Gaining muscle mass is the goal of just about everyone who heads into the gym. However, those who are serious about lifting weights and the muscle gains that come with it tend to take things to an extreme.
This is where dirty bulking and clean bulking come into play. Both are methods of gaining weight (not losing it) in order to get bigger and stronger muscles.
Ready to learn more? We'll cover both forms of bulking and a number of pros and cons of each right here.
Why Gain Weight To Increase Muscle Mass?
The entire reason behind bulking is to gain weight that your body can convert into energy, which then becomes muscle mass when you lift weights. No matter which form of bulking you choose (dirty vs. clean), you end up force-feeding yourself in order to eat more calories than you need. This caloric surplus is then used up when you go to the gym.
Ideally, you want to eat enough to gain that muscle mass without adding any fat to your form. This requires a delicate balance between eatingmeals that contain enough calories to meet your goal but not so many that you gain weight where you want it the least.
With bulking, you want to carefully choose your caloric surplus amount and keep an eye on the foods you eat. This is where you need to choose between clean or dirty bulking.
What Is Dirty Bulking?
The "dirty" in dirty bulking isn't referring to getting drenched in mud or working out on filthy equipment. Instead, it refers to the foods that are eaten when dirty bulking.
In clean bulking (more on that later), you ingest healthy foods. In dirty bulking, you don't focus as much on the contents of the food. The only thing that matters is the number of calories you eat. As a result, dirty bulking requires a little less care as far as food choices are concerned.
The Positives of Dirty Bulking
Dirty bulking is an effective way of providing your body with the fuel it needs to gain bigger muscles. Since you only have to keep an eye on the number of calories you're consuming, not the foods themselves, it's easier to plan out your meals each day. Plus, you'll be able to eat anything, and most people find it nice not to have food restrictions.
Since you don't have to worry about portion sizes and can eat just about everything, you won't feel deprived, nor will you have to cook several different foods to eat healthier. In addition, many of the foods that people turn to when dirty bulking are high in calories, making the process more effective. You'll definitely be able to eat enough to see the gains you want.
The Issues With Dirty Bulking
There are a few issues brought about by dirty bulking. Since the foods eaten aren't the healthiest, you might be damaging your body. You can eat foods that have too much of the wrong kinds of fats, which can contribute to heart disease. Too much sugar, when combined with weight gain, can cause your body to become insulin resistant, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes.
Eating unhealthy food can also prevent your body from getting all the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. Also, there's the chance that you could overeat, leading to weight gain, particularly in the belly region. You might be unable to turn all of that excess caloric fuel into muscle mass, so you'll see an increase in fat.
Final Thoughts on Dirty Bulking
Althoughdirty bulking can work, if you choose to follow this method of gaining muscle mass, you should only do so for a short time. Eating too many foods that are bad for you for too long a period of time can harm your body and lead to weight gain, not just muscle gain.
What Is Clean Bulking?
On the other hand, there's clean bulking. This is like dirty bulking, but with one major difference. Although you eat more food than you usually need to create a caloric surplus with clean bulking, just like with dirty bulking, the foods you eat are good for you.
Clean bulking, like clean eating, focuses on healthy foods. Instead of eating cookies, cupcakes, and other foods, as you would with dirty bulking, you turn to the healthy side of your grocery store and fill up on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and more. You also eat a number of carbohydrates, including grains, which create the fuel that your body needs.
What Are the Positives of Clean Bulking?
Since you eat foods that are good for you when clean bulking, you'll definitely receive the nutrients you need to keep your body healthy, whether you choose to have a salad forlunch or something with additional calories fordinner. You'll get all of those vitamins and minerals, as well as the macros necessary to keep your digestive system and the rest of your body working efficiently.
The Problems With Clean Bulking
Even though clean bulking sounds perfect, it isn’t. You'll need to do a lot of meal prepping to ensure that the foods you eat are as healthy and clean as possible. Not everyone wants to do this amount of work.
Also, you could run into a few issues where you begin to restrict the types of foods that you eat, leading to an eating disorder. This can lead to weight loss, which is the opposite of what bulking is supposed to accomplish.
Final Thoughts on Clean Bulking
Clean bulking is much better for you than dirty bulking. Although it takes a bit more work, you'll get the results that you want without causing any potential harm to your body.
Which is Best: Dirty Bulking vs. Clean Bulking?
There are several things to consider when it comes to choosing between dirty bulking and clean bulking. Clean bulking is better for you, especially over a longer period of time, because the foods that you're consuming are healthier. When dirty bulking is done for weeks on end, you could end up damaging your health and gaining fat instead of muscle.
However, bulking, in general, can be problematic, so the best thing to do is eat standard healthy meals and work out as best you can. If you choose one of these bulking methods, make sure that it's only for a short time. This will keep you healthy and help you gain the muscle mass increase you desire.
Sources:
How To Clean Bulk - Bulking Up the Healthy Way | NASM
About Author: Mario Mendias
