Is winter the “bulking up” season, or have you just gained fat over the holidays and thrown in the towel on staying lean? Bulking up during the winter isn’t the trend anymore. Bodybuilders are getting better educated about ongoing research on gaining lean muscle mass adequately, without inflammatory fat gains.

I tend to believe that most people would benefit from letting go of the hard diet and just taking it easy for a couple of weeks; it does the adrenals some good. But most people will train harder prior to and during the holidays to compensate foe the higher caloric intake, thus beating up the adrenals. My take would be to not see the winter season as a bulk-up phase, but a chillax phase. Without considering reserving a permanent parking space at McDonald’s, stick with the basics. This might be the best time to try out some new food.

Here are some other tips for bulking up responsibly.

5 Essential Rules For an Effective Bulking Season

10 Common Mistakes to Avoid This Bulking Season

Eat big, get big, but don't overdo it.

Read article