Newbie Bulker Requesting Help! :)

in4nomz

Hi ladies! I've been at a plateau for what seems like my entire life..ok, maybe more like 6+ months...

I've been looking doing a bulk - perhaps a "mini" bulk if that's a thing? I've never done one before, and so mostly what I see it as is "eat all da foooodz" which is highly appealing to me. In realistic view, I would like to do one so I could 1) break the damn plateau I'm on and 2) increase my strength. I'd obviously like to go on a cutting phase after this bulk, but that's a different topic

I'm 5'11, 160 lbs and roughly 21-22% BF (I could be off though as I know this isn't super precise).

I feel strong, but when looking at what I actually lift I feel like a weakling after looking at some of my awesomely strong female friend. I almost feel embarrassed putting this out to the world but here is what I typically am lifting...

Bench Press (using a standard bar) - 65 lbs
Squats - I have somehow gotten terrible form, I used to use the assisted smith machine and did about 50 lbs, but after switching to just a free bar in the rack I'm able to do like, 50-60 lbs :ohwell:
OHP - typically using 40 lb barbell

I lift 4-5 days a week (I've got a 4 yr old, a full time job, a newly added every other weekend job, and online college classes so this is possible to change at any given day). Typically do muscle groups as chest/back/abs, legs, triceps/biceps/abs, and shoulder. If I can get an extra day in, I usually work whatever muscle group I feel like has been lacking that week.

Sigh...I know we all start somewhere, but I've been lifting for quite a while and feel like I've made little progress...and this is where the desire to bulk comes in!!! :bigsmile:

According to "Scooby's Workshop" calc...my TDEE when entered with "desk job/little activity" is 1654 cals (HA, yeah right like that's happening) and when switched to "3-5 hours/week moderate exercise" is goes up to 2137 cals.

So I guess my question is; where the crap do I start? Currently I'm eating 1800 calories a day, so should I bump up to my TDEE for a week and see where that takes me? Move to 100+ calories over TDEE? Or maybe I could just raid the Little Debbie aisle and hope for some gains?

Seriously though, ANY advice/suggestions from you wonderfully fit ladies would be highly appreciated :flowerforyou:

Edited to add a flower for you all

89nunu

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo let's start by saying we're twins! I'm 5'11" and currently 163.3

Then, given that you have been on a plateau for 6+ months and probably been on 1800 all that time (is that correct?) I'd suggest reverse dieting up to your tdee at first. Depending on how impatient you are with this it might be worth adding 50-100 cals every week or other week until you reach your tdee and maybe sit there for a while. (initial weight gain from water will come so you will need some tweaking and waiting until you know how high you can go)

You could just see how your lifts are progressing on that if you are not prepared to get bigger.
A more general setup of a bulk is to go 250 over to gain 0.5 a week but it's your body so you can try out whatever you fancy and see whether you get the results you want.

And yes to some extend bulking means eat all the foodz!
Watching your macros a bit is a good idea though. But they don't have to be 100%

__freckles__

When you say you want to break the plateau you're on, do you mean your weight hasn't changed, or your lifts have not gone up?

in4nomz

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo let's start by saying we're twins! I'm 5'11" and currently 163.3

Then, given that you have been on a plateau for 6+ months and probably been on 1800 all that time (is that correct?) I'd suggest reverse dieting up to your tdee at first. Depending on how impatient you are with this it might be worth adding 50-100 cals every week or other week until you reach your tdee and maybe sit there for a while. (initial weight gain from water will come so you will need some tweaking and waiting until you know how high you can go)

You could just see how your lifts are progressing on that if you are not prepared to get bigger.
A more general setup of a bulk is to go 250 over to gain 0.5 a week but it's your body so you can try out whatever you fancy and see whether you get the results you want.

And yes to some extend bulking means eat all the foodz!
Watching your macros a bit is a good idea though. But they don't have to be 100%

Yay twins!! I knew I had you on my FL for a reason

And I actually haven't been at 1800 for the whole time, I originally started at 1200 when I first started MFP then realized how dumb that was. Then moved to 1500 I believe, then a couple months of nothing I went to 1600, then a month or so after I went to 1800 and I've been at 1800 for about a month now. So I have no idea why the crap my body is doing nothing. I also went on a complete break from lifting and cardio all last week and was pretty lenient with eating whatever, and the scale still didn't freakin budge!!

I think I'll take that advice and start moving up to TDEE, hopefully something will change!!

When you say you want to break the plateau you're on, do you mean your weight hasn't changed, or your lifts have not gone up?

Really both actually. Mostly when I first posted I was referring to weight because that's the main thing, but my lifts have gone up like a SMIDGEN but nothing really substantial :ohwell:

__freckles__

Okeedokee, so it sounds like you still aren't eating enough and have probably been eating at maintenance. You're 5'11". So I'm just going to throw out my numbers as an example. I am 5'8", so you have 3 inches on me, and my maintenance calories are between 2200-2400. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that you'll need to increase your calories a bit in order to gain.

89nunu

Good idea on the numbers freckles.
Cause we are twins, so I'm 24 bf% 19.5 go to the gym 4 times a week about 60-70 min lifting and bike to work for 30 min (both ways) 5 days a week. Apart from that I sit, desk job and no family to look after or social life (I'm doing a PhD) of course now that i cut I do 10 min hiit after each lifting. But without the hiit my tdee is at around 2800 (5-6h workout on scooby)

So yeah, reverse diet up. If you are not prepared to gain try to go as slow as possible

SilentDrapeRunners

I think you will most definitely break the plateau once you start eating more. Personally, once I increased my calories substantially (I was at 1700 for quite a long time, increased to 1900 for a couple months, then increased to 2100) I started to see progression in my lifts. Also, it's important to consistently eat at the higher calorie level. This was difficult for me, but once I started doing it, I started to see progression and more energy in my workouts. I still have a looooong ways to go (started 'bulking' in Jan., but didn't go to 2100 until end of Feb.)

Personally, when bulking, I try and shoot for 0.5 lb increase per week. But it really depends on personal preference- how quickly you want to gain. The important thing is to make sure you are consistently eating enough to fuel your workouts, so that you have more energy to lift heavier. That's what the experts on here have told me, and it's definitely true. Progressive overload and eating a surplus are the major factors that will allow you to break through the plateau.

in4nomz

Awesome, then I will start upping those calories!! Yaaaay more food!!

Next question, do you guys think I should change my macros? Right now I'm at a 40/30/30 breakdown...should I up my protein? Up my carbs? Neither? Both? So many changes!

__freckles__

Awesome, then I will start upping those calories!! Yaaaay more food!!

Next question, do you guys think I should change my macros? Right now I'm at a 40/30/30 breakdown...should I up my protein? Up my carbs? Neither? Both? So many changes!

When I asked this same question I got some pretty great responses so I'll link it here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1224948-macros-x-2