The Bulking Blog

  Exercise selection is vital for developing a well rounded physique. A bulking training plan will involve similar exercises to those performed when cutting or maintaining weight. When bulking to build muscle, which is of course what we're here for - as body weight increases the weight performed on exercises should generally increase gradually, if not you're just getting fat. The order of exercises in each workout is also important - exercises performed first should either be the most taxing on the body (likely compound exercises) or those that target specific weak points.  I'd recommend rotating exercises periodically in cycles of 6-8 weeks in order to assist progression and prevent overuse of joints. An example of this would be swapping barbell squats for leg press/hack squat. Progressive overload should also be implemented through evolving rep ranges e.g begin with a weight you can perform for 8 reps, once you hit 12 reps with the given weight, increase the weight and re...

  Until now the blog has been focused primarily on diet with less content on exercise selection/what to do in the gym - this post will delve into training for muscle. It's essential to select a program for workouts in order to give structure to your training. This prevents wasting time deciding which exercises to perform at the gym and allows for effective progression. There are many effective programs - for beginners a 3 day per week Push/Pull/Leg split is sufficient. After gaining experience in the gym one could switch to a higher frequency training split, although I'd argue 4 days per week is all that's required to reach muscle building potential. When training 4 days per week, an upper-lower split is optimal. The best split for an individual is one they'll be able to consistently stick to as for many people training more than 3x per week is unrealistic given busy schedules. My current split is 3 days on, 1 day off: Day 1 - Shoulders and Arms Day 2 - Legs D...

 So, you got fat. Now what? After every bulk comes a period where you must lose the fat gained throughout the process. Fat loss is a topic often over complicated, it comes down to diet and activity level. If your diet and activity level create a calorie deficit - congratulations, you're losing fat. To create a calorie deficit the first step is to calculate maintenance calories (detailed in the first blog post -  https://thebulkingblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/basic-bulking-guide.html ). Next, subtract 200-400 calories initially depending on desired rate of fat loss. Focus on getting protein right first - around 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. The ratio of carbs/fat is less important as long as calories are not overeaten.  The type of food to eat when trying to lose fat is fundamental to long term success. Making sure your diet is made up of nutrient dense, satiating foods will facilitate fat loss. Satiating foods leave you feeling full for longer after each meal, lowering cra...

As promised in the first blog post I'm writing to you from Greece, in the historic city of Athens. A place bustling with life and incredible street food. Staying consistent with a diet while travelling can be an uphill battle. The best approach to nutrition when abroad for a short period of time is a relaxed mindset towards food intake without feeling guilty about a lack of nutrient dense meals. Simply eat intuitively based on personal goals, whether that be gaining or losing weight. Thankfully in my case, Greek food provides the perfect storm for a bulking diet - huge portions packed with calories and protein. The staple dish in Greece is Gyros (pictured below) - a generous serving of grilled chicken or pork with mixed vegetables wrapped in warm pitta bread, simply delicious. The Greeks also use an abundance of olive oil, another convenient way to add calories to any meal.  This morning's breakfast was ideal - a large ham omelette with a glass of orange juice, followed by a la...

You may have clicked on this blog curious as to why anyone would want to bulk in the first place. In this post I'll be introducing the process of bulking and how it can be done. Bulking is essentially putting on weight in the form of muscle and fat, over a period of at least a few months. Each week the goal is to see an increase in weight on the scale while also gaining strength in the gym. Ultimately, cutting down after the bulk to uncover an improved physique.   As a general rule my diet is 80% healthy, 20% junk food as it's difficult to consistently hit a high calorie goal with clean foods only.  It's important to note that the amount of food required to bulk up varies from person to person. For example - person A maintains weight on 2500 calories per day, whereas person B needs 4000 calories to maintain weight. To find your maintenance calories simply weigh yourself each morning for 5 days while tracking how many calories you are consuming each day. If you've mainta...