bulk up then lean up or lean up then bulk up???

[olympia4ever]

arnold at 4% competition? dont think so mate...maybe 7% but not 4%...flex wheeler hit the deck around 3-4%, arnold was not anywhere near that. He was a great bodybuilder but around 235 at 6-7% for comp...probably went up to 245 and stayed like that around 8-9% year round...dont forget in those days they used to stay around 8-9% al year and just cut to 7% for competition. 4% ... with those folds around his waist and lower back...dont think so mate.

 

[serge]

I don't know that I neccessarily beleive he went from 210->260->240 in 12 weeks. This "may" be exagerated to dramaticize his "comeback" and further his legend...Nothing against arnold, but all people do this.

My bulking strategy is that of discipline and dedication. I eat clean all the time and don't cheat. I'm 6'1 260 at 9%bf and for me to get into show shape it would be a 30-40 pound ordeal...even from 9%. The first and last day of the diet alone I would loose 10 pounds. This is my current bulking diet.

meal 1
3 scoops Isopure MRP


meal 2

16 egg whites

1.5 cups of oats



meal 3

10oz. chicken

8oz. sweet potato



meal 4(post training)

3 scoops whey

1 soar(110g maltodextrin)



meal 5(30 minutes later)

3 scoops Isopure MRP

55g maltodextrin


meal 6

10oz. chicken

8oz. sweet potato



meal 7

12oz. tuna

2 cups of brown rice

1 tbsn flax oil

1 cup bell peppers



meal 8

7oz. salmon

6 Broccoli spears



meal 9

12oz. tuna

2 cups of brown rice

1 tbsn flax oil

1 cup bell peppers



meal 10

1.5 pounds of cottage cheese



cals: 5935

pro: 593

carb: 680

fat: 80

Now to get this back to the original post. You have to amount the mass before you can show anything off and for taller guys they simply need a lot more weight to look substantial. That's why goals need to be set higher than thier ideal ripped weight because once all is said and done with after a diet you will always be smaller than you thought. That's why I preach to aim big to be big.

i agree with your last statement to a point, i beleave alot has to do with structure, if you are big-boned then you will have to get up much higher in bodyweight, where as if you have small joints and small waist then you will look much more impressive 20lb lighter then your big-boned counterpart

 

[blackshirt21]

thanks for the reponses fellas!!!! think I'll try to gain as much
weight before June and then start cycle then worry about
cutting it up!!!!

 

[c3bodybuilding]

Not trying to start a debate, but I've read in Pumping Iron (the book), his autiobiography, a few biographys, and his encyclopedia that he was at his HEAVIEST off season at 245. But I've seen pics of him at this 'off season' weight, and he still has the abs, triceps, etc showing pretty clearly. So, it's not that hard to believe he was on stage at 230-235 and being really ripped. As for 4%, YIKES! He claimes 7-8 in all books, and talks he gives about it. You must also take into consideration his legs. His thighs at peak were 28inches. My own thighs at 6'3 are 27 1/2 inches right now, and to me are not huge by any means. And seeing as how legs are most the body weight, you can see where he was lighter. I would think if he trained them a little more, he could have easily been 15-20lbs heavier over all. Who knows...

As for all the bro's worrying about "will I look good at this weight?" "is this weight good for my height?!", don't worry about it! Bodybuilding is supposed to be a pleasureble thing. With all the worrys in life, we don't need this to turn into another one. I can tell you that size doesn't really matter personally. I felt small when I was 144.5lbs, at 175, 182, 191, 210, 220, and now at my current weight of 239 I still feel small. I have a feeling I will still feel that way at 250, 260, 270, etc. I have small joints, and naturally low body fat, a nice v taper, so I appear at least 5lbs heavier than I really am, but it all makes no difference. I am even reluctant to wear certain clothes that might show too much, because I feel there isn't anything to show. Then I see a guy my height who is about 175-190, wearing a tank top and enjoying the beautiful hot sunny day. My point? Thats when I realize there is no magic number to make you happy with your size. It's all about being happy with who you are. Sure it would be awesome to look like a Franco, Lou, Haney, Arnie, or even a Priest, Nasser, etc, but if we all keep up this mind set, we still wouldn't be happy once we got there...

 

[c3bodybuilding]

Oops, almost forgot the whole 1980 Olympia thing. Arnold was out of bodybuilding for 5 years. If you watch some cheesy made for tv flicks he did from 75-80, and look at pics, you will see he obviously lost a lot of size, about 190-200. Then the part of Conan came along, and he was now becoming quickly forgotten. Being the slickster he is, he thought it would be better for promotion if he was freshly named Mr. Olympia, and also good motivation to get back in shape for the upcoming shoot of playing a barbarian. Joe Weider, and Franco easily talk him into doing the show. Now if you look at pics of him for that show, and read about it, everyone says it was rigged, and people were booing when he won, and throwing shit at the stage, etc. The reason? He looks to be about 225-230 on that stage. His thighs are clearly smaller, as are all his other body parts. This is not the Arnold from the 74 and 75 Olympia. His thights must be no more than 25-26inchs! Of course he still had the killer biceps, and pecs, but the total package was just not there. And what do you expect after being off for 5 years, and getting ready for a contest in just 3 months? I love Arnold, and have learned all I can about the man, but shit, he shouldn't have won that contest. He should have stayed retired, and not have tarnished the 'myth' of it all, even if only slightly.


Why is everyone here even using him as contest/cutting/bulking example anyway? That man was a freak, and was able to pull off a lot of shit most of us couldn't. Trying to explain how a bodybuilder prepares for a show, cuts, bulks etc, and using Ahhhnuld as an example is just too confusing! LOL

 

[HansNZ]

Mr. supertech is correct. When you get done bulking just keep right on bulking. I'm 6'1 which though not tall is a skyscraper in bodybuiding terms. I though that 225 would do it for me. I got to 225 and still looked small. SO I figured 240 would do the trick...Nope...still a bit lanky...Then 250. Getting there. I was a bit thicker, but still not an overpoering physique. Now at 260 I'm starting to see it, but there's a loooong way to go. The taller you are the harder it is to see your mass.

I feel bad for YUM

It's interesting to read this post. When I first started to bulk, an extra 2kgs of lean mass totally changed my body. Now that I am bigger I need twice the muscle gain to get a similar change in my physique. I thought (100kgs) 220lbs at 6'1" would be big enough. Now that I am getting closer to that goal I don't look as big as I thought I would. So I am going for 105kgs (232lbs) and seeing how that looks. Once I reach it I bet i'll want to go up to 110kgs, and so on.