i'm trying to pack on some muscle, then get back to losing fat. i got stuck in a bad plateau anyway so i need to shake it up and the best way might be to pack on some muscle. how many calories do any of you go above maint. when trying to bulk? decrease cardio and upping weights is an obvious addition... also how long do you bulk for?

You don't want to go too crazy above maintenance for your calories. A lot of people use bulking as an excuse to eat everything, and they just put on fat. I'm guilty of this myself. The main thing really is protein intake. I would say to get 1.5-2 grams of protein for every pound of body weight you have. Try to get a lot of it from good food sources. Eggs and red meat are the best. You don't need to equal that in carbs if you aren't trying to really bulk up, but you definitely want a good amount of quality carbs. Fats are really helpful for adding muscle too so don't neglect them either.

Bulking can really be for as long as you want. Anything under twelve weeks is kind of a waste of time imo. You can make a lot of good gains in that time, and not really have to vary your routine too much (as long as it's good in the first place). What are you looking to do? Add muscle for looks or more for strength? For straight physique work I like a five day split. Back/chest/legs/shoulders/arms. Higher volume, 8-12 rep working sets, lots of intensity. A good mix of compound and isolation lifts. Don't listen if people tell you isolation lifts aren't necessary. From a bodybuilding standpoint they are just as important as compound lifts. Neither should be neglected if you want the best results. Keep your cardio for after you lift, or even a separate session. I'll write you something up if you let me know what your goals are.

As far as supplements go you don't really need a lot. Whey is always helpful, and creatine is a good idea too. Just get regular creatine monohydrate and take like 5 grams before and after your workout.

i think if i bulked for 12 weeks i'd be around 300 lbs again, since no matter how much i work out lately even eating 2500cal a day i still dont lose weight.

Maybe do eight weeks, but I still say that is pretty short. Like I said, you don't want to go crazy with the eating. I've said before, for where you seem to be at doing a phase like this is a good idea. High protein with a different type of lifting will kick start all kinds of things for you. Basic rule of thumb is that 500 extra calories or 500 calories below maintenance a day equals out to a pound lost or gained over a week. Now that is nowhere near set in stone, but it is something to follow. So if you add in an extra 50-100 grams of protein a day, and put in some more good fats you're already there. 12 pounds of muscle is a significant gain, and will boost your BMR enough to take off more fat later on.