I’m actually putting on Mass. I can’t believe it. I swallowed my pride and faced the fact the if I wanna gain some serious muscle, I’m gonna have to lose the abs for awhile. And after about a month of eating like a god damn horse, I put one about 6 lbs or so. But my damn upper body looks as if it growing pretty good, but I just may be the layer of fat/water on top of the muscle, but what ever the case maybe, I plan on bulking for about another 3 weeks, maybe 4. My question pertains to cycling bulking and cutting. Is there anyone in here that continually goes 8 weeks bulking, 8 weeks cutting….then a week off. Then start over. It seems like a good way to go about things….anyone got any input…
You can lose fat a lot faster than you can gain muscle - try one week of cutting for every two of bulking - i.e. bulk 8 cut 4, etc… If you do a fat fast, you could even get away with only two weeks cutting.
oneab…fast fat kind seems a little drastic as far as taking off the wieght…i figure i can put on may 8-10 lbs in a 8 week period. Maybe two of that being muscle if i am lucky. If i did the fast fat, that wieght would be gone in a week…i have never acually done the fast fat and i actaully do want to try it when i get some more weight to shead. Although it would drastically lower my t-levels in those two weeks, which would mean they would skyrocket once i start to bulk again…Correct?
Sped, there are so many ways people bulk up. The most amount of bulk I put on was during an entire yearlong phase that I shoveled everything possible into my mouth. I bloated up quite a bit, but managed to gain around 15 or 16 solid lbs of mass, along with loads of water and bodyfat. It took me a rigorous 7 weeks of extremely ascetic dieting to cut down 21 lbs of fat gained over the time I bulked up.
I am currently experimenting with another scheme right now, but to be honest with you, I am probably going to switch back to the ultra bulking phase, with all its woes. I admit that ultra bulking makes you ugly and bloated, but I was happy as a clam when I cut down. I start on Jan 2000 @ 149# and ended the year at 172#. after cutting down thru diet, I got down to 150#, solid and hard.
So personally, I think it’s more worth it to resign yourself to a hardcore bulking phase of an appreciable length of a few months and to just deal with the downside, because it’s relatively easy to lose bodyfat (usually it’s a question of discipline) than it is to pack on quality meat. (1 year to pack on 16 lbs of meat as opposed to 7 weeks to lose 21 of fat)That needs time, sustained effort, and food. In my humble opinion, 8 weeks on, 8 off is not an appreciable amount of time to bulk up. It’s like, just as you start getting stronger and feeling the effects of the extra bulk on your body, it will be time to cut down again. Let yourself pack on size, get strong, go with the flow for a few months, and then shred down to see the results of your hard labor. Just my opinion…
I kinda agree with the BULK up crew above. I know what Berardi is trying to accomplish, and I am trying massive eating, but I have always been most successful with the pig out and bulk up routine (keeping it moderatly clean) and then slimming down. One ab bro…you got one more ab than me right now…mine faded from view about 2 weeks ago…but DAMN does my chest look good with that little extra bodyfat!! IMO try Berardis plans…I think they have a lot of merit, however nothing guarantees muscle growth better than good old heavy lifting and heavy eating!!