Finished Bulking, What's Next?

if you actually do lean out, you’ll be amazed at how much fat/size you’ll lose. at your current weight, I think you’ll be dissapointed.
edit: just add some cardio in slowly if anything

I think its time for you to consider a heavy anabolic cycle. It’s the only way.

[quote]therajraj wrote:
Summer is quickly approaching, do you really want to continue bulking when you’ll have to walk around shirtless on the beach? Just something to think about.[/quote]

Yeah, because who would want to make any amount of sacrifice for real results? I say fuck it too; diet right away to get those abz for the beach. Screw whatever goals you were working towards; it’s all about looking good on the beach. This guy - http://www.baywatch.com/images/cast/castmember/Mitch/Mitch-04_large.jpg - never bulked and look how well it turned out for him… http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/04_03/hoffXP_468x476.jpg . You can do it, buddy!

bulking shouldnt be like a special thing that u only do certain times, unless ur specifically trying to loose weight you should always be eating enough to grow lol

I’ll tell ya…I’ve had an eye opening and humbling experience recently…

I went from 168 to 192 in the past 5 months or so…not amazing but I didn’t gain too much fat. Clueless people at work call me “huge” hahahahah. I’m 5’10"

I decided recently to slowly lean out and see what I’d look like at 8% or so. Well I’m now at 182 without even really trying (just stopped trying to gain weight and maybe lost a little water weight from no creatine) and I already look smaller and not even close to being 8%…more like 10%

So if I continue to cut down…I’d probably have to be back at freakin 168 to be truly lean!!

Granted I look much bigger and better than I did before but it’s like “WTF…what did I just bust my ass for?”

[quote]davidtower wrote:
I’ll tell ya…I’ve had an eye opening and humbling experience recently…

I went from 168 to 192 in the past 5 months or so…not amazing but I didn’t gain too much fat. Clueless people at work call me “huge” hahahahah. I’m 5’10"

I decided recently to slowly lean out and see what I’d look like at 8% or so. Well I’m now at 182 without even really trying (just stopped trying to gain weight and maybe lost a little water weight from no creatine) and I already look smaller and not even close to being 8%…more like 10%

So if I continue to cut down…I’d probably have to be back at freakin 168 to be truly lean!!

Granted I look much bigger and better than I did before but it’s like “WTF…what did I just bust my ass for?”[/quote]

If you think you’d wind up back at your starting weight, you don’t know how to diet.

I’m not saying dieting while preserving muscle should be common knowledge but you must be missing something.

Exceptions would be someone who has the absolute worst genetics for being lean. Or a very muscular individual that is so far above the natural limit that dieting down while preserving most of the muscle is impossible without “help”. Notice there are lot of extreme adjectives in there, meaning it is unlikely that most people can’t hold on to a good amount of muscle when dieting to lose bf.

[quote]davidtower wrote:
I’ll tell ya…I’ve had an eye opening and humbling experience recently…

I went from 168 to 192 in the past 5 months or so…not amazing but I didn’t gain too much fat. Clueless people at work call me “huge” hahahahah. I’m 5’10"

I decided recently to slowly lean out and see what I’d look like at 8% or so. Well I’m now at 182 without even really trying (just stopped trying to gain weight and maybe lost a little water weight from no creatine) and I already look smaller and not even close to being 8%…more like 10%

So if I continue to cut down…I’d probably have to be back at freakin 168 to be truly lean!!

Granted I look much bigger and better than I did before but it’s like “WTF…what did I just bust my ass for?”[/quote]

Those guys you see in the mags are carrying more muscle than most people could or can ever put on, even if they are only 200lbs.

Being 200lbs in contest shape is NOTHING like being 200lbs at a casual “10-12%” body fat.

Even at my current weight, I am fully aware I would need to drop quite a bit of weight to be ripped…therefore, my goals are based on what I finally want to look like, not what I plan to look like in 3 months alone.

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
davidtower wrote:
I’ll tell ya…I’ve had an eye opening and humbling experience recently…

I went from 168 to 192 in the past 5 months or so…not amazing but I didn’t gain too much fat. Clueless people at work call me “huge” hahahahah. I’m 5’10"

I decided recently to slowly lean out and see what I’d look like at 8% or so. Well I’m now at 182 without even really trying (just stopped trying to gain weight and maybe lost a little water weight from no creatine) and I already look smaller and not even close to being 8%…more like 10%

So if I continue to cut down…I’d probably have to be back at freakin 168 to be truly lean!!

Granted I look much bigger and better than I did before but it’s like “WTF…what did I just bust my ass for?”

If you think you’d wind up back at your starting weight, you don’t know how to diet.

I’m not saying dieting while preserving muscle should be common knowledge but you must be missing something.

Exceptions would be someone who has the absolute worst genetics for being lean. Or a very muscular individual that is so far above the natural limit that dieting down while preserving most of the muscle is impossible without “help”. Notice there are lot of extreme adjectives in there, meaning it is unlikely that most people can’t hold on to a good amount of muscle when dieting to lose bf. [/quote]

A lot of these guys will end up back at starting weight for the simple fact that they panic and drop weight almost as soon as they’ve gained it.

Their bodies won’t hold onto more body weight or more muscle if they don’t give their bodies enough time to adjust to the greater weight.

To the OP, if you are absolutely going to cut weight, no matter who says otherwise - you should read this article for whatever it is worth? http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/initial-body-fat-and-body-composition-changes.html

Read this:

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/get_jacked_fast_omg

Buy this book:

http://www.muscledrivethru.com/product.php?165&aff=5

I’ll be damned if CT didn’t write about the best damn book on retaining muscle during a cut.

Best,
BT

i’m glad i read this. i’m in the middle of a bulk and seeing some extra fat being added on. I wasn’t too concerned about it now but I was thinking i’d cut in about two months. Now i’ll probably keep bulking though…

Finished bulking, what next? Cut, goddammit.

But honestly, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. There isn’t as much muscle there as you imagine.

Have a plan. Stick with one thing for long enough to see results. If you’re not bored with bulking, then keep it up. If you are then cut. Or take a middle of the road approach and attempt the near impossible of gaining muscle and cutting fat at the same time.

The only reason the latter isn’t recomended by many IMHO is not that it is truly impossible, it’s just that results (of gains) are very slow to show. If you’re not incredibly disciplined though and used to counting grams of macros, and keep a log of it as well as a training journal, then don’t try it.

Good luck.

BT

[quote]Professor X wrote:
BONEZ217 wrote:
davidtower wrote:
I’ll tell ya…I’ve had an eye opening and humbling experience recently…

I went from 168 to 192 in the past 5 months or so…not amazing but I didn’t gain too much fat. Clueless people at work call me “huge” hahahahah. I’m 5’10"

I decided recently to slowly lean out and see what I’d look like at 8% or so. Well I’m now at 182 without even really trying (just stopped trying to gain weight and maybe lost a little water weight from no creatine) and I already look smaller and not even close to being 8%…more like 10%

So if I continue to cut down…I’d probably have to be back at freakin 168 to be truly lean!!

Granted I look much bigger and better than I did before but it’s like “WTF…what did I just bust my ass for?”

If you think you’d wind up back at your starting weight, you don’t know how to diet.

I’m not saying dieting while preserving muscle should be common knowledge but you must be missing something.

Exceptions would be someone who has the absolute worst genetics for being lean. Or a very muscular individual that is so far above the natural limit that dieting down while preserving most of the muscle is impossible without “help”. Notice there are lot of extreme adjectives in there, meaning it is unlikely that most people can’t hold on to a good amount of muscle when dieting to lose bf.

A lot of these guys will end up back at starting weight for the simple fact that they panic and drop weight almost as soon as they’ve gained it.

Their bodies won’t hold onto more body weight or more muscle if they don’t give their bodies enough time to adjust to the greater weight.[/quote]

Yes, that is another exception, thanks. Probably more important than the two I listed, also.

I have a friend who is 210, has fat on his belly, 6 feet and he doesn’t look jacked.

Thanks for all the help fellas. I’m going to take your advice and keep bulking…at the least to 220-225 and see where i’m at then. I really don’t care about how I look this summer as my lifting goals are a lot more important. Thanks again.

[quote]Growing_Boy wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
Trust me keep gaining. Us guys over 6 ft really need lots of muscle to look great. I don’t care how good your genetics are. There are no guys like 1morerep who are 6’1-6’2 who look jacked at a lower weight. Our frames are just too large.

Yip, can’t say that better myself. [/quote]

And it’s a bitch. I’ve spent the last 4 months killing myself just to get from 205 to 220, and I still feel small as fuck.

[quote]Itchy wrote:
Growing_Boy wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
Trust me keep gaining. Us guys over 6 ft really need lots of muscle to look great. I don’t care how good your genetics are. There are no guys like 1morerep who are 6’1-6’2 who look jacked at a lower weight. Our frames are just too large.

Yip, can’t say that better myself.

And it’s a bitch. I’ve spent the last 4 months killing myself just to get from 205 to 220, and I still feel small as fuck. [/quote]

I’m 5 8" and have bulked previously to almost 220, and felt that could handle more mass. That’s why I can’t wait for my next mass phase, but I need to make the money necessary to go to the next level.

[quote]MEYMZ wrote:
Itchy wrote:
Growing_Boy wrote:
waylanderxx wrote:
Trust me keep gaining. Us guys over 6 ft really need lots of muscle to look great. I don’t care how good your genetics are. There are no guys like 1morerep who are 6’1-6’2 who look jacked at a lower weight. Our frames are just too large.

Yip, can’t say that better myself.

And it’s a bitch. I’ve spent the last 4 months killing myself just to get from 205 to 220, and I still feel small as fuck.

I’m 5 8" and have bulked previously to almost 220, and felt that could handle more mass. That’s why I can’t wait for my next mass phase, but I need to make the money necessary to go to the next level. [/quote]

I hear you. My grocery bill is starting to get out of control.

I’ve been down this road for a long time. Always looking to gain to be ripped and muscular. That takes years. It finally popped into my head to just bulk and say screw it to fat. i bloated at first but stayed with it.

I’m 6’3 and sitting at about 270lbs. Only now ill start to clean it up a little and add more cardio. I’ll do it in small stages and resist the urge to dramatically cut calories. I’ll want to settle in at about 235-245 lbs much leaner. I’ll give it some time.