Contest Bulk/Cutting help...(pics inside)

[Dallas_15]

Ok so you experienced bodybuilders out there, heres my question:

I want to compete in the teen division this time next year. I am currently 82kg, about 5'9 to 5'11 (not exactly sure) and am 17 years old (Will be 18 when I compete).

Should I keep bulking right up until Im ready to cut down for my comp next year or do a cut in between then to stop from putting on heaps of fat? I am clean bulking but as you know minimal fat gain is still innevitable.

Here are 3 pics, not great quality, but it will give you an Idea an help to answer my question.

Thanks and reps for help!

[Dallas_15]

Another (side chest)

[Tommy5144]

Yes bulk, you def need more size before you're ready for contest

[Dallas_15]

Yeah, I will most probably bulk to about 90kg or more then cut up and come in a solid 80 ish??

[ronin_ts]

Originally Posted by Dallas_15

Yeah, I will most probably bulk to about 90kg or more then cut up and come in a solid 80 ish??

youll def be competing under 80kg

[Dallas_15]

Originally Posted by ronin_ts

youll def be competing under 80kg

Ok cool. How do you determine what weight you come in at?

[ronin_ts]

Originally Posted by Dallas_15

Ok cool. How do you determine what weight you come in at?

Bodyfat caliper tests....gave me a ballpark..to know where i was during my cut...just keep cutting till you see striations a plenty..

[salty-vtr]

im 21, 5" 10 and i bulked to 96kg then cut down to 79kg for my first show! so u might need to bulk a bit more

[Dallas_15]

Originally Posted by salty-vtr

im 21, 5" 10 and i bulked to 96kg then cut down to 79kg for my first show! so u might need to bulk a bit more

Ok thanks, that gives me a good idea. Well 90 is my goal but if i get over then by next year I will be stoked.... how far out do u guys start cutting? and salty, how did u go in ur comp???

[NaturalLoco]

Originally Posted by Dallas_15

Ok thanks, that gives me a good idea. Well 90 is my goal but if i get over then by next year I will be stoked.... how far out do u guys start cutting? and salty, how did u go in ur comp???

Clean bulk ftw.. Don't go too crazy on eating everything because you are 'off season' eat in excess of your cal intake but dont go crazy.. I wouldn't worry too much about weight on the scales, as having a goal of 90kg dosn't necessarily mean you will be symmetrical at this weight.. (I went crazy with the scale, all i thought about was numbers.. and i blew up to 114.4KG natural.. sure i put on muscle, but alot was fat.. Having my time again I would do a Clean bulk to ensure i restrict the amount of bf i put on) Take measurements, train hard and eat well

[Dallas_15]

Originally Posted by NaturalLoco

Clean bulk ftw.. Don't go too crazy on eating everything because you are 'off season' eat in excess of your cal intake but dont go crazy.. I wouldn't worry too much about weight on the scales, as having a goal of 90kg dosn't necessarily mean you will be symmetrical at this weight.. (I went crazy with the scale, all i thought about was numbers.. and i blew up to 114.4KG natural.. sure i put on muscle, but alot was fat.. Having my time again I would do a Clean bulk to ensure i restrict the amount of bf i put on) Take measurements, train hard and eat well

Yeah man, I always eat clean. Not a fan of dirty bulking...

[salty-vtr]

Originally Posted by Dallas_15

Ok thanks, that gives me a good idea. Well 90 is my goal but if i get over then by next year I will be stoked.... how far out do u guys start cutting? and salty, how did u go in ur comp???

yo! i started bout 13 weeks out! i came forth! so the plan is to start slightly earlier next year!!

when do u plan 2 compete?

[OpolE]

**** i dont want to hijak this thread but i am the same weight as OP but 19 years old and competing in 5months in South East UK hopefully, i dnt think i need a certain weight for my juniors show?

[Bnizzle163]

Take your time and slowly add size while trying to keep your current BF in check. I'd start prep around 16 weeks out to be safe. Better to be ready a couple weeks out so you can make adjustments. Good luck!

[OpolE]

Im hearing good stuff, if i follow the sticky article then i can retain muscle mass well of even build right

[Whomper107]

Originally Posted by OpolE

Im hearing good stuff, if i follow the sticky article then i can retain muscle mass well of even build right

The best and most experienced bodybuilders will lose little to no muscle on a contest diet, and come in absolutely shredded. It is your first time, so those sort of results would be a bit of a lofty goal - expect to make mistakes, everyone does. But everyone also has to start somewhere, so by all means, go for it!

If I were you I would let go of your attachment to numbers and the scale. It's almost impossible to predict how much weight you will need to drop to be in shape - bodyfat tests are near worthless, even the fairly expensive ones base their findings off of assumptions. There is no guarantee that a 10lb gain will be pure muscle, nor is there a guarantee that a 10lb loss will be pure bodyfat. But if you want a fairly safe approximation, take your best estimate of what you need to lose, and add 10 or 15lbs to it. First time competitors have a tendency to WAY underestimate how much they need to lose.

The best thing you could do for yourself at this point is to get in the habit of tracking your caloric intake with a food scale, regardless of whether you are trying to gain or lose weight. Comparing intake vs. changes in weight will lend you a good approximation of your maintenance calorie intake, which will make the transition into your contest diet MUCH easier. Without any actual knowledge of what that intake is, you would be forced to take a shot in the dark using a BMR calculator... which are normally pretty inaccurate.

[OpolE]

Ive seen a video and pictures of different years in the juniors and people just dont seem amazingly big they just have a good bodyfat level here is the video of 2005 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjcCgOwdiPo they seem quite different to american ones i have seen or heard about