Discover the basic principles of mass gain, as well as our tips for gaining mass and the best practices to follow to optimize your bodybuilding training and achieve your goals.
Mass gain: definition and goal
Bulking is a training and nutrition method that involves gaining weight in order to develop muscle mass.
Mass gain is used by athletes, bodybuilders and athletes looking to increase their performance and muscle mass.
It is also used by those who wish to gain weight, strengthen their muscle mass, improve their physical appearance or achieve a more athletic silhouette.
Mass gain includes increasing the intensity and duration of workouts as well as a diet rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The use of food supplements to help accelerate mass gain.
How long should mass gain last? It depends on each person, in general, mass gain can last from 12 to 16 weeks for people who are already in shape and looking to gain muscle mass. For people who have a lower fitness level, it may take a little longer.
When you begin bulking, you need to create a strength training workout and eating plan tailored to your goal.
To optimize your mass gain, you can also use specific food supplements designed to stimulate your muscle development and provide the nutrients your muscles need to develop properly.
When gaining mass, it is essential that you do intense and varied sport in order to stimulate muscle development and considerably increase your muscle mass. The most suitable sport for gaining mass is bodybuilding because it allows you to work each muscle group.
Mass gain: Sports nutrition
Gaining mass is an essential step for people wanting to gain weight and muscle quickly. The choice of foods and a balanced diet is essential to successfully gain muscle without gaining too much fat and seeing results, especially if you want to limit fat gain as much as possible. What should you eat while gaining weight ?
Complex carbohydrates
They are essential because they provide the energy needed to create muscles. Foods rich in carbohydrates are whole grain rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa, oatmeal and pulses. Carbohydrates should be consumed in sufficient quantities to cover caloric needs and provide the energy needed to build muscle.
In general, it is recommended to consume between 3 and 5g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight per day while gaining mass. If you weigh 70 kg, you should consume between 210 and 350 grams of carbohydrates per day, including foods such as sweet potato.
Proteins
They allow the body to use the amino acids needed to build and repair muscle tissue. Foods rich in protein include lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy products.
There is also plant protein present in legumes, tofu, oilseeds, etc.
These foods are not only rich in protein and therefore amino acids but also in vitamins and minerals essential for muscle building and recovery after exercise. And how much should you eat?
The recommended daily intake ranges between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. It depends on many factors and depends on the individual.
Lipids
They provide essential fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6) which promote protein synthesis and facilitate the digestion of food. Lipids are found in good fats: extra-virgin olive oil, walnut oil, avocado, fatty fish (salmon, tuna), nuts and seeds (cashews, hazelnuts). These foods can be eaten daily or regularly to get adequate intake of essential nutrients.
The meal replacement is a good alternative when you don't have a lot of time and want to cook healthy and balanced. Our protein bars are balanced in nutrients and contain 23g of protein per meal bar. You can replace your breakfast, lunch or dinner with a meal bar or take it in addition to your meals.
Discover our protein mealsFinally, for better results during mass gain, some use additional products, such as protein powders, amino acids, BCAAs or creatine, designed specifically to promote muscle gain and maximize gains. obtained thanks to intense weight training sessions.
Whey
To build muscle mass or improve recovery after workouts. Whey protein (or whey) is a cow's milk protein that is separated from milk during the making of cheese. Whey is considered a high-quality protein because it contains all the essential amino acids needed to build and repair muscle tissue.
Whey is quickly absorbed by the body and is rich in leucine, an amino acid that stimulates muscle protein synthesis. It is also a source of calcium, B vitamins and other nutrients important for health.
Creatine
Used to improve sports performance and muscle growth. We naturally produce creatine, but the amount produced can be limited, especially during intense physical effort. By taking creatine in dietary supplement form, one can increase creatine levels in the muscles, which can improve the ability to produce energy during physical exertion.
The gainer
A gainer is a dietary supplement used to increase caloric intake and muscle mass gain. The gainer is often made up of a mixture of protein, carbohydrates and fat, with high levels of calories per serving.
The gainer is often used by people who have difficulty consuming enough calories to support their muscle mass gain, either because they have a fast metabolism or because they have a limited appetite.
Gainers are used before or after training to help with recovery and muscle strengthening.
BCAAs
These are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine.
They are the building blocks of protein, essential for muscle growth and repair. BCAAs make up about a third of the body's muscle mass and play an important role in muscle protein synthesis.
BCAA supplements are often consumed before, during or after exercise to help support muscle growth, reduce fatigue and improve muscle recovery.
Although they may be helpful in achieving specific nutritional goals, they are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
Indeed, good nutrition cannot be compensated for by taking supplements alone. It is therefore essential to eat a variety of foods and a number of calories adapted to your needs to successfully gain weight and muscle.
Finally, you must be vigilant about nutritional deficiencies that can occur if you do not eat enough or if you do not follow a varied and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.
Gaining mass: the key exercises
Gaining mass requires a bodybuilding program adapted to your goal. There are many bodybuilding movements to successfully gain muscle. To gain muscle, you must integrate isolation and polyarticular exercises into your training program that will work each muscle group. We will see some examples of basic exercises.
An ideal first exercise for gaining upper body mass is the bench press. This bodybuilding exercise allows you to work the pectorals, triceps and shoulders at the same time.
By performing this strength training exercise regularly with appropriate loads and following good technique, the user can benefit from a significant increase in strength and muscle mass.
Other bodybuilding exercises to build muscle in the upper part are pull-ups or dips to work in particular the pectorals as well as the triceps and shoulders. Pull-ups are particularly useful because they not only increase the strength but also the size of the back and biceps muscles.
Focus on body alignment during exercise to achieve the best possible result while avoiding injury.
Another essential bodybuilding exercise to do in your fitness sessions to gain mass is the deadlift.
This very comprehensive exercise recruits a wide variety of muscles: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, lumbar and trapezius. The deadlift is a very demanding movement that requires good technique, but can provide very satisfying results if performed correctly.
When the user manages to correctly lift the bar from the ground to the vertical position, he will simultaneously work all the muscles of the lower and upper part as well as the back and the trunk.
The squat is also a very good multi-joint strength training exercise for building muscle mass, as it works several large muscle groups, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and back muscles.
These bodybuilding and fitness exercises are only part of all those possible. For each exercise, you must adapt the number of series, the number of repetitions and the rest time between series according to your bodybuilding program and your loads. For optimal results, it is recommended to use heavy loads and increase the weight as you progress in bodybuilding. To find out more, ask a sports coach for advice.
Our advice and mistakes to avoid to gain mass
Gaining mass is above all gaining weight, it may be difficult to gain muscle only since your caloric intake increases in order to build muscle. The excess calories can then be stored as fat.
Here is a list of basic rules and tips for successfully gaining mass without gaining too much fat.
- Not maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
Balanced nutrition consisting of complex proteins and carbohydrates and healthy fats in each meal allows you to obtain the nutrients necessary for muscle growth without overloading the body with unnecessary calories.
Calorie intake should be increased gradually to allow the body to adapt to the changes. Don't forget to hydrate yourself and drink at least 2L of water per day.
- Do not take recovery time between your workouts.
During recovery, muscle fibers damaged by intense effort are rebuilt, your muscle gains volume during this process.
Most experts recommend a minimum of 48 hours of rest between each strength training session to give your muscles the rest time they need to grow and recover.
Additionally, if you're feeling tired or exhausted, take extra time to rest before your next workout. Sleep is also very important during recovery. Restful sleep is essential to repair muscle fibers.
- Not following a consistent, planned program.
In order to achieve your mass gain goals safely, your weight training sessions must include exercises and weights adapted to your level. Your eating routine should also be adapted to your personal goal.
- Being overtrained.
Doing too much strength training can hinder your progress and increase the risk of injury and damage to your joints.
For optimal mass gain, it is preferable to train for less time but more intensely, carrying loads (working with body weight is not enough) and with regularity.
It is important to alternate between isolation and multiple joint exercises to stretch and strengthen each muscle group.
- Do not seek advice from a doctor or qualified professional.
Seek help from a professional. Remember that gaining mass requires time and patience; Resist the temptation to shortcut steps or adopt techniques that do not guarantee a satisfactory or sustainable result in the long term.
In summary.
Mass gain is a very effective method for gaining weight and gaining muscle. It's important to consider nutrition and associated activity if you don't want to gain too much fat in place of muscle.
A bodybuilding program and a diet adapted to your mass gain goal are essential. You can supplement your nutrition with supplements like whey, BCAA, creatine to improve your results.
Ask a health, nutrition and sports professional for nutritional and sports advice to successfully gain weight.
To go further, after gaining mass, many people follow with a cutting period to lose weight and especially the fat that they may have gained during the mass gain.
This weight loss allows you to draw on the muscle mass gained during mass gain. However, you must adapt your diet and training during a period so as not to lose muscle during this weight loss.
