Bulking is a word that you’re going to see everywhere when it comes to physique and performance enhancement. Whether you’re into bodybuilding, starting your first gym sessions, or simply want to look after yourself – the bulking strategy is one of the most commonly used ways to become a better version of yourself. However, bulking can go into two different ways:
- Bulking like an idiot, when you consume massive amounts of junk food to get in as many calories as you can, forcing your body to build muscle. But this type of bulking is unsuccessful most of the time because you gain a huge amount of fat too, and you also damage your internal organs, damaging your overall health, look, and the way you feel. It is also known as dirty bulking.
- Then there’s bulking like a pro. In both cases, you eat in surplus and train hard. However, bulking like a boss your surplus of calories comes from healthy foods, with a balanced macronutrient, lots of micronutrients, and a controlled surplus of calories. While you may gain a bit of fat too, the fat gains are significantly lower than “dirty bulking” and you do not put your health at risk. It is also known as clean bulking.
Let’s get into it with more details, offering more insight into the different bulking methods that people tend to follow to build muscle and strength.
Why do some people tend to gain more than others?
It all comes down to genetics. There are some people with genetic traits that allow them to gain muscle and strength significantly more and faster than others. Why? Well, because those lucky ones are more anabolic. Anabolism refers to the process where simple molecules combine to generate complex molecules. In other words – the more anabolic you are, the more muscles your body can create. Moreover, the more anabolic you are, the less of a surplus you’ll need to increase muscle mass. I guess you already got it? If you’re highly anabolic and you’re in a high calorie surplus (from proper foods), you’ll get huge amounts of muscle and it happens really fast!
Anabolic refers to “muscle growth”, which is the total opposite of catabolic, referring to “muscle loss”.
It is important to understand that remaining anabolic doesn’t mean that you use steroids. Our bodies are producing anabolic and catabolic hormones and enzymes. However, I guess you already realized that by using anabolic steroids, you’re more… anabolic. That’s why they help you build muscle so much. That’s why anabolic steroids speed up the muscle growth process, and help you build muscle over your genetic limits.
However, it is quite obvious that people with naturally higher levels of anabolic hormones or androgen receptors will find it easier to build muscle. These are the lucky “easy gainers”. Those who have a lot of catabolic hormones or lack anabolic hormones (or especially both) will have a way more difficult time building muscle. They are “hard gainers”.
So, it is sad, and may not be fair, but we’re all different so not everyone will produce the same level of anabolic hormones endogenously (naturally).
Anabolic hormones
There are numerous hormones that are produced naturally by the body and they are anabolic. If we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be able to build any muscle naturally. Examples of anabolic hormones are Testosterone, Human Growth Hormone, Insulin, and IGF-1. That’s why people who use these hormones exogenously (via injections) find it so easy (and fast) to build muscle.
There are also enzymes such as luke mTOR that are not directly anabolic, but they are important because they initiate the anabolic processes. Such enzymes are extremely important as they increase protein synthesis (which increases muscle mass).
Moreover, other factors will affect how much muscle you can build. For example, Myostatin expression levels and the ratio of fast twitch fibers (ACTN3) will also play a role in how much and how fast muscle you will build. There are also slow twitch fibers, but they do not have much growth potential.
- In the end, by increasing the anabolic hormones, you’re increasing the amount of muscle you can build (and how fast you’ll build them).
You can increase them naturally (endogenously) via diet, workout, lifestyle, and so on, but your genetics will still dictate a limit. Or you could increase them exogenously (via injections) which will help bring gains you won’t be able to get naturally.
Catabolic hormones
It is important to understand that there are also catabolic hormones – the ones that will break down muscle and tissue. Our bodies naturally (endogenously) produce them. They are not automatically the “bad guys” because they are serving good for our bodies in particular cases and for particular needs. Nevertheless, if the level of these hormones is high, you’ll find it hard to build muscle.
Good examples of such hormones are glucagon, adrenaline, and cortisol. Your lifestyle and diet will have a huge influence on how many of these hormones you produce. The more you produce though, the more difficult it will be for you to add muscle.
Bulking and Hormones
Well, now you may wonder what hormones have to do with bulking. Part of it is to understand that food is not just energy. The type of food that you eat will impact on numerous things, including the hormones and enzymes. If you’re eating a lot of junk food (even in surplus), there’s a chance that you’re suppressing your muscle building potential. If you eat in a calorie surplus on a diet that has balanced complex carbs, healthy fats, and lots of protein then you may experience:
- A possible increase in testosterone levels, insulin, and IGF-1
- At the same time, you could decrease cortisol, adrenaline, and glucagon
- Moreover, you could increase your protein synthesis as mTOR could work faster
Of course, besides food, other factors will come into play such as your lifestyle, any stress in your life, sleep, workout schedule and intensity, and other factors.
Being anabolic extreme
Anabolism is very tightly related to hypertrophy (muscle building process). As said, numerous factors dictate how anabolic you are, but one of the most important ones is the food you eat. Why are steroid users able to get huge muscle gains fast? Because they are highly anabolic! Not only that, but they can get huge muscle growth while also losing fat, something that non-anabolic steroid users would struggle to do. That’s because they are highly anabolic. Gaining muscle while you strip off fat often means that you are staying in a calorie deficit, but you still manage to build muscle. That is just not possible when you’re not an anabolic extreme.
That is why someone who is not using performance enhancing drugs just can’t do it. Lots of pro bodybuilders still manage to build muscle while maintaining a massive calorie deficit, having a body fat percentage of under 7%. How do you think they are able to do so? It doesn’t matter how naturally gifted you are (genetic), there’s no natural lifter that is capable of that! Anabolic steroids (and other drugs) that help boost physique and performance are taking your anabolic biochemistry to a significantly higher level!
Important facts
- Those who use anabolic steroids may be able to build a lot of muscle even when in a calorie deficit.
- Bodybuilders who use steroids can build muscle even when in a calorie deficit, but working out and dieting correctly is still mandatory.
- If you’re genetically gifted then you could build muscle while in a minimal deficit and still achieve a bit of gains when you just start lifting. After a while, however, this won’t be possible.
- The natural guys who do not use steroids and those who lift for months/years should stay in surplus to build muscle.
- Unfortunately, hard gainers will require a huge surplus to gain muscle, that’s why they find anabolic steroids highly helpful.
In short, those who do not have the anabolic gift will require a huge food surplus in order for their bodies to add some muscle. They won’t be able to add muscle as fast and as much as naturally gifted guys. Moreover, the larger the surplus, the more fat you add.
In whichever case, it is important to understand that regardless if you’re a genetically gifted guy or you’re among unlucky ones, either you’re using anabolic steroids or you plan to stay natural – you still need a proper diet and workout plan. Without eating correctly and without training properly, you won’t gain muscle, even if you both use anabolic steroids and are genetically gifted!
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