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Nutrition Should I bulk up or cut

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Karls

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Hello, I have been training for a year in my home, I'm 17 years old, 1.78m and 70kg (155lbs more or less).

I train in my home by doing push ups, squats, pullups and dips. When I started working out I was 1.76m and 60kg. I was very skinny (also got fat cause my abs werent showing and my skin was soft) so I decided to eat more and work out, but I have reached a point where eating becomes hard because I have to eat a lot to gain weight and my stomach hurts (I eat a lot of eggs, nuts, chicken and oats mainly, also fruit)

My body looks much better than before but I have gained a lot of fat so I don't know what I have to do now. I think I should lose fat to 64kgs and then start bulking up again so it will be easier to bulk up cause I have to eat less then to bulk up compared to what I have to eat to bulk up with 70kgs

Or maybe I will get too skinny? I dont know what to do

Sorry for my english it's not my first language
 

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Maybe eat a little less so your stomach doesn't hurt, but definitely don't cut weight - eat! Grow into your weight.

You don't look like you need to lose anything. Keep training hard. Congratulations on the weight you've gained, it can be tougher than losing!
 
Hello, I have been training for a year in my home, I'm 17 years old, 1.78m and 70kg (155lbs more or less).

I train in my home by doing push ups, squats, pullups and dips. When I started working out I was 1.76m and 60kg. I was very skinny (also got fat cause my abs werent showing and my skin was soft) so I decided to eat more and work out, but I have reached a point where eating becomes hard because I have to eat a lot to gain weight and my stomach hurts (I eat a lot of eggs, nuts, chicken and oats mainly, also fruit)

My body looks much better than before but I have gained a lot of fat so I don't know what I have to do now. I think I should lose fat to 64kgs and then start bulking up again so it will be easier to bulk up cause I have to eat less then to bulk up compared to what I have to eat to bulk up with 70kgs

Or maybe I will get too skinny? I dont know what to do

Sorry for my english it's not my first language
Hello Karls, I can relate to this as I was a skinny wiry kid and wanted muscle. At 18 yo I weighed 165 lbs, in the first year I gained 30 lbs. You'll have to start moving some iron to really bulk up on muscle.
I didn't know anything but bought a Weider 300 lb barbell set, got a bench and made my own squat stands from wood. Every day I would bench press, curl and squat, not that I recommend this to you though. Over years working up to 250 lb bodyweight and still had abs, don't put fat on unnecessarily, just train and eat enough to grow some muscle.
At this point you can do no wrong, pretty much anything you do will get some kind of results.
There are many ways to add muscle, bodyweight training will build quality muscle but iron is how you really pack it on. Kettlebells also build dense, quality muscle and train the body in ways other methods can't mimic.

Good luck with your efforts!
 
Karls, I was in your shoes at your age. About 115-120lbs at 5'6. It is hard to look in the mirror and see ourselves accurately. I can tell you that you certainly are not fat.

You really have to decide what you want to train for. Skinny 150lbs with a 6pk or more jacked at 180lbs and decent abs but maybe not a 6pk. If you got to 180lbs you could always cut then or just let your body recomposition. I'd be 100% for bulking.

Also, do you have access to weights? A body weight squat doesn't compare to a weighted squat for example. Maybe you could join the cheapest gym around that allows you to squat/bench/deadlift with barbells. Otherwise you'll have top be creative on how to up the resistance (using a heavy backpack or something similar).
 
Add me to the above - at age 14 I wrestled in the 98lb class, the cheerleaders were all bigger then me.

Heavy squat will put on weight, and yes if you don't have access to cast iron use other means, sandbags are a great alternative. Bodyweight can do a lot for you, but for squat and hinge you will help yourself quite a bit if you can load up with external weight.

Also use a program or some form of program to track results and increase the workload. DeLorme protocol is proven size builder for a generic start.

That said, MTI has a mean little leg routine that has produced good results:
Mini Leg Blaster - Mountain Tactical Institute
 
Thank you for your replies, very helpful and nice.
I'm going to continue to bulk then.

I don't have access to weights. My local gym is trash. I went one month and left because they are full of machines and little iron and they wouldn't let you lift ""heavy""weight being less than 18yo. There is another gym much better and bigger in my little town but it's too expensive from me.

That's why I decided to buy a pull up bar and two bars for dips so I can train in my room. Im currently saving to buy weights so I can squat heavy and bench and shoulder press.

I know with bodyweight I won't progress as fast, but while saving for weights I think I'm going to do progressions to get harder bodyweights exercises like front lever and straddle, since they build a lot of strenght.
 
If you want to gain weight but find it hard to eat all the calories needed, try drinking them.
Smoothies made on milk, frozen raspberries, banana and whey protein (neutral flavor) or try drinking some sort of gainer.

It's important to eat a lot of protein if you want to put on more muscles, try eating 2g per kg bodyweight, in your case that would be 140g of protein a day.

And do try to have a healthy relationship with your body and food.(y) Take it slow, don't eat to much, not to little, don't try any "stupid diets" (eat normal healthy food) and have fun working out!
 
If you want to gain weight but find it hard to eat all the calories needed, try drinking them.
Smoothies made on milk, frozen raspberries, banana and whey protein (neutral flavor) or try drinking some sort of gainer.

It's important to eat a lot of protein if you want to put on more muscles, try eating 2g per kg bodyweight, in your case that would be 140g of protein a day.

And do try to have a healthy relationship with your body and food.(y) Take it slow, don't eat to much, not to little, don't try any "stupid diets" (eat normal healthy food) and have fun working out!
Yes^^ Also when pounding calories if you see a little extra belly fat coming on (usually just under the belly button) back off the calories a bit but steer your ship like the Titanic, no yanking on the steering wheel, just some small course corrections as you go. Do this and pound some muscle work, get good sleep, keep stress low and rest adequately.. it will get you where you want to go..
 
I know with bodyweight I won't progress as fast, but while saving for weights I think I'm going to do progressions to get harder bodyweights exercises like front lever and straddle, since they build a lot of strenght.
Good plan Karls! You'll progress with this, remember, same but different, done consistently will build muscle. From your pic in the OP I think you'll soon be considering how much muscle is too much..
 
If you want to gain weight but find it hard to eat all the calories needed, try drinking them.
Smoothies made on milk, frozen raspberries, banana and whey protein (neutral flavor) or try drinking some sort of gainer.

It's important to eat a lot of protein if you want to put on more muscles, try eating 2g per kg bodyweight, in your case that would be 140g of protein a day.

And do try to have a healthy relationship with your body and food.(y) Take it slow, don't eat to much, not to little, don't try any "stupid diets" (eat normal healthy food) and have fun working out!
Thanks for the tip. Whey protein is too expensive for me. I usually eat 1.5g of protein per kg, some days a little more some days a little less
 
Try water training, get some trash bags double them up, put the same amount obviously in both bags. By means of whatever to gauge the amount, and let the fun begin! Let ingenuity be your guide. The exercises? The possibilities are endless
 
Thank you for your replies, very helpful and nice.
I'm going to continue to bulk then.

I don't have access to weights. My local gym is trash. I went one month and left because they are full of machines and little iron and they wouldn't let you lift ""heavy""weight being less than 18yo. There is another gym much better and bigger in my little town but it's too expensive from me.

That's why I decided to buy a pull up bar and two bars for dips so I can train in my room. Im currently saving to buy weights so I can squat heavy and bench and shoulder press.

I know with bodyweight I won't progress as fast, but while saving for weights I think I'm going to do progressions to get harder bodyweights exercises like front lever and straddle, since they build a lot of strenght.

You can def progress nicely with bodyweight. And in terms of upper body developement you can spend your whole life with bodyweight only and keep making progress. For legs/lower body you might want to add weights at some point.

Check out the following youtube channels:

Calisthenics Movement
FitnessFAQ
Austin Dunham

They all provide great content.
 
@Karls, I have heard lot's of good things about the bodyweight routine from reddit. Here is the link: reddit: the front page of the internet

It even has information on how to add barbell squats and deadlifts if you want to add them.

At your stage I would simply try to get lot's of sleep and to eat lot's of good and protein rich food.
 
What's your body fat percentage? what do you want it to be?

The idea of cycling bulking & cutting is to try to maximize your lean mass while trying to target a certain body fat percentage. According to your athletic or aesthetic goals.

The popular belief (and probably the healthiest) is to cut automatically if you're over 20% BF as a guy. Typically, a lot of guys will define a BF% window to work in. For instance, cut til you hit 10% BF, then bulk til you hit 14%, then repeat. Obviously, there will be a BF% that is better for health & strength VS a BF% that's only for aesthetics.

Good Luck!
 
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