I have been going through tons of articles and nutritional plans for bulking, and I know that I want to do it as clean as possible, but also know that it is impossible to bulk without putting on some added pounds of fat, and I don’t have any problems with that.
My plan is to follow CT’s Pendulum Training program, combined with some heavy eating that will add some quality mass over each 5 week portion if I eat enuogh calories and train hard enough (neither of which should be a problem). I’m also thinking that a de-load week at the end of each 5 week period might not be a bad idea, and could also be a chance to get rid of some of the fat that I may have put on over the 5 weeks.
Would it be a bad idea to do a shortened V-Diet for this de-load to lose some fat fast and maintain a certain amount of leanness in between stages of the lifting?
How about you eat lots, and just do cardio 2-3 times a week on top of that and the weight lifting?
I cycle 1 hour a day, most days during the week and add around 1000kcal ON TOP OF what I already eat on these days - I am trying to get bigger.
It’s been nearly 2 months since I started cycling and I’ve only added about 3lbs in this time. I initially lost some weight even though I was eating more to compensate for the cycling, obviously it wasn’t enough.
Anyway, cutting for that one week is pointless - just add some general cardio a few times a week and keep eating lots of food.
[quote]ericbyrnesjr wrote:
always good to see another ballplayer in here, where do you play?
my guess is that someone is going to say not to bastardize the v-diet, but that seems kind of interesting to me.
i’m definitely gonna keep a watch out on this thread for the answers.[/quote]
I played 4 years at Dartmouth, and have since been forced into retirement by the real world…haha.
And yes, I’m sure people won’t like to see me bastardize the V-diet, but to be honest, 4 weeks of the V-diet would probably make me invisible if I turned sideways, which isn’t exactly my goal. My biggest concern is that since a de-load is generally used for recovery/growth, is if the V-Diet will allow for the same type of muscular response by keeping the macros right but the calories lower.
How about you eat lots, and just do cardio 2-3 times a week on top of that and the weight lifting?
I cycle 1 hour a day, most days during the week and add around 1000kcal ON TOP OF what I already eat on these days - I am trying to get bigger.
It’s been nearly 2 months since I started cycling and I’ve only added about 3lbs in this time. I initially lost some weight even though I was eating more to compensate for the cycling, obviously it wasn’t enough.
Anyway, cutting for that one week is pointless - just add some general cardio a few times a week and keep eating lots of food.[/quote]
While I don’t disagree with your method, or hold your opinion against you, I’m wondering why this can’t be an interesting method to at least give a shot.
It can work, but it’s NOT going to be the best way - in my experience - to do it, by a long shot.
As for a deloading week - if it’s meant for growth&recovery, you can forget about either of those happening while living on a liquid diet.
Now looking at the big picture, how much fat do you expect to add in 5 weeks? You body weight fluctuates all the time, mine sometimes varies up to 5 pounds from the day before. That week of cutting would probably help you lose 3-4lbs, and since your body probably hasn’t even thought of getting used to carrying the newly added muscle, you’ll end up losing some of that too.
Isn’t the idea of a “clean bulk” to add as little fat as possible? Now you want to add a minicut into the mix? Say hello to my friend, Mr. No Progress.
It can work, but it’s NOT going to be the best way - in my experience - to do it, by a long shot.
As for a deloading week - if it’s meant for growth&recovery, you can forget about either of those happening while living on a liquid diet.
Now looking at the big picture, how much fat do you expect to add in 5 weeks? You body weight fluctuates all the time, mine sometimes varies up to 5 pounds from the day before. That week of cutting would probably help you lose 3-4lbs, and since your body probably hasn’t even thought of getting used to carrying the newly added muscle, you’ll end up losing some of that too.
Isn’t the idea of a “clean bulk” to add as little fat as possible? Now you want to add a minicut into the mix? Say hello to my friend, Mr. No Progress.
[/quote]
So do you think this would be more effective if the bulking diet was “less than clean” per se?
[quote]oneforship wrote:
So do you think this would be more effective if the bulking diet was “less than clean” per se?
[/quote]
Absolutely.
You’ll be sure not to shortchange yourself on not eating enough for growth, just don’t overdo it and you won’t gain too much fat. If you find yourself gaining too much after a few months, add in some cardio to keep it under control.
A little cardio actually works wonders on keeping fat gains in check, and you’ll be healthier in general. Muscle gain is not a linear process, your body grows in spurts - hence why minicuts are not the best idea as you could be doing one when your body is primed for a growth spurted after a few months of heavy lifting. Bulk with some common sense for a year, then if you see the need cut down for a few months. Building muscle takes years, losing fat (unless you’re really obese) does not.