I’ve been bulking a couple of months now. It’s easy to keep routine while at work, but when I come home it’s difficult to eat that much especially with my schedule changing so drastically, unfortunately.
I’m going to be working more, 4 weeks on and 1 week at home, until end of November. Is that a good “rotation” or whatever if I eat the calories I need at work and don’t worry about it so much for my week off? I might lose a bit of weight on the week off but it would give my body a rest right? Or is that a shock to the system just dropping calories for a week and then jumping back into it
I think @cdep89 likes that type of approach, or at least the cyclic diet concept.
Here’s something I think would be cool to try (but I’ve never done it so can’t vouch):
Ramp up whatever your main driver (intensity, intensiveness, volume) is over the 4 weeks to the point that your last week you are overreaching and you need that next week off.
Then keep your average weekly calories in line with your bulk (assuming growth is the goal and you aren’t getting too fat), but adjust them daily a little:
The first couple days, when you’re really smoked, sleep a bunch and eat in an additional 20% surplus over your bulk.
The next two days, start walking a bit and take your calories down to 20% below the bulk average, ideally with some fasting. This should help digestion, maybe even some insulin sensitivity (but it’s probably too short), and make you a little hungry again.
The last 3 days, eat at your bulk calories and get outside and do stuff you want. This should have you full and recovered and excited to get back to the gym.
If you’re getting too fat, I wouldn’t do the above (I’d go low calorie and use it as a control week), and I’ve never done the above, but it seems like it would be cool in theory.
I’m a big fan of the 4:1 ratio but believe it to be better in months than weeks. It’s so important when bulking to gain momentum and chase those +1s over a long period of time. With 4 weeks:1 week you’ll often be doing one week as an introductory or trying to pick up where you left off and then just 3 weeks of gaining momentum before you’re off the horse again. Not just this but with him saying he’ll have a full week off no training whilst also lowering calories doesn’t seem great to me. If he pounds the volume or intensity he’ll be needing those calories to recover on that week off.
I like @TrainForPains suggestion a lot. If you can find a way to plan you eating to be in a very, very slight surplus on your week off then that would be the best. 4 week bulk, 1 week cut will work but it’s not the way I’d do it. It feels far too much like trying to chase two goals at the same time.
This makes a lot of sense to me. Just match your intense workouts with the high calorie weeks (4) and on your lower calorie week make your workouts what we called a “working rest.” You are still working out but the loads are drastically reduced: 40 to 50% of you 1 rep max.
I think I’ll have a good idea after this 4 week workout how many calories i gain based on how much weight I gain. Then I’ll just eat enough to maintain on my week off
Jamie Lewis’ “Feast/Famine/Ferocity” diet employs 2 weeks of protein sparring modified fasting and 4 weeks of overeating, and I’ve found it pretty effective.