# Bulking time?



## lightweight (Nov 2, 2014)

Since I have started to take lifting and nutrition seriously I have yet to run an actually bulk. I have always been at a maintain or a cut, mainly trying to get a good base... that has been 2 1/2 years. I have been doing a lot of reading on here about nutrition so I feel that I have a good grasp on that part of bulking. I have read the sticky by Doc in the nutrition section a couple times. I took the formula and did the math and according the the 10% to 20% increase in calorie intake I should be between 2,706 - 2,952 calories a day. I am 26, 155lb and believe to be between 13-16%bf. I have been nursing a injured shoulder back to health for the last 6 weeks, still not 100% so I won't be starting too soon on this journey but want to start creating a game plan. 

So to my question... What kind of routines, exercises, or rep to set ratio helps you grow the most? Any certain topics I should dig deeper into? Just kind of want a push in the correct direction. 

Thanks in advance.


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## woodswise (Nov 2, 2014)

lightweight said:


> Since I have started to take lifting and nutrition seriously I have yet to run an actually bulk. I have always been at a maintain or a cut, mainly trying to get a good base... that has been 2 1/2 years. I have been doing a lot of reading on here about nutrition so I feel that I have a good grasp on that part of bulking. I have read the sticky by Doc in the nutrition section a couple times. I took the formula and did the math and according the the 10% to 20% increase in calorie intake I should be between 2,706 - 2,952 calories a day. I am 26, 155lb and believe to be between 13-16%bf. I have been nursing a injured shoulder back to health for the last 6 weeks, still not 100% so I won't be starting too soon on this journey but want to start creating a game plan.
> 
> *So to my question... What kind of routines, exercises, or rep to set ratio helps you grow the most? Any certain topics I should dig deeper into? Just kind of want a push in the correct direction. *
> 
> Thanks in advance.



How you train on a bulk depends on your goals.  If you are a power lifter, you would train with a power lifting system, focusing on large lifts and increasing your 1 rep max over time.  If you are a bodybuilder, you would train with a system oriented toward bodybuilding (usually more volume and higher reps and more time under tension). 

I am currently power building (going for size like a bodybuilder, and strength like a power lifter -- I want to be big, shredded and strong as a mofo).  My coach has me doing mostly exercises that focus on the large compound muscles (deadlifts for legs and back; bench press for chest and triceps and lats;  squat for legs and butt and back)  and also we are doing some strongman training (log clean and press;  axle clean and press; atlas stone over a bar; keg clean and press; keg over the bar; yoke carry; farmer carry; frame deadlifts, etc.).

Why don't you tell us your goals, and tell us what training experience you have and that will help us point you in a good direction.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Nov 2, 2014)

Like Woodwise said, how you train will be dependent on your goals. That's not to say you can't blend philosophies from different training systems but some things will work better than others. ANY program you do should always focus on the big compound lifts though regardless of your goals. Lifts like squat, bench press, deadlifts, and military press as well as some of their variants.


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## notdorianyates (Nov 2, 2014)

Yes as the good doc says, key compound lifting- much of which is linked to raising natty tee levels too. Alongside increasing cals in a clean fashion
look at consistently mixing up your general lifting. Incorporating supersets, forced negatives, drop sets etc. Being clever with your workouts will mean greater efficiency, Greater gains and a minimising of time spent burning calories/ muscle. Good luck bro.


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## TheBlob (Nov 2, 2014)

My opinion (and remember if im at 18% bodyfat I call that chiseled, lol. I am the blob)
My friend stick with the super duper basics till your strength and just plain undefined mass builds up (not fat but just some density and muscle size) and never leave the fundamentals behind. Squats, deadlifts,clean and press, upright rows, bench press keep em all heavy about 8 reps max shoot to put either some more weight or an extra rep each week start over with new weight when you hit 12 reps.. Keep intensity high... Your sure to get stronger and larger...When those lifts become second nature start throwing intensity sets and high reps here and there.... high rep heavy deads are beastly hit it for 20 sometime its a bitch hahaha... Keep challenging yourself with little games like that keep it interesting and intense and rest a lot bro...Its gonna take some time to get to 200lbs body weight so settle in for the long haul, keep it fun, keep eating, keep looking at the mirror and dont forget those basic compound movements and build around that brother... Until your advanced strength level try to keep it heavy..


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## lightweight (Nov 3, 2014)

woodswise- I would like to add lean muscle mass ( I realize that is an obvious statement) but because I have never ran a bulk, I am not sure want a realistic amount of weight should be. Experience wise, to be honest not quite sure what you may mean. I will take the information above and sit down soon and try and write up a template program for myself and then let yall pick it apart.


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## woodswise (Nov 3, 2014)

If you do a lean bulk, plan to gain 1 to 2 lbs of bodyweight per month.  If you are going for a big weight gain, regardless of the fat, 1 to 2 lbs of weight per week.  If you are 13% you have a margin of error to gain some fat.  If you are 15% I would recommend you not allow yourself to get much above that level as you bulk.  Keep in mind as you bulk you will gain fat.  How much fat, depends on how fast you put on the weight, and how good your training and nutrition are (regardless whether you are natural or on AAS).

Doc and the Blob are right about the training.  Large compound exercises, often to failure, will help you build a solid foundation as you bulk up over a year or two.

I recommend against a permabulk.  Instead after a period of bulking, you should cut down on the fat every now and then, preferably at least once per year, to keep yourself respectable.   I didn't and got well above 24% bf a few years ago.  It took a couple of years for me to get back below 15%, and another 6 months to get to 12%.  If you stay below 15% you should be able to cut to 10% over a few months, then spend the rest of the year bulking.  That is a lot better use of your time than spending a year or more of your life cutting (i.e. that is what I am doing at the moment, being 10 months into my most recent cut).


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## lightweight (Nov 15, 2014)

Been a bit for this update. I have been testing my diet for the last couple of weeks mainly just trying to insure that I can keep up my daily intake up. Doing better than thought. Some days I find it very easy to eat and some I am just force feeding myself.


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## Khazima (Nov 18, 2014)

lightweight said:


> Been a bit for this update. I have been testing my diet for the last couple of weeks mainly just trying to insure that I can keep up my daily intake up. Doing better than thought. Some days I find it very easy to eat and some I am just force feeding myself.


Just stick at it man. If you were already eating at maintenance it shouldn't be too hard to eat 200-300 calories over daily. 

There's no cookie cutter exercises and routines for gaining size (bar the fact that compound movements are a necessity) you just need to find what works for you. If you haven't done a proper bulk before, basically anything is going to work for a while, you'll quickly notice the things that make you grow as it'll be a lot more obvious than say someone who has to stick with something for 2-3 months to evaluate whether they're achieving results or not. 

Great advice from everyone above.


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