Recommendations for duration and rate of weight gain of a long term bulk

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi BBM,

I am getting ready to soon start a long term bulk when the gyms reopen in my country within a few weeks, and I would be happy to get a bit of guidance.

To give some context, I am currently 19 , my height is 179 cm and I weigh 69.8 kg at 13.3% bf. My main goal is hypertrophy and would therefore like to build a significant amount of muscle mass, though strength is also a secondary though important goal for me. My current plan is to run the BBM beginner program followed by the powerbuilding I and II programs, after which I plan to probably run the BBM hypertrophy I program.

My training back round is 2 years of doing a typical A B program 4 times per week with no clear progression strategy (started when I was 16), followed by a year and half hampered by various injuries in which I have also lost weight and muscle mass and presumably strength, as I have not trained in a while.
As for my injuries, I have another post in the pain & rehab forum (currently waiting for a response) where I talk about my hip impingement (FAI CAM type), which has subsequently caused a partial tear in the upper-front of my labrum, which therefore is currently limiting me from doing any leg exercise that involves deep flexion of the hip, for example any variation of a squat / lunge / leg press / deadlift seem to cause pain even with an empty barbell or very minimal weight.

Given the context, my questions are:

  1. Should I run a mini-cut to get to around 11%-12% bf in order to start my bulk from a better starting position?

  2. Up until what weight should I bulk to, and what is the rate of weight gain I should be expecting / aiming for week to week?

  3. Considering that my maintenance calorie consumption seems to be around 2100, how many calories should I be bulking on, and what should be the distribution between protein, carbs and fats? If I get an appropriate protein intake and the correct calorie intake do the fats and carbs really matter?

  4. Is it even a smart idea to start a bulk considering I am very limited in my lower body training due to my hip impingement? and what modifications could I make to the BBM beginner program for example considering the limitations of my injury?

I would really appreciate any help!

2

Ben,

  1. I don’t think that really confers a better starting position.

  2. We don’t have any guidelines here for a specific weight number here, as individual results vary significantly and context is everything. I think that slow weight gain, e.g. 1-2kg/month is advisable if choosing this road.

3/4) We have published a significant amount of materials (articles, podcasts, youtube, etc.) on nutrition and pain that would help you immensely. Briefly:

  • carbohydrate and fat intake matter relatively little compared to total energy and protein intake, though very low carb diets seem to do worse for muscle mass gain and retention
  • absolute energy level is going to be unique to the individual for appropriate weight gain, but adding 250 Cal/day is a good place to start
  • You can probably find ways to train your legs that are pain free, but I think FAI is an incorrect diagnosis.

In any case, you may benefit from professional consultation given these questions, as there are limits to what we can do without significantly more information and time.

-Jordan

3

Got it, thanks for the help Jordan!