Bulking in fitness refers to a phase where individuals focus on gaining muscle mass and overall size by consuming a surplus of calories combined with resistance training.

The goal is to provide your body with the necessary nutrients and energy to support muscle growth while gaining weight. Calorie surplus is the key!

Types of Bulking

There are two primary approaches to bulking:

1. Dirty Bulking. A permissive dietary approach where you eat anything and everything to gain weight.
Higher risk of gaining excess body fat, making the cutting phase longer and harder.

2. Lean Bulking (Recommended). A controlled and strategic approach focused on quality weight gain.

Emphasizes nutrient-dense foods for healthier, more sustainable muscle growth.

Personally, I recommend lean bulking as it allows for better muscle gains with minimal fat accumulation.

How to Execute Lean Bulking

Step 1: Calculate your caloric maintenance via TDEE Calculator.

Step 2: Ensure your body fat percentage is around 10-11% before starting. If ready, add 200-300 calories to your maintenance level.

Step 3: Aim to gain around 0.5 lbs per week.

• Muscle growth is slower than fat growth, so a conservative gain of ~2 kg per month will maximize muscle development while minimizing fat buildup.

Step 4: Use your maintenance calories as a base.

• For example, if your maintenance is 2,500 calories, consume 2,700-2,800 calories per day for lean bulking.

Step 5: Stay in the lean bulking phase longer than your cutting phase.

• Focus on building muscle efficiently. Once your body fat percentage reaches around 15-18%, transition to cutting.

Lean bulking is the healthiest and most efficient way to gain muscle while keeping fat gains to a minimum. Stick to a well-structured plan, track your progress, and enjoy the results!