Philosophy Question: Dirty Bulk vs lean bulk

[Bigblack]

I wanted to start by saying, I used the search function, but I was not able to find a thread specifically on this. So if there is one already, just let me know, and I will happily read that.

My question, is about long term success. Say I wanted to get to 195 lbs of muscle on to a 210 pound body. What would be the most efficient way to get there? Bulking to a weight that supports say 210lbs of muscle and then cutting down from there? Or slowly gaining weight while maintaining a level of leaness (under 12%bf)

I am over at T-nation and their overall ideologies support the former. But, I wanted to bring it to the guys here, as I genuinely like this forum and its members.

Thanks

BB

 

[Quad-smack]

You told us where you want to go, but we don't know where you are at. The answer would be different if you were 125lbs vs 175lbs.
I like the term growth phase better than "bulking". Being leaner is almost always best. I have found that there is only so much lean tissue can grow in a certain period of time. Being 15% bodyfat & does not accelerate that process for me. Being 8% bodyfat does not hinder that process for me. At 8%, I sure can see and appreciate the changes more readily.

 

[Bigblack]

My progress

I am currently about 210 lbs on a 5'5 frame. I would guestimate between 12-15% bodyfat. I tend to believe I am on the lower side of that guess but the visual cues are blurred between those levels.

Growth phase.... I like that better too.

Thanks for your input

 

[repmks]

i dirty bulked once. i gained 50lbs of mass fat muscle and water. cutting back down was hell for me. i now rather just lean bulk. cutting bodyfat is a bitch. stay lean!

 

[Sesshomaru]

Ive posted this before but it has the pros and cons of various approaches:

**broken link removed**

I agree with the 'bulk a little, cut a little' approach, that way you can look decent year round.

 

[loganb_football]

I think you know the answer...

You are around 185 lbs of lean muscle mass if you are 210 lbs at 12% bf. If ten lbs of muscle mass is all you really want then I would watch my diet and do a, "lean bulk." There's no since it getting up to perhaps 230-240 (or more) for your 10 extra lbs, and risk losing all of it dieting down. I've seen quite a few people gain the amount of muscle through a, "dirty bulk," and want to diet down for summer or what not. They grow impatient and only keep 2 lbs of muscle because they diet down too fast, and the muscle hasn't had enough time to, "stick," so to speak.

Either lean bulk or if you decide the latter you better have some patience while dieting or you will have wasted time IMO. I don't recommend the latter however because health issues can come into play. There are also some very good trainers and nutritionists on this site!

 

[swole79]

I think that there is no one best answer for this. It is variable depending on the individuals metabolism. Of course I don't think that it is ever beneficial to get unnecessarily fat. But using myself as an example, when I was in my early twenties I was a very lean 225-230 lbs at 6ft. I had to absolutely eat everything in sight in order to get enough calories to gain muscle. Now I dont mean ice cream and soda, but rather as much good whole food as I could put down....And I would still stay at around 9-10% bf. Nowadays I am 30yrs old and my metabolism has slowed down just a little bit. I am about 255 and still around 10% but because my metabolism is a little slower I can make gains a little easier and dont have to force feed myself quite as much. Just one of those things I have noticed after being in the game a little longer and getting used to my body. Hope this helps.

 

[jm425]

I've done both. Bulked clean and dirty. When I bulked dirty, I put on a shit ton of weight, fat, muscle and water. I had a hard time breathing, had pain in my feet and ankles and felt like shit. When I bulked clean, while I wouldn't put on as much weight quickly and my strength didn't shoot up as fast, I looked and felt better. You're better of bulking clean for your health and appearance. Plus it's a bitch to lose 50 pounds compared to 20-25 pounds. I forgot to mention that your bp will increase quite a bit if you bulk dirty as well.

 

[natabolic]

WELL, CLEAN BULK, but a lot of good, healthy food, while limiting bodyfat gain.

"How long does it take to build extreme muscle size? I would say 5-15 years in my opinion, How long does it take to lose body fat once you have reached the huge muscle size you want? 3-5 months??!! You tell me what the focus should be on."

thats the way i see it.
eat big, reach a weight heavier than your desired weight, of course while keeping bodyfat gains limited, then cut down.
simple.