Now that the move is complete, I start my bulk. I have been researching and asking as many questions as possible to make sure that this round I do what is right for my body.  The first thing you might be asking is what is “bulking”?

Some seem to think it is an excuse to over eat junk food. This is far from the truth! Bulking is a term used in bodybuilding that means to build muscle mass. There is a huge difference in building muscle mass and getting fat!

To gain lean muscle mass I have to eat. My calorie intake will go from 10 calories per pound to 16. To gain muscle you need to eat about 500 calories over what your maintenance diet is, which is about 12 calories per pound. You may have heard the terms “dirty bulking” and “clean bulking” The explanation of these is pretty obvious If you dirty bulk you basically eat any and everything you want. This leads to fat gain. Clean bulking is the route I am going to take to stay lean year round. I am staying at the bare minimum on my bulk so I gain lean mass and very little fat. This way when competition time comes around I will have little or no weight to cut during prep.

Will I still have cheat meals? Absolutely! As I stated in my Leptin post, I now know why it is necessary! Cheat meals are also a nice way of keeping me balanced mentally. Everyone likes a treat now and then.

I am excited to start to gain muscle and see how far I can push my body! What does your diet look like? Do you track your food? I track mine on My Fitness Pal. If you are looking for an accountability buddy or just wanna see what I stuff my face with everyday lol Click here and friend request me!

Hope you all have a fabulously fit day!!!