# When you're bulking, do you cut out alcohol/cheat days?



## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Basically after a gruelling cut I attempted a lean bulk, my maintanance calories work out to be about 2700 so I've been having 3000 calories. I understand gains will be VERY slow here but I'm not in a rush and I'd rather put on muscle slowly and hope that I wont have to cut for 12 weeks again.

Only problem is, after about 10 weeks, I've put on more fat than I would have liked.. Now I'm thinking this is probably down to my 'cheat' days, normally once a week (never more than once) where I'll end up having about 3500 calories of food (still VERY clean though, I don't eat take aways), but then sink a bottle of spirits. Now the vodka/malibu/disaronno is about 2000 calories. Which will put me at about 4800 calorie surplus for the week, but I'm guessing the alcohol has no actual 'nutritional value' and as such is just empty calories being converted to fat?

I just need someone to confirm here, I need to just give up the alcohol right? If I took those 2000 calories a week and used them for "proper food" I'd actually see some gains and less fat gain right?

Social life vs Vanity.. Hmmm


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## Lifter2012 (Jun 7, 2012)

Cheat once every 2weeks? That's what I'm doing now coming the the end of the cut now thank god


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## Chelsea (Sep 19, 2009)

You pretty much answered your own question really - a bottle of spirits once a week - cut it out mate.

"You cant be a bodybuilder and a rockstar"

- That was the advice given to Phil Heath.


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## RACK (Aug 20, 2007)

Cheat meals are fine, on a regular bulk then a full day is fine. I'll prob drink once a month-6 weeks but a bottle of spirits a week ain't gonna do ya any good.


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## PlymDan (Jan 22, 2012)

Would definitely give alcohol a miss, I'm not a big drinker anyway and haven't had alcohol in over 12 months.

If you are bulking though I'm sure a few drinks once a month wouldn't hurt too much at all!


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## jon1 (Jul 19, 2012)

Used to drink alot when i was younger, but don't drink anymore


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## Robbie789 (Sep 6, 2012)

Just dance like a madman for 6 hours straight and sweat out all that wonderful alcohol!


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## infernal0988 (Jun 16, 2011)

Chelsea said:


> You pretty much answered your own question really - a bottle of spirits once a week - cut it out mate.
> 
> "You cant be a bodybuilder and a rockstar"
> 
> - That was the advice given to Phil Heath.


 Like me since iv started prepping for my first contest in april i have not had a single drink what so ever. You just gotta ask your self how bad do you really want it? How far are you willing to go for your ego and that perfect picture of your own body?


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## Chelsea (Sep 19, 2009)

infernal0988 said:


> Like me since iv started prepping for my first contest in april i have not had a single drink what so ever. You just gotta ask your self how bad do you really want it? How far are you willing to go for your ego and that perfect picture of your own body?


Exactly mate, i dont even think its an ego thing, a the end of the day if you want the results that you picture in your head then you will do what it takes to get there.

Well done for not drinking mate, i dont think i have had more than 1 beer apart from my birthday back in August, saves you a hell of a lot of money and you dont waste 1 day out of 7 every week hungover, instead you utilise it like the other days by eating properly and resting or training.

Obviously some people dont take it as seriously which is understandable but i dont have to drink to have fun, you just need to find a good balance.


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## TG123 (Apr 10, 2012)

embarressed to say i still go out and get bang on it

i'm on a life bulk though 

started at 11.7 stone a year ago, about 13.10 now but i find it so hard to put on weight that i just ate everything in sight, maybe put on a little bit too much round the middle but i plan to just eat and eat and train 3-4 times a week for the rest of my life i suppose.

I love training, i was bang into it about 10 years ago, got back into it now and it's a huge part of my life but i'm not gonna become one of those people like some on here who everly obsess about it, i put in the effort like everyone and i'm not getting down on anyone but i've seen threads on here like: "i trained for 2 hours yesterday but then last night i only slept 6 hours instead of 8, will that affect my gains from yesterdays work out"

someone quoted phil health, how many of us are going to look 5% as good as him? do you really think if you go out and get smashed one night you're gonna lose all your lean gains from the past 6 months? do you think if you have a mcdonalds on a friday night you're 3 month cutting cycle will be completely fcuked? if so then i hope you're competeing because if you're not up there on stage reaping the benefits of all your hard work what's the point of having no fcking life, not being able to go out, not being able to drink, not being able to have a cheat meal every now and then.

i train hard, i eat plenty but i still go out and enjoy life, if a year from now i've totally hit a wall, i've put on a dissproportionate amount of fat or i need to cut then i suppose i'll reassess, but for now i enjoy training and it's an enjoyable part of my life, but it's not my whole life


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## infernal0988 (Jun 16, 2011)

Chelsea said:


> Exactly mate, i dont even think its an ego thing, a the end of the day if you want the results that you picture in your head then you will do what it takes to get there.
> 
> Well done for not drinking mate, i dont think i have had more than 1 beer apart from my birthday back in August, saves you a hell of a lot of money and you dont waste 1 day out of 7 every week hungover, instead you utilise it like the other days by eating properly and resting or training.
> 
> Obviously some people dont take it as seriously which is understandable but i dont have to drink to have fun, you just need to find a good balance.


Its just a matter of goals really do you wanna look so so good for weekends with the chicks and mates? Or do you want to look the most incredible version that YOU can be? People ask me who do you look up to ? Who do you want to look like? I say i look up to myself i want to look like the best version of me i see in my own mind. Not Ronnie or zyzz or jay or Phil heath just me the best I can be.


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