[sublicon]

Friends, so it's news to me that gaining mass while burning fat is "impossible" or at least not efficiently done.

I'm at a point in my physique where I'm trying to make up for all the bad crap I've done to my body over the last few months, and finally have a solid diet down along with a 4 day training regimen, which includes 20 minutes of cardio 4 days a week. As far as what I'm doing, I'm not really cutting or bulking . . sort of somewhere in between.

So far, I understand the formulas for caloric intake for cutting, maintenance, and bulking. The diet part of the equation I understand fully. The part I'm not so clear on is, how does the training routine change between cutting and bulking phases?

Should I be lifting heavier during the bulking phase? Should I be doing less exercises? Should I be lifting on less days? Also, how long should these phases reasonably last? Or is it all dependent on how much weight I want to gain?

If you're curious what I'm eating and how I'm training, you can take a look at my training log, as all your questions on that will be answered there.

Thanks in advance, guys . . went searching to see if there was a guide on this, but I guess one hasn't been written yet. It'd be a good one!

[johnnyairwaves]

What are your goals in the next 3 to 6 months? Most of use want to look awesome with the shirt off for summer and compete of course. Are you competng at all this year? if so what is the date of the competition you have planned to be in?

[sublicon]

Originally Posted by johnnyairwaves

What are your goals in the next 3 to 6 months? Most of use want to look awesome with the shirt off for summer and compete of course.

Yeah, that, more or less . . 12 weeks, I will know what the next step is. Right now, I'm trying to get stronger, build muscle, and lose weight.

As I mentioned, all of those details, goals, etc., are in the training log I linked.

[blue524432]

Are you wanting to get lots stronger? Are you wanting to just look better? Or are you just looking for lean mass gains?

[sublicon]

Originally Posted by blue524432

Are you wanting to get lots stronger? Are you wanting to just look better? Or are you just looking for lean mass gains?

What I'm looking to do, is find out if there is a difference in the way one needs to train if they are bulking or cutting. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

[ZiR RED]

Originally Posted by sublicon

What I'm looking to do, is find out if there is a difference in the way one needs to train if they are bulking or cutting. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

How goal orientated we are here. haha


This is a loaded question and you will receive a dozen different answers all with different logic and reasoning.

Here are some factors to take into consideration when designing a "cutting" regime.

Rests between sets: Reducing the time between sets will result in greater fat loss from weight training due to a greater EPOC and a greater release of growth hormone.

Frequency and volume: With the lowered calories, one will have to reduce either volume or frequency to allow for full recovery.

Intensity (% RM) With the reduced rest time, the weight will have to be decreased to adjust for the incomplete recovery of phosphagens and lactic acid clearance between sets.

One will also have to factor cardio: type, frequency, duration, etc. into the above parameters.

Hope this provides some insight.

Br

[sublicon]

Originally Posted by ZiR RED

How goal orientated we are here. haha

We are, dude. Trust me! I just don't believe in setting lofty goals with no foundation. I'm giving myself 12 weeks to set that foundation, not only physically but also mentally.

If I can't spent more than 6 weeks even going to the gym consistently, what's the sense in setting a "bulking" or "cutting" goal where I'm not even remotely where I want to be generally fitness and health wise. I need to get the mental game down.

I've taken two big steps so far . . maintaining a solid diet that I calculated to the best of my ability, and getting into a routine that I'm feel good doing.

If I make it 12 weeks . . then I will get a little bit more detail oriented and figure out what's next. For now, I'm just doing my thing and trying to get some information.

Originally Posted by ZiR RED

Hope this provides some insight.

Totally does, that's exactly what I was looking for. Is it more or less the opposite for more of these things on a bulking program?

Again, I understand the diet part fully. It's the actual principles of training that I'm trying to understand, that's all. :)

[ZiR RED]

its good to have goals, my comment was actually in reference to everyone asking "what are your goals".

Is it more or less the opposite for more of these things on a bulking program?

Not exactly.

Again, these parameters will have to be taken into consideration when designing a program to gain size. The programs I design my clients are in periods, each period designed to elicit a different effect, that in the end will add up to an awesome end product.

The body adapts to any stimuli. By applying the knowledge of these adaptations and taking advantage of their life spans, one can design a great regime.

Br

[ZackKnight]

when you bulk you will gain some fat

when you cut you should check out Layne's Sticky. It's great for cutting

[under construction]

since you understand the difference which of the two would you prefer to do at the moment. Since I havent said it before Welcome to the dungeon Im off now to check your log.

[johnnyairwaves]

Originally Posted by ZackKnight

when you cut you should check out Layne's Sticky. It's great for cutting

Can you link that please?

[ZackKnight]

im pretty sure it's at the top of the training forum, but if u still need me to i will