I'm back...

[Girlyman]

Well guys(not that you remeber me), I stopped lifting this winter (skiing/drug binging) because I figured I would be overtraining since I am skiing 4-6 hours a day, 4 days a week.

Anyhow, this morning I got a wild hair up my ass (after looking in the mirror and cringing again) and decided it's time to get back on the wagon(no more junkfood/narcotics/cigars). I started lifting last summer, gained probably 13 pounds in about 7 weeks on a bulker. I am scrawny as ****, 5'10 160 13%bf. I have been eating absolute crap for the past two months but with all my cardio it didn't seem to make the slightest difference.

I have a few quick questions and I would appreicate any good info.

1.Since I have such low lean body mass (140lbs) Should I bulk before I cut or vise versa, I was told you don't want to start a bulker when you already have excess bodyfat.

2. Can anyone recommend a good PWO shake/supplments? I think I'm lactose intolerant so isolates would be perferable.

3.I am not trying to look like a bodybuilder here and my goal is about 175-180lbs with <10%bodyfat, with proper dieting and workouts is that pretty realistic? How long on average would it take to make gains like that from where I am at? ( I did some calculations and if I kept my current bf% and gained the 15-20 lbs I want I would only have to lose 5 lbs of fat to be 10%)

4. Any good info would be appreicated, I'm probably gonna toss a diet together and get a routine together once you guys decide whether or not I should cut before I bulk.

[novastepp]

IMO i would say go ahead and clean bulk and see how you respond, if you look like ur putting on fat at all, or too quickly, id say cut...

[Girlyman]

Thanks for the advice anyone else have an opinion?

[doby48]

It sounds like you are a hard gainer and I think the extra weight will come off pretty quick by just putting together a maintenance type diet and starting your cardio. For this reason I wouldn't cut or bulk just yet and see how you respond to the cardio and a good clean diet alone. Once you get some of the fat off that you don't want then bulk from there.

I am diabetic and dextrose does not work for me PWO so I take maltodextrine. I know most guys here mix their own PWO but this is the one place I decide to treat myself and buy ABB Mass Recovery.

[Girlyman]

Thanks doby, I'll get my shit together and put a diet together, I need to buy a scale I have no idea how much I weigh, nice back by the way (thats definetly my strongest feature) Just from skiing my back and tris(pushing myself uphill with poles) are unproportionately cut

[doby48]

nice back by the way (thats definetly my strongest feature) Just from skiing my back and tris(pushing myself uphill with poles) are unproportionately cut

Thanks, back isn't my strongest or my weakest... my strongest are my delts and tris and my weakest being my chest (which really is ok with me).

[freebirdforever]

RE: "PWO shake/supplments? I think I'm lactose"

Lactose-free milk from your local grocery store.
====================================

[Girlyman]

Yeah I was concerned that Whey powder contained lactose though? Anyone think creatine is worth it?

[doby48]

Yeah I was concerned that Whey powder contained lactose though? Anyone think creatine is worth it?

I think Creatine is worth it and take I take Creatine Titrate. I avoid Creatine Monohydrate because of the bloating. IDS makes a good Creatine Titrate available in Fruite Punch and Pink Lemonade. All Sports Nutrition carries both of them at good prices.

Creatine Titrate Fruit Punch

Creatine Titrate Pink Lemonade

[El Jugo Buen0]

Don't take all this bullsh!t do it yourself with hard training, and proper diet...also talk to swole I looked like shit before I went to him. Also if you ask me, do a clean bulk...and slowly. It takes patience if you want to look good. Do you really want to bulk, look like a fat ass, have to bust your ass cutting and retain maybe only 3lbs in muscle of the 18 overall you gained?
Add 300-500 cals to your daily maintenence levels and make them good calories, definately read the diet stickies

[doby48]

Don't take all this bullsh!t do it yourself with hard training, and proper diet...also talk to swole I looked like shit before I went to him. Also if you ask me, do a clean bulk...and slowly. It takes patience if you want to look good. Do you really want to bulk, look like a fat ass, have to bust your ass cutting and retain maybe only 3lbs in muscle of the 18 overall you gained?
Add 300-500 cals to your daily maintenence levels and make them good calories, definately read the diet stickies

Obviously diet does need to be in order, however, Creatine is a supplement that I have found (and many others have also found) to be helpful. You aren't going to lose the gains you get while taking Creatine either unless you quit working out or slack off on your diet, but Creatine alone isn't going to be responsible for muscle loss. As far as putting on more weight, well Creatine Monohydrate often times causes bloating so you may see the bloating or feel it as well, which is the reason that I mentioned Creatine Titrate. Creatine Monohydrate does not disolve as well as Titrate does in water nd that can leave you with a bloated feeling, not to mention that since the Monohydrate doesn't break down well, those larger particles are more difficult for your body to break down and utilize as well. Two reasons why I take Titrate instead of Monohydrate is because there is no bloating and since the body can utilize the Titrate better then I see benefits from it that I don't see with Monohydrate.

Thats fine that you don't like Creatine, but to dismiss other posts as bullsh!t because you either haven't tried it, or just don't agree with it is not constructive for anyone. Not everyone agrees and not everyones body responds to the same things (look at the posts in the supplement forum of some guys who see results with SD but not with PP and visa versa). The only other supplement the OP of this thread brought up was Protein powder and I would at least hope that is not what you were referring to when you told him to not "take all this bullsh!t"

[Girlyman]

Thanks for the info guys I guess I'll still have to do some thinking about creatine, time to toss a nice diet together (one I can stick to ya know) I need to gain 30 lbs of lean mass so this might take a while, time to start busting ass