What Not to Do While Bulking: 10 Big Mistakes to Avoid When You Bulk

When many of us think of bulking, we believe you can eat whatever you desire all day long. The reality is, if you eat this way, you will gain. However, you might just end up looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man instead of an ironman champ.

If you want to bulk up without having the marshmallow man look, take a look at these 9 bulking mistakes that many lifters have made.

Bulking Mistake # 1: Consuming Too Much At Each Meal

The biggest mistake we often see in those who wish to bulk up is consuming too much at one meal. The body was designed to just utilize a specific quantity of calories and nutrients at once. Whatever is not used is stored as fat.

Therefore, it is a smart move to eat five to eight smaller dinners rather than two or three large ones. The meals do not need to be large either. It can be as simple as a piece of salmon with rice or a hamburger on whole wheat bread. This will spread the calories and nutrients out better, allowing the body to use what it needs more efficiently.

Bulking Mistake # 2: Your Training Program Isn’t What It Should Be

Have you set a training plan up? Or maybe you do what most individuals do at the gym- complete random exercises.

No matter what sort of training program you have decided to do, it should be written down so you can track it. How many reps, sets, and the amount of weight lifted should be recorded each time you are at the gym. This will allow you to see how much you are growing and allow you to make gains. If you keep at the same number of reps, sets, and amounts lifted, you will not be able to make the gains you want to.

Bulking Mistake #3: Not Using The Right Supplements

First of all, if you are using anabolic steroids, then it’s a different story, that’s not something I recommend.

I’m talking about legal steroids and maybe nitric oxide supplements.

There are specific oral steroids made for the purpose of bulking. You can hinder your progress if you continue using the same supplements you used in cutting or in a maintenance phase. Here are few examples of the legal steroids you need to avoid if you are bulking.

It’s also important to understand how to use these supplements if you hit a plateau, I wrote an entire article about that, you can check it out here.

Bulking Mistake # 4: You Expect It To Happen Overnight

Patience is a virtue, and with bulking, it is no different. If you are not seeing the results you want, stick with it. Do not jump from plan to plan as you will never see results this way. Remember you must commit to three to six months to see progress take place.

Bulking Mistake # 5: Your Injuries Are Not Healing

A person who does not allow themselves to heal properly will never be capable of making the gains they want to.

Many times injuries occur because the form of the exercises is not up to par. This is a simple fix. Ask a professional to watch you perform the exercises to see what you are possibly doing wrong.

Bulking Mistake # 6: You Have Zero Consistency

Consistency is key for so many things in our lives. Your weight training plan should be the same. If you can do the following on a consistent basis for several months, you will see the results you need.

Eat adequate amounts of protein
Stay within 100 calories of your goal each day
Make sleep a priority and get a reasonable amount each night
Go to a minimum of 95% of your gym sessions
Force yourself to make progress in each session

Bulking Mistake # 7: Incorporating Diet Foods Into Your Diet

If you’re looking to bulk up, you shouldn’t be scared to add fat to your diet. When you aren’t consuming enough fat in your diet, you will see a decline in testosterone levels.

This can be remedied by adding whole eggs mixed with egg whites and lean beef to your diet. Add plenty of low-fat milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt into your diet.

Bulking Mistake # 8: Not Consuming Enough Carbs

While protein plays a vital part in bulking up, carbs are also needed after a session at the gym. If you keep your carbohydrate levels too low, you will simply not be able to get enough calories. Your goal should be to eat 2 or 3 grams of carbs for every pound of body weight each day. When carbs are eaten, they help by reducing cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol has been known to interact with testosterone’s anabolic measures. Should this occur, the muscles will begin to break down.

Bulking Mistake # 9: Not Resting Enough

If you are not resting your body enough after lifting, it can have a huge impact on making gains. When you allow your body to rest, catabolic hormones can decrease. When you have a surplus of catabolic hormones, you will lose muscle mass, including fat and muscle. Therefore, by having a few planned days of rest, you can be certain to suppress those hormones.

Bulking Mistake # 10: Not Taking in The Post-Midnight Meal

When you are sleeping, your body might fall out of the anabolic state. This state is needed to provide amino acids to the muscles so they grow. An easy solution for this is to down 20 to 36 ounces of H2O before bed. This will wake you up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, at which time you can down a protein shake. This shake should have three grams of amino acid arginine in it. For those that don’t like the taste of this, glycine may also be used.

And there you have it. These nine bulking mistakes will halt your gains faster than you can imagine. Heed our advice and learn how to bulk up and make the gains you deserve.

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