First bulk! Advice?

sarahnc_

First off can I just say I'm so glad I found this group! Love finding other ladies who lift

I'm starting my first bulk this month. I just got into lifting at the beginning of the summer, and have finally decided it's time to really put on some mass. I lost 20~ lbs over the past year, and I want to get some muscle on me now!

Stats:
5'7"
118 lbs

bulking stats:
2300 kcals
aiming for a min. protein intake of 120g/day and about 75g fat, filling the rest with carbs

I lift 5-6 days a week, and now that i'm bulking will keep cardio to a minimum (1 or 2 20 min session of HIIT/week to minimize fat gains)
I don't have a set routine per-say- usually alternate between shoulders one day, heavy leg day with a focus on glutes, bi's/back, lighter leg day, abs.

Does this sounds like a good approach? All advice welcome!

JoRocka

HI and welcome!!!

Have you tried a pure strength program?
something like Starting Strength- Strong Lifts- New Rules of Lifting?

That might be a better option and then fill in with some accessory lifts.

Otherwise there isn't much of a secret- eat at a surplus- if you aren't gaining for 2-3 weeks- add more food.
If you are having a hard time eating enough- eat higher calorie- lower filling food- ice cream- peanut butter- oreos- beer- smoothies- drink your calories if you have to- that's fine.
Invest in some stretchy pants. seriously- lots of stretchy pants.

Know that you're going to have some fat time- and you're going to want to quit. I would set a min and a max window for yourself- so at the least you hit that time frame and don't just quit because you feel bad. But then give yourself a max "ideal" (odds are you'll want to quit well before the 'max' or ideal time line- which is why I suggest a max/min).

I originally wanted a 6 month bulk- desperately wanted to quit at 3- but I was determined to meet 4 min 6 max. I was glad I did- some of my best gains came that last month and a half- I ultimately made it to 5 months and put on almost 20 pounds. Was a good experience- hard- but good.

You lose definition- and you get frustrated with your body- but you should see greats strength gains and the size of things go up- and that's a win- even though it's frustrating- it's still awesome to know you can control it- it really is empowering.

Looks good otherwise!!!

Good luck!

3laine75

Good luck with the bulk!

I second trying a tried and trusted programme so you get the best possible gains.

SilentDrapeRunners

Welcome and good luck! Bulking is a great way to put on significant muscle, and I'm sure it will be a great experience for you.

Yes, getting on a program and having a set routine is the best thing to do especially when you're starting out and want to track progress and such.

You may find that lowering your fat a bit (20-25%) and increasing carbs will be better, since carbs are what will give you the most energy for workouts. But, having said that, macros are completely up to you. Some people do better with a higher-ish (30%) fat intake.