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There is a lot of good info in this thread. I've been reading since last night. I'm confused. A lot I'd the ladies in here appear to be smaller than me. So I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing now. How do you know if you're supposed to start bulking or keep cutting?
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[QUOTE=SweetnBossy;877357831]There is a lot of good info in this thread. I've been reading since last night. I'm confused. A lot I'd the ladies in here appear to be smaller than me. So I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing now. How do you know if you're supposed to start bulking or keep cutting?[/QUOTE]
Looking at your picts you have a good lean base but I'd start by leaning out first. I think you'll be happier starting a bulk at a lower body fat. That doesn't mean you can't gain muscle while leaning out. Especially as a newbie! If you take a slower fat loss approach, like 250 calorie deficit instead of a 500 calorie deficit, you may get more muscle gains during your leaning out phase. It's really up to you and what kind of physique you want.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;877383671]Looking at your picts you have a good lean base but I'd start by leaning out first. I think you'll be happier starting a bulk at a lower body fat. That doesn't mean you can't gain muscle while leaning out. Especially as a newbie! If you take a slower fat loss approach, like 250 calorie deficit instead of a 500 calorie deficit, you may get more muscle gains during your leaning out phase. It's really up to you and what kind of physique you want.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for your response! I'm looking to add more muscle overall. So I kept lowering my calories, telling myself when I get to about 130 I should start bulking. I have been eating at 1500 (up from 1200) for about 3 months now . I just feel like I'm getting skinnier and looking too flabby. It's hard for me explain the kind of physique I want. I know that I don't want the skinny fat look. I don't want to just be smaller and look good in clothes- I want to be smaller and look good out of my clothes too. But I want muscle definition - my arms, my legs, etc. I don't know if I'm making sense.
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[QUOTE=SweetnBossy;877525101]Thanks for your response! I'm looking to add more muscle overall. So I kept lowering my calories, telling myself when I get to about 130 I should start bulking. I have been eating at 1500 (up from 1200) for about 3 months now . I just feel like I'm getting skinnier and looking too flabby. It's hard for me explain the kind of physique I want. I know that I don't want the skinny fat look. I don't want to just be smaller and look good in clothes- I want to be smaller and look good out of my clothes too. But I want muscle definition - my arms, my legs, etc. I don't know if I'm making sense.[/QUOTE]
I think I get the picture. You can bulk at any time. It's more of a mental thing. As long as you're cool with gaining a bit of fat go for it! It won't be a ton of fat. And when you lean out you should be happier. Although we tend to never be happy so a few bulk/lean cycles may be needed :)
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Starting a bulk is definitely mental. I kept putting it off too, but one day it kind of just clicked. I just got a big "What the F are you waiting for?" flash across my brain.
Is it weird that when I get bored I go WAY back in this thread and lurk every page I can? ha!
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Hey bulkin' babes ;) I just whipped up this comparison image that I thought was share-worthy. What a difference a year can make!!!
[img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5275/7144919583_f44d005268.jpg[/img]
^^now I probably have a little more body fat in the current picture but there is still some visible progress there. If you are on the fence about an all-out bulk... just do it! :D
I'll be joining you again in August... I need to focus on my delts, lats, and hamstrings the next time around...
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[QUOTE=stephanielynn76;877614721]Hey bulkin' babes ;) I just whipped up this comparison image that I thought was share-worthy. What a difference a year can make!!!
[img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5275/7144919583_f44d005268.jpg[/img]
^^now I probably have a little more body fat in the current picture but there is still some visible progress there. If you are on the fence about an all-out bulk... just do it! :D
I'll be joining you again in August... I need to work focus on my delts, lats, and hamstrings the next time around...[/QUOTE]
That's awesome Stephanie!!!
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Stephanie you are a serious inspiration. I creeped your Bodyspace and I was wowed! You totally built your legs up.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;877617891]That's awesome Stephanie!!![/QUOTE]
Thanks FBM! That means a lot coming from you... bulking veteran!! :p I'm gonna rep you on recharge!
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[QUOTE=Sarah97;877619451]Stephanie you are a serious inspiration. I creeped your Bodyspace and I was wowed! You totally built your legs up.[/QUOTE]
Thanks girl! ;) Creep away... I'll freely admit I do it all the time around here... lol. There are so many inspiring motivating women around here... especially ITT. I wouldn't have made the progress I did without the ladies here... luv them!
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Update: I weighed in at 86.5 today! So happy since i was stuck at 84-85 forever. Currently eating around 2200 cals. I think ill stick with this level for now. Even though I don't gain every week, Im still gaining, just at a pretty slow pace. Which is good for me. Also had my trainer test my body fat again a week ago (calipers). still 9% which is the same that I started at. So that means Im gaining both fat and muscle equally, although 9% is still too low, I realize. Ill post more pics when I get to 90lb.
Hope you are all well!
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[QUOTE=Sarah97;877607711]Starting a bulk is definitely mental. I kept putting it off too, but one day it kind of just clicked. I just got a big "What the F are you waiting for?" flash across my brain.
[/QUOTE]
This was totally me as well! I had upped my cals to 1800-1900 in October and kept them that way until January even though I wasn't gaining that entire time and was totally frustrated. Since I want to compete this fall, I knew at that point it was do or die, because if I didn't start gaining and gaining soon, there was no way I'd be ready. Of course now I'm mad at myself because I am not sure at this point if I'll be ready and I probably would have been with no problems if I'd just gotten past the mental block sooner. But live and learn - the stage isn't going anywhere, so even if I wait a few months, no biggie. I'd rather feel super prepared than get up there and feel like I shouldn't be there.
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Stephanie, I am in awe that you were able to grow your quads that much in a six month bulk. What an awesome job you've done. I saw your pictures in your other thread and can I just say, your obliques are also a work of art. They almost make me want to do direct ab work. Almost. hahahaha I just want to add my voice in saying that I have absolutely no idea what is required to compete, but you look absolutely awesome and I wish you all the best of luck no matter your decision.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;877577101]I think I get the picture. You can bulk at any time. It's more of a mental thing. As long as you're cool with gaining a bit of fat go for it! It won't be a ton of fat. And when you lean out you should be happier. Although we tend to never be happy so a few bulk/lean cycles may be needed :)[/QUOTE]
I think that's part of my problem- getting there mentally. Even though, for a while, I've been having this feeling that I should do it, you know? But I'm scared lol so I kept trying to push myself to lose more. Either way, I'm not happy with what I see in the mirror and I feel like a fraud when folks say I look geat (I used to be heavier, and on a formerly super skinny girl, either look wasn't good for me) b/c I know what I see in the mirror in the morning and I want more. Just being skinny is not enough for me. I think I'm ready to take the plunge but I will really lurk this thread b/c I have no clue as to what I should be doing as far as calorie intake, etc.
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Quick question-How close together should my carb and protein numbers be? Today for example, I'm at 183g carbs and 157g protein. (I still have ~400 calories left in my day.) Is the gap between the two numbers too large? Or should I not worry about it as long as they're relative?
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[QUOTE=Sarah97;877731001]Quick question-How close together should my carb and protein numbers be? Today for example, I'm at 183g carbs and 157g protein. (I still have ~400 calories left in my day.) Is the gap between the two numbers too large? Or should I not worry about it as long as they're relative?[/QUOTE]
Have you read the calorie/macro sticky? As long as you're getting ~1g/lb of bodyweight in protein and at least .4g/lb of bodyweight in fat (so, for you, ~130g protein, 50g fat), what you do with the rest of your calories is up to you.
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Yes I have! And that's what I figured. I know I need to get the proteins and fats right, and then I can divide the rest as I please. I just also remember reading about people keeping their carbs and proteins around the same so I thought I'd check and see if I was in the clear. I just like to double check my thoughts because I tend to get confused easily -_- lol Thank you!
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[QUOTE=SweetnBossy;877722761]I think that's part of my problem- getting there mentally. Even though, for a while, I've been having this feeling that I should do it, you know? But I'm scared lol so I kept trying to push myself to lose more. Either way, I'm not happy with what I see in the mirror and I feel like a fraud when folks say I look geat (I used to be heavier, and on a formerly super skinny girl, either look wasn't good for me) b/c I know what I see in the mirror in the morning and I want more. Just being skinny is not enough for me. I think I'm ready to take the plunge but I will really lurk this thread b/c I have no clue as to what I should be doing as far as calorie intake, etc.[/QUOTE]
As long as you're lifting and not at a big deficit, you're not standing still. I don't know how old you are but maintenance is in the neighborhood of 2200 cals. For bulking you'd go up to 2450.
[QUOTE=Sarah97;877731001]Quick question-How close together should my carb and protein numbers be? Today for example, I'm at 183g carbs and 157g protein. (I still have ~400 calories left in my day.) Is the gap between the two numbers too large? Or should I not worry about it as long as they're relative?[/QUOTE]
It makes absolutely no difference. Get your body weight in grams for protein and eat what you want. A bit more protein can help with recovery. Lots of carbs also help with recovery as well as energy in the gym.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;877797321]As long as you're lifting and not at a big deficit, you're not standing still. I don't know how old you are but maintenance is in the neighborhood of 2200 cals. For bulking you'd go up to 2450.
Wow! That is a LOT! I would've have never thought the number would be that high.How do you even fit in that many?
I'm 33 btw.
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[QUOTE=SweetnBossy;877917391][QUOTE=freebirdmac;877797321]As long as you're lifting and not at a big deficit, you're not standing still. I don't know how old you are but maintenance is in the neighborhood of 2200 cals. For bulking you'd go up to 2450.
Wow! That is a LOT! I would've have never thought the number would be that high.How do you even fit in that many?
I'm 33 btw.[/QUOTE]
Easy! A minimum of 142g protein and 43g of fat is 955 calories already. If you add 200g carbs and bump fat up to 93g you're there. Of course you can structure this however you want. More carbs, less fat, but you get the idea. After you've been dieting for awhile your body is ready to rock and roll on some food. If nothing else I'd go to maintenance for a few weeks and give your body a rest from dieting. Some bloating can occur depending on your previous eating style, but it's temporary.
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[QUOTE=dreahere;877685981]Stephanie, I am in awe that you were able to grow your quads that much in a six month bulk. What an awesome job you've done. I saw your pictures in your other thread and can I just say, your obliques are also a work of art. They almost make me want to do direct ab work. Almost. hahahaha I just want to add my voice in saying that I have absolutely no idea what is required to compete, but you look absolutely awesome and I wish you all the best of luck no matter your decision.[/QUOTE]
Awwww... thanks dreahere xoxoxo!! Miss seeing you round since I switched to cutting... I need to peek at your blog and catch up! About my quads... I think I had a little bit of a newbie-gains advantage there. Even though I had been lifting for YEARS before that, I had wasted my time piddling around on the extension, curl, and inner/outer thigh machines. I had avoided the big lifts for all those years. I started incorporating them into my training 6 months before I started bulking so like a little over a year ago. What a difference it makes to actually do squats and DL's!!! My advice to everyone... JUST DO THEM! I LOLed at your comment about doing direct ab work because I HATE it myself. In fact, I haven't done it in quite a long time. If I actually did direct ab work I might could acquire a six-pack. The problem is, I just don't want it bad enough to invest the time or energy into it. I'd rather have a tighter bum!
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Thanks so much freebirdmac! You've been extremely helpful. I really appreciate it.
I can't seem to escape bloating so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. Most of my favorite foods cause it for me (broccoli, spinach, and recently, I learned cauliflower)!
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I was surprised I was escaping bloat these past couple of days, it caught up with me today :) I'm kind of oddly satisfied with it though, ha. What I'm not satisfied with is making a huge egg sandwich loaded with turkey bacon and cheese and then dropping it on the floor.
So this week (I start my "weeks" out on Sunday, if that makes any sense) I'm only lifting twice, today and tomorrow. My husband and I are doing Tough Mudder next weekend, and I've been so freaking sore lately I need to let myself recover beforehand. I'm definitely going to have lifting withdrawals.
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[QUOTE=SweetnBossy;877946911]Thanks so much freebirdmac! You've been extremely helpful. I really appreciate it.
I can't seem to escape bloating so I guess I'll just have to deal with it. Most of my favorite foods cause it for me (broccoli, spinach, and recently, I learned cauliflower)![/QUOTE]
That could be a food sensitivity or too much fiber. Switch off to different, unrelated veggies and see what happens. If you're over 30g of fiber, back it down.
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God damn it!! Everything was gonig so well, my other half helped me today in v heavy lifting, i attempted to do deadlift with too heavy and done my back in, now wont be able to train for ages. stupid me
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[QUOTE=LondonGirlie74;878196391]God damn it!! Everything was gonig so well, my other half helped me today in v heavy lifting, i attempted to do deadlift with too heavy and done my back in, now wont be able to train for ages. stupid me[/QUOTE]
You may be back at it in a week. I've done the back thing a few times. You do have to be careful and maybe do different exercises, but in a week you may be just fine.
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(still lurking)
[QUOTE=stephanielynn76;877614721]Hey bulkin' babes ;) I just whipped up this comparison image that I thought was share-worthy. What a difference a year can make!!!
[img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5275/7144919583_f44d005268.jpg[/img]
^^now I probably have a little more body fat in the current picture but there is still some visible progress there. If you are on the fence about an all-out bulk... just do it! :D
I'll be joining you again in August... I need to focus on my delts, lats, and hamstrings the next time around...[/QUOTE]
un-freakin-real! i cannot believe your bulk was only 6 mo. you might not have done a professional prgm but you certainly knew what you were doing. those quads are killer.
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[QUOTE=stephanielynn76;877614721]Hey bulkin' babes ;) I just whipped up this comparison image that I thought was share-worthy. What a difference a year can make!!![/QUOTE]
great job :) are you flexing your quads in the 'before' pic btw?
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[QUOTE=andrerox80;878310711](still lurking)
un-freakin-real! i cannot believe your bulk was only 6 mo. you might not have done a professional prgm but you certainly knew what you were doing. those quads are killer.[/QUOTE]
Hahaha... thanks girl!!! :)
[QUOTE=Miranda;878320471]great job :) are you flexing your quads in the 'before' pic btw?[/QUOTE]
I think I am slightly flexing because I'm not standing straight up and down... but regardless... the change in girth shows the progress regardless of whatever definition may be visible due to posing/flexing.
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Ok so I'm still reading through this thread...you don't do any cardio while bulking? Just lifting...and eating? Are any of you currently counting your cals/macros etc?