By Team PowerMax / 17 Sep 2024
Lean bulking refers to an effective plan of putting on muscles without having to add fat to your body. In contrast to conventional bulk strategy that involves packing on muscle mass together with fat mass, lean bulk involves assiduous efforts toward building muscle mass and a minimal addition of body fat. If you are interested in getting big while staying lean, this in-depth guide will educate you on how to properly lean bulk as well as the proper dieting, training, supplementing, and tips for the process.
It is the process of eating more calories than before to facilitate muscle building but ensure that the calories are taken in a proper manner so that the body does not store the extra calories in the form of fats. This necessitates a more strategic approach of the macronutrient intake, metabolism boosting exercising, and a lifestyle approach to the bulking and cutting cycle as compared to the uncontrolled bulking that results in massive accumulation of fats that require high intensive cutting to rid the body of.
Dirty bulk involves consuming a large amount of calories and eating any type of foods in the process with little regard to the amount of fat that is being packed on. This may result to increased muscle mass but it also leads to increased fat deposits as well This is because this approach may result to increased muscle mass but it also increases fat deposit as well. On the other hand lean bulking refers to taking a limited amount of calories above your basal metabolic rate from foods with minimal fats but high in nutrients you require for muscle development.
Muscle hypertrophy is only realizable if more calories than required by the body are consumed, resulting into a caloric excess. However if the surplus crosses the required quantity then the excess calories are stored in the body in the form of fat. This avoids what is referred to as ‘fat gain’ or ‘fat bulk’ by properly managing this surplus and by being very strategic about training for growth lean bulk maximizes on putting most of the additional calories on the muscles.
The first principle of lean bulking is to establish the number of calories that will facilitate the body’s ability to sustain its present weight (maintenance calories). This figure can be determined with a help of a Total Daily Energy Expenditure or TDEE calculator that considers the details of your age, weight, height, and physical activity level.
When determining maintenance calories you will have to add a slight calorie surplus of 200-300 calories per day. By increasing this a little, it becomes possible to gain muscle while at the same time having a small addition in fat.
Example:
Maintenance Calories: 2,500
Lean Bulking Surplus: For a regular and quick meal it should contain 200 – 300 calories of food.
Daily Intake: 2,700-2,800 calories
In lean bulking, the proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fats are hugely used to ensure that the muscles are built while at the same time limiting the intake of fats.
Protein
Making sure that enough protein is taken regularly will help in muscles building and repairing. Aim for 1. 6-2. 2 grams of protein divided by the kg of one’s body weight in a single day. For what concerns calories, according to our research, a 71 kg individual should consume between 2700 and 4100 calories per day; in terms of protein this amounts to about 113-156 grams per day.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are like the gasoline that your body needs to have in order to power up its various activities including exercising. Supposing you will eat more carbs, you will have the capacity to supply your muscles with the energy they need to lift heavier weights and exercise for longer periods, therefore be able to recover faster. It is advised to consume between 4-6 grams of carbohydrates per day per kilogram of body weight.
Fats
Of course fats are involved in hormone synthesis and secretion such as testosterone and this hormone is very essential for muscles. But, fats are the sources of concentrated energy and, therefore, should be taken in moderate portions. Aim for 0. 8-1. Fat consumption that should not exceed one kilojoule per kilogram of body weight per day, contributed 0 grams of fat per kilogram of body weight per day.
Macronutrient partition is the focus on when one gets the nutrient and how they are partitioned within the day. Eating enough total amount for both calories and macronutrients is the most crucial area, but timing can really help as well.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
Take a meal containing protein and carbohydrate about one to two hours before your exercise. This meal provides energy required for rigorous exercises and adds amino acids for creation of muscles.
Post-Workout Nutrition
Ideally, you should try to eat a meal that is rich in protein and carbohydrates, within the next 30-60 minutes of your workout in order to replace the glycogen that has been used during the workout session and also to stimulate muscle growth and repair. Fast absorbing carbohydrate foods such as fruit together with a protein shake is good for the post-workout recovery meal.
Frequent Meals
It is also important to note, that constant intake of the food in small portions during the day is also beneficial in order to maintain an anabolic, or a muscle-building, state. Strive to take 4-6 small meals in a day accompanied by proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fats.
It is crucial to mention that training is plays a significant role when it comes to lean bulking. The idea is to trigger muscle mass gains without causing more stress than you have to in the form of extra cardio that would interfere with your caloric intake.
Focus on Compound Movements: Movement exercises are also more effective as you can move more mass in one go with squats, dead lifts, bench Press and overhead press.
Train with Progressive Overload: Progressive overload relates to methods of bringing gradual changes in the amount of weight lifted, the number of repetitions or the sets done in the process of workout training. This way the muscles are built uniformly and gradually thus meeting the intentions of body building as a form of exercise.
Train Each Muscle Group 2-3 Times Per Week: In the study, it was revealed that it was far more effective for hypertrophy to train each of the muscles several times a week than only once a week.
Keep Reps in the Hypertrophy Range: According to the reps a set, the best rep range that should be used in the development of muscles is between 6-12 reps. It is most effective when considerable failure is reached within the given range for hypertrophy to take place.
In as much as cardio hampers lean bulking due to the use of many calories, some cardio is good for health as well as recovery. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is fine which should be done for 1-2 sessions in a week at least; it can be brisk walking or cycling, etc. Limit cardio to 20-30 minutes so as not to interfere with muscle recovery or decrease your caloric intake.
This is because it’s very important to monitor your progress to determine if you are acquiring muscle mass without adding too much fat in the process. Use the following methods to monitor your lean bulk:Use the following methods to monitor your lean bulk:
Weigh Yourself Weekly: It is advisable to target for a gain of upto 0. 25-0. 5 kg per week. If you find that you are eating too much and consequently putting on weight, then you just need to cut down a little on your calories. If nothing is changing you would increase the caloric intake with 100-200 units per day.
Take Progress Photos: Taking pictures can be noted as a way of comparing new and older Muscle mass and bodybuild size.
Track Your Strength: As it can be assumed one of the manifestations of muscle hypertrophy is an increase in force production. Take records of your lifts and be certain that you’re advancing either in weights or reps after some time.
It is extremely important to note that lean bulking is not a one method fits all style of training. Everybody has his or her own way of how his or her body handles diet and exercise. When you discover that you are putting on much fat, then it goes without saying that your caloric surplus should be reduced. On the other hand, for failing to add muscle or strength, you should add the calories and alter the training volume.
Another major mistake most lean bulkers make is having more calories than necessary, which results in the accumulation of body fats. Likewise, inadequate feeding will slow down the formation of muscles in the body as well as reduction of fats. As you continue with the exercising regime, ensure it is in the range of 200-300 calories over the amount consumed for as long as you want to get lean muscle without adding a lot of fat.
Also, it is relevant to state that protein is without a doubt the most critical macronutrient for increasing the size of one’s muscles. Where there is lack of enough protein, your muscles will not develop when you are out of the gym as they require protein to recover as well. It’s important to note that you are taking the recommended protein intake per day.
They also forget that muscles are built during free time and not while you're working out in the gym. Lack of sleep or lack of recovery amount to regression of the training process. Adults should sleep for 7-9 hours for every night and incorporate rest days in your training schedule to build up the muscles and see the impact of sleep on your gym performance.
As much as cardio assists to build the cardiovascular system, excess of it consumes the calories required to build muscles. Aim at having short but moderate cardio exercise because a prolonged and intensive session may slow down the progress.
Supplements don’t have to be taken when lean bulking but would help in improving the outcomes when utilized appropriately. Here are some of the most effective supplements for lean bulking:Here are some of the most effective supplements for lean bulking:
Chemically, whey protein is a category of protein that digests much faster and is perfect for anyone trying to consume the daily required proteins, more especially after a workout session. It is the best and efficient means to enhance the level of protein consumption especially in bad situations when proteins from natural products are hard to come across.
It will be pertinent to mention here that creatine has always remained the most popular and also one of the most scientifically studied supplement in the domain of muscle building. This increases the overall streng-testing capabilities in order to lift more weight, which in turn boosts your power, and muscle mass. Daily intake should be between three to five grams of creatine.
BCAAs can assist to minimize muscle pain, enhance the recuperating process and muscle mass gain particularly if the workout is performed in a fasting state or for an extended period. But if you are getting all the proteins you required in your diet then you might not require the additional BCAAs.
Beta-alanine may help with endurance and decrease muscles’ fatigue during HIIT workout, which means you can push yourself during training. This supplement will be very beneficial especially if your training involves both the muscle building exercises and high intensity cardio movements.
As such, lean bulking may be a lengthy method that needs some commitment to undertaking. Muscle gain is a process that will not make anyone bulky overnight, thus do not feel disheartened if progress is not instant. Maintain fixed count of diet, training, and the recovery program and alter accordingly in midst of training sessions.
Lean bulking is one of the most efficient practices lean people can adopt because it helps them gain more muscles but very little fats. By experiencing a carbs and calories controlled bulk, focusing on the protein intake, training for the hypertrophy and keeping track of your progress, you will be able to reach your goal without the necessity of an intensive cutting phase next. It is extremely important to remember that lean bulking is a slow all-encompassing process that is based solely on diet and exercise. If you get it right, you will achieve the demoralized look with all the muscles defined while at the same time not being a victim of numerous diseases associated with skinny people.
