Bulk Progress Check – Up ~1.1 lbs/week but last 2 weeks slowed… increase calories or wait?
Just wanted to get some feedback on my current bulk progress.
I started my cycle on 3/23 (Testosterone 500mg/week) and have been pushing calories up. Currently sitting at 3500 calories with a goal of gaining about 1 lb per week.
Overall trend so far:
Averaging about ~1.1–1.2 lbs/week gain
Strength has been improving
No major issues with recovery or energy
Last 2 weeks specifically:
Scale has been a bit flatter day-to-day
Net gain is about +1 lb over 2 weeks
You can see some fluctuations (had a spike to 243.8 that dropped back down)
From a trend perspective it still looks like I’m moving up, just slower than earlier weeks.
Main question:
Would you increase calories at this point, or give it another week to confirm whether it’s actually a stall?
Trying to stay disciplined and not overcorrect too early, but also don’t want to spin my wheels.
Appreciate any feedback.
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Man I wouldn’t change anything yet. Biggest mistake on a bulk is panicking and changing stuff too fast every time the scale slows down a bit. How are things looking for you right now?
You’re still very early into the cycle, so I honestly wouldn’t rush to increase calories yet based on only 1–2 slower weeks. Weight fluctuations during a bulk are normal, especially once glycogen, water retention, digestion, and activity levels start shifting around.
Your strength is improving, recovery is good, and the overall trend is still moving upward, which are all positive signs. I’d probably hold calories steady for another 7–10 days and monitor weekly averages instead of reacting to daily scale changes.
Also, with your first cycle, metabolism and nutrient partitioning can change pretty quickly, so it’s common to adjust calories a few times while figuring out the sweet spot.
One thing that helps a lot during bulks is tracking compound amounts, peptide dosing, and reconstitution math accurately if you’re using anything alongside your cycle. I’ve been using https://peptixcalc.com for quick calculation checks because it keeps everything simple and avoids dosing mistakes.
Overall though, your progress sounds solid so far.
A month in and showing some progress, that is good. What are your macros for the 3500 calories. My last bulk started at 204 lbs and I was eating 4,500 calories on training days (5xweek) and 4,000 on rest days and finished my 20 week bulk at 226. Make sure that you are getting at least 1.25-1.5g of protein per Lb of bodyweight. Are you doing cardio? Just make sure that you are eating fairly well and pushing heavy weight and you will probably start to see some more gains.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm down to 238.4 so that puts me at 0 weight gain in the last weeks. I increased my calories to 3650 this morning and changed macros to 365g protein, 365g carbs and 81g fat.
That should be a great starting point!! Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
Is this a normal part of starting a cycle while trying to dial in calories? I had everything pretty consistent before, I was at maintenance for about three months, but once I started the cycle, things shifted. This is already the second time I’ve had to increase calories, and it feels like I’m losing weeks just trying to get things dialed in.
From what I’ve heard, though, this is fairly common. It sounds like weeks 4–5 are when things usually start to stabilize and you really begin to see the benefits.
My macros are 394g carbs, 78g fat and 306g of protein. Lifting 5 days and cardio 2 days.
Do the gains increase more later in the cycle? This is my first cycle.
Only a month(ish) in? I would maintain your current plan. You are getting good results, I personally wouldn't change anything unless you were stagnant for 2 or more weeks.