I see way to many people now days complaining about never getting bigger, so i figured i am going to give away the number one secret to gaining TONS of mass. You have to EAT, EAT AND MORE EAT. It is very simple guyz and ladiez, getting big is EASSSSSSY. If you are currently eating 6 well balanced meals with some lean chicken and fruit, will you gain mass ? Most likely not (depending on your fitness level), you see to gain mass or to bulk you have to throw in some food that is not 100% lean. For instance is beef and fat fish great sources of tons of different micronutrients but also the big macronutrients !

Well how many meals should i eat pr day ?

Look at it this way, if you are eating 6 and not putting on mass shouldn't you bump it up ? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because of course increasing the number of meals will increase your caloric intace and thereby increase YOU ! However no, because meal timing and number of meals are irrelevant. What is relevant is how many calories you consume. In this case you have to go in a caloric surpluss, which means eating more than you need. It is really this simple guyz, so if you want to get big then EAT BIG !

Well what about supplements ?
Supplements are there to supply the diet, not to be the main source of muscle gain, therefore only use supplements when you KNOW you need it 

Well said William.  Erica always complains it's "too late" to eat sometimes and I tell her when it comes to protien it is NEVEr too late to drink a shake!  She is supposed to be drinking one now.... but she isnt!  Woman! lol

What about fat gain? I heard and read that gaining muscle mass is impossible without at least some fat gain, since you are at a surplus. Is fat gain just "expected" when "eating big to get big?"

I ask because I want to get bigger, but don't want to see my BF% go up.

Well if you are bulking which is the topic here then yes you are likely to gain fat along side muscle. However if you are going to clean bulk which basically means bulking without gaining fat then you need a good mealplan set aswell as a couple of cardio sessions.

Markohumm, William is right.  But you can make "lean gains" by focusing on a high protein diet.  Keep your protein around 1.5grams per lb of lean bodyweight.  I have all my macros in my meal plan on my profile.  Check it out so you can see what I mean.

Seeing as you don't want to gain BF% but get bigger simply lower your fat intake, focus more on the protein like Scott just mentioned. And eat some organic food. A friend of mine went pure organic for a period and when he was done his defenition was INSANE so it's a good way to increase solidness and firmess ! Also focus on foods that are less sugary and empty calories (like chocolate) and replace it with whole foods that will give you some solid gainz ! :)

Yeah as scott said it is possible to make gains without putting on body fat, in my expereince you make your best gains when you have a little extra fat cause you aren't running on low. So you can make both work well! But BULKING doesn't need to be an excuse to get fat it just means that you need to eat in a larger calorie surplus.

Yeah I have the same experience. Since the body does need some fat on the body it functions even better with a little extra so when the strenght gain / muscle gain is done then just cut down. I like to make dirty gainz aswell as clean gainz to ensure some variation 

Background...Started at 5' 7" and 135 lbs (tiny guy). Heaviest I got up to is 190 at about 15-17% BF (estimated). Didn't like the way I looked or felt so I "cut" down to 160 lbs, got all ripped and vascular (compared to 190 anyway). Honestly, I think I'm about 9-10% BF at the moment.

I'm getting impatient with the gains...strength is going up consistantly and have gaind 8 pounds in the last 4 months. BF does not seem to be increasing much at all (good thing). It has gone up though.  

Eating 6-7 meals a day 2-3 hours apart at 30g of protien, 50 grams of carbs (clean), and 10-15 grams of fat. These are my clean "bulking" numbers. Seems to be working so far.

I have been lifting, eating clean, and learning more and more for about ten years. Currently doing periodization training .3-5 reps for 4 weeks, 6-8 reps during a transition week, then 12-15 reps for 4 weeks. Cycles back and forth since august, will go through the end of the year. I am trying to decide which rep range works best for me. I love both.

Sooo.....My question is: Do you guy's think I should up the calories and/or tweak the routine or keep on track with the plan I have already made.

Thanks.

Stop picking on Erica, Scott! Haha She's watching her figure! By the way, great thread with some very interesting information about fats! Thanks guys :D

lol, women are so funny when it comes to eating past 7 or 8 in the afternoon haha. If I haven't met my macros for the day I dont care what time it is, I am going to eat to fulfill those macros! 

Great post William!!

Spot on!

I agree with you William, but instead of lowering the fat intake I would recommend to lower the carb intake and keep the healthy fats moderate. Not greasy bad fats, the clean fats like nuts, seeds, peanut butter, eggs, milk etc. To many carbohydrates is what causes excess weight gain which is why Scott is only eating 150 grams of carbs per day.

If I were you I would stick to the meal plan and routine you have, but just stay consistent and be patient. I will say that if you want to get big you really need to stick to the 10-12 rep range, occasionally a heavier set of 6-8. Focus on time under tension with slower tempos such as 1-1-3 or 2-2-2. Try not to get discouraged because one morning you will look in the morrior and see that you have made all sorts of gains!

You raised some very good points William! well said