Staying lean while bulking...any tips anyone?

[Fuglydude]

hey all, just wondering what tips everyone has for staying lean while bulking.

I HAVE TO stay at around 10% or so cause of work...so its tough, even counterproductive to try and bulk up because its very tough to do both simultaneously. I find minimizing my intake of crap food, refined sugars, and eating more healthy fats and protein (obviously) help, but its tough to take in the extra calories and still eat clean 90-95% of the time. One of the fun things about bulking is that you dont' have to be as anal about your diet.

Normally during previous bulking phases I aimed for 4000-4500 cals per day w/ 200-250 g protein. But that's a lot of calories to take in and still stay lean!

I'm naturally thin, pretty classic ecto-mesomorph, currently sitting at 5'8" - 165.

Just wondering if anyone has any tips.

 

[blinkwatt]

You want to stay lean while gaining muscle,it's called not "bulking". Just eat tons of meat(made on a George Foreman),fruit and drink fat free milk and you will stay lean. Cut off the fruits 3-5 hours prior to your bed times,wheats and other carbs 5-7 hour prior to bed time. Good Luck!

 

[Fuglydude]

Thanx for the tips...this is similar to what I do now...only I dont' consume too many complex carbs.

What's the difference between bulking and putting on muscle while staying lean?

 

[Oxide]

Here is an idea, input wanted:

3 regular meals.
1 shake before bed
2 shakes during the day.

you are loaded on protein while low on carbs and fats. Could work to reduce fat while gaining muscle?

 

[kickureface]

why a george foreman?

 

[blinkwatt]

why a george foreman?

You could make your meat on whatever but I like the George Foreman because it is easy to clean and alot of fat is drained from the food while cooked.

 

[Redux]

Find your maintenance caloric intake and add 100 calories per week until you are gaining a good amount of mass without gaining fat. Too much fat, lower the cals, not enough gains up them. If you want up it only with proteins.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Here is an idea, input wanted:

3 regular meals.
1 shake before bed
2 shakes during the day.

you are loaded on protein while low on carbs and fats. Could work to reduce fat while gaining muscle?

What do you use in your shakes?

 

[Call_Me_Daddy]

What's the difference between bulking and putting on muscle while staying lean?

One is possible, the other is not.

 

[Warboss Alex]

One is possible, the other is not.

bulking is an excuse to add fat because you're not prepared to eat and do proper cardio to keep fat gains down. of course if you're 120lbs and 8% then you really need to bulk and the added fat will not be an issue

however you can stay lean while adding muscle just fine (although it is a fairly slow process which many lose patience with).

 

[Call_Me_Daddy]

however you can stay lean while adding muscle just fine (although it is a fairly slow process which many lose patience with).

Far too slow. And it requires way too much nitpicking to make sure you don't eat too much or less, and the exercise make sure you don't do too much or too little. Most are not able to do it.

I vote bulking as most efficient way when done properly.

 

[ryannath]

I tried the 3 regular meals and 2 protein shakes during the day with peanut butter, and I went from 6'0 162 to 169 in 3 weeks and I did dead lifts, squats, and bench 3 times a week. I'm one of these skinny hardgainers that thought I couldn't gain weight, but that worked.

 

[eminence]

I tried the 3 regular meals and 2 protein shakes during the day with peanut butter, and I went from 6'0 162 to 169 in 3 weeks and I did dead lifts, squats, and bench 3 times a week. I'm one of these skinny hardgainers that thought I couldn't gain weight, but that worked.

162 isnt really considered all that skinny, that's around the recommended weight for your height...so most likely your not a hard gainer you just had a ****ty diet and poor exercise program.

 

[Throttle]

bulking is an excuse to add fat because you're not prepared to eat and do proper cardio to keep fat gains down. of course if you're 120lbs and 8% then you really need to bulk and the added fat will not be an issue

however you can stay lean while adding muscle just fine (although it is a fairly slow process which many lose patience with).

I'm with Alex on this one... unless you're below 10%bf (an affliction I've never been cursed with), then it's very possible to add significant muscle while losing or maintaining bodyfat. The trick is to stop worrying about dietary fat (balance your fats, esp. by adding omega-3s, but don't try to eliminate anything except partially hydrogenated oils); get rid of all the simple carbs (sugars & starch); and emphasize veggies over other fibrous carb sources.

For fugly, the issue is academic, as he says he must stay below 10%, so slowly adding lean mass is his only option. bulk / cut cycles are not on the menu.

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by Francisco d'Anconia
What do you use in your shakes?

Breakfast shake -- 2 scoops of whey + 1 scoop of glutamine + water + 1tsp of olive oil

Preworkout shake -- 2 scoops of whey + 1 tbsp of creatine + water

Postworkout shake -- 2 scoops of whey + 1 scoop of glutamine + water

---------

I always use water, but alot of people use milk because it tastes better and makes it thicker. I'm shedding some fat right now so I use water instead, and I've gone off milk for awhile.

---------

By the way, is 160lbs at 5'8.5" about right? I used a bioelectric impedence scale about a week ago and it said I was at 13%bf. The waist/hip ratio bf% said I was at 14.7, but I don't trust that garbage.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Far too slow. And it requires way too much nitpicking to make sure you don't eat too much or less, and the exercise make sure you don't do too much or too little. Most are not able to do it.

I vote bulking as most efficient way when done properly.

Bulking (adding fat) is the optimal way to gain size and strength yes, but it comes with fat gain, often at a poor ratio of fat gained to muscle gained. If bodyfat isn't a concern do this.

But I don't find eating fairly clean most of the year requiring way too much nitpicking. You follow general rules such as carb timing, cardio, restrict junk food, but I never suggested counting calories. In fact I'd say it was easier to follow a 'loose' eating plan like this all the time than have periods in which you have to ensure an excess or a deficit.

It's a very individual thing. There's kids on here who're 130-140lbs at 5'10" and want to 'cut' (from 7% bodyfat to 5%). They're the ideal candidates for a traditional bulk. For those of us already with a solid muscular base a steady recomposition is a better choice.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I'm with Alex on this one... unless you're below 10%bf (an affliction I've never been cursed with), then it's very possible to add significant muscle while losing or maintaining bodyfat.

took the words out of my mouth bro.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Fugly, if you're a fitness model and need to stay at a certain bodyfat then you need to time carbs very strictly and keep your protein and fats high. This is of course dependant on your metabolism but in general this is the best way especially if gaining considerable size isn't a goal

 

[Throttle]

By the way, is 160lbs at 5'8.5" about right? I used a bioelectric impedence scale about a week ago and it said I was at 13%bf.

such scales are crap. as mr. r. pointed out in another thread, tracking his progress on one such scale would indicate that he is in fact dead. my experience & that of several friends tends to support that conclusion. any impedence test is very sensitive to salt & hydration levels.

The waist/hip ratio bf% said I was at 14.7, but I don't trust that garbage.

as well you shouldn't. the waist measurement gets all mucked up once (heaven forbid) you begin to build a solid core.

the mirror is your most reliable guide, unless you want to get in the habit of having someone else do a 3-spot caliper test on you on a regular basis. even then, such methods are much better at tracking your progress than spitting out a magic number that says 'this is how skinny you are'... a mirror is cheaper and simpler, and as long as the weights are going up & you're not developing a gut, who cares?

 

[Warboss Alex]

I agree Throttle. Basically if a guy is trying to gain, takes a (possibly inaccurate) bodyfat test showing he's gone from 8.2% bf to 8.6%, what's gonna happen? Our friend will promptly throw red meat, eggs, heavy training etc out the window, and go on a 'cut' with volume training, and ending up at the same bodyweight but a high bodyfat than before since he's panic-burning muscle.. and then wonder where it all went wrong

You can look awesome at 200lbs, 10% bf. Would you prefer this, or 180lbs, 8% bf? Get caught up in numbers and you'll never grow.