"How do you get Abs in the bulking phase"

[topgun1676]

This is one of the most important questions I need to ask. How is it possible to gain the weight and the mass you need and still get your abs to show. To me this kind of seems impossible. I asked a similar question a couple of months ago to some bodybuilders who obviously knew more about lifting than I did. Except the question that I asked them was how can you cut and build mass at the same time. They told me that this was impossible. So with everything that I eat and I will eat anything as long as it is high in protein and calories. Mainly because I'm trying to gain weight/mass. I believe to achieve Abs that you have to be in the cutting phase and not gaining weight or mass. I'm probably wrong and I know that I'm not the expert here. So please help me. Thanks!

[Actual Size]

This is one of the most important questions I need to ask. How is it possible to gain the weight and the mass you need and still get your abs to show. To me this kind of seems impossible. I asked a similar question a couple of months ago to some bodybuilders who obviously knew more about lifting than I did. Except the question that I asked them was how can you cut and build mass at the same time. They told me that this was impossible. So with everything that I eat and I will eat anything as long as it is high in protein and calories. Mainly because I'm trying to gain weight/mass. I believe to achieve Abs that you have to be in the cutting phase and not gaining weight or mass. I'm probably wrong and I know that I'm not the expert here. So please help me. Thanks!

You cant get that perfect six pack abs while bulking.

[topgun1676]

Thanks actual size for the comment. I really didn't think so because it seems you burn more. I'm already at a disadvantage in my bulking phase because I'm in the military and I have to exercise at least 3x a week especially running. I feel that I burn so much of my mass off of me. Maybe it is just mental though. Thanks again!

[TallDarknFuglee]

Thanks actual size for the comment. I really didn't think so because it seems you burn more. I'm already at a disadvantage in my bulking phase because I'm in the military and I have to exercise at least 3x a week especially running. I feel that I burn so much of my mass off of me. Maybe it is just mental though. Thanks again!

I can totally relate to this post 100%
I'm in the military too, 6"7 and 245lbs. Used to be waay too skinny but I recently started working out full time and got where I'm at now. The problem is, even though I'm loving the new look, I detest my gut size now. The old look was way better when it comes to the Abs. I had a 6 pack when I was toothpic skinny , but now that I'm actually stacking pounds little by little, I'm growing a gut with it. It's not a big gut but it used to be non-existent. I'll post pics whenever I get a chance. What branch of the military are you in? Probably Air-force, judging by your username.....

[sweetmisery]

As long as its still "flat", it may not be as lean and perfect as when one is leaner, but its better than total flabs.

[topgun1676]

It's funny how a lot of people think that the topgun name would be from the airforce. I mean the movie came out and it was about the navy, but somewhere, somehow the airforce's recruiting skyrocketed when the movie came out. I would think that they would notice is was an aircraft carrier that they took off on and not a runway. Anyway, I kind of get a laugh from it everytime. Yes, I'm in the airforce, but I used to be in the army for 6.5 years. I was a tanker and a scout. After all that hard core stuff I decided to join the airforce and keep my military time going.

I'm in the same boat as everyone else. I mean when I was thin I also had a six-pack, but to me that wasn't important. I thought that anyone could get a six-pack, but the real challenge was just getting big. I'm tired of all these skinny a** celebrities like usher and that timberlake kid being on the cover of men's fitness talking about how to get a better body. What Body? Your skinny. Anyone who is skinny to me can get a six-pack and cut it's not very hard in my opinion. The challenge to me goes way beyond that.

[sweetmisery]

I'm in the same boat as everyone else. I mean when I was thin I also had a six-pack, but to me that wasn't important. I thought that anyone could get a six-pack, but the real challenge was just getting big. I'm tired of all these skinny a** celebrities like usher and that timberlake kid being on the cover of men's fitness talking about how to get a better body. What Body? Your skinny. Anyone who is skinny to me can get a six-pack and cut it's not very hard in my opinion. The challenge to me goes way beyond that.

Cool view!

[topgun1676]

thanks man! Stay cool sweetmisery.

[keepemseparated]

Does this help? It says you can add mass while decreasing bodyfat.

Posted by Dante (Doggcrapp)

If i never hear these words again in my life it will be too soon. I cringe everytime i hear someone (straight from bb.com) say "im coming off a bulker and now im doing a cutter"..What the hell is that?..that is the most idiotic concept ever! So what your doing is taking 2 steps forward for 4 months and then 1.5 steps backward for 4 months and repeating over and over? Talk about a waste of valuable time! Half your freaking year is gone to hell because your cutting for half of it and gaining no muscle. How bout a novel concept for you? How bout getting dramatically larger over time with huge food (protein) intake and super heavy training but adhering to carb cuttoffs and doing cardio (for increasing hunger and keeping bodyfat at bay reasons) so that you stay lean!!!!!!!!!! Gee whiz, might that be a better way?!

Bulker: An Excuse to become a fat **** for the sake of beleiving your putting on muscle mass to others and yourself (and you probably are but at a 50/50 ratio of muscle to fat--wow thats awesome!)

Cutter: 3-5 months of wasted muscle building time (trust me youll be building very little muscle mass during this) in the quest of turning yourself back from a fat slob you turned yourself into to someone presentable.

THINK ABOUT IT!!!! Your 200lbs, eat like a 250lb guy to get freakshow bigger, and train like a rhino with heavy weights to get larger but also do everything in your power (green tea, cardio, carb cuttoffs) to keep at a bodyfat percentage that your proud of or can live with. This is all about turning your body into a muscle building fat burning blast furnace!
If you do bulking and cutting for the next 2 years and with all those "cutting cycles" adding up to a years time, guess what you just gave up a year of lifting--one year of nonexistant muscle mass accumalation. Thats like lifting for the next 6 years and you only get 3 years of productivity out of it. See the problem is, alot of people try to stay lean year round while also tryng their hardest to put on muscle mass and they do it all wrong. They eat like a 190lber trying to get to 250lbs and think that--by some miracle that will get them there. This is all about becomeing a food processing machine here. Take in a surplus (protein/food), create a demand to put on muscle (seriously heavy lifting/DC training) and then taking care of excesses and burning them off (carb cuttoffs/cardio/thermogenisis)----eating and training like a 300lbs offseason behemoth but doing everything else in your power to be that guy walking around at 7-14% bodyfat (whatever floats your boat)....See its not that hard, just think it out....but most of all dont waste your freaking time taking 2 steps forward and 1.5 steps backward....this is about constant forward progress. If I hear anyone say "cutter" or "bulker" again on this board, you get the official title of "bodybuilding.com guy", like a scarlet letter. This is constant bulking and cutting at the same time and you dont forsake one for the other unless your competing for a show.
You turn yourself into a machine and you keep that machine evolving. Does anyone in this forum actually beleive that if you are 200lbs and doing cardio 3-4x a week at 30-45 minutes a pop but eating 400-500 grams of protein and a ****load of food to get bigger that - YOUR ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO GET BIGGER BECAUSE OF THAT CARDIO? If your not getting bigger then your either not eating enough or your a young guy whose metabolism is so fast that your one of the lucky ones who doesnt have to do cardio. Thats another story I have to write about one of these days--Cardio. Every time I hear a guy tell me...."I just cant eat enough"....I ask him "are you doing cardio?", and he gives me that puzzled look and thinks "why should I do cardio? I have trouble gaining weight and eating enough".....BINGO!!!!! What do you think cardio does? You get up in the morning and start your day with some cardio I guarentee youll be starving the rest of the day and be eating like a damn horse. IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE TIME. Cardio is a two way street--increases hunger and keeps you lean. You have trouble getting bigger? Add cardio first thing in the morning after 30 grams of protein in water and some bcaa's and watch yourself eat the rest of the day! You wont be missing meals, youll be starving. Which leads me to getting off this computer because im starving.

[topgun1676]

Man you hit the hammer on the head of the nail! I'm in the same exact situation. I asked someone I guess a stupid question because I didn't understand why I was the only one still bulking while everyone is cutting. They told me that it was harder to retain water in the summer. So I asked what in the he** does water have to do with it. It's not like you can't still gain weight. He told me that since it is summer and everyone like to go to the beach that they liked to show off the cut for the ladies and then bulk afterwards. I started thinking what a waste. I mean come on get to your goal first and then cut. These guys started lifting in like November of last year and that's about maybe 7 months of lifting if not less of that. why? Because these guys go to the gym Monday because of a guilty conscience and probably stop at about thursday. Friday they are ready to go out and drink the night away. Same ol', Same ol' week after week. Now they say they are in the cutting phase. There is obviously nothing to cut, but they will do it anyway just for the ladies sake. B.S. I'm not doing anything until I reach my goal. Just like you said you take 2 steps backwards if you do what everyone else is doing before it is your time.

[Ahmadi26]

Man you hit the hammer on the head of the nail! I'm in the same exact situation. I asked someone I guess a stupid question because I didn't understand why I was the only one still bulking while everyone is cutting. They told me that it was harder to retain water in the summer. So I asked what in the he** does water have to do with it. It's not like you can't still gain weight. He told me that since it is summer and everyone like to go to the beach that they liked to show off the cut for the ladies and then bulk afterwards. I started thinking what a waste. I mean come on get to your goal first and then cut. These guys started lifting in like November of last year and that's about maybe 7 months of lifting if not less of that. why? Because these guys go to the gym Monday because of a guilty conscience and probably stop at about thursday. Friday they are ready to go out and drink the night away. Same ol', Same ol' week after week. Now they say they are in the cutting phase. There is obviously nothing to cut, but they will do it anyway just for the ladies sake. B.S. I'm not doing anything until I reach my goal. Just like you said you take 2 steps backwards if you do what everyone else is doing before it is your time.

looks doesnt matter i was skinny as **** in summer and i had no problem with girls. as long as your confident in yourself girls will be all over you...

[Space-Monkey]

You must train with very heavy weight, then lighter weight with more reps, then much conditioning. If you eat much food you can do this, I have seen this many times with strongmen. You can sometimes train 3 times per day to maximise the muscle growth and then to loose the fat. This method has been recomended before.

You must not go easy