Looking for Lean Bulk (Post-Cut) Advice

[Kuskah]

After dieting for almost a year now, having dropped ~40 lbs (~18 kg), I feel like I got the most I could out of it and believe my time at this point will be better spent on a lean bulk. The progress has been stalling lately and I feel like I’d just be spinning my wheels and yo-yoing up and down the same 2 lbs if I tried to maintain the deficit any longer.

My current stats:
Height: 6’3" (191 cm)
Weight: 164 lbs (74.4 kg)
BF%: ~12% (body impedance scale)
Pic:

With those stats in mind, how much should I aim to gain per week/month to keep the fat gain to minimum? I find it hard to judge my physique on whether I can still expect some newbie gains, moving the scale up several lbs per month or whether I should take a more cautious approach and hope to gain 1-2 lbs per month max? Any other tips, such as workout plans, progression strategies etc. are greatly appreciated as well!

[Voxel]

I realise it’s been months since your post, and by now you’ve probably settled into an approach already or experimented with both. Either way, to offer some reply, here is some advice I try to remain attentive to:

Forget bulking or cutting. Unless you’re preparing for a specific competition, all-out bulks followed by drastic cuts don’t get you very far. For most, slow but steady body recomposition – gaining lean muscle mass and minimizing body fat – is a better long-term strategy.

Carb Cycling For The Non-Counter

And

@The_Mighty_Stu

My two cents: Forget bulking or cutting, figure out what you need to train hard and maintain where you’re at. Then, add a SMALL surplus on days your body will likely make use of the additional nutrients (not on off days when you sit around doing nothing). Keep doing this for several months, and more than likely you will have added some quality lbm which will also have shifted your bf% in the process.

If you’re intent on adding bodyweight, 1-2 lbs per month max (1-1.5 lbs) is what I’d aim for. Or, rather, 150-200g per week. Whenever you feel fluffy, eat at maintenance for a while, possibly with a surplus on your training days and a slight deficit on your non-training days. You don’t have to settle into one specific cadence indefinitely. Some people will fare better on having a more consistent caloric intake every day, and others do just as well on alternating their intake somewhat.

Recently, I’ve had some success adapting the following to be more in-line with my current BW (<190 lbs),

@anon23385723

Take my advice, or don’t. My cut didn’t leave me in nearly as good a shape as yours left you.