I only take about 2g or so as well and I didn't notice a huge gain or any bloat when I first started taking it in May. I stopped taking it towards the end of my cut to see if I'd drop a lot of water, which I didnt, but my strength quickly went in the toilet when I felt relatively strong during my cut, even hit some PRs. It's possible it was psychological , plus I imagine that being in deficit for a couple months by that point affected strength as well.
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Thread: First time BULKERS apply here ;)
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02-09-2013, 08:29 AM #7741
- Join Date: Jun 2011
- Location: Pennsylvania, United States
- Age: 49
- Posts: 1,709
- Rep Power: 6436
Danielle xoxo
#TEAM HYPE
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02-09-2013, 12:38 PM #7742
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02-09-2013, 01:40 PM #7743
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02-09-2013, 02:20 PM #7744
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02-09-2013, 02:32 PM #7745
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02-09-2013, 07:39 PM #7746
I would like to think that I've been "bulking" since I got married two years ago! Lifting craft beers is hard work! So now in all seriousness I've never tried bulking. Right now I'm just trying to lean out and see what I actually have going on beneath the blubber. Is this a good strategy? Should I bulk first? How long do you ladies bulk for and how long are your cuts? Any advice and info will be helpful!
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02-09-2013, 09:12 PM #7747
I'm going to do the 5x5 variation posted by JasonDB tomorrow:
Workout A
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5
Barbell Shrug 3x8
Skull crusher 3x8
Chins 3x5-8
or Straight Bar/Incline Curl 3x8
Hyper extension 2x10
Kneeling Cable Crunch 3x10-20
It appears that full body 3x a week may be more "optimal" for maximizing noob gains. However, I am more comfortable with the 4 day split and I really enjoy how things are going. I'll give this a go but I may end up choosing my suboptimal routine because I like it. I don't want to suck the fun out of lifting by splitting hairs just yet.not sure if female miscer or troll
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02-10-2013, 03:54 AM #7748
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02-10-2013, 06:06 AM #7749
5x5 routines are great for gaining strength and some size, but they are not the ideal routine to do if size if your number one goal. As a newbie I'd stay in the 8-12 rep range. You'll also gain strength. Later, you can periodize, spend time in both rep ranges. All Pro's is a good beginner routine http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...4195843&page=1
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02-10-2013, 06:08 AM #7750
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02-10-2013, 02:09 PM #7751
Thanks for the link.
At this point, I have no mass and no strength. I can't even honestly define clear goals at this point. I would like to get bigger and stronger, but that's vague...
Ultimately, for me, strength (especially on compounds) trumps size though of course I want to "see" results. I'm having difficulty discerning which routine is best but what I have gathered is that at this point I just need to eat and lift consistently. I'll experiment and try different methods... Every other person seems to have a different suggestion. Maybe as I learn more about my body I'll be able to make informed decisions. At this point though, I'm just happy to pick things up and put them down. And eat.not sure if female miscer or troll
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02-10-2013, 04:49 PM #7752
Beginners should always follow a professional routine rather than make one up themselves. Which pro routine you pick is of lesser importance. All routines will work. Starting Strength is another suggestion. It's important though to recognize what each routine offers in terms of goals so you're not disappointed.
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02-10-2013, 05:03 PM #7753
That's a great point! I would never try to make my own routine at this point.
The routine I posted earlier offers strength and size benefits for newbies (according to the video and some members who have been on it). I just finished Day A of it, and I think I really like the full body and lower rep range. I wouldn't mind gaining some foundational strength first... It actually seems like a great idea unless I'm missing something.
With the splits and 12 rep range, it felt like over kill. I'm not sure why, but I felt like the routine didn't emphasize compounds enough and I would like to master those first before working a ton on isolation exercises.not sure if female miscer or troll
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02-10-2013, 05:56 PM #7754
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02-10-2013, 06:00 PM #7755
Oh, good so I'm thinking on the right track then.
I would say Jamie Eason's LF has a more isolations than I can handle. I was just following her week 1 as a template. Not following her diet because that's more cutting.
That was work out A that I just posted. Here is the full workout and it has a OH press!
Workout A
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5
Barbell Shrug 3x8
Skullcrusher 3x8
Chins 3x5-8
or Straight Bar/Incline Curl 3x8
Hyperextension 2x10
Kneeling Cable Crunch 3x10-20
Workout B
Squat 5x5
Deadlift 1x5
Standing Press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5 -10%
Close grip barbell bench 3x8
Straight Bar or Incline Curl 3x8
Kneeling Cable Crunch 3x10-20
Just gotta do ABA one week then BAB next week.
Edit: I'm definitely going to stick with this. Those compounds feel really good... I imagine I would see quicker progression with this than doing iso!not sure if female miscer or troll
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02-11-2013, 04:51 AM #7756
What they're doing is alternating chest and shoulders while working everything else every session. I'd be tempted to swap bb rows on B with db chest press since deads are in the group. On A I'd do seated presses instead of traps. The best exercise for traps is deads anyway. That way you're hitting chest and shoulders every session.
When you do go to a split it might seem like there's a lot of isolation work. But, if you look at what you do on a 3x week full body split you're doing 3 exercises per week on the smaller muscles. So on a split, doing 3 tri and 3 bi exercises isn't out of line.
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02-11-2013, 03:28 PM #7757
Amanda Latona's bulking booty
Amanda Latona posted a comparison of her off-season and on-season booty on her ******** today:
Red is last October and blue is now.
I get the feeling my booty won't look that good after 4 months of bulking.
She was asking her ******** followers which one they preferred the look of, what do you guys think?
I think both are fantastic but I'd probably say the on-season booty.
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02-11-2013, 03:35 PM #7758
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02-11-2013, 04:23 PM #7759
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02-11-2013, 04:28 PM #7760
I've been plugging along on my bulk for the last couple months and would appreciate feedback from those who have done this before on how my numbers are looking. I have more detail in my journal, but I've been tracking my wt, bf with calipers (I know not perfect, but it's what I have and I think trends are useful), and measurements. My plan is to keep going through all of 2013 as long as my lifts respond accordingly.
11/29, I was 125.8# and 19.4% bf after spending the previous several months dropping about 20#. This is also around the time I started lurking big time on this thread and decided I'd embark on a bulk since I'd gotten to a reasonably lean base and wanted some muscle. Worked up to about 2500 cals a day on average over a couple weeks.
By 12/28 I was 127.4#, 19% bf, and I got measurements that day: chest 34", waist 27.25", hips 35.5", arms 10.75", thighs 21". This is when I made my account here and uploaded the pics in my bodyspace.
Today, I'm at 132.0#, 20.3% bf, and measurements are chest 34.5#, waist 29", hips 36", arms 11", thighs 23". It seems premature to take pictures yet- I was going to wait a couple months for that.
I'm beginning starting strength- prior to this I'd been working with a personal trainer a couple times a week, still compound lifting but in more of an 8-12 rep range, and doing a 3x5 compound workout on my own to get a feel for the exercises in SS as far as form and weights I would use. No cardio.
The waist and thigh measurements seem like big jumps. I hope some of it is muscle but I suppose there's no way to tell yet. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that I'm on the right track here with my calories and rate of gain. Increased strength is my priority, even if the bulk gets a little messy- but I'd like to not create more clean up work at the end than is necessary.My training journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150928103
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02-11-2013, 04:30 PM #7761
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02-11-2013, 04:52 PM #7762
I'm only going by weight. BF % mean nothing. Measurements are only helpful in that they are increasing. You've been bulking for 2.5 months and have gained 6.2 pounds. That's not bad at all. I would however dial it back a bit. Try to stay closer to 2 pounds a month. It's not unusual to gain faster in the beginning so don't fret about it. You're at a point though where dropping 250 calories is justified.
Track your progressions in the gym. They will tell you the bigger story. Also, keep in mind that strength gains come at both the higher and lower reps but you'll get more strength gains out of the lower rep ranges. A consequence of lower rep ranges though is less hypertrophy (size) so progress picts won't show as much visible muscle gains. Nothing wrong with that. But it's important to know. You can be she-man strong and look like a skinny-fat chick. You can look like an amazon yet be out lifted by the skinny-fat chick
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02-11-2013, 05:01 PM #7763
Thanks FBM. So, you would aim for 2250 then. Out of curiosity is this where you would have suggested I start if I had asked before I began my bulk? I've read numerous posts where you estimated maint. calories for people and always wondered what you would have told me. It took a long time for the scale to move and the wt gain has not been at all linear, so I've struggled with figuring out what is "real" wt gain vs water/bloat etc.
I'm going to stick with SS as long as the lifts go up. I think I read 3-9 months in one of Ripptoe's books before people need to switch programs. I figure I'll get a good strength base and then try something in a higher rep/hypertrophy range later.My training journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150928103
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02-11-2013, 05:51 PM #7764
Not sure how old you are. For a 25 year old with your stats maintenance would be around 2100-2200. So your 2500 was a good start. Your gain over 2.5 months though indicate a larger surplus. So either I'm off on my estimates or you've made errors in tracking your intake. Which is easy to do. What matters most are results over long periods of time. You're right about gains not being linear. Thus the long time frame. 2.5 months is long enough to say, ok, 6.5 is too fast for the upcoming months. Let's slow it down. If you track the same way you're tracking now, even if it included errors, the same errors should still be present and won't matter. The absolute calorie intake isn't what's important. It's the consistency in how you're tracking. For example, if you used uncooked meat weight but weighed cooked and continued doing that when changing calorie intake you'd be fine. I had an error with my dark chocolate that took me months to uncover But it didn't matter since I was consistent in making the same error when adjusting my intake.
Not a darn thing wrong with making strength your bulking goal. I just want to make sure that ladies who do choose that goal understand what it means in terms of physique results. You don't want to end your bulk, take progress picts, and then wonder why you're not seeing huge changes like other ladies. Strength gains show in your lifting numbers, not picts. That's not to say there won't be physique changes.
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02-11-2013, 07:51 PM #7765
Thank you. I'm 36 and I have no idea why my age isn't showing right now; it always has. Something must have changed when I updated my stats today. I'll look into that issue later.
I am sure my tracking is off by a bit. I eat a couple restaurant meals a week and have to guess at those; and often meat choices are harder to track- it doesn't always say if the info is for cooked vs uncooked, fat contents vary, etc. But as you say it evens out over time.
Thanks again I'll give the reduction a month and see where things land.My training journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150928103
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02-12-2013, 09:31 PM #7766
Hi chicks!
So I'm officially a first time bulker, or trying to be anyway. I need some advice regarding calories....
Between July 12 and present I've lost 6.5kg which averaged to about 1/2 pound per week loss. I didn't count at first but then ate around 1700 calories. In January I upped it to 1900 to try and find maintenance but was still losing. I then tried 200 which I assumed to be my maintenance so I increased my current calories to 2200 a week ago.
The thing is ny weight hasn't really changed. I'm not sure whether to continue on 2200 for another few weeks or whether to increase it again now? Should weight gain happen almost immediately? I had an iDXA scan this week which showed me to be 22.6% BF.
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02-13-2013, 07:15 AM #7767
- Join Date: Nov 2010
- Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Age: 55
- Posts: 1,405
- Rep Power: 1832
Botika - lucky you! A week might not be long enough to see a difference in terms of gain but there's probably no harm in upping it another 100-200 and seeing where that takes you.
Goal: Peace, love & happiness...and arms that go bump in the night.
“It's never been true, not anywhere at any time, that the value of a soul, of a human spirit, is dependent on a number on a scale" G. Roth
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02-13-2013, 02:46 PM #7768
Hey all...I need some of your wonderful advice again.
I'm still having a big issue with my right leg being weaker than the left. I thought I had made improvements but when I tense my legs I can really feel the difference, any tips?
Is it worth spending some time doing isolated lifts for the one leg and giving it chance to catch up? Or is that a totally mental idea??Dont reward ur self with food, ur not a dog
Insanity: doing the same thing over again and expecting different results...
(So change it up)
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02-13-2013, 02:50 PM #7769
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02-14-2013, 03:53 PM #7770
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