Bulking/Cutting and Running in Circles

This post is so that others do not fall into the same pitfall as me. I began this physical endeavor about a year ago at an anorexic 125 pounds after starving myself down from an obese 200. Obviously, I had the FFB mentality and was afraid to gain any weight. I began my lean mass gaining phase alternating bulking and cutting cycles. I’m currently at 145 pounds. Pics are dated and in my profile if you guys want to see. I have made progress, but I guarantee I could have ameliorated the results had I just stuck to bulking. I am happy that I have decided to alter my approach to this physical endeavor in a year rather than wasting 5 years…then looking back and realizing I had made insufficient progress.

Sadly, I would like to admit that although these alternating and bulking cycles seem great on paper, they should really not be applied UNTIL you have established a base and level of muscularity which only requires fine tuning. One of the problems I see is that even if it is a brief cutting phase, your metabolism will be suppressed, and you’re wasting time trying to get into full mass-gaining mode again. Furthermore, having to alternate between phases just drove me crazy. The caloric fluctuations were just not very conducive to either goal.

As of today, I started another mass-gaining phase. I will stick to clean foods and this will not be an excuse for me to eat junk. I will do my cardio EVEN though I know my abs may disappear. I will eat enough for growth at a reasonable rate. Most importantly, I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I AM SATISFIED WITH THE MUSCULARITY. In a way, I will look at this bulk as the last chance I will ever have to put on lean mass. It’s time for the FFB to stop being scared of putting on weight. It’s time for him to realize that training hard in the gym and eating enough to support growth is ENTIRELY different from eating junk and slacking off.

Why would your abs disappear from doing cardio?

Well I could be a horrible reader, but I think he’s suggesting he will do cardio regardless of whether or not he keeps his abs, not that cardio will make him lose them.

This is a good realization to come to sloh and I wish more people would come around to this line of thinking.

here here

Good call man. As a FFB myself I came to this realization. “But, I need two triple cheesburgers and fries, I’m BULKING!!!”

What Scott said.

Excellent

Good post. So true…now get off the computer and EAT!!!

lol