Nervous About Bulking.

[Lifterforlife]

Lyle is right unless you change the balance with training, drugs or supplements. Also remember these men were strictly dieting and not training like we do today.

This may be true here, and excellent point. I have however observed myself as a trainer this happen many times. It is unfortunate, but a fact of life. Newer supplementation will help alleviate a bit of this true, but still the propensity is there.

Most of Lyle's theories are based around non-training subjects.

I think I may have to respectfully disagree here. I will take Llye over anyone in the field when it comes to diet.

A simple thing like Sesapure/Glucorell or Levorex changes your metabolism and the way your body wants to store fat. Throwing the results of that study in the tio tio.

I agree again that todays supplements can indeed sway things more positively, but none of them are magic. I still say the guy has got to be much more careful than your average normally lean trainee.

 

[mbcrump]

Lifterforlife gave me the same advise during my bulk up time and he was absolutely correct. I am a former fat person and I was able to gain pretty quick. I also had the fear of being fat again, but I just did it anyways. The hardest thing was for me to cut back cardio when I was doing around ~25 miles a week.

 

[Kabeetz]

I appreciare the support, and also I appreciate the cautious words.

My concern is not necessarily eating cleanly. I live alone and I do all my grocery shopping and have genuinely come to look at food as fuel rather than from a satisfaction/taste perspective.

However slip ups can and do happen.

Still.. I certainly recognize and identify with the idea of the formerly fat being inclined to get fat over getting muscular.

As posted above hopefully someone can comment on my diet? It's similar too my cutting diet just with more meals, a little bit more dairy, a preworkout shake (whereas I used to like working out on an emptier stomach so as to burn more stored calories), and though a tapering of carbs as the night progresses, meals right up until bed.

mm, I have been following your bulking thread ever since I decided I might want to bulk and you've been very successful, definitely can't wait to see updated pics and thanks for your interest in my progress.

 

[Kabeetz]

Lifterforlife gave me the same advise during my bulk up time and he was absolutely correct. I am a former fat person and I was able to gain pretty quick. I also had the fear of being fat again, but I just did it anyways. The hardest thing was for me to cut back cardio when I was doing around ~25 miles a week.

It's just hard to trade that feeling of a full stomach meaning = my muscles are gonna grow instead of = my gut is gonna grow! My mind isn't there yet. Hopefully the mirror will fix those fears quickly.

One thing I can say is that I have EVERY confidence that I can take care of anything that may go wrong fat-wise, I just wish I was doing this in september instead of march.. but hey.. it's worth a shot.

 

[JKurz1]

I appreciare the support, and also I appreciate the cautious words.

My concern is not necessarily eating cleanly. I live alone and I do all my grocery shopping and have genuinely come to look at food as fuel rather than from a satisfaction/taste perspective.

However slip ups can and do happen.

Still.. I certainly recognize and identify with the idea of the formerly fat being inclined to get fat over getting muscular.

As posted above hopefully someone can comment on my diet? It's similar too my cutting diet just with more meals, a little bit more dairy, a preworkout shake (whereas I used to like working out on an emptier stomach so as to burn more stored calories), and though a tapering of carbs as the night progresses, meals right up until bed.

mm, I have been following your bulking thread ever since I decided I might want to bulk and you've been very successful, definitely can't wait to see updated pics and thanks for your interest in my progress.

#1 your diet needs work and #2, don't fall into the supplement trap. Youll be fine without them. Excess calories will lead to fat gain no matter how you approach it. Just take it in stride. Make it 90% lean mass and you are on the right track.......ditch some of those shakes and get your whole food in !

 

[alex2678]

Agree with the above posts, especially the Minnesota Semi starvation study. People with a genetic predisposition towards fat storage will have an almost impossible time gaining fat free body mass no matter what type of diet they are following. There's really no such thing as a "clean bulk" for these people. My bodyfat was in excess of 40 percent at the start of high school and has been in the 6-13 % range for the last 10 years now. The only thing that's ever worked for me is to follow brief bulking/cutting cyles throughout the year. I've always increased my calories slightly above maintenence until I noticed a maximum 5-10 pound gain in fat, then switched over to a cutting cyle to lose the fat and maintain as much of the strength and size that I gained. Bulking for months on end will not work unless you've been naturally lean for your entire life starting at childhood.

 

[Lifterforlife]

Glad folks are taking this as the post was meant, just simply a "warning" to the poster to be extra careful.

I think my suggestion of short bulking periods and follow up hardening periods(the longer your bulking period, the longer your hardening period will be) will work the best, and not allow things to get out of hand.

I have found working with clients a 8 week bulk and a 3 week follow up hardening works well to keep things in check, and keep those nasty love handles at bay.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

^^^^^^^^

lol... COMPLETLY agree... after my previous September - end of December Bulker... damn did i put on some Mass though Broke a personal weight high (waaay too much fat though)... still working on chiseling it off.

 

[Kabeetz]

Glad folks are taking this as the post was meant, just simply a "warning" to the poster to be extra careful.

I think my suggestion of short bulking periods and follow up hardening periods(the longer your bulking period, the longer your hardening period will be) will work the best, and not allow things to get out of hand.

I have found working with clients a 8 week bulk and a 3 week follow up hardening works well to keep things in check, and keep those nasty love handles at bay.

When u use the term hardening period, do u mean basically a cutting cycle? 8/3 sounds good to me..

how drastic does the calorie reduction have to be to show quality results in 3 weeks?

Also, how and when can I expect this to affect my strength gains... i.e. will my strength taper off immediately as I reduce the calories or probably not until the 2nd or third week? Once i bump back up the calories, after a relatively short cutting period, can I expect my strength to return to week 8 levels pretty quickly?

Thanks again.

 

[Lifterforlife]

When u use the term hardening period, do u mean basically a cutting cycle? 8/3 sounds good to me..
how drastic does the calorie reduction have to be to show quality results in 3 weeks?

Normally it will actually work best with 4 weeks. Qualtiy results may not be the optimal word. What you are trying to achieve here mainly is nip any fat accumulation that is coming on fast, slow it down if you will, and burn a tad of what you have gained at the same time. If you simply cut out any "in between meal snacks" for instance, or "clean up your diet" if it is not completely so, this will normally make a good dent. Most folks do not eat a 100% clean diet. Add 20-30% more cardio than you are doing during your bulk.

Also, how and when can I expect this to affect my strength gains... i.e. will my strength taper off immediately as I reduce the calories or probably not until the 2nd or third week?

You should not notice any substantial decreases here unless you cut too much out too fast. This is very individulastic though, so hard to say. Your calorie reductions will not be that drastic.

Once i bump back up the calories, after a relatively short cutting period, can I expect my strength to return to week 8 levels pretty quickly?

Yes, should be no problem, as mentioned, should see little dropoff.

Thanks again.

Glad to help.