“While a dirty bulk can get you to your weight gain goal, it doesn’t solve the root problem, and will likely worsen it all together.”
Believe it or not, the word “bulking” still carries a negative connotation among some groups of people. Some people believe it’s dangerous, or even harmful. The truth is, bulking can be a very healthy and smart way to gain muscle and achieve your fitness goals. But even some of us may have some questions about the process such as, is bulking bad for you? We’ll answer this question and more.
Why do people bulk?
It may be beneficial to discuss why exactly people choose to bulk. Bulking is pretty common in the fitness industry. It’s is simply eating in a surplus in order to gain weight, and even if you just want to gain some muscle, you have to eat in a surplus.
The purpose of bulking is pretty much always to gain muscle. You probably already know that bodybuilders bulk, and casual gym-goers. But a lot of strength sports athletes will eat in a surplus in order to gain an advantage by adding on extra mass. Some examples would be powerlifters or strongmen.
But even endurance athletes or people pursuing general fitness can benefit from eating in a slight surplus. Your body needs that extra nutrition to perform.
Is bulking bad for you?
So everyone has to be bulking a little bit, in a way, but there are some people who take it to the extreme and eat everything in sight, packing on some muscle but a lot of fat to go along with it.
Imagine bulking as a spectrum. On the far left is “clean” bulking, otherwise known as lean bulking. On the far right is dirty bulking. A clean bulk is when the individual eats in a small caloric surplus, providing their body with the required resources to build muscle, but not leaving a lot left over for fat storage. The opposite is dirty bulking, where the individual eats in a huge caloric surplus, often not even tracking how much they consume. This leads to a lot of fat gains.
How you plan your bulk is up to you, but you can choose to be anywhere on that spectrum. The closer you are to the left side, the healthier the process will be.
Negative side effects
If you practice a very healthy and lean bulk, you won’t see any side effects. In fact, this method is incredibly healthy and reinforces positive eating habits.
Dirty bulking, on the other hand, is going to bring some baggage.
Eating everything in sight, consuming food solely for the purpose of calories, will lead to excessive weight gain, which has its own arsenal of nasty side effects. Some of these are a risk of type two diabetes, insulin resistance, and poor digestion.
A lot of people also report acne breakouts after eating a lot of dairy or sugar, along with bloating and general lethargy.
Another factor to consider is the reinforcement of poor eating habits. If you’re a hardgainer, it’s probably due to your eating habits. While a dirty bulk can get you to your weight gain goal, it doesn’t solve the root problem, and will likely worsen it all together. For some people, consuming a lot of junk food can be a slippery slope, and before you know it, part of your everyday life.
How to bulk properly
Depending on how you approach it, bulking can be harmful to your health. That’s why you need to know how to bulk properly.
Bulking properly really begins with the foods that you’re choosing. As we just discussed, you probably want to be closer to the left side of the spectrum. That’s the healthy side. Bulking “properly” is going to depend on your goals as an individual.
However, to avoid any side effects or negative reactions to bulking, all you have to do is take it slow and be smart. Track your calories, pick healthier foods, avoid binging of any kind.
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