bulking phase (please help)

[Triplea1717]

Alright, I am an 19 year old male and have been lifting for about two years. I've gone from high bf% and being strong, to right now lower bf% and moderately strong. I have neverly really done a 'bulking phase' followed by a cutting phase so I'm not sure what it entails. I have a few (actually a bunch) of questions that i would greatly appreciate a detailed answer. first question, how long should a bulking phase last? Is 6 weeks sufficient.

Diet:
Right now I am about 5'11" wearing about 176 pounds. How many calories, grams protein, grams carbs should I intake during? Should I still eat many (5 - 6) small meals a day (although this is difficult being a college student and all)?

Workout:
How often should I work each body part? How many sets per bodypart and how many reps per set? Should I concentrate on using heavier weights? How many days off from training a week would you recommend? Cardio? if yes, how often and how long?

Supplements:
What would you recommend supplementing with? I have previously used creatine (with a positive response). I am currently supplementing with Protein, vitamins (including a good multi-vitamin, and flaxseed oil occassionaly.

Sleep:
Whats a good number to attempt to get a night? 8? 9?

Thank you to all that respond. I truly do appreciate it.

 

[geoffgarst]

Diet: You should eat 7-8 meals a day (6 will suffice). Up your protein to at least 1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight. Carbs 50%, 40-45% Protein, 10% or less fat. Up your calories to at least 3500-4000 calories for your bodyweight (minimum). Eat chicken, fish, tuna, lots of veggies, etc. Stay away from refined sugars.

Workout: Train each bodypart twice in a 7-9 day period. Recovery is the key. Personally, I train day 1 chest/tri, day 2 back/bi, day 3 glutes/hamstrings, day 4 shoulders/abs/calves, rest day, start over. You should mix your routine up as well meaning if you do incline bench barbell, incline flyes, delcine flat bench on chest day, then next chest day do maybe incline dumbells, flat flyes, decline flyes. Always warmup with each exercise, then go heavy weights 8-10 reps. You can do a pyramid such as 14, 12 , 10, 8 if you want. Cardio is not really recommend during bulk-up phase. If you do it, keep it light maybe 2x week 20 mins each.

Supplements: Creatine, a good vitamin, good quality protein mix (meaning whey, egg, etc.) for evening and mornings. This protein absorbs slower. Straight whey isolate for after workouts (actually I take it right before so it is getting into muscles while I work out).

Sleep: 8-9 hours of sleep is sufficient. Take a nap during day if you need it from a tough workout.

Positive Karma is always welcome!

 

[badwires]

your caloric intake should be no less than 4500 calories a day....you need about 20 cals per pound of body weight and anything less than 4000 will only maintain what you have..you should eat an additional 2000 calories to feed growth.if you can more... .get a MRP like twinlab gainers fuel..i'd lose the creatine... ..include some pasta and some lean angus in your diet along with rice cakes you can snack on these all day......add a lil peanut butter to em if you can't endure the taste...and oatmeal....eat some fish also another source for your omega 3 fatty acids.don't slack on the veggies either..helps regulate carb absorption....keep you water intake high tooo....you can still eat clean and gain solid mass...gotta work for it though...go heavy when training....when im going for mass i keep my rep range at 8 max but may do 10 sets of an exercise....usually only train one bodypart a day or end up in the gym for 6 six hours..don't have that kinda time n-e more..

basically how bad do you want it...push hard enough you'll get it and your time outside the gym is as important if not more than the time in the gym..so do go getting involved in your weekly college beer bong parties...alcohol is a testerone and a motovation killer..
as for cardio..you got chics at your school right....
go train