On Cycle Macros

Wunderpus

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AnabolicLab.com Supporter
10+ Year Member
I don't do the whole "if it fits your macros" BS. But, I would like to see what others are doing for their bulking, cruising and cutting macros...

For example, the stupid little "My Fitness Pal" app seemed to think I only need like 2300 cals... Doubt it.

I am aiming for 5K cals, 460G protein and on a high carb day about 460G's as well.


If this thread already exists, apologies.
 
I'm not going to get into "if it fits your macros" because it works. Don't diss it till ya try it. I shoot for 1.5g protein per lb. for carbs I do 2 times my protein. And I keep fats as low as I can
 
I only count protein,calories, fiber. In that order of importance. I write it on paper. I never liked the fitnesspal app. I eat greens in place of carbs when I'm cutting and take away the milk. ANYTHING goes on a bulk because I can't get fat. Like mariusz pudzianowski I'll eat big meals like sausage& kraut with a few snickers for snacks. I live it and I love it and I don't care
 
I don't do the whole "if it fits your macros" BS. But, I would like to see what others are doing for their bulking, cruising and cutting macros...

For example, the stupid little "My Fitness Pal" app seemed to think I only need like 2300 cals... Doubt it.

I am aiming for 5K cals, 460G protein and on a high carb day about 460G's as well.


If this thread already exists, apologies.

Ive noticed the fitnesspal app always goes low on cals when you want to gain. I manually change everything to what I want and track that way.

And why dont you believe in iifym? Just asking (Ive done it before and had no problems myself).

Oh. Just FYI. Im bulking and on
450P
500C
150-200F

I will take in more carbs before or after my heavy or volume days.
 
Ive noticed the fitnesspal app always goes low on cals when you want to gain. I manually change everything to what I want and track that way.

And why dont you believe in iifym? Just asking (Ive done it before and had no problems myself).

Oh. Just FYI. Im bulking and on
450P
500C
150-200F

I will take in more carbs before or after my heavy or volume days.
Because I think the "iifym" idea is an excuse for some, not all, to be lazy. For example, you could hit your macros at a Chinese buffet in one meal. Would you put in quality mass? Not likely.

For people who have a general understanding of nutrition, iifym is a great tool.

I am trying to hit literally exactly your macros, funny (I changed my carb goal, I think i was too light). It brings me up to about 4300 cals a day. I may increase it a bit, I'm not entirely sure yet, as it's been working so far. Frankly, I'm not sure how much more food I can take in.
 
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Wunderpus, what are your physical stats? Height weight and BF?
6'1"
239 lbs today
My electronic BF scale (not really sure how accurate these things are, but I do it at the same time everyday so at least it can track the percentage of change, maybe) says 12-13% BF. I realy want to try the Bodpod thing, though.

My current goal is to hit 260 lbs and still have visible abs, at least the top 4, ideally 6 or so.

Then, come February cut it down super lean and veiny to summer.
 
I only count protein,calories, fiber. In that order of importance. I write it on paper. I never liked the fitnesspal app. I eat greens in place of carbs when I'm cutting and take away the milk. ANYTHING goes on a bulk because I can't get fat. Like mariusz pudzianowski I'll eat big meals like sausage& kraut with a few snickers for snacks. I live it and I love it and I don't care
Filthy bastard. I love it. Eating this much of clean food is fucking torture.
 
Because I think the "iifym" idea is an excuse for some, not all, to be lazy. For example, you could hit your macros at a Chinese buffet in one meal. Would you put in quality mass? Not likely.

For people who have a general understanding of nutrition, iifym is a great tool.

I am trying to hit literally exactly your macros, funny (I changed my carb goal, I think i was too light). It brings me up to about 4300 cals a day. I may increase it a bit, I'm not entirely sure yet, as it's been working so far. Frankly, I'm not sure how much more food I can take in.

Quality mass knows not the difference between a Chinese buffet and a plate of chicken, broccoli, and brown rice. Now granted you still need to meet your MICROnutrient needs as well but those aren't really hard to hit unless you go full retard with your diet and by that I mean starburst and whey shakes. Heck, a salad or two a day with mixed color veggies and some fruit will take care of your micro needs. Anyway I digress....

I'm 30yo, 5'10" at about 205lbs right now

Maintaining weight at ~4200calories

Macros change daily bc I eat whatever the fuck I want literally lol but I get no less than 160-170g of protein a day, usually closer to 200-225g of protein, about 80-100g of fat, and around 550-600g of carbs.
 
Right now I'm reverse dieting. Slowly raising my carbs and fat. I'm at 245p, 260c, 65f. Can't wait to start eatin big
 
Quality mass knows not the difference between a Chinese buffet and a plate of chicken, broccoli, and brown rice. Now granted you still need to meet your MICROnutrient needs as well but those aren't really hard to hit unless you go full retard with your diet and by that I mean starburst and whey shakes. Heck, a salad or two a day with mixed color veggies and some fruit will take care of your micro needs. Anyway I digress....

I'm 30yo, 5'10" at about 205lbs right now

Maintaining weight at ~4200calories

Macros change daily bc I eat whatever the fuck I want literally lol but I get no less than 160-170g of protein a day, usually closer to 200-225g of protein, about 80-100g of fat, and around 550-600g of carbs.
I love it when doc shows up and drops knowledge upon us. Treat yourself. Nobody ever accused me of passing up a delicious plate of food
 
Quality mass knows not the difference between a Chinese buffet and a plate of chicken, broccoli, and brown rice. Now granted you still need to meet your MICROnutrient needs as well but those aren't really hard to hit unless you go full retard with your diet and by that I mean starburst and whey shakes. Heck, a salad or two a day with mixed color veggies and some fruit will take care of your micro needs. Anyway I digress....

I'm 30yo, 5'10" at about 205lbs right now

Maintaining weight at ~4200calories

Macros change daily bc I eat whatever the fuck I want literally lol but I get no less than 160-170g of protein a day, usually closer to 200-225g of protein, about 80-100g of fat, and around 550-600g of carbs.
You believe that? I am less inclined to believe processed chicken w/ all the preservatives and fake shit can supply your body with the same quality protein that an organic chicken can.... Maybe I am wrong? But, I have always believed food is our fuel, and I'd rather use rocket fuel than 87 unleaded...
 
You believe that? I am less inclined to believe processed chicken w/ all the preservatives and fake shit can supply your body with the same quality protein that an organic chicken can.... Maybe I am wrong? But, I have always believed food is our fuel, and I'd rather use rocket fuel than 87 unleaded...

I like your analogy! Lol. I'm a car and bike fanatic :)

Rocket fuel used outside of a rocket has more drawbacks than benefits believe it or not. It's a waste of money, your car will not run properly whether you notice it or not, and bc rocket fuel is more resistant to detonation thus making less power and requiring more fuel to be used to perform the same. Higher octane gas has no more energy than lower octane gas, it just has more anti-knocking properties. There is NO more energy in higher octane gas than lower octane gas.

Yes I truly believe that and my stance has too much evidence and studies to support it to simply dismiss it based on personal beliefs. We can get as scientific as you like but On a more anecdotal level, my buddy who won his pro car not long ago was eating BK, McDonalds, brownies, candy, etc up until about 6wks out from his show.

Salt is a preservative but it's also a necessary mineral to take in. Just bc something is labeled a preservative doesn't mean it's bad. The Greek yogurt you eat, the whey protein you drink, the gum you chew, the milk you drink, etc is all processed whether you realize it or not. You're missing the forest for the trees if you don't understand a singular food item cannot be judged good or bad outside the context of the full diet and the concept of MODERATION. Nobody says to eat chips and cookies all day. You still need micronutrients as well as macro nutrient ratios that chips can't provide. Moderation though, some cookies and chips in an otherwise minimally processed food diet won't hinder your progress.

The more I talk to ppl the more I see "clean" eating as a maskchistic tendency and mental masturbation (not saying you in particular, just generally). Ppl believe the "cleaner" they eat the better their results will be, the better they are than the person who doesn't eat "clean" and they see it as a test to see who can eat the food they despise the most typically being the "cleanest" food. Unfortunately for them they then tend to gorge on cheat meals, get off their diet bc it's too restrictive, and are miserable SOB's bc while their eating chicken and rice I'm having tacos, chimichurris, brownies and whatever else I want with a shit eating grin on my face with NO DIFFERENCE in our progress bc I'm matching my caloric and macro intake to my needs as they are plus I don't eat 6000cals of brownies. I eat enough to satisfy my craving for them.

A gram of Protein is a gram of protein whether you get it from a shake, a steak, a burger, a processed chicken laden with preservatives, etc. The only difference is the micronutrient content and amino acid makeup.

Now if you truly enjoy eating the foods you eat go right ahead. The beauty of IIFYM/DCA is you're allowed to pick what you want to eat. Nobody tells you what you can and cannot eat. And whether you realize it or not, based on you OP here and posts elsewhere, you already follow IIFYM/DCA. You calculate your macro needs based on goals and fill them with foods you want to eat. That's the definition of DCA/IIFYM. No where does it say the foods have to be "dirty".
 
6'1"
239 lbs today
My electronic BF scale (not really sure how accurate these things are, but I do it at the same time everyday so at least it can track the percentage of change, maybe) says 12-13% BF. I realy want to try the Bodpod thing, though.

My current goal is to hit 260 lbs and still have visible abs, at least the top 4, ideally 6 or so.

Then, come February cut it down super lean and veiny to summer.

Those electronic scales are terrible, imo. The mirror is more accurate.

But using your stats and an average activity level, your TDEE should be very close to 3400cals. The Fitness Pal app will only calculate your input, obviously. But if you choose an incorrect activity level then the results will be skewed significantly. I always recommend activity level 3. This seems to be fitting for most men, unless youre employed in a physical job that requires a lot of physical activity.
 
@Docd187123 is the man and spot on. Spot THE FUCK on.

I will add the only difference I notice between clean food and my typical diet is I see less stomach bloat from plain old boring rice compared to say lo mein. In the end its a wash tho
 
I like your analogy! Lol. I'm a car and bike fanatic :)

Rocket fuel used outside of a rocket has more drawbacks than benefits believe it or not. It's a waste of money, your car will not run properly whether you notice it or not, and bc rocket fuel is more resistant to detonation thus making less power and requiring more fuel to be used to perform the same. Higher octane gas has no more energy than lower octane gas, it just has more anti-knocking properties. There is NO more energy in higher octane gas than lower octane gas.

Yes I truly believe that and my stance has too much evidence and studies to support it to simply dismiss it based on personal beliefs. We can get as scientific as you like but On a more anecdotal level, my buddy who won his pro car not long ago was eating BK, McDonalds, brownies, candy, etc up until about 6wks out from his show.

Salt is a preservative but it's also a necessary mineral to take in. Just bc something is labeled a preservative doesn't mean it's bad. The Greek yogurt you eat, the whey protein you drink, the gum you chew, the milk you drink, etc is all processed whether you realize it or not. You're missing the forest for the trees if you don't understand a singular food item cannot be judged good or bad outside the context of the full diet and the concept of MODERATION. Nobody says to eat chips and cookies all day. You still need micronutrients as well as macro nutrient ratios that chips can't provide. Moderation though, some cookies and chips in an otherwise minimally processed food diet won't hinder your progress.

The more I talk to ppl the more I see "clean" eating as a maskchistic tendency and mental masturbation (not saying you in particular, just generally). Ppl believe the "cleaner" they eat the better their results will be, the better they are than the person who doesn't eat "clean" and they see it as a test to see who can eat the food they despise the most typically being the "cleanest" food. Unfortunately for them they then tend to gorge on cheat meals, get off their diet bc it's too restrictive, and are miserable SOB's bc while their eating chicken and rice I'm having tacos, chimichurris, brownies and whatever else I want with a shit eating grin on my face with NO DIFFERENCE in our progress bc I'm matching my caloric and macro intake to my needs as they are plus I don't eat 6000cals of brownies. I eat enough to satisfy my craving for them.

A gram of Protein is a gram of protein whether you get it from a shake, a steak, a burger, a processed chicken laden with preservatives, etc. The only difference is the micronutrient content and amino acid makeup.

Now if you truly enjoy eating the foods you eat go right ahead. The beauty of IIFYM/DCA is you're allowed to pick what you want to eat. Nobody tells you what you can and cannot eat. And whether you realize it or not, based on you OP here and posts elsewhere, you already follow IIFYM/DCA. You calculate your macro needs based on goals and fill them with foods you want to eat. That's the definition of DCA/IIFYM. No where does it say the foods have to be "dirty".

Haha, I was using the fuel as an analogy, but thank you for debunking the analogy!

Anyway, personally I FEEL better on mostly clean foods. My body responds poorly to processed shit for some reason. I have tried eating dirty for a bulk, clean for a bulk, all things in between. You will certainly understand how important that way you FEEL is when you're in the gym. High quality foods seem to digest easier for me, give me a little more energy and don't weigh me down. Granted, eating clean and mostly quality foods does make it A LOT harder to hit the caloric needs of a mass building program.

The term "feel" is such a week position here, I realize that. But, I suppose the whole "IIFYM" thing is personal/relative anyway. We should all have goals for what we eat, some stricter than others. What matters is results, really. I suppose all diets really are IIFYM if you're doing it right, however I believe in nutrient timing, and that (as far as I know) isn't really covered in IIFYM. For those of us using insulin, nutrient timing is even more important, but that's irrelevant for the standard dieter/exerciser.

On paper I realize a gram of protein is a gram of protein. I'm just not 100% sure it's that simple, maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I still believe quality (digestibility being a huge factor) plays a role. I have seen people try and consume all of (or most) the protein macros from shakes, for some reason, they just don't put on the muscle that people do who consume large amounts of animal based protein. Coincidence? Maybe! It could also be that those who are so lazy they only drink shakes, are also lazier in the gym as well, who knows?

I think about the quality of protein/ other macros a lot. I have gone back and forth... Next week, hell, I might agree with you! But for now, all of my protein comes from food, zero shakes for the past 2.5 months and it's been great. However, my gut sometimes wishes I would take in more shakes and less solid food....
 
Those electronic scales are terrible, imo. The mirror is more accurate.

But using your stats and an average activity level, your TDEE should be very close to 3400cals. The Fitness Pal app will only calculate your input, obviously. But if you choose an incorrect activity level then the results will be skewed significantly. I always recommend activity level 3. This seems to be fitting for most men, unless youre employed in a physical job that requires a lot of physical activity.
Damn, that low in your opinion (calorically)?! I have been aiming for 5K.... I haven't put on any soft weight, yet. But, the GH will always help with that.
 
Doc,

The only issue i have with IIFYM plan is that you can consume all your daily macros/cals in less than three meals and fell empty the rest of the day. Im in the camp that believes feeding the furnace steadily all day with "clean" food is optimal for muscle growth and an otherwise healthy body. Thoughts?
 
Damn, that low in your opinion (calorically)?! I have been aiming for 5K.... I haven't put on any soft weight, yet. But, the GH will always help with that.

Unless you have a desk job (or sedentary job) and youre only source of activity or exercise is the gym, then yes youre TDEE is much higher than you posted.
 

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