Bulking And Cutting – Different Phases For Your Fitness Plan

It’s well known that many bodybuilders go through different phases during different times of the year. Depending on the season their goals and the way they approach their training and nutrition will change. Let’s talk about one way they do this and how you can use this in your own weight training and nutrition plan.

Bulking Phase

A bulking phase is generally when you eat extra to put extra mass on your body. This means that you will put on some fat as well as muscle, but the goal is to put on as much muscle as possible while gaining the least amount of fat. But it isn’t all food, you have to keep working out hard through this time as well.

In order to do this you have to increase your calorie intake. This doesn’t mean that you get to eat a lot of junk food. You still need to eat the right balance of nutrients – just more of them. If all you eat is a bunch of junk carbs, you’re just going to get fat and put the wrong kind of weight on your body.

Some muscle building supplements you can use to help you during this time would include whey protein, weight gainers for extra calories, creatine and NO2 to power through your tough workouts, and glutamine for recovery.

Cutting Phase

The cutting phase is when you work hard and eat less to reduce the amount of body fat you have and get lean. Generally you will increase your cardio to burn extra calories and cut back on the carbs. By cutting back on carbs and increasing your protein intake you can help your body burn fat and retain more of your lean mass while you cut.

Some muscle building supplements that can help with this phase include whey protein, fat burners, creatine and NO2 to once again help you push through your workouts, and glutamine to help you recover and boost your immune system while you’re cutting calories.

The time of year that people will go through these phases varies a little bit, but most people will use the cold winter months for bulking and the warm spring and summer months for cutting. Since the summer is when you’re going to show off your hard work it only makes sense for it to be the time of year that you focus on cutting and looking good.