| All right. I get the same questions about bulking everyday. Guys want to bulk up but have no idea how to do it. I'll show you all how. |
All right. I get the same questions about bulking
everyday. Guys want to bulk up but have no idea how to
do it. I'll show you all how. I have never had a
problem putting on weight because I know how to do it
and I'm dedicated enough to do it. (I've gained 50
lbs. in 2.5 years, staying at close to the same bf).
First off lets get some things straight. > > To put
on muscle you're going to have to put on some fat. If
you want to try and stay lean when your bulking you're
going to end up not adding much weight, probably over
trained (from lack of calories) and very, very
frustrated. YOU CANNOT PUT ON MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT AT
THE SAME TIME UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES!
Now I know
some people have done it and it is possible but
usually it only works for people that are untrained,
very obese, or on steroids. Assuming the majority of
my audience is drug-free with bodybuilders I think
those three are out. Bodybuilding is not a two way
street, it's a one way, your either bulking or
cutting. I don't care how many crunches you do...when
your bulking your six pack is going to be blurry. Deal
with it. By working abs 2, 3, or a hundred times a
week like some people do, your doing nothing but
taking energy away from your other training and overtraining your abs. I only mention this because most
people these days freak out over their abdominals.
Last but most importantly, TO PUT ON WEIGHT YOU MUST
CONSUME MORE CALORIES THAN YOU EXPEND! YOU WILL NOT
PUT ON WEIGHT IF YOU DON'T. This is why cardio is
totally useless when bulking (besides maintaining
cardiovascular health). All it does is take calories
away from muscle building.
Now, with all of that out
of the way I am going to show you how to maximize your
muscular gains with minimal fat gain. Depending on
your metabolism you should take your weight and
multiply it by 15-20 and that will give you your
calorie goal for the day. So for instance, since I
weigh about 200lbs my goal caloric intake for the day
should be about 4000 cals.
Macronutrient Breakdown
Here is the breakdown of macronutrient intake when
bulking:
- Protein- A lot of people drastically reduce their
protein intake when bulking and it is true you do need
less protein during bulking than you do when cutting.
However, if you are training intensely you still need
a lot more than most people. I would recommend at
least 1g per pound of bodyweight.
- Carbohydrates- Carbs are very protein sparing and they
give you energy to fuel your workouts, so you need a
lot of them. Carbohydrates also increase your glycogen
stores in your muscle cells. High muscle glycogen
levels are associated with increased protein synthesis
and anabolism. Carbs also stimulate a greater insulin
response than any other macronutrient. An insulin
spike after your workout has been clinically shown to
increase your protein synthesis and recovery. Sugars
elicit the greatest insulin response so consuming
sugar after you workout can have a very anabolic
effect. However this does not mean that you should
eat sugar all day. I'm sure your asking yourself "why
not, if sugar stimulates insulin and insulin is
anabolic, why not try to stimulate insulin release all
the time?" First of all hormones don't work that way.
If you continually bombard your body with sugar it
will react by decreasing its insulin sensitivity. Over
a long period of time this can lead to type II late
onset diabetes. (Obviously not good). Also, insulin
is very anabolic but it is also the most fattening
hormone in the body when it is over-secreted. The
reason you can get away with a large insulin spike
after your workout is because your body needs most of
the calories you are giving it for muscle repair and
glycogen storage. Because of this your body will most
likely not store those calories as fat. During the
rest of the day however you should try to stick with
complex carbohydrates. I recommend consuming at least
2.5g-3.5g of carbs per pound of body weight.
- Fats- Fats are involved in hormone production and also
have a protein sparing effect. About .3g-.4g per pound
of bodyweight good fats are about all you need in the
off season. I know a lot of guys that consume massive
amounts of fat when bulking. My question is why? Your
body can't do anything with the extra fat. If you are
having trouble putting on weight take those extra
calories and add them into your protein count for the
day. If you are still having trouble making gains add
more carbohydrates. They are both more usable by the
body than fats and are more adept at helping the
muscle building process. Only as a last resort would
I add in extra fat.
Bulking Tips
Now here are some bulking tips to help put on the mass
and keep the fat from piling on.
Your breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day,
besides your post workout meal. I normally eat 30-40g
protein at breakfast, 70-80g carbs, and about 10g fat.
Post workout is definitely the most important meal of
the day. After your workout you have two goals:
refuel and rebuild. You need to refuel your glycogen
stores and rebuild the damaged muscle tissue. I
usually drink 30g whey protein with 100g simple carbs.
I take this meal in liquid form because it is easier
for the body to absorb. Then an hour later I have 75g
complex carbs with 2 glasses of milk.
Before bed is
also very important. You will be going 8 hours without
protein so you will want a slow digesting protein, I
usually drink 4 glasses of milk because it is rich in
casein (a slow digesting protein) The carbs in the
milk will spare the protein while you sleep. Even
though milk says all the carbs are sugar, milk sugar
digests slowly, slower than oatmeal actually, so they
will stay with you throughout the night.
Don't go more than 3 hours without protein. You want
to keep a positive nitrogen balance and eating every 3
hours ensures this. This is where the dedication part
comes in to play. Many times I've brought protein
shakes to college parties so I could get my protein
fix. I also bring weight gainer shakes to my rugby
games to prevent myself from going into calorie
deficit. If you play football, hockey, soccer or any
kind of sport that requires you to burn a lot of
calories you'll need to make sure you account for
these burnt calories in your daily totals. Try mixing
a weight gainer up with water and put it in your
bottle (your coach won't be able to see it this way).
Eat 6-8 meals. This gives your body a steady stream of
nutrients and it also tricks your body so it stores
less fat.
Get 8 hours of sleep. Drink at least a gallon of water per day. When your
cells are hydrated, your protein synthesis increases.
The opposite reason is why drinking alcohol decreases
your protein synthesis, because alcohol dehydrates
your cells. So if you're going to have a couple of
drinks at least take water with you and sip on that as
well.
Lift hard, eat big, and grow bigger!
biolayne@yahoo.com
Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!  Back To Layne Norton's Main Page
Back To The Articles Main Page.
Related Articles
Ten Quick Tips For Building Muscle
What Is The Best Weight Gain Diet Plan?
Diet Is Everything: Weight Gain
|
