Cutting and bulking-easy if you follow the right steps-PICS

[cordoncordon]

Just wanted to show you guys that IF you follow the right procedures, if is actually quite easy to bulk or cut. This past spring I was in a cutting period, got down to 170-which I was in my first pic here. Then I decided to bulk up, and have gone to 190 pounds 2 months later, so that is 10 pounds a month. Basically all I did was not do as much cardio, eat a lot more, but not excessively, and of course do more heavy lifting such as squats and deadlifts. I probably have 250-300 grams of protein a day at the moment, with some fats, but i still try to eat pretty lean with such foods as chicken breasts, lean ground beef, steak, edamame (soybeans), tuna, etc. I eat 5 eggs a day as well.

Mid August pic at 170...

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8093/matt3nz3.jpg

Mid October pic at 190...

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4797/matt6cc8.jpg

 

[Warboss Alex]

how big were you before you cut down to 170?

 

[cordoncordon]

About 194 or so, but I had more fat then I do now. Not much, but more. Believe or not I lost that in about 2.5 months to get down to 170. I have always been able to lose or gain weight easily for some reason. I have always played any and all sports pretty much every day so I have always been in good shape, but i wanted to lose that extra little flab. I kinda like the bulking stage lol, i can eat a half gallon of ice cream in 2 days or a pizza at once and not worry about it.

Think I will get to 195 or so and stay right in that area.

 

[Warboss Alex]

okay, just checking.

how about this time, forget the bulk diet (more junk, with less cardio), concentrate on slower weight gain through protein and fat, and not need to have to continue this yo-yo/muscle memory, two-steps-forward-one-step back route?

you were 194 before you cut, with a little more fat than your current 190 you say. so your net muscle gain is what? 1-2lbs? if that?

this is not to undermine your hard work, but it's taken you 2.5 months to cut, 2 months to get back up to 190 (of which you gained very little if any lean tissue), which is say about 5 months. do this over the year and you are gaining very little new tissue. you're bulking up then cutting down, two steps forward and 1.5 steps back.

to me that's a waste of time. If you wanna get up to a lean 195 then I'd do a slow body recomposition OR just do your cut cycle and build up slowly.

again I'm not trying to insult you or your methods.. but this is a great example of why I don't recommend bulk/cut cycles.

 

[cordoncordon]

No no you misunderstand. In the past two months I might have had 2 gallons of ice cream total, and maybe 2-3 pizzas. Again that's in two months, i rarely eat any other junk food.

In this bulking phase, 99% of what I have eaten is eggs, tuna, chicken, steak, lean ground beef, fish like tilapia, soybeans, peanuts, fruits, some veggies, and two protein shakes a day. Like I said I eat up to 300 grams of protein per day. I truly have not been eating any other types of foods, especially junk, so any weight I have gained is muscle imo. I don't think I have much more of body fat % then when i weighed 170, though i'm sure it is up a little bit.

I think you can tell by my pics that I have gained quite a but of muscle. All the bulking phase has allowed me to do is OCCASIONALLY eat junk food, but it is still very seldom.

I was and still am pretty shocked by my weight gain, because every week when i get on the scale I seem to gain 2 pounds. I could see if I was eating junk every day, but the above diet I posted comprises my diet 99% of the time.

 

[Warboss Alex]

I was and still am pretty shocked by my weight gain, because every week when i get on the scale I seem to gain 2 pounds.

you had a previous high of 194, hence why you got up to 190 quickly (muscle memory).. if you were gaining 2lbs a week consistently you'd be adding fat as well.

in any case if you're happy with the results stick with it dude. I just think bulk/cut cycles are just like yo-yo dieting. you need to carry around new mass for a while for it to stay.. 2 months bulk 2 months cut will result in very little keepable muscle.

of course maybe your goal isn't to carry significant muscle as many others on here. I'm speaking as someone who has a fit if the scale drops under 240..

 

[cordoncordon]

I hear ya warboss. And I normally don't cut and bulk. I just try to maintain a level area and stick with it. And I really have no plans to get big like a body builder. Like i said i play sports from tennis to hockey, so getting that big would not help me. I prefer a lean, brad Pitt type of body. Judging from my second and most recent pic...do you think I am close to that? btw I am 6 feet tall.

 

[Warboss Alex]

in your 190 pic you look a damn sight better than brad pitt. if that's your goal just slowly strip the fat, add a bit more muscle if you want and you'll look awesome.

 

[cordoncordon]

Thanks warboss you're the breast!

 

[cordoncordon]

Thanks espi... and I will .

 

[cordoncordon]

As far as diet? It's pretty much the same every day, except for one day a week when I eat whatever I want..IE junk lol.

Breakfast: 5 eggs, protein shake, fruit

Lunch: Tuna or chicken breast, protein shake

snack: peanuts, yogurt, peanut butter, carrots,

Dinner: Fish, chicken, steak, lean ground beef, tuna, edamame, veggies all fixed however you like it

snack again with protein shake

As for my workout? I do 2-3 days of 25 minute cardio, play sports a lot-tennis, racquetball, hockey, b-ball, golf, bowl, etc

Lifting:

3 days a week and i mix in all of these exercises, but not the same ones everytime

squats
deadlifts
flat bench press
inclined bench press
closed arm bench press
dips
chin ups
pull ups
inclined dumbbell press
inclined dumbbell curls
barbell curls
rows
shoulder shrugs
shoulder lifts
ab work
tricep work-from putting a 70 pound dumbbell behind my head and lifting it to dips to a few other exercises
lat pull downs
fly

 

[HK1]

you had a previous high of 194, hence why you got up to 190 quickly (muscle memory).. if you were gaining 2lbs a week consistently you'd be adding fat as well.

in any case if you're happy with the results stick with it dude. I just think bulk/cut cycles are just like yo-yo dieting. you need to carry around new mass for a while for it to stay.. 2 months bulk 2 months cut will result in very little keepable muscle.

of course maybe your goal isn't to carry significant muscle as many others on here. I'm speaking as someone who has a fit if the scale drops under 240..

1st of all, grats to you cordoncordon for getting it done. You could have taken better pics though :yes:

Warboss, out of curiosity. Exactly how tall are you?

 

[cordoncordon]

Hey HK1...thanks. And I know lol. I have tried to get those enlarged on my computer and for whatever reason I can't save them when I do.