Nashtide is gonna lean bulk...

[Nashtide]

Okay gurus, I'd appreciate any thoughts are appreciated. I'll be 57 next month. Right now I'm very lean with good musculature. I've been on a mild caloric deficit diet for the last six months and am now ready to add a couple of pounds of good lean body mass without adding a lot of fat. So my plan is to start a diet with a small calorie surplus while still keeping my carbs on the low-moderate side. Any thoughts on macros? The ultimate goal would be adding 5 lbs of muscle especially in the chest and shoulders while limiting the amount of fat added. Let me know your opinions. Thanks.

 

[lowe2sucks]

it's mostly time training man.. unless you use steroid cycles it's mostly time training and your genetic potential. also age has to do with it probably because of secretion of growth factors which are lower when you get older

 

[CoastWatcher]

it's mostly time training man.. unless you use steroid cycles it's mostly time training and your genetic potential. also age has to do with it probably because of secretion of growth factors which are lower when you get older

That's my experience, at age 60. All the best - keep us posted.

 

[Nashtide]

I'm under no illusions. I have been lifting regularly for 3 years so I know that adding quality lbm at my age is a challenge even with TRT. I also realize this is going to take a long time to possibly accomplish. I'm just looking for thoughts on macro percentages and food ideas. How many calories above maintenance should I shoot for and things like that.

 

[lowe2sucks]

you should be in a surplus. i would start with 500 surplus because you want lean bulk. lets say you eat 2500-3000 calories to maintain that means you will need to eat 3000-3500 calories. i would aim for 25% fat 25% protein 50% carbs some like keto but in my opinion it's not good for "bulk" you want to fill glycogen stores to look fuller on bulk imo

 

[Nashtide]

you should be in a surplus. i would start with 500 surplus because you want lean bulk. lets say you eat 2500-3000 calories to maintain that means you will need to eat 3000-3500 calories. i would aim for 25% fat 25% protein 50% carbs some like keto but in my opinion it's not good for "bulk" you want to fill glycogen stores to look fuller on bulk imo

Awesome, thanks for the info. I dropped 35lbs three years ago by basically limiting carbs. Since then I've sort of kept my carbs on the lowish side. But I realize I'm going to have to increase the carbs to gain some weight. Any thoughts on how much added fat I'm going to have to accept?

 

[Vince]

What's really help is my nitric stack, in the past I used creatine. Creatine really helped me gain muscle, I no longer use creatine because it rises my raises creatinine levels on labs. I do use a bone broth supplement for added protein.

 

[Nashtide]

What's really help is my nitric stack, in the past I used creatine. Creatine really helped me gain muscle, I no longer use creatine because it rises my raises creatinine levels on labs. I do use a bone broth supplement for added protein.

I've been thinking about adding an NO stack. What specific benefits do you feel your getting?

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

A couple of thoughts…regarding adding calories, I think the key is to add them slowly. That way your metabolic rate can increase fast enough to not add a lot of fat. Check out Layne Norton's video and “reverse diet' concept for more detail. Also, I would adhere to a Leangains style of meal timing and macros if you're not already doing so. I have found that I can add calories via nuts and avocados without gaining any body fat, so that is another thing to consider. I would time your added carbs related to your workouts so that you're not going in under-carbed. As Charles Poliquin says, you have to earn your carbs. I would avoid going to failure on any sets, but add more volume. This will decrease your recovery time. Adding a concluding higher-rep set to each major exercise should help as well. Good luck with it.

 

[Nashtide]

A couple of thoughts…regarding adding calories, I think the key is to add them slowly. That way your metabolic rate can increase fast enough to not add a lot of fat. Check out Layne Norton’s video and “reverse diet’ concept for more detail. Also, I would adhere to a Leangains style of meal timing and macros if you’re not already doing so. I have found that I can add calories via nuts and avocados without gaining any body fat, so that is another thing to consider. I would time your added carbs related to your workouts so that you’re not going in under-carbed. As Charles Poliquin says, you have to earn your carbs. I would avoid going to failure on any sets, but add more volume. This will decrease your recovery time. Adding a concluding higher-rep set to each major exercise should help as well. Good luck with it.

Thanks! Great info. I will check out the video after lunch. Interesting regarding the failure issue. I have seen that notion before but it has never made sense. I realize it will help with recovery, but it seems counterintuitive for muscle growth. Right now I do a full body program 3x/week. I keep to one exercise per body part for 4 sets. The last set is either a mechanical drop or a rest-pause or some other set along those lines. But I always take each set to failure. I'm always open to opinions and I'm going to give your suggestion a try. Thanks again.

 

[Sean Mosher]

What's your weight room plan / training look like as far as sets/reps to lean bulk?

 

[Nashtide]

What's your weight room plan / training look like as far as sets/reps to lean bulk?

Basically, I lift 3x/week and do a full body workout. I do one exercise per body part and use 4 sets. That last set is always some sort of extended set like a drop set or rest-pause. I keep the weight heavy enough to get a good feel and try to keep the rep range between 8-15. Once in awhile I will crank up the weight and hit 4-6 reps. I keep the rest between sets and exercises pretty short. This usually takes about 45 minutes. Then I do 20 minutes on the heavy bag in a HIIT and tabata style workout. I also do a core routine twice weekly on different days than described above. My arms and back are more muscular than my chest and shoulders. I'm happy to answer any other questions if this is not what you were asking.

 

[Nashtide]

Okay, I'm ready to get started. Here are my current stats based on my home body analysis scale. I know these devices aren't the gold standard, but I'm just using it to monitor and gauge progress. Again, the goal is to gain good lbm and some weight without gaining a lot of fat.
Weight: 163lbs
BF%: 14
Muscle: 57.6%
BMI: 21.8
BMR: 1876
so I'm going to slowly add calories in the form of protein and fats so that I'm about 200 calories above BMR for a couple of weeks. Right now I'm in about a 200 calorie deficit and have been for six months. I will post my stats every Thursday. Thanks for following along. Any and all comments welcomed.

 

[FeelingLost]

Okay, I'm ready to get started. Here are my current stats based on my home body analysis scale. I know these devices aren't the gold standard, but I'm just using it to monitor and gauge progress. Again, the goal is to gain good lbm and some weight without gaining a lot of fat.
Weight: 163lbs
BF%: 14
Muscle: 57.6%
BMI: 21.8
BMR: 1876
so I'm going to slowly add calories in the form of protein and fats so that I'm about 200 calories above BMR for a couple of weeks. Right now I'm in about a 200 calorie deficit and have been for six months. I will post my stats every Thursday. Thanks for following along. Any and all comments welcomed.

How about some before and after picts?
Best of luck looking forward to reading about your journey. I hope you will keep us updated.

 

[Nashtide]

How about some before and after picts?
Best of luck looking forward to reading about your journey. I hope you will keep us updated.

Lol, I'm too old to put shirtless photos of myself on the internet! I plan to update this thread at least once a week.

 

[Vince]

I've been thinking about adding an NO stack. What specific benefits do you feel your getting?

When I started using my nitic oxide stack again after a 3 months off last year, I did increase my workout strength and endurance.

 

[Nashtide]

When I started using my nitic oxide stack again after a 3 months off last year, I did increase my workout strength and endurance.

I ordered some L-citruline malate. I'm going to start with that and build if I have to. I really take a lot of supps so I don't want to add a complicated stack. How long before your workout do you take the stack?

 

[Vince]

I ordered some L-citruline malate. I'm going to start with that and build if I have to. I really take a lot of supps so I don't want to add a complicated stack. How long before your workout do you take the stack?

I take my N.O. at least a 1/2 hour before my workout. I like drinking it on an empty stomach, I believe it's absorbed better that way.

 

[Nashtide]

I take my N.O. at least a 1/2 before my workout. I like drinking it on an empty stomach, I believe it's absorbed better that way.

Great, thanks for the info.

 

[Mountain Man]

Good luck and keep us posted. I have been trying this for years. I can get cut and lean pretty easy or I can get skinny fat. I think it's a genetic thing to a large degree. In the Spring I was able to gain 5 lbs without gaining any fat but lost it in the early Summer. More cut up, but size has been elusive. Just try to be that old guy who shocks people when he takes his shirt off... and you're never too old to flex with your shirt off.