Bulking questions

[homeschoolmom]

I'm thinking I need to start adding more muscle now that I'm at a comfortable weight. I know that I need to eat above maintenance in order to do this, but how much above maintenance? Is there a hard and fast "rule" for this? I did a search for this and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Also, how should my training change during a bulking phase? I've been doing the 3 day split up in the stickies. Should that change?

[Blondell]

I'd start w/ a 200 cal raise and go from there. Don't raise them too quickly.

[Robben]

I'm thinking I need to start adding more muscle now that I'm at a comfortable weight. I know that I need to eat above maintenance in order to do this, but how much above maintenance? Is there a hard and fast "rule" for this? I did a search for this and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Also, how should my training change during a bulking phase? I've been doing the 3 day split up in the stickies. Should that change?

Share with us your daily gram totals of carbs, fats, protein and we could help you out...

[homeschoolmom]

Share with us your daily gram totals of carbs, fats, protein and we could help you out...

Stats:

4'11"
99 lbs
37 years old

Average daily macros(this is what I've been doing to lose weight):

Calories:1200-1500 on average
100g protein
20g fats
50-75g carbs

I have a difficult time with meeting my carb levels because I have a bunch of intolerance issues(gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant, soy issues etc). Carbs are hard on my system. So if I fail to meet any of my macro daily goals it's usually in this area.

Any help you could offer would be appreciated! :wave:

[PowerManDL]

Bulking's easy. Go to McDonald's, order a pizza, and have fun with a bottle of olive oil.

[Marcelo]

Bulking's easy. Go to McDonald's, order a pizza, and have fun with a bottle of olive oil.

Dude...YES! :clap:

[smuggie]

Are you still dieting?

[homeschoolmom]

Are you still dieting?

I am currently dieting, but am looking to begin bulking in the next month or so. I'd like to see 95lbs before I begin the bulk. It's a psychological thing!!

[jaleena]

It's an insane thing...you're tiny already! And you already know you need more muscle, and there isn't much on your frame to start with, so to go down another four pounds is disproportionately risking muscle...I don't get it.

[Stifler]

You need to eat a burger or 12.

[smuggie]

I am currently dieting, but am looking to begin bulking in the next month or so. I'd like to see 95lbs before I begin the bulk. It's a psychological thing!!
I think you should forget about losing any more weight and go on maintenance for the next month before starting to bulk.

[Brandi]

Hell, shoot test and be done with it.

[jaleena]

I know you were being sarcastic, but somebody has to quit starving themselves before test will pack on muscle. Can't get hyoooge while eating with a goal of being 95lbs, under any conditions. And, well...95lbs quit being a healthy weight sometime before menstration started.

[smuggie]

Hell, shoot test and be done with it.
You sound like Matt now. :lol:

[homeschoolmom]

I think you should forget about losing any more weight and go on maintenance for the next month before starting to bulk.

Will do. After I maintain for a month or so, how should I go about increasing the calories for the bulk and should my macro percentages change? I guess I'm looking for numbers here. Are there any general guidelines?

[homeschoolmom]

Now ya'll, no more picking on my weight!! :mecry: :lol: I met Kiwi tonight. Ask her, I'm not all skin and bones or anything like that. I've got some muscle(and some fat dammit), just not as much muscle as I'd like.

I thought I read somewhere on the board(PMDL was it you who said this?) that coming off of dieting was the best time to pack on some muscle. True or false?

[smuggie]

I thought I read somewhere on the board(PMDL was it you who said this?) that coming off of dieting was the best time to pack on some muscle. True or false?
I don't recall ever reading that, but personally, I wouldn't go straight from a caloric deficit to a caloric surplus. It doesn't strike me as a good idea.

If I'm wrong about that, hopefully someone will correct me on it.

[smuggie]

Will do. After I maintain for a month or so, how should I go about increasing the calories for the bulk and should my macro percentages change? I guess I'm looking for numbers here. Are there any general guidelines?
When I started eating at a surplus I increased my caloric intake by roughly 10%, according to advice Thunder gave me.

I stayed at a 10% increase for quite a while before scaling back, because I wanted to take things very slowly. But the general advice is to increase caloric intake a bit at a time and monitor yourself carefully to watch out for excessive fat gain.

Nobody can give you specific numbers for your macros. Given that you have issues with carbs I don't see how you'll be able to increase your carb intake, so I'm not sure how to advise you on how much of each macro you should be eating while bulking.

Or, you can take Matt's advice and get yourself a big bottle of olive oil and apply the contents liberally over your Big Macs. :lol:

[PowerManDL]

Now ya'll, no more picking on my weight!! :mecry: :lol: I met Kiwi tonight. Ask her, I'm not all skin and bones or anything like that. I've got some muscle(and some fat dammit), just not as much muscle as I'd like.

I thought I read somewhere on the board(PMDL was it you who said this?) that coming off of dieting was the best time to pack on some muscle. True or false?

It does yes, but you have to be careful with it or else you can pile on the fat too.

Recommendations-- 1-1.5 g/lb of protein, keep carbs in the 100g range plus whatever to cover training (40-60g tops), and let the rest come from fat. Start with a 10% surplus and adjust as needed.

Training wise, this is really the time to start a 2-3 week buildup then really start pushing the PRs for a few weeks.

[homeschoolmom]

PMDL and Smuggie, thanks so much for your help! I've got two more questions for you. In general, are there any parameters about how long a bulking phase should last? And how does cardio work fit in with this phase?

[3sweeties]

PMDL and Smuggie, thanks so much for your help! I've got two more questions for you. In general, are there any parameters about how long a bulking phase should last? And how does cardio work fit in with this phase?] Good questions. I plan to start bulking in the fall also.

[smuggie]

It does yes, but you have to be careful with it or else you can pile on the fat too.
Why is that?

[smuggie]

PMDL and Smuggie, thanks so much for your help! I've got two more questions for you. In general, are there any parameters about how long a bulking phase should last? And how does cardio work fit in with this phase?
I'm not sure there are any set parameters for how long a bulking phase should last. Speaking from my own experience with it, I scaled back my caloric intake after about four months, because I felt I had had enough for the time being. I'm playing it by ear as to whether I'll go back to bulking at a later date.

As far as cardio is concerned, keep it to a minimum if you do any at all. And keep away from HIIT.

[Robben]

I hate the use of the term "bulking" when we think about putting on mass... You know, for me, when it comes to length of a mass building cycle it depends on "time" and it depends on what my goals are... Just like doing a contest diet a mass building diet takes time and effort. Really when you think about it - it's very much a time game..

[homeschoolmom]

Why is that?

Smuggie, this is what PMDL put in the "Bulking for FF". I'm not sure if it fully answers the question though.



Can't really speak for the women because I don't know any that fit this, but I've known a couple of guys that were originally fat, then dieted in an extreme way....borderline ED dieting, to the point that they had gotten very tiny and had most definitely created the leptin/hormonal/metabolic crash.

When they started eating again and lifting hard, these guys blew up. One I can think of started out with 95 lbs on the squat, and within 2 years he was squatting over 5 plates and deadlifting over 650, at a lean 225 lbs.

I've seen similar effects, although I never started out fat. After dieting myself down hard from around July until December of 2002 (I had a job that involved long hours, and wasn't able to eat much), maybe working out twice a week, I'd dropped down to like 160 or so from a previous 175. I started force-feeding myself, training as hard as I could, and within 8 weeks I was up to 195. A fatter 195, but not "fat" by any means.

Moral of the story, I think in a lot of ways having dieted down that far "primes" the body to add muscle. And it can be done in a controlled way, not the 7000 calorie psycho-bulk I did.

[smuggie]

I do remember that post now.

I was wondering if what Matt was talking about had to do with the leptin/hormonal/metabolic crash.

I guess this does answer my question.

Thanks, Michelle. :D