The Process
Dana helps us this week by explaining whether we should bulk OR cut!
The goal of a bulk is to build muscle while a cut is for losing fat. During a bulk you will be gaining both muscle and fat by eating in a calorie surplus, training hard, and recovering.
However, there is also something called a "dirty bulk" which can be described as using bulk as an excuse to eat whatever you want. During this style of bulking, people pretty much stuff their faces with fast food, junk, and anything their stomach desires without any concern for fat gains or the effect of such foods on their health.
If you want an optimal bulk, it matters where your calories come from. Dana suggests the 80/20 Rule: 80% of the diet from whole clean foods (majorly complex carbs and healthy protein/fats) while 20% can come from processed, less nutrient-dense food.
Time & Effort
Training during a bulk should look something like this: focusing on progressive overload, heavy compound lifts, and adding in high-volume accessory lifts for hypotrophy.
Cutting is the process eating in a calorie deficit (eating less than you are burning) to lose fat while minimizing muscle loss. Dana talks about how to cut effectively to minimize losing the muscle you worked so hard for. She has a few tips to do this:
- Take it slow. A very large deficit may cause fat loss to occur at a faster rate, but it will cause excess muscle loss as well as bring about many other negative side effects.
- Consider hiring a professional nutritionist
- Keep protein high to make sure your muscles are being supplied with as many amino acids as possible
When it comes to training during a cut, Dana suggests keeping the focus on progressive overload, adding in cardio (or steady state of HIIT), and keeping rest times short and utilizing super sets/giant sets.
Watch the whole video for more information on bulking vs cutting as well as something that Dana calls a "hard-gainer" and "newbie gains."
For more informative and entertaining content subscribe to her YouTube Channel DanaLinnBailey and follow her Instagram @danalinnbailey
To aid you in your bulking or cutting journey, make sure to check out INTENT and ISOLATE. INTENT is a top of the line fat burner which will aid in fat loss, calorie expenditure and energy, while ISOLATE is an excellent source of protein which is very helpful to supplement in the pursuit of muscle building.
