DON'T EVER BULK AGAIN, PART 5: THE SENSIBLE WAY TO ADD CALORIES

Mar 27, 2022

So here we are again. If you have been following along, then you are aware that we have gone over the history of bulking, and the many factors that have made it mainstream. Also, you should be aware of the pitfalls of bulking, and why it can be a roadblock in your quest to gain more muscle mass. The time necessary to diet after a bulk takes away from the time you should be using to gain muscle. How do you gain muscle if you are drug free and don’t eat extra calories? It is difficult. However, it is easy to add just enough calories to start the growth process, and not get fat. Let me show you how.

IT’S EASY TO GET FAT

Your body wants to be in homeostasis. It doesn’t want to change. It wants to stay the same. Its sole purpose is to keep you alive. Gaining muscle is not going to help you survive at the same level as having a reserve of energy for the processes necessary to live. And where does your body get its reserve of energy? Not from muscles. From fat cells! So, now you know why it is easier to get fat than it is to gain muscle. It is an innate process of the body needed for survival.

In ancient times when food was scarce, people would get fat, and then use their fat reserves for energy when there was a famine. If there was food around, they would pig out. As a result, our bodies have become very efficient at storing body fat. This fat storing process is the reason why you get hungry when you see a pizza or fast food commercial. Your body wants to gain fat.

HOW YOU GAIN MUSCLE

Gaining muscle is a complex process. It is an adaptive process. When you lift heavy objects, your body sees a need to adapt. Your body wants it to be easier for you to lift those same loads next time. The way your body adapts is by releasing the hormones necessary to stimulate your androgen receptors. Once stimulated, the androgen receptors tell the muscle cells to grow and multiply. If there is an ample number of amino acids and energy, new muscle tissue will be created. The energy supplied by carbs and fats is used to turn the amino acids into muscle tissue.

GETTING JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CALORIES

Your body needs extra calories to grow. However, if you give it too much, and the wrong kind of calories, you will get fat. Instead of “bulking” to gain muscle, start by adding a small amount of protein daily to your diet. Start with an extra chicken breast. You can add it to a few of your current meals, your post workout meal, or add an extra meal before you go to bed. After a few weeks, if you aren’t getting stronger, then you can try adding a small amount of complex carbs to a meal, or meals, earlier in the day. Adding the carbs to your pre and post-workout meals are best. If you notice that you are gaining fat, then you need to cut out the extra carbs. If you are still gaining fat when you take the carbs away, then take away the extra protein. If you are gaining body fat, then you are getting more than enough calories to grow new muscle.

CONCLUSION: DON'T EVER BULK AGAIN, PART 5: THE SENSIBLE WAY TO ADD CALORIES

If you want to build new muscle, then you need to stimulate the muscles, cause a hormone response, and then make sure your body has the required amino acids and energy to grow. If you are gaining strength and muscle, then you don’t need to worry about adding extra calories. Your body can only build so much muscle over a short period of time. It takes time to build muscle. We’re talking years, not months. Once you accept that it takes time to build muscle, then you can prevent yourself from getting unnecessarily fat. You don’t need to “Bulk” to get big.