Caloric Needs for Me?

So i started as 180ish pounds and dieted to around 152 pounds. So i just turned 16 and i guess you could say i sort of ruined my noobie gains because my diet when i first lifted was a cutting diet or just some idiotic cycles of 1000 calories a day and lots of slip ups.

Its been 1 year approximately since i first lifted and now i sort of want to lean bulk but ever so slightly since i dont want to gain much bodyfat as a result. Currently i dont have abs but a slightly flat stomach. In other words i look good in cloths and get complimented a lot for losing weight but what they dont know is that i DONT have a 6pack. I have a 2 pack but theres some fat on it and in the best lighting i kind of see 4.

Stats: Male
5’10
Age 16
152-159ish pounds
Student aka sitting job
Weight training 6 times a week about 1.5-2 hours each
I average 5000+ steps and about 2-3 times a week i do 20 minute tredmill incline6, speed 4.5 and if i get bored i usually increase speed to 8.9 about 4 to 5 times in the 20 minute span

What should my cleanbulk calories be?
And i know some people may just bring up the “You’re a teen and shouldnt count calories” but i dont want to mess up and become fat by not counting at all and such…

Really not necessary(or that effective at this stage), do this instead…

If you’re 5’10 and 152 lbs you should have visible abs, you must have very little muscle mass. If you’re 16, you can eat more, and as long as you keep it clean and have some sort of progression (increasing reps, increasing weight, or decreasing rest time between sets), you’ll gain lean body mass. But if you went from 180-150 and don’t look lean, you either lost muscle mass or had next to none to begin with.

Do you want to look good, or be strong, or both?

CT’s Simple, Guaranteed Size and Strength is good for both.

5/3/1 is good for strength.

Bro Splits are good for aesthetics.

Upper/Lower splits, body part splits, push/pull/legs and full body are all great.

Low Carb and Low Fat Diets both work, and eating moderate amounts of all macros can also have you looking good as long as the food is clean. There’s a lot of info we don’t have, and with discipline and perseverance you can get to where you want to be (or closer, at least), but one thing is for sure - whatever you’ve been doing is not working.

I dont think I had muscle when i started because when i started lifting i simultaneously followed a cutting diet and also fell for crazy sht like a 2 day fast and those weire fake detox drinks etc… so i dont know but i did get stronger so i dont think i lost muscle but if someones 5’10 and 152 are you sure abs are supposed to be visible? Im usually the lightest after a workout and if im lucky im 153 but usually 154ish or so. But in the morning im usually 155

Bump

well they would be if you actually had muscle.

Your problem is not that you aren’t lean enough; it’s that you are not muscular enough.

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