terizius Member

Absolutely! If you aren't gaining enough, or gaining too much, you won't know how much to adjust if you don't track.

Thanks Sara, very interesting stuff. Most of the research I have done is from PubMed. As Layne says, it doesn't account for volume. Also, I look forward to reading Brads work. I haven't been turned on to him yet. Great stuff!

@LolBroScience Not very specific input - care to elaborate? By your profile, you've got quite a bit more experience that me, so if you have specific advice you are willing to provide, I'd be happy to hear it. My current goals are weight gain up to about 165 with sub 10% body fat (at my current 157 lbs and . I also want…

You are right Sarauk, its more than just the range. Never-the-less, those rep ranges affect the muscles differently. Lower rep ranges have more of a neural stimulus and simply don't break down the muscles like working in the 6-12 range. Conversely... 5 is really close to six.. It doesn't have that direct work.. but the…

This week, I did the ATG squats again. I did get some lifting shoes, and from a stability standpoint, I felt quite a bit better. Low back is still quite tight/tired however, though somewhat less than last week. I want to think that its just the new movement that is causing this.. a few more weeks will tell I guess.

I am in week 5 of a planned 12 week bulk. I may switch to 5x5 for the second half and see what happens.

Anyone else try Stronglifts for bulking? Or another non-hypertrophy based program?

Muscle definition comes from a low body fat %. If you are already at a low %, then increasing your muscle size would make them more apparent and visible. You are 117lbs, how tall are you? Do you feel like you are pretty lean already?

Exactly. I don't follow the numbers of any particular site or tool. I test, make changes, and test again. Last year, my recommended calories for a bulk was actually my maintenance calories. This year, my bulking calories are 3-400 less than last year. The only reason I know all of that is because I track everything. It…

I think the first question is if you are happy with the way you are now. What are your motivations and your goals?

^^ Gotta start somewhere. When I started my most recent bulk, I tracked calories/macros for a week, got in the gym and determined my current strength levels and took measurements of everything. Then, using that initial data, I began increasing calories. By tracking meticulously, I was able to determine what is happening.…

hmm.. maybe I should have used Stronglifts for this bulk as a personal experiment..

^^^ and that's why I get most of my info from scientific studies.. Pubmed is my friend, even if it doesn't have any pictures.

I'd be happy to send over the template. And/or, they aren't difficult to build. Excel does most of the work for you.

Do you currently track your calories? Open your diary for decent, relevant meal replacement ideas.

ok, good :) When it comes to bulking (or gaining weight in general), you have to get enough calories. Most people find it extremely difficult to do that with only "healthy" foods. In my bulk, my intake of whole milk, ice cream and wine has increased dramatically. Bigger bang for the buck than increasing my fresh salad…

I started taking a protein/weight gain shake as my first "meal" of the day, because I usually struggle to get AM calories. I also swapped out 1 or 2% milk for whole milk. Started adding cheese to everything. Larger portion sizes, more oil when cooking. It was also important for me to get at least one snack before lunch and…

Nope!

Are you lifting? Without lifting, be aware that nearly all that extra weight will be fat.

Awesome stuff! Keep up the gains.

Week 5 Update: What a switch! Last week I was working out in the 3-5 rep range. This week, I'm back up to the 12-15. Definitely see more of a pump in that range, and more DOMS. I still really prefer the 3-5 range, but its good to switch things around. Not a ton of movement this week in measurements or lifts (with a few…

Don't worry about "impossible" right away. In both last year's bulk and this years, my body fat % went down for the first 2 weeks before reversing the trend. Actually.. It just went down again in my 5th week while staying at the same weight as last week. Record the data, analyze the data as a complete set, not the…

Oh my, another "how much muscle per year" and "how much protein" thread...

@brentopia - Thanks Brent. I believe the tracking method works both weights: Gaining or Losing weight. I trained a girl about a year and a half ago. If I hadn't done measurements and bodyfat readings with her, I think she would have had a meltdown on those weeks she saw the scale creep up instead of down! Good luck to you…

As you've read above, most people (that know what they are doing), will do between 5-15 mins of light activity just to clear the cobwebs and loosen the muscles. More important is to warm up the specific muscles that you will be working. This means warm-up sets. I usually do 2-4 warmup sets depending on how heavy I will be…

There are mixed feelings about this, but I think that in general, Active Recovery is the most current way of thinking even if you are trying to gain. Personally, I don't like sitting on my butt all day, thinking about my DOMS. If I get up and move, I feel better mentally and physically. Active rest has been shown to…

^^ Its a small group that is actively trying to gain weight. Just check out the traffic on the Gaining Weight thread vs the Others. That's why I spend most of my time here.

Thanks for the question Noss.. I should have clarified. I also used Jefit, which shows you how much weight you need to lift and how many reps to beat the calculated PR. That's what I'm generally referring to. The except to that is Deadlift, in which I go for a new 1RM PR weekly.

Should be fine to keep them together if you want. Personally, I do a 4 day split with Back/Biceps, Legs, Chest/Triceps and Shoulders/Traps (and I throw in Deadlift on shoulder/trap day). I love it.

I agree with NDJ. Only thing to add is to make sure are getting enough protein to keep the muscle you currently have. Enough being in the 25% daily calories range. It also helps to keep track of measurements and body fat % to get you through those weeks when the scale doesn't move but progress is still being made.