Advice on bulking

NJames4000

I’m going to do my first bulk next month and I am looking for any advice. My situation is I have lost 83 lbs. over the last two years – via slow and healthy loss of diet deficient and exercise. I’m 39 year old male and 6’ 2” tall, 183lbs. Now that my goal weight is very close, I want to change my priority from weight loss to muscle gain and I know this will involve fat gain, but gaining back some additional fat does not scare as long as I have muscle to go with it.

I’m currently what is called skinny fat – proper weight but caring excess abdominal fat; however, I consider my arms and shoulders to be way too thin and bony and need muscle development. My best guess is I am around 18% body fat.

For exercise, I will lift heavy three days a week and cut my cardio to only twice a week for 20 minutes at a time, but I for sure need advice on diet for a new bulker – I’ve read new gains can be good the first time. How many calories extra should I be eating – my maintenance is 2,270 – I’m thinking I will start with 300 extra to start, but I’ve read someone my size should be in the 3,500 a day – seems way too much to me. I’ll try and keep my weight gain to a pound a week and hopefully by the end of twelve weeks I will have only gained 12lbs with 4lbs of those will be lean muscle. Is this realistic? I will then start to cut in early spring.

Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated.

AdrianBry

#1: gaining musle or bulking does not mean you HAVE TO GET FAT!

#2: if you do a traditional old school bulk and gain muscle (great) and gain lots of fat (bad) then you'll just have to lose all the fat you gained again.

#3: believe it or not you can gain lots of muscle on 2000-to-2500 calories per day.

The point is to gain muscle and not get fat in the process.

to gain muscle...

1. get stronger by lifting heavier, doing more reps and/or sets each workout
2. get more protein or make protein 25-50% of your diet
3. rest
4. repeat (see nowloss.com/26) for a lot more info

NRBreit

I'm very similar to your height and weight stats. Your plan is realistic. My experience has been if you gain 15 lbs, the first 5 or so pounds you gain will come quick and will mostly be water (but will make your muscles look much fuller). Then you may get 5-7 pounds of muscle along with 3-5 pounds of fat. Then when you cut the fat, you'll lose a bit of the muscle you gained. I'm currently at 178 bulking on 3,000-3,200 cals gaining approx. 1 lb. per week. I usually plateau around 180 lbs. on 3,000 cals and have to up my cals. Also, on most frames, I would not consider 6'2" 183 skinny by any means. In my opinion, if you're still around 18% BF, you could easily go down to 170-175 while lifting heavy and then start bulking. Good luck!

mustgetmuscles1

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/general-philosophies-of-muscle-mass-gain.html

Amadbro

I’m going to do my first bulk next month and I am looking for any advice. My situation is I have lost 83 lbs. over the last two years – via slow and healthy loss of diet deficient and exercise. I’m 39 year old male and 6’ 2” tall, 183lbs. Now that my goal weight is very close, I want to change my priority from weight loss to muscle gain and I know this will involve fat gain, but gaining back some additional fat does not scare as long as I have muscle to go with it.

I’m currently what is called skinny fat – proper weight but caring excess abdominal fat; however, I consider my arms and shoulders to be way too thin and bony and need muscle development. My best guess is I am around 18% body fat.

For exercise, I will lift heavy three days a week and cut my cardio to only twice a week for 20 minutes at a time, but I for sure need advice on diet for a new bulker – I’ve read new gains can be good the first time. How many calories extra should I be eating – my maintenance is 2,270 – I’m thinking I will start with 300 extra to start, but I’ve read someone my size should be in the 3,500 a day – seems way too much to me. I’ll try and keep my weight gain to a pound a week and hopefully by the end of twelve weeks I will have only gained 12lbs with 4lbs of those will be lean muscle. Is this realistic? I will then start to cut in early spring.

Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated.

It's realistic..I follow the old school principals of bulking and eat well into a 500 cal surplus. During my last cut I went from 221lbs 30% BF to 160lbs 12% in about 7 months. You will gain fat on a bulk. A surplus is required to build additional lbm (unless you are a beginner then you can experience "noob gains") and unfortunately with that comes fat. If you've lost over 80lbs then you obviously know how to get rid of it which will make your next cut that much easier. I wouldn't worry so much about fat gains. It's going to happen of you're in a surplus. All of that surplus isn't going to go toward building lean mass, it's just how things are.

It's really quite easy.

aim for a 300-500 cal surplus
lift heavy and be consistent
get plenty of rest
profit

again I'm just old school because that's what works for me. Everyone is different.

Sarauk2sf

How long have you been lifting for?

SideSteel

How long have you been lifting for?

Here you go again trying to apply context.

*sigh*

toomanydogs99

Bumping for my threads.