Thoughts

[Contempt]

Sherbros, thought I'd ask peoples thoughts on my plan for the next 7 months.

My aim for this year was to put on 5kg (12lb) I got really sick last year and also had my 3rd shoulder surgery so exercise was kind of ff the table for a lot of the year. I managed to not blimp out by restricting calories but lost a fair bit of muscle mass hence the plan to put on weight this year.

so... my plans were kind of derailed in the first week of January by um... drinking a bottle of scotch then going out in the back yard to roll with a much heavier, also drunk mate. I tore the ligament attaching my muscle to the bone just below my right knee and suffered from a lot of numbness and could barely walk for four months.

Anyway... back into it now and doing full body weights 2x a week and HIIT sprints 2x week. My stats are:
6'1 76kg (170lb) approx 13% BF, 2500kcal a day maintenance and about to turn 37 next month. I'd like to be a lean 180lb by the end of the year.

My plan is to keep up the full body weights and sprints until the end of June to lean out to around 10% BF and then start eating an extra 250kcal a day and swap out some running for more weights to do a slow bulk by the end of the year without blimping.

Do you think my goals are doable/realistic?

 

[Frode Falch]

Less alcohol. Not good for your recovery, testosterone levels, gainz, ect ect

 

[Contempt]

Less alcohol. Not good for your recovery, testosterone levels, gainz, ect ect

Well yes, that kind of goes without saying. Downing an entire bottle of scotch by myself in one night isn't a regular occurrence(It was however an excellent bottle of scotch). I typically only have a beer or two each week with friends and factor the calories into my daily calorie count.

 

[j123]

To be fair even with a lean bulk you'll still put on some fat, alot less than a typical "dirty bulk" (calorie based not source)
Going with 0.5lb a week you'll put on 9lbs by the end of October (the next 2 months would be to cut)

Is there any reason why you need to hit 180 by year's end? Based on your situation I don't see it happening.
If you lean bulk now until the end of October, you'd put on around 11-12lbs, then you'd spend the next 2 months cutting, and you're back to 170; So there's not much progress in that department.

Generally you need around 8-10 bulks to really have any significant progress. Typically you'd lean bulk with that time putting on around near 20lbs, then you'd cut about 10-12lbs (1lb/week).

It will seem a bit long, but I'd lean bulk until end of March or early April of next year (2017). Then make a decent cut leading into summer.

 

[Contempt]

Thanks for the reply.

Essentially, the reason that I'm targeting 180 by the end of the year is... It's good to have goals. I get bored very quickly if I'm not working towards something.

I used to be much larger in my early 20's (90kg/200lb lean with 6 pack) but that's just because I ate like a horse and lived in the gym. 3 shoulder surgeries(among many other injuries) from martial arts and weights over the last two decades have taken their toll but still fit as fuck with mid 40's resting heart rate etc.

Anyway... I've always just trained for strength and endurance so I've never had to try to actually bulk before and I thought a 7 month plan to put on about 5KG seemed like a good goal to have. I thought I'd ask those with more experience in this area what they thought. P.S I live in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are reversed. Cutting at that time would be leading into winter and I'm already suffering from the cold currently at around 13% BF

Here's another thought:
HIIT sprints absolutely torch fat off me. What if I went with 6 days a week with +500 calorie surplus and then one day a week with a big (around 2000 kcal) deficit including HIIT? That way I stay anabolic for 6 days out of 7 and keep my caloric balance, somewhat in check with that one "fuck my life" day a week? Obviously during that day I'd be chugging BCAA's and drinking whey/casein to minimise catabolism.

 

[j123]

Thanks for the reply.

Essentially, the reason that I'm targeting 180 by the end of the year is... It's good to have goals. I get bored very quickly if I'm not working towards something.

I used to be much larger in my early 20's (90kg/200lb lean with 6 pack) but that's just because I ate like a horse and lived in the gym. 3 shoulder surgeries(among many other injuries) from martial arts and weights over the last two decades have taken their toll but still fit as fuck with mid 40's resting heart rate etc.

Anyway... I've always just trained for strength and endurance so I've never had to try to actually bulk before and I thought a 7 month plan to put on about 5KG seemed like a good goal to have. I thought I'd ask those with more experience in this area what they thought. P.S I live in the southern hemisphere so the seasons are reversed. Cutting at that time would be leading into winter and I'm already suffering from the cold currently at around 13% BF

Here's another thought:
HIIT sprints absolutely torch fat off me. What if I went with 6 days a week with +500 calorie surplus and then one day a week with a big (around 2000 kcal) deficit including HIIT? That way I stay anabolic for 6 days out of 7 and keep my caloric balance, somewhat in check with that one "fuck my life" day a week? Obviously during that day I'd be chugging BCAA's and drinking whey/casein to minimise catabolism.

I agree its pretty shitty to cut during winter or Holiday seasons. I went through that early of 2015, its not fun.

The thing it may work, it may not. There's no one-size-fit-all approach to dieting and strength training, everything should be tailored made for everyone imo. Everyone's different; However, what I said is just based on theory and I'm basing it off what I've been through myself and on paper for others I've talked with in person and online. Things may end up different for you or another poster on the forum.

Normally there's one or the other: surplus + deficit (gain weight or losing weight), there's not really an in between unless said person is really blessed with awesome genetics. If you find yourself losing weight or maintaining while on a 0.5lb surplus, that usually means you've increased your activity level to the point your body has adjusted, and your TDEE (maintenance) has changed. This could range from adding a second training session (added an AM training session combined with your normal evening training) or working a strenuous physical job. So your maintenance for example has gone from 3000 to say 3300, which you might've been normally eating 3250 daily to grow, is now at maintenance.

For your 6 day surplus + 1 day deficit:
I don't know what your TDEE is, so I'm not sure how big of a deficit of 2000 calories does for you, but if 2000 calories is a 500 calorie deficit, based on the +500 surplus for 6 days, you'd be gaining 0.7lbs that week. Thats not too bad imo, it isn't too crazy, and it isn't too low either.
I feel the meal timing doesn't really do much, I used to buy into it, but due to scheduling at work, I ended up eating 3 times a day (larger meals, same daily caloric total, just spread across 3 instead of 5-6 meals), and there's been no difference. Actually on the weekends or days I train once, I eat twice a day. No difference. I'm not on the bad end of things, lifts are improving, I have enough energy on the mats or sparring, etc.
But like I said, everyone's different, if you feel cravings and the deficit day is affecting you, and taking BCAAs + Casein helps keeps you on track, then its good and keep at it.

You can try 1lb a week, some guys I know in person and online have done well successfully while not putting on lots of fat; However, I and lot of others aren't like that, a 0.5lb weekly lean bulk is the way for us. If you want, try it for a few weeks, if you're packing on more fat than you think, then drop the calories down to a 250 calorie deficit (0.5lb weekly).

-Cheers

 

[Contempt]

Thanks and yeah, I know it's 100% theory and will be different for everyone that attempts such things.

My job is mostly sitting on my arse all day. My maintenance is 2500 while basically inactive and the days that I do sprints or weights I knock off about another 600 calories each day.

My thoughts on the 6 surplus + 1 FML day (which is today *sigh*) are based on the following:
-I have seen research that shows that you don't have any real slowdown on your metabolic rate for the first 3 days, even with a huge caloric gap.
-One day at very low calories doesn't hurt as long as you go back to maintenance the next day. I have been doing huge caloric gap, then maintenance, maintenance, then huge caloric gap again and dropping weight nicely.
-I figure that if you're anabolic and building muscle 6 days out of 7 with 1 day to minimise fat increase then it should (in theory) work.
-Running a 2000 calorie deficit sucks arse but it's only for 1 day then back to maintenance for the next couple of days. Even the most weak willed tubby bitch can diet for 1 day.

The BCAAs and protein/casein during big defecit days are mainly to avoid muscle catabolism.

I guess I'll just have to screw around and see what works for me. I've got all the tools to get the job done, now just need to do it. Thanks for your thoughts.

Edit: just looked at account join date... *sigh* best not to think of the several years of lurking I did before bothering to sign up.

 

[j123]

Thanks and yeah, I know it's 100% theory and will be different for everyone that attempts such things.

My job is mostly sitting on my arse all day. My maintenance is 2500 while basically inactive and the days that I do sprints or weights I knock off about another 600 calories each day.

My thoughts on the 6 surplus + 1 FML day (which is today *sigh*) are based on the following:
-I have seen research that shows that you don't have any real slowdown on your metabolic rate for the first 3 days, even with a huge caloric gap.
-One day at very low calories doesn't hurt as long as you go back to maintenance the next day. I have been doing huge caloric gap, then maintenance, maintenance, then huge caloric gap again and dropping weight nicely.
-I figure that if you're anabolic and building muscle 6 days out of 7 with 1 day to minimise fat increase then it should (in theory) work.
-Running a 2000 calorie deficit sucks arse but it's only for 1 day then back to maintenance for the next couple of days. Even the most weak willed tubby bitch can diet for 1 day.

The BCAAs and protein/casein during big defecit days are mainly to avoid muscle catabolism.

I guess I'll just have to screw around and see what works for me. I've got all the tools to get the job done, now just need to do it. Thanks for your thoughts.

Edit: just looked at account join date... *sigh* best not to think of the several years of lurking I did before bothering to sign up.

lol, I lurked for awhile as well. Back then Strength and Power was separate from the Conditioning forum

 

[Contempt]

Yeah it's just a shock to look down and see your account joined date was 10 years ago today... I'm getting old as shit.