how much weight gain per month on bulk?

[TsarTsar444]

im skinny fat with no muscles basically and 20% bf, i have gained around 2kg of weight in the gym in 2 months. I don't want to gain fat at all tbh, want to get as much natty muscles as possible and go on a cut to 10% bf in spring

 

[randomuser2407]

im skinny fat with no muscles basically and 20% bf, i have gained around 2kg of weight in the gym in 2 months. I don't want to gain fat at all tbh, want to get as much natty muscles as possible and go on a cut to 10% bf in spring

Show me a picture if you want me to determine your true body fat percentage (you can hide your face if you want).

If you are really 20% body fat, then you should recomp (gain strength and lose fat while maintaining your weight).

You can do this by gaining strength on Jason Blaha's Novice Program 2.0:

You don't have to bulk when you are high body fat, but you can't progress in the gym if you are too lean, that is because the body works best at 15-20% body fat and below that it struggles to gain strength and muscle mass. So if you are skinny, you have to bulk, and if you are fat, you have to recomp. Going on an intense cut is a bad idea because it will be hard to make progress in the gym if you do that, and in the end, unless you build some muscle mass, you will always look the same.

Right now I am at 170 lbs at 6 foot 4 and I am gaining 1 lb per week (so around 4 lbs per month) half of it is muscle mass and half of it is fat. I do that because I am starting off very skinny, and to just look like I lift, I need to be at at least 200 lbs since I am tall.

The biggest mistake that I made when I started training was that I kept bulking and cutting all the time because I was afraid of getting fat, the result was that I never really gained any strength during all that time (2016 to 2017) and it was only at the beginning of this year that I found out that I really need to gain a lot of fat to also gain a lot of muscle because I can't get muscular from such a skinny starting point.

 

[TsarTsar444]

Show me a picture if you want me to determine your true body fat percentage (you can hide your face if you want).

If you are really 20% body fat, then you should recomp (gain strength and lose fat while maintaining your weight).

You can do this by gaining strength on Jason Blaha's Novice Program 2.0:

You don't have to bulk when you are high body fat, but you can't progress in the gym if you are too lean, that is because the body works best at 15-20% body fat and below that it struggles to gain strength and muscle mass. So if you are skinny, you have to bulk, and if you are fat, you have to recomp. Going on an intense cut is a bad idea because it will be hard to make progress in the gym if you do that, and in the end, unless you build some muscle mass, you will always look the same.

Right now I am at 170 lbs at 6 foot 4 and I am gaining 1 lb per week (so around 4 lbs per month) half of it is muscle mass and half of it is fat. I do that because I am starting off very skinny, and to just look like I lift, I need to be at at least 200 lbs since I am tall.

The biggest mistake that I made when I started training was that I kept bulking and cutting all the time because I was afraid of getting fat, the result was that I never really gained any strength during all that time (2016 to 2017) and it was only at the beginning of this year that I found out that I really need to gain a lot of fat to also gain a lot of muscle because I can't get muscular from such a skinny starting point.

 

[randomuser2407]

View attachment 689352

OK, you don't actually look that fat, judging just based on that picture alone, you could probably just lean bulk but if you want more accurate advice, I would also need:
1) your current bodyweight
2) your lifting numbers (bench press, squat, deadlift, overhead press, barbell row, weighted chin ups)

 

[TsarTsar444]

OK, you don't actually look that fat, judging just based on that picture alone, you could probably just lean bulk but if you want more accurate advice, I would also need:
1) your current bodyweight
2) your lifting numbers (bench press, squat, deadlift, overhead press, barbell row, weighted chin ups)

1)6'1, 77.5kg weight (was 75.4kg 2 months ago).
2)I don't know my max on any lift tbh, but i do 4×8 45kg bench, 4×8 45kg barbell row, 25kg 3×8 overhead press, 4×8 25kg squats. All these lifts were half when i just started

 

[randomuser2407]

1)6'1, 77.5kg weight (was 75.4kg 2 months ago).
2)I don't know my max on any lift tbh, but i do 4×8 45kg bench, 4×8 45kg barbell row, 25kg 3×8 overhead press, 4×8 25kg squats. All these lifts were half when i just started

I am 6 foot 4 and I am at the exact same weight as you.

My current lifting numbers are:
160 lb (72.57 kg) squat for 5 reps
110 lb (49.9 kg) bench press for 5 reps
115 lb (52.16 kg) barbell row for 5 reps
85 lb (38.56 kg) overhead press for 4 reps
195 lb (88.45 kg) deadlift for 5 reps.


You should definitely not cut next spring, don't cut until you reach the advanced strength standards. You haven't even reached intermediate yet, and neither have I.
The intermediate strength standards are:
a 135 lb (61.24 kg) overhead press, a 200 lb (90.72 kg) barbell row, a 225 lb (102.06 kg) bench press, a 315 lb (142.89 kg) squat, and a 405 lb (183.71 kg) deadlift.

The advanced strength standards are:
a 100 lb (45.36 kg) weighted chin up, a 200 lb (90.72 kg) overhead press, a 275 lb (124.74 kg) barbell row, a 315 lb (142.89 kg) bench press, a 405 lb (183.71 kg) squat and a 500 lb (226.8 kg) deadlift


It should take you only 6-12 months of training to get to the intermediate level, and 3 years in total at most to reach the advanced level.
Since everybody is different and not everyone has the same genetics, you may be a bit above or a bit below those numbers but they are a good way to measure your progress.

The intermediate level will give you an above average physique that is good enough to succeed on Tinder as long as you look at least average in the face and aren't shorter than average. You will look like you lift with your shirt off, but with your shirt on, it still won't be 100% obvious.

The advanced level will make you look so muscular that you will look impressive according to the average person and you will definitely look like you lift with a shirt on.

To get to the intermediate level, watch the video I sent you about Blaha's Novice Program 2.0, and then follow it perfectly, and in 6-12 months, you will reach those intermediate numbers.

With the program you will be doing the squat, the bench press, the overhead press and the barbell curl 3 times per week, while the deadlift and the barbell row will be done 1 out of 2 times so every other workout.

Every time you go in the gym you will be able to add 5 lbs on the squat and on the deadlift, and 2.5 lbs on the bench press, overhead press, and barbell row (to do this you will need to buy microplates from Amazon).

Sometimes you will stall, when you stall 2 times in a row, you deload by removing 10% and building back up, if you're eating enough and using proper form and being consistent, then those deloads will allow you to go through those plateaus and get stronger. All this and more details are explained in the video that I sent you above, this one:

Then, to get to the advanced level, you can either use Madcow's 5x5 or Jason Blaha's linear periodization for intermediates:

 

[randomuser2407]

1)6'1, 77.5kg weight (was 75.4kg 2 months ago).
2)I don't know my max on any lift tbh, but i do 4×8 45kg bench, 4×8 45kg barbell row, 25kg 3×8 overhead press, 4×8 25kg squats. All these lifts were half when i just started

Also, to finally answer your question about whether you should bulk or not, yes you should still bulk, aim to gain 1 lb per week (4 lbs per month) and start squatting, your squat is way too weak compared to your other lifts. I bet that if you get on ICF 2.0, you can add 60 lbs to your squat in only a month, and once you reach around 135-145 lbs, it will probably slow down to an increase of 30 lbs per month, which is still great. In 1 month, my squat will be at least at 180 lbs, but probably more like 185 or 190, that is the benefit of using the right training program and eating enough. If you cut, you will look skinny ripped, that's not the look that you want trust me.

 

[TsarTsar444]

I am 6 foot 4 and I am at the exact same weight as you.

My current lifting numbers are:
160 lb (72.57 kg) squat for 5 reps
110 lb (49.9 kg) bench press for 5 reps
115 lb (52.16 kg) barbell row for 5 reps
85 lb (38.56 kg) overhead press for 4 reps
195 lb (88.45 kg) deadlift for 5 reps.


You should definitely not cut next spring, don't cut until you reach the advanced strength standards. You haven't even reached intermediate yet, and neither have I.
The intermediate strength standards are:
a 135 lb (61.24 kg) overhead press, a 200 lb (90.72 kg) barbell row, a 225 lb (102.06 kg) bench press, a 315 lb (142.89 kg) squat, and a 405 lb (183.71 kg) deadlift.

The advanced strength standards are:
a 100 lb (45.36 kg) weighted chin up, a 200 lb (90.72 kg) overhead press, a 275 lb (124.74 kg) barbell row, a 315 lb (142.89 kg) bench press, a 405 lb (183.71 kg) squat and a 500 lb (226.8 kg) deadlift


It should take you only 6-12 months of training to get to the intermediate level, and 3 years in total at most to reach the advanced level.
Since everybody is different and not everyone has the same genetics, you may be a bit above or a bit below those numbers but they are a good way to measure your progress.

The intermediate level will give you an above average physique that is good enough to succeed on Tinder as long as you look at least average in the face and aren't shorter than average. You will look like you lift with your shirt off, but with your shirt on, it still won't be 100% obvious.

The advanced level will make you look so muscular that you will look impressive according to the average person and you will definitely look like you lift with a shirt on.

To get to the intermediate level, watch the video I sent you about Blaha's Novice Program 2.0, and then follow it perfectly, and in 6-12 months, you will reach those intermediate numbers.

With the program you will be doing the squat, the bench press, the overhead press and the barbell curl 3 times per week, while the deadlift and the barbell row will be done 1 out of 2 times so every other workout.

Every time you go in the gym you will be able to add 5 lbs on the squat and on the deadlift, and 2.5 lbs on the bench press, overhead press, and barbell row (to do this you will need to buy microplates from Amazon).

Sometimes you will stall, when you stall 2 times in a row, you deload by removing 10% and building back up, if you're eating enough and using proper form and being consistent, then those deloads will allow you to go through those plateaus and get stronger. All this and more details are explained in the video that I sent you above, this one:

Then, to get to the advanced level, you can either use Madcow's 5x5 or Jason Blaha's linear periodization for intermediates:

ok, but wouldn't i get very fat by the time i get to intermediate from all that bulk jfl

 

[OverForMe]

thats all bullshit do repetitions in the muscle building rnage of 8-10 reps per series thats the amount that will built the maximum amount of muscle mass not power lifts

 

[randomuser2407]

ok, but wouldn't i get very fat by the time i get to intermediate from all that bulk jfl

Yeah I forgot to mention that you shouldn't do that diet for 1 year. But 6 months is perfect if you are on the right program, because as a beginner, you can gain 2 lbs of muscle per month if you eat enough, so by gaining 4 lbs per month, in 6 months that would be an increase of 12 lbs of muscle and 12 lbs of fat. The more muscle you have on your frame, the more fat you can have without looking fat.


But really, the main reason why you should still bulk is because you are only 170 lbs at 6 foot 1, that is very skinny for your height, but at 200 lbs, you won't look skinny anymore, you won't look ripped or have six pack abs, but you will be at the perfect body weight.

A lot of guys are wrong about their body fat percentage, abs are not a good indicator unless you are at the advanced level, you can be 12% body fat and have no abs because they haven't been developed yet.

In contrary to popular belief, abs are NOT made in the kitchen, at least not entirely. But if you get really strong at the main compound movements and you do them without a belt (by using the valsalva maneuver) you can develop abs that are so thick that you will be able to see them at higher levels of body fat.

I don't think that you are at 20% body fat because it's not possible to be fat at 170 lbs if you are 6 foot 1 and untrained. I know all this because when I was only 138 lbs, I didn't have abs, and from 138 to 170 lbs I only gained very little muscle mass. So you shouldn't try to estimate your body fat percentage, instead you should determine the weight required for you to recover from your workouts.

If you only aim to gain 2 lbs per month, you won't gain the 2 lbs of muscle because some of it has to be fat, and the human body isn't 100% effective when it is at a low body fat, which is why pro athletes are never ripped, because they need the extra fat for top performance in their sport.

So if you want the best progress, I recommend you bulk up to at least 195-200 lbs and then you can aim for a 0.5 lb per week weight gain (2 lbs per month) but as a skinny guy, you need the extra fat. Maybe, you will look skinny fat, but you will be stronger, and at the end, when you become intermediate, you will not be skinny fat anymore.

 

[OverForMe]

Also never bulk it will ruin your face

 

[randomuser2407]

thats all bullshit do repetitions in the muscle building rnage of 8-10 reps per series thats the amount that will built the maximum amount of muscle mass not power lifts

Whether you do low weight high reps or high weight low reps, the result is the same, that is because progressive overload is the same no matter how it is done, progress is progress. There are 2 problems with your approach though:

1) the first problem with using low weight for high reps though is that the high volume will prevent you from doing high frequency full body workouts, and if you attempt to do both (high frequency with high volume), you will get nowhere.
2) the second problem is that the more reps you do, the more your form will start to break down, which will have a negative impact on your results.

Also, you didn't specify this in your comment, but I just want to be 100% clear, compound movements are superior to accessory lifts, that is because they work more muscle groups at the same time and are the most efficient movement patterns to build muscle.

Also, strength gain=muscle gain. A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle when you are not on steroids. There is no such thing as a framecel, the stronger you are, the bigger your muscles will be, so if you want big legs (and glutes), you need to get really strong at squats and deadlifts, and if you want to get a good chest, you need to get really strong at the bench press, if you want very wide lats to get that V taper, you need to get really strong at barbell rows and weighted chin ups, and if you want big boulder shoulders, you need to get really strong at the overhead press.

Accessory lifts aren't useless though, barbell curls can give you bigger biceps and help your bench press, face pulls can give you a bigger upper back and traps, and cable crunches can give you thicker abs. But the weakest guys are the ones who do endless accessory lifts and avoid the compound lifts.

And finally, bodybuilders tend to look better than powerlifters because they have better genetics for the sport and because they are much leaner than powerlifters, however both are terrible examples, because none of the 2 are natural.

The programs I mentioned aren't powerlifting specific (powerlifters only do the squat, bench and deadlift and they only train their 1RM), the programs here are mass and strength building programs, they build both at the same time.

 

[randomuser2407]

Also never bulk it will ruin your face

Don't complain if you can't make progress in the gym then. Bulking is necessary when you are too skinny. It is impossible to make gains efficiently when you are low body fat, you need to be at around 15-20% body fat. If you try doing it at low body fat, it will take you 5+ years to achieve less than someone at a higher body fat who trained hard for 6-12 months. I know because I did exactly that mistake, I got nowhere, constant plateaus, I wondered why I wasn't making any gains, and it's because I was afraid of gaining fat. You have 2 choices, either you stay a skinny lanklet with a lean face or you become a huge muscular badass with a fatter face and then cut down once you are big enough. You don't have to constantly cut and bulk. You just have to bulk for long enough, cut down to 12% and then maintain.

 

[OverForMe]

Whether you do low weight high reps or high weight low reps, the result is the same, that is because progressive overload is the same no matter how it is done, progress is progress. There are 2 problems with your approach though:

1) the first problem with using low weight for high reps though is that the high volume will prevent you from doing high frequency full body workouts, and if you attempt to do both (high frequency with high volume), you will get nowhere.
2) the second problem is that the more reps you do, the more your form will start to break down, which will have a negative impact on your results.

Also, you didn't specify this in your comment, but I just want to be 100% clear, compound movements are superior to accessory lifts, that is because they work more muscle groups at the same time and are the most efficient movement patterns to build muscle.

Also, strength gain=muscle gain. A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle when you are not on steroids. There is no such thing as a framecel, the stronger you are, the bigger your muscles will be, so if you want big legs (and glutes), you need to get really strong at squats and deadlifts, and if you want to get a good chest, you need to get really strong at the bench press, if you want very wide lats to get that V taper, you need to get really strong at barbell rows and weighted chin ups, and if you want big boulder shoulders, you need to get really strong at the overhead press.

Accessory lifts aren't useless though, barbell curls can give you bigger biceps and help your bench press, face pulls can give you a bigger upper back and traps, and cable crunches can give you thicker abs. But the weakest guys are the ones who do endless accessory lifts and avoid the compound lifts.

And finally, bodybuilders tend to look better than powerlifters because they have better genetics for the sport and because they are much leaner than powerlifters, however both are terrible examples, because none of the 2 are natural.

The programs I mentioned aren't powerlifting specific (powerlifters only do the squat, bench and deadlift and they only train their 1RM), the programs here are mass and strength building programs, they build both at the same time.

You wanna know something? i built my legs and calfs to the maximum i could to not be deformed for my height following the bodybuilder body standards with just low weight squats and kicking the bag in 3 months with a normal meat diet and i cant even fit in skinny jeans anymore my calfs are too big

 

[randomuser2407]

You wanna know something? i built my legs and calfs to the maximum i could to not be deformed for my height following the bodybuilder body standards with just low weight squats and kicking the bag in 3 months with a normal meat diet and i cant even fit in skinny pants anymore

That is probably due to genetics, some guys have big legs without even training hard, but my muscles don't respond to the training, so I need to reach a very high level to get what you have. But although your legs grow very quickly, it isn't the case for the rest of your body, that is because it is impossible to have strong points all over your body. AlphaDestiny is like you, he can grow huge legs very quickly with only a 315 lb squat. In my case though, as a tall guy who is naturally skinny, I will never have legs that are too big even if I reach a 405 lb squat, that is because I have long legs (so long muscle point insertions) and I have the genetics of a skinny guy so although I can get a decent physique, none of my body parts will get too big compared to the rest, because I don't have strong points that grow easily like you do.

If you were to get your squat to 405, then your legs would be even bigger than they are now though, so what I was saying is still true, even with your really good leg genetics.

Also, what are your lifting numbers on squats and deadlifts?