How to minimize fat gains while bulking

[EdgarMex]

Hello, everyone. I haven't posted much in the last few months, but I'm still lurking around :)

This week I'll be finishing my lates cut. It's been (almost) 13 weeks and I'm ready to eat decently again. I know gaining fat while bulking is inevitable, particularly for those like me who tend to gain weight/fat easily. That's why I would like to know if there's any strategy to keep fat gains to a minimum but without slowing muscle gains to a crawl.

Right now I taking about 2050 cals per day and still losing close to 1 lb per week. I'm planning on increasing cals up to 2800 over the course of 2-3 weeks and then adjust depending on how much I'm gainig per week.

With regards to training I'll continue doing a Westside-style routine I started a couple of weeks ago and I'll continue doing my morning walks 4-5 day per week, although I'll probably reduce time from 1 hour to 30-45 minutes.

[ryuage]

some cardio along with a slight deficit above your bmr will yield less fat gain, but it will also yield slower muscle gain as well.... its sort of a trade off that you have to decide if you are willing to make it or not.

I say maintenance + 300 calories as a starting point with the goal of 2lb/month gain

[Rex]

I say maintenance + 300 calories as a starting point with the goal of 2lb/month gain

:withstupi

You need to be in calorie surplus. Calorie surplus is anything in excess of what your body needs to meet its energy requirements. Energy requirements also include muscle synthesis and repair. To minimize fat gain you need to minimize excess calories. Don't confuse weight gain for muscle gain! Muscle is typically gained at a snails pace regardless.

I wish there was some kind of easier way, a nutrient partitioning trick or something, but I don't know of any.

[ryuage]

steroids

[Rex]

I don't know of any besides
steroids

:study:

[Jasonl]

:withstupi


I wish there was some kind of easier way, a nutrient partitioning trick or something, but I don't know of any.
Doing HIIT cardio may or may not promote nutrient partitioning to muscles. I say may or may not beucase there were a couple studies posted a while back stating HIIT does, I believe it does though. Just do some HIIT and a little regualr cardio and you shouldn't gain too much fat.

[Isaac Wilkins]

Doing HIIT cardio may or may not promote nutrient partitioning to muscles. I say may or may not beucase there were a couple studies posted a while back stating HIIT does, I believe it does though. Just do some HIIT and a little regualr cardio and you shouldn't gain too much fat.

There are all kinds of little tricks. HIIT is one of them.

Feeder workouts are another.

Cyclical dieting is another.

Ephedrine can provide some partitioning. Various glucose disposal agents probably could help (r-ALA, etc). Green tea has its moments.

But Ryuage has hit the biggie. ;)

[EdgarMex]

Thanks for the responses, you guys basically confirmed my fears, I guess I'll have to watch my caloric intake just as close as when I'm dieting

[Vapour Trails]

I'm in the same situation - want to bulk but not gain needless fat (like I did last time).

I'm going take it slow and monitor my % bf.