Bulking is a very popularly talked about phenomenon these days. Everyone in the fitness industry is talking about it. But what if you do not know what it is all about. What is bulking and how is it related to the fitness and health industry? What all is there that you need to know about bulking and its role in bodybuilding? I will try and answer these and many other similar questions in this article. Let’s start with a brief introduction to the bulking concept.
What could be the motivation behind a person who wants to become big while all others are trying to move in the other direction?
The answer is simple. The chances of gaining muscle growth along with a super lean and perfectly toned body are very little.
You cannot just gain this phenomenal coexistence with regular but hard workouts. You need much more to gain this level of supremacy.
It is a lengthy and difficult process in which there are separate durations of time where you grow and then lean out again.
In the most common and simple terms, bulking is the process in which the muscles grow. For a good bulking period you need to increase the number of calories that you intake. This act of taking in enhanced amounts of calories is called attaining caloric surplus.
The surplus story!
When a person takes more calories than what his body can burn through metabolism, the excess will develop new muscle mass.
This surplus amount of caloric power also adds to your ability to carry out hard workouts and longer exercise sessions.
No gain without pain
But as with all other good things in life, there are certain side effects of bulking as well. The topmost being the accumulation of extra body fats. When you eat more than you digest, you are bound to gain some extra percentage of fats.
It Does Not Matter What Types Of Calories You Take, The Side Effect Is But Natural.
It does not matter what types of calories you take, the side effect is but natural. You simply cannot avoid it. This is how the human body works. So, what to do about this extra body fats here and there? This is where the complementary process comes in. Now you need to focus on the cutting process.
Time to cut
Cutting is a total opposite of bulking. The concept requires you to take in lesser calories that you can burn in your body with slight activity.
This means that cutting requires the person to create a calorie deficiency in the body leading to shedding off of extra unwanted layers of fat.
Once this fat is removed, the muscles of a body will be projected from the underneath. Cutting can be a critical process. When you take in fewer calories, your body may become weak and lethargic due to the deficiency of energy.
So, in order to avoid cannibalization of the muscles in the body, you must increase your intake of proteins. The inclusion of various cardio based exercises in your workout sessions will also improve your heart rates and help in burning the excess fats more effectively.
One workout that has a great effect on the body is ab workouts. For a buying guide, check out this link: 5 Best Ab machines
How to bulk and cut
In the case of professional body builders that bulking period lasts for minimum 6 months and maximum 9 months.
Then they adopt cutting for a few months to achieve the required muscular body shape. For amateurs and nonprofessionals winter is the best period for bulking. The bigger clothes mostly hide their excess inches and pounds. When the spring season starts they start to cut their bodies down to the muscular beach look.
Bulk to be fit
Bulking does not necessarily mean that you want to have great looks. Many fitness crazy people bulk for the high-performance capabilities. The larger the muscle masses you have the more strong you can get. Greater strength will allow you to crush heavy workouts and thus perform better. So if you are planning to take a vacation on the beach then start to bulk at least four-six months in advance. Then cut for a couple of months to find the perfect shape for your body.
To bulk or not to bulk
Most people I know of hesitate to adopt new concepts and processes. When you are about to start something that will affect your body, you are very careful and nervous. Same is the case with cutting and bulking.
How To Tell If You Should Bulk And Cut Or Not? What Is The Right Thing For You?
We might now understand what bulking and cutting is all about, but we still fail to know whether it is appropriate for us or not.
This is where the phrase “THAT DEPENDS” comes in handy. It depends on a number of factors and reasons.
Overweight
If you are already fat or over the average weight limit and just starting a workout regime to lose weight then bulking and cutting is a NO for you. First, you need to come down to the healthy levels and then build on some muscle gains and cutting off body fats.
Skinny
If you are underweight or too skinny then you may safely start a bulking process. But the key is to keep the calories on the cleaner side.
You can initially work on 300 plus surplus and then increase accordingly. Do not let go of a working out regime otherwise you will only put on pounds. Carry out an evaluation every month and make necessary adjustments to the calorie counts.
Just need to lean it
But what if you are already muscled up and you have a large muscular body. Cutting it down according to a requirement is the next step.
You can reduce 200 calories initially and then take the figure further down as time progresses. Ensure to include cardio and HIIT exercises in the workout sessions. Again carry out evaluations every month and then make adjustments to the caloric figures.
Tips for the newbies
Some great tips for newcomers:
- During bulking select foods that are cleaner. You might go easy on the dieting but you do not want to move away from the objective. Flexibility should be there but not to the extent that if overpowers the fitness goal.
- Do not be too hard while cutting. You do not want to be monstrous. You will be hungry as a horse the day your cutting process ends. So go slow and steady.
- Regular monitoring of the bulking and cutting process is essential. You do not want to get too fat in a short period of time nor do you want to starve yourself out in a few days. Keep on adjusting and go with a slower pace.
- Knowing how many exercises per workout you need.
There you have it!
Large muscles and tight abs both require opposite processes. You need to give time and strike a balancing approach for the achievement of the two goals.
In many cases, this time may take months and even years. Patience is the secret for a successful bodily transformation. You need to have faith in the processes and work your way through the outcomes.
Instantaneous results from either of the two processes of bulking or cutting could be unhealthy and harmful in the long run.
Feel free to drop in a line. Your comments and feedback are the real encouragement for us.
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Very informative breakdown of bulking and cutting! People need to know it’s more than just “eat less, eat more”.