Am I overdoing it? - gained 18lb in 5wks

[roznerd]

I'm a new here on AM. I am 6'4" and lean. My legs are strong but the upper is weak. My background is in endurance sports (ultra distance triathlon, half-marathons, swimming, mountain biking). I am a cadrio beast. I can throw down a 120mi bike ride no problem. My body type is ecto. I wanted to bulk up and look more like a Navy Seal and less like a bean-pole. I cut way back on my cardio activities. I started weight training 5 weeks ago and I cranked up my calories big time, from 2500 to 4500 daily, with good clean stuff. I also started taking 5g of creatine per day about 3 weeks ago. Also supping with whey protein, maltodextrin, and dextrose for the PWO shake.

So here's where I'm at now

Begin: 186lb
5 weeks: 204lb (whoa +18lb!)

My first weigh in was today and I was shocked at the 18lb gain in 5 weeks. I will start weighing weekly from now on. I am doing a 3day split (legs-back, shoulder-chest, arms). I am carefully tracking my calories. My diet macros % are Carbs 50%-60% Protein 25%-30% (shooting for 1.5g/lb) Fat 15%-20%. I can tell I have a little more chub around, but it also looks like my pecs are showing up now and I've added an inch on my bi's. I don't know how much of this is just creatine water and fat, but I'd like to think I'm making some gains.


The Big Questions:

Is this weight gain normal during the beginning of bulking for a 1st timer or am I over doing it?

Should I cut back my calories? or just keep going until I have the amount of muscle I want then burn the fat?

I appreciate any advice and comments. I have read alot of stuff on this forum and I think I'm on a pretty good path. Thanks

 

[Resolve]

Sounds quite similar to when I first started eating enough. You're the same height as me and I can't imagine only eating 2500 cals a day AND being a long-distance runner. Holy cow man.

Just sounds like your body is finally getting the nutrition it needs and is compensating accordingly.

Use the mirror as a guide - are you gaining muscle or just getting fat? If the former, you're doing fine; if the latter, maybe cut cals a little bit (200cals maybe) or simply lower your carbs a bit.

 

[roznerd]

Thanks Resolve. I might have under estimated my old cals, it could have been 3000, but in any case it wasn't what it is now (4500-4800). I'm definitely not getting leaner, but I can tell my shirts are getting tighter in the arms, shoulders, and chest.

How many pounds per week is typical?
I'm betting the gains will slow down after this. I was estimating 4lb per month with a goal of 205 in 12 weeks and I just hit it in 5 weeks. I'm not done yet, but I am scared of getting fat. I've never been this heavy before. I forgot to mention I'm 26 if that gives some reference.

 

[Resolve]

What you're experiencing is sometimes referred to as "newbie gains" - rapid gains due to the massive adaption your body is going through. Lifting is new to your body, and you were underweight to begin with, so some rapid shifts can be expected.

Because you're so new to lifting, it is possible that you could gain several pounds in a week of primarily lean mass. That's the best possible situation, though.

If you feel like you're gaining too much fat while bulking, reel your cals back until you're only gaining 1-2lb a week. Like I said in my previous post - drop 200cals and try that for a week or two. If still not happy with the way you're gaining, drop another 200.

Also, bear in mind that some cardio (not an ultra-marathon though!) can really help to ensure that whatever weight you do gain is mostly muscle.