Off Season Bulk

[joedemarco]

Thought I'd share my off season bulking program with the forum. My last competition was 6 weeks ago at the NPC Team Universe. After placing a disappointing 2nd, I did a lot of thinking. I made the decision to move up a weight class for the 2010 Team U. I will therefore spend the next several months bulking up in preparation for next September.

My plan is to bring my off season weight up to 190 lbs. I am currently at 183 pounds (first thing in morning with no food/clothes). In case anyone was going to ask, I'm about 5'4".

I have had my calories for the past several weeks set at about 4000/day. It hasn't been easy eating that much, but I'm getting use to it. My training has been going great as I have been getting stronger every week.

Feel free to fire away when any questions you may have regarding my bulking cycle. Here are a couple of progress pics from last night. I feel that I've been packing on some good size while maintaining some degree of definition.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

This will be fun to watch. We in here are typical of the waffling back and forth between training up lean, clean bulking and old school bulking.

Because of my age and 12 years off the circuit my belly skin stretched and F'en stayed....yipes. I clean Ketoed from 233 to 194 over 8 months (in there was some quality add on of muscle). Now I am training up lean hoping to tighten that skin. I am up about 3 pounds muscle and 3 of fat in the past 90 days.

Do you see an advantage going from the bigger end of your current weight class into the smaller end of the next class up? I asume the 40+ age group?
Baldie

[joedemarco]

This will be fun to watch. We in here are typical of the waffling back and forth between training up lean, clean bulking and old school bulking.

Because of my age and 12 years off the circuit my belly skin stretched and F'en stayed....yipes. I clean Ketoed from 233 to 194 over 8 months (in there was some quality add on of muscle). Now I am training up lean hoping to tighten that skin. I am up about 3 pounds muscle and 3 of fat in the past 90 days.

Do you see an advantage going from the bigger end of your current weight class into the smaller end of the next class up? I asume the 40+ age group?
Baldie

I'm training all year to return to Team Universe in September of 2010. It is an open competition so I'm on stage next to some guys that I'm old enough to be their father...lol.

I competed this year as a lightweight (max weight 154 1/4). The next class up is welterweight (max weight 165). I actually plan on coming in at the high end of this class. I had to really suck down to make the lightweights this year and probably lost some quality muscle. I think if I train hard this winter and make some quality gains that I can come in just as hard next year at about 163-165.

Good luck with your training! Sounds like you're on track.

[axioma]

I am 44. Won 09 SC Masters and Light Hvy in the Open. I am 5'9". I am currently 225 at 15%. I have always stayed tight, however I am just now feeling like I am getting stronger, once I opened the diet. I want to compete as a Heavy in Masters Nats in '10. Should I try to gain a little more? How much BF would be acceptable? I am doing no cardio to speak of right now, just what I do with clients.

[joedemarco]

I am 44. Won 09 SC Masters and Light Hvy in the Open. I am 5'9". I am currently 225 at 15%. I have always stayed tight, however I am just now feeling like I am getting stronger, once I opened the diet. I want to compete as a Heavy in Masters Nats in '10. Should I try to gain a little more? How much BF would be acceptable? I am doing no cardio to speak of right now, just what I do with clients.

In general, as a rule of thumb, I try to stay within 15% of my competition weight. That is why this year I was going to be coming up to about 190 pounds and then diet down and compete at 165. Therefore, you may want to bring your weight up if you plan on competing as a heavy weight.

[Baldiewonkanobi]

I am 44. Won 09 SC Masters and Light Hvy in the Open. I am 5'9". I am currently 225 at 15%. I have always stayed tight, however I am just now feeling like I am getting stronger, once I opened the diet. I want to compete as a Heavy in Masters Nats in '10. Should I try to gain a little more? How much BF would be acceptable? I am doing no cardio to speak of right now, just what I do with clients.

I like your term....'open the diet'. After comming off of Keto for about 10 months I guess I 'opened' my diet allowing some sugars to creep in and an xtra carb here and there. The sugars come from drinking 4 Muscle Milk skakes a day instead of 4 100% whey. My strength is way way up. I mean UP. It will be easy for me to flip back to full Keto if and when needed. I am fortunate I guess than in Over 70 there is but one class. Good is that I most likely will be the biggest man on stage...ht/weight. Bad is that there might be a solid shorter man showing up this year....

Baldie

[axioma]

Thanks for response. I really have to push the calories to grow. I am amazed at the quality of 60+ these days. Just goes to show the lifestyle is the best. Not the competition lifestyle, mind you, but a well rounded bodybuilding lifestyle is great for longevity. My roll models are Richard Baldwin and Frank Zane. Even during their competition heydays, they were always open to trying new things and expanding their horizons. Richard did martial arts and Frank got into Zen and archery. You motivate me Baldie. I will have to share a story about a client, 85, who just approached me and said, "Can I put some muscle on these bones?" I just grinned.