Which method do you use??

[newyboy1]

Guys I've been doing alot of research on diets and gaining mass with out gaining fat etc.. I've had soo many mixed emotions on which is the best way too Put on mass.. So many people beleive in the bulk then cut phases, but on the other hand there are so many people bagging it out and using the staying lean while bulking approach , eating just right too put on mass without fat...
I personally think more mass can be gained from the bulk/cut, but on the other hand you then risk putting on excess fat... What do you guys think?

 

[uncxrt]

I do all out bulk or an all out cut. I've found that this way for me works best. When I bulk, ya I put on fat, but I'm also able to add a lot more muscle by doing this. That added muscle then makes it much easier to cut, since I'm able to burn more cals on a day to day basis.

 

[Dezzy]

I think for your recreational bodybuilder its best to keep the bodyfat fat decent year around, but for serious bodybuilders should bulk most of the year and just diet for contest.

 

[maldorf]

Personally for me, staying fairly lean all year worked better. I was actually able to grow muscle and gain strength while staying very lean all year long. With Phil's guidance I was more muscular and strong lean than I was after bulking up trying to force feed myself to grow muscle. I was able to outlift myself in all movments significantly when I weighed just 235 lbs vs 265 lbs. My arms lost only maybe 1/2 inch tops when I dropped 30 lbs of bodyweight.
When I bulked up I would grow some muscle to a point, but then any wieght I put on after that was pretty much mostly fat. When I would go to diet off the fat I would end up losing any of the extra muscle I might have put on when bulking. I would even go as far to say that I was able to be my biggest musclewise when I stayed lean.

 

[newyboy1]

Staying lean all year is proving too be way more popular but my question is, say input on some fat, do u just adjust your diet a little till u loose the fat, then adjust it back up till your gaining mass again?? Very cutious

 

[jp2007]

For the average guy, i would say stay lean year round and makes steady gains. Simply because it seems healthier, and you'll be more confident with abs showing year round.. For the average bodybuilder, i would say the same thing as the average guy. Slow steady gains, and keep it tight, you will have a more enjoyable prep and wont have to kill yourself the whole time.

Heres where my mind changes, if you're 198 pounds (top of the LHW class) and you think you've maxed out your potential in the LHW, i think you'll have to pound some serious food and weights in the offseason. Sacrifice some conditioning, simply because you want to add as much muscle mass as possibly because you have to move up in a weight class.. Now when i say sacrifice condition i dont mean become a fat bloated slob, you should still be able to function lol.

Overall i think it's best to stay lean year round, and only do the serious bulks when trying to move up a weight class.

Here is a good thread that i really enjoyed posted by DC...

http://www.professionalmuscle.com/f...solutely-love-stuff-like-absolutely-love.html

Now i'm not saying i agree with everything stated in this thread or everything about it.. I just enjoyed reading it.

Then again, who am i? Experience and age definitely aren't on my side lol.

 

[thatbloke]

i bulk and cut

however that said, even wen im bulking heavy ive never gone over 12% bf

 

[banana joose]

I've been of the bulk/cut mindset, but now that I'm into cutting season, I'm thinking more along the stay lean lines. I'm def gonna give it a shot this year, change up my approach.

 

[newyboy1]

You guys staying lean all year round... Do u use cal counting and going. 500 above maintenance too gain mass then stop fat with carb cut off and cardio etc or just eat till your full and leave it at that...
My main reason for all these questions is I've been using the bulk cut approach for a while now.. But it seems everytime I go from cut to bulk I put on so much extra fat... I'm now going too try still stay above maintenance but stop eating carbs after 6 and also 30 min low intensity each day and see how it works out

 

[rippedyearround]

I actually find it easier to gain mass when I am lean. I'm stronger, my hormones seem to work better, and my food seems to be absorbed better.

When I'm lean (5-8%), I can take up too 1000mg of test (long estered) and get no gyno. When I'm a little bulkier (8-12%), I get gyno at about 600mg (long estered).

 

[strongrhino]

Since starting HGH about 5 months ago Im able to gain lean body tissue while not gaining any fat while eating just about anything- not crazy eating just not as strict as I used to. As long as I get the protein calories in im GTG. Its as if my 42 year old metabolism has reverted back to that when I was 18. In fact if I dont eat adequately I lose lbs. on the scale quite rapidly. Hoping its not muscle but I do have some nitrogen strips and have yet to prove catabolic. People are telling me how my body has metamorphasized but my weight is remaining constant and my BF has dropped to 5-6% and strength is up. That is with zero cardio. Scared to do cardio- will go into gluconeogenesis maybe damage or strain these old kidneys that have seen some shit over the years.

 

[ericraven2003]

Since starting HGH about 5 months ago Im able to gain lean body tissue while not gaining any fat while eating just about anything- not crazy eating just not as strict as I used to.

This will go away after awhile. I noticed it went away after about 12 months. I had to start trying different on/off ways, as well as adding in peptides. I still use it regularly now after 2.5 years of basically being on it.
I don't get near the results that I did the first 6-12 months when I first started using it. I still love it but it was amazing the first 12 months.

 

[strongrhino]

What dose are you running? I just slowly moved to 5iu was on 4iu a few months after 2iu and am planning on peaking at 6 in a few weeks and staying there. Just curious- possible natural production shutdown....

This will go away after awhile. I noticed it went away after about 12 months. I had to start trying different on/off ways, as well as adding in peptides. I still use it regularly now after 2.5 years of basically being on it.
I don't get near the results that I did the first 6-12 months when I first started using it. I still love it but it was amazing the first 12 months.

 

[fedaykin01]

Personally, I feel like some people overdo the "bulking" thing. I think that there is only so much muscle mass that you can put on at a time and going over that amount is only going to lead to additional fat gain. So, I do "bulk" and "cut", but I bulk at a rate that is slow-er (yes, I am putting on fat, but i try to hit just enough calories so that i am putting on a little bit of fat and all the muscle that I can, not just bulking like crazy) and cut... Does that make sense? I definitely don't do the lee priest bulk and cut. I found that when I bulked hard, I just got fat and there wasn't much extra muscle that came with it beyond the slow and steady approach. Also, now that I am a personal trainer / manager of a gym, I can't let my appearance get that out of hand ever or it will affect my ability to make $$$. People don't like fat personal trainers!!!

 

[rochabp]

i like to see progress at a fast level so i like the all out bulk and all out cut approach. plus sometimes i get tired of being too big and sometimes i feel like a bitch from being too small, so i just let my weight swing like my balls do down there.

 

[ericraven2003]

What dose are you running? I just slowly moved to 5iu was on 4iu a few months after 2iu and am planning on peaking at 6 in a few weeks and staying there. Just curious- possible natural production shutdown....

2-5us. Tried blasting at 10. You name it I have tried it. I think, just like gear, the results you get your first 6-12 months are the best. I still like it though.
I think staying at 6ius a day for the rest of your life is a bit high, but thats just me.

 

[newyboy1]

Just a question guys... I'm giving up this bulking and cutting approach and going too try keep my self lean and still put in mass.. My question is will I still grow only consuming 3 servings a day on training day

Breakfast - cup of oats / 50g waxy maize
Pre workout - cup of oats
Post workout - 100g dexrose

And off days twoce

Breakfast - cup of oats / 50g waxy maize
Lunch - cup of oats

And make up the rest of my cals using protein and fats??

It just seems in very carb sensitive and when I have them I seem too put on fat

 

[AlphaMaleDawg]

staying lean while gaining mass is obviously the best way to do it, but I sometimes just can't help myself when I bulk. I become mentally challenged from eating so much clean food that I absolutely hate that I can't resist cheat meals every other day or so. I am going to test myself mid april though on my next blast and make it extremely clean and planned out with the perfect amount of cals. I need to be ripped in the summer so this will be a test of willpower so to speak

I'd also like to add that when I get gain too much bodyfat, even if I look huge with clothes on, I get kind of depressed and just want to cut again so I get my abs back. Another reason why clean bulking is the way to go for me. For others, it doesn't bother them, but with my social life, I like and feel better when my body is on point

 

[Phidias]

As you get older you realize how difficult it is to say focused for long ass weeks of dieting... sooner or later you lose the drive. Not to mention how physically harder it is to shed bodyfat as years go by.

Point is: the fat you don't gain while building muscle, you won't have to lose it later on.

 

[osiris]

i stay reasonably lean while adding muscle. my version of reasonably lean is usually like 10-12%(i can almost see my abs....like maybe the ridges of 4 of them), the pic in my avatar is me bulked. Not cut by any means but not fat IMO.

I find that staying reasonably lean lets me feel healthy while adding muscle. I also have some wiggle room so if i eat RIGHT the majority of my meals, i can cheat a bit when i feel i need it.