IIFYM From a Cut to Bulking (ah!)

BirdGirlFit

Hi all,

I have decided to start bulking. I have lost six pounds and gained some muscle on a six week cut and I don't think I can get any bigger on my current macros.

Height/Weight: 5'8.5"/134lbs

Current numbers:
148gP/138gC/48gF
~1,580 calories

To bulk:
248.3gC/168.8gP/54gF
~2,150 calories

Lifting heavy 5x/week
45-60 min stairmaster 1x/week

Thoughts?/Advice on your first bulk?

Gaining weight (even if it's muscle!) kind of freaks me out but I know it will be 'good' weight. Guess I'll go out and get some poptarts now...

BombshellPhoenix

You will inevitably gain a little bit of fat with a bulk, that's the nature of the beast.

Your protein is crazy high. Like unnecessarily so. Calculate a rough estimate of your lean mass and eat that per 1g of protein. Eating over your body weight is excessive. I'm bulking at 2300 at 5'3.5 " 120 lbs and I get 100g+ of protein as a goal.

Have you already made the jump in calories? If not, I'd do 100 calorie increases every week until you start gaining slowly. The slower the bulk, the longer you can bulk, and the more chance of muscle conversion over fat (which is why its recommended women be below 20% BF before bulking) Good luck! It is fun but it's definitely a mind f. I've gained 6 lbs from my lowest point reversing from a cut to bulk and I've only gon up a few inches over all (still in the same size jeans! Hoooray). Good luck! :flowerforyou:

BirdGirlFit

thanks for your feedback!! I will up my calories by 150 a week and lower my protein- I think a more gradual transition is a better idea.