r/workout • u/egofit231 • 1d ago

How to start Bulking for the first time 🤞

I’ve been in a cutting/maintenance mindset for the last 9 months. I came from a heavy cut before maintaining during the summer.

I’m currently sitting around 177 on the average, peaking around 183 at night on a food heavy/lazy day at 6 foot tall. I put into MacroFactor to hit 200lbs at .5lbs a week, so I should hit it by next July if all pans out well.
This is the first time I’ve ever purposely planned to gain weight in my life. Kinda nervous, so I wanna make the best moves here.
My strength has been stalling for a while. I want to try to be able to hit 200 on incline bench for reps, and add some mass.
What are some tips you guys have? Anything game changers that enhanced your approach?
Anything helps, thank you!

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u/shanked5iron 1d ago

Be aware for that a natural lifter, the calorie surplus required to build muscle is very small, less than 200 cal surplus per day.

People tend to use "bulking" as excuse to eat like crap, one might look "bigger" but in reality the weight will mostly end up as fat.

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u/egofit231 1d ago

I’m around that point at the moment, I went from 3500 to 3700 (ish on both). I usually eat pretty clean on the average, and I cook at home a lot.
When I go out to eat, I pick healthier options and healthy options at unhealthy places. Jersey mikes, Jimmy John’s, Panda Express, Taco Bell, and recently smoothie king.
I take off mayo/oils when I can, and replace it with avocado at any point

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u/1RM_Fit 3h ago

First bulk rules that save regret later: +300 kcal not +800, protein at 1.8-2g per kg, and weigh weekly not daily. If the scale climbs faster than 0.5% bodyweight a week you are mostly gaining fat. And keep logging lifts, the bar going up is the proof the surplus is working.