Alex's Journey

Bulking

When we eat to build muscle, we want to gain as much lean mass as possible and while minimizing fat storage. In order to do this we are going to control our insulin levels throughout the day. Keys to doing this again remember, are eating fats or vegetables with every meal to slow digestion and control insulin.

The Glycemic Index is our reference for controlling insulin levels.

The Classic Trait of an Ectomorph

Ectomorph:

characterized by long and thin muscles/limbs and low fat storage; receding chin, usually referred to as slim. Though this can be misleading, they may just be miniature fat people having low muscle mass and a high body fat percentage.

Mesomorph: characterized by medium bones, solid torso, low fat levels, wide shoulders, with a narrow waist; usually referred to as muscular or an easy gainer.

Endomorph: characterized by increased fat storage, a wide waist and a large bone structure, usually referred to as fat.

To gain muscle we need to eat the right amount of calories for our body type. Ectomorphs are going to need to raise their caloric intake and endomorphs are going to have to lower it.

Okay for those who like simplicity here are some low starting points to work with, if your find your not gaining on your lifts in 2-3 weeks then try upping the calories by 100. We’re going to lower or raise our intakes to minimize fat gain and find a level where we can gain strength without a noticeable increase in fat.  You may want to consider eating 500 less calories on non workout days to further minimize fat gain. Unless of course you perform cardio on non workout days to compensate for this. 40% carbs 40% protein and %20 fat seems to be a ratio that works well.

Again if you are not gaining weight you need to consider upping the calories further. If you find you are gaining fat you will need to reduce the calories and find out what works best for you.

Cardiovascular training during a bulk

Cardio is important during a bulk to keep the heart strong, pumping blood, and increasing oxygen uptake into cells. Fit people also burn more fat at rest and during exercise than an unfit person. Doing cardio during a bulk will increase your body’s capacity to burn fat at both rest and exercise. 20-30 minutes of low to moderate intensity cardio everyday is optimal.

What cardio is best?

Again check the Fat Loss article and scroll to the bottom to see information on your heart rate.

Low moderate intensity cardio on weight days before or after your workout is best. Low intensity because if we do high intensity it will leave us fatigued and we won’t be able to push our max weight for a weightlifting routing, which is important to stimulate muscle growth.

Cheat meals

2-3 cheat meals a week are fine. Try your best to keep your cheat meal as close as possible to the calories your normal meal would have. If your 6oz steak and 3tbsp brown rice meal was 500 calories try to keep your cheat meal at 500 calories. Without cheat meals we might be giving up our friday nights to stay at home, and if your diet is preventing you from having a life your going to break it. If you are serious about gaining muscle you will limit drinking alcohol to a glass every week or two. Alcohol contains empty calories and has a negative impact on muscle gain.

Important of a post workout shake

After lifting weights your muscles become primed to receive nutrients. This is a great time to consume a protein shake. Why a shake versus meal? Because we want it to go straight to our muscles, this is the one time we ignore the rules and glycemic index and eat fast digesting carbs and protein. A whey isolate protein shake and a piece of fruit or glass of orange juice is best. There are many post workout supplements that may be more convenient and effective.