Need advice for a slow bulk

hey all,

I'm trying to gain weight but I'm trying to do it slowly to avoid a lot of BF. My maintenance is around 2100 and I eat 2600. Is that enough of a surplus if I'm training 3 times a week?

ta

-Adam

Replies

  • Bump for a reply. Keen on this too!
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    I think clean bulking is usually done around TDEE+10%... Your surplus is definitely enough, possibly too much, for what you've described.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    hey all,

    I'm trying to gain weight but I'm trying to do it slowly to avoid a lot of BF. My maintenance is around 2100 and I eat 2600. Is that enough of a surplus if I'm training 3 times a week?

    ta

    -Adam

    You should really base this on results. If my maintenance were 2100 I'd start eating around 2300 at first and I would monitor rate of average weight gain per week.

    That being said, your maintenance seems quite low.
    Good reads:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html
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  • addysolari
    addysolari Posts: 181 Member
    Sweet. Thanks for the links, mate. Really solid advice
  • Toofatforshirts
    Toofatforshirts Posts: 32 Member
    banana's protein drinks work for me but they require push ups and aerobics every other day. hope this helps
  • I'd recommend basing it off of results as well. Start off with a surplus of your choice and weigh yourself each day. Take the results from each day and after 7 days get a weekly average. If you're average increased from your starting weight by more than about 0.5 lbs then consider making a small cut to the surplus. The reason this is the best way is that daily activity can be extremely variable, as can weight fluctuation with water etc. Using this method you take the guess work out of it and are simply making educated changes to your macros based on results. Think of yourself as a test subject.

    Another thing i would add is that over the course of the bulk you will find your calorie needs go up as you gain muscle/imporve your metabolic potential. It is important to keep checking your weekly weight average and increasing the surplus if you find your weight remaining steady for an extended period of time.

    It seems like a lot of work, and in some ways it is, but if you do it this way there is only time standing between you and the results you want. I hope this helps - remember to train hard and stay consistent above all else!

    Good luck