Why is everyone scared to bulk??

[rockangel]

It seems like we have all these threads about bulking. My ultimate question for bb.com and the mods is Y you no give us bulking part?? Fat loss has its own little folder. *pout, sigh*

But my real issue is why are so many women afraid to bulk??

I get that people want to limit the fat gains to a point, but what i dont get is people eating under maintenance, calling it a bulk just because they are eating 400 or 500 over a "cutting" level. Or wanting to cut in the middle of a bulk, or the ones arguing that upping cals will make them all fat and then they just cant deal with it. Or wanting to bulk for 3 months for a show or whatever the issue is.

I mean, if you want to look the same, then just look the same. But if you want to change, then you have to understand that there will be some uncomfortable times. Change takes time and is not always comfortable. If you want to be comfortable, then dont try to change.

For me, the bulking time has been my time to enjoy food, to have those things that i wasnt "allowed" to have on a cut (not because they were bad but because i was being more careful on food choices). Like last bulk, i had the cheesecake after dinner at a resturant. I didnt care if it was 600 calories, it was yummy! I had the italian cappacinos because italian cappacinos are friggen awesome and thats part of the culture. Dulce Vita! Its my time to not be so stressed out about what i am eating, relax, enjoy other parts of life, embrace the bulk.

Now i freely admit that I "dirty" bulk, i dont care about the fat gains. I know it will come off. I am more worried about adding muscle. I dont give a crap what is on the scale, the scale is only there as a tool, not as some self esteem drain. I dont care that i have had exactly 2 pairs of jeans to wear for the last couple of months (i bought 2 new pairs today 1 size up). It doesnt bother me because there is a very good purpose to it. I dont care that at the doc's i was given "the look" because my bmi now puts me in the "overweight" category.
Why dont i care?? Because i know that even with the 12 extra pounds, I am working my arse off to build and be better and Im so much happier with my body now than i was 3 years ago. That doesnt mean i am done, it doesnt even mean that i think i look "great", im not ready to compete here but I am happy with the fact that I am improving (allbeit slowly) and that I am RIGHT where I NEED TO BE FOR ME AND FOR MY BODY!!! and eff the rest of the world and what they think.

I guess I am just so tired of seeing wishy-washy posts about bulking or not making changes. If your bulking, then friggen bulk!!! If your cutting then dont think or worry about trying to add muscle. Just do what you are supposed to do!
Change is hard and slow, its not easy, sometimes it sucks. Sometimes there are fat days, and somedays there are the days when you think you are a damn BEAST!!! But in the end change only comes when you allow it to. So get out of your own way and do the damn thing!!!

*steps off soapbox now*

[stephanielynn76]

Amen!!!! 12 pounds eh? Try 25lbs. Yep, I'm quite squishy right now and guess what... I'm enjoying yummy food too! Today I had 2 blackberry margarita's and a molten lava cake at Chilis with my other friend who is bulking. If you know me at all, you know that when I bulk... I BULK. I don't play around with it. I ain't no spring chicken and I don't want to waste my time spinning my wheels and being too afraid to eat.

This is my second official bulk. If you want to see where it has gotten me... consider these comparisons. I'm up 10lbs more than my "fat" weight of two years ago... and I'm leaner.





If you want the mass, quick farting around and just do it!

[kimm4]

Don't we already have a bulking thread?

That one thread is bad enough...

[Miranda]

Don't we already have a bulking thread?

what's the latest drama in that there bulking thread? did someone gain a pound?

[rockangel]

Pretty nice change for 2 years!!! And nice bulk so far. Im trying to bulk for the rest of the year, or until my hubby wont let me buy more clothes to "grow" into, I plan on putting on more weight/ mass so we will see where i will end up. My issue is for me, i dont think i allowed enough time to build, so now i am making sure i take the time and really see what i can do. This is a time to up the weights, to increase those lifts, to get stronger, to really push. Thats something you just cant do on a cut.

I would like to see 7 pounds of muscle this year, which is just above .5 a pound a month. If i get more then awesome!! But i will be very please with 7.

[thehobbes]

Amazing work SL, looking jacked!

Don't we already have a bulking thread?

That one thread is bad enough...

what's the latest drama in that there bulking thread? did someone gain a pound?

Lol maybe starting up a bbq chicken wing eating contest in there would ligthen the mood.

[rockangel]

Don't we already have a bulking thread?

That one thread is bad enough...

I just wondered why fat loss has its own little sub forum, we have a cutting thread too.

what's the latest drama in that there bulking thread? did someone gain a pound?

This is just in general, not really the bulking thread per se.

[stephanielynn76]

Amazing work SL, looking jacked!

Thanks gurl!!

Lol maybe starting up a bbq chicken wing eating contest in there would ligthen the mood.

In. I luv me some bbq chicken...

[Miranda]

This is just in general, not really the bulking thread per se.

i suppose you haven't nosed in the bulking thread? many a grown woman going mental over a pound.

[stephanielynn76]

what's the latest drama in that there bulking thread? did someone gain a pound?

LMAO ... yes... and it was immediately followed by a mini cut...

[kimm4]

what's the latest drama in that there bulking thread? did someone gain a pound?

Most likely and you know it was all fat!

I try to stay far, far away from that thread...*shudders*

[rockangel]

i suppose you haven't nosed in the bulking thread? many a grown woman going mental over a pound.

Probably shouldnt even look at it now, lol!!! I havent read that one in a while actually. a pound, and lucky if a smidge of that is muscle.

[Miranda]

Probably shouldnt even look at it now, lol!!! I havent read that one in a while actually. a pound, and lucky if a smidge of that is muscle.

it's one of life's ironies if you ask me.

when women cut, they eat too much. when they bulk, they eat too little

[cmg1976]

Hello! Brand new here, read that whole thread and decided to give bulking a go a couple weeks ago. I'm totally in for the long haul and figure I'll give it all of 2013. I ignored the ED/etc. stuff and focused on what was happening with the girls that were serious- SL, freebirdmac, etc. I'd never heard of bulking before reading that thread but they quickly convinced me. I've been skinny all my life, even when I had too much fat, so a few temporary pounds is a non-issue. I'm just glad I saved all my pants from when I lost 20#, so I should have plenty of sizes to choose from No shopping required!

[megdaig]

i suppose you haven't nosed in the bulking thread? many a grown woman going mental over a pound.

It's more of an ED recovery thread now....

[Botika]

Nice work Stephanie!! Very inspiring.

I must admit I'm still a bit bulk-phobic. I have come along way from where I was a few months ago though where sheer panic would set in thinking I would get fat instantly. Now at least I'm willing to give it a go, albeit slowly. I guess I fear that I will lose my willpower and end up right where I was 6 months ago, skinny-fat and unhappy. I'm working on those negative thoughts, but it's definitely a challenge to unwind 34 years of conditioning.

[sonti]

This is why I prefer powerlifting. Fulk, numbers go up on the bar and the scale, and I'm still the hottest girl in the room.

Not serious.

Maybe just a little serious

[wakechica]

it's one of life's ironies if you ask me.

when women cut, they eat too much. when they bulk, they eat too little

Too true!!

This is why I prefer powerlifting. Fulk, numbers go up on the bar and the scale, and I'm still the hottest girl in the room.

Not serious.

Maybe just a little serious

And this.

I'd love to bulk but I'm sadly restrained by the fact I have a dress uniform to fit into argh.

[liftlaughlove01]

Thanks Rockangel! Always insightful :P

[FoxBlossom]

Really nice thread to read, and gives me a bit of a boost knowing I'm not the only one musing over the topic

I think everything Rockangel said is bang on, and it's true and very odd how a lot of women who want a strong, chiseled and fit physique don't grasp the concept that to create it, you need to build it; something will never come from nothing. I fully admit that when I first decided I wanted to get in to lifting, this was exactly my notion of thinking; I'd lost some weight and decided instead of just looking 'small', I wanted lean muscular lines, and the notion of having to essentially put weight back on to do this totally terrified me - In my uneducated mind, I'd just worked hard to shed a bunch of weight and now I had to put it back on?! I couldn't wrap my head around it to start with, nor did I really want to.
For your average person who decides to pursue a healthy lifestyle, your bombarded with images of skinny women on the magazines and even your doctor is giving you the black and white robotic outline of the BMI chart and telling you that you must fit in to the designated slot to be 'healthy'. It's daunting and contradictory until you decide to start digging deeper and sourcing other information to get the real low down on what your trying to do. It's tricky and unfair for the media and most GPs to try and pigeonhole the general public to a certain criteria and I don't envy those starting out.

Even now, with all this information and research, mainly from these boards and it's members, there's still that little niggle that tries to get you to conform and be a slave to the scales, but it's an even better feeling when the conviction in your goals is stronger than the naysayers, and better still when summer rolls around and you can peel back the bulk to reveal some kick ass definition

[moogs]

Very true. Great post!

[thepowerwithin]

It's more of an ED recovery thread now....

Agreed and has been so for a very long time. I find it exasperating, mostly because I cannot relate. At all.

[toodlepip]

Agreed and has been so for a very long time. I find it exasperating, mostly because I cannot relate. At all.

There should be a separate ED recovery/bulking thread. It's a different kettle of fish when you start "bulking" - and I use the term loosely - at 90 lbs.

[EGdance22]

Amen!!!! 12 pounds eh? Try 25lbs. Yep, I'm quite squishy right now and guess what... I'm enjoying yummy food too! Today I had 2 blackberry margarita's and a molten lava cake at Chilis with my other friend who is bulking. If you know me at all, you know that when I bulk... I BULK. I don't play around with it. I ain't no spring chicken and I don't want to waste my time spinning my wheels and being too afraid to eat.

This is my second official bulk. If you want to see where it has gotten me... consider these comparisons. I'm up 10lbs more than my "fat" weight of two years ago... and I'm leaner.





If you want the mass, quick farting around and just do it!

You look freakin' awesome! Great work! I wish I wasnt so afraid to eat while bulking, but I am. Being that my job requires me to stay lean, it's really hard for me to put on weight without it effecting other aspects of my life. I could personally care less. I just have to come to terms with the fact that I'll be catching some hell for my weight gain! Price I have to pay I suppose. I envy you Rockangel - dirty bulking sounds fun

[HipAlbatross]

I always wondered why there was a Fat Loss section but not a 'Muscle Building/Bulking' one.

I'm not bulking because I am still quite overweight. Once I get to 130 or 140 lbs I'd like to start bulking though. I can't wait to get to that point though, thinking of all the extra food I get to eat sounds awesome!

[illiniStrive]

]

I always wondered why there was a Fat Loss section but not a 'Muscle Building/Bulking' one.

I'm not bulking because I am still quite overweight. Once I get to 130 or 140 lbs I'd like to start bulking though. I can't wait to get to that point though, thinking of all the extra food I get to eat sounds awesome!

Probably because the amount of questions about fat loss are disproportionate to the amount of questions on bulking. Really, there doesn't NEED to be a Fat Loss section either, but the section as a whole is a lot more organized with it.

[ng909]

I think everything Rockangel said is bang on, and it's true and very odd how a lot of women who want a strong, chiseled and fit physique don't grasp the concept that to create it, you need to build it; something will never come from nothing. I fully admit that when I first decided I wanted to get in to lifting, this was exactly my notion of thinking; I'd lost some weight and decided instead of just looking 'small', I wanted lean muscular lines, and the notion of having to essentially put weight back on to do this totally terrified me - In my uneducated mind, I'd just worked hard to shed a bunch of weight and now I had to put it back on?! I couldn't wrap my head around it to start with, nor did I really want to.

yeah. I used to always be overweight, so I was afraid to go back there after losing it. I also wanted to get stronger though, and develop some definition. Unfortunately I listened to typical media advice (work with like 5 pound weights and high reps to "tone" while eating salads). It gave me no results. So I took advice from here and simply lifted an ate heavily. Now I'm actually getting results in addition to my workouts being a lot shorter, and I'm nowhere near fat anyway.

[sy2502]

I am not "afraid" to bulk. I simply know that losing fat after a bulk is going to be about 1,000 times more difficult than the bulk was. And that I will probably never really lose all the fat I gained in the bulk anyway.

[GymJunkieTasha]

yeah. I used to always be overweight, so I was afraid to go back there after losing it. I also wanted to get stronger though, and develop some definition. Unfortunately I listened to typical media advice (work with like 5 pound weights and high reps to "tone" while eating salads). It gave me no results. So I took advice from here and simply lifted an ate heavily. Now I'm actually getting results in addition to my workouts being a lot shorter, and I'm nowhere near fat anyway.

I'm at the same stage you were sometime ago. I do endless reps with light weight (25-30 reps of 4-5 sets) and dont see much results now as I've reached plateau. Will start to lift heavier with lesser reps along with lot of other changes.

[DaniGrrl]

I feel like a whale this week for some reason. I'm guessing it's water retention because I got on the scale Wednesday afternoon and was only up a half pound....on my period and usually weigh much more at that time than when I weigh on Friday mornings. Anyway, I was sick last week and my appetite has not really returned. I'm thinking today i have a touch of some kind of stomach bug going around. But my point is that I am annoyed I am not hungry! I have been forcing myself to eat enough, but it's been a struggle.

I'm just so tired of hearing girls(not even just here but on other forums I go on) say how much they want muscle, but they only eat 1500 calories and "just can't eat any more than that." I don't get it. How hard is it to eat more? I'm at 2200 calories and gaining and will up them in a heartbeat if I reach a plateau. I don't think it's a whole lot of food. Is eating more really too much food, or do they THINK it's too much food? My guess is the latter, because in reality they just don't want to gain fat.

I have a friend who posted a picture on FB of a girl with amazing arms and shoulders and said she was going to look like that by her 40th bday in 500 or so days. But she again goes on about how she will never eat more than 1800 calories because it's just too much food. She eats less than 100g carbs a day, just went on some carb backloading where she ate less than 30g carbs. WTF? She made some comment about how she has a lot of hard work ahead, and I said, "Yes, and lots o' food." No comment back. So, yeah, good luck with getting those shoulders if you don't want to fricking eat.