You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Bulking!

Diet and Nutrition
1

Hey guys, 5 days ago I was in the midst of 4 weeks of cutting… I started at 196 pounds and got down to about 188. I wanted to look “good” for the summer season coming up. Well guess what…I looked worse, felt weak and even though I didnt mind eating less and watching carbs…I would watch as many more muscular athletes were eating large amounts of what most of you would say is unclean foods and still retaining good shape.

Now I am NOT a bodybuilder in the sense that I will ever compete, but I am a collegiate baseball player and have played at national level tournaments as a younger player (16-17). I had a very “soft” physique from ages 11-15 and then I started reading bodybuilding magazines and wanted to impress the girls/myself…so I went on one of Joe Weiders fag abs routines. I also cleaned up my diet, but I was probably only eating about 2000 calories a day or less…I was also 195 pounds, with very little lean mass.

Needless to say I actually got into good shape…but I ended up skinny! I could actually see my abs and it was kind of cool…for all of about 12 seconds until I went into the gym and started doing the big boy exercises and could barely bench 145. Well here I am 3 years later…I quickly dropped the bodybuilding mags and began a follower of the T-Nation and MD sites.

I learned loads of info and I went from a skinny 178 to a stronger 195…4 weeks ago I thought I had the mass to cut into a nice 185 pound “300” type look…but as I embarked on the Anabolic Diet (which is great…it did everything it was supposed to) I felt weaker in the gym, tired all the time and thought I would start seeing more ab definition…NO MAS.

Well to keep this Tome rolling…My message to you 18-25 year olds that want to get big and strong…well except for the lucky genetic wonders, which I am NOT…its time to man up and eat…I have tried the low carb gaining, I have tried the low glycemic, mod. fat action, and guess what in a solid year of training I have added a measly inch to my arms, and maybe 3-4 to my chest…my legs blew up in size but that is a genetic thing…my bench got to a questionable 225 1rm, a 315 5rm squat and a 405 deadlift…all of which I have to build back up to now that I dieted pre maturely…

I work my ass off in the gym, I sleep well, I rarely drink, and I eat 1.5 g of protein…I love this lifestyle. But fellas, when your in college look around…do you see all the beer bellies…I do, and these kids arent fat and there also weak as shit…Now if I have to get a MUSCLE Belly along with bigger muscle Bellies…then Im ready for a bigger belt baby…Sorry for my rant…but I think it could be helpful for the younger guys…

also for my fellow athletes…especially baseball players…Manny ramirez, David Ortiz, Mark Mcguire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, shit even the legend himself Babe Ruth…very strong men, no present Abs… gotta earn it baby…

EAT UP, and I cant wait to post pics when I am a solid 215 in a few years…Good luck to you all.

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This is true. If you really stick to this, you will be VERY glad you did.

3

Its crazy man…im sitting here 5 days of eating a lot of food…i mean a lot considering I have been a little bitch at dinner for the past 2 years…and I have been able to work out twice as hard…and I have actually acrued muscle in 5 days…insane my friend…its like im steroids…except the buttons on one of my shorts did come off…but fuck it I have had them/all my lower body wear for 3 years…its time to get a new size anyways…

I am going to be a monster by the end of the summer…lucky im cute too cuz I aint gonna pull the ladies with the midsection…just gonna have to break out the real guns…I think this transition comes from just getting out of high school and experiencing college…cuz high school girls love the abs and gay shit…but college girls/adult girls that arent sluts…like genuine guys, strong men, physically/emotionally…u dont have to be GQ…ahh the good years are comin

4

HELL YES IM WITH YOU ON THIS ONE BROTHER!

5

At this point if any bulker/real men want to post up some inspirational pics or personal pics of there hard eaten work then by all means do it…I for one am sick of the ab-nation…and yes as a bodybuilding site I am sure many will chime in saying how they want to look good year round…but who says big doesnt look good? Shit…fat people dont look good, but strong people with some love on the side will score just as much…

Girls dont give a fuck about the abs…the girls that do are 99% of the time sluts and tell them to suck it…they prob will…GET BIG! stay healthy, eat veggies with that burger, don’t not do cardio, just eat more to make up for it…and dont kid yourself you know when too much is too much…but why count…listen to your body…shittt I feel good…so sick of worrying about FABS (fat abs, for all you that are afraid to get big so you maintain your fabs to stay in check) also known as kidding yourself…or me one week ago…holla

6

I am with you too. I am in college and was always worried about keeping my abs on a skinny frame. But what was the point in looking like I dont work out. I am now eating lots of good food training hard and have put on 15 pounds. Sure the abs arent there. But when I reach the size I want I will get them back. Now I look like I work out.

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exactly man, by good food do you mean bodybuilding friendly or good-tasting? or both, because that is possible just not in college cafes

8

agreed. however, at times I really miss not having to eat so much. At the time it seemed so hard, now its just a pain to sit here starring at this delicious huge portion of chicken and veg wondering how I’m going to finish it all…

…

errr, never mind, this is way more fun…

9

I eat good food for you. But if I want something good I will have it. Im not going to discriminate against good food. Im bulking. I mean i am not having mcdonalds, but a good lamb & beef in a whole wheat wrap with some pasta is just too good.

10

Correction I try to eat good food for you. The cafeteria does make it hard. The best I can do sometimes is chick fil a grilled chicken on whole wheat bun.

11

I dont eat really anything bad for me, but i do enjoy eating A LOT of the good stuff: steak, chicken, any meat really, oats, sweet and regular potatoes, PB, milk… the list goes on and on.

i love how i read this articles saying “well for meal 4, i ate 8oz. dry chicken and plain rice…” and then i think about how delicious my 16oz london broil with mashed sweet potatoes and milk was…

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[quote]Lions Pride 21 wrote:
At this point if any bulker/real men want to post up some inspirational pics or personal pics of there hard eaten work then by all means do it[/quote]

Seconded. I would like to see OFFseason pics of bodybuilders but have trouble finding them. They are much more inspirational because obviously that’s the look I’m going for before I even think about cutting.

13

I fell prey to the whole ab thing myself. I’m 6’2 and all I wanted was abs for spring break (two years ago)… I got down to 156 lol… the funny thing was I actually had girls compliment me and say I was in great shape. Fast forward a year and a half and I’m 186 and I still look hella skinny with the same BF as when I was 156… 30 pds and I still look like a twig. I’ll probably have to get to at least 210 - 220 before I think I don’t look like a skinny twig…

14

And no offense to Chris Shugart, he obviously has different goals and a different audience…I guess. But looking at his food picture blog was hilarious.

He’s whipping out stuff like Julia Child while I stuff my face with pasta, pizza and burgers and steak (get them cooked at Whole Foods if you can, great stuff), protein shakes, pancakes, peanut butter straight out of the jar (it sits on my kitchen counter with a spoon sticking out of it) and fuckloads of whole milk.

15

Yea I even thought about low carb bulking. What the hell was I thinking. I cant grow without carbs. I understand the clean bulking thing later on in life when my metabolism slows. But Im young Im gonna eat my pizza.

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[quote]Natural Nate wrote:
And no offense to Chris Shugart, he obviously has different goals and a different audience…I guess. But looking at his food picture blog was hilarious.

He’s whipping out stuff like Julia Child while I stuff my face with pasta, pizza and burgers and steak (get them cooked at Whole Foods if you can, great stuff), protein shakes, pancakes, peanut butter straight out of the jar (it sits on my kitchen counter with a spoon sticking out of it) and fuckloads of whole milk.[/quote]

Alas, we were not all ectomorphs that couldn’t wear big shirts on windy days when we were young…

17

Yea I even thought about low carb bulking. What the hell was I thinking. I cant grow without carbs. I understand the clean bulking thing later on in life when my metabolism slows. But Im young Im gonna eat my pizza.

18

[quote]markdp wrote:
Natural Nate wrote:
And no offense to Chris Shugart, he obviously has different goals and a different audience…I guess. But looking at his food picture blog was hilarious.

He’s whipping out stuff like Julia Child while I stuff my face with pasta, pizza and burgers and steak (get them cooked at Whole Foods if you can, great stuff), protein shakes, pancakes, peanut butter straight out of the jar (it sits on my kitchen counter with a spoon sticking out of it) and fuckloads of whole milk.

Alas, we were not all ectomorphs that couldn’t wear big shirts on windy days when we were young…
[/quote]

Well then just cut down on the pasta, pizza, and pancakes. Avoid the 3 Ps.

19

Oh hell yes. I like your style.

I’m down to 215 now, and I’m ready get big. This thread is getting me all juiced to gain again.

20

[quote]Natural Nate wrote:
peanut butter straight out of the jar (it sits on my kitchen counter with a spoon sticking out of it)[/quote]

Someone knows my secret…