Is Bulking Necessary?

[Legion Kreinak]

Alright I hear to go through a bulking phase, then cutting phase for working out. But is it really necessary to go into a "bulking phase"? I mean, it doesn't make sense... You just cut cardio out of your workouts, and eat more calories than you burn. Then during the cutting, you do 30 minutes of cardio, 3 days a week lets say, and just burn more than you eat. Why not just do the cardio, burn more than you eat, and you'll still gain bulk, right? I mean, of course you'll gain at a slower pace, but you'll still gain.

Can someone give me a good reason to even BOTHER with a bulking phase, in which you put on weight anyway (most muscle, but you still get some fat too!)

 

[gmanlax7]

It is definalty worth it. The extra fat will be easy to get rid of later, and the muscle will stick around. Deal with the gut for a bit, and youll have the muscle forever. Think of it like a long term investment

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Wait but I don't understand why having the fat, makes the muscle stay. Doing cardio doesn't just make muscle go away, does it?

 

[gmanlax7]

Fat is easier to lose than muscle. So you will bulk, gaining both fat and muscle. Then you will cut, losing the fat while maintaining as much of the new muscle you put on during the bulking phase ass possible. make sense ?

 

[Legion Kreinak]

I know, I know that. But will I still gain bulk if I continue to burn more calories than I eat? Rather than going through 6 months of bulking and gaining fat, then 6 months of losing the fat, why not do it all at once?

 

[THE BOUNCER]

it's alot easier to gain muscle when you holding a few extra pounds of fat.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Yeah my main Q here is... WHY is it easier? I don't get why...

 

[gmanlax7]

your gaining both fat and muscle easier cuz your EATING A SHITLOAD !! BOTTOM LINE - TONS OF CALS < TONS OF MASS, mass being both fat and muscle !!!!!!!!

 

[Legion Kreinak]

That... doesn't sound sensible. Calroies equal energy. How you use the energy determines your physique. If you don't, you'll get fatter. If you use it by weight lifting, you'll gain muscle. You shouldn't gain weight if you're using up your calories, and eating more calories than you burn just leaves you with fat on your body.

I heard that if you don't eat more than you burn, then you don't gain as much muscle. Now I realize, that has to be the biggest bunch of bullshit I've heard yet. Just because you don't eat as much doesn't mean you don't get muscle. As long as you have adequate protein, you're fine.

 

[gmanlax7]

im not teh authority on bulking here, but doesn't it make sense that to optimize muscle growth, you would eat 5,000 cals a day instead of 3,000 ? Wouldn't it make sense to eat 300 g of protein instead of 200 g when trying to put on muscle, big deal if there is a spillover and some of it turns into fat, at least your getting the most muscle growth you possibly can out of your body, which you wouldnt be doing if your not eating enough protein. LIVE WITH SOME FAT, GAIN MUSCLE, THANK ME LATER.