Bulking after 6months

[Stork]

Ok so basically I've been going to a gym for 6 months , seen a great improvement in muscle (especially upper body)... but generally i'm more skinny than I used to be because of all the cardio I do.

I want to now bulk up , but retain my overall "shape" so to speak. I've read lots of threads here already but none seem to answer all my questions .. so here goes

1. Should I remain doing lots of cardio ?
2. What kinda things should I be eating (I dont eat eggs/tuna before anybody suggests that)
3. Should I be eating generally more than usual ?
4. What exercises are best ?

I'm 18 , about 64kg and 5ft 11
thanks for any suggestions

 

[Karky]

im no expert on it, but bulking without gaining some fat is hard to do, you need to eat more calories if you want to bulk, as you want to gain weight, but eat clean, dont eat so much junk food etc and i guess you wont gain as much fat. and about the cardio, i guess you could keep it up, but your bulking wont be as effective, you will gain weight quicker if you dont do lots of cardio.

 

[niceone]

1. Should I remain doing lots of cardio ?

Cardio is a great way to burn bodyfat, but when it comes to bulking you might have a tough time combining the two. Cardio activities not only burn calories (what you need a surplus of while bulking) But it also stimulates your smaller muscle fibers, not your large ones. Too much cardio can actually cause your body to covert from Type IIB (BIG) to Type I and Type IIA (small) fibers. Take a look at those long distance runners.. Anyhow, try not to over do it too much on the cardio, as it might be detrimental to your massing. This of course does not apply to everyone. Some people can lift and run and have great success. The info I have does not apply to everyone.

2. What kinda things should I be eating (I dont eat eggs/tuna before anybody suggests that)

Here are just a few

Protein sources:

• Tuna
• whey
• chicken
• lean ground beef
• eggs

Carb sources:

• brown rice
• Oats
• fruits and veggies
• whole wheat bread
• maltodextrin

(You want to have an insulin spike post workout to replenish your glycogen levels, so a good pw shake could include a high GI carb like maltodextrin.. you can buy ultrafuel in various flavours which comes out to 400 cals, 100 grams of carbs per 4 scoops.)

Fat sources:

• Udo's oil
• Flax oil
• Fish oil caps

Make sure to get some fiber in your diet as well. Approximately 25 grams or so per day.

3. Should I be eating generally more than usual ?

In order to grow, you must provide your body with a surplus of calories, essentially you should over eat a bit.Try to split up your day into 6 meals that way your body will be less likely to store fat and you will have a constant supply of nutrients.

4. What exercises are best ?

In order to bulk, you should focus on the main compound exercises which utilize large muscle groups but also recruit other muscles for support.

• Benching (dumbs and barbell)
• Squating (arguably the most important overall building exercise)
• Deadlifts (and stiff legged deadlifts)

Then of course you want to mix it up and hit your other muscles
bicep curls, dips, pull-ups.

If you do decide to lift and run, try not to extend your workout too long. If you workout and then run for an extended period of time you run the risk of LBM loss (which is obviously counterproductive if you want to bulk up a bit)

Good luck

 

[Stork]

Thanks for the help , Im interested if taking vitamin supplement tablets help at all as I currently take those - as for ultrafuel ; i'm in the UK so if you could recommend any protein shakes or powders available over here that would be great

Also id like to know the most efficient exercises for building upper chest (pectoralis i think) defintion , I have both weights and resistance machines at my disposal.

cheers

 

[niceone]

Well, I would stick to the basics:
Benching, dumbell flys or pec deck, cable cross overs,

I know a lot of people will argue with me on this one, but you cannot really "target" your "upper" chest. You can hit your pecs in different ways, but you can't specifically target your upper chest.

Just make sure you are hitting your chest in varying ways to promote overall growth. Many gain at the bottom of their pecs and as time goes on, their "upper chest" fills out.

In terms of UK Supplements:

here are a few sites that the UK users posted on another forum where I am a member.




<--- Ultrafuel.


Remember, supplements are not necessary. Dont just buy up all kinds of stuff if you dont need it. Whey protein is actually a very cost effective thing to buy in terms of dollars to grams, but many supplements are not needed. Do your research and ask questions.

Hope that helps!

 

[AJP]

The cardio again, a general rule of thumb when bulking is cardio not more than once a week, but again that's just general. Like niceone said it varies from person to person.

Also forgot to mention rows along with the deadlifts (I would go with a standard conventional or romanian though, not stiff), squats, and bench