“THE INCREDIBLE BULK” Part 1
badass_vinch
Posts: 4,471
in Articles
“THE INCREDIBLE BULK” Part 1
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Noob Gains, Continuity and Progression[/align]
[align=justify]Without even researching, I was aware of the so called “newbie gains”. I learned it the hard way. Just by lifting alone, a lot of guys got big and strong during a particular period. The body responds well to the effect of working out, so gains come much easier at that point. Unfortunately our body is very good at adapting, once you’ve pushed your body to a certain point it doesn’t respond quite like before. This is where the crisis start.
[/align]
[align=justify]I noticed the slow decline of enthusiasm among lifters who’ve gone past their newbie stage. It became difficult for them to pursue lifting because gains slowed down or halted. This can be very frustrating to the point where you stop going to the gym and start focusing on other things. I associated it with the countless individuals who told me their stories about how they look before. We’ve heard it all I know. “Dati ganito ako eh”. “Kung hindi lang ako nahinto”. “Nung kalakasan ko”. “Nagbubuhat ako dati eh”.[/align]
[align=justify]Thankfully before I lose hope after my newbie years, I ventured into this bulking thing which sparked a new flame of determination in my declining pursuit.
[/align]
[align=justify]“Bulking” in bodybuilding simply means gaining size and weight. These gains could mean additional muscle, fat, water, body hair, tattoos, piercings and probably anything that goes with our pursuit of a physical improvement. In my quest towards getting big, I can’t help but compare myself with my peers. Results vary; gains are subjective and can be looked at as good or bad by the individual or by the fitness community. But hey, is there such thing as an ideal bulk?
[/align]
[align=justify]During the bulking phase, we all have a projected image in our heads. Some numbers and expectations are normal too within a particular time period. Most often we set unrealistic targets during our early bulking attempts. Ridiculous scale weight, strength gains, girth increase and followed by a positive aura of hope.
[/align]
[align=justify]Gaining quality mass strictly speaking is the essence of bulking. Gaining fat is absolutely normal but getting “fat” is questionable, although it doesn’t matter in real life if you set aside bodybuilding. Especially for a skinny dude who thrived mostly on instant noodles and hotdog during his teenage years, gaining some fat on some areas is an achievement. Size bro! yeah! Most Pinoy teenagers from the 90’s to early 2000 are malnourished because of bad nutrition. Compare us to the kids today, damn! We have 6’6 14 year-old kids now.
[/align]
[align=justify]Bulking and food are very good friends. The belief is that you need to eat way more than your usual intake to add some size which I believe is true in a way. Unfortunately, a lot of Pinoy lifters are not exploring on other options to get big. They just gorge on food as much as possible. Regardless if they track their calories or eat anything on sight, it’s still about taking in more calories.[/align]
[align=justify]I never had the chance to bulk up during my early years of lifting. This is due to the fact that, first, I never heard of it. I didn’t know that “Mag palaki ka pa” and bulking mean the same thing. Second, there’s not much food to eat on a regular basis. My appetite doubled when I started lifting but I wasn’t able to satisfy my dietary needs. That sense of deprivation lead to my very first bulking phase.
[/align]
[align=justify]After a couple of years my finances improved. I felt that I can finally afford a bodybuilding type diet. Inspired by the first bodybuilding magazine I bought that I still have today. Basically aside from extra servings of eggs, canned tuna, chicken, beef, fish fillet, I also explored various brands of supplements from whey protein, creatine and multivitamins. I also went as far as experimenting on carbs sources trying out different types of rice, grains, and of course every bread that has “healthy” or “Fit” in their labels.
[/align]
[align=justify]Yeah, now I’m bulking! I used to have a shortage of food but now I can’t figure out how to space out my meals and finish them before bed. There’s just too much but I like it. I love to eat and nothing feels better than having food every 3 hours. I literally never felt hungry, seriously! That kind of bulking made me forget how hunger feels like. I’m eating all day, everyday. It also feels rewarding to train hard and have a shake after, followed by a big meal, and then going to bed with a full stomach, nothing compares man! My weight started to go up slowly every month. This was the first time I felt that food does play an important role in getting big.
[/align]
[align=justify]I contemplated on my past experiences and how my journey went so far during those times. I feel very relaxed as if I’m nearing an imaginary finish line. I have that calm feeling that everything will be smooth already since I have access to quality food and supplements. I thought that if you train consistently and eat right, I will achieve something special. I was wrong!
[/align]
[align=justify]During the first year of overhauling my nutrition I gained a good amount of quality mass and weight. From 150ish pounds, I reached 165lbs. The gains were obvious and pretty decent looking for a man who’s been lifting for years. But as the scale move up, it got heavier on the pocket too and the worst part is I do not like what I see in the mirror as I push my hopes for bigger muscles. This bulking frenzy made me rethink what I’m doing.
[/align]
[align=justify]The questions that I asked myself were, “I got big before when I have nothing, why can’t I just do what worked in the past”. “What’s so different now than before?”
[/align]
[align=justify]The current practice today is that you plan your mass gaining phase. Unfortunately in my case, it was more of a need. I went with the flow and entered a new realm of bodybuilding with no clear plans and targets. All I have are hopes and dreams. So instead of going over every article and study on how to bulk, I relied on my past experience first before looking for the answers online.[/align]
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Newbie: “Pa-cuts or bulking po”[/align]
[align=justify]One thing I realized during this stage is that, to gain muscle, it’s not the amount of food you eat but how much you train. Damaging your muscle alone will give it no choice but to grow even when there is not much food, how much more if you have access to quality food. With this, I can say that “intentional” bulking isn’t necessary unless you’re all skin and bones. The growth brought about by the body’s response to training is your “bulking gains”.
[/align]
[align=justify]During my skinny fat days I was able to grow some mass but talking about the quality of mass, I only started to transform when I cranked up my training.
[/align]
[align=justify]But Im fat! Same thing, train your way to a better physique. I was never “fat” like the big blob we have in mind, so I may not have the credibility to say this but I dealt with really fat people. Guess what? It’s the training that made the difference also for them.[/align]
[align=justify]The effect of newbie gains is magical because it works in a lot of ways. There’s really no need to complicate things when the magic is working perfectly fine.[/align]
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Progression after “The Transformation”[/align]
[align=justify]There will come a point when everything slows down, from muscle gains, fatloss, even motivation. Most of the guys who said “Dati ganito ako eh”. “Kung hindi lang ako nahinto”. “Nung kalakasan ko”. “Nagbubuhat ako dati eh”, they all ended their lifting game during this period.
[/align]
[align=justify]Very few people reach this point with a fair amount of success. Obviously, you won’t get here unless you had a successful newbie experience. But how come the failure rate is high despite having a good foundation. It’s simple, you have to level up your game or else you won’t start moving forward again. Sadly, most guys fail to recognize this.
[/align]
[align=justify]There was a point when I hit this wall. Back in 2006, my last year in college I was training alone for a year without my barkada. Being alone in the gym started to wear down my motivation especially during the summer break, everything was boring and competing against myself in that age is very unlikely. Motivation dropped, my workouts declined since my training partners were not there, and the worst part is there’s no allowance during summer vacation. I’ll be lucky to train twice a week and eat something extra. [/align]
[align=justify]I almost stopped going to the gym during this time. Luckily, I found a new motivation when classes started. I have a classmate who is often compared to me in terms of size. It’s close, only that he’s leaner. Not wanting to be left behind, I was forced to train more. Being away with my friends actually helped me focus on really bring up my weaknesses. I could say that this was the time when I explored further beyond what I learned form the kanto gyms.
[/align]
[align=justify]Every month, people start to notice my progress especially how the shape and size of my body improved. I got bigger. Again, training was the major driving force towards my gains. From 3 days, I trained 4-5 days. From my newbie “MWF” split, I played around “2on-1off-2on”, also tried “3on-1off-2on”, I went as far as training 4-5 straight days and so on. My exercise menu also got upgraded and I started to do new things from free weights to machines.[/align]
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Noob Gains, Continuity and Progression[/align]
[align=justify]Without even researching, I was aware of the so called “newbie gains”. I learned it the hard way. Just by lifting alone, a lot of guys got big and strong during a particular period. The body responds well to the effect of working out, so gains come much easier at that point. Unfortunately our body is very good at adapting, once you’ve pushed your body to a certain point it doesn’t respond quite like before. This is where the crisis start.
[/align]
[align=justify]I noticed the slow decline of enthusiasm among lifters who’ve gone past their newbie stage. It became difficult for them to pursue lifting because gains slowed down or halted. This can be very frustrating to the point where you stop going to the gym and start focusing on other things. I associated it with the countless individuals who told me their stories about how they look before. We’ve heard it all I know. “Dati ganito ako eh”. “Kung hindi lang ako nahinto”. “Nung kalakasan ko”. “Nagbubuhat ako dati eh”.[/align]
[align=justify]Thankfully before I lose hope after my newbie years, I ventured into this bulking thing which sparked a new flame of determination in my declining pursuit.
[/align]
[align=justify]“Bulking” in bodybuilding simply means gaining size and weight. These gains could mean additional muscle, fat, water, body hair, tattoos, piercings and probably anything that goes with our pursuit of a physical improvement. In my quest towards getting big, I can’t help but compare myself with my peers. Results vary; gains are subjective and can be looked at as good or bad by the individual or by the fitness community. But hey, is there such thing as an ideal bulk?
[/align]
[align=justify]During the bulking phase, we all have a projected image in our heads. Some numbers and expectations are normal too within a particular time period. Most often we set unrealistic targets during our early bulking attempts. Ridiculous scale weight, strength gains, girth increase and followed by a positive aura of hope.
[/align]
[align=justify]Gaining quality mass strictly speaking is the essence of bulking. Gaining fat is absolutely normal but getting “fat” is questionable, although it doesn’t matter in real life if you set aside bodybuilding. Especially for a skinny dude who thrived mostly on instant noodles and hotdog during his teenage years, gaining some fat on some areas is an achievement. Size bro! yeah! Most Pinoy teenagers from the 90’s to early 2000 are malnourished because of bad nutrition. Compare us to the kids today, damn! We have 6’6 14 year-old kids now.
[/align]
[align=justify]Bulking and food are very good friends. The belief is that you need to eat way more than your usual intake to add some size which I believe is true in a way. Unfortunately, a lot of Pinoy lifters are not exploring on other options to get big. They just gorge on food as much as possible. Regardless if they track their calories or eat anything on sight, it’s still about taking in more calories.[/align]
[align=justify]I never had the chance to bulk up during my early years of lifting. This is due to the fact that, first, I never heard of it. I didn’t know that “Mag palaki ka pa” and bulking mean the same thing. Second, there’s not much food to eat on a regular basis. My appetite doubled when I started lifting but I wasn’t able to satisfy my dietary needs. That sense of deprivation lead to my very first bulking phase.
[/align]
[align=justify]After a couple of years my finances improved. I felt that I can finally afford a bodybuilding type diet. Inspired by the first bodybuilding magazine I bought that I still have today. Basically aside from extra servings of eggs, canned tuna, chicken, beef, fish fillet, I also explored various brands of supplements from whey protein, creatine and multivitamins. I also went as far as experimenting on carbs sources trying out different types of rice, grains, and of course every bread that has “healthy” or “Fit” in their labels.
[/align]
[align=justify]Yeah, now I’m bulking! I used to have a shortage of food but now I can’t figure out how to space out my meals and finish them before bed. There’s just too much but I like it. I love to eat and nothing feels better than having food every 3 hours. I literally never felt hungry, seriously! That kind of bulking made me forget how hunger feels like. I’m eating all day, everyday. It also feels rewarding to train hard and have a shake after, followed by a big meal, and then going to bed with a full stomach, nothing compares man! My weight started to go up slowly every month. This was the first time I felt that food does play an important role in getting big.
[/align]
[align=justify]I contemplated on my past experiences and how my journey went so far during those times. I feel very relaxed as if I’m nearing an imaginary finish line. I have that calm feeling that everything will be smooth already since I have access to quality food and supplements. I thought that if you train consistently and eat right, I will achieve something special. I was wrong!
[/align]
[align=justify]During the first year of overhauling my nutrition I gained a good amount of quality mass and weight. From 150ish pounds, I reached 165lbs. The gains were obvious and pretty decent looking for a man who’s been lifting for years. But as the scale move up, it got heavier on the pocket too and the worst part is I do not like what I see in the mirror as I push my hopes for bigger muscles. This bulking frenzy made me rethink what I’m doing.
[/align]
[align=justify]The questions that I asked myself were, “I got big before when I have nothing, why can’t I just do what worked in the past”. “What’s so different now than before?”
[/align]
[align=justify]The current practice today is that you plan your mass gaining phase. Unfortunately in my case, it was more of a need. I went with the flow and entered a new realm of bodybuilding with no clear plans and targets. All I have are hopes and dreams. So instead of going over every article and study on how to bulk, I relied on my past experience first before looking for the answers online.[/align]
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Newbie: “Pa-cuts or bulking po”[/align]
[align=justify]One thing I realized during this stage is that, to gain muscle, it’s not the amount of food you eat but how much you train. Damaging your muscle alone will give it no choice but to grow even when there is not much food, how much more if you have access to quality food. With this, I can say that “intentional” bulking isn’t necessary unless you’re all skin and bones. The growth brought about by the body’s response to training is your “bulking gains”.
[/align]
[align=justify]During my skinny fat days I was able to grow some mass but talking about the quality of mass, I only started to transform when I cranked up my training.
[/align]
[align=justify]But Im fat! Same thing, train your way to a better physique. I was never “fat” like the big blob we have in mind, so I may not have the credibility to say this but I dealt with really fat people. Guess what? It’s the training that made the difference also for them.[/align]
[align=justify]The effect of newbie gains is magical because it works in a lot of ways. There’s really no need to complicate things when the magic is working perfectly fine.[/align]
[align=justify] [/align]
[align=justify]Progression after “The Transformation”[/align]
[align=justify]There will come a point when everything slows down, from muscle gains, fatloss, even motivation. Most of the guys who said “Dati ganito ako eh”. “Kung hindi lang ako nahinto”. “Nung kalakasan ko”. “Nagbubuhat ako dati eh”, they all ended their lifting game during this period.
[/align]
[align=justify]Very few people reach this point with a fair amount of success. Obviously, you won’t get here unless you had a successful newbie experience. But how come the failure rate is high despite having a good foundation. It’s simple, you have to level up your game or else you won’t start moving forward again. Sadly, most guys fail to recognize this.
[/align]
[align=justify]There was a point when I hit this wall. Back in 2006, my last year in college I was training alone for a year without my barkada. Being alone in the gym started to wear down my motivation especially during the summer break, everything was boring and competing against myself in that age is very unlikely. Motivation dropped, my workouts declined since my training partners were not there, and the worst part is there’s no allowance during summer vacation. I’ll be lucky to train twice a week and eat something extra. [/align]
[align=justify]I almost stopped going to the gym during this time. Luckily, I found a new motivation when classes started. I have a classmate who is often compared to me in terms of size. It’s close, only that he’s leaner. Not wanting to be left behind, I was forced to train more. Being away with my friends actually helped me focus on really bring up my weaknesses. I could say that this was the time when I explored further beyond what I learned form the kanto gyms.
[/align]
[align=justify]Every month, people start to notice my progress especially how the shape and size of my body improved. I got bigger. Again, training was the major driving force towards my gains. From 3 days, I trained 4-5 days. From my newbie “MWF” split, I played around “2on-1off-2on”, also tried “3on-1off-2on”, I went as far as training 4-5 straight days and so on. My exercise menu also got upgraded and I started to do new things from free weights to machines.[/align]