Want to bulk, but afraid of fat gain

[muscle4747]

i'm sure a lot fo people go through this stage and not sure if they want to bulk because they dont want to gain any fat ... i was hopin i could get some advice to get past this and put on some lean gains? .. is most of this a mental thing or will i have to face the fact that if i go on a bulk i will gain fat along with it?...

thanks

 

[dedlifter1]

In my opinion, if u are truely bulking, there is no such thing as a clean bulk, only reletively clean. I recently bulked from 189 to 222 and added about 4% bf. I will take the 25 or so pounds of muscle, with 9 or so lbs of fat all day long. A real lean bulk (natural) is a myth imo.

 

[CopyCat]

In my opinion, if u are truely bulking, there is no such thing as a clean bulk, only reletively clean. I recently bulked from 189 to 222 and added about 4% bf. I will take the 25 or so pounds of muscle, with 9 or so lbs of fat all day long. A real lean bulk (natural) is a myth imo.

I don't it's a myth, I just think it's real hard.

 

[crazyfool405]

i would bulk with protein and fat at maintenence and add your carbs around you workout

 

[bubbachew]

Why are you afraid of putting on a little chub? Don't worry about it...it'll come back off.

And if you really, really, really want to bulk without putting on any fat...patience is the only thing I can recommend, and a lot of it.

 

[dedlifter1]

I don't it's a myth, I just think it's real hard.

Yeah, I agree with that, not a myth but very hard. I guess all i am sayinn is that imo, when bulking go for the gold you know, a 3 to 1 ratio of muscle to fat is more than acceptable i think. A lean bulk (natty) is very difficult, as most people have a hard time eating the proper caloric amounts , let alone all lean foods in copious amounts, myself included. I think goin all out on a bulk and shootin for at least 20lbs is the best way to go.

 

[brk_nemesis]

In my opinion, if u are truely bulking, there is no such thing as a clean bulk, only reletively clean. I recently bulked from 189 to 222 and added about 4% bf. I will take the 25 or so pounds of muscle, with 9 or so lbs of fat all day long. A real lean bulk (natural) is a myth imo.

Yup agreed 100%,.. you bulk, cut, or neither(maintain BF while increasing muscle). I think bulking is the best way to gain mass, strength etc within the shortest period of time(nutrition wise that is),...as long as you still have a structured/ organized diet and dont sit around eating McDonalds, and Krispy Kreme all the time.

But then again comin from someone who has been bulking since before Christmas, and im sure dedlifter1 would agree,.... I enjoy the extra mass and fullness of a good bulk. Yeah you may get a little BF increase but if its done right the mass and strength gains totally balance out the equation, and are worth it. Add in good supplementation( w/e it may be) to the mix and you are good to go. Then take the time to research a good cut cycle, and cut the fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible afterwords.

 

[Hank Vangut]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if your just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you can personally achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat!
there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks.
aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! adding that little won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, and weeks may go by and you'll think that nothing is improving, but over time i guarantee you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat.
here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

 

[natty texan]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if you just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you personally can achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat! there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks. i aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when i'm trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! anything more and it is more likely to turn into fat. adding that little it won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, but over time you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat. here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

:dl: strong answer.

 

[bolt10]

^^^^ i was just gonna type something like that but you did a much better job then i was gonna do hank...reps

 

[brk_nemesis]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if your just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you can personally achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat!
there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks.
aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! adding that little won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, and weeks may go by and you'll think that nothing is improving, but over time i guarantee you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat.
here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

100% agreed and fully understand,... rep for you.

 

[muscle4747]

yeah good post .. good advice ... no real reason to go all out on a "bulk" and gain fat with it ... much rather do the steady, patient approach ... thanks

 

[UKStrength]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if your just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you can personally achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat!
there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks.
aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! adding that little won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, and weeks may go by and you'll think that nothing is improving, but over time i guarantee you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat.
here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

This man speaks the truth, staying lean FTW! Repped mate.

 

[BoyFromAus]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if your just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you can personally achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat!
there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks.
aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! adding that little won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, and weeks may go by and you'll think that nothing is improving, but over time i guarantee you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat.
here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

yea that's truth.com for everyone..

i learnt that the hard way and feel stupid about it now.
Last year at this time, i was already quite fat but wanted to gain more muscle and then just cut...
i did a 5000 cals a day (BMR being 2000) diet only to become obese as hell. Now i've been trying to lose fat since last October.
don't get me wrong, i gained a lot of muscle but it was not worth the fat that i gained.

 

[UKStrength]

yea that's truth.com for everyone..

i learnt that the hard way and feel stupid about it now.
Last year at this time, i was already quite fat but wanted to gain more muscle and then just cut...
i did a 5000 cals a day (BMR being 2000) diet only to become obese as hell. Now i've been trying to lose fat since last October.
don't get me wrong, i gained a lot of muscle but it was not worth the fat that i gained.

Know how you feel mate! I did the same thing a few years ago with a 'mega-bulk'. I just ate everything in sight, figuring so long as it was 'clean' I wouldn't get fat!at:

I blew up with a decent amount of muscle, but even more fat that took the good part of a year to get rid of! Lean bulk all the way mate, no-one likes a ton of muscle if you can't see it!

 

[dedlifter1]

Yup agreed 100%,.. you bulk, cut, or neither(maintain BF while increasing muscle). I think bulking is the best way to gain mass, strength etc within the shortest period of time(nutrition wise that is),...as long as you still have a structured/ organized diet and dont sit around eating McDonalds, and Krispy Kreme all the time.

But then again comin from someone who has been bulking since before Christmas, and im sure dedlifter1 would agree,.... I enjoy the extra mass and fullness of a good bulk. Yeah you may get a little BF increase but if its done right the mass and strength gains totally balance out the equation, and are worth it. Add in good supplementation( w/e it may be) to the mix and you are good to go. Then take the time to research a good cut cycle, and cut the fat while maintaining as much muscle as possible afterwords.

Yes i do agree.

 

[dedlifter1]

i'm sick and tired of the standard advice thrown out on most of these boards that regurgitate what the pros do. the bulk/cut thing is great if you want to be a competitive body builder. but most here just want to look good 365 days a year. in a year, i personally i don't want to look fat for 10 month and ok for 2.

how many of you are professional body builders?
how many of you are taking insane amounts of gear like the pros do?

if you answered 'no' to the questions i just asked, then bulking like the pros do will just make you fat! hell, even the pros get fat!
if your just a regular guy like me who wants to stay healthy and look good, you only need to refine your diet and exercise program to slowly build the best body you can personally achieve.

first and foremost, there is no scientific evidence that shows you need to gain fat to add muscle.

you don't need thousands of extra calories a day to build muscle. a few hundred over surplus will do the trick. anything more than that will just turn to fat!
there is a physiological limit to how much new muscle mass your body can build in a day, so don't expect to pack on 10lbs in two weeks.
aim for 1-2lbs at most per month when trying to add mass. depressing, i know......but reality sucks!!!

to do this i shoot for around 400-800 calories/day over maintenance. that is like adding 2 extra scoops of protein and a 1/4 cup almonds......not much really! adding that little won't even feel like you increased you calories at all, and weeks may go by and you'll think that nothing is improving, but over time i guarantee you'll see a change in the mirror.

remember that every pound of fat you gain is the enemy. the more fat mass you add, the easier it is for your body to add more fat.
here is an incomplete list of some of the things that accompany higher bf%: insulin resistance, slower metabolism, thyroid suppression, leptin suppression, muscle loss, depressed metabolism, increased lipoprotein lipase activity and fatty acid synthase function.
these are not the symptoms we want when trying to add lean muscle.

finally, ask yourself this.......do you really want to run a long, hard, strict cut after this bulk, depriving yourself of a normal life and enjoyment? cutting a ton of fat off sucks!!!
the key is consistency. it's easy to consistently eat like a pig. it's increadibly hard to eat like a manorexic. choose the middle ground and stick with a lifestyle you can keep long-term. because changing a physique is a long-term commitment........i'm talking years and years here!

I fully agree with many, many points in this post. Yeas, the average man with proper diet and training, gains 7-12 lbs or so of muscle a year. I dont agree with however the no bulk if fat is involved theory, for myself. My bulk went about 20 lbs natty, and another ten on the one, And i crtainly put on a few dpwnstairs but thats ok, because i know how to cut it off without depriving myself too much or taking a whole year. My father did compete professionally, as did my uncle, so i have asertained some knowledge, not alot. I just think a blanket statement like that, has its flaws. Everyone is different, and if there were not different, and viable approaches, the need for this site wouldnt exsist, because we would all be doing the excact same thing. No need for regurgitated advice.

 

[lennoxchi]

i'm sure a lot fo people go through this stage and not sure if they want to bulk because they dont want to gain any fat ... i was hopin i could get some advice to get past this and put on some lean gains? .. is most of this a mental thing or will i have to face the fact that if i go on a bulk i will gain fat along with it?...

thanks

find out how many calories your currently eating right now. how much cals, protein, fat and carbs are you taking in? just come as close as you can. then add 200 cals for 2 weeks (some do 1 week but that's not long enough for me to tell). weigh yourself and more importantly see how you look. if your weight gain has been what you want then contuine or increase. just make sure you try and get your cal increase from good sources not pork rinds and beer, ok? bulking and cutting for that matter, s/b a slow process.....DO NOT go and add 1000 cals at one time.....you'll wind up in fat city. do you use water in your protein shakes? try FF milk.....hand full of almonds (like already suggested) another 1/2 a chicken breast, things like that.

 

[Hank Vangut]

wow, glad so many of you agree with my little rant there. lol.

over the years i've tried a lot of different approaches.
i've bulked and got fat only to cut and lose all my muscle.
everyone goes to extremes because they only want fast results......then they give up out of frustration since they are taking one step forward and two steps back.
then they blame their genetics and jump on a cycle. lol.
.....but a cycle won't fix the underlying problems they have with the fundamentals.

 

[lennoxchi]

wow, glad so many of you agree with my little rant there. lol.

i wasn't agreeing with you, i just didn't want to argue with you......you're kind of a big guy......i'm intimidated.:biglaughjoking)

 

[brk_nemesis]

wow, glad so many of you agree with my little rant there. lol.

over the years i've tried a lot of different approaches.
i've bulked and got fat only to cut and lose all my muscle.
everyone goes to extremes because they only want fast results......then they give up out of frustration since they are taking one step forward and two steps back.
then they blame their genetics and jump on a cycle. lol.
.....but a cycle won't fix the underlying problems they have with the fundamentals.

Fully understandable. I too have tried many approaches,... bulking especially, with less than descent results in the past. After trial and error, I have finally found what works for me. Although I probably should have included in my post I have a show im doing right after the summer,.... hence the reason for my antics, and not staying "purely" lean all year round.

 

[UKStrength]

Fully understandable. I too have tried many approaches,... bulking especially, with less than descent results in the past. After trial and error, I have finally found what works for me. Although I probably should have included in my post I have a show im doing right after the summer,.... hence the reason for my antics, and not staying "purely" lean all year round.

Just out of interest, what do people on here think is 'acceptably lean' for performance (not aesthetic) purposes? i.e. is there a level of body fat that allows for optimal gains in muscle mass?

Obviously no one can say an exact level (it'll vary from person to person) but I think around 8-9% body fat is perfect for most trainees.

Any one else have an opinion?

 

[natty texan]

Just out of interest, what do people on here think is 'acceptably lean' for performance (not aesthetic) purposes? i.e. is there a level of body fat that allows for optimal gains in muscle mass?

Obviously no one can say an exact level (it'll vary from person to person) but I think around 8-9% body fat is perfect for most trainees.

Any one else have an opinion?

i feel like i gain muscle faster when my fat levels are higher.

helps retain the heat my body produces...

i like to stay around 15%
i'm not a huge abs guy i'm a football player though so the heavier the better as long as it doesn't effect my performance.

 

[UKStrength]

i feel like i gain muscle faster when my fat levels are higher.

helps retain the heat my body produces...

i like to stay around 15%
i'm not a huge abs guy i'm a football player though so the heavier the better as long as it doesn't effect my performance.

I'd say I gain fastest (or at least it's more noticeable) when I'm sub 10% bodyfat.

I hate being above 12%, it just feels wrong. Being a fighter most of my sporting life you're used to being lean and making do with whatever gains you can get at ridiculously low body fat levels.

 

[natty texan]

I'd say I gain fastest (or at least it's more noticeable) when I'm sub 10% bodyfat.

I hate being above 12%, it just feels wrong. Being a fighter most of my sporting life you're used to being lean and making do with whatever gains you can get at ridiculously low body fat levels.

yeah i can understand that.

 

[brk_nemesis]

I'd say I gain fastest (or at least it's more noticeable) when I'm sub 10% bodyfat.

I hate being above 12%, it just feels wrong. Being a fighter most of my sporting life you're used to being lean and making do with whatever gains you can get at ridiculously low body fat levels.

Im the exact opposite,.... when I was crazy into boxing and muay thai a couple years ago,.... I leaned out quite a bit, 8- 10%,... (from 12-13)and i could not gain anything. The training and sparring began to effect my gains in the gym, and although i loved boxing and such,.. bodybuilding was more so a priority.

 

[dedlifter1]

i feel like i gain muscle faster when my fat levels are higher.

helps retain the heat my body produces...

i like to stay around 15%
i'm not a huge abs guy i'm a football player though so the heavier the better as long as it doesn't effect my performance.

I stay around 12-14 percent as well for the most part, i gain the fastest too. I will go down to 9% sometimes, but i carry 13% vert well, still look quite lean.

I'd say I gain fastest (or at least it's more noticeable) when I'm sub 10% bodyfat.

I hate being above 12%, it just feels wrong. Being a fighter most of my sporting life you're used to being lean and making do with whatever gains you can get at ridiculously low body fat levels.

When i boxed and did kenpo i was crazy lean as well, cared less about how i looked, more about functional strength.

 

[the GUNSHOW]

In my opinion, if u are truely bulking, there is no such thing as a clean bulk, only reletively clean. I recently bulked from 189 to 222 and added about 4% bf. I will take the 25 or so pounds of muscle, with 9 or so lbs of fat all day long. A real lean bulk (natural) is a myth imo.

I dont think so I went from 145 to 163 and my bf did not go up at all.....but it did take a long time to do :dl:

 

[dedlifter1]

I dont think so I went from 145 to 163 and my bf did not go up at all.....but it did take a long time to do :dl:

When you gained this weight, had you always been lifting? When i thinkof bulking, im thinking more along the lines of when you try to go from 163 to 183, then see how your bf is doin !!lol. Good job by the way on that 20lbs!!

 

[lennoxchi]

I dont think so I went from 145 to 163 and my bf did not go up at all.....but it did take a long time to do :dl:

exactly, it takes a long time but it can be done. persistance and disaplione are the key, same as cutting with out losing muscle, the slower you do it the better, 100 cals every other week is an area that my body responds to well, but everyone is different. keeping to whatever you out line is key here folks, it is hard to do sometimes but important to learn what your body can handle in the way of carbs and fat along with protein intake. my body is somewhat carbs sensitive. sticking to a diet and then evaluating the results along to way will tell you where your adjustments need to be made. sometimes this process takes and trial and error method takes months if not years to get right. and just when you have made head way, you get older and your body makes changes without even asking you. stupid body.....

 

[dedlifter1]

exactly, it takes a long time but it can be done. persistance and disaplione are the key, same as cutting with out losing muscle, the slower you do it the better, 100 cals every other week is an area that my body responds to well, but everyone is different. keeping to whatever you out line is key here folks, it is hard to do sometimes but important to learn what your body can handle in the way of carbs and fat along with protein intake. my body is somewhat carbs sensitive. sticking to a diet and then evaluating the results along to way will tell you where your adjustments need to be made. sometimes this process takes and trial and error method takes months if not years to get right. and just when you have made head way, you get older and your body makes changes without even asking you. stupid body.....

I agree, it can be done, but takes long time. for me i eat like a small pony so i tend to gain rather quickly.

 

[the GUNSHOW]

When you gained this weight, had you always been lifting? When i thinkof bulking, im thinking more along the lines of when you try to go from 163 to 183, then see how your bf is doin !!lol. Good job by the way on that 20lbs!!

not a long time but I had been lifting for about 6 months was not getting any biger so about 2 to 3 days out of the week I would bump my cals up a good bit and I started to get biger but yes it took a long time......O and thanks:type:

 

[CaponeCEO]

IMO
You are going to gain some fat no matter what you do. You need to make a personal decision and decide just how much cardio you want to do while you bulk. If you want to incorporate lots of cardio into your weekly routine then you have a much better shot at putting on lean muscle. If you want to basically lift and eat and just bulk then you will put on fat. The delicate balance is in your own desire of what you want to look like. If you just bulk and not do cardio you will gain fat, but you can always get rid of it down the line.

Personally I have done both styles of gaining. I think I look bigger when I just lift and don't do any cardio, but I find myself in terrible aerobic shape. I now include cardio in my routines and generally feel better, but sometimes feel like I thin out some, but I dont mind.

 

[indianballer]

I did my first "true" bulk this winter. I've always been as ecto as they come, so I was convinced I could eat whatever whenever all day feasting but when it came down to it I was stronger than I had ever been but i was also holding more fat on my lower abs and lovehandles than I ever had before as well. I cut down from 198 to 193 and now I'm back recognizing myself again. The fat is easy to get rid of...just add intense and moderate cardio 3 nights a week as soon as PCT gets over and go easy on the weights stay at about 70% of your max as your tendons and joints play catchup. During that time you're jogging slow, long distances 3 times a week, and doing 10-15minute sprint work (flying 60's are my fav) on the other 2 days of the workweek.

Remember...the weeks following PCT:
Weeks 1,2:
Mon - Low Intensity Jog (45 mins), Ab work

Tues - Upper Body Lifting(Bench, Power Cleans, Pullups, Military Press, Curls, Dips)

Wed - Interval Spring Training (it's hell if you do a good program)

Thurs - Lower Body Lifting(Squat, Hack Squat, Calf Raises, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions, Abductor machine, Adductor machine, Machine Calf Raises)

Fri - Low Intensity Jog (45 mins), Ab work

Weeks 3,4:
Mon - Bench, Incline, Dumbell Press, Butterflies, Barbell Curls, Dumbell Curls

Tues - Squat, Leg Press, Backboard Touches, Leg Curls, Leg Extensions, Seated Calf Raises 2 sets each direction

Wed - 800 meter jog(50 pushups, 100 crunches), 400 meter run(25 pushups, 50crunches), 400 meter run(25 pushups, 50 crunches), 200 meter sprint(25 pushups, 15 leg lifts) 200 meter sprint(25 pushups, 15 leg lifts) 800 meter jog

Thurs - Deadlift, Pullups, T-Bar Rows, Upright Rows, One Arm Dumbell Rows, Seated Dumbell Shrug

Fri - Hang Clean, Seated Military Press, Dumbell Arnold Press, SkullCrushers superset with standing EZ Bar Curls, Side Lateral Raise, Front Delt Raise, Rear Delt Raise, Cable Machine superset curls/pressdowns

Sat - light jog around town...most of the fat should be gone and you can get to work on a tan


Sorry for the long post but that was exactly what I did when I had some leftover fat after PCT...I kept my cals pretty much the same...had some party nights where i didn't eat well, but all in all I dropped 8-10 lbs over 4 weeks clean and kept all my strength gains so I couldn't ask for better results and I think it's worth a shot..worked for me why wouldnt it work for you? Now I'm back on cycle trying the keep the bulk as lean as possible so I don't have to do another one of these numbers after this guy.