bulking/cutting question

is there a generally accepted period of time that you are to rotate each or is it pretty much to each his own? 

I started the madcow 5x5 and bulking about 6 weeks ago...im ok with the little extra fat because i can see the strength and the muscle shape coming in...im just wondering how long to do this for? 

and once i start cutting how long should i do that for?  im 5'7 160 and 15%bf..ideally this time next year id like to be 165-170 8-9% bf...can anyone chime in with some advice...thanks 

Bulk till you are a good 160 lbs lbm then cut down to 170.
 
edit: Basically right now you are 136 lbs of LBM, you are going to need roughly 25 lbs of muscle to reach your goal.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

SEOINAGE


Bulk till you are a good 160 lbs lbm then cut down to 170.
 
edit: Basically right now you are 136 lbs of LBM, you are going to need roughly 25 lbs of muscle to reach your goal.

S,
   Is your 160 lbm specific to the OP?  Where did you come up w/that?  I'm 6'1" 200, probably 15%bf so 170 lb lbm.  How high should I bulk and then cut to, iyo?  Thx!

I think bulking and cutting is all opinion JMBS. It's really bulk until you start to feel uncomfortable. I have no problem myself bulking to about 20+% bf while some people may.

PumaKrieg


I think bulking and cutting is all opinion JMBS. It's really bulk until you start to feel uncomfortable. I have no problem myself bulking to about 20+% bf while some people may.

I can still see abs and am vascular in arms and chest.  Spare tire and belly may have a gotten a little bigger.  Think I'll try to bulk to 210 and re-evaluate.

Bulk until you think you have a good amount of muscle on you. Cut when you feel you are ready to be shredded.

5'8.1"
Age = 20 
started in February 16th 2007: 58kg (127.6lbs)
current : around 79-80kg (173.8lb-176lb)

JMBS
It was specific to the original poster based upon his goals.  What are your goals?  BF calculations are pretty easy to do.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

after getting real cut, i hate bulking, i dont even do it anymore, i hate being a fat ass with muscle lol

update! 8/3/09

maxes and goals
bench - need to remax
goal bench - 405

squat - need to remax
goal squat - 500

deadlift - need to remax
goal deadlift - 500
weight -174.8 8%bf 

Yeah John, the keto pretty much allows you to bulk and cut at the same time. Perfect for someone with already enough muscle to cut but isn't in a real hurry to bulk up.

The keto is awesome.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

MVP


Yeah John, the keto pretty much allows you to bulk and cut at the same time. Perfect for someone with already enough muscle to cut but isn't in a real hurry to bulk up.

The keto is awesome.

i agree! i love it!

update! 8/3/09

maxes and goals
bench - need to remax
goal bench - 405

squat - need to remax
goal squat - 500

deadlift - need to remax
goal deadlift - 500
weight -174.8 8%bf 

SEOINAGE


JMBS
It was specific to the original poster based upon his goals.  What are your goals?  BF calculations are pretty easy to do.

My goals are to have Nmoney's quads, IBB's back, RollingStone's whole front, the ability to stop traffic on the freeway like Veg, and for Jane to call me "gorgeous".  I didn't want to set the bar too high and get discouraged.  So what should I bulk to, and then cut down to?  Thx!
 
Oops!  Forgot:  And I'd like to have your way with the ladies!  ;)
 
Srsly, I want to have a decent physique to compete in Masters and Novice classes next year.  Recall I'm an ecto, 6'1", 200 lb, probably 15%bf.

Well that is hard to say exactly what weight will accomplish that for you.  I'm guessing if you got your LBM up to 190 and then cut to like 202 you would be at around 6% bodyfat and look amazing, granted you don't lose any muscle mass, and remember as well in a comp you can drop some extra weight to get into a lower weigth bracket and replenish some glycogen after weigh ins to fill up your muscles.  you current LBM if you are 15% bf is 170 lbs, so that would be 20 lbs of muscle, might be hard to gain in less than a year.  You could shoot for 180 LBM and cut to 190 putting you between 5-6% bf. 

Really since you have a competition date in mind you'll want to put on as much muscle before you need to trim down and get ripped.  If you didn't have that comp I would probably bulk longer, but then again it doesn't hurt too much if you want to trim down and bulk again because you won't get as obese!  On a moderate bulk you could put on 1 lb of lbm to every pound of fat, not the most ideal but it can work.  From 200 to 240 if it were the case you would have 190 lbm and be about 21% bf.  just keep in mind 40 lbs would be a lot harder to lose, so a slower bulk might be more beneficial but it will depend largely on your body.

Lets say you were to bulk to the 180 lbm at a slower rate, 1 lb of lbm to .5 lbs fat, 10 lbs lbm 5 lbs muscle gain.  215 would be your new weight with 180 lbm putting you about 16.5% bf with about 25 lbs to lose.

One thing to keep in mind at those under 200 lb weights in competitions you really have to get cut up to look good compared to a much larger person won't have to have as low a bf %, some people are as low as 3% bf in lighter divisions.  You would probably lose muscle doing that but just some things to think about prepping for it, 5-10% would be more ideal for a first competition in novice division, closer to 5 if you can though.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx

S,
   Thx a ton!  Lots to mull over!  I'm happy with the gain rate right now.  Let's see what the 6 or 8 wks of HST translates into for me and then revisit the issue.  I'm not even against delaying the comp another season or even not doing it at all.  I don't mean to sound like I'm wussing out, it's just that I have some thinking to do regarding what I want out of this whole thing.  Thinking now is that I want a great body.  That's "trophy" in itself.  All that posing training and deep cutting could be time spent better on developing muscle.  Know what I'm saying?  And truth be told, posting pics of my progress in CMP might fulfill for me what a trophy in a contest otherwise would.  Lots to think about.  Thx again!  :)

I once wanted to compete in bodybuilding, but on the amateur level it is just as much work for very little payoff.  If you are good at choreographing a routine and posing it could be fun, it is just a lot of work.

http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/Seos-Log-2008-m442008.aspx