i read through the comments of the article and the author stated that it was possible but it does not seem to be workin for me i have even tried bumping all of my animal proteins to around 10 oz and cooking everything with atleast 3 Tb macadamia nut oil. i am desparate to gain but would like to do a “clean bulk” as i have a figure competition on april 2. i am currently 5’1" and 90 lbs. feel free to critique. i am new at this and obviously dont know my shit.
It’s certainly not optimal for bulking, post some pics of your mandatories if you would like to be critiqued.
Eating carbs doesn’t make your bulk “dirty”
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
i read through the comments of the article and the author stated that it was possible but it does not seem to be workin for me i have even tried bumping all of my animal proteins to around 10 oz and cooking everything with atleast 3 Tb macadamia nut oil. i am desparate to gain but would like to do a “clean bulk” as i have a figure competition on april 2. i am currently 5’1" and 90 lbs. feel free to critique. i am new at this and obviously dont know my shit.[/quote]
Let’s discuss. My main Q and A forum is here: http://velocity.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_bodybuilding_velocity?pageNo=1&s=forumsNavTop
Repost your question and let me know a few more details, like your daily calorie count, typical menu, supplements, etc.
Based on my BMR, i require 1,241 calories/day. But because I am moderately active, I would bump that up to 1,987 calories/day. Since my goal is to build lean muscle mass, I would add 20%, so my total daily calories would be 2,384. I base my typical menu on the sample diets provided. An average day would look like this:
training day:
meal 1-4 whole eggs scrambled in macadamia nut oil with spinach
meal 2-1 c. blueberries, 1/4 c. walnuts, 1 scoop whey, supplements
meal 3-10 oz grilled chicken with romaine lettuce, tomato, and cukes and EVOO
meal 4-7 oz flank steak cooked in pan with macadamia nut oil and asparagus
workout sip high carb, high sugar sports drink called Shaklee (it’s natural not like Gatorade and similar to Surge but without the protein)
post workout-1 scoop whey
meal 5-10 oz grilled chicken and broccoli
nontraining day:
meal 1-4 egg omelet in oil with salsa and half grapefruit on side
meal 2-1 scoop whey, 12 strawberries, supplements
meal 3-10 oz grilled chicken with spinach cooked in macadamia nut oil and small apple
meal 4-6 oz ground beef sauteed in pan with macadamia nut oil and peppers
meal 5-6 oz grilled salmon with 1/2 c beans and asparagus
The only supplement I am taking is Juice Plus, which is like Superfood.
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
Based on my BMR, i require 1,241 calories/day. But because I am moderately active, I would bump that up to 1,987 calories/day. Since my goal is to build lean muscle mass, I would add 20%, so my total daily calories would be 2,384. I base my typical menu on the sample diets provided. An average day would look like this:
training day:
meal 1-4 whole eggs scrambled in macadamia nut oil with spinach
meal 2-1 c. blueberries, 1/4 c. walnuts, 1 scoop whey, supplements
meal 3-10 oz grilled chicken with romaine lettuce, tomato, and cukes and EVOO
meal 4-7 oz flank steak cooked in pan with macadamia nut oil and asparagus
workout sip high carb, high sugar sports drink called Shaklee (it’s natural not like Gatorade and similar to Surge but without the protein)
post workout-1 scoop whey
meal 5-10 oz grilled chicken and broccoli
nontraining day:
meal 1-4 egg omelet in oil with salsa and half grapefruit on side
meal 2-1 scoop whey, 12 strawberries, supplements
meal 3-10 oz grilled chicken with spinach cooked in macadamia nut oil and small apple
meal 4-6 oz ground beef sauteed in pan with macadamia nut oil and peppers
meal 5-6 oz grilled salmon with 1/2 c beans and asparagus
The only supplement I am taking is Juice Plus, which is like Superfood.
[/quote]
First, I’m a bit unclear: Is this your future plan or what’s “not working” right now? Hard to imagine a 90 pound female not gaining on close to 2400 cals per day. Typically, most resistance-training individuals only need about 800 to 1000 calories over true maintenance levels of calories to fuel optimal muscle gain. Any more than that and you’re just adding unnecessary fat that doesn’t lead to more muscle gain than 800-1000 cals over.
Other questions: How long have you been doing this, assuming you’ve started? The Carb Care article you referenced is only a week or two old, so I have to wonder how soon you decided it wasn’t working.
What’s your training like i.e. does your training reflect your goals?
General thoughts:
Don’t be afraid to hit 150g carbs using the Carb Cure basic premise. There’s wiggle room there.
It’s very easy to add calories without reaching for toxic food and junk carbs. Lots of meal ideas here: http://velocity.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_bodybuilding_velocity_recipe?pageNo=1&s=forumsNavTop
At 90 pounds, it doubtful you’re an easer fat gainer. You may not need something like a Carb Cure plan, though there’s never a reason to add junk.
This is the plan I am on right now and it is NOT working. I do not think training is the issue, as I am following the novice program by Mark Rippetoe and only do squats 3x per week, deadlifts, chins, presses, and cleans once or twice. No cardio. After following the program for a week and not noticing any gains, I believed that I needed to make some adjustments.
Thank you for the link. I have looked at your meals/recipes and they look amazing, esp the SB and P but a little costly (poor college student). Is there any program that you recommend?
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
This is the plan I am on right now and it is NOT working. I do not think training is the issue, as I am following the novice program by Mark Rippetoe and only do squats 3x per week, deadlifts, chins, presses, and cleans once or twice. No cardio. After following the program for a week and not noticing any gains, I believed that I needed to make some adjustments. [/quote]
Of course, adjust according to your needs. But, maybe give it more than 7 days. 
Lean muscle gain on a petite female isn’t going to be in the range of several pounds a week. Maybe not even a pound. (Training age plays a role here too.)
Now, we could add tons of carbs, choose some crummy sources as many would suggest, and you’d see the scale move up much faster… but it wouldn’t be muscle.
Thanks;) therajraj stated that eating carbs does not make a bulk “dirty” would you ever recommend brown rice, yams, etc for someone trying to gain muscle or should these be avoided?
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
Thanks;) therajraj stated that eating carbs does not make a bulk “dirty” would you ever recommend brown rice, yams, etc for someone trying to gain muscle or should these be avoided?[/quote]
I’m a big fan of the sweet potato!
Rice is probably fine for you too. Mainly, avoid flour-filled type products, unnecessary sugars etc.
Thank you! I was also recommended something called brown rice pasta. The only ingredients are brown rice and water. Is this still processed crap or something that you would recommend as well?
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
Thank you! I was also recommended something called brown rice pasta. The only ingredients are brown rice and water. Is this still processed crap or something that you would recommend as well?[/quote]
What’s been mentioned time and time again on these forums is to not focus on whether your bulk is “dirty” or “clean” but on the foods that best suit your body and contribute to reaching your goals.
I personally do not do well with wheat/flour products, but there are countless examples of bodybuilders/figure athletes who consume these products regularly and look great.
Experiment with different food choices and see what works best for YOU.
thanks. im sure thats somethin that will help us all in the long run. ur right i have to stop focusing on the “best” diet, which is esp hard with all of this paleo stuff floating around.
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
Thank you! I was also recommended something called brown rice pasta. The only ingredients are brown rice and water. Is this still processed crap or something that you would recommend as well?[/quote]
Some people do well on rice; others are better off without it. If you’re the type who has trouble gaining even with plenty of calories, then you can probably handle rice just fine. If, on the other hand, someone has trouble getting and stay lean, then rice is one thing to remove (after the obvious stuff, like junk food, fast food, bread and beer.)
[quote]luvstolift wrote:
i read through the comments of the article and the author stated that it was possible but it does not seem to be workin for me i have even tried bumping all of my animal proteins to around 10 oz and cooking everything with atleast 3 Tb macadamia nut oil. i am desparate to gain but would like to do a “clean bulk” as i have a figure competition on april 2. i am currently 5’1" and 90 lbs. feel free to critique. i am new at this and obviously dont know my shit.[/quote]
You don’t have time to bulk and cut in three months.
thanks. i am one of those people who can eat 3000 cals and not gain an ounce even on bed rest (no joke). would really like to be cautious about my food choices though and dont want to be like oh shit i gained weight but now i look awful. so according to Bricknyce i guess the competition is out of the question? unless it is possible to do a competition without cutting? i guess it depends on the person. this would have been my first competition so like i said before i really dont know what the hell im doing.
I stumbled upon the Get Big article on this site, but it doesnt seem to suggest a lot of protein. Has anyone tried this program?
Bulking with a limit on carbs can be pretty hard. If I were you I’d do something like carb cycling. Or if you don’t want to get that complicated, just eat a lot of rice and potatoes before/after your workout.
i have considered that…thanks for the advice. i have spent the last hour studying the articles on the beginners forum and have noticed different opinions on how strict one should be with the P/C and P/F dietary guidelines while bulking. What is your recommendation?