The Proper Way to Bulk: What the Science Says

In this video, I review the research on the best practices to add size without getting really fat. Now I will say that fat gain will occur and that is fine we just want to minimize it as much as possible. The idea of packing on a ton of size sounds great but it is often done in a way that is less than ideal. Muscle accrual is hard and dropping fat is much easier so it can sometimes make sense to really push up the size but I think that is when you are first starting out and need a ton of size to add. As you get older you have to be more mindful of weight gain so that you can get the most out of your offseasons. I go over these three studies: Ribeiro AS, Nunes JP, Schoenfeld BJ, Aguiar AF, Cyrino ES. Effects of Different Dietary Energy Intake Following Resistance Training on Muscle Mass and Body Fat in Bodybuilders: A Pilot Study. J Hum Kinet. 2019;70:125-134. Published 2019 Nov 30. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0038 Pasiakos SM, Vislocky LM, Carbone JW, et al. Acute energy deprivation affects skeletal muscle protein synthesis and associated intracellular signaling proteins in physically active adults. J Nutr. 2010;140(4):745-751. doi:10.3945/jn.109.118372 Iraki J, Fitschen P, Espinar S, Helms E. Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(7):154. Published 2019 Jun 26. doi:10.3390/sports7070154