BULKING 101 🍳🍟🥗

I thought this was an appropriate topic to talk about this time of year because it seems like a majority of us are in a bulking phase (bring on the christmas feasts). At first thought it may seem like bulking is going to be so easy – I can eat whatever I want – but there is in fact a “right way” of bulking.

Simply, a bulking phase is termed for someone who is tying to put on weight ideally in the form of muscle mass while trying to maintain current levels of body fat as close as possible. This is where the “right way” of bulking comes in. What we don’t want is something called the dirty bulk where you are eating whatever you want whenever you want just for the goal of increasing body mass because this probably means you are gaining a ton of excess body fat as well. Really, when I refer to bulking I am talking about “lean bulking”. Lean bulking is a form where a person strategically adjusts their diet and workout regimen for the purpose of MAXIMIZING lean muscle gains while MINIMIZING body fat gain (as much as possible). With any type of bulk, it is recommended that you are eating at about 500cal surplus of your maintenance but it’s important to start slow with about 100-150 calorie surplus and then increase from there as you see how your body responds.

My 5️⃣  tips for an effective bulk is:

🍞 STOCK UP ON PROTEIN – protein will be your best friend when it comes to growing muscle mass
🍞 GET THE RIGHT FUEL – try to track your calories/macros for the first few weeks to get an idea of your breakdown. Try to aim for a 40/30/30 split of carbs, protein and fat
🍞 PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD – this is your time to hit the weights and progressive overload. as you put on weight you will see yourself getting stronger
🍞 COMPOUND MOVEMENTS – focus on your big compound movements such as deadlifts, squats, presses, pull-ups
🍞 HIIT – high intensity workouts will help avoid fat gains during your bulk. incorporate a couple a week!

Hope this was informative to those who are in their bulking phase like me!