How long was your first bulk?

[Gibson222]

I got super skinny cause I was living and eating bad, start of October I was 5'9 132 (26yo, not that I was ever much bigger than that, usually around 145-55) I started eating a lot of calories and proteins then and I started going to the gym at the end of november. Also taking creatine. So yeah bulking for 4 months, bulking + gym 2 1/2 months. Im now 162. I'm planning to bulk until around 170 around easter and then cut hard for around 2 months, maybe lean gains until september and then bulk up hard again I don't know for how long. I know that I could bulk for longer but I just dont wanna have a fat face. I mean already 30 pounds make a difference but I dont see it too much and I don't think it looks bad. I'm not saying it will be FAT fat at more than 170 but yeah, 175-180 sounds like too much for now.

So yeah the question is, how did your first bulk look like?

Other info just for the sake of it: Im running ICF fitnessmaybe until easter, I know it isnt the most well liked but Im digging the strength gains, then I plan to swtich on reddit PPL for like 3 months and then probably either madcow or fierce intermediate, lets see. Also unfortunately I had a 1 week break a couple times once when I went back to my country and the other one for some bad flu or covid. Its been nice to see the strength and body improvements cause I worked out for like 1,5 years when i was 17-18 but at the time I had no control on my food intake and didn't care about that so It was all about skinny abs at the time, now I'm actually getting bigger and stronger.

[Sevenlionz]

First bulk at around 115lbs went all the way to 140lbs, took maybe 7-8 months, then a cut, then another 6 month bulk to 160, cut to 150, bulk to 180, cut to 170, bulk to 190 etc etc

[dingler]

Only ever cut once, went from 215 to 175 to compete in mens physique years ago. Thought I was gonna die, never again. Permabulking now.

[Channel83]

Not really a bulk / cut kind of guy, but have started to try & add a few pounds over winter period (Nov to March) over the last couple of years. This year have gained probably 8 lbs -Nov to now

[bsmit107]

From 18 till about 25.....then realized I got fat and spent the next 2 years cutting/reigning things back in.

Went from 180 lbs to 275 about 17-18%bf, then cut back down to 245 about 11% and was stronger than I was at 275...felt good man. I'm 6'6"

[Gibson222]

From 18 till about 25.....then realized I got fat and spent the next 2 years cutting/reigning things back in.

Went from 180 lbs to 275 about 17-18%bf, then cut back down to 245 about 11% and was stronger than I was at 275...felt good man. I'm 6'6"

Imagine being 6'6 245 11%

[1slo5oh]

About 28 years... successfully might I add!!!

[Gibson222]

I recently realized that im bulking way too fast. im already like 166. i need to chil. i meant to do like 2 kg a month but im doing like 3 honestly, maybe even more. from now on ill chill a little bit.

[Dave22reborn]

People still "bulk" in 2024?

[Gibson222]

People still "bulk" in 2024?

idiot

[lightsarefallin]

My first 'bulks' were ignorant and idiotic. I listened to people's advice I should have never listened to. That's actually how I discovered this forum in 2009 or so. I wound up fatter than I was before I started lifting after a fulk I did. As you can imagine, it was incredibly depressing because I had initially started lifting cuz I wound up overweight and feeling like garbage all the time.

I learned a lot, failed a lot, and grew a lot. In my 15 years of accrued experience and knowledge building, probably the #1 advice I'd give to natty lifters is to never fuking 'bulk' in the traditional sense. Oh brb gain 25 pounds in 3 month bulk, so much progress! Brb gain 24 pound of lard, maybe 1 pound muscle. Spin your wheels.

[tendies]

Started when I found the Misc back in 2006. Bulk still going strong 24 years later. We're all gonna make it brahs.

[Dave22reborn]

My first 'bulks' were ignorant and idiotic. I listened to people's advice I should have never listened to. That's actually how I discovered this forum in 2009 or so. I wound up fatter than I was before I started lifting after a fulk I did. As you can imagine, it was incredibly depressing because I had initially started lifting cuz I wound up overweight and feeling like garbage all the time.

I learned a lot, failed a lot, and grew a lot. In my 15 years of accrued experience and knowledge building, probably the #1 advice I'd give to natty lifters is to never fuking 'bulk' in the traditional sense. Oh brb gain 25 pounds in 3 month bulk, so much progress! Brb gain 24 pound of lard, maybe 1 pound muscle. Spin your wheels.

I don't know, growing up, the magazines didn't help. Making it sound like you had to pretty much stuff yourself to gain muscle. That dirty bulking was okay. Eat big to get big....

[sdomkuf]

Clean bulked from 5'10" 125lbs to 165lbs, 10th grade - Senior year in college

[lightsarefallin]

I don't know, growing up, the magazines didn't help. Making it sound like you had to pretty much stuff yourself to gain muscle. That dirty bulking was okay. Eat big to get big....

To be fair, that approach might work for some. I've known incredibly lean dudes who've jammed in burger king daily while hitting the weights and made lean gains. However, for an individual who's pretty doughy already and might not have the best leanness genes, dirty bulking is probably the biggest mistake you can make. I spent nearly 10 years spinning my wheels, riding the peaks and troughs of lard throughout the years and absolutely wasting my time and potential engaging in these long, draconian cut cycles to offset the amount of fat I piled on during 'bulking' cycles that were, mind you, not even that bad. I never "dirty bulked." I literally followed a meal plan made up of clean foods. I never ate above 3k cals. I still became a fat fuk. The highest I ever got was in my early 20s, stepped on a scale at 215. I was trying on dress pants for a ball and needed to get size 38" waist. I have a photo that is an immortalization of my fattest moment in my life and I've often used it here as a pre/post physique comparison.

One of my best "lifting career" decisions I ever made was to flat out stop bulking. In the past 5 years or so, I've had great success eating a nutrient-rich diet and living a healthy clean lifestyle 9 months out of the year and challenging myself 3 months out of the year in the later winter and cutting down as low as I can. This past year's cycle, I actually managed to maintain my conditioning year round and I plan on trying to shred even further starting in 2 weeks. I think I'm poised to finally hit around 10% body fat. I wouldn't be surprised if, by June, I sat 60 pounds lighter than my 215 pound jabba the hut counterpart.

[SSM12]

About 28 years... successfully might I add!!!

This. But 19 and no lifting. Was 5’9 and like 250

[wasp9166]

Have you looked around ??


Seems.mfers been bulking for 27 years

[naich]

Its great that you are reigniting the flame of strength training, but please don't attribute programs that are 30 years old like PPL to reddit. If some twink told me he is bulking and doing reddit PPL 45 pound plates would start flying.

[sdomkuf]

Its great that you are reigniting the flame of strength training, but please don't attribute programs that are 30 years old like PPL to reddit. If some twink told me he is bulking and doing reddit PPL 45 pound plates would start flying.

wutz wrong with PPL?

[Mic9]

I learned a lot, failed a lot, and grew a lot. In my 15 years of accrued experience and knowledge building, probably the #1 advice I'd give to natty lifters is to never fuking 'bulk' in the traditional sense. Oh brb gain 25 pounds in 3 month bulk, so much progress! Brb gain 24 pound of lard, maybe 1 pound muscle. Spin your wheels.

What do you suggest instead of that?

[LonelyHustler]

People still "bulk" in 2024?

Stay small nerd

[LonelyHustler]

My first 'bulks' were ignorant and idiotic. I listened to people's advice I should have never listened to. That's actually how I discovered this forum in 2009 or so. I wound up fatter than I was before I started lifting after a fulk I did. As you can imagine, it was incredibly depressing because I had initially started lifting cuz I wound up overweight and feeling like garbage all the time.

I learned a lot, failed a lot, and grew a lot. In my 15 years of accrued experience and knowledge building, probably the #1 advice I'd give to natty lifters is to never fuking 'bulk' in the traditional sense. Oh brb gain 25 pounds in 3 month bulk, so much progress! Brb gain 24 pound of lard, maybe 1 pound muscle. Spin your wheels.

You aint cut out to make it in this bulk world man.
If the bulk doesnt work for you, stick to lacrosse. We BODYBUILDERS

[LonelyHustler]

wutz wrong with PPL?

Twinks run ppl. In all srs'ness, its a newbie workout split. You gon make suboptimal or barely any gains if u benching 225+ & squat 3 wheels.
Chads & horsecock fridges workout a brosplit, or whatever they feel like split. Im on the 2nd one rn.
Just go in there & think whats recovered enough & hit it

[lightsarefallin]

What do you suggest instead of that?

Completely disregard the 500 calories over maintenance nonsense. Build yourself an appropriately intense hypertrophy routine, push it hard, and focus on eating high quality foods slightly above your maintenance. Don't over-inflate your maintenance using dumbass online calculators that claim an office worker needs 3500 calories to maintain his weight. I got into leangains a long time ago and that was some really good info. I started IF at that time. I wonder if that site is still active. It was great.

[LonelyHustler]

Completely disregard the 500 calories over maintenance nonsense. Build yourself an appropriately intense hypertrophy routine, push it hard, and focus on eating high quality foods slightly above your maintenance. Don't over-inflate your maintenance using dumbass online calculators that claim an office worker needs 3500 calories to maintain his weight. I got into leangains a long time ago and that was some really good info. I started IF at that time. I wonder if that site is still active. It was great.

Solid advice


If your goal physique is this

[lightsarefallin]

Solid advice


If your goal physique is this

Why not post a picture of your current physique and your own approach to training and nutrition then? Like I said, humans are all unique. We don't all fit into the same mold.

[naich]

wutz wrong with PPL?

Nothing wrong with PPL, OP called it "reddit PPL" because he found it on reddit last week or some tool on reddit said to swap leg extentions for split squats and renamed it "reddit PPL". PPL has existed in some form or another since people started basing their weight training on a 7 day week.

OP listen up good. Lift heavy, take a multi, give him a firm hand shake while maintaining eye contact and just walk up and say hello. Everything will fall into place like bags of sand.

[bsmit107]

Completely disregard the 500 calories over maintenance nonsense. Build yourself an appropriately intense hypertrophy routine, push it hard, and focus on eating high quality foods slightly above your maintenance. Don't over-inflate your maintenance using dumbass online calculators that claim an office worker needs 3500 calories to maintain his weight. I got into leangains a long time ago and that was some really good info. I started IF at that time. I wonder if that site is still active. It was great.

Yea, this.

When I started my first real cut (tracking, counting calories, tracking workouts, dedicated cardio, etc) I realized, obviously.....that I was eating way too much. I was sitting at a desk all day and once I got my stuff figured out.....I was eating 2400 cals/day, mostly from Protein & fat and maybe 50-70g of carbs a day except 1 day a week where I flipped and ate 300-400g carbs still keeping my calories at 2400......and the fat literally melted off. I went from 6'6" 275 down to 245 and got considerably stronger in all lifts.

People would almost be flabbergasted when I told them I (at 6'6 245lbs, 11%bf) was only eating 2400 cals a day and only eating like 50g carbs/day....but when you think about it I was basically inactive for 95% of my day during the week & didn't need carbs to sit at a desk all day. A lot of people think you need more food than you actually do when you workout for 1 hour 4x/week.....you don't.

Eveybody's metabolism is different, you just need to figure out what works for you and your goals. I regret my "bulk phase of life" thinking that I just need to stuff my face all the time to put on muscle, but I guess I just look at it as a lesson learned.

[lightsarefallin]

Yea, this.

When I started my first real cut (tracking, counting calories, tracking workouts, dedicated cardio, etc) I realized, obviously.....that I was eating way too much. I was sitting at a desk all day and once I got my stuff figured out.....I was eating 2400 cals/day, mostly from Protein & fat and maybe 50-70g of carbs a day except 1 day a week where I flipped and ate 300-400g carbs still keeping my calories at 2400......and the fat literally melted off. I went from 6'6" 275 down to 245 and got considerably stronger in all lifts.

People would almost be flabbergasted when I told them I (at 6'6 245lbs, 11%bf) was only eating 2400 cals a day and only eating like 50g carbs/day....but when you think about it I was basically inactive for 95% of my day during the week & didn't need carbs to sit at a desk all day. A lot of people think you need more food than you actually do when you workout for 1 hour 4x/week.....you don't.

Eveybody's metabolism is different, you just need to figure out what works for you and your goals. I regret my "bulk phase of life" thinking that I just need to stuff my face all the time to put on muscle, but I guess I just look at it as a lesson learned.

At the ass end of my cuts, I'm seriously at 1600-1800 cals a day.

[bsmit107]

At the ass end of my cuts, I'm seriously at 1600-1800 cals a day.

Nice. When my wife cuts she's down around 1000-1100 and people are like "why are you starving yourself!?"....I've got other buddies who do kind of the same thing but fast for 2 days then do carnivore for the rest of the week and they look great but get the same reaction from normies who just don't understand how they #1 fast for "that long" and #2 eat less than 2000 calories a day and not pass out or have no energy....and #3 like when we go out to dinner with people and it's a cheat day....they eat a burger and fries and drink 2 beers and still have a 6 pack.

When I calculated my TDEE I used my weight minus my estimated body fat.....basically use your lean body mass to calculate your needed Calories. I think that's somewhere else people get confused and do it wrong...they use their total body weight. Your fat doesn't need fuel......it is fuel.