Minimum BF%?

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Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Kind of an unrelated topic, but has anyone ever experienced an increase in hunger when increasing your calories in a bulking phase? Over the past week or so I've hit my mark of 1900 calories (or more) every day (whereas before it could range from 1650-1900), and since making that deliberate increase I've been more hungry. Seems odd and paradoxical, but maybe it's due to the increased carbs, increased insulin, other hormonal increases? Does an increase in hunger have any significance on muscle or fat gain?

    The idealist/hopeful part of my brain would like to think that since I'm increasing my muscle mass, and muscle is more metabolically active, my body is 'wanting' more calories to sustain the more metabolically active tissue. But the cynical part of my brain thinks there may be more complicated things at work like insulin, leptin, etc.

    Absolutely, I'm up to 3300 calories and I find myself hungry a LOT. Especially for about a day after a brutal workout (deadlift day, usually). I actually go over my calorie allotment more often than when I was cutting. Bizarre.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Anything under 20% for a woman is getting down there.

    Having problems with your cycle?

    Men should stay around 10% minimum.

    Any slick home-use machine out there to give one an indication of % body fat?

    No, minimum for a woman is in the 10-12% range and 3-4% for men, that said, most men would start bulking in the 8-12% range, and cutting in the 12-18% range, depending on your goals.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    My question is: do you typically have to have a minimum weight and/or body fat % before you can start putting on muscle?

    Nope, but it is preferable to start bulking again when leaner (single digit %) so that there isn't too much fat on the frame... I guess it's personal preference.. I personally start feeling self-conscious if I bulk when I'm about 16%
  • SilentDrapeRunners
    SilentDrapeRunners Posts: 199 Member
    Kind of an unrelated topic, but has anyone ever experienced an increase in hunger when increasing your calories in a bulking phase? Over the past week or so I've hit my mark of 1900 calories (or more) every day (whereas before it could range from 1650-1900), and since making that deliberate increase I've been more hungry. Seems odd and paradoxical, but maybe it's due to the increased carbs, increased insulin, other hormonal increases? Does an increase in hunger have any significance on muscle or fat gain?

    I've definitely seen a huge increase in hunger. I'd been eating at a deficit for years, so I took it really slow and stepped up my intake over a little more than a month. Nothing really changed during that month, but as soon as I started hitting 2000 a day, every day, I was suddenly starving all the time. My BF makes fun of me all the time, because I pretty much instantly switched from never feeling hungry to always wanting to eat. For me, this hasn't correlated to any real weight gain, though. In that time, I've seen some nice strength gains and couple of inches, but whereas before I was fluctuating over the same two pounds, now I'm just holding steady at the top of that range.

    Bizarre indeed, but it's good to know that other people are having the same issue. Yeah, I used to have little to no appetite (one of the reasons I got so thin). And it was difficult to eat 1600-1700 calories, so I thought 1900 was going to be next to impossible, but in actuality on 1900 I'm starving! I hope it doesn't stay like this, because I don't like the feeling of being hungry. Especially when you finish a meal and you're thinking 'hmm still hungry, now what can I eat'
  • mikeabboud
    mikeabboud Posts: 26 Member
    Kind of an unrelated topic, but has anyone ever experienced an increase in hunger when increasing your calories in a bulking phase? Over the past week or so I've hit my mark of 1900 calories (or more) every day (whereas before it could range from 1650-1900), and since making that deliberate increase I've been more hungry. Seems odd and paradoxical, but maybe it's due to the increased carbs, increased insulin, other hormonal increases? Does an increase in hunger have any significance on muscle or fat gain?

    I've definitely seen a huge increase in hunger. I'd been eating at a deficit for years, so I took it really slow and stepped up my intake over a little more than a month. Nothing really changed during that month, but as soon as I started hitting 2000 a day, every day, I was suddenly starving all the time. My BF makes fun of me all the time, because I pretty much instantly switched from never feeling hungry to always wanting to eat. For me, this hasn't correlated to any real weight gain, though. In that time, I've seen some nice strength gains and couple of inches, but whereas before I was fluctuating over the same two pounds, now I'm just holding steady at the top of that range.

    Bizarre indeed, but it's good to know that other people are having the same issue. Yeah, I used to have little to no appetite (one of the reasons I got so thin). And it was difficult to eat 1600-1700 calories, so I thought 1900 was going to be next to impossible, but in actuality on 1900 I'm starving! I hope it doesn't stay like this, because I don't like the feeling of being hungry. Especially when you finish a meal and you're thinking 'hmm still hungry, now what can I eat'

    I am using measurements and weight to tell me when to cut, i started mine after neat two years of cutting. I would have prefered to start at a lower BF but i was ready to change. I figure when my waist hits 36.5 ill start my cut. So far ive put on 6 lbs since end of november. Trying to do it slowly. Good luck

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