What do you guys think about this article?

[StKizzle]

In all my time of looking through these forums I've never heared of such a cycle or ever had it recomended to me. Wondering if any of you have jumped on this cycle (or one similar to this) and had it work...Thanks ahead guys.

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/art...ybuilders.html

Bulking For Natural Bodybuilders

Author: Steve Shaw
The word bulking conjures up images of stuffing mass amounts of food into your mouth for extended periods of time. In most cases, when a natural bodybuilder begins a bulking period, it lasts for several months in a row. Maybe you've attempted a bulk like this?

I'm here to set the record straight: bulking for extended periods of time is a bad approach.

The Benefits of Bulking

Bulking works, but only in two week spurts. During times of over-feeding, the body becomes a growth machine.

Fat storage activity in the body doesn't instantly kick into overdrive when bulking begins. It's not a light switch reaction. Simply put, when you over-eat, it takes a while for the body to transition to "fat storage" mode. During this transition period, your body is a muscle building machine.

During the first 14 days of a bulk, several studies have revealed that testosterone, IGF-1, and insulin levels elevate. What does this mean? You are highly anabolic! You are as anabolic as you're going to get as a natural bodybuilder.

14 Days

But the anabolic benefits of bulking peak after 14 days. During this time, and as I mentioned, the body is slowly transitioning over to fat storage mode. After 2 weeks on a bulk, you lose most of the anabolic benefits, and start to store fat at an alarming rate.

If you continue to bulk after this point, most of your gains will be fat. Of course, each individual is different. Some may continue to gain more muscle for several days after the 2 week period. And some may start to add fat earlier then predicted. But in general, 2 weeks is the optimal bulking period.

As one can project, once your current bulk ends, you should refrain from another bulking cycle for at least 2 weeks. Again, the body needs time to transition from a fat storage machine into a fat burning machine.

During this transition time, it is recommended that you eat slightly below caloric maintenance levels. Because the body is ready to store fat, eating "normal maintenance calories" could cause you to gain unwanted fat. By eating slightly below maintenance levels, you will encourage the body to transition to fat burning mode. Thus begins the prepping cycle for the next bulk.

Hardgainers

A hardgainer is a person who has difficulty gaining weight
either through diet or exercise.

After reading this, hardgainers might fear the post-bulk, low calorie period. After all, they have a hard time gaining muscle, and don't want to lose what they've just gained.

Here's the good news: during 2 week bulking cycles, studies reveal that you will gain primarily muscle. (I will list the studies at the end of this article) And during post-bulking, "cutting" periods, you lose primarily fat.

The bottom line is that over a 28 day bulk/cut, you gain muscle, and gain very little fat. If you gain 3 pounds of muscle and 2 pounds of fat over a 14 day bulk, and lose 1 pounds of muscle and 2 pounds of fat during the 14 day cut...

You will have gained 2 pounds of muscle and ZERO pounds of fat over a 28 day period.

Now, repeat this cycle each month, and you will be well on your way to packing on muscle mass.

Muscle Memory

Muscle memory is not a myth. Once a muscle has reached a certain size, it tends to be MUCH easier to obtain that size again. So, if you gain 2 pounds of muscle on a 2 week bulk, but end up losing a couple pounds of that during the subsequent cut...have no fear. Muscle memory will make it much easier to regain that muscle the next time you bulk.

Dirty or Clean

Is it best to eat dirty or clean calories during a 2 week bulk? Generally, it doesn't matter. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Many will disagree with me. I encourage them to read the science behind this bulking protocol.

But with that said, healthier, non-processed foods allow the body to function better, so clean bulking keeps the body running more efficiently. It is very difficult to eat enough calories on a clean bulk. I recommend eating clean most of the time, but allowing room for pizza, chips and ice cream.

Make sure you continue your pattern of frequent feedings. Eat at least 30 grams of protein 5-6 times per day on a bulk. And eat huge post-workout. Huge!

Calories

How much should you eat during bulking and cutting periods? To answer this question, you first need to discover your caloric maintenance level. Log everything you eat, and find the calorie level that keeps your weight the same for a 2 week period.

Once you know this number, eat at least an additional 1,000 calories per day on a bulk. Remember, it takes time for the body to transition over to fat storage mode, so eating more then 1,000 calories over maintenance level isn't a bad thing at all. I would recommend eating more then this the first week of a bulk, and cutting back to surplus of 1,000 during the second week.

Following the bulk, immediately cut back your calories to 500 below maintenance - and keep them there for the entire 2 week period.

The Studies

For more information on the research behind the science of bulking, I encourage you to Google the following studies:

"Changes in macronutrient balance during over- and underfeeding assessed by 12-d continuous whole-body calorimetry." Jebb S A; Prentice A M; Goldberg G R; Murgatroyd P R; Black A E; Coward W A

"Hormonal response to overfeeding." GB Forbes, MR Brown, SL Welle and LE Underwood

"Short-term, mixed-diet overfeeding in man: no evidence for ‘luxuskonsumption.'" Ravussin E, Schutz Y, Acheson KJ, Dusmet M, Bourquin L, Jéquier E.

End Notes

No approach to bulking and cutting will ever yield the same results for 2 individuals. It is up to you to experiment, and log results. If you are gaining too much fat on a bulk, either pull back the amount of calories you are eating, or shorten the bulk up by one day. It is best to make small movements when trying to zero in on the perfect plan for your body.

I highly recommend purchasing a skin fold caliper, and logging weekly fat, and lean body mass levels. Only by doing so will you know your true lean muscle mass levels. Body fat scales are highly inaccurate. Under no circumstances should you utilize one to estimate the effectiveness of a bulking/cutting plan.

[Gotter]

This is extremely interesting.

I have to say, I just switched over from a 1500 calories on a daily basis to 3000+ (today finishes day 4) and I've put on 2 pounds with no visible addition of fat.

That's a horrible sample size and holds little to no merit. But I'd be very interested in some one with experience placing their opinion on this.

[StKizzle]

This is extremely interesting.

I have to say, I just switched over from a 1500 calories on a daily basis to 3000+ (today finishes day 4) and I've put on 2 pounds with no visible addition of fat.

That's a horrible sample size and holds little to no merit. But I'd be very interested in some one with experience placing their opinion on this.

Same here man. I'm desperate for some feedback on this but it's looking like I"m gonna have to play the lab rat on this one. Seems to be worth a shot. I'll do this for a month and post a thread on my gains/losses. Hopefully some people won't be too lazy to read up on this.

[Gotter]

Same here man. I'm desperate for some feedback on this but it's looking like I"m gonna have to play the lab rat on this one. Seems to be worth a shot. I'll do this for a month and post a thread on my gains/losses. Hopefully some people won't be too lazy to read up on this.

The benefits look like it would be WELL worth it. Two weeks of absolute muscle gains, then two weeks of muscle maintenance and fat loss.

[StKizzle]

The benefits look like it would be WELL worth it. Two weeks of absolute muscle gains, then two weeks of muscle maintenance and fat loss.

Well of course the idea of such gains would be wonderful. My only problem is how much truth is held towards this article? If a few people would speak up on it's behalf then it would grab my faith, but for now I'll stick to a bit of skepticism -.-

[AlwaysTryin]

This is extremely interesting.

I have to say, I just switched over from a 1500 calories on a daily basis to 3000+ (today finishes day 4) and I've put on 2 pounds with no visible addition of fat.

That's a horrible sample size and holds little to no merit. But I'd be very interested in some one with experience placing their opinion on this.

I assume a large majority of this 3000+ calories you have switched to is carbs? Therefore glycogen holding more water weight?

Correct?

[TomEst]

[Scooter4]

Interesting, but I don't buy it.

[Daio]

I did a monthly cycle of this a few mths back, altho I went for 500 cals above maint for 2 wks then 500 under maint for the next 2 weeks.
I gained 6 lbs on the bulk , then lost 6 lbs on the cut to leave me back where I started weight wise, altho I believe I did look more muscular & lean, so I believe I did gain some muscle & lose a bit a fat overall.

I do think there is some merit in this, altho am very skeptical about the need to go 1000 cals over maintenance. At the end of the day a caloric surplus is a surplus whether it is 1 cal or 1000 cals. A surplus means it is surplus to requirements & therefore not used & stored as fat.

[StKizzle]

I did a monthly cycle of this a few mths back, altho I went for 500 cals above maint for 2 wks then 500 under maint for the next 2 weeks.
I gained 6 lbs on the bulk , then lost 6 lbs on the cut to leave me back where I started weight wise, altho I believe I did look more muscular & lean, so I believe I did gain some muscle & lose a bit a fat overall.

I do think there is some merit in this, altho am very skeptical about the need to go 1000 cals over maintenance. At the end of the day a caloric surplus is a surplus whether it is 1 cal or 1000 cals. A surplus means it is surplus to requirements & therefore not used & stored as fat.

Very interesting to hear man! Thx for the input.

[InclineDBPresss]

I recently did a 12-week bulk after a long cut, and I felt towards the end like I was just getting fatter. From my experience (Ive been lifting 2 years now so take what you want from this) even if I just scale calories back for a few days mid-bulk, I can feel a lot leaner and continue bulking effectively.

But it is also possible that a long bulk would work for some people because they can get "momentum" going. This guys article was just speculation really - it makes equal sense that in some cases it might take 2 weeks for the body to even get into an efficient muscle-building rhythm during a period of overfeeding.

But it is 100% something to mess around with in pursuit of your own goals. Even if it doesn't work the best over the course of a few weeks, learning about your body is pretty valuable in bodybuilding.

[jake1224]

Interesting idea; but this reads like something straight out of Men's Health. THerefore, I'm gonna blow the broscience whistle. Everything i've ever learned about muscle growth tells me that it's a long, slow process. Up to 3x slower than burning fat...therefore I find the idea behind this unbelievable.

But I don't condone bulking for 6+ months..2 weeks doesn't seem to add up to anything except noobgains in noobtrainers.

[Daio]

Very interesting to hear man! Thx for the input.

Did u get my message? the PM system may have been playing up??

[_Coach_]

Fat storage activity in the body doesn't instantly kick into overdrive when bulking begins. It's not a light switch reaction. Simply put, when you over-eat, it takes a while for the body to transition to "fat storage" mode. During this transition period, your body is a muscle building machine.

I question the accuracy of this statement.

Simply put, if an excess of calories, namely glucose, is taken in at any one time, then the body releases insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Basically, insulin takes all this excess glucose and transports it adipose tissue.

This must be done to regulate blood glucose levels in the body and is done immediately. It doesn't wait 14 days.

[Gotter]

I assume a large majority of this 3000+ calories you have switched to is carbs? Therefore glycogen holding more water weight?

Correct?

100% correct :/

[StKizzle]

Did u get my message? the PM system may have been playing up??

Got it bro, replied but haven't gotten a second reply.

[StKizzle]

Bump, anymore thoughts?