Bulking isnt working....

[Johnchallis]

If your not gaining muscle at 140lbs eating 3000 cals a day your not lifting hard enough

also, you cant expect vast and fast muscle gains unless your using un-natural methods (i.e, steroids, which i do NOT reccomend you use unless you want bits the size of peas... no homo)

Just eat and lift heavy, you might hit a plateu, but not at 140lbs

you just need to lift hard

[battousai216]

You shouldn't cut at all, just resume bulking but take it slower.

There is no need to rush, you should be thinking ahead at least 6 months, you cant get big after only a few months.

exactly, it doesn't happen overnight.

[daberg08]

I think its all in your head man... start bulking at about 2500 because cutting at 1300 calls totally ****ed up your metabolism... If you go from 1300 to 3000 of course your going to put on some fat. Its going to take awhile for you to be able to eat normal again. And you are going to put on some fat bulking, some people put on more fat than others.

[EazyE15]

I dont know what to do. I'm just not happy with this weight ive put on. I can feel it all the time under my T Shirt, and its the most unattractive thing in the world, it might not look too bad when standing up but when im sitting down i look fat, not skinny fat just fat. And its making me unhappy, and imget really annoyed at everything because of it. So what do i do, try and bulk up or cut? Im going to get fat over xmas, and the gym isnt even open. And i just feel lazy if im not doing cardio every day. Im not anorexic because i can eat as much as i want without feeling guilty, like i have been for the past month. But 99% of the advice from this forum is terrible, "eat 3000 calories", "omgz EAT MORE!", i was lead to believe the more you eat = the more mass you gain, but its not like that at all. now ive thrown away 1 months worth on a PSMF (which is very difficult btw) and hours worth of cardio, and i havnt gained 1lb of mass in that time. Now im just extremely unhappy with myself because ive gone backwards. I wont be confident at bulking unless every 1lb of fat has gone from my stomach.

[EazyE15]

bump

[EazyE15]

Im suprised no other teens here have this problem tbh. But i guess they were all lean to begin with, and dont have a large gut like i do.

[Giorrgi]

I feel your pain.

I mean, I've been cutting for a WHILE, been on a plateau for a while too, and it was frustrating. So I started bulking and it was kind of cool, I gained muscle... AND fat. So I just stopped, maintained for a 2 weeks, not thinking about diet but just training a little.

Started cutting a few weeks back and it's kind of cool... much more satisfying for me because, me too, I feel like I'm a little fat and I want to see my abs. BTW, what is being said on this forum is buncha BS most of the time... Right now I'm cutting on 1000-1200 calories per day, and I lost 1lb of PURE fat per week and NO MUSCLE LOSS. [but I don't do no cardio].

I suggest you visit bodyrecomposition.com and read some stuff there for a while, at least people know what they are talking bout.

[EazyE15]

I feel your pain.

I mean, I've been cutting for a WHILE, been on a plateau for a while too, and it was frustrating. So I started bulking and it was kind of cool, I gained muscle... AND fat. So I just stopped, maintained for a 2 weeks, not thinking about diet but just training a little.

Started cutting a few weeks back and it's kind of cool... much more satisfying for me because, me too, I feel like I'm a little fat and I want to see my abs. BTW, what is being said on this forum is buncha BS most of the time... Right now I'm cutting on 1000-1200 calories per day, and I lost 1lb of PURE fat per week and NO MUSCLE LOSS. [but I don't do no cardio].

I suggest you visit bodyrecomposition.com and read some stuff there for a while, at least people know what they are talking bout.

Hi, are you leaner than i am in my pics? How long did you bulk for also.

[Giorrgi]

Hi, are you leaner than i am in my pics? How long did you bulk for also.

I'm no way leaner, but I gotta say I gained muscle pretty easy, and I still gain even when cutting ?! I would love to post pics but I only have a webcam and its ****ing annoying to take full size pics with it, you can't see ****.

I bulked for a 4 weeks and when I noticed fat gains kinda stopped because even though people on this forum seem to be all intelligent and know their stuff (or not?) they are not living my life and don't have the same priorities as me. (mine are look good overall and not become a fat ass, even if it will help me in the 'bodybuilding sphere' it will be detrimental for my social life).

So currenly I want to bring my BF down as much as I can (aiming for abs, I'm maybe 2-3 lbs away).

[EazyE15]

Would you advise i cut as well? I really dont know what to do, my abs arent big enough to see if i cut right down, and i want a better physique overall, i just dont want to gain any more fat because i have a lot on my stomach.

[TheNaturalTank]

Oh... i thought it was 4 weeks... or atleast that's what you said in the thread where you made fun of a guy for being 138lbs.

[TheNaturalTank]

If I were you I would clean bulk and not worry about the fat that you're currently carrying. In the long run it's the best option to obtain your goals.

[EazyE15]

Well if i bulk now with this fat, ill be fat throughout 2008 and probably 2009. No way am i taking my shirt off on holiday looking how i do now, i would if i was skinny. But it means ill have low self confidence for 2 years straight (or however long i bulk until i cut)

[JiP]

Well if i bulk now with this fat, ill be fat throughout 2008 and probably 2009. No way am i taking my shirt off on holiday looking how i do now, i would if i was skinny. But it means ill have low self confidence for 2 years straight (or however long i bulk until i cut)

you're not fat stop crying. if you clean bulk you'll lean out. jesus christ.

[Giorrgi]

Would you advise i cut as well? I really dont know what to do, my abs arent big enough to see if i cut right down, and i want a better physique overall, i just dont want to gain any more fat because i have a lot on my stomach.

Well, sincerely for you, I don't think you're gonna get anything by cutting. I'd suggest lower your cals by 500 and just lift hard and make sure everything is cool. [with 0,5lbs gain/week, it seems to be the safest this way]

I'm saying this not because I think it's the 'right thing to do because everybody told you so', but because I don't see you looking better than you look now by cutting further. On the other hand for myself I do believe that I can look a little better if I just cut back and start meticulously bulking up from around 10%BF. [maybe I'm wrong about myself and I'll look worse than you, but we will see ]

BTW, pm me MSN if u have, I'd love to talk to u in realtime [no ghey homo thnx kk]

[Phate89]

I dont know what to do. I'm just not happy with this weight ive put on. I can feel it all the time under my T Shirt, and its the most unattractive thing in the world, it might not look too bad when standing up but when im sitting down i look fat, not skinny fat just fat. And its making me unhappy, and imget really annoyed at everything because of it. So what do i do, try and bulk up or cut? Im going to get fat over xmas, and the gym isnt even open. And i just feel lazy if im not doing cardio every day. Im not anorexic because i can eat as much as i want without feeling guilty, like i have been for the past month. But 99% of the advice from this forum is terrible, "eat 3000 calories", "omgz EAT MORE!", i was lead to believe the more you eat = the more mass you gain, but its not like that at all. now ive thrown away 1 months worth on a PSMF (which is very difficult btw) and hours worth of cardio, and i havnt gained 1lb of mass in that time. Now im just extremely unhappy with myself because ive gone backwards. I wont be confident at bulking unless every 1lb of fat has gone from my stomach.

This forum is a joke either way, if you want to real advice and not advice from immature pre-teens then try www.training.fitness.com, they know what they are talking about.

Anyways, you got some good advice from a couple people including me, take it. Feeling fat while bulking is a sacrifice you have to make for future long term goals. just think of the fat as a temporary guest

[EazyE15]

If i bulk now on 2500 cals, when shall i cut so that i have abs for summer 08?

[visionz1234]

SHould i cut down to like 135lb and start over? Ive seen guys coming here at 130lb and when they bulk they look ripped with minimal fat gain.

No.

You're gaining some muscle too. Keep bulking. You'll be fine. Dropping up and down from the 150's into the 130's is never going to get you anywhere. Don't worry about losing abs for awhile. Just eat and lift.

If i bulk now on 2500 cals, when shall i cut so that i have abs for summer 08?

I wouldn't cut at all at your weight. Just spend the year bulking and putting on some quality mass. Shoot for abs in Summer '09. You're way to skinny right now.

Also, drop the cardio for now completely.

Eat 6-7 meals per day and eat clean. No carbs after 5pm. Only carbs before your workout and your post workout meal.

Want 2 good sample meals to start off your day?:

Breakfast:
2 scoops whey isolate
3 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 orange
4 fish oil
1 multivitamin

Meal 2 (1.5-2 hours later):
6 slices of turkey
cup of blueberries
1 apple

The breakfast meal will cause an insulin response and kick your body back into an anabolic state every morning. The second meal is a clean, protein and carb dense meal. Eat like this all day and you'll remain lean while gaining mass.

Invest in some BCAA's too and take in about 200g of protein and more carbs.

Also, don't mix carbs with fat and take plenty of fish oil. Take 2000-3000mg of Vitamin C per day to help aid in lowering cortisol since you're an ecto. Oh yeah, lift heavy and intense, but not to much volume. Keep the sets low (3 at the very most per exercise, 2 prefered).

You really need to suck it up and risk some fat gain while gaining muscle mass. You aren't fat.

[OoFaP]

Im suprised no other teens here have this problem tbh. But i guess they were all lean to begin with, and dont have a large gut like i do.

You're not fat. Just bulk on less calories and shoot for half a pound a week. You will lean out and add muscle. I just bulked to 195 and I didn't realize how fat I got. Now I'm down to 182 and still need to lose more so if I was doing it over I'd try doing exactly what I just told you to do.

[EazyE15]

Isnt half a lb a week a bit hard to judge? I mean one piss is about 1lb, how will i judge progress?

[juniorftw]

No. Jesus Christ, stop talking about cutting just because you have a little fat. You're bulking, a little fat gain is inevitable(sp?), if you think you're gaining too much fat lower the cals by 500 and throw in some cardio once or twice a week.

[user5145]

You're overanalyzing it man, just eat enough so you gain a pound a week. You are not fat, get that idea out of your head. You need to get rid of the mental illness that you have. Leave the site. Forget about it. Just eat healthily and lift hard.

[GetBeefy]

Dude, what are you doing trying to gain mass doing 10 reps in a set? Like a few other people said, you need to change your routine up. You should definitely hit up AST max-ot training program.

If your trying to get mass, you should be going HEAVY and with low reps. No wonder your not looking bigger. Do your warm up, but then go for 6-9 heavy sets with 4-6 reps in each. Make sure to warm up properly, since your going to be going a lot heavier, it's really important to stretch properly and get the blood flowing. You need to up your intensity. After you warm up, do your 6-9 sets of 4-6 reps. You should be using weight you can rep at least 4 times but cannot rep anymore than 6. I wouldn't go 100% at first, the first 3 sets I'm about 10lbs off what I really can do(i do 6-8reps) so i can really warm up well even after my warm up. Plus once I get really pumped adding those extra plates just spikes the intensity. I follow strict form and work with a 2-4 or a 2-6 tempo, explosive on the positive and control on the negative. I do this all within 45 minutes, keep it intense. No standing around, not talking, give your self 1-3 minutes of rest as you come to your final sets, it's okay to take a 3 minute breather. Most of this info is coming from AST-max ot, it's a great program IMO, check it for yourself.

[user5145]

Dude, what are you doing trying to gain mass doing 10 reps in a set? Like a few other people said, you need to change your routine up. You should definitely hit up AST max-ot training program.

If your trying to get mass, you should be going HEAVY and with low reps. No wonder your not looking bigger. Do your warm up, but then go for 6-9 heavy sets with 4-6 reps in each. Make sure to warm up properly, since your going to be going a lot heavier, it's really important to stretch properly and get the blood flowing. You need to up your intensity. After you warm up, do your 6-9 sets of 4-6 reps. You should be using weight you can rep at least 4 times but cannot rep anymore than 6. I wouldn't go 100% at first, the first 3 sets I'm about 10lbs off what I really can do(i do 6-8reps) so i can really warm up well even after my warm up. Plus once I get really pumped adding those extra plates just spikes the intensity. I follow strict form and work with a 2-4 or a 2-6 tempo, explosive on the positive and control on the negative. I do this all within 45 minutes, keep it intense. No standing around, not talking, give your self 1-3 minutes of rest as you come to your final sets, it's okay to take a 3 minute breather. Most of this info is coming from AST-max ot, it's a great program IMO, check it for yourself.

Don't give him even more to worry about. 8-10 reps is a perfect rep range for hypertrophy. 4-6 reps is more for strength.

[EazyE15]

I was advised to do 4x10 on most exercises to start with as it doesnt matter when you start training. Im sore the next day as well, i used to do 5x5, then when i started doing 4x10 i found it much harder and i was sore the next day, i wasnt with 5x5. So much conflicting advice around here. Low reps are for powerlifting so i was told.

[JiP]

here. Low reps are for powerlifting so i was told.

and we all know powerlifters have no mass what so ever.

[EazyE15]

and we all know powerlifters have no mass what so ever.

No, but body builders gain mass at a faster rate than powerlifters.

[OoFaP]

Isnt half a lb a week a bit hard to judge? I mean one piss is about 1lb, how will i judge progress?

Yeah it's hard. 3500 calories is a pound so half of that is 1750. That means all you need to do is eat 250 calories a day over maintenance. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time after you piss and/or ****. You won't know what's maintenance so see how it goes and adjust accordingly.

[DavidJr74]

I know how you feel I weighed 172 5 weeks ago and right now I am 187.8. Thats 15.8 pounds for me...

[visionz1234]

I was advised to do 4x10 on most exercises to start with as it doesnt matter when you start training. Im sore the next day as well, i used to do 5x5, then when i started doing 4x10 i found it much harder and i was sore the next day, i wasnt with 5x5. So much conflicting advice around here. Low reps are for powerlifting so i was told.

4x10 is too much volume for an ectomorph. You'll benefit from less and more intense sets.