When To Stop Diet And Bulk

[DEVLDOG]

how long do you "non competing" guys diet for at one time before returning to eating everything in sight and bulking.i.ve been dieting now for 3 months religously and have dieted down from 275# 20%bf to presently 247# 9%bf,,i am very happy with the results thus far.but i dont know how long i can keep this up.getting up at 4am for 1hr cardio sessions 6 x week and everything else.plus i feel there is not enough calories consumed to increase muscle mass.
so my question is,who just ups there cal intake while trying to eat as clean as possable while bulking,and who just eats everything insight in an effort to get as big as possable in order to lift as heavy as possable.lets face it,we do lose some stregnth when we drop weight and restrict calories.
and what time frame do you bulk for.i'm thinking every 3 month change it up.i would like to hear what every one else does and if you think it works for you.thanks

[slizzut]

Generally when you're gonna bulk your diet is similar to the cutting one, however, there are many more carbs (in the morning especially .5-1 cup of oatmeal) and you can eat 7 meals with more calories per meal and carbs and cut down on the cardio slightly. When buiking you can have anywhere from 1.5-3grams of protein per pound that you weigh.

[SwoleCat]

I believe everyone gains at his/her own pace, and had his/her own idea of what "fat" is, "buff" is, etc. So it will differ I am speculating.

~SC~

[RockyX]

It really is based on preference and your goals. I would imagine though, that all that work you did dieting down from 20%bf to 9%bf would be enough to make you want to bulk "clean" so that you're not throwing all the hard work away. I don't know that I would alternate a cut and a bulk every 3 months. That would put alot of stress on your body with the constant drastic weight changes.

[Elliot]

I stop dieting when a Samalin kid goes "Sh.it bro your skinny"...

[slizzut]

haha elliot

[DEVLDOG]

I stop dieting when a Samalin kid goes "Sh.it bro your skinny"...

thats funny,my girl tells me that now.but hell i'm 6'1" and 247# 9%bf.my stats say different,but my freakin clothes hang off me.i have to go out tonite and buy a new suit for a wedding because the ones i have are 50 longs and dont fit anymore.

[DEVLDOG]

I believe everyone gains at his/her own pace, and had his/her own idea of what "fat" is, "buff" is, etc. So it will differ I am speculating.

~SC~

i would agree that every one has a different approach.i was hopeing to hear some of them.

[Beernutz]

i stopped dieting when pple started commenting that i was looking thinner. I dropped about 4%bf when i decided its time to bulk again. If you dropped all the bf i would increase my kcals slowly back up to a bulking amount and i would keep the kcals as clean as when cutting while just adding more carbs. You dont wanna waste all that hard work, i know i wouldnt.

[fritz2435]

I'd say if you're not competing, just diet down to a point where you feel comfortable, then bulk until you reach a goal weight. If you're looking to bulk clean, try not to put on over 1-2 lbs per week, as bulking too fast leads to too much fat gain.

[scottythebody]

I diet down until the end of the summer. When its time to put the summer clothes away i start packing the pounds back on.