The cons. Bad news first: A clean bulk is hard. Everything that makes whole, nutritious foods an advantage for people trying to lose weight (it's filling, high in fiber, and nutrient-dense) makes it challenging when you're trying to increase caloric consumption.
Yeah... bulking is tough. It's pretty much like a workout in itself. You get used to it after a while, but it's still tough. Note I eat clean while bulking. went from 160 to 190lbs in 29 weeks. I'm currently sitting at around 18-7-188, and I'm starting to get used to the amount of food I have to eat to maintain that.
A high metabolism rate means that the body burns calories faster, making it harder for individuals to consume enough calories to gain weight. This is why individuals with a high metabolism rate have to consume a higher number of calories to gain weight and build muscle mass.
The general rule is that consuming an excess of at least 2,500 calories per week can help increase lean tissue by one pound of gained mass. This number is derived from several published studies, but it is generalized for the 'average exerciser.
You can often cut for short cycles and see good progress but bulking takes a long time (unless you are using anabolic steroids). Most people can have highly effective cutting cycles in 8-12 weeks, but an effective bulking cycle should be 16-26 weeks on the low end and upwards of an entire year on the longer end.
Avoid sugar and processed food
For example: 1000 calories worth of pizza is not the same as 1000 calories from brown rice, sweet potatoes, spinach and tuna steaks. Instead, the calories from that kind of food can be spent on more nutritious wholegrains, lean protein and good fats.
Most bulking diets recommend a surplus of 250–500 calories. If your calculator is off by more than that, you won't gain weight.
Can I Use the 2,500-Calorie Diet to Gain Muscle? Yes, you can. This is commonly known as bulking – a muscle gaining phase of body building where you intentionally consume more calories than your body needs and work out more through weight training.
A classic bulk usually means aiming to gain about 0.5–1 pound per week. That usually means eating a calorie surplus of 200–400 calories, weighing yourself every week, and adjusting. If you're gaining weight too slowly, add 200 calories.
There are other terms for this, such as build mode, but bulking is a common term for this caloric surplus. Dirty bulking is when an individual is in a caloric surplus to build muscle (build mode). However, the individual is eating foods that are carb dense, unhealthy, and ultra-processed out of convenience.
Whether you're a newbie to the gym or a veteran athlete, you probably heard the term “bulk and cut” at least a few times. But tread carefully, gym lords and ladies. Despite its recognition, very little evidence supports the bulk-and-cut approach as the best way to build muscle and lose fat.
Lean muscle refers to muscle tissue that has a low level of fat. It's the kind of muscle that gives you those well-defined abs, bulging biceps, and a booty that could make Beyoncé jealous. In other words, lean muscle is what makes you look like a Greek god or goddess without having to live on Mount Olympus.
In a “dirty” bulk, the athlete consumes processed, highly palatable foods: burgers, fries, pastries, ice cream, milkshakes, fried chicken, doughnuts, candy, and other calorie-dense foods.
Processed meats, such as sausages, bacon, and ham, often find their way into our diets, but they are not the best choices for muscle development. These meats are typically high in sodium and saturated fats, which can be counterproductive to our muscle-building goals.
Now, for the age-old question: should you do cardio during bulking? The answer is yes, but with a balanced approach. Too much cardio can counteract the calorie surplus you need for muscle growth, making it harder to see progress.
We normally recommend gaining 20 pounds over 3–5 months.
It is a macronutrient (macro) split/macro tracking diet with its total daily calorie content composing of 40% carbohydrate, 40% protein and 20% fat. Bodybuilders employ this macro split when they wish to 'cut' (lose weight), maintain or 'bulk' (gain weight).
“I look at a study like this, and it's proof that we shouldn't be promoting dirty bulking,” Dr. Dakkak states. “It increases your fat and your risk of chronic disease without any improvement in performance. There are just too many risks without enough benefits.”
Is peanut butter good for muscle building? If you're looking to bulk up, peanut butter does have protein—but it might not be the most efficient option. Two tablespoons of peanut butter have eight grams of protein, and about 190 calories. A typical protein bar has about 200 calories, and 20 grams of protein.
Bananas are an excellent source of natural carbohydrates, which are essential for muscle fuel. They are rich in potassium, which plays a significant role in muscle contraction and preventing muscle weakness.