Would this help me minimize fat gain while enjoying a social life?

[madeira17]

I want to stay relatively lean for my planned bulk in september. If all goes well I want to bulk for 3 months then cut in december then bulk another 3 months then cut again for summer. My plan is to eat around maintenance during the week and then on the weekends sometimes go out with friends and have some guilty foods like pizza or have some beers too. With that plan I should in theory be going over my maintenance about 1000-1500 or so mainly on the weekends so that should keep my fat gains in check right? Or will combining the pizza/wings and beer on the weekends just make me fat? Assuming I don't gain hardly any fat during the week from eating at maintenance but going over 1000 calories on weekends that should be about 4-5000 calories extra a month so a little more than a lb a month. Could I still get bigger and stronger while staying relatively lean while doing that? THanks

[Archanic]

I think your over thinking it man, you cant just say for sure you will eat X number of cals over each weekend.

Sounds like you wanna eat "clean" as we say in bbing and at maintenance during the week and the eat what ever you want on the weekends. Thats fine, a lot of people do it. Will it get you ideal results? no. Will it let you live a satisfying social life and see progress in the gym? yes and sure.

Personally if I were you and wanted to gain weight I would eat 500 cals over maintenance every single day, and pick 1 day on the weekend to do as you please. Will you gain fat? yeah, a little bit its part of the game. But your gains and progress in the gym will be better than if you were eating at maintenance all week long and then basically boozing and eating late night crap Friday and Saturday back to back.

[Kadisha]

Just a little comment here OP. Wouldn't it be wiser to start your bulking a month later maybe, so you'll be bulking through the holidays and won't have to endure feeling bad about all the holiday food and booze? Just saying.

[tden99]

Just a little comment here OP. Wouldn't it be wiser to start your bulking a month later maybe, so you'll be bulking through the holidays and won't have to endure feeling bad about all the holiday food and booze? Just saying.

^this. I always have bulking in december because if not my cut will fail.

[hcoyle545]

I think your over thinking it man, you cant just say for sure you will eat X number of cals over each weekend.

Sounds like you wanna eat "clean" as we say in bbing and at maintenance during the week and the eat what ever you want on the weekends. Thats fine, a lot of people do it. Will it get you ideal results? no. Will it let you live a satisfying social life and see progress in the gym? yes and sure.

Personally if I were you and wanted to gain weight I would eat 500 cals over maintenance every single day, and pick 1 day on the weekend to do as you please. Will you gain fat? yeah, a little bit its part of the game. But your gains and progress in the gym will be better than if you were eating at maintenance all week long and then basically boozing and eating late night crap Friday and Saturday back to back.

This is a good post.

[madeira17]

To address some of the comments from earlier. My whole plan is to just avoid adding a lot of fat again. Once my cut is down by september I should be around 9-10% body fat. I do not want to get over 12% body fat during the bulk. The reason why I am picking december to cut is because starting in January I have a basketball league that starts up so I do not want to be "heavy" from day one. I was thinking maybe I could just eat 500 calories above on lifting days then at maintenance or slightly under on rest days while going out once a week. Do you guys think I will add a lot of fat if I do it that way?

[Archanic]

To address some of the comments from earlier. My whole plan is to just avoid adding a lot of fat again. Once my cut is down by september I should be around 9-10% body fat. I do not want to get over 12% body fat during the bulk. The reason why I am picking december to cut is because starting in January I have a basketball league that starts up so I do not want to be "heavy" from day one. I was thinking maybe I could just eat 500 calories above on lifting days then at maintenance or slightly under on rest days while going out once a week. Do you guys think I will add a lot of fat if I do it that way?

how many days a week are you lifting and how many resting, what does the day you go out fall under?

Your still blowing things out of proportion when it comes to your fat gain if you ask me.

in OP you were going to be eating at maintenance during the week and then "free" on the weekend. I suggest you wont make good gains this way and instead just eat at the standard 500 cal surplus to gain weight/muscle. It looks like you now realized to gain weight and muscle or "bulk" as is said you need to be above maintenance, good. Your not going to blow up 3-4% bf over the year if you eat smart, hit the gym hard, and yes even go out on the weekends.

seriously man, eat smart, have a plan, live life, pay attention to your body to make adjustments and you'll be fine.

[jnycs]

I don't see why you'll stop bulking in december. I mean I understand the idea behind the basketball, but if you're making gradual increases in your weight (both lifts and body)... 4 weeks of proper cutting really isn't going to do all that much for ya.
If I were you, I'd bulk the whole way, make amazing non-stopping gains, then cut for the upcoming warmer season.

[GuiltyOfWinning]

stay away from beer if you can, hard alcohol + diet soda really helps keep the calories down, a 12 case of beer is 2000+ cals

[AFX666]

how many days a week are you lifting and how many resting, what does the day you go out fall under?

Your still blowing things out of proportion when it comes to your fat gain if you ask me.

in OP you were going to be eating at maintenance during the week and then "free" on the weekend. I suggest you wont make good gains this way and instead just eat at the standard 500 cal surplus to gain weight/muscle. It looks like you now realized to gain weight and muscle or "bulk" as is said you need to be above maintenance, good. Your not going to blow up 3-4% bf over the year if you eat smart, hit the gym hard, and yes even go out on the weekends.

seriously man, eat smart, have a plan, live life, pay attention to your body to make adjustments and you'll be fine.

yes.

[texicus]

OP didn't read any responses but doing a 24 hour fast eat stop eat style every sunday really helped me continue to progress on a cut and still have a hella good time friday and saturday nights getting yucky, srs