Lean Bulk - so far so good.
pbryd
Posts: 364 Member
2015
September 123.4lb
October 124.9lb
November 127.5lb
December 129.3lb
2016
January 130.1lb
How do these figures look for a long lean bulk?
I'm 5'6" and in my early forties. Previous to these figures I was dieting down to get lean (29.5" waist, around 10%bf).
Then I increased my calories a little until I started gaining weight slowly. My waist has crept up to 30" but I think it's acceptable.
My plan is to carry on lifting and eating until I hit a point where my waist is getting too large and then I'll cut back on the calories for a quick cut.
September 123.4lb
October 124.9lb
November 127.5lb
December 129.3lb
2016
January 130.1lb
How do these figures look for a long lean bulk?
I'm 5'6" and in my early forties. Previous to these figures I was dieting down to get lean (29.5" waist, around 10%bf).
Then I increased my calories a little until I started gaining weight slowly. My waist has crept up to 30" but I think it's acceptable.
My plan is to carry on lifting and eating until I hit a point where my waist is getting too large and then I'll cut back on the calories for a quick cut.
2
Replies
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I think my metabolism must be racing because I'm having to consume 2600 calories daily for this small weight gain.0
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2015
September 123.4lb
October 124.9lb
November 127.5lb
December 129.3lb
2016
January 130.1lb
How do these figures look for a long lean bulk?
I'm 5'6" and in my early forties. Previous to these figures I was dieting down to get lean (29.5" waist, around 10%bf).
Then I increased my calories a little until I started gaining weight slowly. My waist has crept up to 30" but I think it's acceptable.
My plan is to carry on lifting and eating until I hit a point where my waist is getting too large and then I'll cut back on the calories for a quick cut.
Numbers looks great.
IMO, there’s really no use in applying a set time frame to anyone's bulking phase, as it’s not going to be possible for that person to predict exactly how fast they'll ultimately make gains in the first place. Your individual rate of muscle growth will depend on your genetics, how well your program is structured, and how closely you adhere to it.
Around half a pound of lean body weight per week is a reasonable guideline, but this is just a rough estimate.
Not only that, but you won’t even be able to predict how those resulting gains will appear on your individual frame once you make them. For example, 15 pounds of muscle on a 5’7 frame with shorter limbs will not appear the same as 15 pounds of muscle on a 6’4 frame with longer limbs. You’ll only know how it looks and whether or not you’re actually satisfied with it once you actually get there.
The second thing to consider are your body fat levels.
Any time you try to gain a significant amount of muscle, you’re always going to gain some body fat with it. This is just the nature of remaining in a calorie surplus over time, and your goal during a bulking phase is to simply keep those fat gains to an absolute minimum.
This is best accomplished by maintaining only a small, well controlled calorie surplus of around 15% above your calorie maintenance level… ensuring that you’re employing a properly structured weight training routine… and including some additional cardio exercise to keep fat gains at bay.
Your best bet is to simply take it week by week, monitor your progress (which you're already doing) and then simply shift into fat loss mode when/if it becomes necessary.
To set out from the get go and explicitly say this person is going to “bulk for 4 months and then cut for 2 months” or “bulk for 1 year and then cut for 3 months” probably isn’t going to do anybody any real good, as there are too many unpredictable factors at play.
Just continue bulking until you reach a level of muscular development that you’re happy with, or until your body fat levels reach a level that you aren’t comfortable with and want to reduce.
Just make sure that you stay in your bulking phase long enough to truly make some solid, measurable progress first before shifting gears. Just don't be the guy who constantly goes back and forth every few weeks, and after a year or two still hasn’t made any real noticeable progress in either direction.
4 -
Thanks for the reply, your advice matches my plan exactly, apart from cardio, I'm not doing any atm.
The weights I'm lifting are moving up nicely too, so I'm really pleased with the progress.
If my weight gain stalls or the weights on the bar stop going up, i'll take this as a sign to up my calories further, as long as my waist is still under control.
P2 -
Thanks for the reply, your advice matches my plan exactly, apart from cardio, I'm not doing any atm.
The weights I'm lifting are moving up nicely too, so I'm really pleased with the progress.
If my weight gain stalls or the weights on the bar stop going up, i'll take this as a sign to up my calories further, as long as my waist is still under control.
P
Agreed sir.
Gaining strength is actually by far the single most important factor of anything in your entire training program, and it’s the one thing that should be given the highest amount of focus when you’re in the gym.
Yes, total training volume and frequency are also important, but PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD is still the ultimate bottom line when it comes to building muscle.
So many people try to over complicate things, and in the process they end up losing sight of this one basic principle. However, it’s the one principle that lies at the very foundation of the entire muscle building process.
If you’re not consistently getting stronger, you’re not going to be getting much bigger. You can pretty much be guaranteed of that.
This is why I constantly talk about how crucial it is that you keep a training logbook, track your workouts (weight, sets and reps) and then focus on “beating the numbers” each week.
In fact, doing this one thing alone and combining it with a reasonably controlled calorie surplus essentially guarantees muscle growth for you.
4 -
I'm 5'7" and weigh around 143lbs. I really want to lean bulk so may i ask what your macros are?0
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Protein 1g / 1lb
Fat 0.4g / 1lb
Carbs for the remaining calories.
As close to this as I can get using MFP percentage ratios.
Does that help?
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I upped my calories by raising carbs to my current daily total of 2600.1
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Take into consideration your age too. Your peak growing time was in your 20's due to hormones. They reduce as you get older, so a "lean" bulk would mean much more fat now than in your 20's.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
2 -
Yes it did, thanks man!0
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Take into consideration your age too. Your peak growing time was in your 20's due to hormones. They reduce as you get older, so a "lean" bulk would mean much more fat now than in your 20's.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Just another reason why aging sucks.0 -
Probably why i've never made a lot of progress in the gym on previous attempts. Simply not eating enough.
Counting calories has definitely made it possible, takes out all the guessing, I just wished I'd done it 20 years ago lol1 -
Looks good. Wish my bulk/weight was added that slowly.1
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »Take into consideration your age too. Your peak growing time was in your 20's due to hormones. They reduce as you get older, so a "lean" bulk would mean much more fat now than in your 20's.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Just another reason why aging sucks.
ha ha!
Another kick in the nuts for #teamgrayballs0 -
2015
September 123.4lb
October 124.9lb
November 127.5lb
December 129.3lb
2016
January 130.1lb
How do these figures look for a long lean bulk?
I'm 5'6" and in my early forties. Previous to these figures I was dieting down to get lean (29.5" waist, around 10%bf).
Then I increased my calories a little until I started gaining weight slowly. My waist has crept up to 30" but I think it's acceptable.
My plan is to carry on lifting and eating until I hit a point where my waist is getting too large and then I'll cut back on the calories for a quick cut.
What BF% are you at right now? I'm guessing it's more likely already low based on your waist measurement. Your progress looks great though.
0 -
2015
September 123.4lb
October 124.9lb
November 127.5lb
December 129.3lb
2016
January 130.1lb
How do these figures look for a long lean bulk?
I'm 5'6" and in my early forties. Previous to these figures I was dieting down to get lean (29.5" waist, around 10%bf).
Then I increased my calories a little until I started gaining weight slowly. My waist has crept up to 30" but I think it's acceptable.
My plan is to carry on lifting and eating until I hit a point where my waist is getting too large and then I'll cut back on the calories for a quick cut.
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
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Quick update to for January.
The weights last week seemed unusually heavy and I failed to reach my target reps for dumbbell shoulder presses and weighted pull ups.
I counted the weeks of progressive training and I was up to 8 weeks, so I decided this last week in January would be a deload week and I'll set some February goals to beat January's best lifts.
Also in January my new trap bar arrived along with a couple of bumper plates and some rubber coated iron. Trap bar squats will be added to my routine to replace front squats.
My average weight for January is 130.2lb, up from 129.3lb in December, with an increase in waist from 29.9" to 30.1"
At the end of Feb I'll think about upping my daily calories by a further 100, to a total of 2700.
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GUARDiAN_GUiLD wrote: »
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
Good to hear your bulk went well. I'm following the advice of Mike Matthews who advises against long cuts because it allows more time for your metabolism to slow down.
i did a 6 week cut before I started bulking which went very well and allowed me to continue increasing my strength in the gym while losing fat around my waist. Beginner gains I suppose.
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GUARDiAN_GUiLD wrote: »
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
Good to hear your bulk went well. I'm following the advice of Mike Matthews who advises against long cuts because it allows more time for your metabolism to slow down.
i did a 6 week cut before I started bulking which went very well and allowed me to continue increasing my strength in the gym while losing fat around my waist. Beginner gains I suppose.
Have you done a quick cut before? Just curious as after this 4ish month bulk I would like to do a quick cut and start bulking again! I hate eating lower and lower and lower amounts of calories
0 -
GUARDiAN_GUiLD wrote: »
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
Good to hear your bulk went well. I'm following the advice of Mike Matthews who advises against long cuts because it allows more time for your metabolism to slow down.
i did a 6 week cut before I started bulking which went very well and allowed me to continue increasing my strength in the gym while losing fat around my waist. Beginner gains I suppose.
A cutting phase can continue for whatever length of time is necessary for any individual to reach their desired level of leanness, or until they simply want to shift gears and add some muscle mass based on their personal preference of how they want to look.
Again, depending on the person, the time frame for this could vary all over the map.
If you want to lay out a set bulking and cutting cycle length for yourself right from the start just to get a rough idea of the time frames you might be dealing with, that’s fine.
However, just keep in mind that these will only be rough estimates, since there’s no way for you to predict what your exact rate of muscle growth or fat loss will be, how those changes will reflect in your actual physical appearance, or how your preferences might also change over time
Long cuts are fine. As long as you're maintaining a small to moderate deficit (or a large deficit but only over a short period of time) it's not going to be a concern. But yes, I would not recommend using a large deficit over an extended period for that reason.0 -
skittlebitz wrote: »GUARDiAN_GUiLD wrote: »
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
Good to hear your bulk went well. I'm following the advice of Mike Matthews who advises against long cuts because it allows more time for your metabolism to slow down.
i did a 6 week cut before I started bulking which went very well and allowed me to continue increasing my strength in the gym while losing fat around my waist. Beginner gains I suppose.
Have you done a quick cut before? Just curious as after this 4ish month bulk I would like to do a quick cut and start bulking again! I hate eating lower and lower and lower amounts of calories
Some tips if you feel hungry while cutting or dieting:
1 - Maintain only a small 15-20% calorie deficit and focus on losing about 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
2 - Consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Protein is the most filling macronutrient and is the most useful for reducing appetite.
3 - Get at least 20% of your total calories from fat per day.
4 - Get in about 15 grams of fiber per day for every 1000 calories you consume.
5 - To fill yourself up and reduce your fat loss hunger, consume plenty of vegetables throughout the day.
6 - Find the meal frequency and layout that works best for you in terms of appetite control and energy levels, whether it be 6 small meals or 3 larger meals.
7 - Drink around 0.6 ounces of water per pound of body weight daily.
8 - Find the right balance between cardio and dieting that works best for you in terms of lowering your appetite, whether that be a larger calorie deficit through your diet and less cardio, or a smaller dietary calorie deficit and more cardio.
9 - Include some HIIT cardio in your plan as it does not stimulate your food cravings as heavily as low intensity cardio does.
10 - Allow for 10-20% of your total calories to come from whatever "cheat foods" you want.
11 - Ensure that you get adequate sleep each night.
12 - Eat more slowly.
Give these tips a try and you should see a marked improvement.
5 -
skittlebitz wrote: »
Have you done a quick cut before? Just curious as after this 4ish month bulk I would like to do a quick cut and start bulking again! I hate eating lower and lower and lower amounts of calories
I did one before my bulk. I'm not sure I did it correctly but I started counting my calories and reduced my daily limit by 100 calories every 5 days until I was down to my BMR of around 1400.
After 5 days at my BMR I reversed the process, adding 100 calories back on every 5 days.
I continued to lose weight as I reverse dieted too, I kept adding calories until I started to see a small weight gain which signified the start of my lean bulk.0 -
skittlebitz wrote: »GUARDiAN_GUiLD wrote: »
Not a fan of any "quick cuts" especially after a slower, cleaner/lean(er) bulk. I hate that dehydrated feeling.
Started the bulk around end of October at 194 lbs. Currently hovering around 213 lbs. Originally wanted to get up to about 220 and start cutting up in February but decided to just start earlier than usual. Trying to reach 10-11% BF by May, which is more realistic.
Good to hear your bulk went well. I'm following the advice of Mike Matthews who advises against long cuts because it allows more time for your metabolism to slow down.
i did a 6 week cut before I started bulking which went very well and allowed me to continue increasing my strength in the gym while losing fat around my waist. Beginner gains I suppose.
Have you done a quick cut before? Just curious as after this 4ish month bulk I would like to do a quick cut and start bulking again! I hate eating lower and lower and lower amounts of calories
Some tips if you feel hungry while cutting or dieting:
1 - Maintain only a small 15-20% calorie deficit and focus on losing about 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
2 - Consume 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Protein is the most filling macronutrient and is the most useful for reducing appetite.
3 - Get at least 20% of your total calories from fat per day.
4 - Get in about 15 grams of fiber per day for every 1000 calories you consume.
5 - To fill yourself up and reduce your fat loss hunger, consume plenty of vegetables throughout the day.
6 - Find the meal frequency and layout that works best for you in terms of appetite control and energy levels, whether it be 6 small meals or 3 larger meals.
7 - Drink around 0.6 ounces of water per pound of body weight daily.
8 - Find the right balance between cardio and dieting that works best for you in terms of lowering your appetite, whether that be a larger calorie deficit through your diet and less cardio, or a smaller dietary calorie deficit and more cardio.
9 - Include some HIIT cardio in your plan as it does not stimulate your food cravings as heavily as low intensity cardio does.
10 - Allow for 10-20% of your total calories to come from whatever "cheat foods" you want.
11 - Ensure that you get adequate sleep each night.
12 - Eat more slowly.
Give these tips a try and you should see a marked improvement.
I was doing all of these except my last coach decided 1500 calories would be a good start to my cut with 5 days of cardio a week when I maintain on 2150-2200. Guess you could say my last cut wasn't so awesome. Literally STARVING ALL DAY. I ate veggies with every meal, so much volume but it barely lasted a couple hours in my tummy. Next time I do it it'll only be a 20% decrease in calories and definitely not very much cardio. For the time being it's bulking season! 0 -
So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
0 -
Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!1 -
skittlebitz wrote: »Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!
Unless she is a RD she shouldn't be giving out meal plans like that and might even be breaking your provincial laws. Too many unqualified people are doing this, unfortunately.1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!
Unless she is a RD she shouldn't be giving out meal plans like that and might even be breaking your provincial laws. Too many unqualified people are doing this, unfortunately.
Yeah I realized that afterwards. Except she was in the states and I'm in Canada so it was all online lol. After the first month she just gave me macros to follow. I think she realized she couldn't be doing that
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skittlebitz wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!
Unless she is a RD she shouldn't be giving out meal plans like that and might even be breaking your provincial laws. Too many unqualified people are doing this, unfortunately.
Yeah I realized that afterwards. Except she was in the states and I'm in Canada so it was all online lol. After the first month she just gave me macros to follow. I think she realized she couldn't be doing that
You should probalby drop her like a hot potato and find a reputable RD and trainer locally. 1 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!
Unless she is a RD she shouldn't be giving out meal plans like that and might even be breaking your provincial laws. Too many unqualified people are doing this, unfortunately.
Yeah I realized that afterwards. Except she was in the states and I'm in Canada so it was all online lol. After the first month she just gave me macros to follow. I think she realized she couldn't be doing that
You should probalby drop her like a hot potato and find a reputable RD and trainer locally.
I dropped her when my 3 months was up with her and have been working on my own ever since, so far lifts have gone up considerably, lost body fat and gained about a lb of muscle the last month while eating over my maintenance. Needless to say I don't think I need anybody anymore. Just you guys for accountability!! 2 -
skittlebitz wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Wheelhouse15 wrote: »skittlebitz wrote: »Springfield1970 wrote: »So your silly coach had you netting about 1000?(if you did an hour of cardio a day?)
Shame.
Yup I guess so. I finished my 3 months with her and said enough was enough I knew I wasn't fuelling my body properly. Time to do it on my own and use everybody on here for accountability instead of paying for a coach! I know what to do and how to do it just need some buddies in the same boat!
Unless she is a RD she shouldn't be giving out meal plans like that and might even be breaking your provincial laws. Too many unqualified people are doing this, unfortunately.
Yeah I realized that afterwards. Except she was in the states and I'm in Canada so it was all online lol. After the first month she just gave me macros to follow. I think she realized she couldn't be doing that
You should probalby drop her like a hot potato and find a reputable RD and trainer locally.
I dropped her when my 3 months was up with her and have been working on my own ever since, so far lifts have gone up considerably, lost body fat and gained about a lb of muscle the last month while eating over my maintenance. Needless to say I don't think I need anybody anymore. Just you guys for accountability!!
Good luck to you as you progress, there are a lot of inspiring men and women here to draw encouragement from.0
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