-12 reps to try and maximise muscle gain.

I thought 8-12 reps was more fat burning range and 4-8 muscle building/strength....???

1-6 reps is the strength rep range, muscle building (bodybuilder) is more in the 8-15 rep range. So you will gain more strength doing the 1-6 rep range, but more muscle size doing the 8-15.

interesting..I always aim to be in 6-8 rep range...

alyhuggan

Generally for building muscle you want to go around 250-500 calories over your TDEE depending on if you want to make sure you gain as much muscle as possible. Don't listen to anyone saying to do 5x5 or any low rep workout plan. Yes, you will gain muscle with low rep workout plans but those are aimed more at gaining strength. You want more of a bodybuilder approach but I can't be bothered arguing my points here as the amount of bro-science spitters will be on my tail, go watch how Kai works out, high reps, low rest, constant tension on the muscle. Now you don't see anyone using strongman style workouts up on the Olympia stage do you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nXSIqyw1lc

Wait so you mean I can't do strength & hypertrophy work as assistance? I have to pick one or the other?

It's a good thing Kai Greene is an IFBB pro, not natural, and in the genetic top 1% of people in the world. Not someone you want to base your training program off of imo.

I didn't mention anything about training for strength & muscle. I was saying if you stick to a 5x5 plan religiously so you literally just do 5x5 you will make less muscle gains than someone that religiously follows an 8-12 rep range workout plan. Infact personally I prefer doing the 3 main compound movements with lower reps and higher weight. I just don't see them as muscle building movements whereas more isolation movements I would keep to higher reps.

LolBroScience

Generally for building muscle you want to go around 250-500 calories over your TDEE depending on if you want to make sure you gain as much muscle as possible. Don't listen to anyone saying to do 5x5 or any low rep workout plan. Yes, you will gain muscle with low rep workout plans but those are aimed more at gaining strength. You want more of a bodybuilder approach but I can't be bothered arguing my points here as the amount of bro-science spitters will be on my tail, go watch how Kai works out, high reps, low rest, constant tension on the muscle. Now you don't see anyone using strongman style workouts up on the Olympia stage do you? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nXSIqyw1lc

Wait so you mean I can't do strength & hypertrophy work as assistance? I have to pick one or the other?

It's a good thing Kai Greene is an IFBB pro, not natural, and in the genetic top 1% of people in the world. Not someone you want to base your training program off of imo.

I didn't mention anything about training for strength & muscle. I was saying if you stick to a 5x5 plan religiously so you literally just do 5x5 you will make less muscle gains than someone that religiously follows an 8-12 rep range workout plan. Infact personally I prefer doing the 3 main compound movements with lower reps and higher weight. I just don't see them as muscle building movements whereas more isolation movements I would keep to higher reps.

I agree to an extent. I just think youre comment about Olympia competitors is irrelvant for multiple reasons though...

Most naturals will benefit from a hybrid powerlifting/bodybuilding routine much more than what you will find a pro follows in the latest edition of Flex Magazine. OP will never come close to that status, nor will you, nor will I even with gear.