Bulking for beginners
Replies
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I don't get it. When you talk about bulking it seems like the goal is the number on the scales. Why not make the goal to gain muscle? Takes longer than following the scales but at least it's muscle and you will be ripped rather than bulk until you get pudgy and then shred weight by eating basically nothing and training your *kitten* of. Hello head spins and vomiting.
you can't be serious…
I specifically said follow a structured progressive lifting program, hit micros/maros, and shoot for .5 pound gain …or do you not understand that?2 -
I don't get it. When you talk about bulking it seems like the goal is the number on the scales. Why not make the goal to gain muscle? Takes longer than following the scales but at least it's muscle and you will be ripped rather than bulk until you get pudgy and then shred weight by eating basically nothing and training your *kitten* of. Hello head spins and vomiting.
Are you refering to recomp?
That is really really slow. Plus it only allows you to gain a limited amount of muscle.. and some people would like to gain some more muscle than that.
Any other way to gain muscle is by eating a calorie surplus. And if you eat a surplus, you will gain weight, including fat. Just no way to avoid it.1 -
Yeah I understand that. What I don't get is the 500calorie surplus. Last I heard eating too much of anything makes you fat.0
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Yeah I understand that. What I don't get is the 500calorie surplus. Last I heard eating too much of anything makes you fat.
Eating anything above maintenance will make you gain fat.
But I can understand that you find a 500 calorie surplus high. It is called a dirty bulk for a reason.0 -
= They are realzzzzz......... oyyyy 0 -
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Just one such study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24714538
I think the jury is still out though based on other studies that have cropped up.
This is an article but has links to more of the studies. http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/08/training-to-failure-and-modifying-rest.html?m=1
I would also highlight these sentences from the end (hence, my statement above about the jury still being out).
"Overall, there is still little doubt that the results of the two studies I discussed today support the notion that "going heavy" is still the way to activate a maximal number of muscle fibers. Whether this does also mean that it is necessarily the best way to make those fibers grow and or increase their glucose uptake, however, is still not fully proven. "
One of the reasons I like Wendler's 531 with BBB is I get a heavy day and a light day (5x10). Figure one of them will help me grow/get stronger. (disclosure, I'm actually cutting right now and won't switch back over to a bulk until Oct).1 -
Awesome!0
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Scales can be a bad judge depending when you weight yourself in the day etc. Noobs can lose fat and gain muscle so the scales would make you adjust your calorie goal when there is no need to and your on track, Slow progress BLOOD SWEAT AND YEARS. Im going on a long bulk now till mid next year hoping .25Kg a week0
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I remember reading this the first time, months and months ago, and thinking man I can't wait until I can come back to this for reference when I start to bulk. Now it's time! Thanks guys!2
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Do you have to be lifting for so long before bulking? I am in two minds wether to bulk or maintain I'm 122lbs and 22.7% bf but not 100% sure as I checked myself with calipers. I had asked a woman named Becs cronshaw she is well known about bulking and told her I had been lifting for 6 weeks trying to get rid of more body fat and maintain weight she said either keep cutting ( which I don't wanna do) or maintain and that I'm not advanced enough as a lifter to bulk and to give it about a year before doing so0
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I don't get it. When you talk about bulking it seems like the goal is the number on the scales. Why not make the goal to gain muscle? Takes longer than following the scales but at least it's muscle and you will be ripped rather than bulk until you get pudgy and then shred weight by eating basically nothing and training your *kitten* of. Hello head spins and vomiting.
because the only way to gain muscle it to be in a surplus, which will lead to fat and muscle gain. You are not going to gain muscle without fat, unless you are on gear.0 -
Yes, noobs can gain a little muscle and lose fat while in deficit, but the amount of new muscle gains is minimal... and from what I have seen, limited to a few lbs at best... And it isn't something we should bet on as there are tons of variables to have that situation.howyoud00in wrote: »Scales can be a bad judge depending when you weight yourself in the day etc. Noobs can lose fat and gain muscle so the scales would make you adjust your calorie goal when there is no need to and your on track, Slow progress BLOOD SWEAT AND YEARS. Im going on a long bulk now till mid next year hoping .25Kg a week
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Do you have to be lifting for so long before bulking? I am in two minds wether to bulk or maintain I'm 122lbs and 22.7% bf but not 100% sure as I checked myself with calipers. I had asked a woman named Becs cronshaw she is well known about bulking and told her I had been lifting for 6 weeks trying to get rid of more body fat and maintain weight she said either keep cutting ( which I don't wanna do) or maintain and that I'm not advanced enough as a lifter to bulk and to give it about a year before doing so
It is highly recommend to become a little more seasoned as a lifter prior to bulking. The reason is, your body is more likely to make neurological adaptions (increasing muscle efficiency) prior to added new muscle mass. Ideally, you want to get to a point in your lifting where you haven't seen continuously increases in weight. Once you address efficiency, then you can work on mass. Also, you want to make sure you have good form and a solid foundation prior to bulking.
Having said that, it might be beneficial to move to maintenance for awhile. Then once you get to a plateau in weight increases, then you can move to a bulk.1 -
Do you have to be lifting for so long before bulking? I am in two minds wether to bulk or maintain I'm 122lbs and 22.7% bf but not 100% sure as I checked myself with calipers. I had asked a woman named Becs cronshaw she is well known about bulking and told her I had been lifting for 6 weeks trying to get rid of more body fat and maintain weight she said either keep cutting ( which I don't wanna do) or maintain and that I'm not advanced enough as a lifter to bulk and to give it about a year before doing so
It is highly recommend to become a little more seasoned as a lifter prior to bulking. The reason is, your body is more likely to make neurological adaptions (increasing muscle efficiency) prior to added new muscle mass. Ideally, you want to get to a point in your lifting where you haven't seen continuously increases in weight. Once you address efficiency, then you can work on mass. Also, you want to make sure you have good form and a solid foundation prior to bulking.
Having said that, it might be beneficial to move to maintenance for awhile. Then once you get to a plateau in weight increases, then you can move to a bulk.
cosign ..
I would also suggest looking into a good beginner program like strong lifts or all pro beginner routine...0 -
Do you have to be lifting for so long before bulking? I am in two minds wether to bulk or maintain I'm 122lbs and 22.7% bf but not 100% sure as I checked myself with calipers. I had asked a woman named Becs cronshaw she is well known about bulking and told her I had been lifting for 6 weeks trying to get rid of more body fat and maintain weight she said either keep cutting ( which I don't wanna do) or maintain and that I'm not advanced enough as a lifter to bulk and to give it about a year before doing so
It is highly recommend to become a little more seasoned as a lifter prior to bulking. The reason is, your body is more likely to make neurological adaptions (increasing muscle efficiency) prior to added new muscle mass. Ideally, you want to get to a point in your lifting where you haven't seen continuously increases in weight. Once you address efficiency, then you can work on mass. Also, you want to make sure you have good form and a solid foundation prior to bulking.
Having said that, it might be beneficial to move to maintenance for awhile. Then once you get to a plateau in weight increases, then you can move to a bulk.
cosign ..
I would also suggest looking into a good beginner program like strong lifts or all pro beginner routine...
What they said. Start bulking when the lifts get heavy.1 -
Thanks guys I'm doing 5x5 stronglifts just now I do this 3x a week and two other days a week I do 30/40 mins cardio HIIT running and stepper does this sound okay for a beginner? Also I'm guessing body fat just takes time to come down? I done loads of cardio at the beginning and the weight fell off now I do a lot more lifting and the weight is coming off but a lot slower but I can see my body composition changing but it's just slowly I eat 1700 cals and my macros are 40 protein 30 carbs 30 fat. I'm slowly gonna work my way upto maintenace and then maybe see a difference in body fat?0
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Whoops wrong way round 40 carbs 30 protein 30 fat0
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Thanks guys I'm doing 5x5 stronglifts just now I do this 3x a week and two other days a week I do 30/40 mins cardio HIIT running and stepper does this sound okay for a beginner? Also I'm guessing body fat just takes time to come down? I done loads of cardio at the beginning and the weight fell off now I do a lot more lifting and the weight is coming off but a lot slower but I can see my body composition changing but it's just slowly I eat 1700 cals and my macros are 40 protein 30 carbs 30 fat. I'm slowly gonna work my way upto maintenace and then maybe see a difference in body fat?
if you are trying to bulk then you should really keep the cardio to a minimum of about thirty minutes a week, as increased activity is going to mean that you need increased calories to maintain your surplus.
I recommend looking at your macros in grams, rather than percent...so you want to be at .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight; and fill in the rest with carbs. I find if I set my percent's to 25 protein; 25 fats; 50 carbs that I come pretty close to the number in grams that I need...0 -
Thanks guys I'm doing 5x5 stronglifts just now I do this 3x a week and two other days a week I do 30/40 mins cardio HIIT running and stepper does this sound okay for a beginner? Also I'm guessing body fat just takes time to come down? I done loads of cardio at the beginning and the weight fell off now I do a lot more lifting and the weight is coming off but a lot slower but I can see my body composition changing but it's just slowly I eat 1700 cals and my macros are 40 protein 30 carbs 30 fat. I'm slowly gonna work my way upto maintenace and then maybe see a difference in body fat?
if you are trying to bulk then you should really keep the cardio to a minimum of about thirty minutes a week, as increased activity is going to mean that you need increased calories to maintain your surplus.
I recommend looking at your macros in grams, rather than percent...so you want to be at .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight; and fill in the rest with carbs. I find if I set my percent's to 25 protein; 25 fats; 50 carbs that I come pretty close to the number in grams that I need...
Okay thanks
I'm not bulking just trying to work my way upto maintenance for now but will work with my macros and use what you have said and see how it goes. Cheers
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Thanks guys I'm doing 5x5 stronglifts just now I do this 3x a week and two other days a week I do 30/40 mins cardio HIIT running and stepper does this sound okay for a beginner? Also I'm guessing body fat just takes time to come down? I done loads of cardio at the beginning and the weight fell off now I do a lot more lifting and the weight is coming off but a lot slower but I can see my body composition changing but it's just slowly I eat 1700 cals and my macros are 40 protein 30 carbs 30 fat. I'm slowly gonna work my way upto maintenace and then maybe see a difference in body fat?
if you are trying to bulk then you should really keep the cardio to a minimum of about thirty minutes a week, as increased activity is going to mean that you need increased calories to maintain your surplus.
I recommend looking at your macros in grams, rather than percent...so you want to be at .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body weight; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight; and fill in the rest with carbs. I find if I set my percent's to 25 protein; 25 fats; 50 carbs that I come pretty close to the number in grams that I need...
Okay thanks I'm not bulking just trying to work my way upto maintenance for now but will work with my macros and use what you have said and see how it goes. Cheers
If you have mlre questions bump your previous thread and we can add more.0 -
Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?0 -
arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
no, you can bank calories, just make sure that your weekly average is what your surplus should be.
althought, I would be curious what @psulemon thoughts on this are.
also, if your maintenance is 1800 then your bulking calories should be 250 for 2050 a day. Don't skimp on your calories!0 -
arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
It's fine0 -
arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
no, you can bank calories, just make sure that your weekly average is what your surplus should be.
althought, I would be curious what @psulemon thoughts on this are.
also, if your maintenance is 1800 then your bulking calories should be 250 for 2050 a day. Don't skimp on your calories!
It's mixed feelings/personal preference, at least from the articles and research I have seen. Overall, I haven't seen any empirical evidence that would suggest one method as optimal.
Side note - I have seen several recommendations (to include that of Alan Aragon) that would suggest performance would be better optimized to have a surplus on bulking days. I would need to re-read his latest book to get a more concrete understanding around that concept.0 -
arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
no, you can bank calories, just make sure that your weekly average is what your surplus should be.
althought, I would be curious what @psulemon thoughts on this are.
also, if your maintenance is 1800 then your bulking calories should be 250 for 2050 a day. Don't skimp on your calories!
It's mixed feelings/personal preference, at least from the articles and research I have seen. Overall, I haven't seen any empirical evidence that would suggest one method as optimal.
Side note - I have seen several recommendations (to include that of Alan Aragon) that would suggest performance would be better optimized to have a surplus on bulking days. I would need to re-read his latest book to get a more concrete understanding around that concept.
I would say surplus on all days (although possibly a smaller surplus), if you are intent on a heavier calorie day. Just even the surplus out over the course of the week, if gaining rapidly is of worry.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
no, you can bank calories, just make sure that your weekly average is what your surplus should be.
althought, I would be curious what @psulemon thoughts on this are.
also, if your maintenance is 1800 then your bulking calories should be 250 for 2050 a day. Don't skimp on your calories!
It's mixed feelings/personal preference, at least from the articles and research I have seen. Overall, I haven't seen any empirical evidence that would suggest one method as optimal.
Side note - I have seen several recommendations (to include that of Alan Aragon) that would suggest performance would be better optimized to have a surplus on bulking days. I would need to re-read his latest book to get a more concrete understanding around that concept.
I would say surplus on all days (although possibly a smaller surplus), if you are intent on a heavier calorie day. Just even the surplus out over the course of the week, if gaining rapidly is of worry.
What I would suggest would still provide the same surplus weekly, but maintenance on non lifting days, and (1750/3 calories) on lifting days. And then, I would eat roughly a 600 calorie surplus on S,T,R for clean bulk.
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LolBroScience wrote: »arditarose wrote: »Bump. And a question.
Would it be stupid to bank calories in a bulk? I like to eat at least 2500 calories on Saturday. My maintenance calories are 1800, so I always banked a bit during the week. Obviously I'll be bulking on less than 2500 daily. Anyway, is it a bad idea?
no, you can bank calories, just make sure that your weekly average is what your surplus should be.
althought, I would be curious what @psulemon thoughts on this are.
also, if your maintenance is 1800 then your bulking calories should be 250 for 2050 a day. Don't skimp on your calories!
It's mixed feelings/personal preference, at least from the articles and research I have seen. Overall, I haven't seen any empirical evidence that would suggest one method as optimal.
Side note - I have seen several recommendations (to include that of Alan Aragon) that would suggest performance would be better optimized to have a surplus on bulking days. I would need to re-read his latest book to get a more concrete understanding around that concept.
I would say surplus on all days (although possibly a smaller surplus), if you are intent on a heavier calorie day. Just even the surplus out over the course of the week, if gaining rapidly is of worry.
What I would suggest would still provide the same surplus weekly, but maintenance on non lifting days, and (1750/3 calories) on lifting days. And then, I would eat roughly a 600 calorie surplus on S,T,R for clean bulk.
Could work as well, agreed.0
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