Depending on what works well for your digestion system, look for 15-20 percent of your intake to come from fats (this should work out to about. Make sure you’re getting at least a gram of protein per pound of body weight. You cannot starve muscle of its building blocks and still expect it to build. Simple, whole foods almost always pack a bigger nutrient-punch and keep you full longer.įirst and foremost, get your protein. Cheat meals aside, you still want to avoid refined sugars, simple carbs, and over-processed foods. You’re not just putting on weight willy-nilly and hoping enough of it’s muscle. The number one rule of a clean bulk is that food quality (and quantity) still counts. This is enough to gain a couple of pounds each month without giving your body so much fuel that it stores the extra as fat. While you’re bulking, only increase your calorie count by 250-300 per day. Cut until you’re at 14 percent body fat or lower, and then plan your bulk. You won’t see the lean bulk results you’re looking for, and it’s going to be a lot harder to shed the pounds later. If you’re already above 15 percent body fat, don’t plan on bulking. Additionally, stress levels can sabotage even the most dedicated training regiment, as can not getting enough sleep. If you’re not mentally ready to cut or bulk, you’re going to have a bad time. Mental state is incredibly important, as is your performance in the gym. Nutrition isn’t the only component to training, either. You’ll feel worse, you won’t train as well, and you’ll use up your allowances faster. Thus, you know that not all calories are created equal. One, IIFYM works fine for simple goals, but chances are if you’re here, you’re beyond what IIFYM can do for you.

There are a couple nutrition truths no matter what your goals are.

Your progress will be slower, but ultimately, you’re looking at a more sustainable diet choice that has a lower probability of permanently damaging your metabolism - and that goes for both cutting and bulking. If you want to put on muscle without gaining a disproportionate amount of fat (some is inevitable), you’ll need to carefully plan meals and stick to stricter guidelines than if you were to dirty bulk. While cutting is always a carefully planned maneuver, bulking is a little more ambiguous. Clean cutting and clean bulking require more time and discipline than other methods.

How to cut bodybuilding exercise