Bulk/Cut Cycle

[Logman]

What is the usual ratio of Bulk and Cut cycles? For instance if you do a 2 month bulk at 1lb per week would you then do a 1 month cut? Or 1 month Bulk and then 2 week Cut?

Also, when you bulk, how fat do you get? Say your optimum is around 8-10% body fat, do you get visibly pudgy around the waist? I just bulked for a few months but think I packed on too much weight and the small fat pouch on the stomach certainly expanded. I'm cutting to 10% body fat right now, no matter how long it takes and then will bulk again, but would like to know the optimal bulk/cut cycle time and how much (%) fat I should expect to pile on.

Cheers.

 

[Usealittle]

? Are you talkin about useing aas or no?

There is no ratio.... Either u cycle for 2-3month and eat everything you see and end up where ever you end up or you set a weight gain and keep bulkin till you get there. The cut is the same also....

IMO a bulk is not 1lb wk. It should be 1.5-2 minimum.

 

[njc]

Thats a way too vague and subjective question to answer. Everybody does things differently. Bulk until youve gained as much muscle as youd like and too the point where YOU feel you are too fat and then you cut. Cut as much as YOU want to get as lean as YOUD like. Personal preference.

 

[LAM]

there are no such ratios. newbies to resistance training "should" see the greatest increases in LBM when bulking the first good 5 years of training as the body is in it's highest most untrained state. the longer you are in the sport the harder gains of LBM come as the body nears it's natural genetic potential.

it takes the body a good 4+ weeks just to get used to a new diet in terms of the caloric intake. short bulking cycles are a waste of time as most gains on the scale will come from water as muscle glycogen stores are maxed out.

a person with low body fat will gain more muscle with a bulking diet than when the same diet is attempted when the body fat is high. as insulin sensitivity decreases in the muscle cell less nutrients are stored there and more are shuttled into the fat cells. fat cells do not become de-sensitized to insulin.

 

[CowPimp]

There is no way to reliably tell you what to expect during a phase of weight loss or weight gain. There are a ton of variables, many of them difficult to accurately measure.

I will say that adding 1 pound per week seems overkill to me. There is virtually no one on the planet that can add muscle mass at that rate, especially assuming no anabolic agents are being used. Think about that: 52 pounds of muscle mass in a year is the rate you are suggesting with weight gain like that. Most people are lucky to gain 52 pounds of muscle mass during their entire training career.

fat cells do not become de-sensitized to insulin.

I'm not saying this is wrong, but I'm curious of your source used for this statement? My final term paper in college was about diabetes, so I researched quite a bit about insulin and how body fat affects insulin sensitivity. I never came across anything to indicate what you are suggesting.

 

[Logman]

Thanks for the info.

On my last bulk I upped my calories by 500 per day and I put on 13lbs in 8 weeks. I kept going until my gut started bulging over my seat in the car. Was told that +500 calories was good but seemed like way too much if I need to target less than a pound a week.

I guess everyone's bodies are different with differing metabolisms so I just eat a little more and aim for about 3lbs per month weight gain?

Nah, no AAS but have been thinking about doing something not so hardcore. Especially as I'm cutting down to 10% BF or less. But prolly won't. Maybe a test booster for gits and shiggles.

 

[Usealittle]

I don't see a problem with 500 extra cal ed but if your getting fat clean up the extra cal your putting in and there is no reason for you to get to fat.

 

[Logman]

All I did was add 400ml full milk with protein powder, one extra meal which was normally 2 small potatoes with a can of tuna and a small bowl of yoghurt with fruit. I was aiming for the standard 4 meals, 2 shakes 3 hours apart but did find I was stuffed 24/7. It took about a week for the body to get used to it (i.e. no weight the first week) and then it packed on about 2lbs per week.

I'll just eat a litle less than that and cut out the yoghurt after dinner.