Are protein bars good to bulk up or gain muscle?

Jamal_Guildford

Hi,

I started having between 3 and 4 protein bars per day to gain weight. According to one of my workmate, it's very good if you want to bulk up. BUT there is still fat in these bars, do you think I will gain fat only or fat and muscle if I keep having protein bars?

Thanks,
Jamal

_lyndseybrooke_

First of all, fat in food does not make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than your body burns and not working out to make up for it.

Protein bars don't make you bulk up. What helps you bulk up is, once again, eating more calories than your body burns. You gain muscle by eating more calories than your body burns AND lifting heavy.

Protein bars are fine, but 3-4 in a day sounds excessive. If you need a protein boost, how about one protein bar and a protein shake? The rest of what you eat should be actual meals with real food.

Jamal_Guildford

First of all, fat in food does not make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than your body burns and not working out to make up for it.

Protein bars don't make you bulk up. What helps you bulk up is, once again, eating more calories than your body burns. You gain muscle by eating more calories than your body burns AND lifting heavy.

Protein bars are fine, but 3-4 in a day sounds excessive. If you need a protein boost, how about one protein bar and a protein shake? The rest of what you eat should be actual meals with real food.

Ok I agree, I think I am going to reduce protein bars. I already have two protein shakes a day. My TDEE is around 3000kcal

Fourtysevenguy

If you want pure natural protein i personally eat egg white omelets for breakfast or try Total 0% FAT FREE YOGHURT - 100g features 10.3g of protein, only 4g of carbs and 0g fat! Love this stuff!

fivethreeone

One specific item does not result in "bulking up" -- it all boils down to total intake and a good lifting program.

Eat in excess of your TDEE, follow an appropriate lifting program, and get a minimum of 1g protein per pound of lean body mass, that's it.

You could reach that caloric surplus with protein bars, sure, but it wouldn't be because it is a bar. Sounds like an unnecessarily expensive plan to me.

_lyndseybrooke_

First of all, fat in food does not make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than your body burns and not working out to make up for it.

Protein bars don't make you bulk up. What helps you bulk up is, once again, eating more calories than your body burns. You gain muscle by eating more calories than your body burns AND lifting heavy.

Protein bars are fine, but 3-4 in a day sounds excessive. If you need a protein boost, how about one protein bar and a protein shake? The rest of what you eat should be actual meals with real food.

Ok I agree, I think I am going to reduce protein bars. I already have two protein shakes a day. My TDEE is around 3000kcal

3-4 protein bars and 2 protein shakes per day? Holy crap - do you eat regular food at all? An excessive amount of protein won't help. 1 g/lb of body weight is plenty.

parkscs

Protein bars are like protein shakes - they can be convenient but they're no better than getting your protein from "real" food. Actually, I'd argue they're worse, but it comes down to balancing convenience with optimal nutrition. If you're drinking 2-3 shakes and eating 3-4 protein bars a day though, you're probably doing it wrong. Eat food and use shakes/bars for situations where you want a treat or you don't feel like cooking yet another chicken.

Jamal_Guildford

If you want pure natural protein i personally eat egg white omelets for breakfast or try Total 0% FAT FREE YOGHURT - 100g features 10.3g of protein, only 4g of carbs and 0g fat! Love this stuff!

It sounds like a good plan. I am scared of getting fat with these protein bars...

Jamal_Guildford

Protein bars are like protein shakes - they can be convenient but they're no better than getting your protein from "real" food. Actually, I'd argue they're worse, but it comes down to balancing convenience with optimal nutrition. If you're drinking 2-3 shakes and eating 3-4 protein bars a day though, you're probably doing it wrong. Eat food and use shakes/bars for situations where you want a treat or you don't feel like cooking yet another chicken.

I added protein shake/bars to my usual diet.

_John_

they are calorie dense, but excess consumption can be bloating/laxative...

MyChocolateDiet

"protein bars" are usually called that because they are proportinately more protein than other things. if your's have lots of fat that is not necessarily "too much" because your entire day is how you should be looking at it, perhaps the week as a whole.

if it fits your macro goals for fat it's fine.

you should be allowed some macro's. if it's too many for your goals there are so many protein bars on the market I'm sure you can find one or two that fit in better or combine be be so.

AliceDark

If you want pure natural protein i personally eat egg white omelets for breakfast or try Total 0% FAT FREE YOGHURT - 100g features 10.3g of protein, only 4g of carbs and 0g fat! Love this stuff!

It sounds like a good plan. I am scared of getting fat with these protein bars...

There is no magic food that will make you grow muscles without putting on fat. If there were, we would know about it, and we would tell you! Figure out a reasonable macro breakdown, then eat whatever foods you like to get you there.

I get the feeling that concept -- eat whatever foods you like -- causes you a ton of anxiety. Perhaps it would be worth exploring and dealing with the root cause of that anxiety before you try to change your body?

JoeDenison

I second the "must lift heavy" to bulk up. Strength training is a must.

For the diet side of bulking up, protein bars are OK for supplementing as long as they have an adequate amount of quality protein (whey concentrate, whey isolate) and limited carbs. My personal preference are Quest bars -- lots of fiber in them, too and minimal net carbs. But the main goal is to make sure you are getting adequate protein for the day: about 1g per pound of lean body mass. I think it's best to spread the protein through the day vs. large amounts in one or two meals. Eggs (the whole egg -- the yolk has most of the nutrients including add'l protein), cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, grass fed beef. I steer away from fish and seafood due to contaminants and I just don't like them. But I do supplement with krill oil as the omega-3 fatty acids are important as well.

You'll want to spike your insulin after your strength workouts -- necessary for the anabolic effect of repairing/building muscle. As long as you are not diabetic, you can do this by ingesting some carbs with a high glycemic index/load with your post-workout protein. You can bulk up without the extra carbs but it won't happen as quickly.

fivethreeone

If you want pure natural protein i personally eat egg white omelets for breakfast or try Total 0% FAT FREE YOGHURT - 100g features 10.3g of protein, only 4g of carbs and 0g fat! Love this stuff!

It sounds like a good plan. I am scared of getting fat with these protein bars...

Dietary fat does not produce fat bodies. If you are trying to bulk, you WILL gain fat along with the muscle. You just have to accept that there's no method of eating in excess of your TDEE that will result in a zero-fat-gain scenario.

Lift heavy, eat a lot, get your protein, gain fat and gain muscle. Then reduce your calories gently to cut the fat off the muscle.

Jamal_Guildford

First of all, fat in food does not make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than your body burns and not working out to make up for it.

Protein bars don't make you bulk up. What helps you bulk up is, once again, eating more calories than your body burns. You gain muscle by eating more calories than your body burns AND lifting heavy.

Protein bars are fine, but 3-4 in a day sounds excessive. If you need a protein boost, how about one protein bar and a protein shake? The rest of what you eat should be actual meals with real food.

Ok I agree, I think I am going to reduce protein bars. I already have two protein shakes a day. My TDEE is around 3000kcal

First thing you need to do is stop listening to your workout mates because they aren't helping you with any good advice.

You don't need all those bars and shakes in one day or even at all. The are good if you need help hitting your protein requirements but I much prefer food over bars.

If you want to gain muscle you don't have to eat more protein. You have to eat in a caloric surplus in general. Protein doesn't end to be increased when bulking compared to losing weight. In fact, protein intake can be lower than it is on a cut. .6-.87g per lb of body weight is enough. Anything more than that is either for satiety or just a waste of money.

Fats at .4-.45g per lb of bodyweight.

Carbs, the rest of your calories in carbs. Yup, carbs. All these guys in your gym want to promote protein, protein, protein and never talk about carbs. Which are pretty much as important as protein during a bulk.

Your training - If your training is not on point then it doesn't matter how many protein bars you eat.

My workmate is actually a bodybuilder. Last winter when he gained weight, he was taking on top his usual diet: two protein shake, one muscle builder shake and 5 protein bars per day

fivethreeone

First of all, fat in food does not make you fat. You gain fat by eating more calories than your body burns and not working out to make up for it.

Protein bars don't make you bulk up. What helps you bulk up is, once again, eating more calories than your body burns. You gain muscle by eating more calories than your body burns AND lifting heavy.

Protein bars are fine, but 3-4 in a day sounds excessive. If you need a protein boost, how about one protein bar and a protein shake? The rest of what you eat should be actual meals with real food.

Ok I agree, I think I am going to reduce protein bars. I already have two protein shakes a day. My TDEE is around 3000kcal

First thing you need to do is stop listening to your workout mates because they aren't helping you with any good advice.

You don't need all those bars and shakes in one day or even at all. The are good if you need help hitting your protein requirements but I much prefer food over bars.

If you want to gain muscle you don't have to eat more protein. You have to eat in a caloric surplus in general. Protein doesn't end to be increased when bulking compared to losing weight. In fact, protein intake can be lower than it is on a cut. .6-.87g per lb of body weight is enough. Anything more than that is either for satiety or just a waste of money.

Fats at .4-.45g per lb of bodyweight.

Carbs, the rest of your calories in carbs. Yup, carbs. All these guys in your gym want to promote protein, protein, protein and never talk about carbs. Which are pretty much as important as protein during a bulk.

Your training - If your training is not on point then it doesn't matter how many protein bars you eat.

My workmate is actually a bodybuilder. Last winter when he gained weight, he was taking on top his usual diet: two protein shake, one muscle builder shake and 5 protein bars per day

Those are a convenient way of getting additional calories, but unnecessary in terms of bulking or protein consumption. Total calories are what matter here.

BusyRaeNOTBusty

If you want pure natural protein i personally eat egg white omelets for breakfast or try Total 0% FAT FREE YOGHURT - 100g features 10.3g of protein, only 4g of carbs and 0g fat! Love this stuff!

There's no reason to go low fat when bulking. Eat whole eggs and full fat yogurt. It will make i much easier to hit your calorie goals.


Furthermore, just because your workmate's method worked for him doesn't mean there aren't other methods that will also work and the other methods might be easier, cheaper, and possibly "more healthy".

__freckles__

Here you go OP - sounds like you're new to bulking. Knock yourself out:

http://www.acaloriecounter.com/building-muscle.php

http://strengthunbound.com/bulking-complete-guide-for-beginners/