Okay, so summer has been and gone (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere) and while it was nice to be shredded, you’re probably feeling a little scrawny and may be ready to start bulking up to gain some serious mass. While bulking season is generally more enjoyable for bodybuilders, if you fail to bulk correctly, you will inevitably pay the price in the near future. Bulking isn’t as simple as some people believe, which is why we’ve compiled this list of tried and tested bulking tips, to help ensure that your bulk runs as smoothly and as successful as possible.
Do NOT dirty bulk – A dirty bulk is basically where an individual will consume vast quantities of junk food, in a bid to ensure they get plenty of calories in their system. To build muscle you do indeed need to be consuming more calories than you can burn off, but that is not an excuse to binge on junk food. Dirty bulking is unhealthy, it’s dangerous, it will make you feel unhealthy and out of sorts, and it will result in you gaining a lot more body fat than you should. The occasional treat now and then is perfectly fine when bulking, but for the most part, try to keep it clean. This brings us to…
Stock up on healthy foods – Just because you aren’t planning on walking around with your shirt off and your abs out for the next few months, that doesn’t mean that you should neglect your health. When you bulk up, make sure you emphasize fresh and healthy foods. Complex carbs, lean proteins, healthy fats, water, and plenty of vegetables should all be consumed. Eating clean will not only help you to control your weight, it will also make you look better, feel better, and be better.
Compounds – A compound exercise is an exercise which works multiple muscle groups at once. An isolation exercise is the exact opposite, as it isolates just one muscle group at a time. To build muscle mass and gain size, you need to make sure that you are emphasizing compound exercises as part of your training routine. Compound exercises are great for building muscle because with one exercise you are working several muscle groups. Isolation exercises are still very beneficial and useful, but in order to gain size, you should try to perform more relatively heavy compounds and perhaps finish off your training with a few isolation exercises.
Use a mass gainer – To bulk up and gain mass you need to be in a caloric surplus. The bigger you are, the more calories you need, which would mean eating a lot of food. This would not only be expensive, it would also potentially be very difficult. Eating yet another plate of chicken, potatoes, and broccoli when you’re already feeling full and bloated will not be easy. This is why a mass gaining shake is so useful. Mass gainers are protein-based powdered supplements with added vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. They are high in calories and therefore make it easier for you to meet your daily caloric requirements for bulking. One mass gain shake per day will provide anything from 400 calories to 1000 calories, depending on which brand you choose.
