Do what you like! It's all about having fun. As long as you know that you'll be getting back into the routine later, it's all good.

There's a difference between adding muscle and adding weight. If someone just wants to add weight, then they should, by all means, eat a million calories per day. But body composition changes happen with diet and lifting routines. Everyone's metabolism is different, but if you're gaining fat while you're bulking, you're obviously taking in too many calories.

sorry bout it. you won't get a bodybuilders physique without the bulking/cutting phase

You won't get a "bodybuilders physique" without 'roids either. What's your point?

yes. the famous ones took roids. bodybuilding is a sport of extreme dedication.

Horseshit.

EDIT: Find me some scientific proof.

building muscle is a very energy intensive process, and your body requires a surplus of energy in order to do it. It is wrong to suggest the body can use stored fat to build muscle, as breaking down stored fat for energy is a highly catabolic process, and building muscle is a highly anabolic process, and thus, they are unlikely to happen concurrently in any appreciable amount under normal circumstances.

Why would you want a bodybuilders physique honestly?

I was just more referring to a real built physique. not the roid bodybuilders that just look gross

Which can come from any number of places. If the energy is being used for muscle building, then it's not a surplus. Why would your body require you to eat so much that you gain body fat just to build muscle? Please explain the scientific evidence behind this assertion.

Prove it.

That's completely ridiculous. Your body goes through both anabolic and catabolic phases every day. Ever sleep at night? Whoops! Catabolic state! Yet, people are somehow able to build muscle despite not feeding their bodies during the period they sleep.

That would also suggest that people on a low-carbohydrate diet cannot build muscle, which has been proven to be false.

you can't gain muscle without getting some fat.

it's genetics.

****ing stupidest post in this thread. Ever.

Riddle me this:

Since January, I've been on a low-carb diet (~20% of my macronutrient ratio is from carbs, 50% protein, 30% fat). I stopped taking creatine back in December. I have been in a near daily caloric deficit of 300-500 calories, and dropped a significant amount of body fat.

I continued my workouts that were specifically aimed at adding mass, especially in my shoulders. I added 1 1/4" to my shoulder circumference (measured at the widest part of my shoulders) in 2.5 months. I also added a bit of mass in the upper chest and upper arms (but not nearly as much... which is to be expected since I've been lifting for years now... gains are hard to come by for anyone who's been lifting for a long time). From what others are saying in this thread, that should not be possible. I didn't do anything special diet-wise, like going high carb on lifting days and then back down on others. If anything, stopping creatine should have shrunk my shoulder measurement (and other muscles as well), but that didn't happen.


EDIT: BTW, I'm not at all suggesting that I, personally, am evidence of any kind of scientific fact. What I *am* suggesting is that anecdotal evidence or things that "everybody knows" do not constitute scientific fact, either. I have yet to run across any scientific study that shows excess caloric intake to be mandatory for muscle building, nor have I seen any study that suggests building muscle while cutting fat is impossible.

yeah dude you'll have your noob gains then hit a plateu if you don't eat over maintance. thats why some gym rats always look the same.