Slow Bulk and cardio question

S

SoxFan

New Member
Hey,
I am almost done cutting and i want to do a slow bulk over the summer months before I go back to a full bulk in the fall.

my question is this, with a full bulk, I usually did very little cardio on off days. But what do you guys suggest for a slow bulk? I plan on eating around 150 cals over maintenance. How much cardio do you think is needed?
 
Your maintenance is determined by your energy output and BMR, so if you plan on eating 150 calories over maintenance, then no cardio is needed to hedge the caloric excess.
 
like colby said it depends on yer bmr and output. i prolly wouldnt do much in the way off cardio.

however once you hit around the 20 minute mark with gentle cardio(jogging) your body turns to fat for most of its energy thus sparing your glycogen and protein stores.this is where calories in verses calories out doesnt add up because you are using energy you already have stored weeks or even months ago.

although doing cardio for too long or at too high intensity and the reverse can become true.

although bulking and cutting at the same time is inefficient,it can be done if you plan it correctly.just see how your body responds to what you have suggested.
 
I have never done a slow bulk, but plan to when I am done my current cut.

With a slow bulk, I am guessing you aim for 1lb gain a week, right? If so, how do you accurately monitor the weight gain if it is such a small increase each week? I am guessing one needs to look over a 3-4 week period prior to adjusting calories?
 
well, at only 150 cals over maintenance will be far less than 1lb a week.

the problem I guess is making sure I am at the correct maintenance level. I am taking my bmr and multiplying by 1.5 thinking I am moderately active if I lift 3 days a week and maybe do about 20 minutes of cardio 2 other days.. think that's about right?
 
150 cals over maint. will not be enough to get anywhere. too many variables at play on any given day to know with any confidence what maint is so............some days you could actually be in deficit when shooting for 150 over.

perhaps a better plan would be to shoot for 4-500 over maint and get the scale moving and just watch to see how fast it goes. too fast and you can adjust the cals down or alternate/surplus maint days etc. but with your plan you shouldnt expect to see any wgt gain for weeks, if at all, and then what....

good luck
 
that makes a lot of sense. Especially the part about not always knowing what your maint. level is. that is where i struggle. i just don't want to gain a lot of fat over the summer months, I'd rather do that in the fall and winter.

I guess I can just start higher and adjust down if need be, or like you said I can calorie cycle by eating more on lifting days and less on rest days.
 
Like bluejacket said, too many variables. Calorie counting is all just an estimation anyway, just like your maintenance will always be just an estimation. So think of it this way... you are eating an estimated amount of probably, approximately, 150 calories over what you have estimated your average daily maintenance level to be. Not very exact. As bluejacket pointed out, your maintenance is going to fluctuate on a daily basis anyway, based on how much you weigh that day, total daily activity, thermic effects from food, etc etc.

I would just shoot for around 500 over maintenance on a daily basis, or even do some kind of calorie cycling.
 
soxfan, even though you're on a slow bulk you should still eat, eat & eat some more because I'm not "slow bulking" and still I underestimate my calorie intake. My instinct tells me that aiming for 300-500 kcals above maintenance will be better, just eat clean to avoid excessive fat gain & 3x weekly cardio should suffice.

I don't mean to be pedantic but surely this should be in the nutrition part of the forum?
 
it all depends on what foods you put into your "slow bulking cycle".some people consider bulking to mean eating boat loads of food, which usually entails eating alot more carbs than anything else.

be selective about what you eat wether you are bulking or not.try to boost protein more than anything else and keep the carbs moderate.

ive never really counted my calories ,except for maybe once or twice.after a while you instinctively know what your body needs.but as the others have said 500cals seems a reasonable amount to shoot for.
 
Thanks everyone for your feedback. You all make a lot of sense. I do eat pretty clean so I shouldn't be afraid to eat.

and I apologize for putting this question in the wrong place.
 
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