Problems With Bulking

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hello all, I just recently discoverd this forum,and am amazed at some of the bright minds around here and the abundance of information.
But I feel that the information is reaching an overload for me , with no direction…so I am seeking your guidance!

I have this dilema…I have had it for the past few years…

When trying to gain mass, the only portion of my body that gets “bulked up” is my midsection.!

I have tried to scrutinize myself, and I find myself thinking :
If my workout routine is satisfactory, and my diet is " clean" then the issue must be I am over eating calories by far too much, or the timing of my carbs or the amount of my carbs is really really bad… Ultimately, pointing back to my
diet as the culprit for my problems. Thats the only conclusion I can think of, and I need help with a solution to break through this!

I have been reading alot on these forums, about “Anabolic diet” “Velocity Diet” (for cutting obviously) High Frequency training, and many other impressive articles/threads.
Can someone help nitpick what I am doing wrong and give me some guidance as far as type of diet and routine ??

I assure you, the intensity, dedication, and consistency wont be an issue.

Please read below , If you would like a detailed sample of what exactly I have been experiencing…

I will be MORE than happy to write a journal for my program once we have one established.

Hopefully it will be able to help others, who have experienced similar issues.

Age : 30
Height: 6’2"
Weight: 208
Chest: 43"
Shoulders: 50"
Arms: 16"
Waist: 37"

Needless to say, id be happy with those stats IF they were climbing, but all in the waist :stuck_out_tongue:
My ideal waist line would be 30-32
(this isnt all about waist line, but that seems to be the only part of me shrinking, or gaining)

Thanks all.

I am not new to lifting, have been lifting for years, but only back into consistently for the last 2 years +

I was a FFB (former fat boy)
About 2 12 years ago able to diet and exercise myself back from about 210 lbs and 20% + bf
to as little as 175 lbs, and around 8-10% bf(look skinny,with very minimal mass)

Now I have been “Bulking” for about the past 3 months, and , umm it seems my
belly, is the only thing growing at the rate of growth I would hope for from my MUSCLES.

Unfortunately, like most other folk, I dont want that part growing at all!

Here is where most people will say…“well clean up your diet”
Here is what I have in my house for food: Baked Potato, sweet potato, long grain brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread,lean/skinless/boneless, chicken breasts,tons of fish, including about 100 cans of tuna…eggs,low fat cheese/cottage cheese,Broccoli, asparagus,cauliflower,green beans, apples, bananas, Peanut butter, Fish Oils, Flax Seed, Safflower oil.
I also take protein supplements, animal
packs,glutamine and creatine.
I take a small amount of fructose in a drink as part of post workout recovery

Now for the training…

I do split training 5 days a week, with heavy focus on compound movements. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench press, and the clean and press are the mainstays of my routine. I have been making steady strength gains since I stopped cutting.
15 -30 mins of cardio per week.

I need something thats going to kick start me into being able to bulk , while not bulking the belly so much (Im sure Im not alone on this issue)

I know I need to stay on a bulk much longer to be able to build the quality mass I desire…but doing it at the rate of fat gain Im experiencing, is not enjoyable, rewarding, or motivating.

2

This is what you do: Log what you are eating daily; you need the information to make adjustments.

Weigh yourself once a week. Optimal weekly weight gain (after the first week or so of overeating) is 1-2 pounds/week. If you are gaining more or less than this, make calorie adjustments.

If you are training hard, increasing bar weight on your lifts, and gaining 1-2 pounds/week, you are gaining muscle at pretty much an optimal rate without going overboard w/ fat gain.

Or you could not worry about it and just GFH, which I prefer.

3

[quote]PWRHOUSE31 wrote:
My ideal waist line would be 30-32

[/quote]

This is overambitious for someone your height. A good guideline for health is to have your waistline half your height or less. For you, that means 37 is about right. If you want to be really lean, you could knock 2 or 3 inches off that. However, if you want to gain muscle you are better off accepting 37 for the moment.

4

[quote]Ramo wrote:

Or you could not worry about it and just GFH, which I prefer. [/quote]

What does that mean ? I dont know that acronym yet :stuck_out_tongue:

And SHARETRADER - I only said 32 or so because thats where it was before I put this gut on top of it …lol

So does anyone have info about diets specifically the anabolic one ?

As far as current diet and a log…I tend to write it all down day after day in a notepad…and i really don t count to the end of the week…
Im usually VERY steady at intaking about 3700-4000 calories per day and 225-300g or protein .
I noticed recently when I added more carbs to the diet, my fat gains went up TREMENDOUSLY. So i have since started to scale them back…which is why a diet with NO carbs, has me intrigued/concerned/skeptical/ optimistic…lol

Im looking for something that w ill help me bulk, and either not gain tooo much fat in the process, or actually even LOSE the fat I have gained to this point, and still add mass (if thats even possible)

In my experience…for my body at least, Im startling to think the equation is about 75% diet, and 25% training.
So until i get my diet “perfect” im not going to see the results I work so damn hard for…

5

Eat 5-6 meals a day. Make sure each big meal contains a lean protein source, a complex carb source, a veggie source, and legume source. Eat when hungry.

When it comes to training, do higher volume than what you are doing-At least six exercises and no less than 4 sets and no less than 6 reps. Work your damn ass off (or on in this case).

6

It could be as simple as you aren’t eating enough and your body is in perpetually in “starvation mode”.

7

[quote]Fulmen wrote:
Eat when hungry.[/quote]

Not a good idea for most when you’re bulking. Generally, you’re going to need to eat a lot more often than just “when hungry”.

8

Personally for me, I get hungry for seven times a day. That equates to six meals.

9

Pwrhouse- You could very well have pretty shitty insulin sensitivity. Get your blood sugar checked and if it is below 90 I would be surprised. If you’re eating pretty clean food, training very hard, and timing your nutrients right, then you shouldn’t be putting on fat at such a high rate.

Keep plugging away at it and see if your progress improves by messing around with your diet. If in a month or two you see no progress, get some bloodwork done and see where your various levels are.

10

Also, try getting rid of the foods high in gluten like oatmeal, etc, and replace them with gluten-free foods. Give it a try, you got nothing to lose.

11

I’ve just had a lengthy chat with PWR; might as well close this thread.

12

GFH = Get F#%*ing Huge!

A 32" waist is very unrealistic.

If you were 240 with a 36-38" waist you would not look fat.

You would look like you wourkout.

13

[quote]Dirty Tiger wrote:
GFH = Get F#%*ing Huge!

A 32" waist is very unrealistic.

If you were 240 with a 36-38" waist you would not look fat.

You would look like you wourkout.[/quote]

Very true. I think some people have a hard time understanding that as your entire body grows, your waist may get a little larger even if you are very lean. There aren’t very many people over 240lbs with a waist at or under 32" and that includes many competing bodybuilders in contest shape.

14

[quote]Dirty Tiger wrote:
If you were 240 with a 36-38" waist you would not look fat.
[/quote]

I agree, and I could definitely live with that. However, I Don’t weigh 240 yet…and I fear that by the time I get up there the waist will be like 45" or so …lol
I want to get bigger without the waist getting THAT much bigger :stuck_out_tongue:

In ab out 3 months Ive put over an inch on the arms, but like 4 inches to the waist …n ot a good ratio I dont think :slight_smile:

I did just have a lengthy chat with Fulmen, and he REALLY tightened a few things up in my routine, and Im excited about that. And once again Fulmen…thanks allot.

My only last question i guess is the diet type stuff…

I could continue to eat healthy/lean meats good carbs and healthy fats. OR I am very intrigued by this “Anabolic Diet” Does anyone have any input on why that does or doesn’t work ?
It claims to raise natural free test , and even reduce problem areas for fat. (And all my fat seems to store on my hips, and thats why i feel/look like crap now)

15

There is no magic diet or routine. People have gotten results on every kind of diet or routine possible. Pick one and go for it.

16

[quote]PWRHOUSE31 wrote:
I am very intrigued by this “Anabolic Diet” Does anyone have any input on why that does or doesn’t work ?
[/quote]

You have a lot of reading ahead of you:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=658379

17

PS find the basics of the Anabolic Diet here:
http://www.musclenet.com/getbulky/Info/WeightLoss/AnabolicDiet.htm

18

PPS you can free abridged versions of the Anabolic Diet ebooks here:
http://www.metabolicdiet.com/

just scroll down on the rhs of the main page

19

Since it sounds like you’ve got the nutrition thing figured out (maintenance kcals, carb tolerance), you could try focusing on the other end of the equation: caloric expenditure.

Try lifting heavier, decreasing your rest periods between sets, and mixing in track sprints and jump rope sessions.