# How much gain is too much a week?



## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

Just had my first week of a proper diet for a bulk. The idea is to lean bulk but I have went from 145 to 151 in 7 days. Should I cut the calories down or is this normal at first. Just don't want to put a load of fat on.

Im 23, male, 5ft 9, around 18% body fat, ectomorph.

Diet as follows;

Oatibix 70g

Banana

Protein Works 80 Whey Shake

2x Wholemeal bread with peanut butter

cashew nuts (50g)

pure orange juice

(After workout)

Cyclone shake

apple

Chicken (120g)

Wholegrain Rice (uncle bens microwave 240g)

BBQ sauce

cashew nuts (50g)

Muller light yoghurt

chicken/fish/beef (250g)

boiled potatoes or brown rice

side of vegetables

this comes to around 3,200 kcal a day. Roughly 50 carb 25 protein 25 fat.

should I slightly lower the calories or is 6lbs a week normal when beginning a bulk?


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## ashmo (Jul 1, 2011)

How are you weighing yourself?


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## johnnymctrance (Nov 21, 2012)

I seem to always jump up a few lb on my first week of bulking, its just water weight from carbs id say


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

Just normal scales in the gym (same set each time I've weighed myself, both times in morning after breakfast) keeping shorts/t shirt on.


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## ashmo (Jul 1, 2011)

Should be on an empty stomach mate best time is just after you've woken up after a piiss ha


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

ashmo said:


> Should be on an empty stomach mate best time is just after you've woken up after a piiss ha


I haven't got scales mate that's why I use the ones in the gym, so it's always after I've eaten. Not a massive breakfast like just oats and fruit.


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

johnnymctrance said:


> I seem to always jump up a few lb on my first week of bulking, its just water weight from carbs id say


Thought it would probably just be water retention. Cheers mate, I'll stick with the diet see how it's going in a few weeks.


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## johnnymctrance (Nov 21, 2012)

Eggp-1878 said:


> Thought it would probably just be water retention. Cheers mate, I'll stick with the diet see how it's going in a few weeks.


trust me u are not eating that much to equal 7lb gain of fat.. thats probably impossible haa


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## Big Man 123 (Aug 1, 2013)

Eggp-1878 said:


> Just had my first week of a proper diet for a bulk. The idea is to lean bulk but I have went from 145 to 151 in 7 days. Should I cut the calories down or is this normal at first. Just don't want to put a load of fat on.


*
You can only gain 1 ounce of muscle a day, that will be 200 grs of muscle gain a week, anything else is water, glycogen and fat.*



Eggp-1878 said:


> Im 23, male, 5ft 9, around 18% body fat, ectomorph.


*Ectomorphs don't exist, if you don't gain you are not eating enough.*



Eggp-1878 said:


> this comes to around 3,200 kcal a day. *Roughly 50 carb 25 protein 25 fat*.


*????*



Eggp-1878 said:


> should I slightly lower the calories or is 6lbs a week normal when beginning a bulk?


*What is your weight?*


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

Big Man 123 said:


> *
> You can only gain 1 ounce of muscle a day, that will be 200 grs of muscle gain a week, anything else is water, glycogen and fat.*
> 
> *Ectomorphs don't exist, if you don't gain you are not eating enough.*
> ...


151lbs/68kg


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Big Man 123 said:


> *Ectomorphs don't exist, if you don't gain you are not eating enough.*


I think you must be confusing ectomorphs with 'hardgainers'. Ectomorphs very definitely exist.

As ashmo hinted at, the 6lb weight gain in seven days will in part be simply due to more food in your digestive system, as well as water.

How have you measured your 18% body fat? If you really are at 18% I would suggest you consider cutting not bulking. Have a read of these two articles and see what you think:

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/bulking-diet-delusion

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_truth_about_bulking

Do you own a pair of calipers to monitor body fat? If not, buy some. Monitoring your body fat this way is much better than a mirror to telling you where weight gain is. I make skinfold measurements once per week and find this very helpful.


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## gearchange (Mar 19, 2010)

I wouldn't panic,I can put on 6lb in a day if i eat and drink a lot.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

Big Man said:


> Ectomorphs don't exist, if you don't gain you are not eating enough.


You seem to be confusing ectomorph with "hard gainer". An ectomorph is a bodytype characterised by skeletal shape, main areas of fat deposit etc. A hard gainer is what you described - an excuse for not gaining muscle when not eating properly.


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## Theseus (Feb 27, 2014)

I said:


> You seem to be confusing ectomorph with "hard gainer". An ectomorph is a bodytype characterised by skeletal shape' date=' main areas of fat deposit etc. A hard gainer is what you described - an excuse for not gaining muscle when not eating properly.[/quote']
> 
> agree with above statement..
> 
> ...


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

So just over 5 weeks into the bulk I've went from 145 to 155lbs. Getting a little bit paranoid about belly fat (although I had a little bit of skinny fat to start with anyway) but definitely seeing gains as well.

Was watching a video someone posted on another thread yesterday from YouTube where a guy was saying you should be putting max 2-3lbs a month on for a lean bulk. My diet is spot on, I've hardly cheated at all in 5 weeks (although I still have a few drinks most weeks). But obviously with putting 10lbs on in 5 weeks I'm well above the 2-3lbs a month margin.

Would you be cutting the cals slightly? I'm doing 50% carb 30% pro 20% fat. 3270 cals.


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## Theseus (Feb 27, 2014)

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

personally, I think 3270 kcal for your weight and height is a little high...


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Buy yourself some body fat calipers so you can properly track what is happening. I seriously doubt 2 lb per week is all muscle, but you would know if you were monitoring your body fat level.

I asked before but you didn't tell us - where are your getting your 18% body fat figure from? If it is accurate then that is pretty high for an ectomorph, and I would definitely be cutting not bulking.


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

Ultrasonic said:


> Buy yourself some body fat calipers so you can properly track what is happening. I seriously doubt 2 lb per week is all muscle, but you would know if you were monitoring your body fat level.
> 
> I asked before but you didn't tell us - where are your getting your 18% body fat figure from? If it is accurate then that is pretty high for an ectomorph, and I would definitely be cutting not bulking.


To be honest I got it off the internet, put my stats in and that's what it came up with. It probably isn't accurate, I would be surprised if it was actually that high. I've bought some body fat calipers off the internet they should be here in the next 2 days so I will let you know.

I hope isn't anyway because I haven't really got anything to cut!


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## Ricky12345 (Jun 13, 2012)

johnnymctrance said:


> I seem to always jump up a few lb on my first week of bulking, its just water weight from carbs id say


X2 I put something stupid like 25 lbs on in just over a week on my last cycle


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## NorthernSoul (Nov 7, 2011)

this comes to around 3,200 kcal a day. Roughly 50 carb 25 protein 25 fat.

.....

that wont be right


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

According to that link I could bulk on around 900cals less than I have been having. Scary. I might drop it to 3000.


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## NorthernSoul (Nov 7, 2011)

Unless thats per meal lol


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## dann19900 (Dec 29, 2012)

Big Man 123 said:


> *
> You can only gain 1 ounce of muscle a day, that will be 200 grs of muscle gain a week, anything else is water, glycogen and fat.*


is this fact?


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

My diets changed a fair bit since the original post which was about 5 weeks ago.

Obviously I meant 50% carbs 25% protein 25% fat (not sure whether your being sarcastic haha).

I have been following 50% carbs/30% protein/20% fat for the past 4 weeks though.

Just for the record I'm natty as well.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Eggp-1878 said:


> To be honest I got it off the internet, put my stats in and that's what it came up with. It probably isn't accurate...


It will at least be more accurate than the bathroom scales that claim to tell you body fat %. I know there is a US navy one that claims to be accurate to withing a few percent for most people, so the 18% figure may not be wildly off.

The main advantage of calipers is that it lets you track changes - if skinfold measurement are going up then you are gaining fat, going down and you're losing fat. I don't really pay any attention to what my estimated body fat actually is.

One tip, make an effort to measure in the same place each week, or the difference you measure won't be meaningful.

How have you been progressing in the gym?

Like Theseus, my inclination is to think that 3300 calories per day is too much for you (possibly quite a bit too much actually), but this will be dependent on things like your BMR and how active you are out of the gym.


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

Eggp-1878 said:


> According to that link I could bulk on around 900cals less than I have been having. Scary. I might drop it to 3000.


FWIW that site underestimates the number of calories that I need for a fairly clean bulk by about 12%. It's main limitation though it that it doesn't take into account your activity level outside of the gym. Someone with a physical job will need to eat far more to gain weight than someone with a desk job!


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## big vin (Apr 18, 2010)

its pretty much impossible to put on more than one pound of MUSCLE in a week unless you are a new to weight training anything over one pound in a week will be fat or water


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## Eggp-1878 (Apr 30, 2014)

big vin said:


> its pretty much impossible to put on more than one pound of MUSCLE in a week unless you are a new to weight training anything over one pound in a week will be fat or water


I only started lifting 5 weeks ago. Before that all I had ever done was play football, that was until I broke my ankle a few years ago, hadn't done anything at all for the last couple of years. 10lbs would be one hell of a lot of muscle to put on in that space of time even with beginner gains though I would imagine, I Certainly haven't noticed 10lbs of muscle.


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