When is the right time to start?

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BlaZeN13x
BlaZeN13x Posts: 25
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I am trying to lose weight at the moment and have been using MFP coming up to 3 weeks. I have been eating at a calorie deficit doing cardio and weight training.

I was just browsing the forum and saw some threads of people bulking, they were eating more calories and putting on weight but getting a flatter stomach from this.

I am sure this could not work for me as I still have fat to lose and am not happy with my body at all. I am 5"11 and 189lbs.

But when would be a good time to start doing this as it seems this could lead to good results.

Replies

  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
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    I can only speak for myself, but I decided to try bulking when I reached my ideal weight but was still dissatisfied with my body composition. So the plan is to gain some muscle through bulking and then cut back to current weight (hopefully retaining some of the muscle gained and ending up a bit leaner).
  • Live4theLift
    Live4theLift Posts: 329
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    I can only speak for myself, but I decided to try bulking when I reached my ideal weight but was still dissatisfied with my body composition. So the plan is to gain some muscle through bulking and then cut back to current weight (hopefully retaining some of the muscle gained and ending up a bit leaner).

    Ditto, this is my exact thinkin to. Remember though

    LBM goes up BF% goes down

    gain 10lbs of muscle and 2lb fat your BF% will drop
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
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    when you get to around 10-12% BF... perhaps 12-14%... really whatever you're comfortable with... Im 511 188 but i may be more muscular... who knows... I'll probably finish my cut at around 165-170.

    The important thing now is to get your training in check. You want to retain as much muscle as possible or you'll have to drop even lower in weight and you'll in turn have to bulk even longer.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    It's largely personal preference. When you bulk, you'll gain weight, so do it when you're OK being a little heavier (most people won't bulk during beach season), or when you know there's going to be a lot of food around (ie.e bulking during the holidays).

    That said, there are some physiology differences that make it more optimal to bulk starting from a lower BF%.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
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    I started all this at my ideal weight, around 175 lbs. However, I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30% bf, whereas my goal is 175 @ 8% bf. I first cut down to just under 153, now I am bulking. It will take me a few cut/bulk cycles to get where I need to be. I say, cut down until you get your bf % in the low teens. Then bulk until you are extremely uncomfortable with your fat level. Then repeat.
  • Reza151
    Reza151 Posts: 517 Member
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    How do you know what your ideal weight is? My body fat % is somewhere around 21-22% (I had it measured with skin calipers about 2-3 weeks ago, but I was also sick with a stomach bug that week, which brought me down 3 pounds. Not sure if it affected the fat % though).

    My current weight is 127, and I'm 5"3. I have faint ab lines so I'm wondering if I'm at the point where I can start bulking or if I should lose some more body fat first?
  • robot_steve
    robot_steve Posts: 12
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    "Eating more calories and getting a flatter stomach" is only half of the picture. The people that are 'bullking' are most likely also using an intense weight training program to promote muscle growth. In order to do this, they need more calories to fuel muscle growth.

    However, if you already have excess bodyfat, then bulking is probably not the best choice for you.
  • robot_steve
    robot_steve Posts: 12
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    In my limited experience, I would not even consider 'bulking' until after you have exhausted your muscle and strength gains from 'normal' and 'above average' eating. If you are weight training, you will naturally shift your diet to meet those needs, but a 'bulk' implies a much higher caloric excess. A lot of people try to bulk and just get fat.
  • Skrib69
    Skrib69 Posts: 687 Member
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    Bump for later...
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    I am trying to lose weight at the moment and have been using MFP coming up to 3 weeks. I have been eating at a calorie deficit doing cardio and weight training.

    I was just browsing the forum and saw some threads of people bulking, they were eating more calories and putting on weight but getting a flatter stomach from this.

    I am sure this could not work for me as I still have fat to lose and am not happy with my body at all. I am 5"11 and 189lbs.

    But when would be a good time to start doing this as it seems this could lead to good results.

    Hey,

    This is all up to you , bulking is when you try and put on muscle though ... not weight ... the result is additional weight from bulking.

    I put on 23 lbs, while doing so lost 3% body fat ...

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