Bulking - MELTING DOWN!!!

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ZenZeta
ZenZeta Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
First off, I am a member of another "fitness" forum, and lately I have been getting rather rude responses to my questions (i.e. READ THE STICKIES MORON!!). I'm not posting to get beat up, so I will try my question here...

Short history... I used to be very fit (decided to put on muscle to stop the "Olive Oil" jokes). Of course, age has altered my metabolism. After my brother's sudden death last year, I went into a tailspin and emotionally ate for a year (LOTS of junk food). Earlier this year, I decided to get back on the wagon, but things seem to be going differently this time around.

My body fat sits at about 23% and I would like to return it to "bodybuilding" status... much lower. Though I didn't gain much weight, I lost all definition and packed on cellulite (which has been an issue with my pear shape).

Anywho, I started bulking about 5 weeks ago (2,300 calories a day eating clean 6 days a week and partying on the 7th), and the mind games are getting the best of me. In 4 weeks, the scale says I put on 4 pounds!!! It's driving me bananas because though I am aware that muscle is more dense than fat, the tape measure says my body composition is the same. Those hips haven't moved.

I COULD lift a little heavier, but I am a little afraid of injury when squatting alone so I don't push as hard as I probably could (still haven't built up the nerve to squat without a Smith machine), but my mind keeps telling me consuming all these calories and carbs are gonna make me fat. It doesn't help that I tried on dresses yesterday and was subjected to dressing room lighting and mirrors... I was in tears.

Am I on the right track?

Lifting heavy 3x week (full body, compound exercises)
HIIT cardio 2x week (20 minute sessions... that's all I can do)
1g protein per lb. of body weight, 2g carbs per lb. of body weight (brown rice, steel cut oats, sweet potatoes)
No more than 100g fat per day (increase them on days I don't train); usually around 75

Can someone loan me some patience? GROAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Replies

  • TimeWarp9
    TimeWarp9 Posts: 91
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    ZZ, I am so sorry about the loss of your brother.

    I'm not sure if I am the best person to offer advice since my fitness goals are a bit different, but just based on what you have said my initial reaction is that maybe you could try concentrating on a combination of cardio and strength training and not go straight for the body building mind-set. You said that you have noticed a change in your metabolism related to your age and I agree that your body is probably not responding the way it once did. At first I thought you may not have given it enough time and that your old routine might be ok, but 5 weeks seems like you should have noticed something.

    I would suggest reducing the cals a bit, adding some cardio, and maybe save the heavy, heavy lifting for a bit later.
  • Suzanne106
    Suzanne106 Posts: 149 Member
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    Ask a trainer at your gym or see a nutritionist.

    I've been doing MFP for 5 weeks as of today as well as working out every day and still haven't lost a pound so I'm rather annoyed and irritated too.

    Good luck!
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    If you are gaining weight and the tape measure is not increasing then you are gaining both fat and muscle which is what should happen on a bulk. You are also retaining water and glycogen. I am eating at my TDEE and gaining a pound a week (for the first 3 weeks). It may be hard to tell if you are gaining muscle since you are not pushing on your lifts. Does your gym not have a power rack? Set the safety, squat a couple of times with just the bar and then sit down on your butt to prove to yourself that the safety bars will indeed take the bar from you. The smith machine is very unnatural and will end up hurting you more than helping you. Just be prepared that your working weight will go down 20ish percent when you go to free weights, but then your stabilizing muscles will have a chance to catch up. The further you go with the smith the worse this will be.

    Do push heavy and push yourself, otherwise you won't build that much muscle. The calories seem reasonable though you don't say what your TDEE is. Take pictures as well as measurements, and be patient! Oh, and you may also not be giving yourself enough time to recuperate. HIIT stresses your system similarly to weight training. 5 days a week is A LOT. If you are unable to progress on your lifts, consider cutting the HIIT. If you don't recuperate enough you will tear down the muscles and not have time to build them, reducing strength and mass.

    Good luck!
  • ZenZeta
    ZenZeta Posts: 19 Member
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    The calories seem reasonable though you don't say what your TDEE is.

    Thanks SOOOO much for that. My TDEE according to my calculations is 2,145 calories based on my activity level, and I am bulking at about 10% more than that (I'm afraid to do more at this point). I average about 2,300 calories a day and try to keep it clean.

    I do have a power rack at the gym, and I think I am going to get the nerve to use it... this weekend... when no one is around just in case I embarrass myself (I've heard guys drop the weights and everyone turns around and stares). I have had some twinges in my left knee lately, but I don't want to stop squatting since that seems to be one of the best exercises for my troubled lower half.

    I've thought about cutting the cardio for a few weeks (which many bulkers do), but my head keeps telling me I'm gonna get HUGE eating that many calories and not doing some type of cardio. The biggest battle is in my head, I guess. I know I can follow up with a "cutting" phase afterwards, but wading through the middle is tough.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Have you bulked before? You said you want to get back to bodybuilding status, which kinda indicates you've been there before.

    The fear of getting fat is usually confined to those that have never bulked before and or those just starting out. Once you get going you tend to come to grips with just how hard it actually is to rapidly put on fat and the fear goes away.

    Especially since cutting afterwards is pretty much the easy part. Losing fat is so much easier once you gain the perspective that comes from bulking.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    Sorry about your brother :frown:


    Back to the question at hand - it seems that you are doing what you initially aimed for... if you lift weights to a moderate level, you will still gain muscle no matter the case, and since you did bulk up, it is most likely that the additional 4 pounds is both fat and muscle .

    But at 23% BF you should aim at cutting first - preferably below 15% before you start staring at the extra calories!
    It's no shock that you haven't lost size in measurements as you did bulk, also splendid that you didn't gain measurements as the weight indicates then, that its muscle! :bigsmile:

    As far as eating is concerned, if it really is clean - I don't see anything wrong with a cheat 7th :)


    Yeah sod the other forums - they are real meanies ! :mad:
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I actually disagree with the cut first. There is nothing really WRONG with it, but the muscle that you build now will help give you more calories during your cut by raising your metabolism. You can also increase your strength now, and then maintain while you cut, rather than maintain now then get the muscle, then maintain as you cut back down. I think that it would also be more apparent when you are close to your goal. If you cut with very little muscle, it may be hard to tell what BF% you really want.

    The only benefit that I see to cutting first is that it will break your one cut cycle into two shorter ones (cut, bulk, cut instead of bulk, cut longer). So if you have a hard time sticking to the deficit, this may be better.
  • Gwyn1969
    Gwyn1969 Posts: 181 Member
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    I do have a power rack at the gym, and I think I am going to get the nerve to use it... this weekend... when no one is around just in case I embarrass myself (I've heard guys drop the weights and everyone turns around and stares). I have had some twinges in my left knee lately, but I don't want to stop squatting since that seems to be one of the best exercises for my troubled lower half.

    You can do it! Get off the Smith machine. Seriously. You will maybe feel awkward for a couple days and then you will never look back. If you're worried about injury, squat in the rack and set the safeties to a height where you can use them to bail out of a missed squat.

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