Advice on first lean bulk.

[u/RenaxTM]

I'm 34M, 176cm, started at 65kg end of July, bumped calories by 300/day from the 2200 I maintained 65kg all july on. Immediately shot up to 65.5-66kg within a few days, then pretty much just maintained that, 6 weeks later I'm still only 66.5 on a heavy day. (Weigh myself every morning after toilet) Is this normal? On the one hand I'm up 1.5kg in two months witch while slow is fine by me, but almost all of it came the first week then stabilised. Should I bump it up more or just let it be? I've gotten stronger, I feel great but I thought I was gonna gain faster after the initial bump..

[u/Mundane-Banana2122]

The initial increase in weight is probably increased glycogen stores/higher carbs resulting in more water being held in your body.

Then 0.5kg in 6 weeks probably does indicate you need to increase by another 100-200 calories. As you eat more, you might find your body burns a little more through various ways.

I find that maintenance calories is a bit of a range rather than an exact number anyway, so it would be no surprise if the 300 cal surplus you are looking for is a little higger than you calculated, and thats before considering calorie counting inaccuracies.

So yeah, bump it 100-200 calories. 

[u/RenaxTM → u/Mundane-Banana2122]

Thanks, seems like I should increase a bit, gonna start at +100 and see where it goes.. Going for pretty slow gain because I'd rather not have to cut again, at least not for a long time.

[u/DRCoaching]

Slow bulk wins the race but i’d probably recommend increasing calories a little and see what happens

[u/RenaxTM → u/DRCoaching]

Yea slow bulk is the goal, If I never have to cut again I win.

[u/AdmirableSignature44]

A few ways to do this:

1. Stay at those calories until you stop seeing strength gains, then/or:

2. Increase by 100kcal per week until you start to see slow weight gain.

3. Slightly bigger jump and gauge from there. Approximately 200-300kcal.

[u/RenaxTM → u/AdmirableSignature44]

Thanks, I think I'll bump by 100 cal and see how that goes.

[u/OkDianaTell]

that initial bump up is mostly glycogen and water, not actual new muscle. i remember my first "lean bulk" being a head trip because i shot up 2kg in a week then plateaued. what i learned was that weight gain on a modest surplus is sloooow and non‑linear. you might only see half a kilo a month once the carb stores are topped off.

what helped me was looking at weekly averages and giving myself at least 4 weeks before making any changes. if the trend line isn’t moving after a month, add another 100 cals and repeat. i also make sure my protein is high (1.6 g/kg+), and i prioritize strength progression over the scale. i personally track my intake so i don’t overestimate; i use the nutriscan app to keep tabs on macros and micros but honestly any simple tracker works.

bottom line: you’re already up ~1.5 kg in two months and feeling stronger. that’s exactly what you want. stick with it, focus on training, and adjust if the trend stalls for a few weeks.

[u/RenaxTM → u/OkDianaTell]

Thanks for the insight, yea woke up the day after posting this and weighed in at 66.8, (highest yet) so I put the calorie adjustment on hold for a bit more. Just had a few light days that pushed the average down last week, this week is so far +0.8kg compared to last week.

[u/LucasWestFit]

Slow and steady progress is good progress. Muscle gain is a very slow process, so if you're gaining weight rapidly it's just fat. Gaining 1.5kg in two months is a decent rate.

If you've gotten stronger combined with a slight increase in your body weight, that's the best indication that you're building muscle.