Micro cycle for muscle gain

I would like to start by saying that I am not trying to create controversy, I am merely trying to get to the bottom of a topic that I am intrigued by and happen to be experiencing right now. So please only respond if your posts are about the subject and it's plausabilibilty. I also apologize in advance for spelling errors and typos. I'm in a hurry.

I have been going through an 8 month "bulking cycle" with very good results while eating at or below what every TDEE calculator out there has told me. All the while, I have gained 6-7 pounds while slightly decreasing my BF%. Conventional thought would tell me that:

1) my TDEE is lower than I think, and that I am actually eating at a surplus. If you think that is the case, please tell me what you think my TDEE should be at 5'10", 154, 142 LBM. Intense workouts 4 times a week, work construction, and lead a VERY active lifestyle. (13,000 steps a day average)

2) I am eating more than I think. I know this is often the case. In mine, it is not. I've been at this a long time, and have it down to a science. I eat a very boring menu with the same breakfast and lunch every day almost, same snacks, and same dessert. I cook my own dinner every night and weigh everything that goes into every recipe. I am aware that there are many things over the course that are impossible to be perfectly accurate on, but I round down to account for this. If anything, I eat less than I log.

3)Newb gains. I've spent the alast 25 years in the gym, more on than off, and have been at it hard for 2 straight years. I am well past that point.

4) I am actually gaining fat at the same time. I know this is not the case. Any of you out there who have single digit BF%'s can attest to the fact that you know when you are gaining fat. You can't hide a pound of fat when you only have 12 to begin with. My scale tells me I have gotten leaner, my mirror tells me I've gotten leaner, and my wife tells me I've gotten leaner. If you have never been ripped, it is impossible to refute this point or understand. When I weighed 185, a pound here or there was not visible.

5) What I am saying is impossible. The internet told me so. In 1993 I ate a entirely fat free diet. You know why, because science told me that if you didn't take in any dietary fat, you couldn't store subcutaneous fat. The point is, regardless of the amount of studies, research, broscience, articles, and prevailing internet "fact", all theories about how each individuals body reacts to specific energy demands and supplies are, while based in science, still somewhat hypothetical.


So now that I've answered many of the semi educated, yet paradigmatic responses I was likely to get, I will get to my original premis: The Micro Cycle. I have come to believe that by doing 24 hour bulk / cut cycles, one can achieve similar results to the traditional 6 week to 6 month cycles while eating at or below daily maintanance. It is similar to intermittent fasting, but for the purpose of muscle gain, not weght loss. I am sure there are other people out there doing this, so I don't think I have invented anything. I knoiw that Scooby has some similar thoughts, just on a slightly larger scale. This is simply post analysis of my success, and my theory as to how I have been able to acheive it. So here it goes:

1) Eat just enough welll balanced mix of protein and carbs from the time you wake up until gym time in the afternoon to prevent your body using your muscle for fuel. Usually around 500-600 calories.

2) Lift with crazy intensity at some point after 3 PM.

3) Eat 1800-2000 calories of protein rich foods betweeon 5 and 10PM (the actual number of course depend on your TDEE). About 1 1/2 grams of protein per lb of BW and the rest carbs and fat. (I do 40% -40%-20%)

What your basically doing is cutting for 12 hours and bulking for 12 hours. You're bulking right after your workout so your body has no choice but to use this extra energy to repair the muscles you have destroyed. Your body doesn't have a memory of what it was doing a few hours ago. It's not going to use all that protein to store fat because it's pissed it burned some this morning. Then the next moring it would rather use any fat you have laying around (or carbs of course) for energy than reap your muscles. While over the course of the 24 hour period, you're not really eating at a surplus, for that 12 hour period you are, and you hold onto it during the next 12 hour period by sustaining a level of energy intake just enough to prevent more losses than you gained. I think the key is finding the "sweet spot" for calories to prevent muscle loss earlier in the day. I do 200 for breakfast and 400ish for lunch.I have been playing with these numbers recently to see how many I can actually eat without gaining fat. The more the merrier obviously.

I have really dumbed down the process for the sake of keeping this post short and sweet, but if any of you out there have similar experinces or opinions on the viability of my theory, please share. If you are a broscience contrarian who doesn't quite know enough to realize they really don't know anything, than please refer to my five earlier points and they will likely address anything you are about to type.

Eh, recomping is a real effect, its just hideously inefficient. Gaining 6-7 lbs in 8 months while leaning out slightly (so maybe 8-9 lbs muscle gain tops, with a few pounds fat loss) in 8 months would qualify as hideously inefficient for a male, especially one that doesn't have a lot of bulking experience under their belt.

Eat 200 more calories a day, and be willing to cut for 2-4 weeks, and you can accomplish the exact same results in half the time.

While I agree that it would go faster. My method seems to work without A) ever having to gain fat, and having to think about when to bulk and when to cut. It's just a lifestyle.

As far as the bf% is concerned, it doesn't really matter if my measurements are perfectly accurate as long as they are accurate relative to previous ones.