This may not be an original idea but I wanted to bounce it off of you guys cause I know I will get some good feedback.
Background:
My style of bulk curently is to eat about a thousand calories or so above maintenance levels. I am targeting about 4200 - 4500 calories currently. When I was younger we would force feed ourselves far more than that even. I used to eat more than 7000 calories per day for example. Like a sumo wrestler. I will eat this way every day while bulking, even on the weekends.
Overview:
I think I can bulk a little closer to maintenance level if I work at it. Here is my idea to achieve a slower bulk. I will use my traditional bulk this cycle and next, shooting for a pound or two gained per week. I want to evaluate HST on a fixed surplus of calories that I know have elicited good gains in other programs before I go messing with it.
The Plan:
Note: In all of the cases below, I would eat at maintenance level on Sundays, only eating above maintenance on lifting days and the recovery day directly following a lifting day. In all phases I would be expecting to add body weight every week. If no weight is gained at all, the calories would be increased slightly by 100 - 200 calories.
During the 15s, eating 250 calories above maintenance on lifting days and on the following recovery day. Looking to only add a quarter pound of body weight per week or less.
During the 10s, eating 500 calories above maintenance on lifting days and 250 calories above maintenance on recovery days. Looking to add .5 pounds of body weight per week or less.
During the 5s, eating 1000 calories above maintenance on lifting days and 500 calories above maintenance on recovery days. Looking to add a full pound of body weight per week.
During SD going back down to maintenance level every day.
Food for thought?:
A 1000 calorie surplus would result in a 56000 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle. (Assuming the surplus is maintained every day)
A 500 calorie surplus would result in a 28000 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle. (Assuming the surplus is maintained every day)
This variable method would result in a calorie surplus of 3000 during the 15s, 4500 during the 10s, and 18000 during the 5s. Totalling a 25500 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle.
In totallity:
My 1000 calorie surplus normally results in about 16 - 18 pounds gained in my nine week 5x5. I expect it to be closer to 18 - 20 pounds on HST but wont know till I finish up.
I would expect to gain around 8 pounds in a 500 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle, assuming a pound of gain per week. (Which may be high for HST. I dont know.)
The variable method should result in a 5.5 pound body weight gain while giving me the most calories only during the phases that produce the most hypertrophy.
Summary:
I dont even know if I can muster the discipline to monitor it this closely but am willing to try. In the past if I went over it was all just icing on the cake and didnt worry about it as long as I got stronger.
So what do you guys think? I can see from some past posts that many use a surplus of 500 calories for bulking. This would certainly decrease the total calories I typically would consume using my style of bulking while giving me a large surplus during the phases in which the majority of the hypertrophy should occur.
Background:
My style of bulk curently is to eat about a thousand calories or so above maintenance levels. I am targeting about 4200 - 4500 calories currently. When I was younger we would force feed ourselves far more than that even. I used to eat more than 7000 calories per day for example. Like a sumo wrestler. I will eat this way every day while bulking, even on the weekends.
Overview:
I think I can bulk a little closer to maintenance level if I work at it. Here is my idea to achieve a slower bulk. I will use my traditional bulk this cycle and next, shooting for a pound or two gained per week. I want to evaluate HST on a fixed surplus of calories that I know have elicited good gains in other programs before I go messing with it.
The Plan:
Note: In all of the cases below, I would eat at maintenance level on Sundays, only eating above maintenance on lifting days and the recovery day directly following a lifting day. In all phases I would be expecting to add body weight every week. If no weight is gained at all, the calories would be increased slightly by 100 - 200 calories.
During the 15s, eating 250 calories above maintenance on lifting days and on the following recovery day. Looking to only add a quarter pound of body weight per week or less.
During the 10s, eating 500 calories above maintenance on lifting days and 250 calories above maintenance on recovery days. Looking to add .5 pounds of body weight per week or less.
During the 5s, eating 1000 calories above maintenance on lifting days and 500 calories above maintenance on recovery days. Looking to add a full pound of body weight per week.
During SD going back down to maintenance level every day.
Food for thought?:
A 1000 calorie surplus would result in a 56000 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle. (Assuming the surplus is maintained every day)
A 500 calorie surplus would result in a 28000 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle. (Assuming the surplus is maintained every day)
This variable method would result in a calorie surplus of 3000 during the 15s, 4500 during the 10s, and 18000 during the 5s. Totalling a 25500 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle.
In totallity:
My 1000 calorie surplus normally results in about 16 - 18 pounds gained in my nine week 5x5. I expect it to be closer to 18 - 20 pounds on HST but wont know till I finish up.
I would expect to gain around 8 pounds in a 500 calorie surplus over an 8 week cycle, assuming a pound of gain per week. (Which may be high for HST. I dont know.)
The variable method should result in a 5.5 pound body weight gain while giving me the most calories only during the phases that produce the most hypertrophy.
Summary:
I dont even know if I can muster the discipline to monitor it this closely but am willing to try. In the past if I went over it was all just icing on the cake and didnt worry about it as long as I got stronger.
So what do you guys think? I can see from some past posts that many use a surplus of 500 calories for bulking. This would certainly decrease the total calories I typically would consume using my style of bulking while giving me a large surplus during the phases in which the majority of the hypertrophy should occur.