BULKING AND EATING

Jessicaruby

first off I have been bulking on 2300 calories plus exercise calories. i think i am going to add another 100 calories a day and see what happens. any thoughts or suggestions. also when bulking do you do a spike day? i went over my calories last night and am woundering if this is a set back or if it doesnt really matter since i am trying to gain anyway?

Acg67

first off I have been bulking on 2300 calories plus exercise calories. i think i am going to add another 100 calories a day and see what happens. any thoughts or suggestions. also when bulking do you do a spike day? i went over my calories last night and am woundering if this is a set back or if it doesnt really matter since i am trying to gain anyway?

It doesn't matter since you are trying to gain weight. As for a spike day, i don't really see the point, since everyday you should be in a surplus

HeidiMightyRawr

Sounds a great idea. I don't have spike days either way, as if I go over, I go over, it happens sometimes anyway which is why I see no point in planning for it. You are trying to gain though, it won't set you back

Justjoshin

This thread just makes me so happy. A woman trying to put on muscle, it gives me goosebumps!

As ACG said, I wouldn't worry about a spike day as you should always be in surplus.

100 calorie jumps at a time is sensible to me.

nml2011

Where are you getting the extra calories from?

If it's going to be post workout then it really doesn't matter.

erickirb

Your ticker shows you are trying to lose weight, or did you just not update that yet?

MikeM53082

2500 calories sounds about right if you are looking to gain muscle. Just make sure they are good calories and try to get around 180 grams of protein a day. Also, working out like a madman (or mad -woman) is an absolute must.

Jessicaruby

@eric- i dont know how to get a weight gain ticker. @ Mike- i aim for 200 grams of protein a day. i have been bulking for about 13weeks and have gained roughly 10lbs. i lift mon, wed, fri and do cardio tue. thur. sat. and rest on sunday. i have seen gains in how much i lift. i eat at a surplus everyday but sometimes i go over what my calories are set at and was just wondering if that was a bad idea? sometimes i need junk! lol but thank you for all your replies

HeidiMightyRawr

@eric- i dont know how to get a weight gain ticker. @ Mike- i aim for 200 grams of protein a day. i have been bulking for about 13weeks and have gained roughly 10lbs. i lift mon, wed, fri and do cardio tue. thur. sat. and rest on sunday. i have seen gains in how much i lift. i eat at a surplus everyday but sometimes i go over what my calories are set at and was just wondering if that was a bad idea? sometimes i need junk! lol but thank you for all your replies

You can create a weight gain ticker by adjusting your goal and starting weight, but it doesn't move when you change your weight like a weight loss one does.
I spoken to Steven about it when I was bulking, and he said they are working on creating something like that, as there's obviously a need for it

stayxtrue

A girl who eats in aim to Bulk! Bring it on!

onefitdiva

I am interested in this too, it is just not working for me. I also do not know how to adjust my ticker to show a gain. Also I did gain 2 lbs but it seems to be all in my hips and belly. How do I gain over the body and not in just one spot?? I really need help, I have been trying to build muscle for a few months now, they are getting defined but the more firm and defined they get the smaller and thinner they seem to look (strange, I know). I am using a very high quality Whey after a workout and a Casein at bed time.

ArroganceInStep

I don't think spikes are helpful, but I don't know that they're that harmful either. I do recall reading somewhere on body recomposition that there's only so much the body can take in and convert to muscle and that the rest gets converted into fat for easy storage, but I don't recall where exactly (also I might be completely making this up, as I haven't paid too much attention to the bulking sections since I'm focused on weight loss at the moment). That being said, it seems logical to me that as long as the spikes aren't too extreme you'll be fine. I'll try to look up where I read that.

nml2011

@eric- i dont know how to get a weight gain ticker. @ Mike- i aim for 200 grams of protein a day. i have been bulking for about 13weeks and have gained roughly 10lbs. i lift mon, wed, fri and do cardio tue. thur. sat. and rest on sunday. i have seen gains in how much i lift. i eat at a surplus everyday but sometimes i go over what my calories are set at and was just wondering if that was a bad idea? sometimes i need junk! lol but thank you for all your replies

You should probably aim for about 1kg (sorry I'm metric, 2 pounds?) a month gain on the scales and you seem to be doing a lot of cardio if muscle gain is what you are aiming for... unless you have a second sport you are also training for?

If you are getting enough rest etc. then possibly 4 days of resistance and two cardio? Though this depends on how your plan is structured, full body or split workouts?

The mirror is a good indication of whether you are putting on too much fat (some inevitable with an excess) with your muscle gain.

ArroganceInStep

Found it!

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

How Fast Can You Actually Gain Muscle Mass?
and
A Happy Medium: Bulk a Little, Cut a Little

nml2011

You should be aiming for your biggest spike post workout, hence why most people aiming to put on muscle consume the majority of their carbs post workout.

You are most sensitive to insulin spike in the mornings so carb laden and starchy foods should be avoided - so don't eat cereal with sugar in it.

You can eat a few more carbs in the evenings when you are less sensitive but best eaten with fatty foods so sweet potato with olive oil and full fat cheese would be an example.

nml2011

Found it!

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

How Fast Can You Actually Gain Muscle Mass?
and
A Happy Medium: Bulk a Little, Cut a Little

Good article... I know a lot of people trying the leangains / IF approach, with good results.

I would say I follow the happy medium approach.

sportsforfun

Found it!

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

How Fast Can You Actually Gain Muscle Mass?
and
A Happy Medium: Bulk a Little, Cut a Little

Good article... I know a lot of people trying the leangains / IF approach, with good results.

I would say I follow the happy medium approach.

I agree. I follow the medium appoach as well. I tried the lean gains for over a year and got very small results. I feel the medium gains are the way to go to actually gain a substancial amount of muscle without putting yourself at risk.

erickirb

@eric- i dont know how to get a weight gain ticker. @ Mike- i aim for 200 grams of protein a day. i have been bulking for about 13weeks and have gained roughly 10lbs. i lift mon, wed, fri and do cardio tue. thur. sat. and rest on sunday. i have seen gains in how much i lift. i eat at a surplus everyday but sometimes i go over what my calories are set at and was just wondering if that was a bad idea? sometimes i need junk! lol but thank you for all your replies

You should probably aim for about 1kg (sorry I'm metric, 2 pounds?) a month gain on the scales and you seem to be doing a lot of cardio if muscle gain is what you are aiming for... unless you have a second sport you are also training for?

If you are getting enough rest etc. then possibly 4 days of resistance and two cardio? Though this depends on how your plan is structured, full body or split workouts?

The mirror is a good indication of whether you are putting on too much fat (some inevitable with an excess) with your muscle gain.

I agree, if you are trying to bulk, and that is your main focus, then this much cardio will make it harder for you to do that. I would suggest 2 days of HIIT instead of 3 regular cardio days.

Justjoshin

Unfortunately.. nearly 1lb a week is VERY unlikely, to be muscle. I'd keep an eye on your BF% so you really know where you stand.

mamitosami

bumping for information...

I love Lyle... and this, A Happy Medium: Bulk a Little, Cut a Little is a great article that I hadn't come across yet... it answers so many questions!

Jessicaruby

thanks for all the input i will be reading the article a bit later. i have had people tell me i do alot of cardio while bulking but i do not want to lose my stamina. i run for 30min on tues. cycling for 45min on thur. and 45min of zumba on sat.

nml2011

thanks for all the input i will be reading the article a bit later. i have had people tell me i do alot of cardio while bulking but i do not want to lose my stamina. i run for 30min on tues. cycling for 45min on thur. and 45min of zumba on sat.

Sounds like you are good to go and your goals are all there.

As Eric said HIIT is very good but not recommended on an empty stomach - hill sprints are my personal favourite!

Just get plenty of sleep with the amount of exercise you are doing.