Where to start...
karinefitness
Posts: 336 Member
Hello ladies. I am glad I found this group because I am about to bulk and I'm not sure where to start. I've been lifting for about 3 years. I did make some gains at first but eventually I tried to lean out and lost quite a good amount of muscle mass 
My lifts decreased and I started feeling weak/skinny again. Which is not my goal 
I am 5'5 and around 119 pounds right now. I would estimate my BF to be around 18-19%.
I calculated my BMR to be around 1300... TDE around 1690. Does that make sense? I have a desk job and work out 5-6 hours a week (lifting/cardio, although I'm pretty sure I won't do much cardio starting friday). Let's say I add 10% to those cals, that would put me at a daily cal intake of about 1860. That seems like a LOT of food to me, but I'm just not used to it I guess.
I'm seeing a trainer at my gym this friday to start a new building program. I am excited but a little scared of gaining only fat and no muscle mass!
Can't wait to deadlift again!!
My lifts decreased and I started feeling weak/skinny again. Which is not my goal I am 5'5 and around 119 pounds right now. I would estimate my BF to be around 18-19%.
I calculated my BMR to be around 1300... TDE around 1690. Does that make sense? I have a desk job and work out 5-6 hours a week (lifting/cardio, although I'm pretty sure I won't do much cardio starting friday). Let's say I add 10% to those cals, that would put me at a daily cal intake of about 1860. That seems like a LOT of food to me, but I'm just not used to it I guess.
I'm seeing a trainer at my gym this friday to start a new building program. I am excited but a little scared of gaining only fat and no muscle mass!
Can't wait to deadlift again!!
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Replies
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Sounds about right to me- typically for women you want to add 200 or so- if that number seems daunting to you- add it in slowly 50 or 100 at a time- if you aren't seeing changes over several weeks- up it again. Most men start around 500 extra- but for us since building muscle is hard- and putting on fat is easy... 500 can be too much.
So- you're about right.
Lift lots- if you want size gains- you are looking for 5-10 rep range- strength 2-5ish
eat-
lift
sleep
later rinse repeat.
LULZ at 1900- I can eat that in one sitting.
I'm bulking at 2000 and some days it's a joke at how little it feels like- other days I feel like I'm cramming food down my gullet.
Ice cream and peanut butter become your friends.
Realize that this is NOT easy. There are a lot more emotional/mental barriers you will be fighting than physical ones.
Invest in leggings
invest in jersey wrap dresses
put your skinny thin jeans away- dont' even think about pulling them out of the closet.0 -
^ Exactly this, but I prefer ice cream and almond butter :drinker:
Seriously, though, I also have a desk job. I'm 5'6" and started at 122 lbs and am eating 2400 calories/day (my TDEE ranges from 1850-2300/day) I've seen a gain of about 6 lbs in 12 weeks and am continuaing on for a 6-month total bulk. Best of luck to you--it's a lot of trial and error!0 -
Welcome!
I will say I ran your numbers a little and your listed TDEE is on the lower end but not far off. Everyone's numbers and metabolisms are different; so don't get too caught up in others calorie numbers. Question is before advice should be given is what caloric range are you eating at now? Have you or are you eating at a deficit and if so for how long? I tend to caution people that have been eating in a deficit to not just add in a bunch of cals on top of dropping activity bc then there's a huge fluctuation on the scale that's mentally difficult for some.0 -
^^^
valid.
I switched to maintenance for a month to make sure I was wear I wanted to be. Also very helpful for my brain to make that transition.
Having spent so long cutting- and the last 6 weeks were a HARD very steep cut... even switching to maintenance was mentally challenging.0 -
Thanks for the support ladies, and for the advice.
I know bulking will be an emotional process for me, but I am willing to do it at this point (please remind me when I change my mind in a few weeks when my clothes don't fit). I've just been spinning my wheels for the past year or so. I need something else because I'm just not gaining anything right now and I'm going to go back to being skinny fat if I keep it up. And you know what, being on a cut is also very emotional. I mean, passing up on all the food and counting everything carefully, making sure not to have nuts more than 2x a week was driving me (and my BF) insane. I felt deprived. And I didn't have energy and was crying 1x day at least. It may be the winter/cold/no sun, but I think my diet was part of the problem.
I was eating 1600 calories for the past 4-5 months. More or less. Lifting 5x a week and cardio 5x a week as well (ick). I'm aiming at 1800 right now and dropping some cardio. I'm keeping some because I'm supposed to do a 5K in a few weeks/months and I'm just not a long distance runner. I'm not even sure I'll gain on 1800. I don't gain fat nor muscle super easily so I might even up the numbers after a while.
Going to an all inclusive resort in 2 weeks with my mom. I know I'll enjoy bulking more than cutting while I am there 0 -
Hi there,
For what it is worth, I used to eat around 1600 cals a day and my weight had been stable at around 115lbs for a good year-ish. I now eat 1900 to 2400 a day, doing less cardio but more weights, and have not gained an ounce! Now there are probably lots of factors accounting for this. I may have been eating more than 1600 in the past without realising. I may have been in 'semi-starvation' mode for so long that my body had become ultra efficient at conserving energy any way it could. It may be that I have had a body recomp and the extra muscle% is producing a higher BMR.0 -
Completely understandable. I'm hoping bulking can do for you in a way what it's done for me and repair your relationship with food. Cutting yes, isn't easy but what you described doesn't need to be that way. Unless you're competing on stage there's no reason to be that miserable or eat nuts only twice a week etc. It does get better, trust me. I think you're on a good level and mindset and definitely increase slowly but eventually everyone will have to increase their calories again throughout bulking. You don't just stick in one range for the entire bulk especially if it's a longer one.
Cardio through bulking is completely individual; some do it and some don't. I haven't bc I burn fast and I honestly haven't had time. I'm a runner and I miss it but it's just not fore right now. 5K is not a long distance by any means that will negatively effect you in gains or calorie consumption. You can run twice a week and still maintain your endurance. Best of luck and again, welcome!0 -
Completely understandable. I'm hoping bulking can do for you in a way what it's done for me and repair your relationship with food. Cutting yes, isn't easy but what you described doesn't need to be that way. Unless you're competing on stage there's no reason to be that miserable or eat nuts only twice a week etc. It does get better, trust me. I think you're on a good level and mindset and definitely increase slowly but eventually everyone will have to increase their calories again throughout bulking. You don't just stick in one range for the entire bulk especially if it's a longer one.
Cardio through bulking is completely individual; some do it and some don't. I haven't bc I burn fast and I honestly haven't had time. I'm a runner and I miss it but it's just not fore right now. 5K is not a long distance by any means that will negatively effect you in gains or calorie consumption. You can run twice a week and still maintain your endurance. Best of luck and again, welcome!
Same. I think my first race is a 5K in May, but I'm not even going to start training until the end of my bulk (which is think is end of March/beginning of April). I love running, but I'm already having a hard time eating as much food as I need to (2400/day) and may actually have to up my intake without the cardio!0 -
I may not even train for this 5K if I decide to do it. It's the color run so I'm doing it mostly for fun. Even if I walk, so what
Thanks everyone for the support. Means a lot!!!0 -
I may not even train for this 5K if I decide to do it. It's the color run so I'm doing it mostly for fun. Even if I walk, so what
Thanks everyone for the support. Means a lot!!!
if you run at all and have a good base- you are going to be fine for a 5K. I dont' run- and I could go run a 5K this weekend if I wanted to- I just spent 10 years doing it so mentally I know I can- even if I'm miserable shape I can grunt through 30 minutes of it.
You'll be fine. 0 -
Cardio isn't good for building muscle? I do arms 3 times a week and legs 2. Most of the time I do some cardio before/afterwards like kickboxing, Zumba or fast paced strength training. Maybe I shouldn't? I've had a 2lb gain over 3 weeks. I'm 5ft tall and 115. I currently eat 1560 calories. Thoughts?0
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Cardio isn't good for building muscle? I do arms 3 times a week and legs 2. Most of the time I do some cardio before/afterwards like kickboxing, Zumba or fast paced strength training. Maybe I shouldn't? I've had a 2lb gain over 3 weeks. I'm 5ft tall and 115. I currently eat 1560 calories. Thoughts?
Cardio usually isn't good for bulking because it raises your TDEE, so you have to eat more to gain. I do a little bit of cardio, I just have to eat 2600 calories/day to gain (I'm 5'6" and weigh 125 lbs).0 -
Cardio isn't good for building muscle? I do arms 3 times a week and legs 2. Most of the time I do some cardio before/afterwards like kickboxing, Zumba or fast paced strength training. Maybe I shouldn't? I've had a 2lb gain over 3 weeks. I'm 5ft tall and 115. I currently eat 1560 calories. Thoughts?
Primal is right. It's just a little counter productive- do it if you like it- but really you don't NEED it. I find that my warm up and dance are enough to keep me in the "tolerable" range. But it's just more related to the- you're burning more- which means you need to eat more. which can be hard to deal with when you are already eating a lot.0 -
Yeah the problem with cardio is all the food... I don't do any cardio related things at the gym anymore because I just can't eat that much! I'm biking to work (only 30 min a day) and I'm already eating 3100 calories! I'm a giant but I wasn't expecting this! Let's hope I'm actually going to gain on 3100...0
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Cardio isn't good for building muscle? I do arms 3 times a week and legs 2. Most of the time I do some cardio before/afterwards like kickboxing, Zumba or fast paced strength training. Maybe I shouldn't? I've had a 2lb gain over 3 weeks. I'm 5ft tall and 115. I currently eat 1560 calories. Thoughts?
No cardio on this bulk for me. Struggling eating up to 2700 cals with weight stalling let alone add in additional fuel to the fire. Plus it's helping my recovery and strength gains to not have that hindering it. Cardio doesn't build muscle, it is a tool to be used in moderation for cardiovascular endurance and health as well as fat burning.
Thoughts? On your program or your gain? The gain is most likely water retention fluctuations from the workouts. 1560 calories is a deficit for most and you won't be building muscle in a deficit. What kind of program has you doing arms 3 times a week?!0 -
thanks
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I'll also add myself to the "no cardio" club. I've completely cut it out and still have to eat at least 2650 to gain.0
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I do a bodybuilding.com program. Back/biceps/abs, shoulder/calves, triceps/chest, legs/glutes/abs 2 rest days.0
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I do a bodybuilding.com program. Back/biceps/abs, shoulder/calves, triceps/chest, legs/glutes/abs 2 rest days.
Sounds solid; I don't consider back, shoulders and chest arms that's why I pointed out your statement.0
