Okay, collective wisdom required.

My current diet has been one of 'clean bulking', with daily kcals not very much above maintenance. This has worked really well during the last seven-eight months and I've put on a bit over 35lbs. The thing is though, I started in a semi-emaciated state after my thyroid thing so this weight gain has been re-growth (and ten pounds of it was fluid re-gain in the first week or two)... which is a hell of a lot easier than new growth!

Anyway, am now back to where I was pre-thyroid (around 78kg), and suddenly the gains have slowed right down to next to nothing. Training is going fine (although I've just missed a few weeks due to a stomach bug) and is progressive. Am currently just under 13% b/fat and my macros are (roughly) 40/30/30 C/P/F.

Question; should I increase kcals bulk a bit more, or should I just play around with macros at the same intake?

It depends on your goals.

cleaver wrote:It depends on your goals.

Long-term more mass, short-term getting the same. I don't mind a bit of extra fat - I can cut very easily when I have to (high but ok T3 thyroid levels) and i enjoy cardio.

I'd think about a slight increase but proportionally increase volume with it.

Work around a 50g protein spike and a smiggin increase on fats and carbs.

Alex wrote:I'd think about a slight increase but proportionally increase volume with it.

Work around a 50g protein spike and a smiggin increase on fats and carbs.

Sounds like a good starting point to me.

Alex wrote:I'd think about a slight increase but proportionally increase volume with it.

Work around a 50g protein spike and a smiggin increase on fats and carbs.

Do you mean increase training volume? Have been thinking about trying an AlexT style routine (or building up to one) for a while...

So extra protein and marginal increases on fat and carbs - sounds good. How about cycling it - v high protein mon-fri, lower at weekends?

If you can get 1 lean pound every 2 weeks then keep it the same imo.

I imagine you will need to up it a tad though!

Dtlv74 wrote:

Alex wrote:I'd think about a slight increase but proportionally increase volume with it.

Work around a 50g protein spike and a smiggin increase on fats and carbs.

Do you mean increase training volume? Have been thinking about trying an AlexT style routine (or building up to one) for a while...

So extra protein and marginal increases on fat and carbs - sounds good. How about cycling it - v high protein mon-fri, lower at weekends?

Yes to the volume. The increase in cals will give to a capcity for an increased workout rate which may stimulate growth but initially you may react the other way and flatten for a week or 2.

Cycling works although I tend to stay high 7 days a week really, although non training days will be a little lower due to lack of workout nutrition.

Rab wrote:If you can get 1 lean pound every 2 weeks then keep it the same imo.

I imagine you will need to up it a tad though!

Thats the prob - I was gaining at that rate when i was re-gaining mass but not anymore now I'm in new growth territory...

One thing I also notice that works for me is a small amount of bedtime carbs before a training day with any prebed nutrition.

At the moment my carbs are a couple of oatcakes with peanut butter.

Okay cool, am forming a plan in my mind now.

Have been mostly on three full body splits a week, so a change to volume should work well as it's quite different and I tend to respond well when I change things up. Will also give me a chance to work properly on my spaghetti arms.

Current ideas for a split (opinions please);

Idea 1 - Antagonist Groupings
Chest & Back
Quads & Hams
Bi's & Tri's
Delts & Traps

Idea 2 - Greater Recovery
Chest & Bi's
Quads & Hams
Delts & Tri's
Back & Traps

Also, two on/one off, or mon + tue + thu + fri?

I like Antagonist groupings myself.

This order would work better in my opinion:

Quads & Hams
Chest & Back
Delts & Traps
Bi's & Tri's

In terms of rest I'd try and keep as long as possible between Chest & Shoulders and Triceps & Chest / Biceps & Back so I maybe train Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri.

Alex wrote:I like Antagonist groupings myself.

This order would work better in my opinion:

Quads & Hams
Chest & Back
Delts & Traps
Bi's & Tri's

In terms of rest I'd try and keep as long as possible between Chest & Shoulders and Triceps & Chest / Biceps & Back so I maybe train Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri.

Okay I see what you mean - I like the look of that.

Another question; do you in any way cycle your volume? It seems to me that periods of higher weight (85%+ 1RM) and slightly fewer sets alternated with lesser loading (70% 1RM) and higher volume would work well, as I could play with two kinds of volume progressions (sets and reps) as well as load progressions... or is this a needless complication (am good at those!)?

Whatever, I think I need to go through your MP diary and see how you work your progressions over time...

I tend to rep a bit higher now but I'll train by how my mood takes me.

Either way I keep the set count high and any low rep sets will usually be followed by a high rep set or another movement with high rep sets.