elfman5150 Member

I'd start in the weight-loss forum and then once you're happy with your BF% head on over here; we're a fun crowd.

I measure progress by how much my lifts are improving. If I notice that I'm able to lift more and more weight each time I workout a specific body part, then I know I'm at least gaining some muscle. Also, I had a guy ask me "are you bulking?" followed by "you're looking stronger" so that's some nice external assurance.…

I just use celery as a medium for my topping -usually peanut butter. The same with bread in general. It's just a means to get to the butter/olive oil/peanut butter/jelly/etc. without directly eating those things alone....which I have been known to do anyway (I'm looking at you, honey butter from Outback....)

Myprotein is great, but I'd also look into true nutrition. They have some amazing deals on there for protein, BCAAs, carbs, etc. They have lots of flavors including all natural ones, and I highly recommend their oatmeal. There's like 20 flavors to choose from, but I stick with the pancakes and syrup.

That gave me a good laugh. Reminds me of a picture I saw awhile back... Ok, back to protean.

I've had elk sausage before. Damn good stuff, but I've yet to find a source to buy my own elk. I love the gamier tasting meats

Wait, you actually LIKE chicken!? I eat it, but it's so bland that I have to add a bunch to it. My top three: 3.)Steak 2.)Fish (any type really, but probably salmon) 1.)Lamb

I had a friend back in college who started bulking, and ate a lot of food for a few weeks. He started gaining weight and getting stronger, but I think he must have been afraid of the scale going up because he soon stopped eating as much, and got frustrated that he wasn't gaining. Don't be afraid to eat more than you think…

Many people who believe they have a quick metabolism are in reality just not eating as much as I think. Make sure to get an accurate count for your calories, and then increase them by eating more food in general (especially higher calorie foods)

I've been adding protein powder to oatmeal forever and it's amazing! Now that I'm bulking, I've been using milk instead of water (makes it creamier), but you could always use low fat milk if you want to keep it low fat. I find the best protein to use is either casein, or a blend of whey/casein/egg. Whey isolates tend to…

Meal/nutrient timing is hugely overstated in the bodybuilding and fitness community, unfortunately. Yea, there might be an extremely slight benefit in timing, but there's absolutely no way that it will give you a noticeable difference in your progress in the long run. Many people don't realize that muscle synthesis occurs…

There's definitely no one way to do it, so definitely try experimenting. I normally mix the peanut butter and sweet potato together, add a tiny bit of milk (to get it moist), then heat it up in the microwave. Soooooo good. I'll bet almond butter would be fantastic with it as well. I had a vanilla almond butter before. Best…

Self-explainable. And yes, it tastes just like a real firecracker B)

Calories > macros. But shoot for about 1g/lb body weight or thereabouts, then somewhere around .3-.4g/lb for fats, and the rest make carbs. That's just a suggestion though; you really just gotta play with it and see what makes you feel best. Just make sure to get enough protein and fat for essential biological functions.…

Ok, I know that this is a completely subjective topic, but I'll give my two cents anyway. Best tasting protein (IMO) is trutein by body nutrition. Oh my gosh it's ridiculous how fantastically delicious and ambrosial it is. I highly recommend their cinnamon bun, lemon meringue, chocolate peanut butter, red velvet, and…

Out of curiosity, do you have wheat intolerance? If not then there really isn't any reason to avoid it - it CAN definitely make it more difficult to get your calories. I can definitely relate on the lactose intolerant part, but I buy lactose-free milk, almond/coconut/cashew milk also. Good luck!

Definitely cut first. I mean general rule of thumb is to bulk at 15% or less. I'd say it would be good to get down to around 12% but that's just my opinion. Yes, it may take awhile to cut down to that bf%, but it may be worth it. I've never cut before, though, so definitely take what I say with a few grains of salt.

Ramen. Rice. Pasta. Easy to eat and tastes good. I second the dried fruit as well

probably dubstep and most EDM (trance especially). I tend to download the latest podcasts from ASOT (A state of Trance) or Group Therapy. Definitely pumps me up!

You just had to bring up the Brazilian steakhouse again, didn't you? I'm still trying to find some friends that want to go, but most of them are anti-bulkers (aka they will only go for the salad bar, and that's no fun). What's worse: drinking alone, or brazilian steakhousing alone?

I'd say as far as easiness of clean-up goes it a 7.5/10 Depends on how willing you are to clean up, though. Whenever I see some on the floor or stuck to the couch I just grab a piece of bread and scoop it onto that, which makes clean-up a breeze.

Somehow I read it but didn't put two and two together haha. Well hopefully after my chest workout today I'll be able to post a few NSVs

I'm not trolling here, but what is NSV? The only thing I can find is 'non-starchy vegetables' but that seems to make zero sense here...

get that biscoff cookie spread. Oh. my. gosh. That stuff goes with everything, tastes great, and is extremely calorie dense. I am also now on a mission to find this: http://shop.stevesicecream.com/products/sunday-morning Maple waffle ice cream!? Hells yes

I used to make shakes with greek yogurt or cottage cheese for protein, oatmeal for carbs, and peanut butter/milk for fat. Add some vanilla extract and it tastes pretty darn good. You can also throw in some fruit, but I don't care for fruit in my shakes normally

I definitely find that dumbbell lunges are one of the best exercises for targeting glutes and quads. Definitely depends on the person though, as mentioned above.

One word: eggs. Seriously, that will give you fat/protein without any carbs. You could also do steak or fattier cuts of meat, but eggs are so versatile, and are probably the cheapest protein/fat source you'll get.

It's only a challenge when you refuse to accept that a little fat gain is inevitable. If you are eating in excess in combination with a solid workout routine, you'll be happy with the results, even with the fat gain that comes with it. Many people increase their body fat when bulking, yet look better since they've also…

If I drink a beer, wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, it's easy to pass that fullness wall. For whatever reason alcohol gives me the drunchies...

I've never cut yet, but I can say I'm not looking forward to the end of my bulk. I'm enjoying eating in a caloric excess.