Time to Gain! Anyone running a bulk?
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Just hopping on this thread to say I’ve been gaining slowly since April 2021. Started at 137, currently 147. I’ve been stuck there for the last 4 weeks, partly due to gastroenteritis. I guess I need to increase calories a bit, but I’m just not very interested in food. Weird for me, I love food.1
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cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »Just hopping on this thread to say I’ve been gaining slowly since April 2021. Started at 137, currently 147. I’ve been stuck there for the last 4 weeks, partly due to gastroenteritis. I guess I need to increase calories a bit, but I’m just not very interested in food. Weird for me, I love food.
Just a thought, but maybe try cupcakes and protein shakes?
Seriously, I'm sorry to hear about the health issues. I've been doing the opposite with an unintentional "dirty" bulk the last three weeks or so because of emotional eating and WAY too much alcohol and not enough cardio. Ugh. Life sucks sometimes. I think I'm finally getting back on track this week though.1 -
Currently stalling on my Mass
Calories have remained the same but work has become busier, starting to find eating a chore but going to have to up the calories even more 😫2 -
Just a thought, but maybe try cupcakes and protein shakes?
Seriously, I'm sorry to hear about the health issues. I've been doing the opposite with an unintentional "dirty" bulk the last three weeks or so because of emotional eating and WAY too much alcohol and not enough cardio. Ugh. Life sucks sometimes. I think I'm finally getting back on track this week though.
Yes well most of my twenties was a cycle of dirty bulking then losing. Sadly I wasn’t weight training though then. Just yo yo dieting. What a shame I lacked that knowledge.
Cupcakes and protein shakes are a staple for me whether gaining losing or maintaining!1 -
For the second year in a row it looks like my bulk started unintentionally (holy inflection point, Batman). Based on last year I think +3lbs/month is a good target, though from where I’m starting I’m unsure how far into December I’ll actually get before the fat gain has me uncomfortable.
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Going to take a leap of faith and try bulking for my first time ever. I am excited and nervous both! I am lean and vascular in my upper body and mid section but my legs and glutes need to grow I think and then hit the fat loss more. What advice do people have? I have been in a deficit from my TDEE for almost a year and I am wondering if I will see results just from eating at maintenance for a few weeks and then increasing by 100-200 calories over that? Thoughts?0
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Going to take a leap of faith and try bulking for my first time ever. I am excited and nervous both! I am lean and vascular in my upper body and mid section but my legs and glutes need to grow I think and then hit the fat loss more. What advice do people have? I have been in a deficit from my TDEE for almost a year and I am wondering if I will see results just from eating at maintenance for a few weeks and then increasing by 100-200 calories over that? Thoughts?
You don't really need any maintenance phase between cutting and bulking. I would suggest figuring out what your current TDEE is vs. whatever you used as a reference at the start of your cutting phase. Being in a deficit that long, even if just a mild one, will result in some metabolic adaptation (what most conflate with the dreaded "starvation mode"). Prior to my bulk last fall I didn't think I had ever dieted successfully enough or consistently enough for this to kick in but it turns out what I had observed as my historical TDEE was one that had been depressed by about 7% from years of being too fat-phobic and spinning my wheels in continuous attempts to properly get lean (<10%... still haven't made it).
I would only advocate for a "lean" or controlled bulk. Depending on training experience you're looking at a surplus requisite to 1.5-3lbs per month total weight gain (+175 to +350 cal/day).
Below is from a recent T-Nation article about gaining muscle:
CONTROLLED BULKING
Beginner: 4-5 pounds per month for men and 2-3 pounds per month for women
Intermediate: 3-4 pounds per month for men and 1.5-2 pounds per month for women
Advanced: 2-3 pounds per month for men and 1.5 pounds per month for women
source: https://www.t-nation.com/lean-built-eating/how-much-to-eat-for-muscle-growth/1 -
Going to take a leap of faith and try bulking for my first time ever. I am excited and nervous both! I am lean and vascular in my upper body and mid section but my legs and glutes need to grow I think and then hit the fat loss more. What advice do people have? I have been in a deficit from my TDEE for almost a year and I am wondering if I will see results just from eating at maintenance for a few weeks and then increasing by 100-200 calories over that? Thoughts?
I did exactly what you did, went on maintenance for a month or so just to get my body used to not being in a deficit. There is a phenomena that can happen where your energy expenditure, I assume NEAT, increases significantly after a prolonged period of being in a deficit. That means it may actually take you a while to find where your maintenance level is after cutting. Mine was about 300 calories higher than I calculated it should have been after my cut.
That's a very long winded way of saying that I think it's a good idea to go to maintenance for a while. And you aren't going to lose any muscle by doing so as long as you're consistent in the gym with your lifting. Depending on how lean you are, and how experienced at lifting you are, you absolutely can make gains while at maintenance, again, depending on the quality of your lifting plan.1 -
@steveko89 Thank you!!!! I have been lifting for almost two years and think I’ve maxed out on my newbie gains. My bf was measured as 15% through in body but I don’t think it’s that low honestly. Looking to build my glutes and legs so going to try bulking. I’m scared because I don’t want to gain fat too much but feel confident that I can switch if I need. I believe in myself amd know I’ve got this! Hoping to find support here on the days I need to remember to stay the course!1
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I can't say I'm thrilled with my results so far but I think they're good if I'm honest with myself. I'm 55 and probably not an ideal genetic specimen for muscle growth having been "scrawny" most of my life. That said I have been rock solid consistent in my gym time, I think I have a pretty good handle at this point on designing, implementing and performing decent progressive overload plans for myself and I've had plenty of positive feedback from people at the gym whose opinion I respect. I'm just finishing my third year of lifting consistently and progressively.
For my brothers and sisters in the fellow geeks-who-lift club, below is the analysis of progress so far on my bulk. Some caveats, it's based on the BIA done by my scale. Those are notoriously inaccurate but most of this stuff is all relative and BIA isn't bad for relative quantities. Also, my analysis isn't as detailed as I see others here do, but I'm an engineer so I only have to be "sorta" right.
The dots are the measurements and the lines are linear trendlines based on those measurements, which are what the summary data is based on.
I've gained approximately 3.2 lbs of lean mass and approximately 5.4 lbs of fat in six months. I'm not thrilled with that amount of fat but I started out at about 9% bf so I can live with it. I also figure I've only got about 2 or 3 more months of bulk before I want to cut again and at that rate of fat gain I doubt I'll be near my self imposed limit of 14% bf.
Muscle (lean mass) gain is a little disappointing, but, again, I'm not 25. And even when I was 25 I'm just not genetically gifted in the muscularity department, so given those factors 3.2 lbs ain't bad.
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@steveko89 Thank you!!!! I have been lifting for almost two years and think I’ve maxed out on my newbie gains. My bf was measured as 15% through in body but I don’t think it’s that low honestly. Looking to build my glutes and legs so going to try bulking. I’m scared because I don’t want to gain fat too much but feel confident that I can switch if I need. I believe in myself amd know I’ve got this! Hoping to find support here on the days I need to remember to stay the course!
I was similarly reluctant before I finally intentionally bulked for the first time last fall/winter and have been super happy with the result. Overall, I gained ~7 lbs in 20 weeks and was able to get down to around the same spot on the scale to maintain (hypothetically with an extra few pounds of muscle). I definitely agree with Gary that figuring out what your actual maintenance is can be beneficial. As my TDEE crept up I kept needing to increase my cals to continue adding weight so my trend over those 20 weeks is much more of a stair-step than a line.
As far as support and head space there are definitely days you need to relax and trust the process. Even only gaining the relatively small amount I did last year messed with me some days. I learned there were some clothes I didn't like wearing as much and was able to power through, at least in part to venting to this thread.
Also, bravo @GaryRuns. That spreadsheet is a beauty.1 -
Going to take a leap of faith and try bulking for my first time ever. I am excited and nervous both! I am lean and vascular in my upper body and mid section but my legs and glutes need to grow I think and then hit the fat loss more. What advice do people have? I have been in a deficit from my TDEE for almost a year and I am wondering if I will see results just from eating at maintenance for a few weeks and then increasing by 100-200 calories over that? Thoughts?
You don't really need any maintenance phase between cutting and bulking. I would suggest figuring out what your current TDEE is vs. whatever you used as a reference at the start of your cutting phase. Being in a deficit that long, even if just a mild one, will result in some metabolic adaptation (what most conflate with the dreaded "starvation mode"). Prior to my bulk last fall I didn't think I had ever dieted successfully enough or consistently enough for this to kick in but it turns out what I had observed as my historical TDEE was one that had been depressed by about 7% from years of being too fat-phobic and spinning my wheels in continuous attempts to properly get lean (<10%... still haven't made it).
I would only advocate for a "lean" or controlled bulk. Depending on training experience you're looking at a surplus requisite to 1.5-3lbs per month total weight gain (+175 to +350 cal/day).
Below is from a recent T-Nation article about gaining muscle:
CONTROLLED BULKING
Beginner: 4-5 pounds per month for men and 2-3 pounds per month for women
Intermediate: 3-4 pounds per month for men and 1.5-2 pounds per month for women
Advanced: 2-3 pounds per month for men and 1.5 pounds per month for women
source: https://www.t-nation.com/lean-built-eating/how-much-to-eat-for-muscle-growth/
As an advanced lifter I personally think those recommendations are totally unrealistic, I’d consider 2-3lb of muscle gain in a year amazing but according to that I’d have to gain around 20-30lb of fat to obtain that contractile tissue.
After such a long time in a deficit I’d definitely run a maintenance phase before entering a massing phase1 -
Hello! Been a few weeks, but I recovered from COVID and moved across the globe from US to Europe! I have maintained a solid 4 day/week lifting routine, with about a 1.5 week break in there due to burnt-out-ness. Weight has crept up about 2 pounds, but I am nowhere near bulked or screaming...and I am not sure I want to be. I am trying to figure out my goals. Currently, it's not to gain a lot since I have a trip to Malta next weekend (!!!!!) and I know I'll be travelling more for work the following week. Unintentional bulk is en route 1
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Mass being cultivated pretty well on schedule. TDEE seems to have crept up with a bit of requisite slow down to scale increase, planning to maintain the +300/day so overall intake is up a bit. Was also able to snag a deal on some bigger adjustable DBs (up to 90 vs 52.5 LBs each) which was far overdue.
Good to see you’re well, @alexmose22 -
Doesn’t look like I’ve gained anything in the last month, work has been hectic and my TDEE is just
Ridiculous, on the plus side I dont look too fluffy. The plan is still gaining more 5 lb before Christmas and then a short maintenance phase over the holidays before starting a contest prep1 -
Mass being cultivated pretty well on schedule. TDEE seems to have crept up with a bit of requisite slow down to scale increase, planning to maintain the +300/day so overall intake is up a bit. Was also able to snag a deal on some bigger adjustable DBs (up to 90 vs 52.5 LBs each) which was far overdue.
Good to see you’re well, @alexmose2
Crazy how equipment is still so expensive! Took me 2 years to find a bike but finally got one from a local shop!0 -
Mass being cultivated pretty well on schedule. TDEE seems to have crept up with a bit of requisite slow down to scale increase, planning to maintain the +300/day so overall intake is up a bit. Was also able to snag a deal on some bigger adjustable DBs (up to 90 vs 52.5 LBs each) which was far overdue.
Good to see you’re well, @alexmose2
Crazy how equipment is still so expensive! Took me 2 years to find a bike but finally got one from a local shop!
No kidding. I’ve gotten lucky on used stuff twice; this set of bowflex 1090s for less than half retail because they were “used” on eBay, but basically open-box as I can see, and a bunch of Rogue stuff on Facebook marketplace for half retail.0 -
Seven weeks of massing so far. It’s been a much more even pace than last year so far, right around that 0.5%/week target. Originally thought I’d try to hit 185, which would basically put me at Christmas, but I’m not sure I want to add that much. Shouldn’t make any decisions today though, bit of a crazy good day yesterday and feeling flabtastic today as a result.
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Doesn’t look like I’ve gained anything in the last month, work has been hectic and my TDEE is just
Ridiculous, on the plus side I dont look too fluffy. The plan is still gaining more 5 lb before Christmas and then a short maintenance phase over the holidays before starting a contest prep
Hey, @watts6151. Is this planned maintenance phase out of convenience for the holidays or serve a beneficial purpose transitioning from bulk to cut?0 -
Doesn’t look like I’ve gained anything in the last month, work has been hectic and my TDEE is just
Ridiculous, on the plus side I dont look too fluffy. The plan is still gaining more 5 lb before Christmas and then a short maintenance phase over the holidays before starting a contest prep
Hey, @watts6151. Is this planned maintenance phase out of convenience for the holidays or serve a beneficial purpose transitioning from bulk to cut?
Hey, it’s a combination of everything tbh
Convenience as I’ll be away over the holidays.
After several meso’s I’ll definitely need a recovery phase, I want to maintain weight as I believe this to be the best way to retain muscle when I start cutting.
I also don’t want to go from massing calories straight into a deficit as hunger levels will spike quite quickly.
The guys at RP seem to have the similar idea
https://youtu.be/inPPdCuJ734
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@watts6151, thanks for your input; I'd not seen that particular video previously. Not liking the mirror and how I'm feeling so I'm shifting to maintenance for at least a few weeks, if not the rest of the year.
Overall, I think it was a productive ~8 weeks; just shy of 8 lbs via moving average. If nothing else I've learned I preferred the 8 lbs in 8 weeks to 8 lbs in 20 weeks from last year but I think somewhere in the middle (ideally with a lower starting weight for more runway to gain) would be better.1 -
I know the feeling, I’ve not been this fluffy for along time, I just wanted to guarantee I was in a surplus everyday no matter what. Currently I’ve having to virtually force feed everyday, cannot wait for maintenance.
Its definitely a balance how quickly to mass, starting lean definitely gives you some wiggle room
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I was looking at some history today and I haven't sustained at this heavy of a weight (~182 lbs) in at least 5 years and really haven't done so for any length of time since I was a chubby teenager ~2006.
Similarly, I looked at my wife a few days ago and just blurted "I'm so tired of eating..."
Being at 2700 yesterday was delightful, compared with the 3100 I've averaged since the month started.
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I started this week intending to start a bulk, but feeling bad all day stuffing myself made me rethink my plan. Starting a recomp instead. I hope this works, because I can’t see myself planning my day completely around eating.0
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Does over eating at Disney count as a bulk? If so i am bulking1
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Adjusting to 1 more week of bulking before a well
Earned maintenance phase, bf , heart rate and blood pressure are all elevated to my maximum.
A nice steady maintenance phase until the new year is definitely required. Overall happy with the potential results, will see what the scale says as I diet down. Morning weight 246lb
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Hi, everyone! Hope you all are excited for the holidays! Unfortunately, my "bulk" got out of control. I have gained 10 lbs this year, which is a decent rate, but the last 5 lbs have been due to travel and lack of exercise this past month. I am taking this time to cut, using a very, small deficit. I probably will not worry about cutting on actual holidays, but I have promised myself no more vacations/work travel for the next 2-3 months so I can get my nutrition and training under control.
Cheers.1 -
I'm just about done with my "bulk". I'm not sure if I'll be able to quantitatively determine if it was successful or not. I just didn't do enough objective measurements. I may have to wait until I get back down to 10ish percent and do a visual assessment. I'd urge anyone doing this to measure, measure, measure, especially if you're an ADHDish, logical-oriented person like myself.
I'm also concerned that I may have been too conservative with my weight gain, and may have "over trained" a bit. I'm going to do one more meso, 4-6 weeks, then start a cut. I doubt I'll get back to single digit bf again, that wasn't easy, but I can definitely get to 10ish percent and be comfortable there. Then I'll see what visual evidence there is of my bulk.
I will say that I definitely look better dressed now, at around 15ish%, than I did at 8%. My "old guy" face is much less sunken in, and a friend took a pic of me axe throwing, from the back, and it looked pretty damned good. lol. Now I'll be going back to the "do you even lift bro" phase.
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I'm just about done with my "bulk". I'm not sure if I'll be able to quantitatively determine if it was successful or not. I just didn't do enough objective measurements. I may have to wait until I get back down to 10ish percent and do a visual assessment. I'd urge anyone doing this to measure, measure, measure, especially if you're an ADHDish, logical-oriented person like myself.
I'm also concerned that I may have been too conservative with my weight gain, and may have "over trained" a bit. I'm going to do one more meso, 4-6 weeks, then start a cut. I doubt I'll get back to single digit bf again, that wasn't easy, but I can definitely get to 10ish percent and be comfortable there. Then I'll see what visual evidence there is of my bulk.
I will say that I definitely look better dressed now, at around 15ish%, than I did at 8%. My "old guy" face is much less sunken in, and a friend took a pic of me axe throwing, from the back, and it looked pretty damned good. lol. Now I'll be going back to the "do you even lift bro" phase.
Nice work @garyruns, glad to hear you're well. Based on my 20 week bulk in 2020 and 8 week in 2021 I'm planning on 12-16 weeks for the next one depending on how lean I can actually get.1
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