First Bulk Attempt - Am I on right track - Seeking advice

WildBillR
WildBillR Posts: 77 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone.

Am 6'1", 52-year old male, and I've been here at MFP for almost exactly nine months. I've lost 40 lbs watching my calories (from 205 to 165). During the first seven months, I wasn't able to lift (frozen shoulder). Physical therapy helped show me how to stretch it out, and now I've started Strong Lifts 5x5. My gym is at my work, which is convenient during the week, but not so much on my days off and weekends. Anyways, I'm doing the SL 5x5 twice a week, with either a 5K or 20 minute HIIT run afterward. The other two days, I'm doing some form of full-body workout with dumbbells (Spartacus or variant), e.g. goblet squats, lunges, bent over rows, some ab work, some cardio stuff, e.g. kick boxing moves. I'm also starting a yoga class once a week to improve my flexibility.

This morning I got a fitness evaluation, and my BF% is at 15.5% (calculated from calipers). I feel good. I have more energy than before I began this journey. Running 5K at 6 mph pace feels easier (though I admit that the cold is easier to run in than the heat).

I just changed my goals from weight loss to weight gain .5 lb/week, so calories are 2320/day. MFP has my macro goals at 347C/92F/139P. I've heard/read some about macros, and know that I could increase the protein and reduce carbs from the MFP numbers. With the weight loss, I wasn't paying close attention to the macros, more the overall calories. I would appreciate any recommendations of what works for older guys like me.

My goals are to be healthy, attain/maintain a trimmer/fitter appearance, and to improve my strength. I've changed my thinking from a year ago. This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. Far less soft drinks (I have one every once in a while) more water; better/healthier choices (pretzels or yogurt vs half a bag of potato chips). I've opened up my profile, so let me know what I'm doing right/wrong.

Thanks!

Replies

  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    Dude your training is all over the place... why exactly?

    So you're doing:

    SL5x5 (only twice a week instead of the program's 3x per week)
    + Afterwards running a 5k or doing 20 min HIIT

    And on "off days" you're doing a full body routine... which is exactly what SL 5x5 is... so again, why?

    Yoga is good for mobility, and it's not very intense, so good deal.

    My thoughts... again you're all over the place. SL 5x5 IS a full body routine, and you need rest on the off days to reap the benefits of what you did in the gym. Muscle building, strength gains, are prompted in the gym, and gained in bed and rest after the gym and the days in between.

    As for the 5k or HIIT, this is cool, but you're going to find that eventually you will have to either adjust your lifting or adjust your cardio. Once the weight gets heavy on SL 5x5, you're going to be beat and if you don't tone it down or restructure your routine, you'll end up running yourself into the ground... which is not the point of training.

    My suggestion: Do SL 5x5 three times a week like the program says, and do your HIIT cardio routines on the days in between. That would be more than enough to build strength, some muscle, and get your cardio in.

    A final note about the transition from cutting to bulking... take 2-3 weeks to eat maintenance before you start bulking. Keep working out of course, but giving your body the chance to adapt your BMR from a long deficit to a surplus will help keep you from making unbalanced fat gains at the out set. Youtube "Layne Norton Metabolic Damage".
  • EricRazorbacks
    EricRazorbacks Posts: 42 Member
    I'm tired just thinking about doing all that. I agree with FrnkLft. Do the SL 5x5 as intended - 3 times a week. First week: Workout A, B, A. Second week: Workout B, A, B. Etc. Nix your other full body routine. It is hitting some of the same stuff as in SL, and you are going to need the rest. Squatting 3 times a week as SL requires isn't easy. Lots of folks won't do anything else while doing SL because you need the rest. You can do some cardio/yoga in your off time - I understand wanting to keep the heart and lungs healthy. Just please be mindful of overtraining. You don't want to hurt yourself/spin your wheels because you are doing too much stuff and aren't recovering.
  • WildBillR
    WildBillR Posts: 77 Member
    I'd like to do the SL 5x5 three days each week, but I am only at my gym four days a week.

    Re: maintenance, thanks, I'll try to do the maintenance for a few weeks before trying to add weight.

    Re: my training being everywhere - I do the full body workout with friends - lifting and running is by myself. I guess that I don't feel like I'm doing much with the lifting atm, am done with the lifts in 20-25 minutes, and am used to working out for 40-45 minutes.

    I guess once the lifting gets more intense that I will take longer rest periods. Maybe then I won't feel up to running afterwards, and may do stretching or something like planks. Then I can adjust the full-body workout - maybe make it less weight and more cardio.

    Thanks for the input...I appreciate the advice.
  • charlieibeling
    charlieibeling Posts: 93 Member
    I would definately change your diet to achieve what you want. Your body type seems like it stores fat pretty easily and your age will not be conducive to high carb intake as insulin sensitivity is decreased. You will want a diet that supports natural hormone production. I would recommend something more like 225g protein, 150g carbs, 65g fat

    Plus your macro totals do not match your calories. 347/92.139 is more like 25-2600

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