It’s natural to get swept up in the excitement when first bulking. It’s equally as easy to get confused and led astray by all the information swirling around the internet.
Let Charleston bodybuilder and fitness expert Andrew Demetre guide you through the top three bulking mistakes that young bodybuilders often make, so you can do whatever it takes to avoid them yourself.
1. Not Eating the Right Amount
Some fresh-to-the-scene bodybuilders will be concerned with a fat gain when they start bulking. And many newbies won’t see the results they want because they aren’t eating enough.
So what is enough? There’s no sugarcoating it – to get big, you’ll likely need to eat when you don’t want to, eat at strange hours, use shakes, and get creative to meet your caloric needs. Eating this much sounds fun, but it loses its charm pretty quickly, and many bodybuilders underestimate the work they need to do to transform their bodies.
But “more” isn’t always “better,” either. You can easily tip the scale too far in the other direction. Bulking isn’t just about eating a lot; it’s about eating enough of the right things.
Ignoring what you’re consuming and just piling on junk food because you finally have an excuse is a recipe for disaster. You’ll put on fat that will be much harder to lose later, so be conscious about what you’re putting in your body at every meal.
2. Not Training for Growth
There’s a reason there are so many different exercises; they’re used to get different results. Exercising without putting enough thought into your routine is common mistake everyone makes, but it’s especially egregious for young bodybuilders.
If you train correctly, you should successfully bulk. Correctly means high reps to stimulate muscle tissue properly.
Low reps are fantastic for strength, but unless you’re pushing yourself to the limit when you exercise, you aren’t doing enough to expend the extra calories you intake. You’re much more likely to end up with extra fat instead of packing on muscle.
3. Giving Up Too Quickly
If you expect to fundamentally change your body in a few weeks, here’s a rude awakening – momentum takes months to build, and only then do you start seeing drastic changes.
Young builders tend to give up because, let’s face it, bulking is difficult. But even if they feel compelled to continue, they assume it isn’t working if they don’t see results fast enough.
The encouraging bit is that even advanced lifters must put in immense effort over long periods to see results. So keep going; don’t let a minor setback or difficult day convince you that you cannot change.
You have to push through the hard parts for a long time before you start seeing the results you want. Cheer yourself on, and know you have what it takes to succeed!
About Andrew Demetre, Charleston Fitness Coach
Physical trainer Andrew Demetre is passionate about fitness and bodybuilding, and now he’s brought his passion to Charleston, South Carolina. Currently, Andrew has shifted to working with his clients virtually to help them achieve their fitness goals and ideal bodies.
He focuses on the value of dedicating yourself to fitness and showing his clients how they can transform their lives from the comfort of their homes.