Fall Bulk Day 30
After one month of bulking, we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. But slow and steady progress prevails!
After a slight decline, my weight rebounded and jumped up by 1.1 pounds this morning. I now suspect that my creatine supplementation may be playing a role in the recent weight fluctuations.
For reference, I had been taking 5g of creatine daily for several months. But when we traveled for Thanksgiving, I stopped taking it for a week.
As you may know, creatine accumulates in the muscles and increases their volume with intracellular water. When you stop taking creatine, this volume and water weight go away.
When you start taking creatine again, it can take a while for the muscles to become fully saturated again. So yesterday, I started creatine loading, where I’m taking 10-20 g daily to help saturate the muscles sooner.
Try my creatine dosage calculator.
I suspect this may have resulted in a slight jump on the scale, but we’ll keep an eye on it in the coming days to see for sure. Here are my nutrition numbers for Day 30.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 244 g (31%) |
| Carbs | 436 g (55%) |
| Fat | 51 g (14%) |
| Calories In | +3,180 |
| Calories Out | -2,794 |
| Calorie Surplus | +385 (14%) |
Today was leg day, which always burns more calories than other workouts. And the Wisconsin weather warmed back up to the 30’s so my wife and I took the dogs for a walk.
With the added energy expenditure, I had to eat nearly 3,200 calories, which is one of the highest days of the bulk so far. As a result, I was able to maintain a 14% surplus to ensure my weight continued climbing.
You’ll also notice that I consumed a higher percentage of carbs than usual, so I made sure to keep my dietary fat lower. Protein intake was the same as usual at 30-35% of calories.
It seems like I’m back in a good groove for lean gains, so day 31 will be more of the same. Check back soon to see my progress in the near future!
