Time to Gain! Anyone running a bulk?
sardelsa
Posts: 9,812 Member
Hi everyone!
It's time for me to transition into yet another bulk cycle.
Anyone else bulking now or soon? Feel free to discuss your goals, methods used, share your progress, or even if you aren't bulking but have any questions or want to share your past results, you can do it here
As for me, this will be bulk #4. I did have a few set backs due to pregnancies and babies so not exactly where I want to be considering.
I currently transitioning from my cut. I will slowly add calories until I hit maintenance, then I will hang out there for a few weeks (probably until mid-October or so) until I start to up the calories to gain. I am going to start off slow and steady, 0.25lb per week gain then take it from there. Not sure how long this bulk will be, I will play it by ear.
Also I haven't figured out my programming 100% but it will be an upper/lower hypertrophy split similar to what I am doing now.
-3x per week lower body (very heavy glute focus, less quad)
-2x per week upper body (back and shoulder focus)
I will keep protein at about 1g per lb (estimated). The rest will fall into place. I won't track my intake, as usual, especially since I have no idea where my food scale is (we are in the process of moving) but I will be weighing daily and tracking my trends and adjusting from there.
I will still be popping into the cutting thread of course but I figure I would start a new one here so I don't bog that one down with all the gaining updates
Happy bulking!
It's time for me to transition into yet another bulk cycle.
Anyone else bulking now or soon? Feel free to discuss your goals, methods used, share your progress, or even if you aren't bulking but have any questions or want to share your past results, you can do it here
As for me, this will be bulk #4. I did have a few set backs due to pregnancies and babies so not exactly where I want to be considering.
I currently transitioning from my cut. I will slowly add calories until I hit maintenance, then I will hang out there for a few weeks (probably until mid-October or so) until I start to up the calories to gain. I am going to start off slow and steady, 0.25lb per week gain then take it from there. Not sure how long this bulk will be, I will play it by ear.
Also I haven't figured out my programming 100% but it will be an upper/lower hypertrophy split similar to what I am doing now.
-3x per week lower body (very heavy glute focus, less quad)
-2x per week upper body (back and shoulder focus)
I will keep protein at about 1g per lb (estimated). The rest will fall into place. I won't track my intake, as usual, especially since I have no idea where my food scale is (we are in the process of moving) but I will be weighing daily and tracking my trends and adjusting from there.
I will still be popping into the cutting thread of course but I figure I would start a new one here so I don't bog that one down with all the gaining updates
Happy bulking!
25
Replies
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Two weeks into my current bulk. Gaining rather quickly, but I should start slowing down soon. Then it will be a more gradual gain. Started at 175, looking to get to 195-200 by mid January. Then I’ll be on the cut 💪🏼5
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@sardelsa You finally start this thread just as moving back to the cutting thread 😂4
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@sardelsa what is a bulk? I'm likely 500 cals over BMR and sitting at 1.2 g per lb protein. Working on recovery as you know. Hoping to be building again by Nov Dec.
Would this be a bulk or do I need to live at McDonalds and toss back a bag of Lays each night. 😉1 -
@sardelsa what is a bulk? I'm likely 500 cals over BMR and sitting at 1.2 g per lb protein. Working on recovery as you know. Hoping to be building again by Nov Dec.
Would this be a bulk or do I need to live at McDonalds and toss back a bag of Lays each night. 😉
Bulking is gaining weight typically with the intention to gain muscle. 500 cals over BMR could still be a deficit or maintenance depending on your calorie burn. I would say 150cal + over maintenance (TDEE, total daily energy expenditure) over time
Bulking can involve some extra treat foods if you desire, some people on really high intakes might struggle so those foods can help. But it's not necessary.5 -
gabrielcurran2243 wrote: »Two weeks into my current bulk. Gaining rather quickly, but I should start slowing down soon. Then it will be a more gradual gain. Started at 175, looking to get to 195-200 by mid January. Then I’ll be on the cut 💪🏼
Hooray welcome!! Ya I find the gains come on fast due to water weight, workouts and food volume then they even out.1 -
Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »@sardelsa You finally start this thread just as moving back to the cutting thread 😂
Haha aww don't worry I will still check up on you all there 1 -
@sardelsa found a TDEE calculator. Looks like I'm on a bulk since I am not allowed to lift at the moment.1
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@sardelsa found a TDEE calculator. Looks like I'm on a bulk since I am not allowed to lift at the moment.
Well if you are recovering I would eat at maintenance while you heal up vs gain. If you aren't lifting the gain will be fat, unfortunately. Up to you of course!
Hope you feel better soon2 -
https://legionathletics.com/ideal-male-body/
https://bodywhat.com/
Here's a few tools I've used... The first is a calculator based on your height, wrist, and ankle... It's supposed to give you your theoretical largest size in terms of weight and aesthetics... Gives you a number of helpful measurements to shoot for...
The next is a website where you can upload a photo of yourself and with a little work, it uses AI apparently to give you several body measurements and predict your bf%...
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Intentionally?!? :laugh:
According to my coach, I'm in bulk season. But I'm not tracking macros, and just eating what I want. I really need to dial it in and make sure I'm at least hitting my protein...2 -
Mr_Healthy_Habits wrote: »@sardelsa You finally start this thread just as moving back to the cutting thread 😂
Haha aww don't worry I will still check up on you all there
Next you need to create the "Idk wtf I'm doing 🤷🏽♂️" thread, for people like me 😬😂3 -
Nice steady bulking going on here
Will have to cut it shorter than planned though, apparently my weight cap for amateur classic physique isn’t as high is I thought, may have to sacrifice one of my legs below the knee to make weight 😂5 -
I ran a clean bulk last year. It took me 13-14 months to gain 14 lbs doing about 100-200 calories above maintenance. I started at 176 and got to 190 just as the gyms were shutting down. I'm back to 173 since I started cycling 5-6 days a week; it was tough to keep up.3
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Not yet
One day I will get lean enough and then run a bulk.2 -
Think I'mHi everyone!
It's time for me to transition into yet another bulk cycle.
Anyone else bulking now or soon? Feel free to discuss your goals, methods used, share your progress, or even if you aren't bulking but have any questions or want to share your past results, you can do it here
As for me, this will be bulk #4. I did have a few set backs due to pregnancies and babies so not exactly where I want to be considering.
I currently transitioning from my cut. I will slowly add calories until I hit maintenance, then I will hang out there for a few weeks (probably until mid-October or so) until I start to up the calories to gain. I am going to start off slow and steady, 0.25lb per week gain then take it from there. Not sure how long this bulk will be, I will play it by ear.
Also I haven't figured out my programming 100% but it will be an upper/lower hypertrophy split similar to what I am doing now.
-3x per week lower body (very heavy glute focus, less quad)
-2x per week upper body (back and shoulder focus)
I will keep protein at about 1g per lb (estimated). The rest will fall into place. I won't track my intake, as usual, especially since I have no idea where my food scale is (we are in the process of moving) but I will be weighing daily and tracking my trends and adjusting from there.
I will still be popping into the cutting thread of course but I figure I would start a new one here so I don't bog that one down with all the gaining updates
Happy bulking!
Think I'm coming to the end of my defluff, which going on the past few weeks has been more or less maintaining so I think I will join you on the bulk train soon. Choo choo:)2 -
Yeah, I've only been under TDEE on 18 of the last 45 days so I think I'll just lean into this upward trend. If I consider 9/1 to be my start I was at 173.3 lbs and ~11% body fat.
What type of surplus are people planning/have experience with being most effective? I'm thinking to keep things around +100/day or so for a little less than 1 lb/month and stick to at least 1 g/lb protein.0 -
Yeah, I've only been under TDEE on 18 of the last 45 days so I think I'll just lean into this upward trend. If I consider 9/1 to be my start I was at 173.3 lbs and ~11% body fat.
What type of surplus are people planning/have experience with being most effective? I'm thinking to keep things around +100/day or so for a little less than 1 lb/month and stick to at least 1 g/lb protein.
@steveko89 I've done 2lb per month as well as 1lb per month. I am also female so that is a factor.
With the faster gain (2lbs per month) pros were it was easy to track and monitor progress (visual and weight wise), I didn't have to bulk as long. Cons were the really high intake to keep that surplus (for me that was hard, for others that might be a plus), also I did gain a bit more fat than I would have otherwise and it was slightly uncomfortable.
With the slower gain (1lb per month) pros were it was nice and steady, intake wasn't too crazy and fat gain wasn't as apparent. However a con I found it too slow.. muscle growth was so minimal and it was hard to know if I was actually in a surplus or just maintaining.
In your case if you are hesitant to bulk I would go with the smaller surplus. It's easier to deal with mentally and physically. You can always add more calories if you want later on.2 -
IPF just changed up the female powerlifting weight classes. There's a 76 kilo class now. I might actually be able to get that low. 72 kg was too low for me. So, I may be back to cutting soon. Depends on when my next meet actually is. Nothing planned yet.2
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Yeah, I've only been under TDEE on 18 of the last 45 days so I think I'll just lean into this upward trend. If I consider 9/1 to be my start I was at 173.3 lbs and ~11% body fat.
What type of surplus are people planning/have experience with being most effective? I'm thinking to keep things around +100/day or so for a little less than 1 lb/month and stick to at least 1 g/lb protein.
@steveko89 I've done 2lb per month as well as 1lb per month. I am also female so that is a factor.
With the faster gain (2lbs per month) pros were it was easy to track and monitor progress (visual and weight wise), I didn't have to bulk as long. Cons were the really high intake to keep that surplus (for me that was hard, for others that might be a plus), also I did gain a bit more fat than I would have otherwise and it was slightly uncomfortable.
With the slower gain (1lb per month) pros were it was nice and steady, intake wasn't too crazy and fat gain wasn't as apparent. However a con I found it too slow.. muscle growth was so minimal and it was hard to know if I was actually in a surplus or just maintaining.
In your case if you are hesitant to bulk I would go with the smaller surplus. It's easier to deal with mentally and physically. You can always add more calories if you want later on.
Doing some googling, I'm already rethinking whether or not I truly have enough room to even do a lean bulk.0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Think I'mHi everyone!
It's time for me to transition into yet another bulk cycle.
Anyone else bulking now or soon? Feel free to discuss your goals, methods used, share your progress, or even if you aren't bulking but have any questions or want to share your past results, you can do it here
As for me, this will be bulk #4. I did have a few set backs due to pregnancies and babies so not exactly where I want to be considering.
I currently transitioning from my cut. I will slowly add calories until I hit maintenance, then I will hang out there for a few weeks (probably until mid-October or so) until I start to up the calories to gain. I am going to start off slow and steady, 0.25lb per week gain then take it from there. Not sure how long this bulk will be, I will play it by ear.
Also I haven't figured out my programming 100% but it will be an upper/lower hypertrophy split similar to what I am doing now.
-3x per week lower body (very heavy glute focus, less quad)
-2x per week upper body (back and shoulder focus)
I will keep protein at about 1g per lb (estimated). The rest will fall into place. I won't track my intake, as usual, especially since I have no idea where my food scale is (we are in the process of moving) but I will be weighing daily and tracking my trends and adjusting from there.
I will still be popping into the cutting thread of course but I figure I would start a new one here so I don't bog that one down with all the gaining updates
Happy bulking!
Think I'm coming to the end of my defluff, which going on the past few weeks has been more or less maintaining so I think I will join you on the bulk train soon. Choo choo:)
Yay @jdscrubs32 bulk buddies 4 life
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Hey! I want to start a 10 week bulk. I want to go from 155 to 180 by the end of November. Is that possible? I’m 18 years old & is 6’50
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zerodarkthirdy wrote: »Hey! I want to start a 10 week bulk. I want to go from 155 to 180 by the end of November. Is that possible? I’m 18 years old & is 6’5
Twenty-five pounds in ten weeks is a lot. The faster you gain the weight, the more likely that weight will be fat and not muscle. However, you are 6'5 and 155 pounds...you need to put on some weight!
Eat at least 500 calories over maintenance, hit your protein targets, and lift heavy using a proven progressive lifting program. Males can put on approximately 0.5 lbs of muscle per week if they are doing everything I listed above.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p13 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »zerodarkthirdy wrote: »Hey! I want to start a 10 week bulk. I want to go from 155 to 180 by the end of November. Is that possible? I’m 18 years old & is 6’5
Twenty-five pounds in ten weeks is a lot. The faster you gain the weight, the more likely that weight will be fat and not muscle. However, you are 6'5 and 155 pounds...you need to put on some weight!
Eat at least 500 calories over maintenance, hit your protein targets, and lift heavy using a proven progressive lifting program. Males can put on approximately 0.5 lbs of muscle per week if they are doing everything I listed above.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Ditto. You gotta eat, a lot. And I wouldn’t concern myself too much with scales. I weigh myself just to keep a journal. The mirror never lies.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »zerodarkthirdy wrote: »Hey! I want to start a 10 week bulk. I want to go from 155 to 180 by the end of November. Is that possible? I’m 18 years old & is 6’5
Twenty-five pounds in ten weeks is a lot. The faster you gain the weight, the more likely that weight will be fat and not muscle. However, you are 6'5 and 155 pounds...you need to put on some weight!
Eat at least 500 calories over maintenance, hit your protein targets, and lift heavy using a proven progressive lifting program. Males can put on approximately 0.5 lbs of muscle per week if they are doing everything I listed above.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Definitely agree with this. And being 18, he is prime for muscle gains over fat. No reason to just pack on fat for the sake of gaining weight. And let's face it, it's unlikely, that is what he is thinking would be his ideal body.0 -
I am currently trying to bulk up a bit now. Been at it now on a surplus for a while.
It's so hard switching over to the 'mental' weight gain side of bulking. My inner losing weight self makes it a struggle to gain weight, where I seem to subconciously spin my gears. (As some of my friends on here on this forum know).
Also, suffering ATM with Binge Eating cycles as well. I never used to be like this when I was cutting for months last year. But, I know my progress will be to get over this as well as getting stronger, and building muscle.3 -
He probably doesn't have much fat on him at 6'5 155lbs, i'm guessing he's under 10%bf. If he gained some fat it wouldn't be the end of the world.
10 weeks is not a lot but if you train heavy and with the newbie gains you could build some muscle mass.
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He probably doesn't have much fat on him at 6'5 155lbs, i'm guessing he's under 10%bf. If he gained some fat it wouldn't be the end of the world.
10 weeks is not a lot but if you train heavy and with the newbie gains you could build some muscle mass.
For sure. Running a bulk means adding some fat regardless. That’s where the cut comes in0 -
How is everyone doing? I think I am finally going to start gaining soon. Not tracking has it's perks but this is one area where it can be difficult. It's hard to find that fine line between maintenance and a slow bulk.
I won't really be changing my workout programming. One benefit of that is the scale won't go crazy so one less thing to worry about.
I am so pumped to see results. I am really happy with my starting physique, so this bulk will hopefully take me to the next level
1 -
How is everyone doing? I think I am finally going to start gaining soon. Not tracking has it's perks but this is one area where it can be difficult. It's hard to find that fine line between maintenance and a slow bulk.
I won't really be changing my workout programming. One benefit of that is the scale won't go crazy so one less thing to worry about.
I am so pumped to see results. I am really happy with my starting physique, so this bulk will hopefully take me to the next level
Finally slowed down. Even lost a pound and a half. I believe that was water weight. Ready for a gradual gain now.0
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