Almost every athlete will have heard of the term bulking at some point. This term is generally associated with eating a lot and with very broad people. Now this is of course a bit of a shortcut, because anyone can bulk to gain muscle mass. Since there is still some confusion about this concept, it is time to learn more about it. Today we will show you what bulking is exactly, so you know what to do if you want to gain muscle mass.
What exactly is bulking?
So what exactly is “bulking”? In case you didn’t know, you need to provide your body with excess calories in order to build muscle. This is also known as gaining muscle mass. Everything in life revolves around energy. In order to gain weight (whether it be fat or muscle) you need to provide your body with more energy (as calories from food) than it needs. We all need different amounts of calories. You can roughly determine your needs because they depend on your age, weight, height and activity; this depends on your job and the amount of training you do. As long as you are taking in more calories than you need then you are essentially bulking. Of course you need to exercise too, otherwise you will only gain fat. Bulking can happen in one of two ways:
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A clean bulk – A clean bulk refers to eating more calories than you need to gain weight (for the reasons explained above), but eating mostly healthy foods. The types of foods eaten during a clean bulk are not all that different from foods eaten when cutting or losing weight. The majority of the meals you eat will be used as fuel for the body, you just eat slightly more than you need. This way you still gain muscle. A clean bulk usually results in a bulk that leaves you with less fat, so you don’t have to lose weight for as long. For example, using a Sterrenstof shake is a great way to bulk cleanly to gain muscle mass.
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A dirty bulk – A dirty bulk refers to eating more calories than you need to gain weight, but with almost everything you can think of. It is often seen as an excuse to eat everything you can think of, including unhealthy things. That is why cakes, chocolate, ice cream and alcohol are often found in a dirty bulk. Foods that are calorie-dense, but often contain few nutrients. This can have consequences for your health, and you also gain quite a lot of fat. If you want to follow a dirty bulk, you should definitely make a weight gainer shake with the products of Sterrenstof , that is much healthier than some pizza, right?
