Many people go to the
gym to improve their health and physique — and weightlifting
is one of the best means to do so.
اضافة اعلان
Cutting and
bulking are two important terms essential to any weightlifting journey. Last
week, we talked about the differences between both. This week, we are focusing
on bulking, which aims to increase caloric intake to stimulate muscle growth.
Caution is key, as
approaching bulking incorrectly can negatively affect your physique and, more
importantly, your
health.
What is bulking?
When trying to build muscle, being on a diet regimen is necessary to
prepare your body for the stress it will endure. This is where bulking comes
in: you progressively increase the number of calories consumed daily, exceeding
your body’s requirements.
Bulking is only a
phase and not a complete change in your lifestyle, typically lasting for four
to six months. It serves the purpose of providing energy and the essential
components needed to build muscle. With the intentional increase of your
caloric intake, fat accumulation will naturally occur; cutting is then the next
step as it helps in losing the fat and defining muscles.
Why is bulking
important?
The goal of bulking for weightlifting is to increase muscle size. This is
achieved by allowing the muscles to undergo a process known as hypertrophy,
which occurs when individual muscle fibers increase in size.
Hypertrophy
requires two important factors to be achieved: resistance training and diet.
Resistance
training provides the muscle with a stimulus. During a workout, your skeletal
muscles experience tears and small amounts of damage that the body begins to
repair and replace afterwardes. The second factor is diet. The process of
muscle growth is taxing on the body and thus requires a high food supply to
keep up with the increased demand. Muscle gain requires both energy and
nutrition. This energy comes in the form of calories.
A 2019 study found
that, over four weeks, those who had a high-energy diet experienced a 1.6
percent increase in muscle mass, which was higher than those who only had
moderate energy intake. The consensus of many similar studies is that a lower
energy intake can stunt hypertrophy.
In conjunction
with increased calories, bulking also requires plenty of protein to repair,
replace, maintain, and grow muscle.
The risks of bulking
Bulking has long been controversial in the health and fitness world,
often raising safety concerns. It is important to note that most of the risks
are associated with a concept known as “dirty” bulking.
Dirty bulking
involves no particular diet, and no foods are off limits; the goal is to eat as
much as possible. This inevitably results in unwanted fat gain. Even with
healthy bulking, an increase in caloric intake will ultimately lead to
increased fat mass.
The aforementioned
study found that those with a high energy diet experienced a 7.4 percent
increase in fat mass, whereas those with a moderate energy diet only
experienced a 0.8 percent increase.
An intense
increase in carbohydrates and saturated fats can elevate cholesterol and blood
sugar levels which may contribute to serious conditions such as high blood
pressure, strokes,
cancer, and diabetes. However, little to no evidence shows
any long-term effects of proper bulking and cutting cycles, as most health
issues are linked with obesity or being overweight.
What is ‘clean’
bulking?
“Clean” bulking is designed to overcome excessive fat gain. It is a
healthy and sustainable method of creating a calorie surplus while minimizing
fat gain.
In contrast to
dirty bulking, clean bulking does not include certain foods, particularly
heavily processed foods, processed carbs, and saturated fats. Clean bulking
utilizes an individualized approach as caloric intake is increased by 10 to 20
percent, ranging from 200 to 500 additional calories.
Benefits and drawbacks of clean bulking
Since clean bulking is individualized, it allows you to be in a calorie
surplus while minimizing the amount of fat mass gained. An estimated 350 to 500
calorie surplus promotes muscle growth while remaining well within the range of
clean bulking.
By reducing the
amount of potential fat gained, you, in turn, reduce the risk of developing
some of the serious complications associated with dirty bulking. However, clean
bulking is not as efficient as dirty bulking: the greater the intake of
calories, the greater the muscle gain.
As a result, clean
bulking may cause a delay in muscle gain and is not preferred for those who
need to gain muscle quickly for a sport or competition. Since clean bulking
acts as a sort of diet, it can be more restrictive and requires you to change
your daily eating habits.
How to clean bulk
To start clean bulking, you must first figure out your maintenance
calories. Maintenance calories are the number of calories needed to maintain
your current or healthy weight. Fortunately, many online calculators are at
your disposal to help determine this — only requiring your sex, age, height,
weight, and activity level to do so.
When you multiply
your maintenance calories by 1.1 to 1.2, you find the range of calories
necessary for a 10 to 20 percent surplus.
An adequate
protein intake is important to ensure the proper healing and growth of
muscle tissue. You should have a daily protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram
of body weight. Your target weight gain should be a 0.25 to 0.5 percent
increase per week. If you cannot reach this target, you should slowly increase
your weekly intake by 100 to 200 calories.
Along with a
protein and calorie target, certain foods should be consumed, and others
avoided. Focus your protein intake on lean proteins such as chicken and avoid
fatty cuts of beef. Unsaturated fats such as olive oil, nuts, avocado, and
specific seeds should be prioritized over saturated fats such as margarine,
butter, and certain oils.
Clean bulking
involves the consumption of whole and high-quality sources of carbs rather than
highly processed ones. This means eating more oats, rice, and pasta while
avoiding packaged pastries, fast food, and processed meats.
Restrictive food options
paired with delayed muscle gain can discourage many from clean bulking. But
balance can be achieved by allowing only one day of dirty bulking within an
entire week of clean bulking. And remember, consult a local trainer or
nutritionist for any advice on setting up a proper regimen.
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