Keeping BF% Down while Bulking

[microcentillion]

I'm very new to this sport, and I'm going through a cut cycle initially to lower my BF% and make my upcoming bulk results more noticeable.

One thing I'm worried about (now that I'm realizing how difficult it is to lower my BF%) - once I've hit my goal and start bulking, what can I do to minimize the bodyfat I regain? As more experienced bodybuilders, what kind of bodyfat increases have you seen from bulk cycles?

 

[robot]

cardio, carb cutoffs, don't eat a lot more than your muscular gain requires. Yes you will put on some fat with your muscle but it's not necessary to gain 3-5 pounds of body weight a week to maximize your muscular gains. Most of us will be maxing out our potential with a pound or less of weight gain per week.

If you are a significantly undermuscled young guy then ignore what I just typed but if you've been training for a couple of years then you are probably about here.

 

[Flex2019]

Your plan is definitely a smart way to go - leaning out before you start your bulk will allow you to better visualize your gains and is probably a bit healthier way to go about things as well. Staying lean while you bulk is a matter of not jumping into a huge caloric intake all at once. What I do is add calories slowly, watching my body over the weeks. If I start to smooth out too much, I drop things down a bit. If I seem very lean and am gaining slowly, I'll add calories. I'll add a couple hundred calories per day and stay at that level for a week or more. Then I'll assess my progress and make changes as necessary. This takes time and consistency, but in the end the gains will be more visible.

 

[KiddCherokee]

cardio, carb cutoffs, don't eat a lot more than your muscular gain requires. Yes you will put on some fat with your muscle but it's not necessary to gain 3-5 pounds of body weight a week to maximize your muscular gains. Most of us will be maxing out our potential with a pound or less of weight gain per week.

If you are a significantly undermuscled young guy then ignore what I just typed but if you've been training for a couple of years then you are probably about here.

Do you do cardio during a bulking session? Is that the norm?

 

[robot]

Cardio during bulking has been recommended to me by trainers I respect. I have no idea what normal is. I have put on too much fat during the last 2 offseasons. This year I will be doing 30 minutes of fasted cardio 4 times a week, Cutting carbs in the evening, and looking at sustaining a 1 pound per week weight gain. I'll be starting @ about 8% BF 200 pounds and I'd like not to go above 13%. I went up to 19% this year and am 9.5 weeks into a 16 week diet to get myself down to 8%. Next year I'd like to see what 4-5% looks like and the only way that is going to happen is if I start my diet at about 12%

 

[snowreaper1]

Its gonna be mostly diet. if your diet is off then you wont see any results.

 

[microcentillion]

I appreciate the responses thus far. My plan for my diet (as suggestion by Quadsmack a few weeks ago) is to keep my caloric breakdown at 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% EFAs. I'm doing that now, and I'll simply increase the total # calories per day once I switch to bulking - is there anything wrong with this idea?

I guess it's good to know that I can expect a low but consistent increase in fat during bulk.

 

[robot]

I appreciate the responses thus far. My plan for my diet (as suggestion by Quadsmack a few weeks ago) is to keep my caloric breakdown at 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% EFAs. I'm doing that now, and I'll simply increase the total # calories per day once I switch to bulking - is there anything wrong with this idea?

I guess it's good to know that I can expect a low but consistent increase in fat during bulk.

Yes there is something wrong with this plan.
1) You should be shooting for about 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight rather than a macro percentage.
2) You should be ensuring that you are getting adequate EFA's

You should then probably look at what your remaining calories required are and decide how to split them between carbs and fat based on the rate of weight gain that you are comfortable with. This will have to be adjusted as you go along if you are putting on too much fat or not enough muscle.

Distributing your calories using a Zone diet distribution is not going to magically be optimal for weight gain or loss. A little thought is required

 

[microcentillion]

How do I know if I am getting enough EFAs?

My understanding of the role of EFAs is definitely weak. I only know a few foods I can use to get a few of them. My plan initially was to match specific EFAs to the contents of different supplements. Any suggestions on good EFA supplements, and how I can tell if I am getting the right amount?

Also, 1.5 Grams of protein / lb would be 1200 calories at my target weight of 200 lbs. Would 3,000 calories be a good overall bulking intake at that weight?