Clean bulk. Safe amount to gain /wk?

[SubjectiveIllusion]

I'd like to clean bulk. I'm 120 lbs now (was 115), thin, and weak from over-dieting. I used to be 140-145, max was 165 (probily 20 pounds of unneeded fat though).

Anyways, would a .5 lb gain of mass per week be a safe bet, or should I up that to 1 lb? I'm also only training upper body as I have a bad lower back and no access to leg machines.

I've spent so long trimming up that it would seem such a waste to throw it all away and have to start again.

Then again maybe there is no way to tell but just to experiment and see what happens.

Any ideas?

 

[bran987]

0.5-1 lb. per week is safe, or in other words a 250-500 per day caloric surplus over what is needed to maintain your current weight. unless you are extremely in tune with what your body does it will be hard to control whether you are 250 over BMR or 500, but in that range and you're good for a clean bulk

 

[juve]

my suggestion is that you don't get hung up on numbers - especially projected variables, like future gain, future cals, etc etc.
First of all, since you've been dieting down don't adopt any drastic changes - you're probably quite suppressed (hormonal, CNS/peripheral systems, etc) naturally from underfeeding. Try to manipulate your diet so as to:
1)only gradually increase calories and closely monitor the outcomes
2)structure your diet in a way that you can support your activities, and gain progress in them - for example, carbs+pro only before and after workout, if rest of day inactive stick to EFA's+pro. As metabolism picks up, gains increment, increase nutrient intake to SUSTAIN progress, as opposed to jumping ahead

 

[bran987]

my suggestion is that you don't get hung up on numbers - especially projected variables, like future gain, future cals, etc etc.
First of all, since you've been dieting down don't adopt any drastic changes - you're probably quite suppressed (hormonal, CNS/peripheral systems, etc) naturally from underfeeding. Try to manipulate your diet so as to:
1)only gradually increase calories and closely monitor the outcomes
2)structure your diet in a way that you can support your activities, and gain progress in them - for example, carbs+pro only before and after workout, if rest of day inactive stick to EFA's+pro. As metabolism picks up, gains increment, increase nutrient intake to SUSTAIN progress, as opposed to jumping ahead

juve, are most of your meals EFA's + protein besides the ones that are pre & post workout? or are you just recommending this for a few weeks while his body is re acclimating itself to an increase in calories. interesting post

 

[juve]

juve, are most of your meals EFA's + protein besides the ones that are pre & post workout? or are you just recommending this for a few weeks while his body is re acclimating itself to an increase in calories. interesting post

I train twice a day:
AM - high intensity endurance training
PM - weight training

Before training (regardless whether PM or AM):
high pro + mod/high carb + low/mod EFA (fish/flax)

After training (regardless whether PM or AM):
high pro + mod/high carb

Note: all carbs during the day are of Moderate GI at most (yes, even post workout), I like sustainability, as opposed to hormonal fluctuations

Rest of the day=low activity:
mod pro+high EFA


Total calories, Micronutient Breakdown:
Never bothered to calculate

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

BTW I made the decision to start gaining when I realized that my workout poundages were suffering deplorably. I guess half a pound per week seems alright then by what you guys told me. I think I just need reassurance I won't turn into a fat blob. I can hold a diet easy but I'm still afraid of bodyfat. I guess many of you can understand. I was taking in 1200-1600 calories for around half a year now, then dropped to 800 for a few weeks. Now I've decided to up it to 1600 and see what happens and go from there. I can already feel the difference- I feel more vascular and I'm not so cold, and its only been half a day!

Estimating weight gain might be difficult since I'll be putting on a lot of water weight in the beginning. I'm thinking I can judge by lift gains and energy for the first week then weight then on.

 

[bran987]

800 calories is a starvation diet.. you lost a ton of muscle for sure.. question.. how tall are you?

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

I'm 5'5". Its funny but I've been doing this so long that I don't binge no more or feel hungry so I figure my metabolism is slower then a snail.

 

[bran987]

bout my height... age?

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

I'm 25.

 

[bran987]

I'll be 25 in sept.

OK! Time for you to start eating young man.

 

[bodybuildingislife1]

800 calories....would be worried about mineral defincicies, and calcium leeching, etc...EAT BOY EAT!!! No bran and juve are right take it easy to get acclimated to food again, but difinetly eat! ONe thing that i read that was very interesting was don't pay attention so much to how much you eat just be more active!

 

[SubjectiveIllusion]

Hey guys.

Just checking in. Eating makes such a difference! Its incredible! I'm still consuming 1600 calories (I'll up them as soon as I can see how much on average I'm losing or gaining per week). I've noticed that I'm not cold anymore and my sense of smell has came back too- sometimes I wish it hadn't. And I've been whacking-off each day this week! Yeah, maybe that was uncalled for, but I'm happy.

Workout poundages are increasing at skyrocketing speeds and I was able to peddle on the exercise bike for more then 10 minutes without getting tired. I still don't get a pump like I used to when I work out. Its a little better. I seem to feel this dull 'aching' as if I could go on forever and then my muscles just give-out. I think I still need a few more cals to straighten that out.

So thats me right now for all those who have nothing to do and somehow might care.

 

[Stryc-9]

Hey guys.

And I've been whacking-off each day this week!

Um, yah too much information!! Haha, congratulations though!! Keep on eating. I think too many people starve themselves in their attempts to shed body fat. Good lesson here.

 

[zestys152]

absolutely!!! I definitely fall into that category. I cut 30 pounds for boxing by starving myself and my stength went weigh down and my bodyfat didnt even go down a whole lot. All that muscle lost and food I coulda been eating. Starvation is definitely not the way to go.