I read a very interesting article a couple days ago and was curious as to what you guys think about this idea. Basically it says that the average person doesn't need to put on fat to bulk. In general people can put on 1-2 pounds of muscle per month if they are working out consistently. The article says that you can simply eat an extra 125-250 calories per day (.25-.5 pounds per week) above your BMR and it should be enough to allow for the 1-2 pounds of muscle growth. It goes on to say that if you go over this amount then since you can't gain more than 1-2 pounds of muscle per month it's all fat. Basically the point is why would people want to go over this amount if all that it's putting on is fat? Wouldn't it be better to just eat enough to fuel the 1-2 pounds of muscle per month without eating the extra calories that put on fat? Then you wouldn't have to cut so you would always be getting bigger and you wouldn't get fat. Assuming that you are getting the proper amount of protein/carbs/fats in your diet. Does this sound like a valid idea to you guys?

you would gain some fat, but very minimal fat, and you're diet would have to be spot on. Its what people reffer to as a "clean bulk"

and yeah, why eat more over maintence than you can get into muscles? theres no point.

That is the truth about bulking article. I wish I read that article a long time ago when I started with fitness overall. But see some people don't have the time for that slow bulk and it is just easier to speed up the bulk and then cut up. Also I will have to point out the article also said that if you are gaining more then 3 pounds a week you are putting on excess fat.

so since it says that in general people can gain 1-2 lbs of muscle a month, if your gaining 5lbs a month, 2 are muscle and 3 are fat???

kuz in 6 months, i gained 40 lbs. i was 160. im now 146 after cutting a while and it looks like i gained a lot more than 12 lbs of muscle(2lbs/month; 6 months). kuz if i gained 40 lbs and 12 is muscle, then 28 was fat? i went from 160 to 146 which is -14 lbs of fat(some muscle, yes) which means i still have 14 extra lbs of fat on me??? doesnt look like it!!! wtf!!!

yep, you can carefully bulk and put on little to no fat.

Proteinboy...the article says doing this minimal bulk can get you 1-2lbs. If you're doing a more 'traditional' bulk (like an extra 400-500 calories a day) then you could put on more muscle than 1-2lbs, but you'll get some fat too.

the only way to know is to track your bodyfat percentage and weight in a consistent manner.

also remember we don't get to 0lbs of fat. that would be so unhealthy you'd be in a hospital. A probodybuilder might weight 215lbs for a competition, and just 5% bodyfat. Well that's about 11lbs of fat still on his body...but he's shredded as much as humanly possible.

Proteinboy: That was probably glycogen storage

That probably explains what you are saying about the weight gain.

When you are a growing teenager you can also gain a lot of other lean body mass besides muscle (bone, tendon, cartiledge, ligament, lungs, heart, other organs, water, blood, etc.).

XD i dont get the glycoren thingy. but does anyone have a calorie calculator that i can use to see how much calories i should be eating/day???

Calorie Calculator - Daily Caloric Needs

thanks jmanj

I have a question about a clean bulk:

tarchy carbs (bread, rice, potatoes, tortillas and oats) should be limited to 1 portion/day on a clean bulk?

Yep, 1 or 2 portions I believe and put them in the first two meals of your day. Just make sure each meal has a protein source and a fruite/vegetable and eliminate junk food and you should be find.