Tips And Tricks For Sensible Off Season Size-Building!

Tips And Tricks For Sensible Off Season Size-Building: Pack On The Mass While Staying In Shape

The purpose behind bodybuilding is as the name suggests: to build the body, namely, in its purest expression, and in proportion and to capacity, the muscles that cloak it. Bodybuilders themselves will go to all lengths to build massive muscles, most naturally oriented, but many chemically induced. One off-season practice that bodybuilders have been using since the first of them picked up a barbell and ground out that formative rep is bulking up.

Bulking up, a term used to describe the acquisition of as much size – both fat and muscle – as humanly possible through excessive eating and ultra-heavy training, is predicated upon the belief that gaining weight in whatever form will better enable the bodybuilder to a) lift heavier through the greater leverage and force generation it is thought to provide and b) provide a greater range and surplus of nutrients to allow for muscle growth along with fat deposition, the latter of which can be “stripped off” when the time for getting in shape arrives. Indeed it is not uncommon for some bodybuilders – even in today’s game – to gain upwards of 40 to 50 pounds’ bodyweight in the off-season, much of this the very thing most of us first get into bodybuilding to avoid or reduce: body fat.

For A Long Time Bulking Has Simply Meant Eating Anything And Everything To Gain Weight In Whatever Form.

Is bulking up effective? Theoretically it is possible that a massive off-season weight gain will provide some additional muscle mass, as experience has shown for many and in considering the fact that bodybuilders are less likely to deprive themselves of valuable nutrients at this time. So, yes, bulking up can be effective. But is it an ideal way to gain muscle and is it a healthy practice? A resounding no on both counts!

Like many practices of yesteryear, bulking up is done less often among today’s bodybuilders. Whereas before it was practiced by almost all, who would by virtue become almost unrecognisably fat, place themselves at risk of many health problems and face even more of an uphill struggle when it came to getting lean, today’s smart bodybuilders, who recognize the health and aesthetic benefits of a comparatively lean physique, remain in shape year round so as to stay close to competition, or otherwise lean, striking distance.

To stay in shape year round a distinction must be made between good shape and ripped conditioning, the latter being a short term goal comprising sub eight to six percent body fat that can only, for most, be maintained for a few weeks, the former being the lean, pleasing appearance that ten to 12 percent body fat will provide. While staying ripped can look most impressive, especially under the contest lights on the competitive stage, it can be detrimental health-wise over the long term as the body requires sufficient calories and body fat to function optimally on many different levels.

It must be remembered also that the bodybuilders’ photos we see in the bodybuilding magazines show an extreme look that can only be acquired through much sacrifice and various interventions, some healthy, some not. It’s a short-term look. Directly at the other end of the bodybuilding spectrum is the traditional off-season look: borderline obese with body fat levels ranging from 20 to 30 percent, or more; hardly a look representative of healthy living and one associated with bodybuilding aesthetics.

Indeed, this is one of the major reasons the traditional off-season practice has become outdated: bodybuilders want to look good all year round. Two additional reasons, possibly of greater importance, are the health benefits staying in shape provide and, from a more practical perspective, faster muscle growth. And this is why finding the ideal balance between the two extremes is important for bodybuilding success and the promotion of good health.

Switching between the two extremes – traditional off-season and ripped competition conditioning – can play havoc with our health. Gaining 20-30 pounds more than what we are accustomed to carrying will significantly overwork the heart, causing it to pump blood at a faster rate while it must adjust to the additional mass it is forced to support. Rapidly adding bodyweight can also cause joint problems as, while fat levels have become greater the joints themselves are still functioning as they were prior to the weight gain and often cannot handle such excessive pressure, and back problems as added abdominal fat pulls the vertebral column out of alignment. Most importantly for bodybuilders for whom muscle size is of primary importance, the bulking approach can also prove counterproductive. Theoretically the ultimate objective for adding excessive size in the off-season is to promote rapid growth.

However, as well as this look being counter to what the bodybuilder strives in the gym to achieve, the loss of muscle that accompanies the eventual fat loss when we ‘diet down’ negates any muscle that might have been gained during the bulking phase. It is simply not necessary to bulk up. It is also counterintuitive. It is much better to stay in shape and gradually add muscle, as you will not only look good all year round but will make permanent muscle gains over the long term. Dieting for ultimate conditioning will also be a comparative breeze.

The Muscle Mass You Gain During Your Bulk Can End Up Just Being Lost When You Diet Down Later.

1. Avoid Self-Deprivation Maintain A Diet Of Lean Protein, Complex Carbs, And Essential Fats Not One Filled With Junk Food.

2. Add Calories Slowly

3. Avoid Excessive Cardio Cardio Has Its Place In Your Regimen, But Make Sure You’re Doing The Right Amount For You.

4. Do Not Overdo It Muscle Is Built While Recovering So Reduce The Number Of Sessions And Up The Intensity.

5. Be Patient Just Because The Scale Is Showing A Higher Weight Doesn’t Automatically Make It Gains In Muscle.

6. Stay In Shape

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