If you've been going to the gym for a while, you've likely heard the terms "bulking" and "cutting" being mentioned. But what does bulking mean, and how does it fit into the broader context of fitness goals? In this blog post we'll dive into the fundamentals of bulking, explore how it works, and provide some practical tips for optimising your bulk to help you achieve your muscle building goals.
What does bulking mean?
Bulking is a structured method in a bodybuilding training cycle where the primary goal is to gain muscle mass and increase overall body weight. This process involves eating more calories than your body burns - commonly known as a caloric surplus-while engaging in resistance training to stimulate muscle growth. The goal is to ensure that your body has the building blocks to build muscle after workouts by eating high-protein, nutrient-dense foods, and tobalance caloric intakewith the right exercise to minimise fat gain and maximise muscle.
Bulking, cutting and maintaining
Bulking, cutting, and maintenance are three key phases in muscle-building.
Each phase is important to help you reach your fitness goals—bulking builds muscle, cutting reveals it, and maintaining keeps your progress intact.
What is the best bulking diet?
There are generally two approaches to bulking: clean bulking and dirty bulking.
Each method has its benefits and drawbacks. Dirty bulking gives faster results, and is not as restrictive, though this means it can be more difficult to wean yourself off this diet when cutting. Dirty bulking may also lead to excess fat gain, a lack of energy, blood sugar problems and other health issues associated with a diet lower in nutrients and fibre.
A clean bulk diet is more restricted and difficult to follow, and yields slower results. However, you're less likely to put on fat, have better digestive health due to thefibre content, and it's generally the preferred option to maintain long-term health.
The best foods to eat on a bulking diet
To bulk successfully, focus on nutrient-dense foods that support your macronutrient needs:
Proteins:Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, tofu, dairy products, and legumes are excellent protein sources for muscle repair and growth.
Carbohydrates:Foods like rice, oats, and potatoes are rich in carbohydrates to provide the energy you need for intense workouts. Opt for brown rice, and leave the skins on potatoes to increase your fibre content.
Fats: Healthy fats from nuts, seeds, oily fish, and avocados support joint, brain, and heart health, hormone production and overall well being.
Fruit and vegetables:Fruit and vegetables like squash, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, kale, oranges, bananas, apples, kiwi and berries taste great, add colour and flavour to your diet, and are packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fibre. Aim for a minimum of two pieces of fruit and threevegetable portionseach day, but there's no upper limit. Try to 'eat a rainbow' of different coloured fruit and vegetables in order to consume an array of different antioxidants and nutrients.
How to calculate your bulking calorie intake?
A bulking diet should focus on creating a moderate caloric surplus of while ensuring you're consuming sufficient amounts of macronutrients - protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Here's a rough guideline to follow:
Macronutrient ratios:
Incorporating nutrient-dense foods ensures that you're not just hitting your calorie goals but also supporting optimal performance and recovery in the gym. Find out more abouthow much protein you need to build muscle.
Is bulking safe?
Bulking is safe as long as it's done carefully.
One of the risks of bulking is gaining too much fat if you aren't careful with your food choices, or overeat. To prevent this, stick to nutrient-dense foods, whilst monitoring your progress andcalorie intake. When transitioning from bulking to cutting, some people may struggle with the drop in calories as their appetite may have increased. Ensuring a balanced diet throughout these phases can help minimise risks.
How do you know if you're gaining muscle?
Minimising fat gain while bulking is important, but without regular check-ins to measure your body fat measurements it can be difficult to know if you are on the right track. Luckily there are a few key indicators to help you track progress:I
Regular tracking and a combination of all these methods will give you a clearer picture of your muscle gains.
When should you stop bulking?
Knowing when to stop bulking is just as important as understanding how to start. Typically, a bulking phase lasts anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks, depending on your individual goals, starting point, and how your body responds to the caloric surplus. However, the end of your bulk is not determined solely by time; it's about reaching a balance between gaining sufficient muscle mass andminimising excess fat gain.
You should consider stopping your bulk when your body fat percentage reaches a point where you feel uncomfortable or when it starts to impact your performance. For most people, bulking up to about 15-20% body fat is ideal, as going beyond this range can lead to diminishing returns in muscle gain. Higher body fat levels can also make the subsequent cutting phase more difficult and lengthy, as you'll have more fat to shed to reveal your hard-earned muscle. Monitoring your body composition and making adjustments as needed can help you end the bulk at the right time.
Some individuals may choose to stop bulking when they hit a plateau in strength gains, notice that further weight gain is resulting inmore fat than muscle, or if they start feeling demotivated and find it harder to stay excited about training and continue gaining weight. If your training and diet are dialed in after a significant amount of time in a caloric surplus, but you're no longer seeing significant improvements, it may be time to transition to a cutting phase to lean out and maintain muscle definition.
Best exercises for bulking
Bulking isn't just about diet. It requires a carefully planned resistance training program to maximise muscle growth.
The best bulking meal prep
Building muscle requires the right balance of calories, protein, and nutrients, and following a structured bulking plan will help you achieve your goals. ThePrep Kitchen muscle gain meal planprovides the perfect solution for bulking, offering nutritious and tasty high-protein meals designed to support muscle growth!
Summary
To sum up, bulking is essential for bodybuilding and strength training, helping to build muscle mass and strength.
Good luck with your bulk!
If you enjoyed this article, check out these other related articles on the blog:
Should you eat protein before or after a workout?
How much protein should you eat to build muscle?
Chris Tang's top tips to smash your personal goals
