Weightlifting and Clothing Sizes

[bob99]

So, I've dropped some weight over the past few months and I'm getting to the stage where I'm going to buy some new clothes. My plan is to cut down and reduce my body fat to around 10%, and then slowly bulk to increase muscle.

For those who have done this before and are more into weightlifting, how do you handle bulking? Do you have a whole separate wardrobe for when you get bigger? Do you just end up buying a lot of new clothes?

Jeans seem particularly tricky. My waist is still going to go down about 2 inches, but that will take 3-4 months. Then when I bulk it will go back up in size. Should I just wait for my weight to stabilize? I feel like it will probably take another year before I get there, so I need to balance getting new clothes.

 

[cchen]

don't buy new clothes until you are "done"

 

[dmash]

Bulking and cutting is dumb in my opinion. and I'm a competition bodybuilder/personal trainer.

More and more bodybuilders are staying lean year round (less than 11-12%) nowadays as it's more aesthetically pleasing. I HATE carrying around water weight and it disgusts me to not have abs.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by dmash1080

Bulking and cutting is dumb in my opinion. and I'm a competition bodybuilder/personal trainer.

Originally Posted by dmash1080

Want to Buy: Black Wings + Horns Service Boots size 7

Okay Napoleon.

 

[StephenHero]

I've never understood the appeal of extreme bulk/cutting cycles either. Eating around maintenance is going to be effective over a long period of time without the discomfort of the cutting cycle and bloated-ness of the bulking cycle.

 

[Davidko19]

surely you have some looser fitting clothes to wear, right? I mean, not everything is going to blow up. Your shirts are gonna fit snugger and your gonna look swoll but it wont be a bad thing.

The only problem I run into is my legs. They look like stuffed sausages in my jeans. So does my sausage, fwiw.

Not sure about your starting weight but if your cutting then building up would you just be swapping unwanted fat for lean muscle and be pretty close to where you are now?

 

[drop]

More and more bodybuilders are staying lean year round (less than 11-12%) nowadays as it's more aesthetically pleasing. I HATE carrying around water weight and it disgusts me to not have abs.

This is what I do. I went through years of cutting and bulking where I experienced dramatic shifts in weight and bodyfat. For the past year or two, I've focused on more controlled and shorter "bulks" where I eat slightly over maintenance, and this has allowed me to still make gains without carrying pounds and pounds of useless weight. I like to stay lean, so whenever my bodyfat gets around 10 percent, I simply switch gears and move to a controlled cut for a few weeks. Over the course of a year I may gain only a few pounds of lean mass, but I maintain single-digit body fat and my clothes never look ridiculously tight or ridiculously loose.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by why

Okay Napoleon.

I'm 5'11...my foot size is 8.5 TTS? Wings and Horns boots run HUGE.

Not that I have to justify myself to you. I can post pics noooo problem. Find something better to do with your time, I'm not a guy with a bogus internet personality. People like you are quite annoying. I'm just posting some friendly advice as I have acquired a plethora of knowledge from a **** ton of powerlifters and bodybuilders (amateur and professional).

 

[BubblyMasquerade]

size 8.5 is still midget feets.

 

[J'aimelescravates]

Originally Posted by StephenHero

I've never understood the appeal of extreme bulk/cutting cycles either. Eating around maintenance is going to be effective over a long period of time without the discomfort of the cutting cycle and bloated-ness of the bulking cycle.

This. Eat above maintenance but keep eating clean

re: the clothes - Just buy whatever size you are now. Unless you are going to gain some extreme amount of weight I seriously doubt your clothing size will fluctuate to the point where you will need two wardrobes. I am sure you are an amateur, non-pro bb'er so this won't be an issue for you.

You can always have your shirts altered and then if you gain some weight have them let back out.

 

[Zintintin]

Bulking and cutting is effective if the bulk doesn't go overboard... but re composition diets are pretty good... recomp as in carb cycling or re-feeds.

Originally Posted by dmash1080

I'm 5'11...my foot size is 8.5 TTS? Wings and Horns boots run HUGE. Not that I have to justify myself to you. I can post pics noooo problem. Find something better to do with your time, I'm not a guy with a bogus internet personality. People like you are quite annoying. I'm just posting some friendly advice as I have acquired a plethora of knowledge from a **** ton of powerlifters and bodybuilders (amateur and professional).
Why is a pretty knowledgeable guy... don't take things so personally; it's a forum. P.S. I just hit 605 deadlift unsuited @ 205... good to see another pLifter here.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by Zintintin

Bulking and cutting is effective if the bulk doesn't go overboard... but re composition diets are pretty good... recomp as in carb cycling or re-feeds.



Why is a pretty knowledgeable guy... don't take things so personally; it's a forum.
P.S. I just hit 605 deadlift unsuited @ 205... good to see another pLifter here.

Nice bro! I'm sort of shyed away from pure powerlifting, I like to implement a lot of pwlifting exercises into my routines though. Gotta love just raw heavy weight some days.

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by BubblyMasquerade

size 8.5 is still midget feets.

LoL, ok buddy

 

[algernon]

Originally Posted by dmash1080

I'm 5'11...my foot size is 8.5 TTS?

You're a competition bodybuilder?
How do you prop up 5'11" of bulk and muscle on 8.5s?
I'm not trying to be a dick...it's just that usually height and shoe size are in some kind of proportion.

More than anything, it's a question of physics. I mean, if nature wasn't careful, it could actually evolve a person who is 5'10", 300 pounds with a size 5 shoe. There's no way you could carry all that on some kid size shoes.

As you stated, you don't have to justify your size to me...I'm just wondering if you're a bodybuilder at 5'11" and have size 8.5 shoes, don't you end up at a marked disadvantage when doing something like powerlifting where you're having to balance huge weight above an already large frame on 8.5s?

 

[dmash]

Originally Posted by algernon

You're a competition bodybuilder?
How do you prop up 5'11" of bulk and muscle on 8.5s?
I'm not trying to be a dick...it's just that usually height and shoe size are in some kind of proportion.

More than anything, it's a question of physics. I mean, if nature wasn't careful, it could actually evolve a person who is 5'10", 300 pounds with a size 5 shoe. There's no way you could carry all that on some kid size shoes.

As you stated, you don't have to justify your size to me...I'm just wondering if you're a bodybuilder at 5'11" and have size 8.5 shoes, don't you end up at a marked disadvantage when doing something like powerlifting where you're having to balance huge weight above an already large frame on 8.5s?

Bro, bro, I'm NINETEEN! We're talking 190lb weights in my class. I'm not a 30 year old with my pro card. You guys are seriously so uneducated concerning the sport of bodybuilding.

Hell, most of the professional bodybuilders I know, WITH their pro cards, have less than a size 10 foot, the majority of them 8's and 9's. Claiming that you would get 'marked' because of small feet? Are you SERIOUS? Small bone structure paired with good, lean mass is the ULTIMATE physique. You think a thick waisted, large footed, huge wristed individual has the best proportions?

I wanted to post in here as I have a lot of good experience with very intelligent bodybuilders and powerlifters alike. I was trying to offer some good advice, but typical internet bozos want to hop on here and ignore that and claim I have a small foot? Ridiculous. I'll stick to my true bodybuilding boards and stop posting in here. You guys remind me of something to the effect of 'bodybuilding.com'.

Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror before you go on rants on the internet like you have a God like physique. 1 out of 100 people ( Being EXTREMELY generous) would be willing to upload pics as in reality there's a lot their ashamed of and want to change.