{"id":4042,"date":"2023-01-19T13:46:29","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:46:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/?p=4042"},"modified":"2023-04-17T09:43:14","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T13:43:14","slug":"why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/natural-bodybuilding\/why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I Don&#8217;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains &#8211; Natural Bodybuilding Tips\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Why I Don&#8217;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains &#8211; Natural Bodybuilding Tips<\/span><\/b><\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yqpqeSUX1y4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, in this video, I&#8217;m talking about bulking up, why I don&#8217;t bulk up, why I didn&#8217;t bulk up over the course of my competitive career as a <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/bodybuilding\/natural-bodybuilding-isnt-a-joke-a-look-at-top-natural-bodybuilders\/\">natural bodybuilder<\/a> for the majority of my competitions, and also talk about the fact that I was able to consistently make fantastic gains without bulking up, but also about how you could follow a path that doesn&#8217;t involve the physical and psychological stress of putting on extra body fat.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And in many cases, eating the foods that probably should never be part of a health-based diet.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is a way based in self-care, based on not putting on a layer of body fat, and looking at yourself in the mirror, and not really feeling good about how you look. But just because everyone else does it, doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean it might be best for you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, stay tuned. I&#8217;ll talk a little more about this.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, in this video I&#8217;m talking about bulking up, why you shouldn&#8217;t consider doing it, why I don&#8217;t believe in it, and why I think there are better ways of going about putting on muscle mass. But before I go any further, I&#8217;d like to thank everyone for tuning in, especially those who&#8217;ve said that this is a one stop place for anyone interested in learning all about training naturally, not using drugs, not using supplements.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thank you so much for all the support, and do be sure to like, subscribe, and hit that bell, so, you&#8217;re in first line to get new content as it comes out.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, onto the topic at hand today, bulking up. I think I should start with my own personal experiences of bulking up, because it&#8217;ll give a little bit of perspective.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For those of you who don&#8217;t know, I started training in Trinidad &amp; Tobago where I grew up, at 125 pounds, and I was able to put on enough muscle mass from a combination of really <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naturallyintense.net\">high intensity training<\/a> and a diet that wasn&#8217;t particularly high in calories, but I was able to put on some quality muscle mass to go from 125 pounds where I started off, to my very last body building competition in Trinidad where I left at 198.5 pounds.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That&#8217;s right, I went from 125 to 198.5 pounds in five years. I never had enough resources to be able to bulk up in the first place. I grew up in an environment where fast food was not something that we ate regularly, and, also, we never ate much in the way of junk food. The food that I ate, especially, when I started my body building path, were solid, cooked, regular, unprocessed foods. And being able to bulk up eating those foods, there simply wasn&#8217;t enough of it at my disposal to be able to do that.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4044\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/THE-PRO-BODYBUILDERS-IN-THE-MAGAZINES-BULKED-UP.png\" alt=\"THE PRO BODYBUILDERS IN THE MAGAZINES BULKED UP\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/THE-PRO-BODYBUILDERS-IN-THE-MAGAZINES-BULKED-UP.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/THE-PRO-BODYBUILDERS-IN-THE-MAGAZINES-BULKED-UP-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/THE-PRO-BODYBUILDERS-IN-THE-MAGAZINES-BULKED-UP-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/THE-PRO-BODYBUILDERS-IN-THE-MAGAZINES-BULKED-UP-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And so, I&#8217;d compete every year, and I was always kind of puzzled about the fact that my coaches never talked about bulking up or off-season diets.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was all about eating, more or less, the same way all the time, and I was waiting for that day where they would tell me something about bulking up, and they never did. Their point was that as a natural athlete, it was very important for me at all times to always focus on trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/bodybuilding\/genetics-and-muscle-building-how-muscular-can-you-get-naturally\/\">increase muscle mass<\/a> as much as possible by eating good food, not bulking up and coming back down.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4046\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/as-a-natural-athlete-the-goal-is-always-to-increase-muscle-mass-as-much-as-possible.png\" alt=\"As a natural athlete the goal is always to increase muscle mass as much as possible\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/as-a-natural-athlete-the-goal-is-always-to-increase-muscle-mass-as-much-as-possible.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/as-a-natural-athlete-the-goal-is-always-to-increase-muscle-mass-as-much-as-possible-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/as-a-natural-athlete-the-goal-is-always-to-increase-muscle-mass-as-much-as-possible-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/as-a-natural-athlete-the-goal-is-always-to-increase-muscle-mass-as-much-as-possible-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Bulking Up And Cutting Down Works Best For Steroid Users Not Natural Athletes\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was explained to me, explicitly, that the very common practice of bulking up, and then cutting down afterwards is a practice that works best among those who are using anabolic steroids.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Here&#8217;s how it works.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you&#8217;re on anabolic steroids, your body can process a lot more food than a regular person can.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And so, it makes sense to overeat, get as much calories, as much <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/bodybuilding\/how-much-protein-do-you-need-to-build-muscle-naturally-without-drugs\/\">protein<\/a> as possible, because your body can use it and turn it into muscle, something a natural athlete can never do. After that, in order to cut down to get that lean, ripped look and reduce your body fat, they can cut their calories, and the first thing that goes once you start cutting your calories, is muscle mass.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You will always lose muscle mass if your calories get to be too low, if you&#8217;re natural, if you&#8217;re on steroids, however, you can maintain a <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/diet\/how-to-eat-more-and-lose-weight-the-argument-against-low-calorie-diets\/\">low-calorie diet<\/a> and maintain far more muscle mass than someone who isn&#8217;t using drugs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that&#8217;s what I was seeing in the magazines and expecting my coaches to tell me to do just that as well, except I wasn&#8217;t using steroids, and they said, &#8220;Listen, kid, you&#8217;re natural and you want to stay natural, so you&#8217;re going to have to do it the natural way, the long way, and the hard way, which is eat clean all year round and make small gains over time.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Kevin&#8217;s Experience Bulk And Cutting\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And at the age of 20 years old, I came here to the United States, and when I came to the U.S., I didn&#8217;t have my coaches anymore. I was free to do whatever I want, and, also, I was surrounded by all this food that I had never experienced in my entire life.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And so, I decided against the very wise advice of my former coaches to bulk up. And so, I started eating more processed foods than I ever did in my entire life. I started doing things like drinking protein shakes every day, which before was not something I was doing at all, and the food was plentiful.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> (See my video as well- <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/10u276J752w\">Can You Out Train A Bad Diet<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It tasted great, but I felt awful, and I ballooned up to my heaviest at 252 pounds and felt absolutely atrocious. My joints were swollen, my ankles would swell at the end of the day.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And one day I was going up a flight of stairs, and I was out of breath, and I was wondering to myself, &#8220;What the devil is going on?&#8221; I was 24 years old, &#8220;Why am I out of breath?&#8221; It didn&#8217;t really feel good at all, but I was optimistic, because everyone in the gym was talking about how important it was to put on that extra size and get those gains from all the extra calories that you were eating, and when you cut down, you could see all those amazing gains that you had made over the course of your off season time, and so, I chopped down from 252 pounds to 209 pounds.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4047\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cutting-down-after-bulking-up.png\" alt=\"Kevin at 209lbs after bulking up\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cutting-down-after-bulking-up.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cutting-down-after-bulking-up-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cutting-down-after-bulking-up-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cutting-down-after-bulking-up-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Following what was, probably, my first really restrictive pre-competition diet.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Bulking Up Requires A Restrictive Diet To Cut Back Down\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The diet itself was terrible. I was so spaced out that I remember being in the playground with my son, and I pushed the swing, and I stood there and watched him go up with the swing, and come right back down, and smash into me. I didn&#8217;t move aside, because I was just literally out to lunch completely.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My energy levels were low. I didn&#8217;t really feel enthusiastic about anything. My training was something I was doing through pure willpower, and the day of the competition came, and, yes, I was 209 pounds, ripped to shreds, stepped on stage, won my class, and really didn&#8217;t care about it, because all I wanted to do was get off of this stupid diet, and that&#8217;s when the second problem came.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><strong>The Rebound Effect From Bulking Up and Cutting Down\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You see, if you deprive yourself and cut down so much, so fast, you&#8217;re going to have a rebound effect, and my rebound effect was tremendous. I put on a total of 17 pounds in one week after my competition.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4048\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Prolonged-caloric-restriction-increases-risk-of-binge-eating.png\" alt=\"Prolonged caloric restriction increases risk of binge eating\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Prolonged-caloric-restriction-increases-risk-of-binge-eating.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Prolonged-caloric-restriction-increases-risk-of-binge-eating-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Prolonged-caloric-restriction-increases-risk-of-binge-eating-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Prolonged-caloric-restriction-increases-risk-of-binge-eating-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It was horrendous, and it felt like I was completely out of control where it came to my eating. These foods that I&#8217;ve been eating before that I wasn&#8217;t really used to felt almost like I was compelled to consume them. I couldn&#8217;t stop myself. I was literally stuffing myself with junk food, overeating, and in a really bad place. My fingers were all swollen, my face was all swollen, my stomach was bloated.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It felt dreadful, to say the least. And it&#8217;s something I would never wish on my worst enemy, which is why at that point, I said to myself, &#8220;I will never bulk up for a competition ever again,&#8221; but as you know, I&#8217;m all about experimentation and collecting data.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the name of trying to understand the whole bulking process, it was important to at least evaluate the results of my bulking.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><strong>A Look At Muscle Gains With And Without Bulking Up\u00a0<\/strong><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h6>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Over that four-year period, putting on a total of 51 pounds, I ended up only eight pounds heavier than I was before I started bulking up.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4049\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/bulked-up-and-cut-down-at-209lbs.png\" alt=\"Kevin after bulking up and cutting down to 209lbs\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/bulked-up-and-cut-down-at-209lbs.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/bulked-up-and-cut-down-at-209lbs-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/bulked-up-and-cut-down-at-209lbs-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/bulked-up-and-cut-down-at-209lbs-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, a total of eight pounds over the course of four years, good progress, yes, but I was sure that I could do as good, if not better by following the path that I had initially taken and the one that worked for me for so many years.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I put on over 73 pounds over the course of five years from just eating clean foods and not overeating at all. So, I felt like I needed to go back to my original path, which was also something based on my health.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4050\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/KEVINS-WEIGHT-GAIN-OVER-TIME-1920-\u00d7-1080-px.png\" alt=\"KEVIN'S WEIGHT GAIN OVER TIME\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/KEVINS-WEIGHT-GAIN-OVER-TIME-1920-\u00d7-1080-px.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/KEVINS-WEIGHT-GAIN-OVER-TIME-1920-\u00d7-1080-px-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/KEVINS-WEIGHT-GAIN-OVER-TIME-1920-\u00d7-1080-px-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/KEVINS-WEIGHT-GAIN-OVER-TIME-1920-\u00d7-1080-px-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You see, my decision to not use steroids wasn&#8217;t just about not using drugs, it was about my overall health.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I didn&#8217;t want to do anything unhealthy for my body in the pursuit of a trophy. That, for me, didn&#8217;t feel like any type of a justifiable reason to put my body in a place of compromise, and so, I was going to do it the way I was doing it before, which is based on a path of growth, both physical and spiritual, where my diet is about eating right, giving my body exactly what it needs, no more, no less, with a path based on self-care, no extremes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And that&#8217;s something I think the average person can relate to. You see, in bodybuilding, even natural bodybuilding, it&#8217;s all about bulking up, getting as big as possible, and <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/weight-loss\/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-muscle-definition\/\">cutting down<\/a>, and getting as ripped as possible to look fantastic for a couple of days, a couple weeks out of the year.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I credit my path of trying to find a way to eat non-processed foods at all times, with the reason why, at 48 years old, I don&#8217;t look that different from the way I did when I was in my competitive days.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Because, for me, it&#8217;s about a lifestyle and bodybuilders are great at temporary weight loss. My job is not about helping people <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/weight-loss\/how-to-lose-5-pounds-overnight-safely-naturally\/\">lose weight temporarily<\/a>.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My job is also never, and never will be about making people do anything that&#8217;s extreme. I do not advocate overeating, nor do I advocate the consumption of any kind of foods that can be compromising to your health.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Bulking Up Can Lead To Eating Disorders &amp; Body Image Disorders\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As much as we want to self-indulge, we have to remember as well, that for a lot of people, these practices can lead to serious <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/diet\/conquering-emotional-eating-how-to-overcome-stress-eating\/\">eating disorders<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4051\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bodybuilding-weight-gain-and-weight-loss-practices-are-associated-with-eating-disorders.png\" alt=\"Bodybuilding weight gain and weight loss practices are associated with higher incidences of eating and body-image related disorders.\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bodybuilding-weight-gain-and-weight-loss-practices-are-associated-with-eating-disorders.png 960w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bodybuilding-weight-gain-and-weight-loss-practices-are-associated-with-eating-disorders-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bodybuilding-weight-gain-and-weight-loss-practices-are-associated-with-eating-disorders-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bodybuilding-weight-gain-and-weight-loss-practices-are-associated-with-eating-disorders-696x392.png 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And I can&#8217;t tell you how many bodybuilders, in confidence, tell me how horrible they feel in the off season, especially women. It doesn&#8217;t have to be that way.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now, it is indeed the road less traveled. It is difficult. It is very hard to not eat processed foods and eat clean all year round, and not ever overeat. That&#8217;s not something that&#8217;s going to happen overnight, because Rome wasn&#8217;t built in a day, and you shouldn&#8217;t try to build it in a day either.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Start slowly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">First, start by telling yourself you can do it, because you can. You can do it, and you can get used to almost anything, and being uncompromising in your path towards taking care of yourself always leads to a more sustainable process in your training and your dietary approaches, which, over time, it&#8217;s going to give you more gains.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Lean Bulking&#8221; How To Gain Muscle Without Getting Fat\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You don&#8217;t need all the extra calories to make those gains. It can be done as long as you follow one very important rule. You eat for what you&#8217;re going to do, not what you did. So, on days you are training, make sure your calories and your carbs go up slightly, days you&#8217;re not training, make sure your protein goes up, and your calories come down slightly. On days when you have a break from training and you&#8217;re not really that close to a workout, drop calories a little bit.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now, there are also going to be times when you fall, times when you&#8217;re going to completely <a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/diet\/what-to-do-when-you-cheat-on-your-diet\/\">mess up on your diet<\/a>. Don&#8217;t worry about it, I&#8217;m still cheering you on. Just get right back up and get right back at it. If you can be in a place, and eat clean all year round, ignore everybody around you telling you, you need to eat junk food to make gains, you will realize not only excellence, but you&#8217;ll discover so much more about yourself.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, eat clean, train hard.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Know that I believe in you and Excelsior!!!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/app.monstercampaigns.com\/c\/zyasyhjwd3oovkvfuado\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4066\" src=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"click for your copy of the role of high intensity training in reducing body fat\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-696x392.png 696w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1-1068x601.png 1068w, https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Role-of-high-intensity-training-ebook-download-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Related Articles:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/weight-training\/high-reps-vs-low-reps-for-fat-loss-and-muscle-definition\/\">High Reps vs Low Reps for Fat Loss and Muscle Definition<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/weight-loss\/how-i-lost-30lbs-permanently-with-decompression-dieting\/\">How I Lost 30lbs with Decompression Dieting<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why I Don&#8217;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains &#8211; Natural Bodybuilding Tips So, in this video, I&#8217;m talking about bulking up, why I don&#8217;t bulk up, why I didn&#8217;t bulk up over the course of my competitive career as a natural bodybuilder for the majority of my competitions, and also talk about the fact [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1535],"tags":[28,1574,1575,1576,6,27,5],"yoast_head":"<title>Why I Don&#039;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why Kevin does not recommend bulking up for muscle gains for natural bodybuilders, his personal experiences with bulking and cutting.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/natural-bodybuilding\/why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why I Don&#039;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains - Natural Bodybuilding Tips\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why Kevin does not recommend bulking up for muscle gains for natural bodybuilders, his personal experiences with bulking and cutting.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/natural-bodybuilding\/why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Naturally Intense High Intensity Training Fitness Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/naturallyintensetraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Naturallyintense\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-19T18:46:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-17T13:43:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/why-i-do-not-recommend-bulking-up-for-natural-bodybuilders.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"940\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"788\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kevin Richardson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/BATMANNYC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BATMANNYC\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kevin Richardson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/natural-bodybuilding\/why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/natural-bodybuilding\/why-i-dont-recommend-bulking-up-for-muscle-gains-natural-bodybuilding-tips\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kevin Richardson\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/naturallyintense.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/660e15607a2b15785ff78963fa149ebf\"},\"headline\":\"Why I Don&#8217;t Recommend Bulking Up For Muscle Gains &#8211; 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