HMVols Bulking Log
HMVOL7409
Posts: 1,588 Member
I am finally happy to say, bulking can officially commence. I really wish I would've just started earlier instead of trying to do a mini cut prior to our beach vacation that starts tomorrow. Honestly I don't care anymore about being lean; I want to grow, improve my strength and see how far I can go. I will say that I am actually very happy with my body and how much it has changed in the last year that I really do not feel I "need" to bulk. However I do plan on possibly competing in the figure division in the NPC in the summer or fall and do need to add size. This isn't for certain but something I am working for. If I feel I have developed my best package, I will step on stage. So I am going to rock my bikini on the beach fluffy and all!
SW-125-128lbs. I normally hover around 125lb but water retention from eating out every night this week due to unforeseen circumstances, family issues and TOM have left me very watery.
BF%-Really don't care. People are far too concerned with this lately. I have had numerous bod pod evals in the last 2 years and most recently when my abs came in, I was around 14-15%. I can not and will not maintain a 6 pack. I store any extra weight in my stomach and hips and those areas are the last to go. As soon as I reversed dieted and began eating at maintenace or above, they were gone! As long as my LBM readings are up, that is all one should be concerned with.
GW-140lbs, but will assess as I near that. I am going to pay more attention to my visual growth rather than the scale. It may be higher!
Length: 12-16wks, once again may vary up or down depending on if I do intend to compete or not.
TDEE: 2100-2200. Bulk-2300-2500
Plan-Slowly add cals in with the intention of 1/4-1/2lb/wk gain. I will continue to lift 4-5 days as that is what works for me and my recovery. My focus will be shoulders and legs as those are the areas that need improvement and will be worked multiple times a week. I am currently reading 5/3/1 and will possibly implement this in my training. Cardio will be non existent as it does hinder my growth. The only thing I will do is a trail run every Sunday that is less than 30 mins. I do not want to lose my cardiovascular endurance as then it will be quite difficult when returning to a cut. Plus, this is for pure sanity reasons as its my only true alone time.
This will be my 4th bulk that I have done and know the good, bad and ugly. However I refuse to over analyze TDEEs, intake, schedules, wt gain or loss and just enjoy the process. As of late, logging, macro manipulations, meal prep has left me stressed and burned out. The last few days off have been heaven sent and all of next week off will be much appreciated. My husband is bulking with me as he does every winter and he has never tracked his intake and hardly weighs himself. I am going to try and learn some of his tatics!!!
SW-125-128lbs. I normally hover around 125lb but water retention from eating out every night this week due to unforeseen circumstances, family issues and TOM have left me very watery.
BF%-Really don't care. People are far too concerned with this lately. I have had numerous bod pod evals in the last 2 years and most recently when my abs came in, I was around 14-15%. I can not and will not maintain a 6 pack. I store any extra weight in my stomach and hips and those areas are the last to go. As soon as I reversed dieted and began eating at maintenace or above, they were gone! As long as my LBM readings are up, that is all one should be concerned with.
GW-140lbs, but will assess as I near that. I am going to pay more attention to my visual growth rather than the scale. It may be higher!
Length: 12-16wks, once again may vary up or down depending on if I do intend to compete or not.
TDEE: 2100-2200. Bulk-2300-2500
Plan-Slowly add cals in with the intention of 1/4-1/2lb/wk gain. I will continue to lift 4-5 days as that is what works for me and my recovery. My focus will be shoulders and legs as those are the areas that need improvement and will be worked multiple times a week. I am currently reading 5/3/1 and will possibly implement this in my training. Cardio will be non existent as it does hinder my growth. The only thing I will do is a trail run every Sunday that is less than 30 mins. I do not want to lose my cardiovascular endurance as then it will be quite difficult when returning to a cut. Plus, this is for pure sanity reasons as its my only true alone time.
This will be my 4th bulk that I have done and know the good, bad and ugly. However I refuse to over analyze TDEEs, intake, schedules, wt gain or loss and just enjoy the process. As of late, logging, macro manipulations, meal prep has left me stressed and burned out. The last few days off have been heaven sent and all of next week off will be much appreciated. My husband is bulking with me as he does every winter and he has never tracked his intake and hardly weighs himself. I am going to try and learn some of his tatics!!! 0
Replies
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Oh my! Your 'befores' are my dream 'afters'!! You look fantastic! You obviously know what you're doing, so go for it. Enjoy!!0
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Ha! I'll be happy to have even half of your lean mass AFTER my bulk You're awesome (and obviously not new to this!). Glad you're officially bulking now. I'm actually gonna bring my calories back down for the next 2 weeks, as I'm going on a beach vacation also...I wasn't expecting to puff up so quickly! Where are you headed on your vacation? We're going to Kauai... 0
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Thank you girls!
We are currently in Miami for the day, arrived last night. Not really my cup of tea but of well. We met up with friends and family that live in Naples/Ft. Myers which is 2hrs north and will spend the week there.
Yes I thought cutting for 4 weeks for vacation would be easy and it wasn't. It put a lot of pressure on me and for what? I just do so much better when I'm given time and can really dial in on how much is just enough without sacrificing any hard earned mass. Plus my husband had a very hard time with it so I backed off. He never has trouble cutting/bulking but since his bodybuilding show in September it hasn't been easy. He didn't reverse diet bc he didn't care and went straight to bulking bc he wanted his strength and some size back. It's still mentally challenging for him too to not stress eat after being so restrictive for so long. We pretty much decided that cutting again was the last thing his body needs after the last few months.0 -
You look fantastic!! Enjoy your vacation. I'm looking forward to following you.0
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You look fantastic and I love that you are going in to this again with some really specific goals. I love even more that you and Nate do it together. That's got to be so awesome. Have an awesome vacation!!0
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Oh my! Your 'befores' are my dream 'afters'!! You look fantastic! You obviously know what you're doing, so go for it. Enjoy!!
DITTO!
Excited to watch your progress!0 -
Whooo Hooo!!!!
I'm so glad you are finally bulking and I cannot wait to follow your progress!
And, I agree with Kim...It's so cool you and Nate are doing this together 0 -
Florida should be nice this time of year! Enjoy your vacation! I think any time you switch from cutting to bulking or vice versa, it's a bit of a mind game. And I imagine doing a quick & dirty cut for a vacation is probably super stressful. I've got just under 2 weeks before we leave, and I'm just going to stop/slow my calorie increases for now. Mostly I just want to make sure I'm not having all of these huge cheats anymore until after my vacation- They're making me really puffy and bloated!!Thank you girls!
We are currently in Miami for the day, arrived last night. Not really my cup of tea but of well. We met up with friends and family that live in Naples/Ft. Myers which is 2hrs north and will spend the week there.
Yes I thought cutting for 4 weeks for vacation would be easy and it wasn't. It put a lot of pressure on me and for what? I just do so much better when I'm given time and can really dial in on how much is just enough without sacrificing any hard earned mass. Plus my husband had a very hard time with it so I backed off. He never has trouble cutting/bulking but since his bodybuilding show in September it hasn't been easy. He didn't reverse diet bc he didn't care and went straight to bulking bc he wanted his strength and some size back. It's still mentally challenging for him too to not stress eat after being so restrictive for so long. We pretty much decided that cutting again was the last thing his body needs after the last few months.0 -
Oh my! Your 'befores' are my dream 'afters'!! You look fantastic! You obviously know what you're doing, so go for it. Enjoy!!
DITTO!
Excited to watch your progress!
Yup--I agree. Your back is INCREDIBLE! I'm in awe right now. I'm like this scrawny little wimp LOL.0 -
Primal-Girl don't think that. We all start somewhere and I'd take your booty any day. My back is my strong point and builds fast, always has. Wish my lower body would catch up with my upper! ????
I thoroughly bulked while on vacation and loved it however I felt overly fluffy at the end and actually began to hate food. We hit the gym 3 days and all the extra food helped with my lifts there so I wasn't complaining! While down there we also decided we might possibly return at the end of February and I made sure my husband knew the time frame as there's no way I was cutting before vacation when it's not even realistic to eat on a cut there. If I was in a prep I would pack food, but I enjoy it and feel free down there. So therefore my bulk will probably extend to about 15 wks which was a possible plan anyway. I never felt more comfortable in a bikini than I did then and really don't care if I'm extra fluffy in February.
I came home only 4lbs up which I've already dropped 2. Eh, whatever. I knew I would not keep it all but don't want to drop anymore. I'm right around 130lbs and actually feel much better adding on a few pounds. I'm currently eating at maintenance for a few days, 2150, to help restore my appetite as it's a struggle right now. I'm going to slowly increase every few days but tomorrow is our Thanksgiving and I work Thursday and I'm sure our patients and their families will make sure we are stuffed.
I did implement 5/3/1 into my current training starting this week and will try 1 cycle of it. I read it, enjoyed it, but want to keep my volume of training as well since it works for me and it's what I enjoy. I don't follow programs well, never have. I would be bored to tears if I tried to keep with just his programs, but that's just me. Plus for my goals I need to keep utilizing all the rep ranges. It was a mental challenge too in a way to start backwards by decreasing the weight but yesterday I was able to focus on getting below parallel on my squats. I'm not an ATG girl and think people preach it too much; breaking parallel just a bit is all you need. I was also able to break my bench plateau finally this week and hit 110lbs for 1x4 and 1x5! All the food helped! It's my weakest and most difficult lift due to shoulder issues so I was very happy; I was stalled for a long time!
Once things start to getting normal around here, I will update with calorie ranges and measurements but for now my progress is in my lifting.0 -
Great progress lady, congrats on that bench press especially!0
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And what great progress it is!!but for now my progress is in my lifting.0 -
Yep...I agree...great progress!!0
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Agree, totally awesome stats and progress!0
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Doing great!!0
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In. For dat back.0
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Can I haz your quads??0
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I'm not ATG either--I agree, just breaking parallel is all you need. Great job!0
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Week 4
Weight is hovering around 131-131.8 which is 1-1 1/2lb gain over the last 2 weeks. Very happy with where I'm at. I'm also now the heaviest I've been on MFP.
When I started in Jan 2012 I was 130lb but my body comp was vastly different. Can't believe how much has changed since then and is proof the scale means nothing.
Eating, for those that don't know has been amazing. I decided on December 1 to not log at all for this month. I was tired of obsessing over macros, calculating numbers and watching others spin their wheels. I've learned a lot about eating and my body in the last 2 years and it's time for a break. I don't believe in forcing yourself to eat to hit numbers and I felt myself doing that at times. Right now I'm eating approximately 2400 cals with around 300g carbs, 150g protein and 60g fat; give or take a gram. I always eat 5-6 times a day, it's what works for me, always has, so I've evened it out over meals and snacks. I can do math in my head (I LOVE numbers and math) and can tell if I'm getting enough. People may find this more difficult but it hasn't been for me. I've saved so much time and felt more at ease bc I'm not preplanning nor weighing every single ounce of food going into my mouth. I still weigh some things but not everything. I think my steady gain and not a balloon up has shown it's at least working for me. As I said before it's not an open invitation for the dirtiest bulk ever, I still have to meet 40+ g of fiber and you can't do that on junk plus I like healthy, good food. I just allow myself more freedom.
Lifts are still increasing every week and I love it. I expressed yesterday that I'm not a fan of the 5/3/1 layout but continuing with another cycle until the end of the year. I'm just bored with it personally even though it's a small part of my routine. I write my own routines, always have and prefer to increase my lifts, reps/sets on my own feelings and pace. I always start my lifts with a strength based compound of 3-6 reps, sets vary from 4-6 and I always progressed well so I will continue with that. I'm not a program girl, never have been whether for running or lifting. I've been around the gym for 15+ yrs and know what I know through trial and error. I don't need a trainer or a book to tell me what to do. I like working out with my husband and sometimes other guys will join in and I like changing things as I go. Just works for me.
I did take a few measurements which I suck at but here goes. I didn't take much but I know how my shirts are fitting in the shoulders and my butt is tight in all my pants so I'm growing for sure. I also found my measurements from March 2012 and they were so different from today's. Can't believe how tiny I was! Never again.
Chest 33.5
Waist 27.5
Hips 33.25
Thighs 22
*kitten* 38.5
Biceps (not flexed) 13.50 -
Good to hear your approach is working for you!0
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Awesome bulk progress!0
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I love how excited you sound about everything Glad things are going so well!
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I can't wait to follow you along this bulk! You are going to kick some major *kitten*.0
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So much awesome!!! And I agree on your enthusiasm….it's so contagious!0
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I love that you're not logging. I'm actually thinking of giving myself a break over these last few weeks before January. Your stats are insane. I want guns like yours!0
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I love your attitude! That's where I'm hoping to eventually be mentally.0
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Ending Week 5 Update
Weight is hovering between 133-134; 1-2lb difference from around 10-11 days ago. Very happy with the steady gain even if I have days where I don't see the changes others around me do. Some comments aren't the greatest bc so many can't wrap their head around intentionally trying to gain weight and as a female wanting more muscle. I smile and just push forward; I refuse to get into body shaming discussions with women.
Still not logging food and having no issue with it. I am planning to start again come January to get myself back in the routine but I refuse to be strict about numbers until cutting comes about. The only trouble I have lately is with appetite; I do not have one! Especially at work where I'm running constantly and do not have time to eat. If I eat low that day, I simply try to make up for it the next day and eating heavier, calorie dense foods. I haven't lost so I'm ok but I'm also not going to stress. Bulking and gaining should be about the process as a whole, not a single day. You're going to have good and bad days, just keep moving.
Strength gains are a weekly occurrence but so are the little aches and pains of moving heavier weight more frequently. Trying to allow more rest days in the coming year and will be changing my routine as boredom also recently set in. Here's a cycle I worked out and that is easily adaptable to my work and husbands schedule. Love lifting with my boy, I never push harder!
Day 1 Legs/Abs
Day 2 Chest/Back
Day 3 Shoulders/Bis/Tris
Day 4 Rest Day
Day 5 Start cycle over
Anyone who knows me knows I change my workouts every 4-8 wks. I just know my body and my brain and it's never hindered me. This setup works in mandatory rest days after 3 days lifting and I will not allow myself to lift more than 3 days in a row without a day off but know life is crazy. It allows me to never be doing the same thing week in and out. Mandatory leg day Monday is no longer. I also have the flexibility to switch things up if I feel good to lift certain parts more frequently with the guys. There will also be some weeks where I will skip working a part out twice. I am aiming to add in more recovery time this cycle but when I want to, not when I'm dictated to. Will focus on heavy sets 4-8 reps the first part of the cycle and do more supersets and dropsets on the latter part but may switch that to weekly too. My setup may be the same as far as lifts wise for a few weeks but I will not follow any rep rules. Going to try and finish my bulk with this split but will see how my body adapts to it. 0 -
Sounds great, Holly! I've been wondering how you were doing with the no logging. I've been more slack about logging on the weekends and it is nice not to have to feel so strict about it all the time.
Your progress sounds perfect and I like the sound of your change in routines. I absolutely love how in tune you are with your own body and know exactly what you need to achieve your goals! You are a huge inspiration to me and I am so grateful to know you!0 -
I want to be you when I grow up LMAO! You totally have your **** together mentally and physically. I'm getting there.0
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Sounds like a great new plan! Allowing yourself the flexibility will hopefully keep you inspired for a while. That's what I like about having your own plan instead of following a specific one. You're doing great and I love your attitude about your weight and what others think about it. Screw them and do what makes you happy! That is ALL that matters.0
