Diet masterclass: Should you bulk or cut?

When it is winter, it is natural to increase calorie and/or comfort food intake.

Likewise, many bodybuilders, fitness models and workout enthusiasts use winter (where you where more clothes), to undertake a bulking period.

Bulking is considered the time honoured muscle building / mass growth phase of training.

There are three main phases when it comes to bodybuilding:

– Bulking
– Cutting
– Maintenance

Bulking can come under criticism due to the simple fact that you are consuming more calories than you need.

But your muscle building and growth abilities are very high.

This is due to the sheer amount of fuel coming into your system.

There are generally two types of bulking – dirty and clean.

 

Dirty bulking involves no structure or control to your diet.

It involves eating “dirty food” such as fast food and while the calorie level will be very high, it comes with a bit of a nasty side effect few people talk about…

…it will make you feel worse mentally and physically.

These bad foods will also lead to a fast increase in body fat, meaning your cutting phase will be immeasurably more difficult.

A clean bulk involves eating more than you would require but with quality ingredients.

So your macro and micro intake would be high, but world class.

 

(Macro = big categories like carbs and protein / Micro = Individual vitamins and minerals)

 

Clean bulks are the best option for those wanted to ensure their body is getting all their nutrients and more (especially important when pandemics are in effect).

The cutting phase is essentially when the main focus will be fat burning, and that means cardio.

The greatest thing about cardio is you don’t need a gym to complete it.

From a calorie point of view, it depends on what your overall goals are.

If you do not want to waste muscle, then cutting calories and increasing cardio will lead to your muscle mass decreasing.

But cardio is important as it strengthens the most critical muscle of them all: the Heart.

Obviously cutting might result in lessened size, but it will lower your body fat % which will lead to increased vascular definition, more abs and so forth.

Remember, healthy eating is important as it keeps the mind focused.

While cutting means you can use the time to increase cardio fitness.

Maybe even incorporate a stretching routine into your training.

Few people like to stretch but muscle suppleness is as powerful as muscle strength.

Bulking or cutting is an all-important focus of professional bodybuilders.

Use this time to introduce these dietary phases into your lifestyle.