bulking

sketchy88 · 08-03-2009, 10:31 AM

Whats up guys. Im currently weighing in at 200lbs and i trying to bulk to 220lbs while keeping the bodyfat low. Im currently taking SizeON, gnc multivitamin strenght and virility pack, green tea extract, vitamin C, flax oil, chromium, glutamine(before and after lifting), and protein.

MY diet looks basically like this:
Meal 1: 5 egg whites, 2 fat free turkey dogs, multi-vitamin pack
Meal 2: can of chicken, 2 cups brocoli, half baked sweet potato, green tea extract, chromium, flax oil
Meal 3:can of tuna, flax oil, vitamin C
Preworkout: scoops protein, up coffee, glutamine
During training: 1 scoop SizeON
Post-workout : 1 scoop protein, glutamine
Meal 4: lean beef, steak , or chicken and brocoli, flax oil, acai berry

Is there anything i should be doing differently. My bodyfat is still relatively high. Should i switch anything around, eliminate anything, or add anything. PLEASE IN DESPARATE NEED OF HELP!!!!!

sketchy88 · 08-03-2009, 10:36 AM

pre-workout is 2 scoops whey my bad

Chimera · 08-03-2009, 11:48 AM

First meal needs a carbohydrate source, oatmeal would be perfect.

Meal two is fine.

I am assuming Meal 3 is your preworkout meal... why no carbohydrate? If you are bulking (or even cutting) your preworkout meal should be your most dense meal of the day, so you should have some sort of carbohydrate in here (brown rice, sweet potato, oatmeal, etc).

I would add a fast acting carbohydrate to your post workout meal (dextrose, maltodextrin, waxy maize starch).

Meal 4 is fine but I would also add a dense carbohydrate here as well (while the broccoli is fine, its not a really dense carbohydrate source).

I would add 2 - 3 more meals, keeping them more along the guide lines of your second meal (Lean Protein, Leafy Green i.e. broccoli, and Dense Carbohydrate i.e. sweet potatoe).

Finally, just before bed it is avisable to have a casein dominant protein due to its coagulating nature in acid environments (meaning it will take along time to digest) along with a healthy fat which will further complement the nature of casein protein and create a meal which will ideally keep you anabolic throughout the night. A good example of this is cottage cheese and peanut butter, or you can even invest in a casein protein powder and have that instead.

sketchy88 · 08-03-2009, 11:54 AM

ive been trying to cycle my carbs from day to day. Is this not a good idea. I also hold alot of fat when i increase my carbs too much, thats the reaosn for cycling them.

Chimera · 08-03-2009, 05:32 PM

I haven't heard of carb cycling on a bulk, I wouldn't do it personally. Even if you are carb cycling, you should always keep your breakfast, preworkout, and postworkout meals having the most carbohydrates in your day.

I suspect you are confusing the "fat" gain with an increase in glycogen stored inside the muscles which bring on water and hence a bloated appearance. In short, a proper bulk will put on fat; the best thing to do would be to eat clean and minimize the fat gain while maximizing the lean body mass gain.

**Moro** · 08-03-2009, 06:35 PM

Nice Chimera,

Your lacking a lot of carbs for sure,

It sounds like your scared of getting fat are you an endomorph? (do you put on fat easily?)

Chimera · 08-03-2009, 09:16 PM

I should of mentioned that as well, Moro. It sounds like sketchy88 is an endomorph (just like me) and huge weight increments might scare him. Its tough for me as well on a bulk as when I switch from cutting (110g carbs per day) to bulking (600g+) I might put on 10 lb's in one week, granted that is only the first week of bulking as then I will be going at the traditional 1-2 pounds a week. Put simply, I stay bloated my entire bulking phase (which sucks, but if you look at any probodybuilder who is not even close to any show they will most likely be bloated as well).

sketchy88 · 08-03-2009, 10:45 PM

sounds good guys....thanks alot

**MikeNYY420** · 08-04-2009, 11:49 AM

I wish I was an endo... Chimera gotcha covered I don't need to add anything.

sketchy88 · 08-04-2009, 12:39 PM

whats the best way to measure my bodyfat in relation to the water weight im holding( which i imagine is alot)

sketchy88 · 08-04-2009, 12:43 PM

which if any supps should i add? what are the best sources of complex carbs? at my weight how many grams of protein and carbs should i take in per day ?

Alot of questions i know but any help will be appreciated!!!!

101bodybuilder · 08-04-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sketchy88

whats the best way to measure my bodyfat in relation to the water weight im holding( which i imagine is alot)

The most common method is using calipers since it is the cheapest way to do it, but not the most accurate... It will give you a general idea.

Chimera · 08-04-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sketchy88

whats the best way to measure my bodyfat in relation to the water weight im holding( which i imagine is alot)

There isn't any way to measure water weight one is holding in relation to your bodyfat. Just understand that as you bulk, generally you will be bloated throughout the entire bulk (especially if you are an endomorph). When you cut, expect a drastic weight decrease during the first one to two weeks. For the first month of cutting after bulking, from an endormorphs view, it is easy to achieve weight lost rates of 3 - 5 pounds a week while keeping calories moderately high (~2,700, just getting 200g or less of carbs per day) with minimal cardio (2 - 3 sessions per week).

Long story short; expect to be bloated your entire bulk. Don't worry about the initial weight gain, I would be more worried about your weight gain starting on the third week from your bulk and there on out. If you are still going at a rate of over 2 pounds a week then of course it is viable to change your calories.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sketchy88

which if any supps should i add? what are the best sources of complex carbs? at my weight how many grams of protein and carbs should i take in per day ?

Alot of questions i know but any help will be appreciated!!!!

As far as supplements, you have the general stack but if you can add I would add BCAA's, plain creatine monohydrate, and a fish oil.

With your diet, lots of people have different methods for determining your food intake on a bulk. Generally 1 g/lb of protein per bodyweight (I generally do 1.5g but that is me), carbohydrates really determines on "whose" method you go off of. I would say 3g/lb to as high as 5g/lb (600g - 1000g for you, I would advise you to stay on the 600g side a day). Fat should be kept around 120g a day, with the majority of that being unsaturated.

sketchy88 · 08-05-2009, 09:52 AM

I gues then i shouldnt be worried about muscle definition while im bulking .....

sketchy88 · 08-05-2009, 09:53 AM

being that i am an endomorph i do not want to get too out of shape. should i do minimal cardio during the bulk phase or not at all?

Chimera · 08-05-2009, 10:38 AM

Yes you should, Sketchy! I would recommend 10 - 15 sprint intervals (aka HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training) once or twice per week. Treat this workout as a lifting session and eat accordingly.

**MikeNYY420** · 08-05-2009, 11:14 AM

120g a day is too much fat. Fat only needs to make up 15% of the calories in the diet. I eat 1g pro/lbs bw and 600g carbs but only 60-70g fat. If you're concerned about excess fat gain you should keep the fat around 70-80 for yourself.. Anymore than 15% will be stored as bf.

Chimera · 08-05-2009, 11:45 AM

I like your guidelines better, Mike! My original suggestion of 120g fat per day is over kill, 70-80g per day is better suggestion. Unless he is consuming 7,200 kcals per day and if he isn't on AAS that would be overkill. Good catch

**MikeNYY420** · 08-05-2009, 12:34 PM

Thanks Chimera. And I agree that AAS or extremely high calorie diets are the situations that would call for a fat intake that high.