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Yes... pardon me... a bulk or well 'lean gain' I would prefer to call it... is to eat slightly (300 - 500 calories) over your TDEE...
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Some good clean bulk foods?
- Thread starter 6four
- Start date
Just check yer weight. If you stop gaining/losing, then up/lower the cals...
Usually you'll lose a lot (or gain a lot) the first week, as things change. e.g. if you're eating maintenance right now, and your TDEE is 3000... then eating 3500 SHOULD put a bit of water on... etc... and you should gain the frst week or so. Just keep eating 'til the weight starts to balance out. Once that happens wait another week. If the scale doesn't move add more food. (say 300 - 500 calories)
Same with losing... If your TDEE is 3000 and you start eating 2500, then you should lose some water, and weight. This especially holds true on a lower carb program. Once that levels off, wait a week. If there is no change, maybe increase Cardio a little, and check again in a week.... if not, then maybe lower your cals, a little more... In some instances adding a few cals will do the trick. You come out of 'starvation' mode, which increased leptin levels, and starts you back into fat loss.
The thing with dieting, honestly, is that it REALLY isn't an exact science. It's not... we're all different... you won't get the:
Eat 3234 calories, and you will DEFINITELY lose EXACTLY 1.23lbs a week... it doesn't work that way... and it's NOT linear.
You won't keep losing... some weeks you'l lose 3 lbs... others 1... maybe none... then lose 2 more... gain one.. etc... but as long as it's kinda going in the right direction.. you're good..
Don't fall into the trap of Paralysis by over-analysis. Keep at it, and be consistent. ONLY change things up when you're REALLY stuck
This is a time and patience game... and changes come... slowly... if you let them...
Cheers!
Usually you'll lose a lot (or gain a lot) the first week, as things change. e.g. if you're eating maintenance right now, and your TDEE is 3000... then eating 3500 SHOULD put a bit of water on... etc... and you should gain the frst week or so. Just keep eating 'til the weight starts to balance out. Once that happens wait another week. If the scale doesn't move add more food. (say 300 - 500 calories)
Same with losing... If your TDEE is 3000 and you start eating 2500, then you should lose some water, and weight. This especially holds true on a lower carb program. Once that levels off, wait a week. If there is no change, maybe increase Cardio a little, and check again in a week.... if not, then maybe lower your cals, a little more... In some instances adding a few cals will do the trick. You come out of 'starvation' mode, which increased leptin levels, and starts you back into fat loss.
The thing with dieting, honestly, is that it REALLY isn't an exact science. It's not... we're all different... you won't get the:
Eat 3234 calories, and you will DEFINITELY lose EXACTLY 1.23lbs a week... it doesn't work that way... and it's NOT linear.
You won't keep losing... some weeks you'l lose 3 lbs... others 1... maybe none... then lose 2 more... gain one.. etc... but as long as it's kinda going in the right direction.. you're good..
Don't fall into the trap of Paralysis by over-analysis. Keep at it, and be consistent. ONLY change things up when you're REALLY stuck
This is a time and patience game... and changes come... slowly... if you let them...
Cheers!
Sure... but again... supplements are only good to 'supplement' an already sound diet plan...
If you want to use ANY sups... start with the basics:
The first thing you need is food... FOOD is MUCH more anabolic then ANY supplement.. including Steroids... they won't work without adequate food... FACT...
If it's a choice between food and a supplement.. get more food...
FOOD!! (Say it with me... FOOD!!!) lol.. ok.. so now that THAT is covered... we move on to supplements...
First thing you should get is a good multivitamin. Multi-vits are NECESSARY, as the food we buy today SUCKS. Most of it is laden with pesticides, and other things that diminish it's quality. Multi-Vitamins ensure your basis are covered.
Next in line would be a good protein powder. Protein powder is not as good as FOOD but is nice in a pinch... I have a shake every morning for breakfast... it's a quick and easy way to get cals in:
A 50/50 shake based diet isn't the best idea. Try and make up the majority of your daily caloric requirements with actual food. It's much more bio available to the body, and is generally digested easier... Your bowls with thank you.
THOSE are the BASICS... if you are supplementing, make SURE you get ALL of those up there first... Once those are covered, you can look into other things like:
Creatine - The monohydrate powder has always served me well... I don't notice a difference between that, and Creatine CEE Ethyl ester or any of the other $$$ ones.
Glutamine - and AWESOME amino for recovery... Helps LOADS on heavy leg days... I don't wake up as sore
Shark Cartilage - This stuff is awesome for my joints... we 30+ folks tend to need joint support
Fish Oil/Udo's Choice - Good fats, and awesome for lubing the joints as well
That's my opinion on supplements... If you see some flashy new product... remember... a GOOD portion of the stuff DOES give results... but they are pretty marginal, and likely don't stand up to the tried and true... Research the product first, then ask if it's any good.
If you want to use ANY sups... start with the basics:
The first thing you need is food... FOOD is MUCH more anabolic then ANY supplement.. including Steroids... they won't work without adequate food... FACT...
If it's a choice between food and a supplement.. get more food...
FOOD!! (Say it with me... FOOD!!!) lol.. ok.. so now that THAT is covered... we move on to supplements...
First thing you should get is a good multivitamin. Multi-vits are NECESSARY, as the food we buy today SUCKS. Most of it is laden with pesticides, and other things that diminish it's quality. Multi-Vitamins ensure your basis are covered.
Next in line would be a good protein powder. Protein powder is not as good as FOOD but is nice in a pinch... I have a shake every morning for breakfast... it's a quick and easy way to get cals in:
- 3 Scoops of Whey
- 1/2 cup of oats
- 1/2 cup of berries or 1/2 a Banana
A 50/50 shake based diet isn't the best idea. Try and make up the majority of your daily caloric requirements with actual food. It's much more bio available to the body, and is generally digested easier... Your bowls with thank you.
THOSE are the BASICS... if you are supplementing, make SURE you get ALL of those up there first... Once those are covered, you can look into other things like:
Creatine - The monohydrate powder has always served me well... I don't notice a difference between that, and Creatine CEE Ethyl ester or any of the other $$$ ones.
Glutamine - and AWESOME amino for recovery... Helps LOADS on heavy leg days... I don't wake up as sore
Shark Cartilage - This stuff is awesome for my joints... we 30+ folks tend to need joint support
Fish Oil/Udo's Choice - Good fats, and awesome for lubing the joints as well
That's my opinion on supplements... If you see some flashy new product... remember... a GOOD portion of the stuff DOES give results... but they are pretty marginal, and likely don't stand up to the tried and true... Research the product first, then ask if it's any good.
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Naw... Just crappy editing..
Creatine works on cell volumization (Inside the muscle cell) rather then retention (outside the muscle between the muscle and skin) so no... I don't find I 'retain' water at all on it... does it increase your ability to use water IN the muscle cell... yes... and does it go away when you're done? Correct... but think about this for a minute:
Say you train for 8 weeks, and you gain 2lbs of muscle... right? Awesome...
Now you take Creatine and gain 8lbs... the added water, and ATP help with training, and you gain 3lbs of muscle, and 5lbs of added water... you come OFF the creatine, and lose the 5 "water" lbs right? Great... but now you're LEFT with an extra lb of muscle!
So yea... You do lose the 'Water' when you come off... but I think you are left with more then what you would have gotten had you not used it at all...
Creatine works on cell volumization (Inside the muscle cell) rather then retention (outside the muscle between the muscle and skin) so no... I don't find I 'retain' water at all on it... does it increase your ability to use water IN the muscle cell... yes... and does it go away when you're done? Correct... but think about this for a minute:
Say you train for 8 weeks, and you gain 2lbs of muscle... right? Awesome...
Now you take Creatine and gain 8lbs... the added water, and ATP help with training, and you gain 3lbs of muscle, and 5lbs of added water... you come OFF the creatine, and lose the 5 "water" lbs right? Great... but now you're LEFT with an extra lb of muscle!
So yea... You do lose the 'Water' when you come off... but I think you are left with more then what you would have gotten had you not used it at all...
Depends... I don't think one number for all makes sense.. a 110lbs chick can inject 30 at a time... and 300lbs linebacker as well? Naw... I don't by that... I think we can ingest more... and even MORE when we are on the juice... You don't 'pee out' food either.. any extra calories are stored as fat...
Oh yea.. and between what and what time? 30grams ever hour? every three? Know what I'm saying... our bodies don't know what a calorie is, nor does it know how many grams of fat it needs... those are all just measures we use... It isn't like @ 31g your body decides... OH!! TO MUCH! You know??
