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kfisherx · 03-17-2008, 11:54 AM

Not sure if this should go here or nutrition so please move it if I got it wrong.

I am female and attempting to do my first bulk. Over the past 3 months I have fairly accurately depicted my average daily calorie burn at about 2350 kcals a day. I started a bulk program in end of Jan and went from eating 1400 kcals a day (adding 2-3 hundred each week) up to 2700 kcals a day.

Up until about 3 weeks ago I was gaining weight (about .5 lbs a week) without gaining any fat. I started at 128.7lbs and 17.8% bf on Jan 20.

On Feb 12 I was at 130.8 and 17.2%. I was very happy. But then the fat started to come. I cannot really pinpoint what changed at that time but I have been gaining bf at an astounishing rate since then. Today I am weighing in at 132 and 19.2%.

If the numbers are to be believed I have done nothing but gained fat in the past 4 weeks. I think the numbers are to be believed as I always weigh bf and mass at preciesely the same time each day. I throw out any weird numbers and I see trends going up each day as opposed to just one random bf% measure. My diet is the same as it was a month ago except I am consuming about 350 kcals more a day which also happens to be about the number of kcals over my daily burn.

I am not freaked out or worried about this as I know I can knock this fat out fairly quickly. I would like to understand what best next steps should be. My initial plan was to bulk until May 1st and the do a cut for the summer. Now I am thinking that the work I am doing today towards the bulk might be counterproductive. The way I see it my options are as follows...

1. Stick with the bulk and the current high calories (this is the way it is supposed to work)
2. Cut back down to 2400 kcal a day range and continue to lift heavy.
3. Start the cut 'cause your body is done doing anything useful with respect to gaining muscle for this time period.

What do you guys think?

03-17-2008, 11:54 AM	#1 (permalink)
kfisherx Luv'n Lift'n Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 2,584 My Profile	The "art" of bulking Not sure if this should go here or nutrition so please move it if I got it wrong. I am female and attempting to do my first bulk. Over the past 3 months I have fairly accurately depicted my average daily calorie burn at about 2350 kcals a day. I started a bulk program in end of Jan and went from eating 1400 kcals a day (adding 2-3 hundred each week) up to 2700 kcals a day. Up until about 3 weeks ago I was gaining weight (about .5 lbs a week) without gaining any fat. I started at 128.7lbs and 17.8% bf on Jan 20. On Feb 12 I was at 130.8 and 17.2%. I was very happy. But then the fat started to come. I cannot really pinpoint what changed at that time but I have been gaining bf at an astounishing rate since then. Today I am weighing in at 132 and 19.2%. If the numbers are to be believed I have done nothing but gained fat in the past 4 weeks. I think the numbers are to be believed as I always weigh bf and mass at preciesely the same time each day. I throw out any weird numbers and I see trends going up each day as opposed to just one random bf% measure. My diet is the same as it was a month ago except I am consuming about 350 kcals more a day which also happens to be about the number of kcals over my daily burn. I am not freaked out or worried about this as I know I can knock this fat out fairly quickly. I would like to understand what best next steps should be. My initial plan was to bulk until May 1st and the do a cut for the summer. Now I am thinking that the work I am doing today towards the bulk might be counterproductive. The way I see it my options are as follows... 1. Stick with the bulk and the current high calories (this is the way it is supposed to work) 2. Cut back down to 2400 kcal a day range and continue to lift heavy. 3. Start the cut 'cause your body is done doing anything useful with respect to gaining muscle for this time period. What do you guys think?