The bulking phase, where bodybuilders eat more than their maintenance calorie requirements, is a time to add as much muscle as possible before leaning up for the stage, but while some bodybuilders see the bulking phase as a greenlight to gauge on anything they crave, other competitors take a more nuanced approach. But who’s right? Popular fitness number cruncher, Jeff Nippard presented what the research says about how hard and fast your bulk should really be.
“If you gain too fast, you’ll gain mostly fat,” explained the powerlifter, natural bodybuilder, and social media fitness guru in a video posted for his 3.7 million Instagram followers. “If you gain too slow, you might be leaving muscle gains on the table.”
It’s a predicament that every competitive bodybuilder must navigate. Do they throw on the weight as quickly as possible to maximize their chances of growth, or do they take a larger run-up, eating less calories but taking longer to gain weight? Nippard pointed to a 2023 study on the effects of small and large energy surpluses to present an academic perspective.
In the study, 17 experienced lifters trained for eight weeks. One group bulked up at a rate of 1% of their bodyweight per month, while the other group bulked quicker, gaining around 3% of their bodyweight per month.
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Who Builds More Muscle? Fast or Slow Bulkers?
After two months, the results showed that both the “fast” and “slow” bulkers gained around the same amount of lean muscle mass, “but the fast bulkers gained significantly more fat,” explained Nippard. So, slow and steady appears to be a sensible approach. “There is an exception, though,” points out the coach. “When you’re new to lifting, you can bulk a little faster and gain mostly muscle mass.”
To prove his point, Nippard referred to a previous study that showed the progress of untrained lifters who went on a bulk while maintaining four lifting days per week. This group put on an average of six-and-a-half pounds in 2 months, but even those on the fastest of bulks gained mostly lean tissue. This means that your lifting experience should play a part in your bulking protocol.
How Fast Should You Bulk to Gain Muscle Without Fat?
Taking all this into account to suggest the most efficient bulking tactics, Nippard explained that those who are new to lifting should aim to gain 0.5 to 1% of bodyweight, per week. “So, if you weigh 150 pounds, that’ll come out to about 0.75 to 1.5 pounds of (weight) gain per week, or three to six pounds per month.”
Those who have six months or more lifting experience should take a different approach, suggested Nippard. “At that point, gaining around 1% bodyweight per month (so, 0.25%, per week) makes a lot more sense.”
Of course, slowing down the rate of bulking means that you’ll need to set out earlier in this phase, but a leaner physique while on a bulk will give you a head start when you hit the less exciting cutting phase.
