Bulking Phase Help! [PIC]

[squizard]

Hey, currently in my second week of my proper bulking programme.

I'm 6ft 1, 190 pounds and im not sure on body fat maybe around 15-18%? you decide . Eating around 2700-3000 cals per day but eating very lean to ensure little fat gains.

At the gym i'm focusing mainly on squats, deadlifts, bench and rows with a few machines and a little cardio in there also.

Just looking for some advice of how long i should bulk/cut for as i'm going on holiday in 16 weeks and trying to get a beach body! (ambitious I know). Will I need to cut at all if my fat intake is very low as I hope I can lose some fat during this phase.

Any help would be appreciated!

Added pictures to show you what im working with

[davidpac]

my body looks just like yours, I wouldn't do too much cardio (and definitely no cutting phase) if I were you as you seem not too have that much muscle. Just concentrate on the bulking phase, eat plenty of proteins and train hard. do compound exercises such as deadlifts, squats, bench press, pull ups, chin ups. And try to increase your lifting weight every week or so.

[ktj4l]

Are you gaining weight on this bulk? Don't expect to lose fat on a bulk.

Realistically, you will gain some fat during your bulk. This is fine, but if you want a "beach body" ready in 16 weeks, I would cut at some point for sure. Beach body for most guys means abs showing a little at least, this won't happen on a bulk when you're starting with 15%+ body fat to begin with. You probably have to go down to 10-12% for abs to show. You won't gain a ton of muscle in those 16 weeks anyhow (maybe about 5lbs if everything is great about your diet, recovery, sleep, etc.).

So choose your main goal for right now. Do you want to add muscle or maybe get to abs showing by that 16 week mark? You can expect to lose 2lbs/week on a cut without burning off too much muscle mass (it's inevitable that you will burn a little bit, but you shouldn't starve away all your gains). If abs are the main goal, I would begin cutting now or in 4 weeks at the latest. If it's not such a big deal, I would do 8 weeks of bulking and then 8 weeks of cutting.

If you do the cut perfectly, you can expect to lose around 16lbs in those 8 weeks. That might not leave you with abs showing, but you can cut past the 16 week mark until abs are achieved and still look presentable at the beach in my opinion (not like you have a huge gut to begin with or anything). Then begin bulking again toward the end of the summer when you don't plan on being at the beach anymore.

Good luck!

[davidpac]

agree with ktj4l, but maybe on the long term its better to keep on bulking. If you start cutting you'll just be like those skinny kids. Bulk and then cut. It'll even help you, since the more muscles you have the easier it is to lose fat. Muscles burn up more calories...

[squizard]

Hey, thanks man some really useful info there. This week i've gained 2lbs, my diet is really strict and seems to be paying off.

My main goal is size not really that fussed on abs just dont want to be flabby hah, so i think im going to keep bulking and maybe do a mini cut of 4-6 weeks before I go would this be useful?

thanks again

Are you gaining weight on this bulk? Don't expect to lose fat on a bulk.

Realistically, you will gain some fat during your bulk. This is fine, but if you want a "beach body" ready in 16 weeks, I would cut at some point for sure. Beach body for most guys means abs showing a little at least, this won't happen on a bulk when you're starting with 15%+ body fat to begin with. You probably have to go down to 10-12% for abs to show. You won't gain a ton of muscle in those 16 weeks anyhow (maybe about 5lbs if everything is great about your diet, recovery, sleep, etc.).

So choose your main goal for right now. Do you want to add muscle or maybe get to abs showing by that 16 week mark? You can expect to lose 2lbs/week on a cut without burning off too much muscle mass (it's inevitable that you will burn a little bit, but you shouldn't starve away all your gains). If abs are the main goal, I would begin cutting now or in 4 weeks at the latest. If it's not such a big deal, I would do 8 weeks of bulking and then 8 weeks of cutting.

If you do the cut perfectly, you can expect to lose around 16lbs in those 8 weeks. That might not leave you with abs showing, but you can cut past the 16 week mark until abs are achieved and still look presentable at the beach in my opinion (not like you have a huge gut to begin with or anything). Then begin bulking again toward the end of the summer when you don't plan on being at the beach anymore.

Good luck!

[ktj4l]

Hey, thanks man some really useful info there. This week i've gained 2lbs, my diet is really strict and seems to be paying off.

My main goal is size not really that fussed on abs just dont want to be flabby hah, so i think im going to keep bulking and maybe do a mini cut of 4-6 weeks before I go would this be useful?

thanks again

Sure, if the main concern is long term gains and you aren't fussy about abs like some guys, then bulking and a mini cut is a great option. (Much smarter in my opinion than cutting when you don't have very much muscle. As long as the body fat stays within reason, you can drop it within a few months during a later cut.)

[squizard]

Thanks a lot, really helped me figure out what i'm aiming towards

Sure, if the main concern is long term gains and you aren't fussy about abs like some guys, then bulking and a mini cut is a great option. (Much smarter in my opinion than cutting when you don't have very much muscle. As long as the body fat stays within reason, you can drop it within a few months during a later cut.)