What is a clean bulk?

03 April 2019
The concept of bulking comes down to eating more calories than usual in order to increase your body mass.
Nutrition
What is a clean bulk? - photo 1.1

The concept of bulking comes down to eating more calories than usual in order to increase your body mass. It's best to do a clean bulk and concentrate on a programme of weight gain on dry mass without the extra fat. A clean bulk makes you bigger and stronger.

Follow the following five tips to help you increase your muscle effectively and stay healthy.

1. Monitor your calorie intake
To gain weight, you must eat with a calorie surplus. When you start counting calories, you should also start separating protein, carbohydrates and fats in your dietary plan. How much you need of each will differ depending on the individual. Carbohydrates are most effective on training days, where they provide energy. Proteins are the most important nutrients for muscle growth. In the Basic-Fit app you can create your own profile in the 'nutrition' section, where you can get advice appropriate to your goal!

2. Avoid sugar and processed foods
Both sweet and processed foods such as hamburger and fries help you achieve your calorie intake goals quickly, but are not healthy for your body. The level of sugar and saturated fats in these kinds of foods is bad for you. 1000 calories from pizza is not the same as 1000 calories from brown rice, sweet potatoes, spinach and tuna. Even if you're bulking, you should stick to a plan and routine so that your calorie intake doesn't get out of hand, and to make sure all your hard work is not in vain. So don't switch to fat in junk food and focus on enjoying lots of healthy food.

3. Do cardio while bulking
Avoid intensive exercise and maintain sessions with a low intensity. This promotes the health of the heart, increases recovery and helps you burn fat at rest. 

4. Make sure you get adequate rest
Rest periods are the most important element in gaining body mass. Aim for eight hours of sleep a night (this number will differ from person to person, of course) to give your body time to recover. In addition, plan rest days on a regular basis.

5. Do not bulk for too long
You should follow a fixed cycle. For example, if you are working to four-week phases, you can assess the results at the end and decide whether to continue or stop on the basis of those results. As soon as your abdominal muscles start to disappear, you should halt the clean bulk and start training.