Introductions
Replies
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I'm a shorty at not quite 5'2". I got my goals off of Scooby's website. I was able to calculate a clean bulk calorie goal with what is apparently a realistic bulking goal. I am not going to do the bulk/cut method, as you can see:
1. Starting weight. 96
2. Bulk goal weight. 102
3. Maintenance calories. 1390 plus exercise. I am increasing cals slowly. I have one day a week (or two) where I eat at bulk cals.
4. Bulk calories. 1640 plus exercise
5. Bulk goal duration. 1 year
6. Lifting program. My own, which is a combo of Mike Chang (6pkabs), Bret Contrera (glutes), HASfit.com, and Bodybuilding.com. I use dumbbells. I do very little cardio, usually just a 40 min daily hike carrying a weighted backpack.
My goal: buns of steel!!
I eat Primal style (low carb), doing a once a week carb cycling thing.0 -
I'm a shorty at not quite 5'2". I got my goals off of Scooby's website. I was able to calculate a clean bulk calorie goal with what is apparently a realistic bulking goal. I am not going to do the bulk/cut method, as you can see:
1. Starting weight. 96
2. Bulk goal weight. 102
3. Maintenance calories. 1390 plus exercise. I am increasing cals slowly. I have one day a week (or two) where I eat at bulk cals.
4. Bulk calories. 1640 plus exercise
5. Bulk goal duration. 1 year
6. Lifting program. My own, which is a combo of Mike Chang (6pkabs), Bret Contrera (glutes), HASfit.com, and Bodybuilding.com. I use dumbbells. I do very little cardio, usually just a 40 min daily hike carrying a weighted backpack.
My goal: buns of steel!!
I eat Primal style (low carb), doing a once a week carb cycling thing.
My "goal" is also to do a slow, clean bulk (body recomp) and end up with minimal fat gain (but I'm mentally prepared to gain more fat if that's what has to be). I eat low carb paleo
ETA: I've been going more primal the past few weeks, using greek yogurt and whey protein powder.0 -
Everyone on here looks great already, so I can't wait to see how we do over the next year!
Personally, I'm having to backtrack and strengthen my triceps and glutes before I proceed with heavy lifting. Their weakness is limiting me tremendously. I feel at risk for hurting myself from other muscles trying to compensate. Even with biceps (curls), I find my shoulders trying to jump in the way.
Anyway, wishing you all good luck and the strength to work hard!!0 -
I'm glad Sara told me about this group! I'm Holly, 33 yo, 5'2 and plan to start my bulk in November. I'm not a stranger to bulking however a more structured bulk that I have planned will be new to me.
Pre Bulk Wt-125 lbs, approx 16% BF
Ending Wt Goal-135lb, but would be ok if near 140lb.
Length- 12-16 weeks
Maintenance Calories-Range from 2200-2300
Bulking Calories-Will see. I'm not a believer in adding in 300-500 cals a week and saying go with it. I will approach it as I do coming out of a cut and slowly reverse up. I will start with adding in a weekly avg of 100 cals daily and proceed each week from there till I reach the rate I want to gain. I will also avg it out where on lift days I will eat my largest surplus and on off days I will eat maintenance. (Basically a lean bulk)
I do my own programs. I've lifted for a long time and have found a 5 day split is what's best for my goals and my recovery.
Legs (Quad Focus)
Shoulders
Back
Chest/Hamstrings
Bi/Tri (Depending on if my shoulders develop at the rate I want for possible comp, may add in some accessory work this day to hit them twice, but they get hit good on chest so it will be a touch and go)0 -
I just wanted to say how excited and grateful I am to have such a wonderful group of women to be going through this bulking process with!
:flowerforyou: :drinker: 
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Hi, i just found this group! Thanks for startnig this. so glad its here! there is a lot to learn , i've been lifting for a while but just got organized and on a solid power lifting program a couple months ago. my emphasis is more on strength than size.
1. Starting weight. 148
2. Bulk goal weight. ? going by looks and feel
3. Maintenance calories. 1600
4. Bulk calories. 2000-2200 ? maybe not enough ?
5. Bulk goal duration. at least a year, with weeks of rest throughout the year
6. Lifting program. custom program by power lifting coaches0 -
Hi,
I'm Sara and have been stalking this group for a few days now. All of you women are amazing and inspiring.
I'm hoping to post my stats and start a journal by the end of the month.
For six weeks now I've been trying to nail down my maintenance calories. The last two weeks I had the most fluctuations ever and panicked so I ate lower calories for a few days then weighed in at .8 under.
The next two weeks I will not panic and keep reminding myself of glycogen stores :-)
I'm on my fourth week of Stronglifts and want to take advantage of newbie gains this winter.
Thanks for making this group. You are all so inspiring :flowerforyou:0 -
I'd like to officially say welcome to all of the newcomers to this group! :flowerforyou:
I have to admit, my reason for starting it was selfish (just started my first bulk on Sunday!), but I was disheartened to find a group like this didn't exist already. I'm a member of the "gaining weight" group as well, but it's not very active. I am so excited to share this journey with all of you!
- Leena0 -
Hi all. This is my first bulk, and I'm a nervous wreck about it :0. Hoping I can stick it out, as I REALLY want to gain some LBM.
As of 10/18/13
1. Starting weight. 106
2. Bulk goal weight. Not sure. Maybe 110-115
3. Maintenance calories. 1700
4. Bulk calories. 1700-2000? Upping slowly until I reach .5lb/ week gain
5. Bulk goal duration. 3 months (end of Jan '14 I think)
6. Lifting program. Slightly modified SL 5 x 5
I'll try to get some picture up soon. Looking forward to 'bulking' with you all!!!
anna0 -
Hi all. This is my first bulk, and I'm a nervous wreck about it :0. Hoping I can stick it out, as I REALLY want to gain some LBM.
As of 10/18/13
1. Starting weight. 106
2. Bulk goal weight. Not sure. Maybe 110-115
3. Maintenance calories. 1700
4. Bulk calories. 1700-2000? Upping slowly until I reach .5lb/ week gain
5. Bulk goal duration. 3 months (end of Jan '14 I think)
6. Lifting program. Slightly modified SL 5 x 5
I'll try to get some picture up soon. Looking forward to 'bulking' with you all!!!
anna
Welcome, Anna!0 -
Hi
I start with height cause I'm a giant. 5'11.5"
Cw: 157
Gw: about 165 but u don't have a clue
Maintenance calories: 2350
Bulk calories: 2600-2700
Bulk duration about 3 months (maybe with a minimum cut for about a week so I look ok on Christmas)
Lifting programme: split routine a bit like phat but less volume and craziness so a beginner can handle it.
I'm starting my bulk next week! Eeeeeekkk!!
Edit to add: I'm very much into iifym (can't live without chocolate) and I'm a vegetarian 0 -
Hi
I start with height cause I'm a giant. 5'11.5"
Cw: 157
Gw: about 165 but u don't have a clue
Maintenance calories: 2350
Bulk calories: 2600-2700
Bulk duration about 3 months (maybe with a minimum cut for about a week so I look ok on Christmas)
Lifting programme: split routine a bit like phat but less volume and craziness so a beginner can handle it.
I'm starting my bulk next week! Eeeeeekkk!!
Edit to add: I'm very much into iifym (can't live without chocolate) and I'm a vegetarian
Welcome!0 -
Hi ladies -- Not sure I'm up to the level most of you are at, but here's my intro.
Started Thursday 10/10
SW: 129
GW: Undecided
Maintenance calories: 1520 + exercise
Bulk calories: 1600 + exercise
Duration: Undecided
Program: Modified SS beginning
(squat, bench, deadlift, press, good morning -- 3x/week)
I didn't want to alternate upper body exercises, and I really like the stretch from good mornings at 20-25 pounds. So instead of the A/B program, I do those five lifts every time. I've just settled into this program in the past month.
The calories might need explanation. I use MFP's NEAT method, not TDEE. I set my activity level to sedentary and use a Fitbit to track and adjust daily activity. I log a burn of about 300 kcal/hour for weight workouts. So I'm typically eating between 1800 and 2000 calories a day.
I upped the calories because I couldn't continue lifting and running at a deficit; I was losing strength when I lifted and getting sharp cramps when I ran. I'm not sure how long I'll stay on a surplus. What I'm after is just strength gains. If my clothes start getting tight, I'll probably re-evaluate at that point.
I'm a bit nervous about this too, which is a small part of the reason I'm doing it. I like weighing in daily and tracking trends, but I don't really want my scale to dictate my life. The number I'm at now is for the benefit of my joints, but I think squats will help my joints handle more weight anyway. So there's a psychological element to this too.
I've cut back on my running to prioritize the lifting, but my other personal goal is somewhat in conflict... I want to start Krav Maga training early next year. So I'm not entirely certain which way I'll go with this and when. This doesn't concern me too much at this point; I'm fairly happy with how things are going, just having fun and enjoying the activity.0 -
Welcome, whitebalance!0
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Hello !
I am thinking about doing my first bulk this winter but I have no clue where to start! From what I have read so far, I should add about 100 cals a week until I start to see a gain. I plan to start Nov 1st. Any help is appreciated! 0 -
Hello !
I am thinking about doing my first bulk this winter but I have no clue where to start! From what I have read so far, I should add about 100 cals a week until I start to see a gain. I plan to start Nov 1st. Any help is appreciated!
Hey stranger! You are already eating at mainenance, right? If so, just do what you said above and you should be good to go. Remember to weigh once a week and adjust from there. Try to aim for a .5lb - .75lb/week gain.0 -
ya, i'm eating at maintenance already. Looks like it's time to pull the scale out again Thanks! 0
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Hi! I'm glad to have found this group, thank you PrimalRunner for creating it. I'm not starting my bulk for another 3 weeks or so, but I'm definitely going to be lurking and researching and watching everyone's progress.
One suggestion-- instead of starting/goal weights (or in addition to) I think it would be more beneficial to see starting/goal body fat % as weight really isn't a good indicator of where people are without that other number.
Anyway, I'm Naomi.
Current weight: 135 lbs /~19% body fat (I'm going to start creatine and wait for the water weight to level out before I begin my bulk, so my start weight will likely be higher. Ack!)
Goal bulk weight (if all goes well): 8 lbs up from where I am when I begin.
Maintenance calories: still figuring this out. About 1750?
Bulk calories: about 2100? I will increase by 100 cals until I am steadily gaining 0.5lb/week
Duration: four months
Program: 5/3/10 -
Hi! I'm glad to have found this group, thank you PrimalRunner for creating it. I'm not starting my bulk for another 3 weeks or so, but I'm definitely going to be lurking and researching and watching everyone's progress.
One suggestion-- instead of starting/goal weights (or in addition to) I think it would be more beneficial to see starting/goal body fat % as weight really isn't a good indicator of where people are without that other number.
Anyway, I'm Naomi.
Current weight: 135 lbs /~19% body fat (I'm going to start creatine and wait for the water weight to level out before I begin my bulk, so my start weight will likely be higher. Ack!)
Goal bulk weight (if all goes well): 8 lbs up from where I am when I begin.
Maintenance calories: still figuring this out. About 1750?
Bulk calories: about 2100? I will increase by 100 cals until I am steadily gaining 0.5lb/week
Duration: four months
Program: 5/3/1
Welcome, Naomi! I'm new to bulking and starting groups LOL, so good suggestion!0 -
Hi, I'm Jen!
1. Starting weight: 120.0- 16.53% BF
2. Bulk goal weight: Going to go until I hit 25-27% BF. Not sure how much that actually translates to!
3. Maintenance calories. 1878
4. Bulk calories: 2066-2100
5. Bulk goal duration: Now through New Years
6. Lifting program: 5/3/1
I welcome any advice as I'm totally new to bulking.0 -
Hi, I'm Jen!
1. Starting weight: 120.0- 16.53% BF
2. Bulk goal weight: Going to go until I hit 25-27% BF. Not sure how much that actually translates to!
3. Maintenance calories. 1878
4. Bulk calories: 2066-2100
5. Bulk goal duration: Now through New Years
6. Lifting program: 5/3/1
I welcome any advice as I'm totally new to bulking.
Welcome to the best bulking party ever Jen! :drinker: :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi Jen!
I noticed that your goals don't seem to match up, so I crunched the numbers and found that if you increase your cals as you're planning (by about 250 to gain .5 lb/week) and your bulk lasts 9 weeks (till New Years), you would gain about 4.5 lbs total (of which about half will be fat). At 124.5 lbs with 2.25 lbs added fat, you will be 17.5% bodyfat, nowhere near your 25%+ goal.
If you want to bulk till you reach 25%, at the rate of 0.5 lb per week you would bulk 40+ weeks until you gain well over 20 lbs, assuming a likely half-fat and half-muscle gain. Just a little perspective 0 -
Hi Jen!
I noticed that your goals don't seem to match up, so I crunched the numbers and found that if you increase your cals as you're planning (by about 250 to gain .5 lb/week) and your bulk lasts 9 weeks (till New Years), you would gain about 4.5 lbs total (of which about half will be fat). At 124.5 lbs with 2.25 lbs added fat, you will be 17.5% bodyfat, nowhere near your 25%+ goal.
If you want to bulk till you reach 25%, at the rate of 0.5 lb per week you would bulk 40+ weeks until you gain well over 20 lbs, assuming a likely half-fat and half-muscle gain. Just a little perspective
Thanks for crunching Naomi! I was 120 at the beginning of September but I'm actually sitting pretty at 131.2 right now. I went on vacation for almost 3 weeks in september and came back weighing 125.4. I've been back home for 2 weeks now officially bulking. 0 -
Boy am I glad that I found this group through Erika! I have been watching her bulk and she is looking so great! I don't plan to start bulking until December since I would like to lose about 10-15 lbs before I do. But I will most definitely be reading and following all of you in your journey until mine commences. Thanks PrimalRunner for starting it!!!! I'm so excited about starting mine, eating ALL the food, and lifting even HEAVIER! LOL!0
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Hi Jen!
I noticed that your goals don't seem to match up, so I crunched the numbers and found that if you increase your cals as you're planning (by about 250 to gain .5 lb/week) and your bulk lasts 9 weeks (till New Years), you would gain about 4.5 lbs total (of which about half will be fat). At 124.5 lbs with 2.25 lbs added fat, you will be 17.5% bodyfat, nowhere near your 25%+ goal.
If you want to bulk till you reach 25%, at the rate of 0.5 lb per week you would bulk 40+ weeks until you gain well over 20 lbs, assuming a likely half-fat and half-muscle gain. Just a little perspective
Bingo.0 -
Hi! I'm glad to have found this group, thank you PrimalRunner for creating it. I'm not starting my bulk for another 3 weeks or so, but I'm definitely going to be lurking and researching and watching everyone's progress.
One suggestion-- instead of starting/goal weights (or in addition to) I think it would be more beneficial to see starting/goal body fat % as weight really isn't a good indicator of where people are without that other number.
Anyway, I'm Naomi.
Current weight: 135 lbs /~19% body fat (I'm going to start creatine and wait for the water weight to level out before I begin my bulk, so my start weight will likely be higher. Ack!)
Goal bulk weight (if all goes well): 8 lbs up from where I am when I begin.
Maintenance calories: still figuring this out. About 1750?
Bulk calories: about 2100? I will increase by 100 cals until I am steadily gaining 0.5lb/week
Duration: four months
Program: 5/3/1
Welcome!!!
I agree about the BF however I will only test mine professionally through bod pod and I don't plan on doing that anymore until I cut or compete. Having had it monitored closely for over a yr, last tested in August, I can visually tell where I am at. I do think it is much more beneficial than any scale though!0 -
Hi, my name is Kim and I'm officially (slowly) beginning a bulk. I really want to gain some mass and definitely get stronger and I'm hoping a bulk will help me with that. TBH, I'm totally scared of gaining the weight but I know it's the best way for me to reach my goals so I'm hoping to make it through a long enough one for it to work. My starting weight is 114 but not sure how much I hope to gain. Since this is my first time I'm going to play it by ear and consider it a learning experience. I've been lifting for over a year and currently switched to PHUL on Muscle & Strength. Really liking the split after coming from 3x full body. I'm not totally sure of my TDEE but I think it could be in the 2400 ballpark. I upped my calories to 2300 today, going to try and do better on the weekends and take the slow approach.
Glad to officially join the group!0 -
Welcome!Hi, my name is Kim and I'm officially (slowly) beginning a bulk. I really want to gain some mass and definitely get stronger and I'm hoping a bulk will help me with that. TBH, I'm totally scared of gaining the weight but I know it's the best way for me to reach my goals so I'm hoping to make it through a long enough one for it to work. My starting weight is 114 but not sure how much I hope to gain. Since this is my first time I'm going to play it by ear and consider it a learning experience. I've been lifting for over a year and currently switched to PHUL on Muscle & Strength. Really liking the split after coming from 3x full body. I'm not totally sure of my TDEE but I think it could be in the 2400 ballpark. I upped my calories to 2300 today, going to try and do better on the weekends and take the slow approach.
Glad to officially join the group!0 -
Hi! I am Dawn and am wanting to start a bulk and am in the beginning phases of learning more about what it entails. I have been lifting for about 2 years but was also an avid runner, so the two countered each other! Now focusing on building. Hoping to learn a lot from this group!!
Starting weight: 1200 -
Hi! I am Dawn and am wanting to start a bulk and am in the beginning phases of learning more about what it entails. I have been lifting for about 2 years but was also an avid runner, so the two countered each other! Now focusing on building. Hoping to learn a lot from this group!!
Starting weight: 120
Welcome, Dawn! You sound a lot like me. I started my bulk the day after I ran a marathon LOL0
