Frustrated. Need your advice on training/diet to reach a specific goal.

[Slave99]

I've been trying to bulk for about a month now. I've been doing mixed martial arts for 4 years but decided to put that on hold to help out with the kids at home (hard to justify to my wife my addiction to mma training when she takes care of the kiddos all day - plus I love seeing my family right after work instead of training and coming home late.)

Anyway, I've never bulked and lifted heavy like I'm trying now, also eating way more than before too so this is new territory for me. *I'm averaging 250grams protein, 165g carbs and 80g fat. All my food is clean, chicken/tuna/protein powder, oats/sweet potatoes, nuts/fish oils. *I'm 210lbs 6'2" and now 15%bf (up from 12% 4 weeks ago). I think my protein consumption is good, my carbs look low compared to bulk diets I've looked at and my fats are all consumed in the morning meals. *I do 30min moderate cardio on my off days, just try to burn 300 calories and be done. *I would think with my carbs low I wouldn't be gaining bf so quickly... Or maybe I need to bump it up to kick start my metabolism? I'm so confused...

My question is, why do I look/feel "soft"? *I know I will gain some bf bulking but mentally it's difficult because with mma I've always been between 9%-11% bf at 200lbs. *My goal is to gain lbm and lose bf. *I'd love to be 210lbs and 10%bf - that'd be 10lbs of muscle and my old bf before stopping mma. *I thought bulking first for a couple months then cutting would eventually reach my goal but maybe you have some better advice for me? *I'm doing a DC routine - maybe that's not the ideal routine either?

I supplement with neovar, Bcaa, protein powder, vitamin C, fish oil. I'll be adding PES' Anabeta soon. Anything I'm missing?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[GeekPoop]

you need to take down the fats or carbs probably, gaining 3%bf in a month isnt good.


as for DC, i never liked it but im going against the bbing grain here

 

[Slave99]

Looking over my previous week diet it looks like my fats are coming mostly from hard boiled eggs. I think I'll eat more cottage cheese or an additional chicken breast and remove eggs for awhile. That should lower it a good 15g a day. I was having 3 each morning and eating the yolk too. I'll stick to raw nuts for fat, I'm thinking they're better fats than egg anyway?

 

[GeekPoop]

switch fats to olive oil , natural pb , and nuts i would like to think so

 

[Slave99]

Sounds good. Thanks for the tips. I'm going to also try a carb cut off around 6pm, or at least only veggie carbs.

 

[GeekPoop]

cycle your carbs

 

[mxer657]

I'm no expert at bulking, but all I do is train to gain lean muscle and it's working. If I were you, I'd cycle your carbs so you have high and low carb days. I don't eat consistently that many carbs each and every day.

 

[owlicks]

An obvious question that no one has asked... how many calories are you taking in per day?

 

[GeekPoop]

protein - 4 cals g
fat - 9 cals g
carbs - 4 cals g

who cares

 

[Slave99]

It looks like I've been taking in between 2,600 and 2,900. It varies but I haven't hit 3k for awhile. I have cut carbs out after 5pm except for veggie carbs and lowered my fat grams, but increased my protein the last two days and am feeling a lot less soft/flabby. I havent checked my bf but I def feel better. Maybe I'm just extremely carb sensitive? I've never tried carb cycling. If I carb cycled would it be an every other day increase one day decrease the next? Any rule of the thumb on how few carbs on low days and how many on carb high days?