Time to bulk up
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What is bulking?
Bulking is a term often used in fitness. Essentially, it's simply adjusting your calorie and macronutrient intake so you take in more energy than you use. You then have a so-called positive energy balance. Your body takes in more energy than it needs for its daily activities and can use this extra energy to grow your muscle mass. The consequence is that you have to stimulate your muscles to grow. And that means you have to train them frequently. If you want to bulk, it's best to train several times a week, otherwise your body will store the extra energy as fat.
How do you approach bulking?
First, it's important to know how many calories your neutral energy balance contains. You can calculate this using various formulas. Several reliable methods can be found using a search engine like Google by searching for "calculate calorie intake per day." For more specific results, you can consult a dietitian.
Once you've calculated your neutral energy balance, you'll be about 15-25% above it. Personally, I recommend starting with 15% and seeing how your body reacts. Anything your body doesn't use for muscle growth will be stored as fat. Therefore, it's important to periodically monitor your progress during this process. You can take measurements of your legs, abdomen, chest, and shoulders, for example. But the most important things to measure are your weight and body fat percentage.
Has your weight increased and your body fat percentage remained almost the same? Good for you, you've mainly gained muscle and relatively little fat. However, you'll actually notice that you'll also gain some fat. If this is happening too quickly, you can choose to reduce your calorie intake slightly. I would also advise you to set an upper limit for your body fat percentage. If you bulk up to 20% fat, you'll have to work quite a bit to get back down to below 10% fat. If you bulk up to 16% fat, you'll consume less energy but ultimately have to work less to get back down to lean weight. Both options have advantages and disadvantages; ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. Also, don't forget to respect your macros: Carbs 50%, Protein 30%, and Fat 20%.
Tips
- Make sure you're sticking to your macros. It's easy to eat a little more fat and thus meet your calorie goal. However, you need enough protein and carbohydrates for your training and recovery (so eat more, but only with the right nutrition).
Choose foods with a high calorie content. For example, 100 grams of penne contains 349 kcal, but 100 grams of diced potatoes contains only 85 kcal. If you don't choose high-calorie options, you risk not reaching your desired calorie intake by the end of the day.
Prepare your food a day in advance so you avoid surprises and can adjust the amount of food precisely to your calorie intake.
- Eat frequently: Eating six meals a day was previously recommended as a better way to distribute your energy. Recent studies have shown that this isn't entirely true. However, I still recommend eating six times a day during bulking. You'll be eating quite a bit. Suppose your calorie intake goal is 3600 kcal per day; over three meals, that would be 1200 kcal per meal, which is difficult for many people to consume. If you divide this over six meals of 600 kcal, it will be easier to achieve.
- Set rules for yourself about cheating. Cheating doesn't contribute to your physical goals. But sometimes you just want to enjoy a tasty meal. The beauty of a bulking period is that you're already eating more than your body needs, so there's plenty of room for indulgence every now and then. However, you wouldn't be the first to realize you've cheated a little too much after a few Nutella cakes, all-you-can-eat sushi, and a full pizza savings card.
Finally
I wish you the best of luck with your bulking. You'll look a bit fuller, but if you keep a close eye on your body fat percentage, you're in control of how far you let it go. Trust the process, eat clean, and train hard, and you'll see great results in a few months.
Enjoy!
Author: Bart Kaats