Advice on bulking calories

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cedarghost
cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am doing 5x5's 3 days a week. Progressing pretty good. I want to make sure I maximize the potential gain so I was wondering how much above TDEE I should eat at this exercise level.
The exercises are just starting to get a little heavy for me (225 on squats, 200 dead lift, 175 bench, 125 row and around 125 military press). These will obviously increase by 5 pounds every workout. But I am starting to notice I am hungrier than I used to be a month ago since the weights have started getting heavy.
I have been eating at a slight deficit (400 a day) and while the scale is slow to move, body fat is dropping nicely while lbm is increasing. Like I said, I want to make sure I am maximizing the potential for lbm and muscle gains. So should I eat at TDEE on normal days and slightly above on workout days or what? I plan to do 5x5's for about another 6 weeks, then take a week break from the gym and switch back to more of a cut program like metabolic lifting.

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    See here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/735920-how-quickly-aggressively-do-you-bulk


    General consensus seems to be ~.5lb per week is optimal for maximizing LBM gains while minimizing fat gains.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    Thanks man. Just what I was asking. I think I am going to go light too (maybe .5 pounds a week). How long do you typically bulk for? I am thinking a month.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Thanks man. Just what I was asking. I think I am going to go light too (maybe .5 pounds a week). How long do you typically bulk for? I am thinking a month.

    From what I've read, it's largely about personal preference. Some people bulk to a goal weight, some people bulk for a pre-set length of time. I bulk until I feel too fat/sloppy, then I cut.

    Something else to think about though... considering how long it takes to build muscle, most people say 1 month isn't enough time to see any real gains.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    Just read a great article by Lyle McDonald: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/initial-body-fat-and-body-composition-changes.html

    I think I better keep cutting before I worry about bulking as I just hit 19% bf. This article suggests getting somewhere in the 10 to 12% range before bulking, then go to 15% max before switching back to maintenance for a couple of weeks then cutting again.

    So, I'm looking at about 6 months (if I am lucky) before I need to worry about bulking. Really, my goal bf% is below 15%. Haven't been that lean in many, many years. lol

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