- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
- 415
This is a 2 part question for those of you who compete.
First off, at my last contest I was 154 in lightweights. Shortly after, I did a very controlled rebound (aside from 1 cheat day, I was back on a planned offseason diet and my coach raised calories as needed) and within 3-4 months I had shot up to 195 and as I grew, I felt tight skinned and looked lean (even appeared to grow leaner!!). I felt amazing. I was eating 4000 planned calories a day and I treated myself to foods I enjoyed (sushi, pizza, ice cream) about 2x per week. I had never experienced growth like that. I was also using Test, EQ, and Dbol.
Soon after this 3-4 month "window" leveled off, I found that my body sort of hit a plateau and the growth stopped. My joints were hurting anyway, and it was time for me to cruise...fast forward another 3 months and I had "recomped" in a BAD way. I shrunk down to 185-187, but I was stronger. I just didn't have that tight skinned, dry look.
I feel like my past bulk hasn't even come close to what I experienced during my rebound/bulk. I'm beginning to think that UNLESS you "prime" for a bulk, or do a show, NO BULK can ever replicate what occurs during a rebound. I'm also beginning to think that your body cannot maintain that sort of look, that sort of growth for too long. Inevitably, you either run into joint problems by piling on so much weight on your body and on the bar, or you need to come off orals or taper down for those who blast and cruise...
Any thoughts on this? Any of you experience this first hand?
I talked to my coach about it and he said it's a common thing. He also said that there's a BIG difference when you are starved and GROW into a weight, versus not being starved and trying to grow into that same weight. Case in point - I tried to bulk back up to that 195...where I had that look I wanted, and it just wasn't the same. So I decided to cut instead and prime...which is what I'm currently doing.
The second part to my question is this:
When you guys bulk, how fat do you get? And should one go by percentage of bodyfat? Or how one looks, since we all store fat differently? I bring this up because it wouldn't be wise to cut a bulk short just because you have some fat on the abs but the rest of you is still lean and able to keep bulking.
I have a very hard time with this, and my coach told me I must move up a weight class to be competitive. We've tried to bulk me up more, but every time I get a little fat, I tell him adamantly that I want to cut...and he obliges me so I end up not gaining as much as I should.
There are 2 camps to this - guys who say bulk up and cut down when it's time, then there are guys who say bulk lean because it's less time and less fat to cut off when it's time to prep.
I do agree...to a certain point, you're just getting fatter. And that fat needs to come off.
I just don't know what an acceptable threshold is, or what mine should be. Is it normal to keep tricep striations, quad veins, and a six-pack while in the offseason? I've seen the pros - they get bloated and fat and they shred when the time comes. But they also have 200 pounds of muscle on me, so any fat on them doesn't matter because they still look like mountains!
As I mentioned above, right now I am priming for my next bulk...trying to get down to 180. I just don't know how bulked up I should get. I've never gotten "fat" before because I PANIC when I see some little fat rolls when I sit down.
Sorry for such a long read, but maybe this has been on your mind once in the past. Can someone help a fellow BB'er out?
First off, at my last contest I was 154 in lightweights. Shortly after, I did a very controlled rebound (aside from 1 cheat day, I was back on a planned offseason diet and my coach raised calories as needed) and within 3-4 months I had shot up to 195 and as I grew, I felt tight skinned and looked lean (even appeared to grow leaner!!). I felt amazing. I was eating 4000 planned calories a day and I treated myself to foods I enjoyed (sushi, pizza, ice cream) about 2x per week. I had never experienced growth like that. I was also using Test, EQ, and Dbol.
Soon after this 3-4 month "window" leveled off, I found that my body sort of hit a plateau and the growth stopped. My joints were hurting anyway, and it was time for me to cruise...fast forward another 3 months and I had "recomped" in a BAD way. I shrunk down to 185-187, but I was stronger. I just didn't have that tight skinned, dry look.
I feel like my past bulk hasn't even come close to what I experienced during my rebound/bulk. I'm beginning to think that UNLESS you "prime" for a bulk, or do a show, NO BULK can ever replicate what occurs during a rebound. I'm also beginning to think that your body cannot maintain that sort of look, that sort of growth for too long. Inevitably, you either run into joint problems by piling on so much weight on your body and on the bar, or you need to come off orals or taper down for those who blast and cruise...
Any thoughts on this? Any of you experience this first hand?
I talked to my coach about it and he said it's a common thing. He also said that there's a BIG difference when you are starved and GROW into a weight, versus not being starved and trying to grow into that same weight. Case in point - I tried to bulk back up to that 195...where I had that look I wanted, and it just wasn't the same. So I decided to cut instead and prime...which is what I'm currently doing.
The second part to my question is this:
When you guys bulk, how fat do you get? And should one go by percentage of bodyfat? Or how one looks, since we all store fat differently? I bring this up because it wouldn't be wise to cut a bulk short just because you have some fat on the abs but the rest of you is still lean and able to keep bulking.
I have a very hard time with this, and my coach told me I must move up a weight class to be competitive. We've tried to bulk me up more, but every time I get a little fat, I tell him adamantly that I want to cut...and he obliges me so I end up not gaining as much as I should.
There are 2 camps to this - guys who say bulk up and cut down when it's time, then there are guys who say bulk lean because it's less time and less fat to cut off when it's time to prep.
I do agree...to a certain point, you're just getting fatter. And that fat needs to come off.
I just don't know what an acceptable threshold is, or what mine should be. Is it normal to keep tricep striations, quad veins, and a six-pack while in the offseason? I've seen the pros - they get bloated and fat and they shred when the time comes. But they also have 200 pounds of muscle on me, so any fat on them doesn't matter because they still look like mountains!
As I mentioned above, right now I am priming for my next bulk...trying to get down to 180. I just don't know how bulked up I should get. I've never gotten "fat" before because I PANIC when I see some little fat rolls when I sit down.
Sorry for such a long read, but maybe this has been on your mind once in the past. Can someone help a fellow BB'er out?