[Ant Marks]

Hi guys,

Been researching for the past 2 hours on Boday fat % and bulking cycles.

As i have understood from my research it is averaged out that 12% body fat is the HIGHEST percentage to have when bulking up?

Does anyone agree?

On the contrary, I have heard stories of people starting bulking cycles whilst having 25% body fat, using a clean bulking diet, to only put on lean mass and lose body fat?

The thing im getting at is im roughly 18% body fat and wanting to start a bulking cycle to pack on as much quality mass as possible (cycle is detailed in an earlier thread) and then to cut down 8 weeks after the cycle to get rid of the fat. However, I have been led to beleive that I will most probably lose most of the muscle gained from the cycle.

So, would it better to cut down natty now to 12% then bulk up?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SD]

Bulk at whatever % your at mate. You are probably gonna put on some % of BF when bulking but it shouldnt be dramatic enough to worry. I have always bulked around the 25% mark without any issues, I mean you cant see abs and your progress is a little obscurred by a blanket of fat but you will still see the size going on.

SD

 

[warren]

i started bulking in october at 180lbs at 16-17% bf, i checked 4 weeks ago and i was 220lbs and looked around 14-15%. im now at 13-14% after adding more cardio but cant tell you my weight as i havent checkeds in 4 weeks due to me getting obsessed and weighing every day lol.

i have a lowish carb diet though when bulking around 300-400g carbs and higher fats. and have had 2 cycles since oct 1 being very high.

but just my 2p

 

[Ant Marks]

Thats what i thought mate....its all ''part of the process'' isnt it. then the general idea is to cut down properly after the cycle to reveal your muscle you have gained.

I think i will bulk at what im at at the minute, then cut down, not too drastically, but appropriatley.

 

[Ant Marks]

i started bulking in october at 180lbs at 16-17% bf, i checked 4 weeks ago and i was 220lbs and looked around 14-15%. im now at 13-14% after adding more cardio but cant tell you my weight as i havent checkeds in 4 weeks due to me getting obsessed and weighing every day lol.

i have a lowish carb diet though when bulking around 300-400g carbs and higher fats. and have had 2 cycles since oct 1 being very high.

but just my 2p

Exactly, the more muscle you put on...the faster your fat metabolises. So it really goes hand in hand doesnt it. Aslong as you try and restrict the amount of fat being put on during the cycle you can stay relatively lean

 

[1Tonne]

i have a lowish carb diet though when bulking around 300-400g carbs

Lol, i see that as pretty high

And same as other guys mate, i'm prob around 18-22% body fat. Been on a clean bulk for 6 weeks now. Im definately seeing increases in size. I've put on around 12lbs since the start but i honestly think i've lost body fat around the upper chest and mid rift.

If you keep the diet clean, i dont see a problem with bulking.

I took this road as when i do cut, i want to cut down and see the hard earned muscles that i've put the work in for. I didnt want to start out with a cut, to get down to a small frame and no strength. Rather use the body size i have and put it all into gaining strength. This last 10 days, i felt (mentally) like i was gettin chunky. But the tape measurements say otherwise.

I have put fasted am cardio in , 30 mins a day, just to keep me feeling healthy. But i try to replace those 3-400 cals burnt with extra food so not losing the calorie base.

Whatever you choose, stick to it and you'll get results.

Good luck.

 

[Ant Marks]

Lol, i see that as pretty high

And same as other guys mate, i'm prob around 18-22% body fat. Been on a clean bulk for 6 weeks now. Im definately seeing increases in size. I've put on around 12lbs since the start but i honestly think i've lost body fat around the upper chest and mid rift.

If you keep the diet clean, i dont see a problem with bulking.

I took this road as when i do cut, i want to cut down and see the hard earned muscles that i've put the work in for. I didnt want to start out with a cut, to get down to a small frame and no strength. Rather use the body size i have and put it all into gaining strength. This last 10 days, i felt (mentally) like i was gettin chunky. But the tape measurements say otherwise.

I have put fasted am cardio in , 30 mins a day, just to keep me feeling healthy. But i try to replace those 3-400 cals burnt with extra food so not losing the calorie base.

Whatever you choose, stick to it and you'll get results.

Good luck.

Cheers mate, Im liknig the idea of leaing the cut before bulking so you can therefore utilise the use of your strength and mass now to promote further gains whilst bulking.

Im going to be doing 30 mins of fasted cardio 3-4 mornings per week just to keep some of the fat off and i will ensure that my diet is clean. Thanks for the advice guys! Think i may start a journal of my progress and statistics from day 1, should provide good documentation

 

[Bricktop1436114614]

like SD said, bulk at whatever bodyfat you want. If you are low 10% ish you will see your gains week by week (if everything is in check) but if you are 20%+ you wont notice much due to the fat. But once you lose it after the bulk you should be v pleased. You may have seen 'big silver backs' comp journal he recently started and WOW.

I suppose it depends how you want to look in the short term. if being fat doesnt bother you then start, if it does, cut down before u start.

 

[1Tonne]

Think i may start a journal of my progress and statistics from day 1, should provide good documentation

I'll keep an eye out for it mate and shall follow your progress Give ya a kick up the ass when you need it too lol

 

[Ant Marks]

like SD said, bulk at whatever bodyfat you want. If you are low 10% ish you will see your gains week by week (if everything is in check) but if you are 20%+ you wont notice much due to the fat. But once you lose it after the bulk you should be v pleased. You may have seen 'big silver backs' comp journal he recently started and WOW.

I suppose it depends how you want to look in the short term. if being fat doesnt bother you then start, if it does, cut down before u start.

It makes sense now that ive been reassured. Not seen his journal but im going to look for it now . Cheers guys

 

[Ant Marks]

I'll keep an eye out for it mate and shall follow your progress Give ya a kick up the ass when you need it too lol

Haha...that kick up the **** will be extremeley appreciated mate. defo keep your eyes up.

Will be posted up in 2 weeks

 

[tuna_man]

Do whatever you are comfortable with, e.g. if cutting before will mentally drain you then you may give it a miss.

However, i understand that if you bulk when lean, a greater proportion of the weight you gain will be lean mass, whereas at higher bf% you will gain a lesser proportion of lean mass. This is something to do with the 'P-ratio'.

It is all about partitioning of nutrients and calories. Lean people partition the calories better, and are more insulin sensitive etc.

Also, going from a cut to a bulk can allow you to take advantage of an incredible rebound effect. Look at what happens to a bodybuilder after a contest, they gain crazy mass after switching from a strict diet into bulking calories.

 

[Never Injured]

I'm about 16-20% bodyfat and bulking as well. Every day I look in the mirror convinced I am getting fatter but my pants all seem to fit just the same. If you can cope with the paranoia I would just bulk now.

Oddly enough when I was cutting I kept convincing myself my body fat was lower than it was and I was close to abs. I think it's just better to get rid of all your mirrors and get on with it.

 

[Ant Marks]

I'm about 16-20% bodyfat and bulking as well. Every day I look in the mirror convinced I am getting fatter but my pants all seem to fit just the same. If you can cope with the paranoia I would just bulk now.

Oddly enough when I was cutting I kept convincing myself my body fat was lower than it was and I was close to abs. I think it's just better to get rid of all your mirrors and get on with it.

Haha i know how you feel mate, if your looking in the mirror twice a day your not going to do yourself any favours. Paranoia written all over it.

ill porb get some before and after photos taken

 

[leejnrjnr]

Hi,

I thought I read somewhere, sorry cant find it now, that if your body fat % is over 15% you are more inclined to put fat on than, if you are below that then your body will use fat stores and any food given. Damn I cant think of the trainers name now, quite well respected on here as well. he has an intense training and diet programme to get you down below 15% before bulking for this very reason.

lee

 

[geeby112]

would rather bulk on a lower bf% as when you gain size you will gain fat also and may get carried away in trying to loose excess fat while sacrificing muscle, why make a job harder for the future:innocent:

 

[hsmann87]

all depends on you mate. if you dont mind looking like an american burger eating champion then go ahead.

it all depends on the person. personally i dont want to be too fat when bulking, but i also understand that you need to put on a bit of fat if you want to make decent muscle gains in a fairly short space of time