Road to Six Pack ABs - Get Ripped!
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proanthonylee
Posts: 35 Member
I'm down to where I want it as far as fat % goes.
145 lbs with 14.2% body fat, Now I want to gain muscle weight 20 lbs.
this is my goal.
Do you want to gain muscle? Do you want to get Ripped to the core? Do you want to have six pack showing like WoW
Follow this discussion. Comment. Let's share the progress and get to our goal of gaining muscle weight together~
145 lbs with 14.2% body fat, Now I want to gain muscle weight 20 lbs.
this is my goal.
Do you want to gain muscle? Do you want to get Ripped to the core? Do you want to have six pack showing like WoW
Follow this discussion. Comment. Let's share the progress and get to our goal of gaining muscle weight together~
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Replies
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Good luck with gaining 20 lbs of pure muscle and keeping that six-pack. If that's how bulks worked I'd look like Christmas Abbott
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I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.0
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ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
And how long do you think that would take? YEARS. I do bulk/recomp cycles, no cutting necessary, but the processes is like watching grass grow.0 -
It can be done - with lots and lots and lots of drugs. It is amazing that a lot of people have the misconception that any bodybuilder beyond being a newbie (less than 1 year or so) can just go out and gain 20lbs (and not gain any fat to boot). Wow! If you can do that without drugs, please do share the secret. That concept is a wet dream to the supplement companies! I don't honestly know if most people even really know what adding 20lbs of muscle would look like. Think of what a 20lb piece of meat would look like and then imagine that added to your frame. It takes time for a natural body builder to add muscle.
Your best bet if trying to make steady gains is the same thing that is repeated over and over on MFP; Lift heavy weights on good programing that emphasizes progressive overload, eat at a reasonable surplus of ~250-500 calories in decent macro ratios, get as much rest as possible, and end the bulk when you are ~15% or less body fat. Then you enter a cut to slowly get to ~9-10% body fat, and repeat process until you get where you want. Oh, and one last thing, this is important and probably what messes more people up than anything else. Have a realistic expectation. If you want to look like one of the behemoths in a magazine then go on a steroid cycle.
But for a natural, gaining 20lbs in a year without fat is like owning a unicorn; it just cannot be done. Instead just put in the work, enjoy the process, and keep at it and you will get there.0 -
Incidentally, to the OP, if you are at 14.2% body fat, you need to cut more before going on a bulk (or recomp). Hormonally, it is hard to store surplus calories as lean muscle if you are above ~15% body fat. The process of partitioning calories as fat or muscle is called the P-ratio.0
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OP, your profile pic looks like a good place to bulk. I'm guessing it'll take about 2 years to put on 20 lbs of muscle and be about 10% fat. I'd say go for 4 bulk/cut cycles. Good luck man0
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20lbs of lean muscle and keep abs? Maybe it they were on some gear.ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
Adding muscle means adding fat. The reverse also happens when someone leans down (lose some muscle along with fat).
Body recomp is possible, but for 20lbs of lean muscle that's gonna take a LONG LONG time.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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The author of this blog wishes he had done a clean bulk initially. http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/ectomorph-hardgainer/ForecasterJason wrote: »I've read stories of guys who have basically been able to achieve that. It can be done, but most people around here seem to think bulking/cutting is better than gaining muscle while staying very lean.
It's not just most people around here. It would be nice if the conversation could have people apply personal experience, not just what they hear. Want to try it?
I'm sure there are other examples as well.
Also, in case there was confusion, I didn't literally mean trying to bulk without gaining an ounce of body fat. Take for example a man who is 130 pounds with 8% body fat. That means he would have 10 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lbm. If he does a clean bulk to 150 pounds and 9% body fat in 12-15 months, he would likely still have visible abs. However, that would mean he would have gained 3-4 pounds of fat (almost 25%).
In contrast, say this person goes to 150 pounds in 3-4 months and ends up at 14% body fat. That would mean over half the weight gained would be fat. So now he's got to work to get his body fat down, but if he had tried to gain the weight over a longer period of time, he wouldn't have to.
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It has been stated you havr dream expectatios op. I agree. I see you look pretty muscular already. Good luck adding 10 lbs muscle in 5 years and keeping similar conditioning. Person might add 30 lbs of muscle above what they carry naturally. Thats it.0
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Like other have said gaining 20 lbs of fat free mass is quite an undertaking for a drugfree person of your size. I would pick a more achievable goal. Start with trying for 5 lbs. Once you achieve that then shoot for another 5 lbs.0
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BB coach might have fallen for the hype. Adding 20lbs of pure muscle on your frame would put you at elite level natural body builder level. Not sure it would even be possible in a few years. Even harder at 37 years old.
If you are legit looking for support then listen to the others on setting realistic goals. If you are here to sell your product....0 -
I also want to get ripped and gain at least 20lb of muscle and get me some abs. But I've given myself a deadline of 50 for the six pack
Haha I'm serious, I think another 10 or so bulk/cut cycles should get me there.0 -
Incidentally, to the OP, if you are at 14.2% body fat, you need to cut more before going on a bulk (or recomp). Hormonally, it is hard to store surplus calories as lean muscle if you are above ~15% body fat. The process of partitioning calories as fat or muscle is called the P-ratio.
Discouraging advice for me assuming it's true (you sound very knowledgable). Initially I wanted to start actually trying to gain some muscle when I got down to 200. Then I decided 190 (when according to a calculator I might be near 14% body fat). I mean seriously, how do guys trying to get in shape actually make any progress? Am I supposed to just lift on a deficit and never make progress?
To BFDeal...
Not trying to be discouraging. Quite to the contrary, I would like to be helpful. Initially starting out at a higher body fat is the toughest mentally, or at least it is for many. If you are at 190 lbs and 14% your lean body mass (LBM) is 163.40 lbs. To figure your goal weight for a specific body fat % use the following: Goal Weight = LBM/(1-Goal BF% as a decimal). Doing the math for you, I figure that you need to be at 181.56 lbs. It is reasonable to lose about 1-1.5 lbs. per week (until you get to 10% where it gets really tough!) So you are within about a month of your goal. After that you can reverse diet and go on a bulk that should last you about 4-6 months. During this time, you will eat a lot and should make steady and considerable gains. Your strength will skyrocket and you will make noticeable changes in your physique.
It is not fun to get to the BEST starting point, but it is worth it in the end. Honestly, you need time to make the most of a bulk and you need the hormonal advantage to make sure as much of your weight gain is muscle. You will be amazed at what you can do, but it is so important to do it right without spinning your wheels. Far too many guys waste their time doing the wrong things only to get discouraged and quit. I wish I could tell you about a magic bullet, but that just isn’t the truth to how it works. I am happy to help if I can but it doesn’t involve perpetuating some dream of getting huge in 6 months because that is just not reality.
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I am in for a 6 pack beer after that0
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It can be done - with lots and lots and lots of drugs. It is amazing that a lot of people have the misconception that any bodybuilder beyond being a newbie (less than 1 year or so) can just go out and gain 20lbs (and not gain any fat to boot). Wow! If you can do that without drugs, please do share the secret. That concept is a wet dream to the supplement companies! I don't honestly know if most people even really know what adding 20lbs of muscle would look like. Think of what a 20lb piece of meat would look like and then imagine that added to your frame. It takes time for a natural body builder to add muscle.
Your best bet if trying to make steady gains is the same thing that is repeated over and over on MFP; Lift heavy weights on good programing that emphasizes progressive overload, eat at a reasonable surplus of ~250-500 calories in decent macro ratios, get as much rest as possible, and end the bulk when you are ~15% or less body fat. Then you enter a cut to slowly get to ~9-10% body fat, and repeat process until you get where you want. Oh, and one last thing, this is important and probably what messes more people up than anything else. Have a realistic expectation. If you want to look like one of the behemoths in a magazine then go on a steroid cycle.
But for a natural, gaining 20lbs in a year without fat is like owning a unicorn; it just cannot be done. Instead just put in the work, enjoy the process, and keep at it and you will get there.
so your saying I can't own a unicorn AND put on 20 pound of muscle...
MFP is so negative...0 -
Sure you can! There are drugs that can help with both. LOL 0
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Immediately after my last bodybuilding competition I started a bulk. (I'm a female) I gained about 12 pounds of lean mass in 12 months and my abs are barely visible now.
@LolBroScience has been bulking. Not sure how much muscle he's added, but he's stayed fairly lean.
ETA: We are both natty.
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