[MurphMan]

Eating cleanly and frequently with the right ratios of carbs/protein/goodfats, makes it alot easier to stay lean while bulking. There is no reason to have a higher bf% while bulking other than because you like to eat fun foods.

It all comes down to how disciplined you you want to be, and if you can really stick to your resolve to eat clean. I have learned how to do it and I keep my bf% no higher than 12% with limited cardio (speedbag).

[Sky9]

I personally dont mind having a little gut during the winter months, but when summer rolls around it is nice to have abs that show. I find that the difference between 15% and 10% bf makes a huge difference in my self esteme (sp?) when I take my shirt off. I also seem to hold most of my bf around my love handle area for some reason. I have heard this was due to cortisol levels, any insight on this from you guys would be helpful.

To answer you original question of the thread, I believe that having a little gus (15%) is not that bad. Its damn near impossible to bulk without having that fat on you, unless your genetically inclined to it, which most people are not. So yes, I think its ok to have a little gut while trying to get HYUUGE.

[Andreus84]

Plenty of cardio and plenty of crunches and squats my secret to a perfect stomach

[blank260]

but i thought you dont have a good stomach?

[trickae]

I don't get this ... it took two pages for someone to say
HIIT
http://www.musclemedia.com/training/hiit.asp
or for variations : http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mm9.htm

and suggest some clean cutting advice such as:
1: monitor your caloric intake on www.fitday.com,
2: choose a nurtritional split that works best for u e.g. 40:40:20 protein/carb/fats
3: HIIT .... look above
4: slowy lower your calories to some basal rate each week for 4/6/8 weeks (depending on the individual)

and thats it.
if you guys gals want solid proof heres an article off BB.com

http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/bigcourse.htm

some people are powerlifters, k thats great - but alot of lifters aren't and may some time in the future want to get a 6 pack to show off at the beach.
Its true that low bf% mean u can see your 6 pack better but u still need to put slabs of muslce down there

so do weigted crunches, either use a swiss ball to do some crunches (and ab stretches before you start your ab workout and after your finished with it) , use a decline bench to do leg lifts and decline crunches (WEIGHTED) , work your obliques with high reps or else the wide look is acheived.

that should be plenty of info for my first post!

[Khryz]

This is how I see it. I'm 19 years old, training for a little under a year. Right now I'm around 5'9, 165 pounds, 10-11% BF. I started out around 160 pounds, and 14-15% BF, and it took me months and months to understand how to train, diet, etc. For me, I have a good amount of muscle on my small frame already, and I plan on putting on maybe another 10 pounds of muscle, through bulking cycles, and then once I reach that goal I'm not going to bulk anymore and will pretty much cut down to 9-10% and then just maintain that year-round, or try and clean bulk very slowly. I'd rather go through bulking/cutting cycles now while I'm still a teenager, so that I can be ripped year-round when I'm in my early 20's.

When I cut down this summer I thought I looked very small in a t-shirt, even though since I'm much bigger than my friends they think I look big, so I would rather bulk now since summer is over, winter is coming up, etc.

So basically, I'm only bulking until I reach my goal to then I will maintain that. I've realized that it's hard for me to put on muscle when I'm not in a calorie surplus.

[Minotaur]

Originally Posted by Sholiz

Oh, FFL = Fat For Life

Right on bro!

Thin may be in, but fat is where it's at.

Right now I have a muscle bear gut because of my insulin resistance. Personally I like the gut, as I am a fan of guts (in moderation... not the kind that you need a wheelbarrow to carry it in), but mine is unhealthy, and my pants (all fairly new) don't fit. I have a 42-43" waist, but I'm only looking to get to the high side of 36-38". Then all my pants will fit perfectly. *D

Tain't nothing wrong with a lifter's gut.