If you’ve ever heard of the term ‘bulking’, it’s something that essentially means one of two things; either they are ‘dirty bulking’, whereby they eat anything and everything in order to build up a massive caloric surplus (and thereby give themselves an absolute ton of carbs to work with and quickly gain mass) or they are ‘clean bulking’, a slimmed down version where a sustained caloric surplus is built up over months or years.
Either may sound horrific. Indeed, a dirty bulker will eat fried chicken, Big Macs, doughnuts and all manner of battered, fatty foods because their intention is to carry a massive caloric surplus. The danger here, however, is that they then do not work it off in time, and the caloric surplus soon turns to fat. The other issue is that, alongside the carbs they’re consuming, there are an absolute plethora of other less desirable ingredients; sugar, preservatives and trans fats that’ll go straight towards poor heart health. If you have a proven track record of working it off then that’s all well and good, but this tactic really should be reserved for someone who knows what they’re doing.
On the other hand, carrying a caloric surplus can be a good thing. Clean bulking means you are less gung-ho about the whole affair and take the time to ingest a graduated, increasing caloric surplus that raises if, and only if, you demonstrate and prove to yourself that you are actively working off the surplus you’ve built up. So, if you graduate your caloric intake up next month, and then end up without the desired results, you don’t increase any further. It’s all planned out, and in this case, runs at a healthy surplus to not only build muscle in a controlled way, but also to store excess energy so that you can tap into those resources later on if needed. This last part is actually the same for anyone; a caloric surplus is essentially your body storing energy as fat for use at a later time.
In recent years, there have also been studies that suggest running a constant caloric surplus may actually be good in other ways, although these have yet to be proven. Studies have shown that a caloric surplus may be linked to healthy bone mass, and furthermore, that the excess fats and oils are good for Musculo-skeletal health. However, evidence to support this is patchy to say the least. Furthermore, other scientists have found an intrinsic link between a caloric surplus and a feeling of being sated quicker, which would suggest that a caloric surplus is actually good for those looking to control their eating. Again, however, this is not proven as a fact.
What is shown, however, is that a caloric surplus is good mainly for one purpose; to increase mass. Intentionally bulking gives you the opportunity to increase muscle, but should not be taken lightly as it can end up with little more than a weight problem.
As always with these precarious and elaborate methods of gaining bulk, the best course of action is to consult a nutritionist alongside a personal trainer (or someone who is a combination of the two.) They will be able to put together a plan that combines bulking the right foods with the right amount of exercise so you are not blindly running into a pointless and dangerous caloric surplus. They will also be able to monitor your progress and establish which time is ‘the’ time to graduate up to the next phase of your dirty or clean bulk. Whilst it may seem simple, it’s actually a very delicate balancing game, but if played right, can see you turn out to be absolutely ripped much quicker.
