6 Tips for Bulking Up This Winter

Hitting the gym with a purpose in mind makes it a lot easier to develop the body that you want. Over the course of a calendar year, goals can and do change. The spring months commonly focus on getting lean and ripped, which entails burn up excess body fat and allowing the rippled muscle to show. The process of bulking up that muscle occurs during the preceding winter months. Bulking takes some effort. Here are six tips on how to achieve a good winter bulk.

1.) Focus on Compound Moves

Isolation moves like triceps extensions and shoulder raises help, but big, bulk-building compounds moves such as the squat, bench press, and military press contribute to a great amount of muscle growth. With compound moves, several different muscle groups, both primary and secondary, come together to lift the weight. This leads to increased strength and increased muscle mass.

2.) Safely Lift Heavier Weight

The only way to bulk up and become more massive is to increase the amount of weight lifted. Lifting too light won’t exactly stimulate the muscles into effective growth. Amounts of weight do need to be increased gradually, though. Rushing to pack on too much weight on a barbell could lead to over-training or an injury.

3.) Increase Your Calorie Intake

Muscle growth requires a calorie surplus. You can’t maintain a larger frame with too few calories per day. Don’t increase the number of calories too much, though. Any calories you don’t burn become fat. A slight increase of daily calories of, say 500 per day, combined with heavy lifting assists with muscle growth.

4.) Eat Clean

Don’t draw your extra calories from lousy food choices. For one, doing so isn’t healthy at all. You need nutrients such as lean protein and good carbohydrates. What you don’t need is refined sugars, saturated fats, and processed ingredients. Eat healthy food choices that work to the body’s benefit. Eating clean also keeps you from ingesting too many calories. Poor-quality food is almost always loaded with tons of empty calories.

5.) Set a Proper Workout Schedule

Going to the gym inconsistently won’t help you reach your bulking goals. Going to the gym on a consistent basis and working out with the proper intensity level should support achieving desired goals. Hitting the gym at least three days a week for a half-hour each session might be fine. Some workout more frequently, but no one should overdo it.

6.) Get the Proper Amount of Rest

Muscles grow during the resting stage. That means you cannot work out too much. You also need to get a proper night’s rest. Eight hours of sleep per night supports effective muscle recovery. Lack of a decent amount of sleep hinders goals.