Bulking - Playing It By Ear
It’s always being said that bodybuilding is not an exact science. One expert says one thing, another says the opposite. Either or both could be right or wrong. Besides, what works well for one person might not work well for the other, and so on. This goes for both workout and diet.
I’m not the worlds most patient person; I like to know what’s going to work first, so I know I’m not wasting my time, so this is the aspect of bodybuilding I find most frustrating. But, I’m coming to realise the truth of the matter: Over time, I’ve got to test, wait, and gauge what’s best for me – all by myself.
And it’s the same for everyone, I suppose. Particularly those who are just starting out like I am and haven’t been training long enough to know what works best for their body. I don’t believe there is any kind of shortcut for this, unfortunately. Although if you know one, please tell me! 
Ever since I started, I’ve been devouring so much information I could make Kim Peek look like a half-arsed reader. Since I’m currently in the bulking phase, I’ve been particularly intent on digging out information on that. And guess what? Bingo! Everyone says something completely different…
Many advocate sticking to a strict, rigid and unchanging diet where calories and macronutrient ratios can be counted precisely (I see the logic in this), while others seem to say: ‘forget it, you’re bulking, just shove sufficient calories down, and you’ll grow.’
Some arguments for sticking to a rigid diet seem to be to avoid putting on fat; a task others say is futile for a natural bodybuilder who isn’t on steroids (unless under very rare circumstances.)
Well, I’m not on steroids. And I don’t believe my circumstances are rare. So, I’m gonna put fat on, I suppose. And to be honest, I don’t really care – I had a bit of stomach fat before I began anyway, thanks to years of the ancient British tradition of getting hammered on the weekend and shovelling the post-pi$$up takeaway down my neck like most young people. It’s all good, init?
And in any case, if I notice I’m starting to put excessive fat on, I’ll just cut down on the calorie excess a bit, or simply cut for a while. So there’s no problem, really.
Right now, I just don’t think I could stomach (no pun intended) having to eat the same stuff day in, day out. I get bored way too easy, and since I’ve no intention of ever entering competitions or any of that stuff, I don’t suppose eating the same thing day in day out while bulking is of such grave importance. Plus, I live with my family, so for tea (dinner), I have what they have – different stuff all the time – and damned if I pass up on it, too.
Having said that, I do know the most important thing is to eat enough calories, and to eat enough protein. With adequate carbs and fats also important. Therefore, I decided today to try to keep a bit of a better track on what I’m eating, so I created a diet tracking sheet. During January I pretty much just estimated everything, and while I got good gains, I’m aware as time goes on I’ll have to get a bit more precise if I’m to keep making good muscle gains.
So yeah – this tracking sheet. Basically, I’m going to be putting down everything I eat on it, including calories, and macronutrient breakdown. And most important of all – the daily totals of each. This way, while the macronutrient ratios won’t be spot on, given I eat a variety of things rather than stick to a fully strict diet, I’ll at least know I’m getting enough of everything, and I’m satisfied that’s the most important thing at the moment.
I’ll see how this goes throughout February. If I don’t see good muscle gains and I see a lot of fat gains, I’ll no doubt have to bite the bullet and sort out a more strict diet. (I’m praying that day doesn’t come too soon…)
