Nashtide is gonna lean bulk...

[Nashtide]

Good luck and keep us posted. I have been trying this for years. I can get cut and lean pretty easy or I can get skinny fat. I think it’s a genetic thing to a large degree. In the Spring I was able to gain 5 lbs without gaining any fat but lost it in the early Summer. More cut up, but size has been elusive. Just try to be that old guy who shocks people when he takes his shirt off... and you’re never too old to flex with your shirt off.

Lol. Thanks for the encouragement. I have always been "wiry" which is a euphemism for being skinny but strong. So adding muscle has always come with adding fat. I'm either lean with good definition or pretty muscular with a layer of fat. This is the first time I'm applying science to the mission.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I like to do about 40c/30p/30f on work out days
And lower carbs and up fat on non working days

 

[Nashtide]

I like to do about 40c/30p/30f on work out days
And lower carbs and up fat on non working days

Thanks for the feedback. I confess that I'm not a detailed oriented person. So I don't actually count calories or closely monitor macros. So I can't really say what I do exactly. Here is what I try to do, I eat more carbs on workout days and less on non workout days. I know that sounds dumb, but I use the scale and mirror to guide my diet and exercise regimen.

 

[Nashtide]

UPDATE #1
After one week of moderately increasing daily calories while keeping exercise the same.
I gained 1.3lbs. Decreased BF% by 0.2% and increased LBM or Muscle Mass as this scale calls it by 0.2%. I realize as I've stated before that these scales are not super accurate, but I think they do a good job of monitoring progress if used under the same conditions.
At this point I'm pleased with the results, but am surprised that I put on over a pound in one week with a moderate increase in calories. Prior to this experiment, I was in a small calorie deficit for six months. The plan this week is to continue with additional calories, maybe just not as many. Ideally, I'd like to add about 0.5lbs per week. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Nashtide]

UPDATE #2. So I lost 1.5lbs while BF% and Muscle % remained the same. I'm trying to gain weight, so this is a little setback. I felt like I've been consistently eating a little more, apparently I have not been. I suppose that's good news as I can eat even more!

 

[Cope]

In your full body routine, are you putting chest and shoulders first in your workout? If that's what you want to grow, I would prioritize them. You could also add a second set to say chest on Monday and a second set to shoulders on Friday. Sometimes prioritization, along with extra "work" will stimulate them.

As for adding the calories, it doesn't sound like you track your food, so your are using a more intuitive method to add those 200 calories from protein and fat. I use myfitnesspal app, as at least a guide and when bulking, instead of adding more calories per meal, I add another meal. Just my two cents, I hope you make the gains you are looking for!

 

[Renman23]

I was one of the LEAST detail oriented people i know. Despite my having a 6 sigma BB and a career in finance. Becoming an entrepreneur and taking control of my health changed me. I agree withwhat Pete Drucker preaches...

"If you cant/ dont measure it , you cant improve it.

Drucker means that you can’t know whether or not you are successful unless success is defined and tracked. With a clearly established metric for success, you can quantify progress and adjust your process to produce the desired outcome. Without clear objectives, you’re stuck in a constant state of guessing.

Start notating what you eat and when, then you can make your changes and reach your desired outcome.
Good luck.

 

[Starplex]

If you are serious about hitting the goals you've set there are a few things I think would recommend. You need to understand what your TDEE is based on your current activity level. Goggle emma-leigh macros (i think this is a good one to use, but there are others out there too). Once you get this value you need to set your Macro Levels on this. Target at least 1.5grams protein/bodyweight.

Use a tracker such as Mymacros+ or MyFitness Pal to ensure you are tracking correctly. You may need a kitchen scale for measurements until you get an idea of how much protein is in what quantity of food.

Use a solid workout program. I really like Growth Stimulus Training. Book on Amazon that has been my favorite thus far and go to program. The trainer from this book is also easy to contact through ******** if desired. Of course there are other out there too.

 

[madman]

If you are serious about hitting the goals you've set there are a few things I think would recommend. You need to understand what your TDEE is based on your current activity level. Goggle emma-leigh macros (i think this is a good one to use, but there are others out there too). Once you get this value you need to set your Macro Levels on this. Target at least 1.5grams protein/bodyweight.

Use a tracker such as Mymacros+ or MyFitness Pal to ensure you are tracking correctly. You may need a kitchen scale for measurements until you get an idea of how much protein is in what quantity of food.

Use a solid workout program. I really like Growth Stimulus Training. Book on Amazon that has been my favorite thus far and go to program. The trainer from this book is also easy to contact through ******** if desired. Of course there are other out there too.

1 gram protein/lb of LBM is more than enough on a calorie surplus.

 

[Nashtide]

In your full body routine, are you putting chest and shoulders first in your workout? If that's what you want to grow, I would prioritize them. You could also add a second set to say chest on Monday and a second set to shoulders on Friday. Sometimes prioritization, along with extra "work" will stimulate them.

As for adding the calories, it doesn't sound like you track your food, so your are using a more intuitive method to add those 200 calories from protein and fat. I use myfitnesspal app, as at least a guide and when bulking, instead of adding more calories per meal, I add another meal. Just my two cents, I hope you make the gains you are looking for!

Thanks for the input. I do prioritize the chest and shoulders by exercising them first. Recently I started doing a second chest exercise. I don't actually measure my calories, but I do track my weight and bf% carefully and use that as a guide to determine if I need to eat more or less. I wanted to start adding calories slowly after being on a calorie deficit for six months. This week I added 0.6lbs with no change in bf. So this week I'll just increase the calories a little more as I'd like to gain about a pound per week.

 

[Nashtide]

If you are serious about hitting the goals you've set there are a few things I think would recommend. You need to understand what your TDEE is based on your current activity level. Goggle emma-leigh macros (i think this is a good one to use, but there are others out there too). Once you get this value you need to set your Macro Levels on this. Target at least 1.5grams protein/bodyweight.

Use a tracker such as Mymacros+ or MyFitness Pal to ensure you are tracking correctly. You may need a kitchen scale for measurements until you get an idea of how much protein is in what quantity of food.

Use a solid workout program. I really like Growth Stimulus Training. Book on Amazon that has been my favorite thus far and go to program. The trainer from this book is also easy to contact through ******** if desired. Of course there are other out there too.

Thanks for the input. I will look into your suggestions. My thinking was to use the scale to track progress.

 

[Nashtide]

Okay, so I lost a little over a pound this week while decreasing my bf% by 0.2 and increasing my muscle by 0.1. I'm a little confounded. I really feel like I've been eating more lately. I purposely started adding calories slowly as I was coming off a six month calorie deficit diet and I didn't want to gain a lot of fat. I have consistently been eating an additional snack every day. Either a protein smoothie or a homemade protein bar or some other high protein snack. I guess the good news is I can go ahead and eat more! Thanks for reading and commenting.

 

[Renman23]

Okay, so I lost a little over a pound this week while decreasing my bf% by 0.2 and increasing my muscle by 0.1. I'm a little confounded. I really feel like I've been eating more lately. I purposely started adding calories slowly as I was coming off a six month calorie deficit diet and I didn't want to gain a lot of fat. I have consistently been eating an additional snack every day. Either a protein smoothie or a homemade protein bar or some other high protein snack. I guess the good news is I can go ahead and eat more! Thanks for reading and commenting.

This sounds like your metabolism is still in lean out mode.

MAYBE you're not getting enough protein? I dont know how much Cardio you're doing but perhaps cut that back, focus on heavy lift and add some protein and fat?

Either way, sounds like you're in a good place.

Good luck.

 

[Nashtide]

This sounds like your metabolism is still in lean out mode.

MAYBE you're not getting enough protein? I dont know how much Cardio you're doing but perhaps cut that back, focus on heavy lift and add some protein and fat?

Either way, sounds like you're in a good place.

Good luck.

I have tried adding protein and fat to my diet, so I guess I'm going to need to add more. I just finished a workout and am having a protein smoothie. I will also have some homemade trail mix before dinner. As far as cardio goes, I do go pretty hard, but I feel like that's important for my overall health. I'm just going to need to eat more...

 

[Renman23]

I have tried adding protein and fat to my diet, so I guess I'm going to need to add more. I just finished a workout and am having a protein smoothie. I will also have some homemade trail mix before dinner. As far as cardio goes, I do go pretty hard, but I feel like that's important for my overall health. I'm just going to need to eat more...

I think it depends. If you're going hard , doing sessions of steady state cardio..... that can really light the metabolic fire.

I wouldn't suggest no cardio, but a couple of moderate sessions a week. While you go heavy with the resistance.... that should be enough to get your metabo to add some muscle to the party...

good luck.

 

[Nashtide]

My cardio is not steady state. I do 8 rounds of 2 minutes with 30 seconds rest on the heavy bag. Then I finish with some tabata-like punching routine. It's a killer workout. I'd rather eat a lot more than cut back. I do try to lift heavy, although every six weeks I switch to slightly lighter weights so I can get through more reps. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Cope]

I think you are in a good place. Coming off a deficit, I find it common to lose more weight when I increase calories. In fact, if I hit a plateau, that’s exactly what I do. After a few weeks, your body will adjust again and you should see the weight going up. Keep up the good work!

 

[Nashtide]

I think you are in a good place. Coming off a deficit, I find it common to lose more weight when I increase calories. In fact, if I hit a plateau, that’s exactly what I do. After a few weeks, your body will adjust again and you should see the weight going up. Keep up the good work!

Wow. That's great to hear. I really don't mind adding the lean body mass slowly so as to minimize the fat gain.

 

[Nashtide]

Finally made the type of progress I'm looking for. Gained 0.4lbs and went from 14.2 to 14.1% bf. I realize the very slight drop in bf is not significant in and of itself, but I managed to gain a little weight without adding fat. Very pleased today.

 

[Renman23]

Finally made the type of progress I'm looking for. Gained 0.4lbs and went from 14.2 to 14.1% bf. I realize the very slight drop in bf is not significant in and of itself, but I managed to gain a little weight without adding fat. Very pleased today.

OUTSTANDING!

Progress is progress!