Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I have to say, it is a little frustrating. I haven't gone through a mass gaining phase like this in a while. Already I am noticing my pants are tighter from the added fat on my midsection. I have never been good at accepting the fact that I will gain some fat along the way. I have to remind myself that I am also gaining muscle and I can worry about getting cut up later. I am definitely gaining muscle right now, but also fat. Maybe I need to cut out the junk. I have gotten carried away lately eating a lot of peanut butter sandwiches, soy icecream, cold cereals, etc. It is fun watching my strength and size go up, but not so fun seeing the fat on my mids. Right now I am 215 lbs at a little under 6'3". One thing I am doing differently now is more of a power lifting program and only three days a weeek.
When I do a 4 day program, it is harder on my time, but I don't gain as much fat. Maybe I should add in some cardio. We are going to Disney World in two weeks and will be hitting the hotel pool, I hate to think I won't have definition in my and. LOL.
I have to at least get a little more lean by the time beach weather is here in June.

When you're in a surplus, you're going to gain fat no matter what because it's all about calories in/calories out and not the types of food you est. Adding in cardio will reduce your surplus and therefore your gains but it'll be both fat and muscle gains that will decrease since your calories will be going to fuel your additional sessions.

I think I need to get over the fat gain and accept it and take it along for the ride. I do hear guys mention how one can gain muscle without fat, but I don't see how you can easily isolate muscle growth from fat. I think the trick is to minimize the fat gain so you don't have as much to lose when the time comes.

You can gain muscle without the fat, but you first have to lose the fat.
When I did comps for 3 years in a row, it was easy to keep lean while building mass during the off season/ bulking season.
But now it has been a long time since I have been lean for a comp, so I am just sucking it up for now. And it isn't going to be easy getting cut either.

Enjoy whatever stage you are at. Each has its merits. I, like you, love eating. So I will eat and lift heavy during this wonderful bulking stage, for in a month and half it is cutting/diet time and I will miss all the delicious yummy food. Then instead of feeling miserable (well, I will feel miserable, but I will tell myself not to dwell on it), I will delight in watching the fat melt off the muscles, and watch as each week something new (or more defined) will pop out more and more. Such fun!

Stop reading what ever fad diet so & so is doing...keep it simple.

30-50ish grams of protein per meal, as many carbs as you can stomach & what ever fats you need. Hit compounds, plenty of food & rest. Stop obsessing & enjoy getting strong/big. After dropping a fuck load of weight I use to obsess over food. When I started my bulk I was over analysing every food I looked at. Comes a time where you need to just man up & eat mate.

Ignore the "12 weeks to" whatever crap & do the basics...but do them well. Remember the bigger picture, ur bulking! Worry over the "cut" when you need to. All this macro this, % of that bores me to tears.

One thing you can trying is skimming off carbs on none lifting days ie a quarter cup less of oats/rice but up the protein a little. You don't need to eat 6-8 meals aday. Find what works for you & only you. I bulked eating 4 meals aday, no I'm powerlifting I do need more food but that's due to weight I'm moving a round.

More often than not people who complain about gaining fat while trying to get big sit on isolation machines or cables. These people have no clue, leave them to their side raises & lat pull downs. To The military press & do chin ups.

My work out usually consists of this, enter gym-walk past machines-shake my head at who evers using a smith machine-enter 9ft Powerrack & stay there for an hr- then I repeat the first two steps (replace enter with leaves)

I have to find ways to gain more muscle and less fat. I am looking really soft.
I get frustrated and discouraged now that I can feel bodyfat jiggling on my stomach, I am not used to that.
Once I gain the muscle I want, I am afraid I will lose too much muscle when I try to get lean.

Maybe I should continue bulking with only whole foods rather than the processed foods I have been eating like bread and cereal. I was able to be much leaner when eating only whole intact foods like potatoes and whole oat grouts, etc.

Seeing the fat on my mid sectrion is frustrating and it also throws me off. When I was 210 over the summer and had just as much muscle I looked better. Now that I am trying to pack on mass, I don't look as good and I might get lean for the summer for that reason.
Depends on how much I can gain over the next few months. Anyone have any pictures of guys during a bulking phase just so I can see how much fat some guys carry while bulking?

I have been reading a lot about clean bulking and that is the approach I am starting to take. I have been eating too much junk since I am bulking and that is not good, too many processed carbs, etc.

in this case it all boils down to patience and determination. And also you have to consider that not all people have the same body reaction. People get fat easily while others tend to get there muscles working right away. All in all work and effort plays a role if you want those muscles to be the thing you wanted.

I am worried about gaining too much fat while bulking and then having belly fat that could be hard to lose. LOL. I can still see my upper abs but my lower abs are now covered. I am bigger, but also fatter. Being 42 years old, adding any fat scares the heck out of me. I just hope I can get cut when the time comes.

I am getting too fat....time to get cut for summer.

I'm just wondering if you could say something about being "too fat" just once more in this post. I don't think it's necessary to put on a great deal of fat and still gain muscle. But if you're idea of getting fat is that you only have a 4 pack instead of a 6 pack then you might as well hang it up.

^ This....

Guys & their precious abs, you have mags like mens health to thank for that. "I wanna stay ripped to the bone but also put a tone of muscle on". Man up

Wasn't an issue when I was younger but as you get older it becomes more difficult to lose fat once you gain it.
I have been gaining muscle but also fat in the midsection and that will be hard to remove than it was when I was younger, for sure. That is my issue and the part that worries me. Now, with the summer coming, I may concentrate on getting ripped and look to gain more muscle in the fall.

Sad fact is I don't see to many sub 10% vegans around here. At one time I would have thought otherwise. Macro ratios have more of an impact on muscle/fat than most vegans want to admit.