bulk/cut cycle amount and length

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lilawolf
lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all. I have read that doing cycles of less than 12 weeks total (6 Bulk/6 Cut), are a bad idea because of how long it can take your body to switch modes, particularly to gaining strength and muscle. I had planned to do 26 weeks total (12B/14C) with 1lb a week gain, then 1lb a week loss. I am a 5'9 female doing stronglifts 5x5, 3 times a week. I am currently eating at maintenance which I know well from losing weight: 1550 + exercise cals (usually a 100cal walk) produced an average of 1.1lb loss a week for 11 weeks straight. I have added lifting and a standing desk at work. Current cals 2170 + 140 on lifting days.

Start: 147lbs 25-26% BF
End of bulk: 160lbs
End of cut: 145 then reassess goals

2 questions: Should I aim for less of a gain per week because I am a female? I should be able to build approximately half the muscle that a male could, so should I also try to gain half of the suggested weight? I wouldn't adjust now, since I do not believe that I am eating at a surplus. Must be gaining water and glycogen along with my muscle. But once the weight gain slows down, should I aim to level out at 0.5lbs instead of 1.0?

Also, would I lose anything by switching to shorter cycles of 13 total weeks instead of 26? I am basically a beginning lifter, so I want to get everything that I can out of my beginner gains, but I also don't love the fact that I will be at my peak weight in the middle of summer and bikini season. Strength is the most important, but vanity is an extremely close second.

Pics of you, particularly ladies, who have done a bulk/cut cycle would also be appreciated for motivation :) Friend requests also welcome (with a message please!)

Replies

  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Please answer, even if you are male and have no idea how to adjust your answer for me as a female. Thanks!
  • SergeiKay
    SergeiKay Posts: 90 Member
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    my thoughts:
    for a seasoned lifter, 1lbs a week bulk is probably excessive and would require more cutting later on. but as you said, you want to take full advantage of your beginner's gain, which is totally reasonable, imho.

    my suggestion would be to use all of the available methods of tracking your progress (weight, skin folds w/ calipers, tape measure, pics, etc) and going with full 1lbs a week setup, while keeping an eye on how much fat you put on (calipers, pics), and just adjusting portion size on the go, sorta. "on the go" being in terms of weeks haha, because we don't have precise enough tools at our disposal.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I'd aim for a half pound a week as a woman (and that is what I did).

    I just aimed for 10lbs gained instead of a specific time.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Here's a blog I put together on the subject with some good links, including to a post with other ladies who have bulked.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/BusyLady406/view/so-ya-wanna-bulk-475896
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    I'd aim for a half pound a week as a woman (and that is what I did).

    I second this. Women can only really hope to gain 1lb muscle per month, and it tends to go on with fat at a ratio of around 1:1 so aiming for 2lb per month gain will keep the bulk as lean as possible. Any gains on top of this are likely to be just fat.
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
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    Bump
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    bump
  • SJ46
    SJ46 Posts: 407 Member
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    *listening in*
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Thank you for the links, advice, and bumps! The 1:1 ratio makes sense, and is what I was thinking, I just failed to acount for the estrogen.... Bah, humbug. I wish that some of those ladies who are so scared of muscle would send some my way.

    Anyway, any thoughts on bulking for 6 weeks straight and repeating vs 12 weeks?
  • EKN1417
    EKN1417 Posts: 34 Member
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    I feel you on the strength vs vanity hang up ;) General understanding is that the longer you bulk for, the more productive. Cutting can be done in less time depending on strict you want to/are able to be about it. A lot of competitors, for example, will basically bulk year round and then cut 6-12 week prior to their show.

    I also agree with the PP who said 1/2 lb a muscle per week is an ambitious goal for a female. Unfortunately.

    If you don't want to sacrifice your lean appearance now since it's almost summer you can wait to bulk until next fall. You are welcome to try a lean gains type approach, but in my opinion your results will always be best by focusing on either bulking or cutting exclusively one at a time.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Do you think that by going back to cutting, and by putting off the bulk, I will be wasting any of my beginner gains?
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Do you think that by going back to cutting, and by putting off the bulk, I will be wasting any of my beginner gains?

    A LOT of people recommend waiting until you are lean to bulk. Beginner gains can occur even at a deficit.

    That being said I didn't not wait until I was lean and did exactly what you are saying, too advantage of beginner gains to bulk and I was happy with the results.

    I'm not sure it matters either way, and really there's nothing wrong with lifting at maintenance until next winter. Summer isn't a fun time to bulk.

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