Slow Bulk vs Fast Bulk

[Dan08]

What do you guys go for when bulking?

A slow bulk I'm assuming is gradually increasing your calorie intake till you hit your intake required for muscle growth whereas the fast bulk would be getting those calories in straight away on a daily basis without anytime built in for your body to adjust.

Obviously the fast bulk could lead to excess fat over time compared to the slow bulk but if you're going to be cutting eventually does it matter?

 

[insomniac9]

unless you fancy some nice stretch marks on whatever body part you're likely to get them, not to mention the unsightly excess bodyfat, always go with a gradual, lean bulk over a dirty bulk.

quality over quantity always brother, always let the mirror be your judge not the scale. after all, a big part of investing our time & effort into being in great shape is so we can look our best.

 

[Dan08]

unless you fancy some nice stretch marks on whatever body part you're likely to get them, not to mention the unsightly excess bodyfat, always go with a gradual, lean bulk over a dirty bulk.

quality over quantity always brother, always let the mirror be your judge not the scale. after all, a big part of investing our time & effort into being in great shape is so we can look our best.

Ok so a lean bulk would be the gradual increase of calories correct? I need to hit 3k and currently am probably around the 1500-2000 mark. Was going to just take a mass gainer shake but I don't want to go to fast.

 

[goundra]

beyond a certain point, you simply CAN'T make strength gains in a given muscle group without an increase in the mass of said muscle group. You often plateau, have to target that group with slightly different moves and weights, and skip it now and then to work on others. but gains can be forced, it's just a question of doing what it required. that requirement can be 2-3x as much for you as for the next guy. A lot depends upon genetics, diet, exercise type and amount.

 

[Dan08]

beyond a certain point, you simply CAN'T make strength gains in a given muscle group without an increase in the mass of said muscle group. You often plateau, have to target that group with slightly different moves and weights, and skip it now and then to work on others. but gains can be forced, it's just a question of doing what it required. that requirement can be 2-3x as much for you as for the next guy. A lot depends upon genetics, diet, exercise type and amount.

Fair enough. 3k calories starting monday it is, ill go from there.

 

[user43770]

Ok so a lean bulk would be the gradual increase of calories correct? I need to hit 3k and currently am probably around the 1500-2000 mark. Was going to just take a mass gainer shake but I don't want to go to fast.

Any kind of weight gain or weight loss revolves around your BMR (base metabolic rate). You go over, you gain weight; you go under, you lose weight. Do a google search for BMR and caculate what yours is. This needs to include your activity level.

A slow bulk is when you eat 200-300 calories over your BMR every day. A fast bulk is when you eat more than that - usually around 500 or more. Seeing as you can only put on a certain amount of muscle in a given time, it would be wise to take it slow. Everything extra will be fat that you're gonna have to eventually lose.

You should also know that it's normal to put on a little fat, even with a slow bulk.

This is just a general guideline. As the other poster said, you have to experiment to find out how your body reacts to different calorie totals.

 

[goundra]

read THE FOUR HOUR BODY, by Tim Ferris. Your local libray will have a copy.

 

[insomniac9]

Ok so a lean bulk would be the gradual increase of calories correct? I need to hit 3k and currently am probably around the 1500-2000 mark. Was going to just take a mass gainer shake but I don't want to go to fast.

yes, always try to add some more cals from protein & carbs in the form of solid food before going with the option of consuming liquid cals like a gainer shake.
also, a lean bulk means you still eat clean, you just eat more of that clean food to hit your target cals & protein intake, as opposed to a dirty bulk where you eat whatever you want.

 

[DanZy]

read THE FOUR HOUR BODY, by Tim Ferris. Your local libray will have a copy.

Don't do this, that book is a load of bullsh1t

 

[Krueg]

If your going to "bulk", then just bulk! Over time if you think your getting "fat", reduce calories or eat cleaner.

Some guys start to bulk and think "OMG, I'm loosing my abs!" So, they eat less and never gain overall mass.

For example, if your 150 pounds and want to look like Arnold, your gonna have to eat your way to 220-250lbs and then cut fat to look shredded. As long as your training hard in the gym.

 

[goundra]

says you, right? i mean, you have 10 years of experimentation and credits all over the place, like Ferris has, RIGHT, bser?

 

[Purefilth]

I'm with Krueg. I cant be azzed to calculate, so I eatr shiitloads, and lift hard.

I use the mirror to judge how I'm doing, and it tells me im doing good

 

[DanZy]

says you, right? i mean, you have 10 years of experimentation and credits all over the place, like Ferris has, RIGHT, bser?

No says the science behind his claims. If sh1t were that easy, everyone would do it.

 

[user43770]

I'm with Krueg. I cant be azzed to calculate, so I eatr shiitloads, and lift hard.

I use the mirror to judge how I'm doing, and it tells me im doing good

I won't tell you to stop doing that if it's working for you. As long as you're making gains, that's all that matters.

I will say that I was spinning my wheels for years by eating what I thought was a lot. It wasn't until I got scientific - that is, extremely particular about my calories - that I started making the progress that I'd always wanted.

Either way, work out hard and stay consistent. Good luck.

 

[[S]alvatore]

says you, right? i mean, you have 10 years of experimentation and credits all over the place, like Ferris has, RIGHT, bser?

Ferris is a charlatan, his methods are worthless.

To the OP:

Better to do a slow bulk. Why create new fat cells that will stick with you for 10 years? So you can pig out on food? As your bodyfat gets higher, the gain of fat to muscle ratio gets skewed for the worse. Not worth it in the long run.

 

[Fuglydude]

I agree with the slow bulk.

You can often gain weight very fast at the start as your body adapts. Just make sure to keep your body composition in check. Eat lots of good clean whole food. This is tough as foods high in quality carbs, fat and protein can be very filling.

Nutrient timing is also very important.

 

[Kirro]

Lean bulk. 200-300 calories over maintenance.

And no you don't need to eat a 100% clean food diet. Calories are calories, macros are macros. Your body will absorb a complex carb the same way it absorbs a simple carb. Food choices have little to no effect on body composition. If you're going to eat stuff like pizza, cheeseburgers and such on a regular basis, you will have to be anal about tracking your calories. As stuff like that has absurd macro ratios and will throw off your regular meals.