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What is the point in bulking?

I put my hands up and admit that I'm a complete novice when it comes to health and fitness.
I'm a guy, 20 years old, I weigh about 10 and a half stone.
I want to tone up, for both health and aesthetic reasons.
I wouldn't call myself fat or obese but I do have a bit of a 'belly'.
I've cut out all 'bad' foods from my diet I.e. crisps, chocolate etc and started eating a lot more protein. I've also started working out twice a week.
My friends said I need to 'bulk', but my understanding of bulking is eating as much food as you can for like a month. I'm sure I'm probably wrong. Which is why I'm here asking you... What is bulking and what is the point of it?


Posted from TSR Mobile
bulking is just eating above your maintenance level of calories for an extended amount of time in order to gain maximum muscle growth. You wont gain muscle if your not eating enough calories. Obvs fat gains come with the excess calories which is why you usually intend to "cut" when you've reached your desired muscle mass to get rid of the excess fat while minimizing muscle loss.
2 questions:

1) What is the point in bulking?

Aesthetics=Attraction

Strength+Bulk+ [Height?]=Dominance

Attraction+Dominance=Alpha [attractive to c. 70% of women/gay men]

Strength also makes practical living e.g. manual labour, shopping, house chores, easier

2) What is a bulk and why do I need to do this to achieve aesthetics and strength?

It is difficult to build muscle working in a calorie deficit (below maintenance calories), although a body recomposition is achievable at maintenance and a 'cut' at a deficit which in newbs can lead to increased muscle mass, increase in mass and strength is significantly more achievable working at a calorific surplus (above maintenance calories: recommended c. 250 cals above daily maintenance cals)
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by *Incognito
I put my hands up and admit that I'm a complete novice when it comes to health and fitness.
I'm a guy, 20 years old, I weigh about 10 and a half stone.
I want to tone up, for both health and aesthetic reasons.
I wouldn't call myself fat or obese but I do have a bit of a 'belly'.
I've cut out all 'bad' foods from my diet I.e. crisps, chocolate etc and started eating a lot more protein. I've also started working out twice a week.
My friends said I need to 'bulk', but my understanding of bulking is eating as much food as you can for like a month. I'm sure I'm probably wrong. Which is why I'm here asking you... What is bulking and what is the point of it?


Posted from TSR Mobile
bulking = caloric surplus = requirement for significant muscle gain, there's 2 types dirty and clean, dirty = large caloric surplus where you don't give a **** how much fat you put on and eat everything in front of you, the result is you get maximum muscle gain but also gain loads of fat in the process and look like a fat bloated potato the whole time and end up having to do a long brutal cut at the end. Clean bulk = small caloric surplus ~250 calories where you gain muscle at a decent rate buy minimize fat gain, lol no dirty bulking srs
(edited 9 years ago)
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BKS
19
I very much recommend you read the FAQ, it's designed to give folk new to lifting the info they need to get started right
Original post by Smash Bandicoot
2 questions:

1) What is the point in bulking?

Aesthetics=Attraction

Strength+Bulk+ [Height?]=Dominance

Attraction+Dominance=Alpha [attractive to c. 70% of women/gay men]

Strength also makes practical living e.g. manual labour, shopping, house chores, easier

2) What is a bulk and why do I need to do this to achieve aesthetics and strength?

It is difficult to build muscle working in a calorie deficit (below maintenance calories), although a body recomposition is achievable at maintenance and a 'cut' at a deficit which in newbs can lead to increased muscle mass, increase in mass and strength is significantly more achievable working at a calorific surplus (above maintenance calories: recommended c. 250 cals above daily maintenance cals)


In bold - where did that come from

Strong edit as well

OP - read the FAQ

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