New to bulking up

Cannae_216

Hey all,

I recently have started to switch my weight goals to one of gaining, rather than losing. I lost 85 pounds (245 to 160 @ 6'0 male) over the past 10 months and have accomplished what has been a long-time weight loss goal for me. Now, I plan on hitting the gym harder and want to 'bulk up' to 185. I recently joined this site to try and get an idea of what my eating goals should be. Having just come off a fairly restricted diet (approx. 1,300 calories with limited carb/sugar intake) I am at a loss of where to start.

I have began to plan out my meals to try and hit my protein and carb goals, but am focusing on what I would consider 'clean' protein and carbs (e.g. chicken breast, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, almond butter, eggs, beans, etc...) As a result, I find that I hit my protein goal of 134 easily, however I am falling short of a 2,670 net caloric intake and 334 carb intake, landing normally around 1,500 and 105 respectively (yikes).

Any suggestions on how to move the caloric and carb intake up in a healthy way? I'm hesitant to began eating some of the foods I have tried to resist for so long (e.g. cheeses, olives, beef, hummus, shawarmas, etc...) but maybe that is the (delicious) solution?

Also, any suggestions you have for someone fairly new to a rigorous gym schedule would be appreciated. I've signed up with a trainer for the next 6 weeks to try and get me on the right track, but would appreciate any advice you folks have.

Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

jayres67

You want to slowly increase your calories until you're gaining 0.5 - 1.5 lbs a week. Id recommended still eating the same healthy foods that you have been while cutting, but just eat more of them or a protein shake or two throughout the day. Congratulations on the weight loss, that's something to be proud of.

Also: may want to look over some videos and plans on bodybuilding. Com. A lot of useful information there.

mustgetmuscles1

I agree with slowly increasing calories. Jumping straight to what should be maintenance can cause a bit of rapid weight gain as you most likely have adapted to eating low calories.

Just increase it by a couple hundred calories every week or two until you start gaining. If weight gain stalls increase it again.

There is nothing unhealthy about the foods you listed. If you can fit them into your calories while still meeting your nutrient needs then there is no reason to avoid them.

Nuts, peanut butter, and other high fats foods are great ways to increase calories without a lot of extra eating if you are having trouble eating more.

Sarauk2sf

How long have you been lifting for?

Also, eat the foods you like.

I would up protein a bit also.

Cannae_216

Thanks for the fast responses, appreciate the advice and congrats. A slow increase in calories makes complete sense, and will likely make it harder to fall into old habits.

I lifted years ago back in college, but have only recently started again a week ago. I plan on doing 4-5 visits a week for about 45 mins (15 mins cardio / 30 strength training). The shorter and high-intensity workouts fit better with my schedule.

I want to make sure I am making the most of having the trainer kick my *kitten* over the next month and a half, and understand diet takes a huge part in this.

Sarauk2sf

Thanks for the fast responses, appreciate the advice and congrats. A slow increase in calories makes complete sense, and will likely make it harder to fall into old habits.

I lifted years ago back in college, but have only recently started again a week ago. I plan on doing 4-5 visits a week for about 45 mins (15 mins cardio / 30 strength training). The shorter and high-intensity workouts fit better with my schedule.

I want to make sure I am making the most of having the trainer kick my *kitten* over the next month and a half, and understand diet takes a huge part in this.

If I were you I would walk my way up to maintenance, but sit there for a couple of months and take advantage of 'newbie/returning lifter' gains. Then, when you get your neurons used to lifting again, and use up these gains that you gain make at maintenance and even on a deficit, then start slowly adding calories again to get to a reasonable surplus. I would limit your gains to about 3lb a month at that point.

Make sure your routine includes progressive loading.

The_Enginerd

Unless you need to avoid those foods due to binging, there is not reason not to enjoy them. They can be a part of a well rounded diet and much easier and more enjoyable way to get to your calorie coal.

Also, if you have your goals set properly, your protein and fat goals are MINIMUMS, your carb goal is a maximum. If you are hitting your calorie, fat, and protein goals, you have to be under your carb goal. There is no problem with being low on carbs unless you find it affects your energy and performance. I find my gym performance is better if I leave room for carbs by just meeting or not going to far over my fat/protein goals.

Great read here to set your goals:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

ETA: The link above has a lot of info, but the gist is:
1g of protein per lb of lean body mass as a minimum target

0.35g of fat per lb of total body weight as a minimum target

Set your carbs and any additional fat/protein as works for you, taking into account performance, satiety and adherence.

sahill314

add me sahill314. in my opinion if you want to maintain your body fat percentage go on a ketogenic diet. There are body builders who do this! you would have to get much of your fat from oils such as mct, coconut, and olive. And make sure that you are constantly eating. i recommend buying the atkins protein meal bars and eating them as snacks. You can mix mct oil in almost anything because it is tasteless. Possibly look into getting a mass gainer i know gnc sells several different brands but they can be expensive. But if you dont mind going up on body fat percentage i would say load up on the carbs! And again eat constantly your going to want 3000 calories atleast per day, but eat whole foods and good calories, not quick easy calories such as pizza or wings.

Sarauk2sf

add me sahill314. in my opinion if you want to maintain your body fat percentage go on a ketogenic diet. There are body builders who do this! you would have to get much of your fat from oils such as mct, coconut, and olive. And make sure that you are constantly eating. i recommend buying the atkins protein meal bars and eating them as snacks. You can mix mct oil in almost anything because it is tasteless. Possibly look into getting a mass gainer i know gnc sells several different brands but they can be expensive. But if you dont mind going up on body fat percentage i would say load up on the carbs! And again eat constantly your going to want 3000 calories atleast per day, but eat whole foods and good calories, not quick easy calories such as pizza or wings.

What natural competitive bb'ers do keto on a bulk?

waldo56

Hey all,

I recently have started to switch my weight goals to one of gaining, rather than losing. I lost 85 pounds (245 to 160 @ 6'0 male) over the past 10 months and have accomplished what has been a long-time weight loss goal for me. Now, I plan on hitting the gym harder and want to 'bulk up' to 185. I recently joined this site to try and get an idea of what my eating goals should be. Having just come off a fairly restricted diet (approx. 1,300 calories with limited carb/sugar intake) I am at a loss of where to start.

I have began to plan out my meals to try and hit my protein and carb goals, but am focusing on what I would consider 'clean' protein and carbs (e.g. chicken breast, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, almond butter, eggs, beans, etc...) As a result, I find that I hit my protein goal of 134 easily, however I am falling short of a 2,670 net caloric intake and 334 carb intake, landing normally around 1,500 and 105 respectively (yikes).

Any suggestions on how to move the caloric and carb intake up in a healthy way? I'm hesitant to began eating some of the foods I have tried to resist for so long (e.g. cheeses, olives, beef, hummus, shawarmas, etc...) but maybe that is the (delicious) solution?

Also, any suggestions you have for someone fairly new to a rigorous gym schedule would be appreciated. I've signed up with a trainer for the next 6 weeks to try and get me on the right track, but would appreciate any advice you folks have.

Thanks in advance for any advice offered.

You need a fairly drastic overhaul mentally of what eating and healthiness is and means.

Higher calorie foods are unhealthy for fat people that sit around all day, not everybody. Health food is a myth.

The first step is to learn to fuel yourself properly for your exercise and weight level.

Thanks for the fast responses, appreciate the advice and congrats. A slow increase in calories makes complete sense, and will likely make it harder to fall into old habits.

I lifted years ago back in college, but have only recently started again a week ago. I plan on doing 4-5 visits a week for about 45 mins (15 mins cardio / 30 strength training). The shorter and high-intensity workouts fit better with my schedule.

I want to make sure I am making the most of having the trainer kick my *kitten* over the next month and a half, and understand diet takes a huge part in this.

I second the suggestion that you should spend a few months at maintenence. If you are just starting to strength train, you aren't strong enough to bulk very effectively yet. Once your strength gains start stalling out at maintenence, then you are ready to start bulking. Prior to that point you shouldn't have more than a very small surplus or fat gain could be an issue.

waldo56

add me sahill314. in my opinion if you want to maintain your body fat percentage go on a ketogenic diet. There are body builders who do this! you would have to get much of your fat from oils such as mct, coconut, and olive. And make sure that you are constantly eating. i recommend buying the atkins protein meal bars and eating them as snacks. You can mix mct oil in almost anything because it is tasteless. Possibly look into getting a mass gainer i know gnc sells several different brands but they can be expensive. But if you dont mind going up on body fat percentage i would say load up on the carbs! And again eat constantly your going to want 3000 calories atleast per day, but eat whole foods and good calories, not quick easy calories such as pizza or wings.

What natural competitive bb'ers do keto on a bulk?

Is it possible to even bulk doing keto? I was under the impression that it is extremely inefficient (hence high fat gain, low muscle gain), at best, unless doing a CKD; the value of doing a CKD over just eating the average of your diet daily is very questionable; the value of the sight efficiency gain vs. the greatly increased dietary effort just isn't there.

You need the carbs for the training intensity and volume required to bulk cleanly, and so the body uses your protein intake for growth, not fuel.

TavistockToad

i would worry less about the 'clean' and more about getting your calories... there are only so many cals you can get per day eating chicken and veg... think high cal stuff like full fat dairy, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, salmon, lamb, steak, doughnuts, ice cream....

zipnguyen

add me sahill314. in my opinion if you want to maintain your body fat percentage go on a ketogenic diet. There are body builders who do this! you would have to get much of your fat from oils such as mct, coconut, and olive. And make sure that you are constantly eating. i recommend buying the atkins protein meal bars and eating them as snacks. You can mix mct oil in almost anything because it is tasteless. Possibly look into getting a mass gainer i know gnc sells several different brands but they can be expensive. But if you dont mind going up on body fat percentage i would say load up on the carbs! And again eat constantly your going to want 3000 calories atleast per day, but eat whole foods and good calories, not quick easy calories such as pizza or wings.

What natural competitive bb'ers do keto on a bulk?

natty competitive bb'ers do NOT go on keto diets bulking and/or cutting. If you are then say bye bye to your metabolism. I don't think in the last contest prep my carbs went that low.

zipnguyen

gaining weight if you are recovering heavy person is a slow process. Adequate protein, fats should be moderate and then "fill in" the rest of your caloric needs with carbs until you are gaining slowly and recovering well with minimal fat gains. If you're new to lifting visit www.weightrainer.net and read some of the articles on natural muscular potential. Muscle gains will largely depend on a whole host of factors, frame size being one of them. Dr. Casey Butt has put together pretty accurate estimates using wrist and ankle measurements to attempt to predict maximum muscular potential of the average trainee.

at 6' with average wrist and ankles of say 6.5"-7" and 9" respectively then 185lbs in lean condition would look quite large and you'd standout in any gym.

JoRocka

Thanks for the fast responses, appreciate the advice and congrats. A slow increase in calories makes complete sense, and will likely make it harder to fall into old habits.

I lifted years ago back in college, but have only recently started again a week ago. I plan on doing 4-5 visits a week for about 45 mins (15 mins cardio / 30 strength training). The shorter and high-intensity workouts fit better with my schedule.

I want to make sure I am making the most of having the trainer kick my *kitten* over the next month and a half, and understand diet takes a huge part in this.

If I were you I would walk my way up to maintenance, but sit there for a couple of months and take advantage of 'newbie/returning lifter' gains. Then, when you get your neurons used to lifting again, and use up these gains that you gain make at maintenance and even on a deficit, then start slowly adding calories again to get to a reasonable surplus. I would limit your gains to about 3lb a month at that point.

Make sure your routine includes progressive loading.

sounds about right.

I did maintenance for a month after a heavy cut and was quiet happy I did. Add 100 or so at a time- most guys find 250-500 adequate for gains. Womenz folk 100-250 is more realistic to keep fat gains down.

natty competitive bb'ers do NOT go on keto diets bulking and/or cutting. If you are then say bye bye to your metabolism. I don't think in the last contest prep my carbs went that low.

Jeff Long did- for several months. (He comes right up on google-IFBB Jeff Long)

He's a gym buddy of mine- we had a 20 minute conversation about keto and low carbs. Some do.

Keto doesn't ruin your metabolism.

ndj1979

Thanks for the fast responses, appreciate the advice and congrats. A slow increase in calories makes complete sense, and will likely make it harder to fall into old habits.

I lifted years ago back in college, but have only recently started again a week ago. I plan on doing 4-5 visits a week for about 45 mins (15 mins cardio / 30 strength training). The shorter and high-intensity workouts fit better with my schedule.

I want to make sure I am making the most of having the trainer kick my *kitten* over the next month and a half, and understand diet takes a huge part in this.

if you want to put on muscle you are going to want more lifting and less cardio …I would say four lifting sessions a week and at the most one to two cardio sessions of 30 minutes total ..if that..

do you know your current body fat %?

lrmall01

I think this is a great overview - take a look:

http://www.muscleforlife.com/the-best-way-to-gain-muscle-not-fat/

TonyStark30

To be honest I just added more Starches with my meals, or ate what I was before but with Cake.

Ilike someone already said it depends what your binge triggers are, some people say add something healthy like raw nuts, but I binge on raw peanuts, I would be better off buying a donut!

trainingman123

Whey protein shakes and soy isolate shakes before and after workouts. Make sure you get whey isolate, not concentrate. That will help get lean muscle mass, it worked for me. It also cuts down your desire to eat junk food.

Go to bodybuilding.com for more info.