Dirty bulking for weight gain vs healthy bulk

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nathanjensen31
nathanjensen31 Posts: 1 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I’ve been dirty bulking3500 calories 200g protein a day(unhealthy food) and I find I’m gaining weight faster( 25 pounds in 2-3months) but I have less defined muscles compared to my friend who dirty bulks identical cal/protein, in conclusion if you dirty hulk you’ll have to go at least 10lb over desired weight and cut weight when healthy bulking will require less of a surplus in weight generally either way I prefer dirty bulk due to being cheaper(pizza, pasta and giant marble
cake) and the speed of weight gain is faster

Replies

  • _mytime_
    _mytime_ Posts: 27 Member
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    Interesting outlook….I have wondered how this would effect the body
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,652 Member
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    You and your friend are not taking in the same calories and has different calorie needs anyway. A big surplus only adds a lot of fat that needs to be dieted off later and diet time means very little to no progress on strength and muscle gain. For best results go 2-300 cals above maintenance and get your macro's right.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,129 Member
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    Dirty bulks are fun, you get to eat everything you like, as much as you like. But then comes the flip side of the coin, the diet, denying yourself later. Not so much fun.

    Why not do it clean from the get-go, that way you never need to change your eating habits.
  • kinetixtrainer2
    kinetixtrainer2 Posts: 9,144 Member
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    nossmf wrote: »
    Dirty bulks are fun, you get to eat everything you like, as much as you like. But then comes the flip side of the coin, the diet, denying yourself later. Not so much fun.

    Why not do it clean from the get-go, that way you never need to change your eating habits.

    I’ve done both in the past and I prefer a cleaner bulk.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,538 Member
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    I HATE clean bulking because the amount of food you have to eat due to lower calories keeps my stomach bloated almost all day. Plus you're eating like every couple of hours. I prefer to eat dirty because I can just eat 2-3 meals a day versus 6 small ones. And of course pizza, burgers and fast food are on the menu.
    Funny thing is when I cut, I just have to reduce the OVERALL food I'm eating and not change my diet too much.


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  • Hiawassee88
    Hiawassee88 Posts: 35,754 Member
    edited April 2023
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    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    You and your friend are not taking in the same calories and has different calorie needs anyway. A big surplus only adds a lot of fat that needs to be dieted off later and diet time means very little to no progress on strength and muscle gain. For best results go 2-300 cals above maintenance and get your macro's right.

    I just watched MFP's utube vid about this very thing. They agree with you. Stuffing yourself adds more fat that will have to removed down the road. It takes time and patience. Months and months. Some have been working for years, to reach their goals. It's a slow-go.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,652 Member
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    Hiawassee88 wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    You and your friend are not taking in the same calories and has different calorie needs anyway. A big surplus only adds a lot of fat that needs to be dieted off later and diet time means very little to no progress on strength and muscle gain. For best results go 2-300 cals above maintenance and get your macro's right.

    I just watched MFP's utube vid about this very thing. They agree with you. Stuffing yourself adds more fat that will have to removed down the road. It takes time and patience. Months and months. Some have been working for years, to reach their goals. It's a slow-go.
    Yes patience is the key. People think more food equates to more muscle and a lifter that is not on "enhancing substances" can only add so much muscle in a given time and that doesn't take many calories over maintenance.

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