Starting out: Should I bulk?

MrStuffins

Ok.

So i'm gonna start out lifting properly now. I've dropped from approx 17 stone to just over 13 stone so at 6ft i'm not massively overweight or anything.

But. I have zero muscle mass so i'm going to start lifting.

I'm going to follow the plan in Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews.

The fear I have is, after being on a calorie deficit for so long, i'm very scared of the thought of sticking a load of extra calories in there and putting on fat.

Will the fact that I won't be able to lift very heavily at first be a negative? At 13 stone, is it necessary to "bulk" in order to put on muscle mass?

Hanley

Start eating real food >> slowly ramp up kcals and carbs back to maintenance >> keep ramping them up by 150-200kcals a week until you start gaining weight

If you're dieting that long your ability to turn over food will be in the ****ter and if you just throw a ton of kcals into ya you're getting fat again.

MrStuffins

Ah! Perfect. So I should slowly ramp up the cals. Exactly the advice I was looking for. I was afraid i'd end up sticking a load more fat on myself. Thanks!

Squat Rack Curler

good job on the weight loss

First of all, that routine is not ideal. The frequency is too low for a beginner, Starting Strength with curls and tricep work or Lyle McDonalds bulking routine would be much better.

You should reverse diet until you are gaining weight. I like to add 100 calories a week until I'm gaining weight. Aim for 0.5-1 pound gain a week.

MrStuffins wrote: »

Will the fact that I won't be able to lift very heavily at first be a negative?

No

MrStuffins wrote: »

At 13 stone, is it necessary to "bulk" in order to put on muscle mass?

To put on significant muscle mass, yes.

MrStuffins

Awesome. I'll give Starting Strength a bash in that case. Cheers