Bulking is the process of feeding muscle growth. To build muscle quickly, the aim is not to eat whatever you want, when you want. Rather, it is about following an intuitive bulking meal plan that is designed for muscle growth transformation.
Packing on muscle can be tough for even the most seasoned of athletes. You’ll need to understand the science behind muscle growth and which dietary supplements are needed to help build muscle mass.
The Science Behind Bulking Up Quickly - How The Professional Athletes Do It
When professional athletes are looking to increase muscle mass, many turn to the bulking and cutting method to achieve this.
Bodybuilders will start with the bulking phase which focuses on packing on as much muscle mass as possible. Also, surplus calorie intake is essential during this phase to ensure that the body is in an anabolic state. This intake of extra calories is combined with vigorous strength and resistance training to build muscle.
Professional athletes follow a bulking meal plan that is not only nutritious but calorie-dense. This meal plan focuses on increasing calorie intake by at least 15%. This allows them to achieve their desired muscle growth transformation and gain the fat content needed for the cutting phase of the cycle.
Bulking And Cutting - An Overview
The bulking and cutting cycle can be a hard balance to achieve and requires discipline and a strict healthy diet.
The bulking phase aims to build lean muscle mass. Following a specific bodybuilding diet along with a well-structured hypertrophy training regime is recommended by fitness coaches. Building muscle mass requires your body to have enough fuel and energy for tissue growth and repair. That’s why your bulking diet should include protein, wholegrain and simple carbohydrates and healthy fats.
While cutting, your aim is to decrease calorie intake while maintaining enough energy to continue regular workouts. Specific changes to diet and exercise routine will be needed in this phase. This is so you can lose fat that was gained while bulking, but not compromise muscle mass growth.
What Is The Ideal Macronutrient Ratio?
When designing a bulking meal plan, you will need to determine your ideal macronutrient ratio. The macronutrient ratio refers to the ratio between carbohydrate, protein and fat intake. As you may already know, macronutrients are made up of calories that our bodies need for energy.
Macros consist of the following calorie content:
A gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories
A gram of protein contains 4 calories
A gram of fat contains 9 calories
Once you know your target daily calorie intake, you can break it down into the three categories of macronutrients.
Protein is the most important and should consist of between 30% - 35% of your daily calorie intake. Carbohydrates should take up between 55% - 60% of your calorie intake. Finally, 15% - 20% of your daily calories should be provided by fat.
Each gym-goer is different and your ideal macronutrient ratio may be different from someone else’s. It is dependent on your muscle growth transformation goals and BMI.
Consult your personal trainer if you need support determining your daily calorie intake target and macronutrient ratio.
Foods To Eat And Avoid
Like with any fitness diet, there are certain foods that you should eat and ones you should avoid. Bodybuilding diets are no different.
Make sure that your custom meal plan avoids foods such as alcohol, added sugars and deep-fried foods. These can negatively impact on your ability to build muscle, offer few nutrients and can promote inflammation.
Instead, your diet should focus on consuming any of the following food groups:
Meats, poultry and fish: Sirloin steak, chicken breast, salmon etc.
Dairy: Cottage cheese and low-fat milk
Grains: Oatmeal, bread, cereals, rice and quinoa
Vegetables: Tomatoes, leafy greens, corn, peppers and mushrooms
Fruits: Bananas, pears, apples and peaches
Nuts: Walnuts, chia seeds, almonds and flax seeds
Oils: Avocado oil and olive oil
Supplementation Options
There are bodybuilding supplements that you can incorporate into your diet to help you reach your target calories per day. Whey protein is a convenient way to increase protein intake. While creatine and caffeine supplements are ideal for decreasing muscle fatigue and helping you finish that additional rep.
Here at HouseFit, our Toronto personal trainers keep a focus on nutrition at every stage of your fitness goals. Our expert knowledge allows us to guide you through the correct meal plans and training routines you’ll need when bulking up.
Contact us today for a free 90-minute fitness and diet consultation.