Torn between goals

[Soldier]

I find myself in an interesting position. A short while ago I had struck a good balance between different facets of physical training. I was a good runner and could handle myself well with good mobility, especially considering my body size, and I was also strong with good numbers on my lifts, totalling over 1000lb on the big 3. Unfortunately, I was also stagnant. I had reached my limits, and found myself frustrated with my lack of progress.

I decided to go on a bulk, overeating with the goal of developing muscle and getting my lifts up, while not worrying about my cardio. The results have been mixed so far. I've gained really good size in my legs. It's actually the first time I've ever gotten any appreciable results in the size of my quads. I'm sure I'm also having the same results in my back, and my deadlift feels great too.

BUT, I'm also gaining size in my gut. I've always had a large midsection, and gain fat easily. I gain it so easily that I'm worried that I'll gain so much fat that I'll have to cut really hard to lose it again, negating all of my gains in the process.

I'm wondering if anyone else has dealt with issues like these, and if so, how have you dealt with them?

[Davis]

I don't know your body, but I have to ask, how much fat is really accumulating around your gut? Are you sure you aren't just deceiving yourself? I've done it, and I've heard of many others doing it too.

Overall, do what will make you the happiest. Lose some weight, keep gaining- whatever makes you happy.

[jdmalm123]

Hard core bulking worked for me...added muscle, got my lifts up, but also added too much BF, which I really didn't like. After the bulk it has been very hard to get my BF back down to pre-bulk levels while keeping any of the muscle or strength.

Your metabolism may be better, but mine was pretty high and I averaged 8-10% BF before bulking without trying too hard...after the bulk it's been averaging 12-15%. I tend to believe I actually changed (slowed) my metabolism with the bulk.

Re-examine your goals and remember SPECIFICITY... If you want strength at any cost, then added body fat is part of the equation. If you want more military-style, functional fitness, then be careful about bulking too aggressively. You will get better at what you do and worse at what you neglect. You can recover, but the road out is not always the same as the road in.

[Fazc]

You're an experienced trainee Soldier and you're already a pretty big guy, a lot of these get-big-quick mantras are going to be more trouble than they're worth for you.

At this stage you're looking at tops 3lbs of natural muscle per year now, if you're lucky! If you build another 10lbs of solid lean muscle over the next 3-4 years you'd be huge. So unless you are thinking of partaking in some fairly drastic (synthetic) hormonal changes then I would forget the idea of gaining a lot of size over weeks and begin to think more long-term. Do it slowly if you are going to do it, do it gradually and milk each pound for the corresponding increase in strength.

I'm all for adding a little fat as you gain, that's inevitable and natural. But just going off your previous posts I seem to recall fat-gain came easy for you and fat gain was a concern for you. So I'd caution gaining too much, too quickly as you will have the inevitable concern of then taking it off and the muscle loss that comes with that.

[Soldier]

Haha, after your hardcore bulk you still had as low a bodyfat % as I've ever had after my hardest cut. I'm 20lb heavier now than I was in my profile pic. Some of it is muscle, but most of it is fat. My wife even agrees that my gut is growing, not that she really cares.

Truth is, I want it all. I want to run 2 miles in 13:00, do 80 pushups in 2:00, Bench 315 and Deadlift 500+, and do it all with huge muscles and a 6-pack.

The thing that sucks is I wasn't far from the numbers. I was running mid 13's, did 70+ pushups, I bench 285 and pull 405, but with only slightly large muscles and nothing close to a 6-pack.

You know what? I never really laid it out like that. The only thing I wasn't really doing good on was the 6-pack part. I think I'll stick with the bulk for just a little while longer, then start a cut. I really, REALLY want to get my lifts up first though.

I'm still very interested in hearing how other people have dealt with this issue though.

[Soldier]

Thanks Fazc! Truth be told, I do have a little harmonal help on the way. Hopefully that'll get me the help I need on my lifts, then I can get to cut'n.

[Disciple X]

I was 212 beginning of last year. I dieted down to the low 190s at probably 12% bf, but my lifts went way down. I didnt like it. I looked MUCH better than i did at 212, but i wasnt happy, so i started slowly increasing callories with CLEAN(er) food. Now i'm weighing 197ish and strong as ever. Also gained only minimal amount of body fat.

I have seen a LOT of guys recommend this approach. To strip the body fat off and then slowly add callories back in.

I've also seen peple recommend bulking and staying heavier and building a tremendous strength base, then cutting down to see your nice physique under the blubber, but this made my numbers drop too much.

But, none of this really matters if you're about to become assisted... i dont have experience there to share... i think you probably have a lot more left in you naturally. Especially since you werent far from your goals before anyway.

[leefarley]

i came back to the weights 16 months ago and went on a aggressive bulk eating everything and drinking about a gallon of whole milk a day and went from 169.4 pounds to 210 pounds obviously this was not all muscle a wish it was ha ha i worked it out to be roughly 20lbs muscle and 20lbs fat with a gut,i started to cut but i still wanted to bulk but not happy with the gut i just slowed my eating down and cut out the whole milk now and dropped 10lbs and my gut has got smaller,so my story is i am still bulking but at a lot slower rate to minimize the fat gain,you have allot more experience then me so you probably know that any hows.

[Soldier]

It's true, I'm preparing my second prohormone cycle at the moment, but it'll only be a 4 week run on an English clone of superdrol. From what I've read it should get my lifts up and make me ravenously hungry, both of which are fine with me. After that It'll be cutting time.