Off day diet

[jimbob]

I’m eating clean but I’m a slight surplus to do a “lean bulk”

I’m 196.8 lbs, 5’10”, 41 years old
Macros
250 grams protien
290 grams crabs
100 grams fat
3,060 calories
Do you guys eat the same on off days?

Training 4-5 days a week
20-30 minutes cardio on training days, after training
30-40 minutes light bike on off days if I can fit it.

I am noticing 2.5/3 lb increase per week, is this good too much? I feel lean and strong.

Should I lower intake on off days or stay the same?

 

[Diesel59]

Are you off entirely, or just off from the gym?

I'd say when I'm just lounging, I lower my carbs a bit.

 

[TomJ]

I have high days (leg days)
Low days (other training days)
And off days (rest days)

Protein remains the same between them. Fats remain similar
Carbs drastically higher on high days, moderate on low days, and slightly lower than the low days for off training days.

 

[jimbob]

Are you off entirely, or just off from the gym?

I'd say when I'm just lounging, I lower my carbs a bit.

I’m always averaging 15k steps even on non training days. I do ride my bike most off days, once a week I have a lounge day.

 

[buck]

2.5/3 lb a week gain long term would lead me to think that dieting down would suck.

 

[CJ]

Gaining 2-3 lbs per week, while walking 15,000 steps per day, and training and cardio 4-5x per week, and only eating about 3,000 Cals, would lead me to believe that you are just starting this bulk. Am I correct in that assumption?

If so, most of the weight you're gaining is your glycogen stores being filled up, so I'd stay the course with your calories. 3k calories isn't much at all.

Any drugs involved?

 

[jimbob]

Gaining 2-3 lbs per week, while walking 15,000 steps per day, and training and cardio 4-5x per week, and only eating about 3,000 Cals, would lead me to believe that you are just starting this bulk. Am I correct in that assumption?

If so, most of the weight you're gaining is your glycogen stores being filled up, so I'd stay the course with your calories. 3k calories isn't much at all.

Any drugs involved?

You’re right, started 8/1.

The walking is work related, been averaging that for 15+ years, my body is totally accustomed to that as a base level of activity.

Natural, looking to add some test in January.
I did do a blood test for base line, everything in range, test was at 530, would like to see how my body responds to excess clean calories and at peak strength. Been lifting very constantly for several years, now my diet is getting really zeroed in.
Do a blood test in January yo see if anything has changed, the start a test only cycle. (My first if that’s not obvious hahaha)

 

[jimbob]

2.5/3 lb a week gain long term would lead me to think that dieting down would suck.

That’s my question, 2.5/3 lbs a week in a bulk is too much? I want to grow but as lean as possible. What is a weekly number that represents that? If following a good diet, hard training, interval cardio and 7.5/8.5 hrs of sleep a night.
Natty

 

[Reader591]

I am noticing 2.5/3 lb increase per week, is this good too much? I feel lean and strong.

How many weeks have you been doing this and noticed this weight gain?

 

[Oakley6575]

To put it in perspective, 10lbs a year of true muscle would only be a gain of 0.2lbs/wk... 3lbs/wk would be 156lbs of lean muscle gain in a year. You can see that is impossible. That 2-3lbs a week gain is going to add up in the next few weeks leaving you with a lot of fat to loose. Muscle building is an extremely slow process.

 

[jimbob]

To put it in perspective, 10lbs a year of true muscle would only be a gain of 0.2lbs/wk... 3lbs/wk would be 156lbs of lean muscle gain in a year. You can see that is impossible. That 2-3lbs a week gain is going to add up in the next few weeks leaving you with a lot of fat to loose. Muscle building is an extremely slow process.

I do understand it is a slow process.
What you’re saying makes total sense, so I should be looking for a gain on the scale of about 1/1.25 lbs per month.

 

[Reader591]

To put it in perspective, 10lbs a year of true muscle would only be a gain of 0.2lbs/wk... 3lbs/wk would be 156lbs of lean muscle gain in a year. You can see that is impossible. That 2-3lbs a week gain is going to add up in the next few weeks leaving you with a lot of fat to loose. Muscle building is an extremely slow process.

You’re right 100%, but, what I’m trying to get out of him here is…… has he been only doing this for only say 2-3 weeks? Like mentioned above, that could be glycogen filling and water weight being added for now. It may level out.

If it’s been months then back the crap down lol. And how accurate is his 3,000 calories a day? Does he weigh it or eyeball it? How does he know that’s all he eats

 

[Reader591]

If you’re gaining 2-3 lbs a week, that means you’re over maintenance by roughly 1200-1300 calories a day. And so maintance for you is ballpark only 1700-1800 a day WITH all that activity and weighing almost 200lbs? It seems off to me

 

[Oakley6575]

You’re right 100%, but, what I’m trying to get out of him here is…… has he been only doing this for only say 2-3 weeks? Like mentioned above, that could be glycogen filling and water weight being added for now. It may level out.

If it’s been months then back the crap down lol. And how accurate is his 3,000 calories a day? Does he weigh it or eyeball it? How does he know that’s all he eats

Yes all that needs to be taken into account and was mentioned already by CJ. Once you fill your stores up, if you are still gaining that amount per week, your diet needs a change. And by diet, that could mean calorie tracking, consistency, total daily calories, etc.

Like you said, his activity is high, and his calories are lowish for that body weight and activity level. It is definitely water for right now which will level off. Once it does, he shouldn't be expecting 2-3lbs/wk.

 

[Reader591]

Yes all that needs to be taken into account and was mentioned already by CJ. Once you fill your stores up, if you are still gaining that amount per week, your diet needs a change. And by diet, that could mean calorie tracking, consistency, total daily calories, etc.

Like you said, his activity is high, and his calories are lowish for that body weight and activity level. It is definitely water for right now which will level off. Once it does, he shouldn't be expecting 2-3lbs/wk.

At the end of the day, I was just leading to asking him how long had he been doing this for, he didn’t mention. And did he go straight from say a hard cut to a bull or what’s going on.

 

[buck]

That’s my question, 2.5/3 lbs a week in a bulk is too much? I want to grow but as lean as possible. What is a weekly number that represents that? If following a good diet, hard training, interval cardio and 7.5/8.5 hrs of sleep a night.
Natty

Depending on your size 2-3 pounds a month would be closer. 36 pounds in a year with 2/3 being muscle would mean 24 pounds of muscle growth in a year. Which is a lot for most people, especially if they have been at it for some time. Bloat and fat makes up a lot of your gain i am expecting.

 

[jimbob]

How many weeks have you been doing this and noticed this weight gain?

Just 2 weeks

Yes all that needs to be taken into account and was mentioned already by CJ. Once you fill your stores up, if you are still gaining that amount per week, your diet needs a change. And by diet, that could mean calorie tracking, consistency, total daily calories, etc.

Like you said, his activity is high, and his calories are lowish for that body weight and activity level. It is definitely water for right now which will level off. Once it does, he shouldn't be expecting 2-3lbs/wk.

i do track and weigh everything I eat. Typically 3200 calories a day

 

[Reader591]

Just 2 weeks

This is what I was suspecting. How many calories did you come up from? Do you know?

Two weeks into a surprise I would not be yet worried about your weight gain. But if week after week it continues at the same rate, then I’d say it’s too much. But for now youre refilling glycogen and putting on some water weight most likely, which is fine.

 

[jimbob]

This is what I was suspecting. How many calories did you come up from? Do you know?

Two weeks into a surprise I would not be yet worried about your weight gain. But if week after week it continues at the same rate, then I’d say it’s too much. But for now youre refilling glycogen and putting on some water weight most likely, which is fine.

I’m not sure how much I was eating before, a lot less carbs for sure, maybe 150 grams of protein and 40 grams of fat.

 

[Maintenance Man]

I’m eating clean but I’m a slight surplus to do a “lean bulk”

I’m 196.8 lbs, 5’10”, 41 years old
Macros
250 grams protien
290 grams crabs
100 grams fat
3,060 calories
Do you guys eat the same on off days?

Fuck yeah! I'd be a happy mfer every rest day if that was the case.