Discover the basic principles of mass gain, as well as our tips for gaining mass and best practices to follow to optimize your bodybuilding training and achieve your goals.
Mass gain: definition and purpose
Bulking is a training and nutrition method that involves gaining weight in order to develop muscle mass.
Bulking is used by athletes, bodybuilders and sportspeople looking to increase their performance and muscle mass.
It is also used by those who wish to gain weight, build muscle mass, improve their physical appearance or achieve a more athletic figure.
Bulking involves increasing the intensity and duration of workouts, as well as a diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The use of dietary supplements can help accelerate bulking.
How long should a bulking session last? It depends on the individual. Generally, bulking can last 12 to 16 weeks for people who are already fit and looking to gain muscle mass. For those with a lower fitness level, it may take a little longer.
When you begin bulking, you need to create a strength training and nutrition plan that is tailored to your goal.
To optimize your mass gain, you can also use specific nutritional supplements designed to stimulate your muscle development and provide the nutrients your muscles need to develop properly.
When gaining mass, it's essential to engage in intense and varied exercise to stimulate muscle development and significantly increase your muscle mass. The most suitable sport for gaining mass is weight training because it allows you to work each muscle group.
Mass gain: Sports nutrition
Bulking up is an essential step for anyone looking to gain weight and muscle quickly. Choosing the right foods and maintaining a balanced diet is essential for successfully gaining muscle without gaining too much fat and seeing results, especially if you want to limit fat gain as much as possible. What should you eat while bulking up ?
Complex carbohydrates
They are essential because they provide the energy needed to build muscle. Foods rich in carbohydrates include brown rice, whole-grain pasta, quinoa, oatmeal, and pulses. Carbohydrates must be consumed in sufficient quantities to cover calorie needs and provide the energy needed to build muscle.
Generally, it's recommended to consume between 3 and 5g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight per day while bulking. If you weigh 70 kg, you should consume between 210 and 350 grams of carbohydrates per day, including foods like sweet potatoes.
Proteins
They allow the body to use the amino acids needed to build and repair muscle tissue. Protein-rich foods include lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.
There is also vegetable protein present in legumes, tofu, oilseeds, etc.
These foods are not only rich in protein and therefore amino acids, but also in vitamins and minerals essential for muscle building and recovery after exercise. And how much should you eat?
The recommended daily intake ranges from 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This depends on many factors and varies from person to person.
Lipids
They provide essential fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6) which promote protein synthesis and facilitate food digestion. Lipids are found in good fats: extra virgin olive oil, walnut oil, avocado, oily fish (salmon, tuna), nuts and seeds (cashews, hazelnuts). These foods can be eaten daily or regularly to get an adequate intake of essential nutrients.
Meal replacements are a great option when you're short on time and want to cook healthy, balanced meals. Our protein bars are nutrient-rich and contain 23g of protein per meal bar. You can replace your breakfast, lunch, or dinner with a meal bar, or enjoy it as a supplement to your meals.
Discover our protein mealsFinally, for better results during mass gain, some people use additional products, such as protein powder, amino acids, BCAAs or creatine, designed specifically to promote muscle gain and maximize the gains obtained through intense bodybuilding sessions.
Whey
To build muscle mass or improve recovery after workouts, whey protein (or whey) is a cow's milk protein that is separated from milk during cheesemaking. Whey is considered a high-quality protein because it contains all the essential amino acids needed to build and repair muscle tissue.
Whey protein is quickly absorbed by the body and is rich in leucine, an amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis. It is also a source of calcium, B vitamins, and other nutrients important for health.
Creatine
Used to enhance athletic performance and muscle growth. We naturally produce creatine, but the amount produced can be limited, especially during intense physical exertion. Taking creatine as a dietary supplement can increase creatine levels in the muscles, which can improve the ability to produce energy during physical exertion.
The gainer
A gainer is a dietary supplement used to increase calorie intake and build muscle mass. A gainer is often a blend of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, with high calorie levels per serving.
Gainers are often used by people who have difficulty consuming enough calories to support their muscle mass gain, either because they have a fast metabolism or because they have a limited appetite.
Gainers are used before or after training to aid recovery and muscle building.
BCAAs
These are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
They are the building blocks of protein, essential for muscle growth and repair. BCAAs make up about one-third of the body's muscle mass and play an important role in muscle protein synthesis.
BCAA supplements are often taken before, during, or after exercise to help support muscle growth, reduce fatigue, and improve muscle recovery.
Although they can be helpful in achieving specific nutritional goals, they are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
Indeed, good nutrition cannot be compensated by taking supplements alone. Therefore, it is essential to eat a varied diet and consume a number of calories adapted to your needs to successfully gain weight and build muscle.
Finally, you need to be vigilant about nutritional deficiencies that can occur if you don't eat enough or if you don't follow a varied and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
Gaining mass: key exercises
Gaining muscle mass requires a strength training program tailored to your goals. There are many strength training movements that can help you gain muscle. To gain muscle, you need to incorporate isolation and multi-joint exercises into your training program that will work each muscle group. We'll look at some examples of basic exercises.
An ideal first exercise for building upper body muscle is the bench press. This strength training exercise works the pectorals, triceps, and shoulders simultaneously.
By performing this strength training exercise regularly with appropriate weights and following good technique, the user can benefit from a significant increase in strength and muscle mass.
Other strength training exercises for building upper body muscle include pull-ups and dips, which work the pectorals, triceps, and shoulders. Pull-ups are particularly useful because they not only increase strength but also the size of the back and biceps muscles.
Focus on body alignment during exercise to achieve the best possible results while avoiding injury.
Another essential bodybuilding exercise to do in your fitness sessions for mass gain is the deadlift.
This comprehensive exercise engages a wide variety of muscles: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and trapezius. The deadlift is a very demanding movement that requires good technique, but can deliver very satisfying results if performed correctly.
When the user manages to correctly lift the bar from the floor to the vertical position, he will simultaneously work all the muscles of the lower and upper body as well as the back and core.
The squat is also a great compound strength training exercise for building muscle mass because it works several large muscle groups, including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles.
These strength and fitness exercises are just a few of the many possible. For each exercise, you should adapt the number of sets, the number of repetitions, and the rest time between sets based on your strength training program and your weights. For optimal results, it's recommended to use heavy weights and increase the weight as your strength training progresses. To learn more, ask a personal trainer for advice.
Our tips and mistakes to avoid when gaining muscle mass
Bulking is primarily about gaining weight. It can be difficult to gain muscle alone since your calorie intake increases in order to build muscle. The excess calories can then be stored as fat.
Here is a list of basic rules and tips for successfully gaining mass without gaining too much fat.
- Failure to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
A balanced diet consisting of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats at every meal provides the nutrients needed for muscle growth without overloading the body with unnecessary calories.
Calorie intake should be increased gradually to allow the body to adapt to the changes. Remember to stay hydrated and drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
- Do not take recovery time between your workouts.
During recovery, muscle fibers damaged by intense exertion rebuild, and your muscle gains volume during this process.
Most experts recommend a minimum of 48 hours of rest between each strength training session to give your muscles the rest time they need to grow and recover.
Additionally, if you're feeling tired or exhausted, take extra time to rest before your next workout. Sleep is also very important during recovery. Restorative sleep is essential for repairing muscle fibers.
- Failure to follow a consistent, planned program.
To safely achieve your weight gain goals, your strength training sessions should include exercises and weights appropriate for your fitness level. Your diet should also be tailored to your personal goals.
- Being overtrained.
Doing too many strength training exercises can hinder your progress and increase the risk of injury and damage to your joints.
For optimal muscle gain, it is best to train for less time but more intensely, carrying weights (working with body weight is not enough) and with regularity.
It is important to alternate between isolation and multi-joint exercises in order to stretch and strengthen each muscle group.
- Do not seek advice from a doctor or qualified professional.
Seek professional help. Remember that gaining muscle takes time and patience; resist the temptation to cut corners or adopt techniques that don't guarantee satisfactory or lasting results.
In summary.
Bulking is a very effective way to gain weight and muscle. It's important to consider nutrition and exercise to avoid gaining too much fat instead of muscle.
A strength training program and diet tailored to your mass gain goals are essential. You can supplement your nutrition with supplements like whey protein, BCAAs, and creatine to enhance your results.
Ask a health, nutrition and sports professional for nutrition and sports advice to help you gain muscle mass.
To go further, after gaining mass, many people follow up with a drying period to lose weight and especially the fat that they may have gained during the mass gain.
This weight loss helps to reshape the muscle mass gained during the bulking process. However, you must adapt your diet and training during a cutting phase to avoid losing muscle during this weight loss.
