Bulk!?

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Samm471 wrote: »

jersey_54 wrote: »

Remove cardio, strong lift is strength based programme which is full effect when only done that. That's what most people do, girls/guys. Set up b.f%, I bulk till 16% b.f and then cut down under 10. 6 months bulk 6 month cut or just divide em according to your preference and goals

Okay so if I'm 23/24% body fat should I cut till about 20% then try a bulk phase?

Well yea if that's your target and next cycle, cut to same b.f with 3 more pounds in

Samm471 wrote: »

okay so I'm currently 125lbs 5'1 I'm 23/24% body fat and going to keep cutting till I'm 20% body fat then I plan on bulking. I know it can be a mental challenge gaining weight again but it's all for a good reason to build muscle and I know women don't gain anywhere near as much muscle as guys but I'm just curious if there is any women/girls who have bulked or are bulking just now? How long do you bulk for? Is it hard trying to 'clean bulk' I feel pretty light and slim just now but I know I need to get my body fat down before I bulk .. Most people have told me to forget about the number on scale now and concentrate on body fat % I do 5x5 programme 3x a week and HIIT cardio twice a week and light jogs sometimes after doing 5x5 but just wondered what women are bulking and getting info on it for when the time comes for me to bulk.

Although I've only been through one cycle, I can give you an idea about my experience with bulking. I bulked last fall doing Strong Curves from Sept-Feb (ended up being about 4.5 months). I started the bulk at 121lbs at 5'7". I don't know my starting bf% but I was fairly lean, so maybe 18-19% if I had to guess. I also did one or two days of HIIT cardio a week but eventually cut them out as they were adding too heavily to my calorie load.

If by 'clean' bulk you mean small surplus, then that's what I did, I was about 200-250 cals over maintenance which put me at 0.5lb gain per week. I followed a flexible diet approach, I ate mostly veggies, lean meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, oils etc. I also had ice cream or dessert every night to hit my calorie goal which worked for me (by the end I was up to 3300 cals so ice cream and peanut butter were my best friends).

You will gain some fat during your bulk, it is inevitable but if you do a small surplus (but not too small where you are just spinning your wheels) then the fat will be minimal. If you can come to terms with it and accept some fat gain, focus on how strong you are getting, the areas that are growing in a positive way, you should be fine. I didn't track my bf% so I used the scale, mirror, photos and measurements to track my progress.

I gained about 10lbs total (I wish it would have been more but I was happy with my progress at the time and decided to stop). Mid-Feb I started at maintenance until about April when I decided to cut until May. I did not want to lose too much so my cut was minimal. I was very pleased with my results in the end and while it was mentally challenging most times I would do it all again and hope to do so in the future

Samm471 wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Samm471 wrote: »

okay so I'm currently 125lbs 5'1 I'm 23/24% body fat and going to keep cutting till I'm 20% body fat then I plan on bulking. I know it can be a mental challenge gaining weight again but it's all for a good reason to build muscle and I know women don't gain anywhere near as much muscle as guys but I'm just curious if there is any women/girls who have bulked or are bulking just now? How long do you bulk for? Is it hard trying to 'clean bulk' I feel pretty light and slim just now but I know I need to get my body fat down before I bulk .. Most people have told me to forget about the number on scale now and concentrate on body fat % I do 5x5 programme 3x a week and HIIT cardio twice a week and light jogs sometimes after doing 5x5 but just wondered what women are bulking and getting info on it for when the time comes for me to bulk.

Although I've only been through one cycle, I can give you an idea about my experience with bulking. I bulked last fall doing Strong Curves from Sept-Feb (ended up being about 4.5 months). I started the bulk at 121lbs at 5'7". I don't know my starting bf% but I was fairly lean, so maybe 18-19% if I had to guess. I also did one or two days of HIIT cardio a week but eventually cut them out as they were adding too heavily to my calorie load.

If by 'clean' bulk you mean small surplus, then that's what I did, I was about 200-250 cals over maintenance which put me at 0.5lb gain per week. I followed a flexible diet approach, I ate mostly veggies, lean meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, oils etc. I also had ice cream or dessert every night to hit my calorie goal which worked for me (by the end I was up to 3300 cals so ice cream and peanut butter were my best friends).

You will gain some fat during your bulk, it is inevitable but if you do a small surplus (but not too small where you are just spinning your wheels) then the fat will be minimal. If you can come to terms with it and accept some fat gain, focus on how strong you are getting, the areas that are growing in a positive way, you should be fine. I didn't track my bf% so I used the scale, mirror, photos and measurements to track my progress.

I gained about 10lbs total (I wish it would have been more but I was happy with my progress at the time and decided to stop). Mid-Feb I started at maintenance until about April when I decided to cut until May. I did not want to lose too much so my cut was minimal. I was very pleased with my results in the end and while it was mentally challenging most times I would do it all again and hope to do so in the future

Wow that's interesting. I think I'm more worried people are gonna look at me and think she looks like she's getting fat because everyone is used to seeing my nice & slim now so that's gonna be tough for me lol I guess mentally it's something hard to get your head around too .. I worry about eating more calories but I think I will enjoy eating more too as I've been on a deficit for a while now

Ya you can't worry about what others think. I didn't even tell many people in real life what I was doing because last thing I need is random opinions, judgement and confusion. It definitely helps to bulk in fall/winter (not sure about the weather where you live) - all those loose sweaters, leggings and coats really help to 'hide' all the uncomfortable bits. It is a mental challenge for sure, but take it one step at a time. Good luck

Samm471 wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

Samm471 wrote: »

okay so I'm currently 125lbs 5'1 I'm 23/24% body fat and going to keep cutting till I'm 20% body fat then I plan on bulking. I know it can be a mental challenge gaining weight again but it's all for a good reason to build muscle and I know women don't gain anywhere near as much muscle as guys but I'm just curious if there is any women/girls who have bulked or are bulking just now? How long do you bulk for? Is it hard trying to 'clean bulk' I feel pretty light and slim just now but I know I need to get my body fat down before I bulk .. Most people have told me to forget about the number on scale now and concentrate on body fat % I do 5x5 programme 3x a week and HIIT cardio twice a week and light jogs sometimes after doing 5x5 but just wondered what women are bulking and getting info on it for when the time comes for me to bulk.

Although I've only been through one cycle, I can give you an idea about my experience with bulking. I bulked last fall doing Strong Curves from Sept-Feb (ended up being about 4.5 months). I started the bulk at 121lbs at 5'7". I don't know my starting bf% but I was fairly lean, so maybe 18-19% if I had to guess. I also did one or two days of HIIT cardio a week but eventually cut them out as they were adding too heavily to my calorie load.

If by 'clean' bulk you mean small surplus, then that's what I did, I was about 200-250 cals over maintenance which put me at 0.5lb gain per week. I followed a flexible diet approach, I ate mostly veggies, lean meats, eggs, nuts, legumes, oils etc. I also had ice cream or dessert every night to hit my calorie goal which worked for me (by the end I was up to 3300 cals so ice cream and peanut butter were my best friends).

You will gain some fat during your bulk, it is inevitable but if you do a small surplus (but not too small where you are just spinning your wheels) then the fat will be minimal. If you can come to terms with it and accept some fat gain, focus on how strong you are getting, the areas that are growing in a positive way, you should be fine. I didn't track my bf% so I used the scale, mirror, photos and measurements to track my progress.

I gained about 10lbs total (I wish it would have been more but I was happy with my progress at the time and decided to stop). Mid-Feb I started at maintenance until about April when I decided to cut until May. I did not want to lose too much so my cut was minimal. I was very pleased with my results in the end and while it was mentally challenging most times I would do it all again and hope to do so in the future

Wow that's interesting. I think I'm more worried people are gonna look at me and think she looks like she's getting fat because everyone is used to seeing my nice & slim now so that's gonna be tough for me lol I guess mentally it's something hard to get your head around too .. I worry about eating more calories but I think I will enjoy eating more too as I've been on a deficit for a while now

If you do it right and do as @sardelsa suggested by going 200-250 calories over maintenance, the fat gains should be minimal. I went from being in or around 5% body fat to now in or around 15% and went from a weight of 55kg/12lbs to now 70kg/154lbs. To be honest the increase in fat hasn't really come through in the clothes and all my friends/family have said I look a lot better. Plan your day in advance so you know what you are eating and when. Less daunting that way.