How to bulk up - bulking diet and exercise schedule

Most professional bodybuilders have a great way to develop their sizes every year from the year before, by amplifying the muscles to the maximum extent possible in the off-season periods, “which is the period of the year that there are no competitions.” Several months before appearing on the stage, they remove layers of fat to highlight the muscles, in what is known as muscle drying.


And the matter is not limited to professional players only, bodybuilders can also take advantage of the winter period to inflate the muscles “where long sleeves hide the layers of fat that cover the muscle mass” and dry them again before the arrival of summer for a distinctive appearance and prominent muscles.


In this article, I will explain everything related to the period of muscle amplification. Due to the effectiveness of this method in amplifying the muscles quickly.


How to amplify muscles

The muscle amplification phase is the period in which your primary goal is to amplify the muscles as much as possible.

This is done by causing damage to muscle tissue during exercise and then providing the muscles with nutrients to rebuild them with larger size.


The idea during muscle bulking is to increase the amount of calories consumed, so that there is a surplus in calories and results in an increase in weight and volume, usually a mixture of muscle and fat.


And the greater the increase in muscle mass than fat, the better.


For example, if your calorie consumption to maintain muscle mass is 2500 calories per day, you will need to add from 300 to 500 calories to amplify the muscles.


So there are two main factors in amplifying muscles, first, nutrition, which is considered the most important factor, and second, exercise.


So let's start with the diet.


The importance of nutrition in muscle amplification


Correct nutrition is the essence of muscle amplification, and it has a clear and influential role in the success of the entire process.

Where you can make every possible effort with exercise without obtaining a significant result, and this is only because you neglected the influential and important role of nutrition.


Fundamentals of nutrition in the period of muscle amplification

Despite the common mistakes associated with nutrition, choosing the best diet for muscle mass is very simple.

But before we move on to the diet part, there are some important points I would like to point out.


1- Determine how much calories you need.

To increase muscle mass, you need to increase the amount of calories consumed, but at the same time, you cannot overdo it.


Where a study indicated that more is not necessarily better for muscle mass, and this is for two reasons:


Your body has a limit on the rate of muscle gain.

Excess calories are stored as fat.

To discover the amount of calories required for muscle amplification, there are two ways.


Use the Fitness & Agility Calorie Calculator here.

Or you can simply weigh yourself three times a week, and keep a record of your current diet. If your weight stays the same, you need to add some calories.

The recommended amount from the Journal of Sports Medicine is 15%.

Meaning, if your current system includes 2,500 calories, you have to add 375 calories to be “2,875 calories.”

2- The amount of protein

Protein plays the biggest role in building muscle and repairing exercise damage.


Research indicates that the amount of protein required daily to build muscle is “1.6 grams per kilo of body weight.”


3- The amount of carbohydrates and healthy fats

You need carbohydrates to function and be able to train, and your body needs healthy fats to synthesize hormones and improve overall health.


Healthy fats: It is recommended to consume 5 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight.

Carbohydrates: After deducting the amount of protein and fat, the rest of the calories should be in favor of carbohydrates.

Muscle gain diet

Now that we've covered the basics of nutrition, let's look at a typical day of a bulking diet.


Given that the average male needs about 2,500 calories to maintain his weight, aim for about 2,800 calories in order to bulk up.


This amount of calories of 2800 will be distributed in 4 main meals.


The first meal: breakfast

1000 calories: 64g protein, 131g carbs, 28g fat.


A cup of oatmeal, a banana, a cup of strawberries as a source of carbohydrates and fiber.

1 tablespoon of peanut butter as a “healthy fat source”

1 tablespoon of protein powder “a major source of protein”

A cup of milk “for an extra calorie boost and an extra source of protein”

Cinnamon spoon “to improve taste and its positive effect on insulin sensitivity”

The second meal: lunch

550 calories: 48g protein, 80g carbs, 3g fat.


120 grams of chicken breast

A cup of cooked white rice

A cup of boiled lentils

Small salad plate

Add seasonings and light sauces

Light snack

145 calories: 5g protein, 5g carbs, 12g fat.


A small handful of almonds

As a mid-day snack, one great option is almonds or any form of nut.


They are certainly not only a great source of nutrients that are rich in healthy fats and fiber, but they also provide a variety of other important micronutrients and minerals.


The third meal: a pre-workout meal

“450 calories: 32g protein, 59g carbs, 12g fat.”


“Be an hour before exercise.”


2 whole eggs

2 egg whites

A cup of cooked spinach

A small plate of cooked rice

a banana

This is because eating protein with carbohydrates before a workout results in much greater levels of muscle protein synthesis.

 Fourth meal: post-workout meal

“600 calories: 35g protein, 92g carbs, 13g fat.”


120 grams of salmon

340 grams of sweet potatoes

Big salad plate

Since this is the last meal of the day and right after your workout, these options are great for two reasons.


Salmon not only provides the protein needed to repair muscle damage, but is also rich in the omega-3s DHA and EPA, which studies have shown are important for muscle repair and rapid growth.

Sweet potatoes replenish any glycogen that has been depleted during exercise.

Muscle amplification exercise program


Muscle amplification in the gym

Training is the main stimulus for muscle growth.


The idea is to cause muscle tissue damage as a result of the great stress placed on the muscles during exercise.


And if you consume enough calories to provide the nutrients needed to rebuild muscle, muscle mass will occur.


And there are two ways in which you can choose a muscle amplification exercise schedule according to your desire.


1- A program of bodybuilding exercises for beginners

In this type of exercise program, each muscle group is trained separately once a week for 5 days.


We have previously presented a “5-day bodybuilding exercise schedule, which you can view from here.”


2- Advanced bodybuilding exercises schedule

The best muscle building workout schedule is one that focuses on compound exercises. So that most of the muscles in your body are involved each time you train.


Training takes place three days a week, with a day of rest after each training day in this way.


Day 1: Push-ups

Day two: Pull-ups

Day three: leg exercises

Give your body a rest day after each training day.

You can perform light cardio exercises twice a week with no more than 20 minutes per class.


Day 1: Push-ups


The second day: pull-ups


Day three: leg exercises





Important points about muscle amplification exercises:
You can choose any training program that suits you, as the goal of the exercise is to stimulate the muscles to grow.
Repetitions of 6 to 10 is the best range for bulking
Compound exercises are one of the best exercises for gaining size and strength, so I rely on them more.
Gradually increasing the weight in each set puts the muscle under pressure and stimulates it to grow faster.
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