Ideal Body Fat to begin bulking/Stop bulking
wallyr1
Posts: 20 Member
Stats:
21yo
6’0
175lb
Hey guys. I’m honestly have trouble assessing my bf percentage. I got out of a cut a month ago and I definitely have a lot of mass to add to my frame. My question is: is there a bf percent range I should try to remain in while I bulk. My aim is to gain 3lb-4lb a month.. I’m 175lb and I wanted to reach around 200lb in 8 months then cut.. is that too much weight gain? Attached a body pic for reference. I’ve bulked/cut twice now and I always end up cutting way too hard and losing all my gains. So I just wanna do this bulk and cut process right this time. All/any advice appreciated..
21yo
6’0
175lb
Hey guys. I’m honestly have trouble assessing my bf percentage. I got out of a cut a month ago and I definitely have a lot of mass to add to my frame. My question is: is there a bf percent range I should try to remain in while I bulk. My aim is to gain 3lb-4lb a month.. I’m 175lb and I wanted to reach around 200lb in 8 months then cut.. is that too much weight gain? Attached a body pic for reference. I’ve bulked/cut twice now and I always end up cutting way too hard and losing all my gains. So I just wanna do this bulk and cut process right this time. All/any advice appreciated..
0
Replies
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This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)9
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You're skinny fat. That's where I was my first year or two. You need to add quite a bit of muscle before you will look good lean. I don't go by bf percentage, I just go by the calendar. August to December/early January I bulk. Because I get fluffy, but nobody will be seeing me without a shirt anyway. Then I transition to cut, and cut until anywhere from May to June. Then maintenance, and start bulking again in August.9
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This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I don't necessarily agree, the bulking/cutting cycle is the fastest way to get results....much faster than recomp. I do agree however that if you do it wrong (you basically gain too much weight in little time), then you may be spinning your wheels. When you do it right, it is proven to be the most effective way to building muscles. Recomp is not a bad route to take either, but I am glad I chose the bluking/cutting cycles....and usually my bulk lasts 1-2 years opposed to my cutting that lasts as high as 4 months.2 -
This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I sense one of those "at my age" things.
I think I have a few years on you and I still do a bulk/cut but very controlled so I don't think we are too far apart here. I think most people should be in a very long, slow cycle because there is no reason to stress your body so much constantly. I tend to do mini-bulks and mini-cuts of 5lbs over 3-6 months these days. Anabolic resistance due to age is a pain in the *kitten*.
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This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I agree that often times both the bulks and cuts are too aggressive and the results are less than ideal.
I'm slowly gaining 19 lbs (up 10 in 5 months so far) from 126 lbs to 145 lbs and then plan to recomp/cut incredibly slowly. Final goal is somewhere between 140-145 lbs and 16-18% body fat at 5'5".2 -
You're still bulking whether you like it or not. Afterall you are eating a small caloric surplus.Davidsdottir wrote: »This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I agree that often times both the bulks and cuts are too aggressive and the results are less than ideal.
I'm slowly gaining 19 lbs (up 10 in 5 months so far) from 126 lbs to 145 lbs and then plan to recomp/cut incredibly slowly. Final goal is somewhere between 140-145 lbs and 16-18% body fat at 5'5".
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You're still bulking whether you like it or not. Afterall you are eating a small caloric surplus.Davidsdottir wrote: »This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I agree that often times both the bulks and cuts are too aggressive and the results are less than ideal.
I'm slowly gaining 19 lbs (up 10 in 5 months so far) from 126 lbs to 145 lbs and then plan to recomp/cut incredibly slowly. Final goal is somewhere between 140-145 lbs and 16-18% body fat at 5'5".
Yes, I am bulking...on purpose...not quite sure I understand. I was just saying often people bulk aggressively. I am bulking more conservatively.3 -
3-4lb gain per month is reasonable for a male but it is on the more moderate side. As a female I gain about half that. You are lean without a lot of definition which will be improved with more muscle base. I personally think recomp won't get you the size/muscle gain you probably need and will probably cause a lot of wheel spinning in your case.
But really, what you do depends on your goal physique.
I would keep bulking.. you can slow it down a bit but I wouldn't stop unless your bodyfat gets really out of control and the belly is growing larger than the rest of your body.
And when you cut don't go so agressive.. I wouldn't lose more than 1% of your bodyweight per week. Keep protein high and training on point.
Also it can take many cycles to get where you need to go.. you really can't rush this. Sometimes progress after only one bulk can seem minimal and be discouraging.. but with consistency over time you will get there.3 -
This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I don't necessarily agree, the bulking/cutting cycle is the fastest way to get results....much faster than recomp. I do agree however that if you do it wrong (you basically gain too much weight in little time), then you may be spinning your wheels. When you do it right, it is proven to be the most effective way to building muscles. Recomp is not a bad route to take either, but I am glad I chose the bluking/cutting cycles....and usually my bulk lasts 1-2 years opposed to my cutting that lasts as high as 4 months.
Agreed, I just seem to see more people doing it wrong and spinning their wheels. Plus there's a bit of psychology that comes into play for some people when dealing with the ups and downs of a bulk/cut.0 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I sense one of those "at my age" things. I think I have a few years on you and I still do a bulk/cut but very controlled so I don't think we are too far apart here. I think most people should be in a very long, slow cycle because there is no reason to stress your body so much constantly. I tend to do mini-bulks and mini-cuts of 5lbs over 3-6 months these days. Anabolic resistance due to age is a pain in the *kitten*.
I wasn't really approaching things from an age perspective, but more of just seeing how people can easily mess up a bulk/cut cycle by going too aggressive with each. If you don't know what you are doing, it's harder to mess up a slower longer cycle.3 -
djeffreys10 wrote: »You're skinny fat. That's where I was my first year or two. You need to add quite a bit of muscle before you will look good lean. I don't go by bf percentage, I just go by the calendar. August to December/early January I bulk. Because I get fluffy, but nobody will be seeing me without a shirt anyway. Then I transition to cut, and cut until anywhere from May to June. Then maintenance, and start bulking again in August.
That is not skinny fat at all... skinny fat is overweight my BF% measurment but normal weight on the BMI scale. I say he just lacks muscle mass.
I agree with an earlier reply, set your goal to gain 0.5lbs/week, get adequate protein, and try to add mass, once you think you have a good base of muscle do a slow cut 0.5lb/week loss, and keep lifting and protein high.
When bulking, and cutting for that matter, what program are you following? I suggest not doing something you put together yourself, programming, nutrition, and rest are all important!3 -
This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I don't necessarily agree, the bulking/cutting cycle is the fastest way to get results....much faster than recomp. I do agree however that if you do it wrong (you basically gain too much weight in little time), then you may be spinning your wheels. When you do it right, it is proven to be the most effective way to building muscles. Recomp is not a bad route to take either, but I am glad I chose the bluking/cutting cycles....and usually my bulk lasts 1-2 years opposed to my cutting that lasts as high as 4 months.
Agreed, I just seem to see more people doing it wrong and spinning their wheels. Plus there's a bit of psychology that comes into play for some people when dealing with the ups and downs of a bulk/cut.
I see people spinning their wheels with anything.. bulk/cut, recomp, etc. The issue I see with recomp is a lot of people do it with unrealistic expectations then they get discouraged and give up. It does have certain limitations and is goal dependent.. ie. If you want to look like a much larger version of yourself, it is not the best way to go. Especially if you are already fairly lean. However it is great for those who have a high bodyfat, are very close to their ideal..the outline is there they just want to add a little here, define a little there.
In the end I think people don't realize that body composition and building a physique takes years.4 -
Wheelhouse15 wrote: »This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I sense one of those "at my age" things. I think I have a few years on you and I still do a bulk/cut but very controlled so I don't think we are too far apart here. I think most people should be in a very long, slow cycle because there is no reason to stress your body so much constantly. I tend to do mini-bulks and mini-cuts of 5lbs over 3-6 months these days. Anabolic resistance due to age is a pain in the *kitten*.
I wasn't really approaching things from an age perspective, but more of just seeing how people can easily mess up a bulk/cut cycle by going too aggressive with each. If you don't know what you are doing, it's harder to mess up a slower longer cycle.
I absolutely agree with that. Dirty bulks used to be the big thing when I first started out, but now there seems to be more of a push for clean bulks and recomps.
I guess I read in a bit too much, but on the other hand, I do think age matters a lot in how you approach your bulking strategy. As we age we are less able to gain muscle and less able to lose fat. Damn genetics.
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This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I don't necessarily agree, the bulking/cutting cycle is the fastest way to get results....much faster than recomp. I do agree however that if you do it wrong (you basically gain too much weight in little time), then you may be spinning your wheels. When you do it right, it is proven to be the most effective way to building muscles. Recomp is not a bad route to take either, but I am glad I chose the bluking/cutting cycles....and usually my bulk lasts 1-2 years opposed to my cutting that lasts as high as 4 months.
Agreed, I just seem to see more people doing it wrong and spinning their wheels. Plus there's a bit of psychology that comes into play for some people when dealing with the ups and downs of a bulk/cut.
I see people spinning their wheels with anything.. bulk/cut, recomp, etc. The issue I see with recomp is a lot of people do it with unrealistic expectations then they get discouraged and give up. It does have certain limitations and is goal dependent.. ie. If you want to look like a much larger version of yourself, it is not the best way to go. Especially if you are already fairly lean. However it is great for those who have a high bodyfat, are very close to their ideal..the outline is there they just want to add a little here, define a little there.
In the end I think people don't realize that body composition and building a physique takes years.
The thing a lot of people misunderstand about recomps is that they take a fair amount of time to really see the results and also you need to fluctuate between small surpluses and small deficits in order to actually recomp. Normally, eating around maintenance will give you these small fluctuations but some are able to hasten the process by understanding how their needs change on a daily basis, but that's really hard to do.2 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »
You're still bulking whether you like it or not. Afterall you are eating a small caloric surplus.Davidsdottir wrote: »This is why I don't prefer bulk/cut cycles, because far too many people just lose and gain the same 20# and get no where. You're young and should take advantage of your ability to gain muscle. Lift hard, and run a slower/longer bulk. It's not a race (unless you are in some sort of sport and you're trying to jump a weight class)
I agree that often times both the bulks and cuts are too aggressive and the results are less than ideal.
I'm slowly gaining 19 lbs (up 10 in 5 months so far) from 126 lbs to 145 lbs and then plan to recomp/cut incredibly slowly. Final goal is somewhere between 140-145 lbs and 16-18% body fat at 5'5".
Yes, I am bulking...on purpose...not quite sure I understand. I was just saying often people bulk aggressively. I am bulking more conservatively.
Never mind, I misread what you wrote, I thought for a second you wrote that you didn't bulk. My bad.1 -
Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?2
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Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Thanks for all the responses guys. Plans is to gain 3lb a month (+\-1lb)
Currently workout 6 days a week:
Day 1) Legs
Day 2) Chest/shoulder
Day 3) Back/arms
Repeat. I usually do 4 exercises per muscle group. Always Focusing on compound lifts. Honestly think the routine I follow is pretty good and as long as I’m gaining steady weight my strength on all my lifts goes up just fine.
If y’all have any other programs you suggest send em over!0 -
Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Thanks for all the responses guys. Plans is to gain 3lb a month (+\-1lb)
Currently workout 6 days a week:
Day 1) Legs
Day 2) Chest/shoulder
Day 3) Back/arms
Repeat. I usually do 4 exercises per muscle group. Always Focusing on compound lifts. Honestly think the routine I follow is pretty good and as long as I’m gaining steady weight my strength on all my lifts goes up just fine.
If y’all have any other programs you suggest send em over!
Did you develop this routine?
If yes, have you considered following a tried tested and true program, such as PHUL or PHAT (among others)?
How long have you been lifting?
Do you have a good base of strength already?
I ask all this as a split such as this may not be most effective given your goals and experience.4 -
Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Thanks for all the responses guys. Plans is to gain 3lb a month (+\-1lb)
Currently workout 6 days a week:
Day 1) Legs
Day 2) Chest/shoulder
Day 3) Back/arms
Repeat. I usually do 4 exercises per muscle group. Always Focusing on compound lifts. Honestly think the routine I follow is pretty good and as long as I’m gaining steady weight my strength on all my lifts goes up just fine.
If y’all have any other programs you suggest send em over!
I probably put on more mass using this routine than any other routine I have ever ran. Sadly, after about 2 months, I was straight up burnt out. Plus being a single parent, I couldn't keep up the 6 day routine.
And to be clear, what I meant by skinny fat is that you are very lean however you don't have a lot of muscle mass at this point, and appear to be still holding onto that midsection fat. To cut enough to get rid of that would, in my opinion, just be entirely too low to go. Hence, I would do as you are doing and concentrate on adding muscle. It will likely take you at least a couple bulk/cut cycles to start getting into the shape you want, but if you do it right you will improve every time.0 -
djeffreys10 wrote: »Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Thanks for all the responses guys. Plans is to gain 3lb a month (+\-1lb)
Currently workout 6 days a week:
Day 1) Legs
Day 2) Chest/shoulder
Day 3) Back/arms
Repeat. I usually do 4 exercises per muscle group. Always Focusing on compound lifts. Honestly think the routine I follow is pretty good and as long as I’m gaining steady weight my strength on all my lifts goes up just fine.
If y’all have any other programs you suggest send em over!
I probably put on more mass using this routine than any other routine I have ever ran. Sadly, after about 2 months, I was straight up burnt out. Plus being a single parent, I couldn't keep up the 6 day routine.
I don't consider that ^ to be a "routine", per say.
Leg / chest and shoulders / back and arms - is just a split. The way a person chooses to set up workouts and progression within that will make all the difference.
If you could only run it for 2 months, perhaps you were overly aggressive and trying to do too much.
I agree with finding an established program, which gives you exercises, sets, and rep goals.
"Leg day" is not a training plan.3 -
not_a_runner wrote: »djeffreys10 wrote: »Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Thanks for all the responses guys. Plans is to gain 3lb a month (+\-1lb)
Currently workout 6 days a week:
Day 1) Legs
Day 2) Chest/shoulder
Day 3) Back/arms
Repeat. I usually do 4 exercises per muscle group. Always Focusing on compound lifts. Honestly think the routine I follow is pretty good and as long as I’m gaining steady weight my strength on all my lifts goes up just fine.
If y’all have any other programs you suggest send em over!
I probably put on more mass using this routine than any other routine I have ever ran. Sadly, after about 2 months, I was straight up burnt out. Plus being a single parent, I couldn't keep up the 6 day routine.
I don't consider that ^ to be a "routine", per say.
Leg / chest and shoulders / back and arms - is just a split. The way a person chooses to set up workouts and progression within that will make all the difference.
If you could only run it for 2 months, perhaps you were overly aggressive and trying to do too much.
I agree with finding an established program, which gives you exercises, sets, and rep goals.
"Leg day" is not a training plan.
You are correct, split was the word I should have used.0 -
I agree with first poster. OR I'd find your maintenance and build on that over a long period of time. You'll stay lean but the gains take just a little longer.1
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Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Not sure why people are woo'ing this.
People who have a hard time gaining weight, might be better off with a longer bulk, adding more bodyfat >20% and really getting the most out of it. Especially since they won't have a problem cutting fat later.
I don't mean a fast bulk to >20% but a longer lean bulk, keeping it going for as long as possible.0 -
Keep bulking man the good thing is that you’re young. Cutting is easy(my opinion) it’s the building muscle part that’s hard. What’s your training split look like?
Not sure why people are woo'ing this.
People who have a hard time gaining weight, might be better off with a longer bulk, adding more bodyfat >20% and really getting the most out of it. Especially since they won't have a problem cutting fat later.
I don't mean a fast bulk to >20% but a longer lean bulk, keeping it going for as long as possible.
I guess we have anti bulkers in here. Bulking is awesome when done right.0
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