Bulking entails muscle-building for people engaging in traditional bodybuilding routines. It entails forming a calorie surplus meant to support muscle growth. The bodybuilding cycle comprises two phases, including cutting and bulking.
Bodybuilders consume additional protein and carbohydrates during the bulking phase to maintain the calorie surplus. The main goal is to ensure the calories will help build additional muscle. A person is supposed to take part in strength training when they enter the bulking phase to stimulate the growth of muscles. Bulking will increase your body fat and muscle mass.
Some individuals usually include a maintenance phase during the bodybuilding cycle. You’ll need to consume enough calories to maintain similar body composition.
Goal Of Bulking Diet?
The main goal is to consume more calories than your body needs to maintain your current body size.
Bulking Diet: Determining Your Macronutrient and Calorie Intake
We have mentioned that you need to consume more calories than your body needs as you take part in bodybuilding. The main question that arises is, how will you determine the number of calories you need?
You can use a calorie counter, and it considers your sex, weight, physical activity level, and height to determine the number of calories your body needs. Experts recommend that when bodybuilding, you need to consume at least 20 percent above the number of calories you need during your bulking phase to ensure the weight gain is moderate. For instance, your body needs 3,000 calories based on your experience level. If you weigh at least 150 pounds, you’ll gain at least 0.8 pounds weekly.
If you’re a bodybuilder and have at least six months of weight training experience, you should take more calories. If you have years of bodybuilding experience, you should target a lower end since you don’t want to increase your body fat.
If you gain less than 0.5 percent of your body’s weight each week, you need to adjust your calorie consumption.
Consuming a Calorie Surplus
You need more calories since they support muscle growth as you participate in bodybuilding. When you consume a caloric surplus, the body is going to be in an “anabolic” state, which means it’s in a phase that new tissue is constricted, including bones and muscle.
You’re supposed to control the caloric surplus. Although you’re supposed to consume more calories, you shouldn’t overdo it. Thanks to the Sacramento meal prep, if your weight and strength are slowly rising and there is minimal fat gain, that’s a good sign.
Eat Moderate Fat and Protein with a Small Number of Carbs
There are different reasons why low-carb diets are popular; however, they’re not suitable for people who are bulking. As you bulk, your body will need the glycogen being produced by the carbs to power the heavy lifting.
With a high carb intake, you’ll experience insulin spikes, and they’ll play a major role in promoting the growth of muscles. As a result, there are some elite-level bodybuilders who inject insulin directly into their bodies.
Some people assume that the most important macronutrient when bodybuilding is proteins in a bid to build muscles. Research has been conducted, and it seems that the bulking requirements need lower amounts of protein than you think.
Your body composition improves when you take at least 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. If you’re 80kgs, you’ll need to consume at least 144grams of proteins during the bulking process if you want to gain muscles. Fat intake is also supposed to be moderate since it helps hormonal balance.
Lift Heavy While Focusing on Moderate Rep-Range
Bulking mainly focuses on increasing your muscle capacity. You need to lift heavy, but the rep range is supposed to be moderate. You can do at least 10 reps for each set.
Your workout should focus on compound lifts such as the bench press and squats. Incorporate assistance exercises to focus on certain muscle groups. Your progress is supposed to be steady as you do weight lifting.
Foods You Should Eat
Your bodybuilding diet matters when you’re bulking. Keep in mind that although you’re taking food with high-calorie content, it doesn’t mean that the food will promote muscle gain or improve your overall health.
Food To Eat
Your diet should comprise whole foods to ensure you’re getting enough minerals. You’ll also need quality protein, healthy fats, and minerals.
Your diet is supposed to comprise of the following foods:
• Vegetables- arugula, asparagus, broccoli, beets, cucumber, mushrooms, peppers, and collards.
• Fruits- avocado, apples, grapes, berries, oranges, kiwi, pears, oranges, pomegranate, and pineapple.
• Starchy vegetables- jicama, arrowroot, potatoes, peas, yam, and rutabaga
• Grains- cereals, bread, corn, popcorn, oatmeal, rice, and quinoa.
• Dairy- cottage cheese, butter, milk, yogurt, and cheese.
• Meat, eggs, and poultry- pork tenderloin, ground beef, skinless chicken, turkey, sirloin steak, and whole eggs.
• Seeds and nuts- chia seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and flaxseed.
• Legumes- chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, and lima beans.
• Nut butter and oils-chia seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, and walnuts.
• Beverages that don’t have added sugar- diet soda, coffee, water, and unsweetened tea.
If you drink beverages with added sugar, such as sweetened tea or coffee, you should enjoy such in moderation.
Foods to Avoid
Some of the foods you need to limit for the bodybuilder competition diet include:
• Added sugars- in desserts, sweetened beverages, and candy, there is added sugar, and it has different negative health effects when you consume such in huge amounts.
• Alcohol- it will interfere with your body’s ability to build muscle, especially when you consume huge amounts.
• Fried foods- when you take fried foods regularly, your risk of heart disease will increase. Also, you’ll be at a high risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes. Fried foods include onion rings, fried chicken, chips & fish, and cheese curds.
You shouldn’t necessarily avoid these foods fully. Ensure you only consume such foods during special events and occasions, which aren’t held regularly.
Risks and Safety
When bulking, the main goal is to maintain the calorie surplus since it plays a key role in building muscle. Nonetheless, it is essential to ensure you have a healthy diet since it is integral to your body transformation.
Some people will be tempted to increase their calorie intake using snacks and highly processed foods. You should keep in mind that an unhealthy diet will have consequences during the bulking process.
If you’re bulking and you develop nutritional habits that are poor, you may start experiencing different health problems.
A poor diet puts you at the risk of:
· Stroke
· Heart disease
· Cancer
· Type 2 diabetes
· Cognitive dysfunction
Bulking will also lead to an increase in your body fat. You may end up stopping bulking before witnessing the health benefits.
In some instances, some people will find it hard to move from the bulking to the cutting phase because of an increase in appetite. You’ll be uncomfortable when you move to a diet that is calorie-restricted.
What are the Benefits of Bulking?
Bulking will help to increase your muscle mass. People who haven’t tried strength training before won’t need bulking to build muscles. On the other hand, an experienced bodybuilder will need additional calories if they’re to achieve this effect.
Ensure you’ve adhered to the guidelines in this context if you want to experience the benefits of bulking.
