Gym bug

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gregfit126
gregfit126 Posts: 3
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Just looking for some advice really, uneducated about my first bulk. I started going to the gym around December consistently, with the intention of getting back in shape and loosing a few pounds. Im 20 years old, was 173 pounds, now im 160 pounds, 5'9". My primary goal was (and always will be) fitness, so i was doing a lot of cardio and eating at a caloric deficit to loose a few pounds.

However i got the gym bug, being in the gym more or less everyday i felt compelled to lift weights. Now I am approaching my lean weight goal of 155lbs and am taking strength training more serious, with a proper split etc. I am looking forward to being a bulk and putting on some lean muscle mass, more so than i have already even during these weight loss conditions. WIth that said, i remind myself that fitness is my primary goal, and cardio comes first before my strength training. Meaning that i burn at least 500 calories before i have even picked up a weight.

So i was wondering, what kind of calorific surplus do i need factoring this in, macros etc? For example if i was eating 175g protein, 200g carbs and 60g fat, i would be at 2040 calories, however the 500 calories of cardio bring it back down to a calorific deficit? or is this viable for lean muscle gains? Or should i up my food intake.

Thanks

Replies

  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    Try plugging those numbers into IIFYM.com

    Remember to add in your exercise and go for a 'textbook' bulk then enter the figures you get (as closely as you can) into MFP. This should give you a 1lb a week gain - keeping fat gains to a minimum.

    I am doing my first bulk myself so hopefully others will weigh in with a bit more knowledge.

    ETA: I don't think 2040 would be enough for you - I am 5'6 female looking to gain 0.5 lb a week and eat at 2150 with no cardio.
  • OverDoIt
    OverDoIt Posts: 332 Member
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    I am at a loss here. Best of luck to you dood.
  • gregfit126
    gregfit126 Posts: 3
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    ahh yeah i realise those macros would be way off for gaining wieght. got my cutting head on. but thanks for the website, seems very helpful. Im a student that does very little exercise other than gym, so would a 500 cal cardio routine plus 45-1hour strength training programme constitute 6 days a week of exercise on IIFYM.com? The thing that puts me off if that the textbook 10% bulk says i need 360g of carbs. Which to me personally seems like a ridiculous amount. Seems to me like i would gain a lot fat, would like to keep what torso definition i have throughout the bulk.

    i know... questions galore... what a noob i am.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    I was steering clear of carbs myself. As long as I hit my protein and fat goal, I'm was good - I didn't mind having carbs left at the end of the day.

    However, I did have a bit of a struggle with my lifts last week and another member advised me to get plenty carbs - tried it this week on lifting days and owned my sets :)

    You need those carbs to get your protein where it needs to go. So shying away from them worked okay when the goal was weight loss but if you want to build muscle you're going to have to eat them.

    I just count my weight night as exercise (so I put 4 days) I don't count my walking etc as exercise. All you can really do is have a fiddle about with it and see what works.

    Give it a couple of weeks to even out though - I had a shocking 6lb gain the first week (glycogen stores, I think) but it's evened out and slow and steady now.

    You will love bulking - it's great to be in charge of the gain for a change. Search for other bulking threads on here e.g. Waldo has some great advice and pictures up.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    I am at a loss here. Best of luck to you dood.

    Me too
  • gregfit126
    gregfit126 Posts: 3
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    Nice one 3laine, thanks for the help. Legend!
  • rileyhall00
    rileyhall00 Posts: 98
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    If you want to bulk you need to be in calorie surplus. So Find your TDEE and then add 10% more, go from there, after a month if you aren't happy with the results add an extra 5%. For examples. I need 12,700kjs for to maintain my weight with sports and gym. If i want to loose weight, I cut down to 9500kjs. When i want to bulk I eat 14,500kjs. and at least 200g protein a day. Seems to be working for me.

    Now I know fitness is your main goal but all that cardio won't do you any favours putting muscle on. To maintain fitness I read in mens' health just two 30m cardio sessions a week is enough. And you should be doing your cardio AFTER lifting weights. You just get a lot more out of it because you've done your weights, you tired and sore, and now you gotta run 30mins. You body will work harder and you'll burn more cals.

    I'd suggest too. the days where you do the cardio eat something more as well. You TDEE will average your week out but all those numbers are rough. So it wouldn't hurt to eat an extra 500cal that day. Just IMO.

    When bulking you will gain fat, it comes with it.

    Hope that helps and gives you a better idea of whats involved
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    WIth that said, i remind myself that fitness is my primary goal, and cardio comes first before my strength training

    this makes me sad.

    why do you think cardio = fitness?
  • OverDoIt
    OverDoIt Posts: 332 Member
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    13" GUNS OF PEACE
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    WIth that said, i remind myself that fitness is my primary goal, and cardio comes first before my strength training. Meaning that i burn at least 500 calories before i have even picked up a weight.


    1st, and IMO, the most important step for bulking: get rid of that mindset. Now. Do your cardio later, if you really want to.

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