Bulking

[Perseus]

Got a question on 'bulking' phase's or 'off season' dieting. I hear all these references, but I can never find any info on what type of diet you should have to 'bulk'. Is it just junk, like pizza? Or is it more of the nutritious foods your already supposed to take? About how many MORE calories do you need to injest to be bulking?

My metabolism is insane, so I eat a ton of food as it is. Was wondering what a bodybuilders 'bulking' diet was all about.

thanks guys

Perseus

[Digibacker]

I can only speak from my own experience, which is based on a variety of reading. The main problem is that there is so much contradictory information out there that it's difficult to know what works and what doesn't. So much depends on the individual that it could all be right, just for different people.

What I found has helped me bulk-up is:

- Lift heavy. When I ramped up my workouts to start with a few heavy, low rep sets (e.g. 3 to 6 range) first, followed by lighter pump sets afterwards, my gains really shot up.

- Eat frequently. It's better to spread out your intake so you are eating smaller amounts all day long rather than a few big meals. Too much food taken in one sitting tends to get wasted -- your body absorbs just the nutrients it needs for the moment, and then passes the rest out. (Or stores it as fat for people with lower metabolisms.)

I've found that eating frequently just came naturally. As my workouts got heavier, my appetite soared. And because I work at an office, I have the benefit of eating whenever I feel hungry. (Which tends to be every 90 minutes or so.)

- Eat better. This is the harder part to "swallow" -- giving up some of the junk, or rather, trading the junk for better choices. One example is eating whole grain breads instead of white.

This doesn't mean eliminating favourite foods entirely, just eating them far less frequently. I love Coca-Cola, Slurpees, Doritos, Rave potato chips, KFC, Wendys, fatty cheeses -- and used to have at least one of those items every single day. I've since weaned myself off these cravings and now am more likely to have one item only once a week, if not less (e.g. KFC once a month!) Even that's too much for some bodybuilding/fitness devotees, but "diet" strategies don't work if you resent them. It's all about moderation

What I eat instead includes cottage cheese (yuck, so I mix it with fruit yogurt), tons of boneless, skinless chicken breast; lean fresh turkey (off a bird, not an extruded log); extra lean ground beef; canned tuna (a whole can and a banana are a meal); frozen salmon (my dad fishes); lots of fruit (bananas, oranges, apples, grapes); green vegetables (broccolli, peas, beans).

And, as for supplementation, the only thing I indulge in is the occasional protein bar, because I found one I actually like.

- Finally, get lots of sleep. Try to get into a routine where you go to sleep tired (rather than force yourself to sleep) and wake up naturally without an alarm. I can't really explain how to do that, but it just sort of "happened". It could be because I work out first thing in the morning, so my body has a whole day to eat, relax and slow down.

But now that I sleep better, it literally feels like my muscles have grow overnight when I wake up the next day. It sounds weird, and may be just a psychological illusion, but that's what it feels like. With poor sleep, I just felt lethargic, run down and wasted (like my muscles had withered).

[Digibacker]

(Here's a little bit more I thought of later...I ran out of time with my first reply.)

It will take some trial-and-error to figure out the right quantity of food you're going to need. I've seen the same recommendations you probably have about "eat [x] grams of protein for every pound of body mass" but those are too simplistic. I found I was getting too fat. For you, it's probably not enough. You just have to experiment over the course of time. If you're not gaining weight, eat more. If you're starting to get fat, eat less. It'll be a constant balancing act (naturally, as you get bigger, you'll need even more food.)

If you get into counting nutrients, such as the ratio of carbs, protein and fat, be sure to keep a healthy balance. That's another thing that will take some self-discovery. Just be sure to eat good fats, avoid bad fats, take in lots of protein and balance it with the right amount of carbs. (DON'T reduce carbs ala Atkins. Sure, it sheds fat, but getting cancer does the same thing. It doesn't mean it's healthy.)

I also found it helpful to avoid stimulants. For me that was caffeine. I used to drink two or three cups of coffee a day. Now I might have only two cups a week. I love coffee, but I find the buzz uses up a lot of energy.

Now I drink a lot of water. Constantly throughout the day. Every time I feel thirsty, it's the first thing I reach for. I reserve coffee and pop as specific "treats" to have occasionally (i.e. at a movie, out for dinner, etc.).

[Corwin]

Originally Posted by Perseus

Got a question on 'bulking' phase's or 'off season' dieting. I hear all these references, but I can never find any info on what type of diet you should have to 'bulk'. Is it just junk, like pizza? Or is it more of the nutritious foods your already supposed to take? About how many MORE calories do you need to injest to be bulking?

My metabolism is insane, so I eat a ton of food as it is. Was wondering what a bodybuilders 'bulking' diet was all about.

thanks guys

Perseus

eat every 3 or so hours

weigh and measure your food, and keep a food diary. use this to figure our how many calories you are eating

google METS (metabolic equivalents). Keep track of how much you are exercising and use the METS values for your activities to figure out how many calories you are burning

You should eat at least 500 calories more than you are burning

You can also do this by trial and error, but the food logs/exercise logs do help

[UKBeefy]

I have struggled with the whole nutrition thing. I find when I consciously eat more I feel and look fat. My weight otherwise has stayed the same for the last 2 years or so even though I think I look better.

I enjoy food and I like cooking for a start. I tend to buy my food from smaller shops (eg local butchers) so my food has no nutritional info on the side (eg what is the nutritional content of a cabbage or a leek?) So will cook meals from recipe books often (eg Casseroles, stews, currys and lighter stuff more in the summer etc). Hence I then find I have no idea what I have eaten - do you just add up the meat and obvious fats/carbs ?

I have tried for a few days at most the sort of really strict - 6 egg whites for breakfast, 2 hours later a chicken breast with etc etc...type diets u see some people advocating. Are people literally eating 4 chicken breasts a day and 3 cans of tuna, day in day out with no variation?

I've tended to add a protein shake or some other type of snack (sometimes lacking in protein as there is none purchaseable) eg fruit to a normal Breakfast, lunch, dinner routine. So I am not necessarily shrinking the normal meals...

How do other people plan their nutrition?

[Digibacker]

Originally Posted by UKBeefy

I have struggled with the whole nutrition thing. I find when I consciously eat more I feel and look fat. My weight otherwise has stayed the same for the last 2 years or so...

When you increased your eating, was it portion size, frequency, or both? In particular, how frequently did you eat?

Originally Posted by UKBeefy

Are people literally eating 4 chicken breasts a day and 3 cans of tuna, day in day out with no variation?

Probably some are, but I wouldn't tolerate it. You've got to have variation, otherwise you'll hate it. I keep shuffling things around, trying different variations. (There are lots of ways to prepare chicken breasts!) Plus, I do eat a quite a bit more variety than I mentioned in my earlier message.

Here are two typical examples for me:

EXAMPLE DAY 1 (non-workout):

8:00: two waffles with syrup and raisin bran with milk
10:00: cup of cottage cheese mixed with cup of strawberry yogurt
11:30: two chicken breasts with teriyaki sauce and some carrots
1:30: three oatmeal-raisin cookies
3:00: can of tuna and a banana
4:30: piece of cheddar cheese and an apple
6:00: steak with steamed new potatos and broccoli
8:00: piece of lemon cake
9:30: cup of cottage cheese and some grapes

EXAMPLE DAY 2 (workout):

6:30: granola bar
--workout (45-60 minutes)--
8:00: eggs (1 yolk, 4 whites), grain-bread toast with peanut butter and strawberry jam and milk
9:30: Protein Plus Power Bar
11:30: Double-meat 12" chicken sub (half)
1:00: cup of cottage cheese mixed with cup of cherry yogurt
2:30: 1lb serving spaghetti and meat sauce
4:00: other half of sub
6:00: prawn stirfry with mixed vegetables
8:00: apple pie
9:30: cup of cottage cheese and a banana

Other than avoiding the "bad" things, my main change was eating more frequently. I based this on the concept that it spreads out the intake so the nutrients don't get wasted, and the energy burned to keep eating/digesting food all day helps avoid fat gain.

Although I do have a bit of a gut, I had it before I started this routine. My waist hasn't gotten bigger, but the rest of me has.

[UKBeefy]

Yes I tend to eat about every three hours but at times it can be a bit haphazard - I find it hard to fit in 6 meals into the day. I will point out first that I am a student at the mo and not a mornings person so I get up late....before anyone carps at the schedule below.

11am breakfast - Porridge (think you guys call it oatbran) about half a mug dry measure (bigger than a US cup - perhaps a cup and a half) made with skimmed milk and water 50/50 with a dash of cold milk and syrup. Sometimes have a wholeweat cereal (eg Weetabix - don't believe they sell it stateside - a bit like shredded wheat) 2-3 units pplus skimm milk. Coffee

1-2pm - lunch - something like a sandwich (here it gets flexible depending on what is in the fridge) and fruit or fruit yoghurt. Possibly supplemented by a protein shake..

5pmish - perhaps another sandwich and tea (well I am british). Or a shake after workout (which tends to push this meal much later eg typically workout around 7pm meaning I have a shake about 8pm and then perhaps eat dinner an hour later.

8-9pm - somekind of dinner - tend to make this a main meal eg spag bol, chicken baked with rice or couscous or tuna pasta or sometimes roast chicken or a casserole. Not huge on vegetables though which is not good. Yoghurt or something like that for dessert. I do like desserts and will sometimes make myself a carrot cake and eat it over the course of 5 days...

about midnight - perhaps a shake/sandwich or if feeling really chav something like bake beans out of a can, sometimes a shake etc

somewhere between 1-3am bed

So at this rate I am eating perhaps 4-5 times a day - not the 6 or so times that others manage. Admittedly I am sleeping alot at the mo and not waking against an alarm - sometimes I sleep 10 or more hours. Other times I am still up at 3-4am....

I think my problem is I am not good at planning ahead. The morning might be okay but then the evening goes to pieces if I am away from home and having a drink out or a college lecture (lectures are 2.30-9pm with the Pub afterwards typically once or twice a week).

Also I tend to cook for myself when I am feeling hungry so if I end up deciding that I want to do something elaborate at say 8pm I may sit down to eat it typically at 10pm cos of the prep and cooking time.

So does everyone else have little tupperware containers with meals ready prepped?

[glammaman2000]

...you're stronger when you're heavier,YOU JUST ARE!I personally prefer the beer&banana diet(2beers,2bananas before bedtime)Have you ever seen Lee Priest in the off-season?OBESE!Unrecognizable.(I'm not reccommending this)Also,pro bodybuilders force-feed themselves huge quantities of low calorie foods(boiled,peeled chicken breasts & oatmeal)Like foie gras.Once again,I'm not reccommending this.

[UKBeefy]

I recently saw the Lee Priest Training camp DVD and was genuinely confused during the training section as I wondered when Lee was going to appear. Then I realised the chunky guy in the middle was Lee - he looked facially completely different - I don't like his shredded look but then not that bothered about his off season look. The DVD has a small segment of posing in the gym after the workout and god he is so "inflated" that he really can't walk well. He is about as wide as he is tall - literally. Those legs must be a right pain - he really looked like a dwarf who had put an air pump in his legs.

[Digibacker]

Originally Posted by UKBeefy

Then I realised the chunky guy in the middle was Lee - he looked facially completely different

And completely better, in my opinion.

I'd love to see that video. I've only seen some pics of him in an ad where he is quite overweight during the off-season. But I actually liked him better that way.

Though, I've also heard that he's quite reckless with his diet in the off-season, so that presents some health concerns.

[RIbiodiver]

All I can add is that I've found it doesn't have to be scientific or exceptionally planned to add muscle. For quite a few years I lifted hard but just didn't grow. As soon as I started shoveling more food in (and it took a lot) my size and strenght jumped without much if any fat gain. Like the other guys stated, you just have to monitor your bodyfat. So if you're gaining more fat than you like cut back a bit. But for me, it included eating more frequently as well as more at a sitting. I found it difficult to eat regular meals at fixed times, and it didn't seem to matter much as long as at the end of the day I got more in than I burned. For the most part I eat healthful food, but if I need calories, I'm going to grab a burger or two. I was surprised at how easy it was and I didn't need any fancy supps. I do however have a protein shake in the AM and sometimes after a workout with some simple carbs. Anyway, that's been my experience.

[savvaget]

I am looking for suggestions or tips on gaining some weight. I am a tall guy, 6'5". but I only weigh 170 pounds, I would really like to gain some weight. It seems that I can eat and eat, but I never seem to gain weight. Any help appreciated, thanks.

[brent]

If you aren't gaining weight, you aren't eating enough, or sleeping enough. You must increase BOTH! Also, watch your aerobic activity during the day.

[hulkmuscle]

Originally Posted by brent

If you aren't gaining weight, you aren't eating enough, or sleeping enough. You must increase BOTH! Also, watch your aerobic activity during the day.

In full concurrence with Brent, I will add make sure you're not overtraining. Hardgainers can not sustain long workouts, much less recover from them easily. Keep your workouts to under an hour; if you don't see results, cut them to 45 minutes max. Likewise, make sure you're emphasizing compound exercises (squat, bench, delt press, deadlift, etc.) and cut back on or eliminate on isolation work if you're after size. If you're not squatting or deadlifting regularly, you're doing yourself a serious disservice.

Good luck. Keep us informed.

[glammaman2000]

8HRS!People really underrate it as a bodybuilding tool.

[brent]

Originally Posted by hulkmuscle

45 minutes max. Likewise, make sure you're emphasizing compound exercises (squat, bench, delt press, deadlift, etc.)

This is very important. Muscle growth is all about recovery. Do some work & figure out the shortest possible workout. This will make you grow & want to keep working out.