When it comes to building a more muscular physique, it is important that you go through the bulking phase. This is a phase in bodybuilding, where you consume a larger amount of calories for optimum muscle building. This is especially important for leaner individuals, who find it difficult to pack on muscle mass. However, before you even think of bulking up, you should have a set strategy first. You can’t just eat as much as you want and call it bulking. This approach is very flawed, and it might just have you get fat in the process. So you will need a way to bulk up without getting fat. Here are some great tips to bulking up and still stay lean.
1. Take Your Build and Height Into Consideration
If you want your bulk to be successful, you should make sure that you take your build and height into consideration. Remember that everyone has different muscle compositions. Some people are blessed with muscles that are easier to develop, while other people are naturally skinny, and it takes more time to build muscles consistently. By taking your build and height into consideration, you will be able to estimate how much protein you will need to build muscle.
2. Eat Clean
One of the biggest misconceptions about bulking up is that you could eat whatever you want. This is a grave mistake if you only eat junk foods because these types of food have no nutritional value. They are predominantly made up of sugar, fats, and sodium, which will not help you build muscle at all. Even worse, they may even cause you to gain fat and retain water in the long run.
3. Measure Your Caloric Intake
Although bulking does entail you eat more calories than usual, this does not mean that you can just whatever you want. So when you plan out your meals, it is important that you measure every gram of carbs, fat, and protein that you eat. This will allow you to have more discipline with your meals.
4. Make Sure to Burn off the Excess Calories
The main reason why you are bulking is that you are providing fuel for your muscles. However, if you are going to eat a huge amount of calories, it is important that you try to burn off the excess as well.
Although you should make weight lifting your main form of exercise, it is still important that you do cardio as well. Just make sure that you don’t overdo it. Remember that your main goal is to build muscle, and doing too much cardio could mess with your progress.
If you want to make cardio a part of your training regime, then it is a good idea to do sprints instead of long-distance running. If you compare the muscle development between a sprinter and a marathon runner, you’ll notice that the sprinter has a more developed musculature. While the two types of athletes use practically the same muscles for running, it is the amount of power involved that’s quite different.
A sprinter uses fast-twitch muscle fibers for explosive bursts of speed. Whereas the marathon runner uses slow-twitch muscle fibers to last longer during a run. The sprinter tends to have a more defined musculature because he or she shocks the body to reach extreme speeds. This gets blood pumping into the muscles, which helps in overall muscle development.
5. Lift Weights
When it comes to bulking up, the most important exercise that you could do is lift weights. The main reason why you are eating a lot of protein is that you need it to build and rebuild your muscle fibers. So if you are going to work out, it is best that you make weight lifting your main workout routine. While you could make cardio a part of your workout regimen, weight training should still be the main priority.
If you are just a beginner, it is best to start with light weights, and slowly build your muscles, until it can handle even heavier weights. It is also important that you have a set strategy for your workouts. You should not just go to the gym and lift weights at random. You should have a set workout routine and you should follow it to the letter.
6. Prep Your Meals for Easy Consumption
When it comes to bulking, it is very important that you prep all your meals before the start of the week. Remember that it takes some time to prepare meals, and it could get in the way of your workouts and other activities if you have to take an hour off your day to just cook your meals. So it is a good idea to just plan and prep your meals beforehand. If you are going to pack your meals, you should use microwaveable containers. That way you will be able to just stick it in a microwave and have your food ready within a few minutes.
7. Protein Powder is Key
Although your meals might be well prepared and you measured all your calories, it is still important that you supplement your diet. Remember that you should be at a caloric excess in order to build muscle. The most effective and efficient way to do this is to use protein powder. By drinking protein powder after every workout, you could ensure that your body has enough protein to rebuild torn muscle fibers.
If you are going to bring protein powder to your workouts, it is better if you use laminated pouches to store them. Laminated pouch manufacturers such as Logos Pack, make high quality laminated pouches that are made up of very durable and sustainable materials. They also have ziploc features, which allows you to easily open the pouches, without risking any exposure to moisture. Logos Pack offers quality plastic containers at very competitive prices, so you could buy your pouches in bulk.
Conclusion
When it comes to building a more muscular physique, the bulking phase is a necessity. It is the time where you eat a calorie surplus for optimum muscle growth. However, too much eating could also make you fat. Luckily, with these tips, you’ll be able to bulk up without getting fat in the process.