How long should a lean bulk last and how fast should I gain weight?

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi BBM,

I am currently around 4 months in to a long term lean bulk where I intend to gain around 10-15 kg. Just to give some background - I am 20 years old, my height is 179 cm and this is my first bulk since my last one a few years ago due to training on and off because of injuries. My main goals during this bulk are both hypertrophy and gaining strength on all the main powerlifting movements (I’ve seen people refer to this as “powerbuilding”).

Just to give some background - I have been weighing myself at the same time every day in the morning as soon as I get up. I started the bulk on the 12/12/2021 and my average weight throughout the week was 69.7 kg @ 13.1% bf. This week, my average weight is 72.3 kg @ 14.2% bf.

I have been using an app called MacroFactor which recommends the amount of calories you should be eating based on your goal weight, weight gain rate, and daily weight and calorie tracking. My current calorie target is 2555 calories per day (191g of protein, 85g of fat and 255g of carbs). I have been eating relatively clean, meaning I haven’t been eating many fruits and vegetables (due to being a very picky eater), though I rarely eat “junk” food.

Now that I have given the background, i’ve got a few question about how the bulk has been going so far and how and what my goals should be:

  1. Considering I have been gaining weight quite slowly, is it normal that I gained around 1% bf after gaining only around 2.5 kg in around 4 months? Or, is it quite a high amount of body fat to gain considering this is supposed to be a lean bulk?
  2. My current goal is to reach 80-85 kg, depending on how much body fat I gain and how far I can take this bulk without getting uncomfortable with my body fat %. Therefore, what should be the rate of weight gain I should be expecting during this bulk, and how long should a bulk of this type last? I currently set my goal rate of weight gain in the MacroFactor app at 0.8% of by body weight every month. At this rate, the app predicts that I will reach around 84-85 kg in september 2023 which is in around a year and a half. Is this too long for a bulk, and if so do I need to change the rate at which I gain weight, or do I need to change my goal? For example, should I aim to bulk to around 78-80 kg, cut a bit of weight depending on my bf %, and then start a new bulk in order to reach around 85 kg?

Thanks in advance for any help!

2

Hey Ben,

Thanks for the post. For your questions:

  1. Based on your numbers provided, you’ve gained 2.6kg in total body weight, 1.4kg in lean mass, and 1.2kg in fat mass. This seems reasonable to me.
  2. There are no hard numbers for “length of bulk”, as this is determined mostly by your personal preferences, goals, and resources. I think ~ 0.5-2kg of weight gain per month is a reasonable range, which should be adjusted based on your results. Similar to weight loss, weight gain isn’t linear and I think what you’re doing right now is fine.

-Jordan