Building muscle and "bulking up" requires dedication, hard work, and the right strategies. For many people looking to add mass naturally, minimizing estrogen levels is also a key factor. Here are 11 top tips to help you effectively bulk up:
Exercises like rows, squats, deadlifts, and bench presseswork multiple muscle groups at once. This allows you to lift heavier weights, which strongly stimulates muscle growth through progressive overload. Devote most of your gym time to perfecting the technique on these compound lifts.
You can’t gain mass without a caloric surplus. Use a TDEE calculator to estimate your maintenance calories, then increase your daily calories by 300-500 to spur muscle growth. Focus on getting at least 0.8-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight as building blocks for new muscle.
Trying to bulk indefinitely will lead to excess fat gain. Most experts recommend bulking for 2-3 months followed by 1-2 months of cutting body fat. Tracking progress monthly helps gauge an appropriate timeframe for each phase.
Compounds like diindolylmethane (DIM) found in cruciferous vegetables help promote optimal testosterone-to-estrogen ratios for building muscle. Food sources high in zinc and vitamin B6 also support healthy estrogen metabolism. You can also find all-natural estrogen suppressors online.
Overtraining hinders bulking progress. Make sure to take at least 1-2 rest days per week and avoid high-intensity training sessions several days in a row. Getting around 8 hours of sleep per night also fuels recovery.
The 45-minute post-workout anabolic window is prime time for your body to absorb carbs and nutrients into muscles. Fast-digesting carbs like white rice combined with a lean protein source make an ideal bulking meal at this time.
Dehydration impacts strength levels and muscle recovery. Make sure you drink water throughout your workouts. Many fitness enthusiasts also add electrolytes to their intra and post-workout drinks.
Eat at least three square full meals per day. However, spreading balanced macros and calories over 5-6 smaller meals may suit bulking goals better by keeping energy and anabolic hormones consistently elevated.
Having a coach designing a custom workout split along with diet guidance based on your unique body chemistry and genetics removes the guesswork from an effective bulk up. This helps many people gain 10-15 pounds or more of pure muscle over a dedicated 3-4 month program.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Tracking progress through photos, body part measurements, body fat % analysis, and weight on the scale allows you to make changes to your bulk for continued progressive overload. Stay patient through 2-week plateaus before modifying calories or training.
Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is a physiological process that allows your body to build and repair muscle tissue. You can maximize it by eating enough leucine (found in protein sources like eggs and dairy) and through resistance training, which causes minor muscle damage that needs to be recovered from. Consider supplementing with 2-3 grams of leucine and focus on progressive overload in the 6-12 rep range for optimal MPS.
There you have it - 11 tips to optimize natural bulking results! Paying special attention to minimizing estrogen plus implementing these other muscle-building fundamentals will have you packing on mass and meeting your goals in no time. Just stay focused, train hard, eat in a controlled way, and the gains will come.
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