Bulking & Cutting

If you’re trying to build muscle and lose fat, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across two terms—“bulking” and “cutting.” These two terms refer to two different phases of improving your physique. Bulking is the term that refers to consuming a large number of calories while training hard at the gym. Cutting is the process of cutting calories (particularly carbs) while continuing to train just as hard.

All too often, people take bulking as permission to eat anything they want whenever they want. While caloric surplus is important for bulking, the wrong types of calories (and consuming way too many) can be detrimental to your goals. Bulking and cutting the wrong way can lead to too much body fat, which can make your muscles goals more difficult to achieve. If you’re looking to build muscle and lose fat, here’s how to go about it.

Eat More, But Not Too Much

When bulking, you want to consume a surplus of calories. The thing is that you don’t need to overdo it. Eating too much can result in too much fat gain, which can then make cutting more of a challenge later on. If you’re not sure about how many calories you need to bulk appropriate, an online calculator can help.

Reduce Calories for Cutting

When you’re cutting, your focus is on reducing your calorie intake. It’s not just reducing calories, though. You need to pay attention to the types of calories you are reducing. For cutting, most of the calories you cut will be carbohydrates.

You also need to be careful not to cut too many calories from your diet. You’ll still be training during, so you want to make sure that your body has the necessary calories (and nutrients) for muscle repair and growth. Removing too many calories can negatively impact your goals. You may find that you’re burning muscle mass because your body is using the muscles for energy instead of the calories you eat. Cut calories carefully.

Pay Attention to Macronutrients

Calories aren’t the only focus when it comes to what to eat. Your macronutrients are an integral part of both bulking and cutting. Macros refer to protein, fats, and carbohydrates. During both phases, your calories should be made up of certain percentages of each macronutrient. Shakes are a common way to make sure you’re getting the protein you need. You can even use a Custom Protein Service to get the right protein for you. There are a few ways in which your macronutrients can be divided, allowing you to customize an eating plan that meets your needs.

Focus on Whole Foods

Whether you’re bulking or cutting, a majority of your diet should be made up of fresh, whole foods. Consuming processed foods to meet calorie goals might seem simpler, but these types of foods can wreak havoc on your overall health. Even though you work out, your risk for heart disease and other issues can increase. With whole foods (or foods that are minimally processed) you can meet your dietary needs while still protecting your long-term health.

Train Smart

During either phase, training is important for achieving your goals. During bulking, weight training will help your body use the extra calories you’re consuming. Rather than putting all of them into fat storage, your body can use them to help build muscle mass.

While you’re cutting, you can add cardio into your routine to help achieve the desired caloric deficit. Weight training is also important for muscle maintenance. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your weight training to avoid burning the muscle you’ve worked so hard to develop.

Bulking and cutting can help you to achieve the physique that you’ve always wanted. You need to pay attention to what you’re eating during each phase while also paying attention to how you’re training. Overdoing it on calories (or removing too many calories while cutting) can hinder your progress. Careful planning will help you to achieve optimal results.