Bulking and Cutting: Part 1

Bulking!

For those of you who don't know, bulking and cutting is a staple in any muscle building and strength training routine which aims to add muscle or strength. It can come in various shapes and sizes, but basically it is agreed upon that if you wish you to gain any strength or muscular size without cheating (steroids), then you need to do atleast some sort of bulking. In this two part series of posts, we will brief go over the basics of what is means to bulk (part 1) and to cut (part 2).

Most easily defined, bulking and cutting is a two step process where one attempts to put on size and muscle initially, and then later lose the fat they gained, with the end goal of showcasing their newly gained muscle minus the extra fat they gained while bulking. The theory behind the bulking process is based upon the fact that it is absolutely necessary for somebody who is looking to add muscle and strength to eat enough food to maintain a caloric surplus. A caloric surplus is defined as eating more calories that ones body needs to maintain its current weight level. That is, theoretically, if you ate a caloric defecit you would lose weight, if you ate just the right number your weight would remain the same, and if you ate a caloric surplus you would gain weight. Studies have shown that you must have a caloric surplus in order to gain muscle and strength. Just think about it and it makes perfect sense, if your body doesn't have the extra calories and nutrients it needs, how would it ever grow or get stronger?

So the bulking phase basically consists of you eating A LOT, along with working your ass off in the weight room consistently. There is more to it than that though, you cannot just pig out on ice cream, candy, and soda pop. Although this is a better time to consume those things than during cutting, you will find that it will be highly more beneficial to your results if you are consuming quality foods and nutrients. It is recommended that you consume 500-1000 more calories than your daily need, and we suggest that you shoot for 1000 over, just to be safe. Your daily caloric need can be calculated on a number of websites, or with simple formulas. Basically never let yourself get hungry, and eat quality sized meals often. Shoot for 5-6 goods sized portions each day, and do not be afraid to snack inbetween. There are many options for people who think they do not have enough time to consume 5-6 meals every day, such as quality shakes and bars made to be quick and easy to eat.

You can bulk for however long you would like, but make sure not to go too short, or you will not see the results when you cut. Don't be afraid to put on some fat, that naturally comes with the bulking phase. Most people will agree that it is physically impossible to gain 100% muscle without putting on any fat along with it, which explains why some people never see gains in the weight room. They are not eating enough, due to fears of putting on fat, and therefore are selling short all of their potential gains. We would recommend continuing to bulk as long as you are still seeing strength/muscle gains and are not getting too fat or uncomfortable with fat levels. The longer you keep a successful bulk going, the better your results are going to be after your cutting phase.

If you think you are overweight or have too much fat to begin with, you may want to cut down your weight as your first phase, and then move into a bulking phase. We will cover cutting in our next article. Conversly if you are thin, bulking is definitely where you want to begin. Just remember, although you will put on some weight, some of it even unwanted fat, this is a good thing so long as you are getting stronger, and the results will show after you cut!