# What's the fattest you let yourself get on a bulk?



## gtbmed (Jul 28, 2010)

Just curious - I always tell myself that I'll do a "bulk" one day, but I hate the feeling of gaining fat so I usually cut it short.


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## roastchicken (Jul 29, 2010)

about 18% at 235-240 . I could literally grab a handful of fat from my supra-illiac. It ws completely unneccesary to allow myself to get that juicy, never again.


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## Phineas (Jul 29, 2010)

The highest my BF ever got was about 15% a year ago. Now, I'm clean bulking at 10%, and with much more muscle mass from last summer.

You can eat a shit load of calories and maintain a decent Bf as long as you're in control of your macros. If you just eat what's in sight and don't know what you're taking in that's when bulks tend to get out of hand. If you monitor your intake and train hard then calories are no problem. If you play your cards right with training and recovery your body will use those excess calories to rebuild. On training days I eat 500-700 calories over maintenance on training days (depends on how much cardio I do after my workout) and about 400 over maintenance on non-workout but cardio training days and about 100-200 over maintenance on rest days and I'm not gaining any fat, I' making literally 1-3 PRs each session (4x a week), and I've gained a noticeable amount of muscle in one month of my current program.

I'd like to say my body is responding well to my volume program, but really the reason is I've devoted the last 6 or so months to researching diet over everything else. It was my biggest weakness in BB'ing. Now, I have my diet down perfectly, and I've really learned to listen to my body and understand what nutrients it needs at what times and in what quantities. Also, I eat clean, whole foods. I supplement with only 1 scoop whey isolate (25g protein) a day, and everything else is real, non-processed food. It's fucking expensive and time-consuming, but it's damn worth it.

So, I say don't worry about a bulk. If you're willing to put the effort in to calculate your macros it's really no big deal. With some time and attention you'll gain very little fat, and with the muscle gains the fat you do have will be distorted -- creating a visual illusion that you're actually leaner. Besides, the only noticeable fat usually is in the torso, anyway. I have a bit of blab in the abs, yet I can see some striations in my quads and calves. Even in my torso I can see a definite outline of abs, and my torso is still more or less concave. I don't have a protruding belly; it's rock hard in there.

Bulking is 1 step back for 5 steps forward.


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## PreMier (Jul 29, 2010)

check my pics.. 5'9" and 220.  i had 29" quads.. and like richard gears said, nothing fit.


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## kpwrestler4 (Jul 29, 2010)

At my worst I was 130 with only a 2 pack. This was a few months ago. I went down to 120 with a six pack and after a short bulk I'm at 135 with a six pack. Feels good.


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## dave 236 (Jul 29, 2010)

I think I lose the ability to feel comfprtable at about 15%.I'm not saying that there is anything magical about this # but like the other guys said when nothing fits thats where I cut.


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## BigBadWolf (Jul 30, 2010)

Im 5'10 i hover around 235-240 but ill go to 260-265 in the winter months


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## WeightGainNet (Jul 30, 2010)

21% and I'm paying the price now. I DON'T recommend it. I'm cutting right now and I'm down to 10%, but it's taking forever. 

I don't recommend you let yourself get over 15% because it will be much easier to cut and keep your muscle.


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## Phineas (Jul 30, 2010)

WeightGainNet said:


> 21% and I'm paying the price now. I DON'T recommend it. I'm cutting right now and I'm down to 10%, but it's taking forever.
> 
> I don't recommend you let yourself get over 15% because it will be much easier to cut and keep your muscle.



Agreed.

15% is a reasonable marker. There's no sense in going higher. I'm sitting at about 10% and I have more than enough energy for my volume program plus about 2 hours of cardio a week, and I still have enough to build muscle (and, I'm developing at an alarmingly fast rate right now).

I think 10-15% is ideal because it gives you enough energy and gives you anabolic peace of mind while focussed on building mass. Getting up to 20% or higher doesn't make muscle building any easier. If anything, higher bodyfats are counter-productive, as the body secretes estrogen in fatter men.


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## Merkaba (Jul 31, 2010)

I was about 17% at 260 last year.  Still tight with a six pack though.  Before that the heaviest I had ever been was 235 the year before.  God it felt good and I was strong.  I've been slowly cutting back this year.  I'm at 246 but seeing a few new separations and maturity as I'm coming down.  I'm a camel though, and I carry it in the mid and thighs.  I've always had big thighs too so they ballooned.  I want to get back into the 230's and work around that and maybe do a show next JUne.  I'm doing some rather leisurely carb cycling and I'm currently getting ready to eat a bowl of rice crispies.


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## awhites1 (Aug 10, 2010)

common denominator... nothing fits. Im not buying a new wardrobe either. That sucks b/c i've been there for a month or two now. Burnt out hardcore core from diet and working out. plus its expensive as hell to get what i need at the grocery store, time consuming to make the meals, so fuck it. I'm getting fat for awhile


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## Tim1985 (Aug 10, 2010)

I would say around 20%


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## DiGiTaL (Aug 10, 2010)

Curently at 14% ish at 207 pounds. Im leaning my bulk to gain slowly but also less fat. Wanna be at 15% by 215lbs or little less.


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## MDR (Aug 10, 2010)

When I was competing as a power lifter, I got up around 280 or 285.  Always cut back down before competitions, because it was a bitch to compete against the guys in the heavier weight classes.  I'm only about 240 these days, and not too heavy  b/f -wise.  I really admire the guys who stay down around 10% or under-it takes a lot of focus for me to get down that lean.


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## LAM (Aug 10, 2010)

at the time I was fat enough to know that a 35 year old man shouldn't need oxygen after only walking up 12 steps up to the 2nd floor...


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## midwest216 (Aug 25, 2010)

I'm 6'4" and 260-265. I really need to check my bf% @ the gym today. My heaviest was 267 lbs. Considering I started out at 192 lbs a year ago.


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## Aamir (Aug 26, 2010)

I got to around 18%..but I'm 6' 2" so it didn't look like I had that much extra fat on myself..sadly i think im much more than that now


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## Merkaba (Aug 27, 2010)

midwest216 said:


> I'm 6'4" and 260-265. I really need to check my bf% @ the gym today. My heaviest was 267 lbs. Considering I started out at 192 lbs a year ago.



I hope youre' not planning on using something you stand on or hold in your hands to gauge your body fat....


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## theCaptn' (Aug 27, 2010)

my name is josh . . 20% is the lowest I go on a cut


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## Tyler3295 (Aug 27, 2010)

kpwrestler4 said:


> At my worst I was 130 with only a 2 pack. This was a few months ago. I went down to 120 with a six pack and after a short bulk I'm at 135 with a six pack. Feels good.



Damn dude..

Should you have REALLY been running AAS at 120-130 lbs?


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## unclem (Aug 28, 2010)

iam 6'1 255 now at 10% bf, highest was 285 at 17 % bf. ill be onstage at 235 at 5- 6 % bf so my trainer tells me. well see.

ps: digital if thats you in your avatar you look great. good luck if thats you.


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## vortrit (Aug 28, 2010)

240, which I am now. Way too much. I don't know the BF.


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## klc9100 (Aug 28, 2010)

i'm just curious, where/how do you guys come up with these bf% numbers. i know the handheld devices & calipers are shit. do yall go somewhere and do the thing where you are in water? i honestly have NO idea what my bf% is, but i would like to know. the handheld thing at my gym says 23%. i don't think i'm that fat, but i may be. . .


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## cobalt (Aug 30, 2010)

Maybe about 16%....didn't feel good.


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## midwest216 (Sep 1, 2010)

the gym crap dont work. maybe go to a sports doctor? Weighed in at 262 and half lbs. I dont look fat, heck most folks think i look good. I figure at 6'4" I can go atleast 280-285 before I look like the blob lol.


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## BillHicksFan (Sep 1, 2010)

24% !  - A natural bulk from 78kg - 94.5kg over 10 months...never again!! 
After I cut I'd kept 7 kg of muscle which were newbie gains.

Now I'm wearing my bulking clothes again but it only took 6 weeks to gain 6 kg this time, minus the fat


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