Are you keen to hop on the bodybuilding bang wagon? PT and Media Fitness Expert, Carly Yue, explains the process with both the highs and lows included… all-you-need-to-know-about-bulking-cutting When you begin bodybuilding there are two main options available to you, bulking and cutting. Contrary to common belief you cannot just eat whatever you like and call it “bulking” or start eating salads and assume you are “cutting” . Both are equally challenging and rewarding. So, what are they and are they right for you? A Cutting Diet  The highs:
  • Lowering your body fat to a desired level will be considerably easier than cutting after a bulking phase.
  • Those gains will be phenomenal when the bulking phase begins.
  • Your self-esteem will improve.
  • Your motivation will be greatly increased when the bulking phase occurs as mass will be more noticeable.
  • After bulking you should not have that much fat to get rid of, so you can cut down easily with this diet.
The lows:
  • When you start with your cutting diet, you will have a lot more fat to get rid of to obtain your ripped physique.
  • Muscle loss will occur, but not too much providing your diet is on point.
  • No more eating whatever you want to eat! That is extremely hard for some people, but eating is a science and so you can't cheat and expect it to work.
  • Cardio will be required due to the lack of it during the bulking phase. No one likes cardio and it can be tough after a long time without it, though it's essential that you don't miss this and give it your all.
all-you-need-to-know-about-bulking-cutting-web-1A Bulking Diet The highs:
  • Muscle gain will be noticeable within the first few months.
  • You’ll have more self-esteem.
  • Your strength will increase.
  • You get to eat a *lot* of food! The more muscle you have, the more calories you need to maintain that muscle, hence you burn more calories with more muscle.
The lows:
  • You will lose some of that lean shape when you begin bulking.
  • This condition is not sustainable long term for health reasons, performance issues and also because you cannot improve and progress without cutting.
  • Muscle loss will have occurred during the cutting phase so you may be weaker to begin with. Please note that reverse dieting should be done under supervision and should not be more than 1-2 lbs per week. You want to gain muscle, not fat!
  • A depressive feeling can occur in some people after they lose some of that ‘ripping’ progression. It's my belief that you need to accept your body and appreciate it both when it's lean and when it's strong.
all-you-need-to-know-about-bulking-cutting-web-2 The important thing to remember here is to think of the process as a journey to overall improvement, it will take time, but it will be completely worth it. Are you bulking or cutting at the moment? Let us know, we’d love to hear how you’re getting on! [caption id="attachment_641" align="aligncenter" width="150"]Carly Tierney Personal Trainer Guest post by PT & Media Fitness Expert Carly Yue.[/caption]