It's winter, which means bulk-up time! This article will give you some advice on how to do it properly this year, getting the muscle mass up without turning into a walking bucket of grease. Read on to find out how to bulk up without getting fat.
Guys, bulking up targets muscle gain, but gaining some fat is inevitable. Why? Because that is how nature works, when you are up to your caloric intake, your body's ancient mechanism starts deciding what to do with it. Yes, you will train hard, and most of that new weight will be muscle (and water), but some will end up stored as fat.
Cutting Stack >> HERE.
The same goes for cutting—you can't just choose to burn fat; you will also lose some muscle mass. There's a catch, however—steroids. If you are juiced up, you will only get the good part of both bulking/cutting, but even then, it is possible to get fat or burn muscle if you are not doing it right.
So what's the point of this article? The point is not to get fat. There is a big difference between getting some fat and turning it into a mush that almost looks like he never trained before. It makes a big difference for someone who wants to know how to bulk up.
Must Read: Bulking Up? Why Do you Need a Trainer at the Beginning?
This article will go through some tips to help you manage your nutrition, leading to a "clean" bulk (we will get to that later too). It is not only necessary because it is healthier. As we know you only worry about gains. It is crucial as it will make the cutting process much easier because that is where things fail—you bulk up too much and just become fat. That is what we want to avoid. Let's go!
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Making a bulking plan is the same as making any other plan in your life. If you can't become fluent in a foreign language in two months, it is impossible to gain 20 pounds and then shred them down in two months.
If you are natural, your best approach is to use the whole winter to bulk up and the entire spring to cut and get lean for the beach season. Of course, this is irrelevant if you are not getting ready for the summer; the time needed is the point. That will give you enough time to do things properly, minimizing fat gained. Your goal is to gain 0.5/1 lbs per week, not more! So, if you are bulking for two months, that will be 4-8 lbs of total body weight. Remember that this is fat, muscle, water, and everything else that follows.
If you are short on time, clean bulk is your only option, as you don't want to risk staying fat; therefore, if you don't have time to go through an actual bulk followed with a cut, increase your protein intake and closely monitor your physique and waist circumference.
It should be clear that if you are looking to bulk (gain weight), you will need to enter a caloric surplus, which means you will need to consume more than you spend. Without this, adding muscle mass fast won't happen unless you are a beginner. But, if you want to do bulk the right way, your primary focus should be to increase your protein intake. Proteins are the central building block of muscle, and since your goal is to increase muscle mass by taking more calories, proteins are your ally.
So, include a protein-rich meal in your diet. It can be eating a big can of tuna, chicken breast, and a salad for dinner or drinking a protein shake in the morning and before workouts. You can also start eating more dairy products, such as cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. And, of course, eggs are your friend and an inexpensive protein source. If you are a beginner and underweight, this alone will help you gain muscle, especially if you haven't supplemented with protein.
Related Article:: Best Nutrition Plan during Cutting and Bulking Steroid Cycle
While beginners can benefit only by adding a protein-rich meal daily, more advanced lifters and bigger guys will need a more radical approach.
Eating more fatty foods is the easiest way to increase your caloric intake. Fats have nine calories in a single gram, while proteins and carbs have four calories, making them much more "efficient." So yes, adding more fatty foods to your diet will result faster if you look at the calculation. Just be careful not to overdo it as it can make you fat quickly. Not only will you increase your total caloric intake, but by adding only fat to your diet, you will reduce your relative protein intake, which isn't great.
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As for the carbs, you need those too, as they fuel your hard workouts (we will get to that later). But, opt for high-quality carbs, such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, and green veggies. You can also eat fruit. Try up your carbs before your workouts to maximize your effort, but reduce the intake after training, especially if you do it in the evening.
When reading this, you must think that junk food is an ideal bulking partner: it contains many calories, mostly from fat and carbs. However, not only is it unhealthy, but the combination of these high fats and high carb, ultra-processed foods will make you gain weight too rapidly, most stored as fat. Therefore, try to minimize the amount of food you eat, as you will have difficulty shedding that fat down.
If you are upping your calories, more energy will be available to you, which means you must train harder. That can mean many things: upping the intensity, frequency, or volume, and in some cases, even a mix. The important thing is: that you are eating more, which means you need to do more.
There is a wrong kind of "more," which only focuses on strength. While yes, you will get stronger as your weight increases, as you'll have more leverage, that is not the goal here. The goal is to gain muscle mass, so avoid training in the lower rep ranges. Keep your sets in the "bodybuilding zone," which is 8-12 reps for most movements. But, as we said before, up the intensity too, by adding more weight to the bar and getting (close) to failure.
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Also, the focus of the majority of your workouts should be on compound movements. You have more energy, so there is no reason why you shouldn't go hard on those significant lifts. Lowering the rep range to go extra heavy would be best, but don't go below five. And make sure you follow up the compounds with some isolations, as they are less taxing on the body.
While it is true that your recovery will be much better when you are in a caloric surplus, as there is enough in the bloodstream to mend those muscles, you should still make sure you are getting adequate rest. That's because you will train harder, increasing your primarily catabolic stress hormones.
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So, prioritize rest. Make sure you sleep at least 7-8 hours per night. But, also make sure you are not overtraining. Train hard, but have a reasonable plan, and leave at least one, ideally two days off every week. And plan reduction weeks, where you will let your body recover and catch up. You can do these once every four weeks or eight weeks, depending on your exercise intensity and the length of your bulking cycle.
This one is essential, as it separates you from getting obese. It would help if you tracked your progress regularly to have the right picture of it and adjust accordingly. First, take a picture of your physique before starting, and continue taking pictures monthly. Make sure you take side pictures as well, which will get you a better view of the size of your gut.
Also, once per week, on an empty stomach, measure your weight and weight circumference in the morning. The goal is to weigh more without getting fatter, and your waist will be a good indicator of this. But, it would help if you also took measurements of your other body parts, such as quads, chest, biceps, and back. That will tell you if your muscles are growing and will serve as a tremendous motivator to continue doing things the right way. However, this is a slow process; once per month is more than enough.
While this sounds counterintuitive, as Cardio is a tool used for cutting, doing Cardio will also help your clean bulk efforts. Cardio is essential for health, and avoiding it will hinder your longevity. So, 2x per week, on those days you are not going heavy, do a 30-minute cardio session. It can include rowing, swimming, jogging, or riding a (stationary) bike. Make sure you opt for low-intensity rather than HIIT, as you will already go heavy on your weights workouts.
Must Read:: Best Cardio And Weight Exercises To Lose Weight
Cardio will also help your recovery, as it will get the blood flowing through those damaged muscles, helping them heal.
As we noted, this article is primarily for natural lifters. If you are on steroids, you will probably be able to bulk even if you are not that careful. But, natural lifters will have to do things the hard way and get fewer results.
Therefore, supplementing is critical. First, if you are not using it, creatine alone will make you bulk up very fast. It will tie water to your muscles, increasing your weight and size. Also, it will give you more energy, allowing you to lift harder, resulting in more muscle gains in the long run.
We mentioned protein before, and supplementing with quality when protein powder is always a good option during your bulking phase. If you don't tolerate it or are a vegan, opt for something plant-based, such as brown rice or pea protein. As for the other supplements, you can try weight gainers if you struggle to eat regularly. Or, you can use caffeine-based pre-workouts to give you a boost, which will allow you to train harder.
But remember that supplements are the only ones that should improve your nutrition, not replace it. In other words, focus on natural foods.
That was our take on bulking. Following our tips will likely gain quality weight in your bulking phase, drastically minimizing the need to cut down before summer. Doing things slowly while tracking your progress, training hard, and focusing on quality foods is always the best approach that will lead to long-term results. Remember, if you only aim for the summer season, you will need to start again once you get back from the holidays. It is much better to embrace a fitness lifestyle and stay fantastic all year round.
Stay strong!
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