Best practices for bulking
What is bulking?
Bulking is a bodybuilding term that refers to a muscle-building phase. It is one of the three bodybuilding phases, including cutting and maintenance. During bulking, one has to consume more calories than their body needs while progressively overloading their training intensity. This article discusses the best practices for bulking. However, before diving deeper into the best practices for bulking, it is essential to understand the science behind bulking.
The human body builds muscle tissues through a complex process known as muscle hypertrophy. For the muscles to get bigger, the body needs more calories than it consumes. Ideally, a big chunk of these calories should be in proteins (more on this later).
The idea behind bulking is to enhance aesthetic appeal in the form of having toned and bigger muscles. And with the “bulking season” just around the corner, it’s the best time to learn more about some of the best practices for bulking.
Best practices for bulking
Snack on proteins as much as you can
As mentioned above, the body needs proteins to build muscles. The one of the best practices for bulking is to target 1g of protein for every 454g of body weight. Most experienced bodybuilders prefer a balanced approach towards their meals by dividing each meal proportionally by the number of calories they want to consume. To make things easier for yourself, you can eat a whole protein source with each meal instead of fulfilling the requirement in a single meal. Here are some of the best protein sources:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Red meat
- Poultry
Stay hydrated
While bulking it is essential to stay hydrated because it accelerates muscle recovery and fills the deficit created by intense training in the form of sweat. According to a study, just losing 2% of your body weight in fluid can decrease performance by up to 25%. And it won’t be a stretch to say that dehydration can wreck your plans for bulking. You can read more about the importance of hydration on muscle recovery here.
Eat, sleep, train, repeat
Training during bulking is as vital as the diet itself. Cutting corners while training will make things exponentially harder for you in the cutting phase. Your focus should be on heavy lifting exercises like squats, deadlifts and chest press. As long as you’re giving muscle-building exercises their due, you can do cardio exercises too. However, priority should be given to exercises that have a direct relationship with building muscles.
Carbs and fats
Bulking without rich carbs and healthy fats is incomplete. Carbs are the most readily-convertible nutrients and fuel workouts by providing instant energy. On the other hand, healthy fats boost muscle strength. Experts recommend consuming 0.5-2.0 of fats per body weight in kilograms.
One of most neglected best practices for bulking: recovery
One of the most neglected yet essential aspects of bulking is recovering well. Bulking requires discipline in every area, which also includes taking enough rest. Many gym enthusiasts approach rest instinctively rather than methodically. This can lead to injuries and halt your bulking phase altogether. To recover well, you can drink watermelon juice and consume fatty fish after your workouts. It will help you prepare for your next skull-crushing workout.
Should I use supplements despite following all the best practices for bulking?
To accelerate your bulking phase, you can use supplements to build muscles faster. However, the supplement you use should add up to your training and diet. For example, using protein supplements will not pack a single pound of extra muscle on your body if you are getting enough proteins from your diet.
On the other hand, you can use bulking specialists like Boladrol to boost your testosterone levels. Generally, a supplement of boladrol’s caliber can help you gain 17 pounds of muscle in 4 short weeks. You can learn more about boladrol on its dedicated page here.
Can bulking make me fat despite following all the best practices?
While bulking, you will inevitably gain weight. After all, you’re consuming more calories than your body needs. The weight you gain can be attributed to muscles and fat. However, a successful bulking phase usually does not account for more than a 1% increase in body fat percentage. For this reason, it’s important to stay away from processed foods and consume whole foods.
Conclusion: best practices for bulking
On the surface, bulking may sound fun to someone who has not been through the process. After all, who doesn’t like to eat, sleep and train? However, in reality, this couldn’t be any further from the truth. Bulking requires the highest form of discipline and focus. Some professionals eat almost every three hours during their bulking phase.
Even though the fundamentals remain the same for the most part, training and diet are subjective to a person’s goals. However, even then, bulking is not about going all out on your favorite foods. It’s about building muscles, and what you consume should be strictly monitored.
