Bulk isn’t just the best way to buy bath tissues and baked beans—it’s also how countless gym-goers refer to the tactics they use to gain mass.
For the uninitiated, a bulk is a period wherein an individual intentionally ramps up daily calorie intake and weight trains in a specific way with the intent of putting on muscle mass, strength, and/or size, explains dietitian and exercise physiologist Jim White, R.D.N., C.P.T, A.C.E.S-EP owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios. Eating in a calorie surplus gives individuals the energy they need to lift heavy things and recover from the training in such a way that results in increased muscle mass, according to White.
Most commonly, bodybuilders undergo bulking periods. They offset these with cutting phases, during which they offload any unwanted fat mass accumulated during their bulk, leaving only a stage-ready physique behind. However, the method isn’t just for bodybuilders. “Bulking can also be great for older adults who naturally begin to lose muscle due to aging, people recovering from injuries, and those struggling to gain muscle in general,” says White.
While the goal behind most bulks is the same—to support gains—the approach individuals take can vary. The two main types of bulking are colloquially known as clean bulking and dirty bulking, and are generally marked by differences in diet and duration. Read on to learn the differences between both types to help inform which is right for you.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Jim White, R.D.N., C.P.T, A.C.E.S-EP, is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios. Brittany Michels, R.D.N., M.S., C.P.T., is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer with The Vitamin Shoppe.
Clean Bulking, Explained
A clean bulk involves consuming nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods to achieve a moderate daily calorie surplus. The line-up on a clean bulking menu looks similar to that on any whole-foods-forward eating plan, such as Whole30, Paleo, or the Mediterranean diet. However, because a calorie surplus is the objective, individuals often prioritize consuming additional calorie-dense healthy fats, such as avocado, oily fish, olive oil, beans, and nut butter, according to White. “These foods are healthy and clean but also high in calories, making them perfect for those seeking a surplus,” he explains.
The Pros of Clean Bulking
Hands down, clean bulking is the bulking approach that is healthiest for the general population, says White. For starters, eating nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods allows you to maintain—and even improve—your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels as you make gains. Research has shown time and time again that eating whole foods, such as those prioritized during a clean bulk, can improve health status and reduce the risk of certain diseases and cancers. Meanwhile, the CDC reports that eating nutrient-dense foods is associated with a range of benefits that support you in and out of the gym, including better muscular function, longer lifespan, stronger bones, and improved eye, skin, and hair health.
Read More: How Long Should You Bulk For To Make Meaningful Gains?
General health perks aside, clean bulking also expertly facilitates the goal of building muscle. “The mass you achieve on a clean bulk will be mostly lean muscle mass,” says White. Meaning very little of it will be from fat. Basically, you will come out on the other side of a clean bulk with extra muscle definition and may not need to follow the phase with a cut to lean back out, he explains.
Additionally, with clean bulking, you can say sayonara to lackluster lifts and form sabotaged by brain fog. Research indicates that consuming the clean foods prescribed during a clean bulk may have brain health benefits, such as increased focus and improved mental energy, leading to better focus at the gym.
The Cons of Clean Bulking
Clean bulking requires more funds, forethought, and surveillance than a less disciplined approach to bulking.
A sad truth about modern-day living is that eating nutrient-dense foods generally takes more effort and tighter budgeting tactics than eating nutrient-poor grub. While the gas stations and fast food joints are replete with cheap, high-calorie options (with ingredient lists longer than Infinite Jest), pit stops with healthy food options are fewer and further between.
The expense of clean eating can be offset with smart budgeting and bulk shopping, but both interventions require forethought. Not to mention, it takes time and energy to transform your goods (frozen shrimp, uncooked rice, etc.) into something edible, which is greater than the time it takes to tear open a bag of chips. Even assembling a plate from your containers of meal-prepped staples takes longer than that.
Clean bulking also requires you to track your macronutrient and caloric intake in some way, says Brittany Michels, R.D.N., M.S., C.P.T., a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer with The Vitamin Shoppe. This ensures that you’re actually consuming a calorie surplus and that your protein intake is high enough to support lean mass and minimal fat gains, she says. Yet while tracking through an app like MyFitnessPal will be familiar to bodybuilders, weighing and measuring your intake can feel tedious to those new to the act. Plus, individuals with a history of disordered eating may find the act triggering and, therefore, inaccessible.
Those who struggle to achieve an ample caloric surplus (and sufficient protein intake) need not stress, though. Gainer powders, popular amongst many bodybuilders and athletes, are a quick and easy way to down calories and protein—and some formulas trend toward whole-food ingredients. Two that Michels recommends for clean bulkers who need a little extra oomph: Transparent Labs Mass Gainer and True Athlete Plant Protein Gainer.
Dirty Bulking, Explained
Dirty bulking can be considered the less meticulous cousin of the clean bulk. “It consists of eating large amounts of foods and calories and not worrying as much about the nutrient content of the food,” explains White.
Because food quantity is prioritized over food quality, dirty bulkers regularly consume junk foods and ultra-processed eats, he says. High-calorie foods like burgers, candy bars, fried chicken, pastries, and milkshakes are notoriously featured on a dirty bulker’s line-up.
The Pros of Dirty Bulking
Dirty bulking outranks clean bulking in ease and speed. Appealing to those who are tight on time, gathering foods for a dirty bulk is much less laborious than planning for, purchasing, and making clean-bulk-approved foods can be.
“Individuals typically gain weight quicker on a dirty bulk than on a clean bulk because the foods consumed on a dirty bulk are more calorically dense,” says Michels. This makes it easier to consume a calorie surplus. Case in point: While a vanilla milkshake can put an individual out 800 calories in a few hearty gulps, a clean bulker would have to chow down 2.5 tubs of cottage cheese to achieve the same calorie intake. Certainly, many people will find a creamy milkshake easier to get down than tubs on tubs of cottage cheese.
Additionally, “for people who have difficulty gaining weight, eating calorically-dense foods may make bulking up possible in a way that consuming high volumes of whole foods just does not,” adds Michels.
The Cons of Dirty Bulking
There is no question that the speed of dirty bulking is appealing—especially if you have a sweet tooth. But if you care about your overall health and well-being, you won’t beeline to the snack aisle quite yet.
“Dirty bulks that overly rely on junk food to meet high daily calorie goals can lead to issues such as insulin resistance and blood sugar spikes and crashes, increased inflammation, poor gut health, and elevated cholesterol and blood pressure,” says White.
Read More: If You’re One Of These People, You Should Track Your Blood Sugar
Further, while dirty bulking will help put on mass quicker than clean bulking—it might not be the type of mass you want, says White. Simply consuming more calories doesn’t necessarily equate to lean muscle gains, he explains. Rather, you need to consume calories containing the protein and nutrients required to build muscle. Go too hard on highly processed foods and it’s unlikely a dirty bulker will get the micro- or macronutrients they need to perform at the gym and recover from strength-based workouts optimally. So, “more likely than not, the mass gained will be mostly fat mass,” White says. Not exactly the body composition change most bulkers are after!
Following a dirty bulk with a cutting phase may not be as simple as it appears, either. “The cravings and sugar addictions that can come from bad habits during a dirty bulk can also make it difficult for individuals to successfully shift into a cutting phase,” White says.
If dirty bulking feels like the more realistic move for you, consider incorporating a mass gainer into your routine, suggests Michels. “Since most dirty bulkers don’t track macros or restrict their diet, gainers are an easy way to ensure they achieve the caloric and macronutrient intake required for their desired gains,” she explains. Think of them as a convenient way to tip the diet scales in favor of your goals. Plus, filling up on extra protein and other nutrients could keep you from going overboard on the sweets and snacks you may be tempted to rely too heavily on!
The Verdict
There is no doubt that clean bulking requires greater up-front time and energy expenditure than dirty bulking. However, for most people, the costs associated with clean bulking are well worth it in the end.
“The mass achieved from clean bulking will be mostly lean muscle mass and give you the look and feel you are going for from the get,” says White. With dirty bulking, you’re almost guaranteed to require a cutting phase afterward. Plus, doing a clean bulk will likely set you up for better overall health, which will pay dividends throughout your lifespan, he says.
If you are presently in sound health and there’s a reason you need to rush your gains, “a dirty bulk may be a viable, short-term option for some,” says Michels. “But if you wind up completely disregarding nutrition, sugar, or sodium content, it would be wise to check in with a doctor for a health marker update,” she says. In the end, short-term gains aren’t worth the cost of your long-term health!