Bulking/Cutting Strategy

Slobbery

Hi,

Just looking for some advice on Bulking and Cutting, I have been going to the gym for two years and was looking for some advice.

Pretty much my first year was reducing my bodyfat, I went from 20(ish) (+180lbs) to 13% (160lbs) over the course of the first year as well as learning how to lift properly.

I lost weight be carb cycling and intermittent fasting, at 13% bodyfat and there wasn't a muscle in sight, mentally I was tired of the reduced calories (at this point I was eating at a calorie deficit every day even training days)

Around November last year I bumped up my calories to 3500 daily for a while, I wasn't very disciplined and pretty much just ate everything, I got much stronger in the gym and seemed to go from struggling to absolutely loving it and couldn't wait to get back in their after a session finished.

A few months in I wasn't very happy with the amount of fat I was gaining (had to buy new gym gear for the belly) and I reduced to 2800 calories a day - still gaining size.

In August, weighing 195lbs I dropped to 2400 Calories a day and after good advice in the gym just ate real foods, no processed foods, i began checking all labels and if something had sugar I didn't eat it anymore, my carb sources at this point are sweet potato, porridge, veg, small amounts of fruit, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

My weight has stayed bang on 195lbs but I have leaned up alot since than, I would estimate between 15-18%, now I want to embark on a another cut, so here is my strategy.

Along with 16/8 intermmitent fasting I will be eating the following amounts.

Training day (x 3) 2300 cals, 255g carbs, 200g prot, 64g fats
Rest day (x 3) 2000 cals 75g carbs, 215g protein, 95g fats
Sunday 2400 cals 175 carbs, 215g protein, 100g fats.

I set up my food like this because I think it can work long term for me, hoping to keep this up for 12 weeks, check where I am and bulk again, but this time clean.

Am i doing it wrong? feedback appreciated

generic2012

Slobbery wrote: »

Hi,

Just looking for some advice on Bulking and Cutting, I have been going to the gym for two years and was looking for some advice.

Pretty much my first year was reducing my bodyfat, I went from 20(ish) (+180lbs) to 13% (160lbs) over the course of the first year as well as learning how to lift properly.

I lost weight be carb cycling and intermittent fasting, at 13% bodyfat and there wasn't a muscle in sight, mentally I was tired of the reduced calories (at this point I was eating at a calorie deficit every day even training days)

Around November last year I bumped up my calories to 3500 daily for a while, I wasn't very disciplined and pretty much just ate everything, I got much stronger in the gym and seemed to go from struggling to absolutely loving it and couldn't wait to get back in their after a session finished.

A few months in I wasn't very happy with the amount of fat I was gaining (had to buy new gym gear for the belly) and I reduced to 2800 calories a day - still gaining size.

In August, weighing 195lbs I dropped to 2400 Calories a day and after good advice in the gym just ate real foods, no processed foods, i began checking all labels and if something had sugar I didn't eat it anymore, my carb sources at this point are sweet potato, porridge, veg, small amounts of fruit, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.

My weight has stayed bang on 195lbs but I have leaned up alot since than, I would estimate between 15-18%, now I want to embark on a another cut, so here is my strategy.

Along with 16/8 intermmitent fasting I will be eating the following amounts.

Training day (x 3) 2300 cals, 255g carbs, 200g prot, 64g fats
Rest day (x 3) 2000 cals 75g carbs, 215g protein, 95g fats
Sunday 2400 cals 175 carbs, 215g protein, 100g fats.

I set up my food like this because I think it can work long term for me, hoping to keep this up for 12 weeks, check where I am and bulk again, but this time clean.

Am i doing it wrong? feedback appreciated

So you have a maintenance of 2,400? If that is the case it looks good, a weekly deficit of 1,000. It probably wouldn't make a difference but may start to once you start taking of the calories - I would do sumtn very similar to you except my Sunday would be the same as training days but with the extra calories coming from carbs. Won't matter now but eventually Sunday will be your refeed day an then it will matter.

Slobbery

generic2012 wrote: »

So you have a maintenance of 2,400? If that is the case it looks good, a weekly deficit of 1,000. It probably wouldn't make a difference but may start to once you start taking of the calories - I would do sumtn very similar to you except my Sunday would be the same as training days but with the extra calories coming from carbs. Won't matter now but eventually Sunday will be your refeed day an then it will matter.

Thanks for the reply

Ya I aimed for 1000 calorie weekly deficit first off, will monitor and re-adjust downwards if needed, I will be nicer to myself so on the Sunday's!

I will take it nice and slow starting and eventually get to a 2000-3000 cal deficit and see where that takes me by jan-February

Mellor

It's a 1500 deficit, not 1000. (400x3, 100x3)

Are you going to start dropping the cals lower. By how much? It's quite a small deficit and you could easily wipe it out without realising. 200 extra cals a day

generic2012

Mellor wrote: »

It's a 1500 deficit, not 1000. (400x3, 100x3)

Are you going to start dropping the cals lower. By how much? It's quite a small deficit and you could easily wipe it out without realising. 200 extra cals a day

How the fuq did I manage to get 1,000? Anyway, I think 1,500 is grand for a weekly deficit for a while, especially considering the IF (That doesn't change the calories in VS calories out, IF has been proven to increase calories out through increased metabolic rate so his maintenance will actually be higher). He doesn't have a competition and the 12 weeks is only a guide line to check his progress. Slow and steady. He can knock 200/300 off the total each week if needs be, The worst thing you can do is start with too big a deficit. You end up with fug alll calories, training goes to sh1t and stalls are frequent.

Can't find it now, thought I had it saved, but I definitely read a study that showed a pretty tight correlation between speed of weight loss and muscle loss. I think 1.5 pound/week was the point where all muscle mass was maintained. Eric Helms did a good review (possibly PhD dissertation) on protein requirements in dieting bodybuilders and found that once you get very low BF% (8-9 i think) protein intake would have to be up to 2.7g/kgLBM to maintain muscle mass. No need to conspiring against yourself and have all that to worry about!

Slobbery

generic2012 wrote: »

How the fuq did I manage to get 1,000? Anyway, I think 1,500 is grand for a weekly deficit for a while, especially considering the IF (That doesn't change the calories in VS calories out, IF has been proven to increase calories out through increased metabolic rate so his maintenance will actually be higher). He doesn't have a competition and the 12 weeks is only a guide line to check his progress. Slow and steady. He can knock 200/300 off the total each week if needs be, The worst thing you can do is start with too big a deficit. You end up with fug alll calories, training goes to sh1t and stalls are frequent.

Can't find it now, thought I had it saved, but I definitely read a study that showed a pretty tight correlation between speed of weight loss and muscle loss. I think 1.5 pound/week was the point where all muscle mass was maintained. Eric Helms did a good review (possibly PhD dissertation) on protein requirements in dieting bodybuilders and found that once you get very low BF% (8-9 i think) protein intake would have to be up to 2.7g/kgLBM to maintain muscle mass. No need to conspiring against yourself and have all that to worry about!

I calculated 1000 as well!

Ya want to take it slow, don't want my strength to stop too dramatically or try to do it too fast.
If I am disciplined and take it nice and slow I will be in a better position in a few months

Slobbery

Mellor wrote: »

It's a 1500 deficit, not 1000. (400x3, 100x3)

Are you going to start dropping the cals lower. By how much? It's quite a small deficit and you could easily wipe it out without realising. 200 extra cals a day

After close to a year long bulk I am going to gradually ease into the cutting phase, if I am am not getting the weight loss I aim for I will drop by 100 cals a day, 0.75-1lb loss a week if what I aim for eventually