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Hello steemit world!
Today I'd like to make a quick health and fitness post for you guys about the deference between bulking and cutting and the benefits of each.
Bulking
This is usually the "fun" part for a bodybuilder/powerlifter. It's the part you get to eat a lot of food and lift with longer rest times between sets, which I tent to find much easier. It's essentially just a time where you lift much heavier weight than you normally would, but with fewer reps and a longer rest time between sets. Doing something like 5x5 with a 3 minute rest on a benchpress is a great example of a bulking exercise. The combination of heavy lifting with a 3 minute rest on heavier exercises like this causes an increase in testosterone production (The stuff that makes a guy, a guy and promotes muscle growth). Combine lifts like that, with proper eating, and in a short time you'll see a difference. This allows a person to gain the most amount of muscle and usually some fat on the side. Don't worry though, it's called bulking for a reason.
It's important that you don't do what's knows as "dirty bulking" which is when a person eats junk food for their entire bulking season, which builds up more fat than you'll want when it comes time to cut.
Here's what dirty bulking looks like...
Photo by: Physical Culturist - http://physicalculturist.ca/top-5-bulking-foods-to-build-muscle/
"So all I have to do is rest a while during my workouts and eat all the time?" ...Well not exactly
Photo by: http://www.allmaxnutrition.com
It's very important that you find the right types of food to eat. This requires a lot of your own research but here's an idea of what healthy foods you should eat during the bulking phase
- Wheat bread
- Old fashion style oats
- Rice
- Chicken
- Eggs
...And most importantly, BEEF!
I tend to find myself doing more exercises in the bulking category because to my build and goals. Sense you most likely won't be shredded during this phase, most people bulk in the fall or winter. This allows them to get at least a 1/3 - 1/2 of the year which is the perfect amount of time for a successful bulking season.
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Cutting
I find this part to be the hardest. It requires tremendous self-discipline and dedication.
Cutting is the time right after bulking season when a person loses their extra fat and keeps the excess muscle. This can usually last anywhere from 1-3 months, or even more depending on your body fat % beforehand. During this phase, your rest times will get shorter (anywhere from 30 sec - 2 minutes) and your eating habits will change. Getting the right amount of carbs is important during this phase because a lot of people go overboard with cutting by only eating a few carbs a day. I'm here to tell you that's NOT the right way to do things. Malnourishing your body is never a good idea and can lead to so many different types of health problems.... not to mention, it will also burn off some of the extra muscle from the bulking period. It all comes down to knowing what your body wants, vs what your body needs. I personally take it in around 100-150 carbs a day during this phase. Other than that, cutting is just a bunch of cardio and lower rest times with higher repetition. If you do your own research and do it right, the fat will fall off and only the muscle will be left.
I hope this helps!
If you have any questions feel free to ask!
-Zac
Check out my post about Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition, you may like it!
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