To gain muscle and strength, athletes and recreational gym-goers go through phases called bulking and cutting. These are strategic periods of weight gain and loss, respectively. Show While these strategies are fairly common, you may wonder about the specific upsides and downsides of bulking and cutting, and whether they are even necessary at all. This article explores the ins and outs of bulking and cutting, including some pros, cons, and recommendations for doing them. A bulk is a period of eating in a strategic calorie surplus. That is, when you’re bulking, you eat more calories than you burn. The goal is to gain weight, primarily due to increased muscle mass. People most often combine bulking with high intensity resistance training to help boost their muscle and strength gains. You can accomplish this in a tightly controlled fashion, which people refer to as a clean bulk, or with a more liberal approach, often called a dirty bulk. With either approach, the goal is to eat more calories than you burn to promote muscle gains. Summary A cut is a period of eating at a calorie deficit as a means to lose body fat while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible. While resistance training continues to play a role during a cutting phase, you may not be able to lift weights with the same intensity as you can during a bulk. This is due to a number of factors, though the main one is that you have less energy available. Bodybuilders and athletes often implement a cutting phase following a period of bulking, or leading up to a competition or their competitive season. Summary When starting a bulk, the first step is to determine your maintenance calories — the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. Various online calculators can help you estimate this number. You then tack on a 10–20% calorie surplus. For example, a 175-pound (79-kg) man of average size would add around 250–500 calories to their daily intake (1). Meanwhile, a 135-pound (61-kg) woman of average size might add about 200–400 calories (1). From there, aim for a daily protein intake of 0.7–1 gram per pound of body weight (1.6–2.2 grams per kg) to support muscle gain. The rest of your daily calories are made up of carbs and fats, though this depends on your preference (1). You may find it helpful to track your daily intake using one of several smartphone apps. Weigh yourself regularly to track your progress, shooting for a weight gain of 0.25–0.5% of your body weight per week (1). If the number on the scale isn’t moving over the course of a couple of weeks, gradually increase your weekly calorie intake by 100–200 calories. People usually pair a bulk with high intensity resistance training to maximize muscle gains. A bulking phase can last anywhere from 1 month to over 6 months or longer, depending on your goals. Summary To start a cut, it’s also helpful to determine your maintenance calories, or how many calories you need to eat per day to maintain your weight. From there, instead of adding calories, you’ll subtract a given number of calories each day. In other words, you’ll eat fewer calories than you need to maintain your body weight. This will help stimulate fat loss. An average active man needs about 2,600 calories per day to maintain weight, whereas an average active woman needs around 2,000 calories (2). That said, weight maintenance calorie needs can vary substantially due to body size, genetics, and activity level. To stimulate weight loss, a general rule is to consume 500 calories below maintenance. While it was traditionally thought this would help you lose approximately 1 pound (0.45 kg) per week, actual weight loss differs between people and may change over time (3, 4). Research suggests that a gradual weight loss of 0.5–1% per week may be best for maximizing muscle maintenance (5). To help maintain muscle mass, it’s best to keep your protein intake fairly high at 0.6–1.4 grams per pound (1.4–3.1 grams per kg) of body weight and continue to practice resistance training (5, 6). You can experiment with what works best for you within this range. In addition to a gradual calorie restriction through diet, cutting phases usually include some form of cardio or step counting to provide added calorie burning and fat loss. In general, a cutting phase is shorter than a bulk, usually lasting 2–4 months (3). It may be best to adhere to a cutting program for the minimal amount of time you need to meet your goals. This may help you preserve muscle mass throughout the process. Summary Both bulking and cutting come with several benefits when combined with a proper resistance training program. That said, there are some downsides to be aware of with each. BulkingCuttingSummary Some foods may help with bulking, and others may help with cutting. Bulking foodsDuring a bulk, it’s best to focus on foods that are high in nutrients and calorie content to promote rapid muscle and strength gains. In general, steer clear of high calorie processed foods. Some people may include these foods in a dirty bulk, in which excess fat gain isn’t a concern. However, this is not recommended. Foods to eat
Foods to limit
Cutting foodsWhen you’re cutting, your focus should be on eating foods that are high in nutrients and lower in calories. These will support gradual weight loss and muscle maintenance. You’ll see that some of the foods for a cutting diet are similar to those for a bulk. The difference is largely in the quantity of these foods consumed. Foods to eat
Foods to limit
Summary When deciding whether a bulk or cut is right for you, consider your starting point and long-term goals. If you’re new to exercising and following a structured diet, it may be best to start by improving your food choices and slowly increasing your exercise intensity before bulking or cutting. Once you’ve developed good practices surrounding food and exercise, you can consider whether a bulk or cut is right for you. If your goal is to gain muscle and strength and you aren’t concerned with gaining a bit of fat in the process, a bulk may be a good choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking to lose fat and maintain muscle, a cut may be more in line with your goals. For individualized guidance, consult a registered dietitian. Can you do both simultaneously?In certain situations, some people may want to gain muscle while losing fat. People call this process body recomposition. While this may seem attainable in theory, it’s generally only possible in a few specific circumstances (4):
Athletes with a good deal of training find it difficult to efficiently build muscle and lose fat at the same time. How to achieve the best resultsTo optimize the results of bulking and cutting, it may be best to alternate them in cycles. For example, if you’re initially looking to put on some muscle size and strength, you may want to start with a period of bulking. During that time period, while you may have put on a good deal of muscle, you may have also gained some fat in the process. At that point, you may initiate a period of cutting to lose the extra fat you gained while maintaining the new muscle you built. In theory, this cycling method will allow you to gradually gain muscle while preventing you from gaining excess fat. Summary Bulking and cutting are two complementary strategies that bodybuilders often use, one after the other, to gain muscle and lose fat. While each comes with some notable benefits, there are several potential downsides you should keep in mind. A bulking diet includes nutrient- and calorie-dense foods to promote muscle gains, whereas a cutting diet focuses on nutrient-dense, lower calorie foods to stimulate fat loss. To decide which strategy to start with, assess your current body composition and long-term muscle and strength goals. As with any major change to your diet or exercise regimen, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider before starting an aggressive bulk or cut if you have underlying health conditions. Was ist mit Bulk gemeint?Bulk steht im Englischen für "Hauptteil" oder "Masse". Genutzt wird dieser Begriff bei Hardware und bezeichnet ein Gerät, welches keinerlei weiteres Zubehör wie z.B. Treiber, Software oder andere Beigaben beinhaltet.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Bulk und Retail?Bulk ist nur die Hardware, ohne Zubehör, OVP und Bedienungsanleitung. Retail ist für den Verkauf an Endkunden gedacht. Beides die selbe Hardware.
Was bedeutet Bulk bei Grafikkarten?Der Begriff Bulk kommt einmal mehr aus dem Englischen und bedeutet so viel wie Massenwaren. Bei Bulk-Grafikkarten muss oftmals auf die schöne Umverpackung und weitere Inhalte verzichtet werden. Meist wird die Hardware ausschließlich in einer anti-statischen Hülle geliefert.
Was ist ein Bulk Produkt?Massengut, auch Bulkware, Bulk-Ware oder kurz Bulk (englisch bulk ‚Masse', ‚Menge'), ist ein Transportgut oder eine Handelsware, die unverpackt als Flüssigkeit oder als Schüttgut vorliegt.
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