Beginner Guide to Bulking

[Serb-Muscle]

___________________________Bulking________________ ___________
What is bulking?
Bulking is a stage where an individual puts on as much mass as possible with a goal to gain mostly muscle and very little fat.

How do i get started?
First you have to take your calories you need daily to maintain your weight, you can do this by multiplying your bodyweight by 15.
ex. 170 pound male = 170x15 = 2550 calories (this is to maintain weight)

>Now since our goal is to gain weight we should add 500 calories and this will be our base. Therefore 2550+500= 3050 calories, this number is how much a 170 pound male would start of with.

If you weigh yourself in every week and see your gaining 1-2kg a week, then your going on the right path. If you dont see gains you'll have to bump your calories up 300. Every week i suggest bumping it up a bit to continue progressing.

What kind of foods do I eat and how much a day?

Now for bulking phase I would recommend going with 50% carbs 30% protein and 20% fats. This means that in every meal you should consume a adequate number of protein, fats and carbs. I would suggest eating 5-7 meals a day and consuming good amounts of protein, carbs and fat in each one.
I would recommend 1g-1.5g Protein per body weight, below I will list good sources of Protein,Carbohydrates and Good fats.


Here are some good sources:

Protein: Sea Food, Chicken breast's, Tuna, Eggs, Turkey and Meats.
Fats: (GOOD FATS) Unsalted peanuts, Almonds, Fish oil, Walnuts, Peanut butter.
Carbohydrates: Pasta, Oatmeal, Fruits, Sweet Potatoes, Rice, Whole Wheat Bread.

>> Now you know what to eat, Incorporate adequate amounts of carbs, fats and proteins in each meal and youll be set.
Ex. Meal 2 could be: 1 Chicken breast,(Protein)
Green beans (Carbs)
Almonds (Fats)


Diet is key to seeing gains and being successful. Now lets review some Supplements, Supplements can be taken to meet your protein needs, I recommend taking Creatine and Whey Protein after you got your Diet Down Pat. Take whey After your workouts with Creatine or Creatine before your workout.
Heres one of my favorite shakes:

250ml Milk (1cup)
1 TBSP Organic Peanut butter
1.5 Scoops Whey (could be more depending on your protein needs)
1 Bannana
1 Scoop Creatine (If you want or take it pre Workout)
(Credit to Supermaine < This where i got the shake)
>>>This shake has a good amount of calories which can be helpful.

If you have never took Creatine or Protein Powder before, look at some articles about it on Bodybuilding.com. Heres a great Creatine article

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112484941
__________________________________________________ __________

Now for Beginners who have just started training, I would recommend starting out with a simple Workout using mostly Compound movements, Bodybuilding.com has some great beginner workouts and Mass training Programs.

For Rep Range I would Recommend 6-10, also when training for Mass I would suggest Using the maximum weight you can to get in 6-10 reps. Rest about 60-90 seconds between Compound movements and about 30-60 seconds between Isolation Movements. In my experience Free Weights are the way to go for Mass, get away from those cables and hit the iron. With this combined Diet and Hard Training You'll be on the road to gaining mass, I would suggest gaining Mass untill you feel your Satisfied and then Cut (Cutting Phase)
Which I will post the article soon. Now enough of me, Get in the Gym.....
What are you waiting for?

[SuperMaine]

Thanks for the props and the credit!!! Take care, glad you like the shake!

[manwithav8]

so the creatine goes right into the whey shake aswell??? So I been doing it the hard way.

Eat the banana, mix up some low calorie OJ with the creatine, then shake up the shake when in all honesty I could do it all in one shake????

[xtreme919]

good read..thanks..i will try out the shake 4 my preworkout

[Barry Nelson]

Good advice, I'll have to give the shake a try today.

[Serb-Muscle]

so the creatine goes right into the whey shake aswell??? So I been doing it the hard way.

Eat the banana, mix up some low calorie OJ with the creatine, then shake up the shake when in all honesty I could do it all in one shake????

Yes you can do it all in one

[joeedoom]

That shake you mention, is that post work out or pre work out?

[Serb-Muscle]

That shake you mention, is that post work out or pre work out?

Post workout, you can also it throughout the day if you cant get a meal in, Just stick with solid preworkout meal and a preworkout sup if you want.

It has good amount of cals along with good macronutrient value of Carbs/Proteins/Fats

[joeedoom]

Post workout, you can also it throughout the day if you cant get a meal in, Just stick with solid preworkout meal and a preworkout sup if you want.

It has good amount of cals along with good macronutrient value of Carbs/Proteins/Fats

Then in that case your wrong. It would be more effective to use water than milk. Water is much faster digesting and your muscles are starving. Also a banana contains fructose, carb that can only be used by the liver. How much of a workout does your liver get when in the gym? You want a dextrose or maltdextrin in that post work out shake, not a banana. There's no mention of magnesium either, essesntial as part of a post work out shake. Take out the peanut butter, your thickening your shake and it wants to be as thin as possible because liquid digests faster than food.

So thats:

Protein
Water
Dextrose / Maltodextrin
Crushed magnesium tablet
Salt

ASAP after workout, before shower / drive home etc. Then go and have a meal. Not what you said.

[Westboarder]

And I suppose you have a B.S. in nutrition?

[Serb-Muscle]

Then in that case your wrong. It would be more effective to use water than milk. Water is much faster digesting and your muscles are starving. Also a banana contains fructose, carb that can only be used by the liver. How much of a workout does your liver get when in the gym? You want a dextrose or maltdextrin in that post work out shake, not a banana. There's no mention of magnesium either, essesntial as part of a post work out shake. Take out the peanut butter, your thickening your shake and it wants to be as thin as possible because liquid digests faster than food.

So thats:

Protein
Water
Dextrose / Maltodextrin
Crushed magnesium tablet
Salt

ASAP after workout, before shower / drive home etc. Then go and have a mer mal. Not what you said.

No it wouldnt, if your bulking you want more calories. Water has 0. Dextrose and Maltodextrin cost money and not many people have that and crushed magnesium tablet, A bannana will do instead of spending money on that and I never heard of salt in shakes. As for the shake you want a thicker shake and it wont make a difference itll digest and go into your muscles the same speed as a regular shake + the good fats added + taste.

[Serb-Muscle]

And I suppose you have a B.S. in nutrition?

No man i dont, but i like to learn a lot about this stuff and have a good wealth of knowledge. I am currently training with a Pro bodybuilder.

[nightmare69]

Thanks for the great write up!...repped I am goin to start mixing a pre workout shake now.

[Chris@UGA]

1-2kg per week? 2-4 pounds per week?

Have fun getting fat as hell.

Aim for 1/2 of a pound per week. Anything more than that and it's mostly water weight and fat.

I also don't even count green beans as a carb. They're more filler than anything. You'd have to eat a bushel full to get the 50-60g of carbs that I eat per meal.

Also, you'll want to take your creatine with a higher carb meal than just a banana.

[Serb-Muscle]

1-2kg per week? 2-4 pounds per week?

Have fun getting fat as hell.

Aim for 1/2 of a pound per week. Anything more than that and it's mostly water weight and fat.

I also don't even count green beans as a carb. They're more filler than anything. You'd have to eat a bushel full to get the 50-60g of carbs that I eat per meal.

Also, you'll want to take your creatine with a higher carb meal than just a banana.

Sorry i Meant 1-2 pounds a week. You shouldnt aim for 1/2 a pound.. 1-2 pounds.
Green beans are carbs 27g per serving. Aslong as you get creatine in your system post workout to fill ATP Stores then its good.

[Chris@UGA]

You're NOT going to gain 2 pounds of muscle per week. You won't gain 1 pound of muscle per week either.

Again, have fun getting fat.

Also, creatine's absorption is increased by about 60% when combined with simple carbs. Most will say a simple banana won't cut it.

[Serb-Muscle]

You're NOT going to gain 2 pounds of muscle per week. You won't gain 1 pound of muscle per week either.

Again, have fun getting fat.

Also, creatine's absorption is increased by about 60% when combined with simple carbs. Most will say a simple banana won't cut it.

Your wrong... I didnt say all muscle did i, 1-2 pounds in general a week is good to aim for.

Oh my god a simple bannana wont cut it, All my muscle is going to be gone.
So what dude people can go with the bannana and get just the creatine in there, Or bam add a bit of honey, there you go big deal, Theres your simple carbs and your creatine.

[Chris@UGA]

No offense bud, but you're 15 and don't really have much real world experience. Props to you because you know a heck of a lot more than I did at your age, but some of your thinking is flawed.

You want to gain 1-2 pounds per week? Why would you openly want to gain fat? You'll just have to diet down later and waste time losing weight when you could have kept on bulking and gaining muscle.

Give this a read.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_..._about_bulking

[Serb-Muscle]

No offense bud, but you're 15 and don't really have much real world experience. Props to you because you know a heck of a lot more than I did at your age, but some of your thinking is flawed.

You want to gain 1-2 pounds per week? Why would you openly want to gain fat? You'll just have to diet down later and waste time losing weight when you could have kept on bulking and gaining muscle.

Give this a read.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_..._about_bulking

I know it wont be all muscle but thanks for the tips

[Chris@UGA]

Good luck with your goals. Just have patience and you'll achieve whatever you want.

[Westboarder]

No man i dont, but i like to learn a lot about this stuff and have a good wealth of knowledge. I am currently training with a Pro bodybuilder.

I was more or less coming to your defense because I can't see anything wrong with glycemic uptake in a banana.

[Sonofliberty]

dude if your only 15 trust me bulking up is very long and hard process. you clearly know your stuff though but i would suggest 2g per ibs of bodyweight for protein. I eat 8 meals a day and its tough. You look at putting on about a solid pound a week. Takes lots of time and force feeding! good luck though!

[Serb-Muscle]

dude if your only 15 trust me bulking up is very long and hard process. you clearly know your stuff though but i would suggest 2g per ibs of bodyweight for protein. I eat 8 meals a day and its tough. You look at putting on about a solid pound a week. Takes lots of time and force feeding! good luck though!

Yeah thanks, Im training hard and eating 6 meals a day, yeah i go about 2x bodyweight for protein, Yeah in the past 2 weeks ive put on 2 pound. Thanks, I'll keep training hard.

[joeedoom]

banana is fructose - fact
fructose is only absorbed by the liver - fact
therefor?, it would be best not to eat banana post work out because you are neglecting your muscles. eat dextrose or maltodextrose.

dextrose is cheaper than protein

liquid is absorbed faster by the body than solid - fact
urgo, the thinner the pwo shake, the better.

Heres something from Casey Butt's website:

Rule #12: After Your Workouts Consume This Simple Shake
After your workout your body needs carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes - and it needs them fast. So I'm going to give you a simple, quick-digesting, shake recipe to take care of that. Of course, it isn't at all a "magic bullet", and of all the Rules covered in this article this one is probably the least critical, but good post-workout nutrition is still an important factor if maximum progress is your concern (and of course, it is) and the shake given below is an example of that. It won't do anything for you that a good meal wouldn't, but it often isn't easy or convenient to have a good cooked meal immediately after training ...use this instead.

Here's what to do: Get some dextrose (you can buy this at any brew supply shop - it's usually called "corn sugar" - and it only costs around $1 per pound. Supermarkets often have it too). Get some potassium-based salt substitute. You can get this at the supermarket - stuff like "Nu-Salt", etc. If you're not sure about it just look at the ingredients for "potassium chloride". If that's the main one then you've got it. Get a bottle of some magnesium tablets. These are only a couple of dollars and you can get them at any health-food place (again, probably the supermarket). Anything with 250 mg of magnesium per tablet is good. Get a box of regular table salt (i.e. sodium chloride). And you should get some protein powder, like I recommended in Rule #10. So here's your grocery list:

Bag of dextrose (also called "corn sugar")
Potassium-based salt substitute
Bottle of magnesium tablets
Box of table salt
Protein powder
To make the shake, first figure out how much dextrose you need. Divide your bodweight in pounds by 2.2. If you're a naturally thin guy trying to build up, then this is the number of grams of dextrose you need after a tough workout. Each heaping tablespoon of dextrose contains 20 grams. So if you weigh 154 pounds this would be 154/2.2 = 70 grams of dextrose. That would be equal to 3 and a half heaping tablespoons. Then put in 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt substitute and 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt. Throw in one magnesium tablet. Use one-third the amount of protein that you did dextrose (by the gram). So if you used 70 grams of dextrose then you'll want 70/3 = 23 grams of protein. You can figure out how much this is by looking on the label of your protein powder and seeing how much protein is in one scoop. Now, add at least 1 quart/liter of water (more if you can) and blend it all up until the magnesium tablet is dissolved. Put it in a container and take it with you to the gym. Drink it immediately after you finish your workout (you may sip on it during the workout if there's enough to make it worthwhile, but leave three-quarters of it for after).

If you have a tendency to get fat you'd be better off if you don't use as much dextrose as suggested above. Go through the calculations as usual but after you've calculated the amount of protein you'll be using double this and that will be the amount of dextrose you should actually use. So, in the above example we first calculated 70 grams of dextrose and 23 grams of protein for a 154 pound person, well if that person has a tendency to gain fat easily we'd use 23 grams of protein and only 46 grams of dextrose (23 x 2).

As a note regarding protein powder after training, the idea is to get protein into the system fairly quickly, so the best kind of protein would be a pre-digested whey type. I really don't trust many of the supplement companies, though. After all, several of them have been busted, several times, for lying on their product labels - and there is no regular testing of their products by any government establishment. So, really, why would I trust a company who has some drug-built monster in their ads, trying to mislead me into thinking that their product is responsible for such muscle? I usually just go with the cheapest protein powder, or the ones with no drugged-up bodybuilders endorsing them, because there's probably not a great deal of difference in them. On the other hand, possibly the most reputable and established brands do contain what they say - but it probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans anyway.

Getting back on track... Believe it or not, that shake doesn't taste too bad. I've been using only Strawberry flavour protein powder for the past several months, so I don't remember what the other flavours tasted like, though.

If you just don't want to make the above shake, you can always go with Yogurt. Yogurt contains high-quality protein and carbs and it digests very quickly ...and if you make your own it can be pretty cheap. All you need is a packet of active yogurt culture (you can get that for a couple of dollars at a health-food store) or even just a few tablespoons of store-bought yogurt and some milk (use skim milk powder and mix some milk up - it's cheaper). The instructions to make the yogurt will be on the culture packet or you can find it online if you're using store-bought yogurt as your "starter". If it's too tart when you make it just add some dextrose (which would be ideal for after a workout) or sweetener like "Twin" or something (especially if you're trying to lose weight). 2 cups of yogurt will have around 18 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbs (without the dextrose added).

That's sort of the sophisticated approach. If you can't afford any of that, or haven't got the patience to bother with it, then buy a bag of skim milk powder and mix up 1 - 1.5 liters (or quarts) of milk and drink it immediately after your workout - 1 liter if you're under 170 lbs and did a fairly "easy" workout, and 1.5 liters if you're over 170 lbs or had a "tough" workout. (I believe regular milk is better than powder - it's less processed - but I know a lot of you might be pinched for money and milk powder is cheaper.) Milk has been supporting muscle building for a long time. In fact, some research in 2007 actually showed milk to produce a greater anabolic response after weight training than a store-bought bodybuilding supplement ...sort of a slap in the face for all those companies pushing "metabolic optimizers" and supplement "stacks" based on "modern science" and nutrition theory. Modern science actually seems to support very old-fashioned milk in this case. Don't underestimate "simple" nutrition.

if that doesnt convince you that you where wrong. like the other guy said... have fun getting fat.

im out.

[2ndtime]

banana is fructose - fact
fructose is only absorbed by the liver - fact
therefor?, it would be best not to eat banana post work out because you are neglecting your muscles. eat dextrose or maltodextrose.

dextrose is cheaper than protein

liquid is absorbed faster by the body than solid - fact
urgo, the thinner the pwo shake, the better.

Heres something from Casey Butt's website:

Rule #12: After Your Workouts Consume This Simple Shake
After your workout your body needs carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes - and it needs them fast. So I'm going to give you a simple, quick-digesting, shake recipe to take care of that. Of course, it isn't at all a "magic bullet", and of all the Rules covered in this article this one is probably the least critical, but good post-workout nutrition is still an important factor if maximum progress is your concern (and of course, it is) and the shake given below is an example of that. It won't do anything for you that a good meal wouldn't, but it often isn't easy or convenient to have a good cooked meal immediately after training ...use this instead.

Here's what to do: Get some dextrose (you can buy this at any brew supply shop - it's usually called "corn sugar" - and it only costs around $1 per pound. Supermarkets often have it too). Get some potassium-based salt substitute. You can get this at the supermarket - stuff like "Nu-Salt", etc. If you're not sure about it just look at the ingredients for "potassium chloride". If that's the main one then you've got it. Get a bottle of some magnesium tablets. These are only a couple of dollars and you can get them at any health-food place (again, probably the supermarket). Anything with 250 mg of magnesium per tablet is good. Get a box of regular table salt (i.e. sodium chloride). And you should get some protein powder, like I recommended in Rule #10. So here's your grocery list:

Bag of dextrose (also called "corn sugar")
Potassium-based salt substitute
Bottle of magnesium tablets
Box of table salt
Protein powder
To make the shake, first figure out how much dextrose you need. Divide your bodweight in pounds by 2.2. If you're a naturally thin guy trying to build up, then this is the number of grams of dextrose you need after a tough workout. Each heaping tablespoon of dextrose contains 20 grams. So if you weigh 154 pounds this would be 154/2.2 = 70 grams of dextrose. That would be equal to 3 and a half heaping tablespoons. Then put in 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt substitute and 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt. Throw in one magnesium tablet. Use one-third the amount of protein that you did dextrose (by the gram). So if you used 70 grams of dextrose then you'll want 70/3 = 23 grams of protein. You can figure out how much this is by looking on the label of your protein powder and seeing how much protein is in one scoop. Now, add at least 1 quart/liter of water (more if you can) and blend it all up until the magnesium tablet is dissolved. Put it in a container and take it with you to the gym. Drink it immediately after you finish your workout (you may sip on it during the workout if there's enough to make it worthwhile, but leave three-quarters of it for after).

If you have a tendency to get fat you'd be better off if you don't use as much dextrose as suggested above. Go through the calculations as usual but after you've calculated the amount of protein you'll be using double this and that will be the amount of dextrose you should actually use. So, in the above example we first calculated 70 grams of dextrose and 23 grams of protein for a 154 pound person, well if that person has a tendency to gain fat easily we'd use 23 grams of protein and only 46 grams of dextrose (23 x 2).

As a note regarding protein powder after training, the idea is to get protein into the system fairly quickly, so the best kind of protein would be a pre-digested whey type. I really don't trust many of the supplement companies, though. After all, several of them have been busted, several times, for lying on their product labels - and there is no regular testing of their products by any government establishment. So, really, why would I trust a company who has some drug-built monster in their ads, trying to mislead me into thinking that their product is responsible for such muscle? I usually just go with the cheapest protein powder, or the ones with no drugged-up bodybuilders endorsing them, because there's probably not a great deal of difference in them. On the other hand, possibly the most reputable and established brands do contain what they say - but it probably doesn't amount to a hill of beans anyway.

Getting back on track... Believe it or not, that shake doesn't taste too bad. I've been using only Strawberry flavour protein powder for the past several months, so I don't remember what the other flavours tasted like, though.

If you just don't want to make the above shake, you can always go with Yogurt. Yogurt contains high-quality protein and carbs and it digests very quickly ...and if you make your own it can be pretty cheap. All you need is a packet of active yogurt culture (you can get that for a couple of dollars at a health-food store) or even just a few tablespoons of store-bought yogurt and some milk (use skim milk powder and mix some milk up - it's cheaper). The instructions to make the yogurt will be on the culture packet or you can find it online if you're using store-bought yogurt as your "starter". If it's too tart when you make it just add some dextrose (which would be ideal for after a workout) or sweetener like "Twin" or something (especially if you're trying to lose weight). 2 cups of yogurt will have around 18 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbs (without the dextrose added).

That's sort of the sophisticated approach. If you can't afford any of that, or haven't got the patience to bother with it, then buy a bag of skim milk powder and mix up 1 - 1.5 liters (or quarts) of milk and drink it immediately after your workout - 1 liter if you're under 170 lbs and did a fairly "easy" workout, and 1.5 liters if you're over 170 lbs or had a "tough" workout. (I believe regular milk is better than powder - it's less processed - but I know a lot of you might be pinched for money and milk powder is cheaper.) Milk has been supporting muscle building for a long time. In fact, some research in 2007 actually showed milk to produce a greater anabolic response after weight training than a store-bought bodybuilding supplement ...sort of a slap in the face for all those companies pushing "metabolic optimizers" and supplement "stacks" based on "modern science" and nutrition theory. Modern science actually seems to support very old-fashioned milk in this case. Don't underestimate "simple" nutrition.

if that doesnt convince you that you where wrong. like the other guy said... have fun getting fat.

im out.

Where can I find Rule #1 throuhg 11, this is good and would like to have the rest of info

[armypeveto]

i am just starting to hit the gym as a routine and have a decent workout program. i am about to turn 24 and am 5'10 150lbs. i cant gain weight no matter what i eat or how much. since i started working out (3 weeks ago) i have already gained about 8 lbs. my goal is to gain mass and be about 175-180lbs. i am currently deployed so i have absolutely no control over what i eat. i was wondering what kind of supplements i should be taking as a beginner to reach my goal. any advice would be appreciated.

[Serb-Muscle]

i am just starting to hit the gym as a routine and have a decent workout program. i am about to turn 24 and am 5'10 150lbs. i cant gain weight no matter what i eat or how much. since i started working out (3 weeks ago) i have already gained about 8 lbs. my goal is to gain mass and be about 175-180lbs. i am currently deployed so i have absolutely no control over what i eat. i was wondering what kind of supplements i should be taking as a beginner to reach my goal. any advice would be appreciated.

Start with a solid diet, Then move onto Protein, Creatine then Multi vitamins
and the other **** is not needed.

[joeedoom]

Start with a solid diet, Then move onto Protein, Creatine then Multi vitamins
and the other **** is not needed.

Dont listen to this idiot he doesnt know what he is talking about.

When he says "what should I be eating?" your answer shouldnt be "solid diet." thats not helpful.

Read the details on this link mate. It has what you need to know about most aspects of bodybuilding including details of "that other ****" that this 15 year old says we dont need.

http://www.weightrainer.net/training/rules.html

[Serb-Muscle]

Dont listen to this idiot he doesnt know what he is talking about.

When he says "what should I be eating?" your answer shouldnt be "solid diet." thats not helpful.

Read the details on this link mate. It has what you need to know about most aspects of bodybuilding including details of "that other ****" that this 15 year old says we dont need.

http://www.weightrainer.net/training/rules.html

.. Looks like you dont know what the **** your talking about. I know a **** load more than you.

[Serb-Muscle]

bump