Hey everyone, I'm new to the forums, and hope to get some good advice from you sages! haha I've been cutting for around 2 months now. Being a very meticulous eater (1 cheat meal per month--forced, cardio 5x a week, lifting 4x a week; strictly fibrous carbs/veggies until PWO, PWO, and PPWO), I think it's time to have a clean bulk cycle, and put on hopefully around 10 lbs. of muscle. However, I'M SCARED SHIT! IT'S MY FIRST BULK. I just want to make sure I do this properly with keeping fat gain to an absolutel MINIMUM. I've really usted my butt to get down this from around 16% BF and 195 lbs. in July, so:

-I feel that the sudden drastic change in caloric intake will result in fat gain
-Sudden change in carb levels will result in fat gains

Stats:
19 years old
6'2'', 170 lbs.
~11% BF

So I just need to know how to make this transition from cutting to clean bulking as smooth and advantageous as possible. I'm starting Monday. I've been cutting at around 2100 cal/day, and my maintenance is around 2700. Do you think hitting my maintenance will be enough for good gains?

What do I need to do? Hope I can get some help guys!

Breakfast: 3 whole eggs, 3 egg whites, 1 whole-wheat muffin, 1 apple, 1 slice fat-free cheese
Mid-morning: 1 c sliced pineaplle, 16 whole-wheat crackers, 1 chicken breast
Lunch: 2 slices WW bread, 1 chicken breast, 1 apple
PreWO: 1 sc whey, 1 apple, 1 c skim milk
PWO: 1c skim milk, 1 banana, 1 sc. whey, 2 tbsp. honey
PPWO: 1 chicken breast, 1 baked potato
Pre-bed: 2 Stallone High-Protein pudding (calcium caseinate), 2 tbsp. PowerPB

TOTALS:
2,745 cal.
285g protein
325g carb
44g fat

**When/how do I slowly add calories in? (I start Mon, 10/23)
Do I add 200 calories each day? or do I adfd 200 calories each WEEK?

Thank you so much,
-Drew

I would alternate 4 weeks of a gaining phase (bulking) with 1 week of hardening phase (cutting). On the gaining phase I'd opt more with a 40-40-20 ratio with a 400-500 calorie increase over baseline. On the cutting phase I'd go more with a 50-20-30 scheme with a 200 calorie reduction from maintanence. I'd also try eliminating as much processed foods (carbs) as possible. Good luck with whatever you decide and I hope you reach your goals. :tucool:

Thank you for replying, mastover.

How do I go about adding calories into my current cutting diet for a clean bulk though?

Is it 250 per DAY, or 250 over the course of a week?

Thank you for replying, mastover.

How do I go about adding calories into my current cutting diet for a clean bulk though?

Is it 250 per DAY, or 250 over the course of a week?


Sorry, don't quite understand your question. It seems as if you have determined that 2700 cals is your maintanence. Is this correct? If so, I'd add 200 cals per day for the first week, 300 cals per day the second week, etc., etc., until your 4th week of gainining, where you are 400-500 cals above baseline (2700).

For your clean bulk I'd eliminate the muffins, bread, crackers, stallone puddings, and replace with oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potato, and more lean meats. Twice per week I'd also add in 6-8 oz lean red meat sirloin. I also see no vegetables in there whatsoever. Include a cup of green veggies with 3-4 of your 6-7 meals.

I think he means increasing from where he is at now slowly as to not gain fat too fast?

Yeah that's what I meant BigD.

So I should increase my WEEKLY caloric total by 250 calories then? Which would work out to about 35 calories per day or so....what can I add to meals that 35 calories???

(And also, any meal containing chicken includes red, green, and yellow bell peppers for veggies, forgot to mention)

Yeah that's what I meant BigD.

So I should increase my WEEKLY caloric total by 250 calories then? Which would work out to about 35 calories per day or so....what can I add to meals that 35 calories???

(And also, any meal containing chicken includes red, green, and yellow bell peppers for veggies, forgot to mention)


Okay everyone, are we REALLY confused now? :confused: Ha.. :lol:

No, not 35 calories per day, but 200 calories PER DAY the first week. (1400 cal increase for the week)

Second week, increase to 300 calories PER DAY. (2100 calorie increase for the week)

Third week, increase to 400 calories PER DAY. (2800 calorie increase for the week)

Fourth week remain at 400 calories PER DAY, or if you are experiencing lean gains with little fat accrual, bump it to 500 calories PER DAY over baseline (2700)

On your bulking weeks stay in the 40-40-20 parameters.

:doh: .........:tucool:

Haha thanks a lot! I'm just really nervous---I started on a cut, and this isd my first bulk, and I just don't want to gain a lot of fat back--keep it minimal as I can!

So adding 200 per day---should that be added in at anytime specifically?

Like at PWO, PWO, or PPWO? For example, I'll add in 1/2 cup of brown rice to my PPWO, which is 150 cal/4g pro/33g carb/1g fat. Something like that?

Haha thanks a lot! I'm just really nervous---I started on a cut, and this isd my first bulk, and I just don't want to gain a lot of fat back--keep it minimal as I can!

So adding 200 per day---should that be added in at anytime specifically?

Like at PWO, PWO, or PPWO? For example, I'll add in 1/2 cup of brown rice to my PPWO, which is 150 cal/4g pro/33g carb/1g fat. Something like that?

Ha, at your age and stats, I wouldn't worry about putting on fat or getting pudgy. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see you put on 10-15 lbs of muscle with very little fat gain, especiaaly if you employ that "back off" cutting week into the mix. ;)

In response to your example, you can add in that 1/2 cup of cheeseca....er, um brown rice :o PWO, PPWO or spread it out during the course of your meals. As long as what you are eating tallies up to your target macronutrient ratio's..... In this case, I'm assuming, 40-40-20

:cool:

Thanks a lot Mastover!

What's your feeling about lifting routine? While cutting, I kept all sets in the 8-12 rep range, with 30 sec. between sets, 1 min. between exercises.

Should I change this to 4-6 rep range, 1-2 min between sets for rest?

Thanks a lot Mastover!

What's your feeling about lifting routine? While cutting, I kept all sets in the 8-12 rep range, with 30 sec. between sets, 1 min. between exercises.

Should I change this to 4-6 rep range, 1-2 min between sets for rest?

Well, you'll find that people have varied opinions regarding this question. Personally, I like keeping the weights as heavy as possible while cutting, reducing volume, and keeping the reps in the general vicinity of 4-8, remaining basically with compound movements. I do not believe in lifting as a means to reducing bodyfat. Weight training should be with the intention of breaking down muscle.

On a bulk, I like to change things around, add more intensity techniques (since I now have the proper fuel source to tap into for recovery), and I also believe isolation exercises become more effective on a bulk.

Rep ranges will also vary, I've gone up to 50 reps for legs, on down to 2 reps. You'll also be met with various opinions regarding cardio and ab work. This also depends on a host of factors, metabolism, bodytype, etc. I never do cardio and I never train abs. Not even for shows, but rely 100% on my diet alone to help rid me of bodyfat.

In a sport so fickle yet precise as bodybuiulding, it's nutrition (who dieted the hardest) and genetics which usually distinguishes the difference between 1st place and 2nd place.

On another related note, I would also cycle training to failure, especially when on a caloric deficit.

:gl:

I was thinking HIIT cardio for 20 minutes 1-2 times/week.

I re-did my diet for week 1 of the clean bulk, and the totals were:
2,370 cal.
252g pro
272g carb.
68g fat