how much should I aim for bulking?

[RoadRunner70]

hello! what do you guys think I should bulk too? right now im at 166ish pounds been bulking for 3 months from 145ish pounds.
I wanna bulk to a decent number but dont wanna look fat as hell. thoughts?

edit: heres why i wanted to pack on weight quickly in the first little bit. look at the pic i added

[pipios]

bulk and look fat

[RoadRunner70]

bulk and look fat

I guess its just unavoidable

[kimm4]

There's always going to be some fat gains when it comes to building as it's part of the process. If you use a slight surplus the fat gains will be minimal. You're taller so you've got more space to fill compared to a shorter guy who would obviously fill out faster.

You're still maintaining a decent level of leaness in that pic. I would keep doing what you're doing till you get uncomfortable and can't stand it anymore. If you can go the distance with building you'll be happy you did.

Good luck!

[RoadRunner70]

There's always going to be some fat gains when it comes to building as it's part of the process. If you use a slight surplus the fat gains will be minimal. You're taller so you've got more space to fill compared to a shorter guy who would obviously fill out faster.

You're still maintaining a decent level of leaness in that pic. I would keep doing what you're doing till you get uncomfortable and can't stand it anymore. If you can go the distance with building you'll be happy you did.

Good luck!

will do! thanks kim

[Luclin999]

21 pounds gained in three months is pretty high.

Most people trying to "lean bulk" shoot for something like 2-3 pounds per month... Not seven.

[RoadRunner70]

21 pounds gained in three months is pretty high.

Most people trying to "lean bulk" shoot for something like 2-3 pounds per month... Not seven.

yeah I am slowing it down a bit, 1 lb a week max

honestly wanted to just look healthy, I was way underweight, so I just ate a lot, 165 looks way better than 140 lol

[grubman]

I just want to know why there are two half rolls of TP on the counter, two full rolls on the floor...but the TP dispenser has an empty roll on it?

[Plateauplower]

I just want to know why there are two half rolls of TP on the counter, two full rolls on the floor...but the TP dispenser has an empty roll on it?

When eating enough to gain nearly 2lbs per week it's just a waste of time to put the TP on the roller, just gonna be empty by the end of the day anyway. Ain't nobody got time for that.

[blue9steel]

yeah I am slowing it down a bit, 1 lb a week max

In my opinion that's still too high. The conventional recommendation is 1lb-2lb per MONTH.

[pipios]

Eat chineese food and baskin robbins and bulk happy

[kimm4]

In my opinion that's still too high. The conventional recommendation is 1lb-2lb per MONTH.

This is usually the norm but because he's taller and started underweight he can go a bit more aggressive and get away with it. He's at a healthy weight but still at the lower end of the scale...so he can go more aggressive for a while.

[DuracellBunny]

As long as the speed of gain and absolute gain are low enough to ensure the bodyfat gain is within your acceptable limit (which is a subjective personal decision), don't stop.

[RoadRunner70]

When eating enough to gain nearly 2lbs per week it's just a waste of time to put the TP on the roller, just gonna be empty by the end of the day anyway. Ain't nobody got time for that.

ahahahahaha so true.

[RoadRunner70]

to the folk concerned with my 1.5-2 lb weight gain a week, check the pics I added, I was so skinny it was unhealthy, I just wanted to put on weight fast.

the first 1 month or 2 I did about 2 lbs a week, last monthish ive been down to about 1 lb a week

the skinny pic is the middle one

[induced_drag]

to the folk concerned with my 1.5-2 lb weight gain a week, check the pics I added, I was so skinny it was unhealthy, I just wanted to put on weight fast.

the first 1 month or 2 I did about 2 lbs a week, last monthish ive been down to about 1 lb a week

the skinny pic is the middle one

Dont listen to crappy advice. You are in a GREAT position to put on HUGE amounts of mass in the next 6 months to a year. It would not surprise me to see you gain 30+lbs lean mass your first year.

Of all the metrics, a simple tape measure on your waist will tell you all you need to know. I like to measure first thing AM while lying down (it takes the state of flexion of the abs out of the equation). That and a sub q skinfold abdominal and chest. (second optional but good to have for sure).

That should tell you everything you need to know. VAT is not a huge concern as it drops very fast. Just watch when sub-q starts kicking in. (that is why the skinfolds are nice). If you do it right, you can keep sub-q down to a minimal. As I said, VAT is no big deal. Very easy to lose (and gain). When you start piling on the sub-q, that is the tough fat to lose. You will "flatten out" quite a bit in the first change of diet. Dont confuse this with sub-q gain. Just the natural water balance shift.

20 years old....you are in a GREAT place to do really good things! Good luck!

[RoadRunner70]

Dont listen to crappy advice. You are in a GREAT position to put on HUGE amounts of mass in the next 6 months to a year. It would not surprise me to see you gain 30+lbs lean mass your first year.

Of all the metrics, a simple tape measure on your waist will tell you all you need to know. I like to measure first thing AM while lying down (it takes the state of flexion of the abs out of the equation). That and a sub q skinfold abdominal and chest. (second optional but good to have for sure).

That should tell you everything you need to know. VAT is not a huge concern as it drops very fast. Just watch when sub-q starts kicking in. (that is why the skinfolds are nice). If you do it right, you can keep sub-q down to a minimal. As I said, VAT is no big deal. Very easy to lose (and gain). When you start piling on the sub-q, that is the tough fat to lose. You will "flatten out" quite a bit in the first change of diet. Dont confuse this with sub-q gain. Just the natural water balance shift.

20 years old....you are in a GREAT place to do really good things! Good luck!

thanks for the input! I gotta ask though, ive never heard of sub q and vat, I assume they're 2 types of fats? care to go into detail?

[EjnarKolinkar]

the first 1 month or 2 I did about 2 lbs a week, last monthish ive been down to about 1 lb a week

I'd set the cruise control for a while too. Remember you can taper the gain (toward the end not now) and extend the mass gain period as well as just go flat out. So say four months goes by and you feel you are starting accumulating too much fat, you can taper intake a bit and slow down slightly and repeat as needed. If you can prolong the surplus and productive gym time and not pull the rip cord you tend to have a better mass gain. People worry too much about leanness when they have every advantage to gain, and every opportunity for more of that to be muscle mass than they ever will again in their lives.

Look nobody in this thread is advocating you get fat as hell. But you have a good way to go before that becomes a concern. And if it does I just wanted to add that option not to panic, but to instead regulate the surplus if that comes up. Sometimes this taper will occur without you trying too hard as weight goes up. It costs more to run a bigger body. Other times not as appetite can go up just as fast in some people.

[dazlittle]

thanks for the input! I gotta ask though, ive never heard of sub q and vat, I assume they're 2 types of fats? care to go into detail?

Sub Q is Subcutaneous fat, its found under the skin, the stuff you can grab around your stomach. VAT is Visceral fat, this is the fat that sits around your organs.

[RoadRunner70]

ahhh i see! most of the fat I noticed is lower gut/lower back area, I can still grab onto it though, that would be Vat or Sub fat?

[Plateauplower]

ahhh i see! most of the fat I noticed is lower gut/lower back area, I can still grab onto it though, that would be Vat or Sub fat?

That is Sub Q, and don't worry about that until you have built a SIGNIFICANT amount of muscle. For me personally, those areas hold onto fat and would likely require dropping well into the single digit BF range to get rid of. Doing that without a good base of LBM would leave you looking like a Holocaust victim.

Build as long as you can without becoming too fat. Diet back down to get rid of the chub you picked up on the surplus and repeat. You should see improvement each time you do this. You will be leaner at higher bodyweight and look leaner carrying more fat with a substantial base.

[RoadRunner70]

That is Sub Q, and don't worry about that until you have built a SIGNIFICANT amount of muscle. For me personally, those areas hold onto fat and would likely require dropping well into the single digit BF range to get rid of. Doing that without a good base of LBM would leave you looking like a Holocaust victim.

Build as long as you can without becoming too fat. Diet back down to get rid of the chub you picked up on the surplus and repeat. You should see improvement each time you do this. You will be leaner at higher bodyweight and look leaner carrying more fat with a substantial base.

by diet down you mean cutting correct?
I think I could get to 190ish before feeling unconformable, I am tall but I dont have a wide frame.n