{"id":3843,"date":"2014-05-13T15:53:46","date_gmt":"2015-06-06T17:28:31","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-06-19T11:01:33","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T18:01:33","slug":"bulking-bulk-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/articles\/bulking-bulk-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Bulking Up The Top 10 Mistakes Bodybuilders Make When They Bulk Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

The off-season means it\u2019s time to start packing on serious mass, bulking up, and eating like crazy.\u00a0 Unfortunately, many bodybuilders make lots of mistakes in the bulk up stage that will end up costing them big-time when the summer comes back around.\u00a0 These bulking up mistakes could even make you lose lots of progress!\u00a0 Obviously you want to avoid being in this situation so make sure to avoid these top 10 bulking up mistakes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a bodybuilder, there\u2019s nothing I love more than increasing my cardio sessions, following a strict diet, and eating nothing but clean foods.\u00a0 Okay, that was all a huge lie and I think that cutting weight for competitions can be excruciating.\u00a0 And to be honest, every time I\u2019m cutting, I just can\u2019t wait to get back to the bulking season where I can increase my calories and put on mass.<\/p>\n

Of course, increasing calories and putting on mass doesn\u2019t mean pigging out and losing focus... As I\u2019ve learned the hard way!\u00a0 In fact, staying focused during the bulking season is just as important to a bodybuilder as cutting for competitions.\u00a0 With that in mind, let\u2019s look at 10 mistakes you need to avoid in order to continue your growth when adding mass.<\/p>\n

\"Bulking<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #1. Not eating clean food<\/strong><\/p>\n

The top mistake people make when adding mass is reaching for any food that\u2019s within an arm\u2019s length.\u00a0 They use bulking as an excuse to indulge in all of the desserts and fast food they avoided while competing and getting in-shape for the beach.\u00a0 After all, you\u2019re trying to add weight, so why not eat a little calorie-rich fast food in the off-season?\u00a0 It is true that you need to get plenty of extra calories during the bulking phase to add weight.\u00a0 However, you still need to be watching what you eat, and this means consuming lean meat and healthy fat sources rather than super-sized number 2 meals.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #2. Not eating enough... period<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want to grow, you have to eat.\u00a0 It\u2019s that simple.\u00a0 This being said, there are still bodybuilders who don\u2019t get enough food when they\u2019re trying to add mass \u2013 this is especially true of women who want to keep their contest form all year long.\u00a0 After dieting and getting a great physique, many people just don\u2019t want to put weight on because it also means adding fat.\u00a0 But you can\u2019t worry about fat during the off-season since this is the time when you need to be making major improvements.\u00a0 As long as you\u2019re eating enough clean healthy foods, you won\u2019t have to be so self-conscious about putting on a little fat.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #3. Skipping out on cardio<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cutting out cardio would make sense while adding mass since you don\u2019t want to burn too many calories.\u00a0 But the problem with not doing cardio during the bulking phase is that your appetite will go down as a result.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you should include at least three, 20 minute cardio sessions in your routine each week.\u00a0 Cardio sessions keep your appetite up and have you craving more of those clean, healthy foods.\u00a0 Besides having a positive effect on your appetite, cardio will also help you pound out those last few reps.\u00a0 Having a good cardiovascular system enables you to lift more without getting fatigued too quickly.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #4. Overdoing Cardio<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the same scale as not doing enough cardio when adding mass is overdoing cardio.\u00a0 This typically happens when bodybuilders continue their heavy cardio schedule into the off-season.\u00a0 The major problem with this is that it will be nearly impossible for you to add a significant amount of weight during the bulking phase.\u00a0 That being said, you should still stick to the aforementioned plan of doing at least three, 20 minute sessions of cardio a week (if not a little more).\u00a0 They key here is to strike a balance so you keep your appetite up without burning too many calories.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #5. Cutting out carbohydrates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most bodybuilders are smart enough to see past the fad diets, and know better than to cut carbs out.\u00a0 However, many people still don\u2019t get enough carbohydrates when trying to add mass.\u00a0 And this is a major mistake since carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy that can fuel your entire day.\u00a0 Going even further, carbohydrates can drive more glycogen into your muscles and aid in protein synthesis after a workout. \u00a0With everything that carbs can do for you during the bulking phase, it\u2019s very important to not skip out on them.\u00a0 Make sure to include plenty of carbohydrates in your breakfast to really add some fuel!<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #6. Not setting up clearly defined goals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every bodybuilder has their weak points and muscles they need to development more.\u00a0 Unfortunately, many athletes either avoid putting more work into these muscles or just aren\u2019t aware of the problem.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not aware of your weaker areas, then you should talk to judges at competitions and\/or ask fellow bodybuilding friends for help.\u00a0 On the other hand, if you\u2019re just avoiding these body parts because they\u2019re not your favorites, you should make it a primary goal to add more development to them.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #7. Mis-managing your meal times<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best way to setup an eating schedule is to spread out your meals every 2-3 hours so your muscles are getting enough protein throughout the day.\u00a0 This being said, there are still people who will skip meals and either try to make up for them by eating double the next time, or just not make up for it at all.\u00a0 In either case, your body will start going after the amino acids in the muscles when not fueled every 2-3 hours; overeating every 5-6 hours is not going to prevent this either.\u00a0 Since you can\u2019t expect to replace lost meals, you\u2019ll want to make sure to try and at least eat something every 3 hours to prevent muscle wasting.\u00a0 Even if you\u2019re not hungry, at least eat a snack to keep your body from feasting on the muscles.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #8. Overusing Machines<\/strong><\/p>\n

Machines are an excellent way to add some extra definition to your muscles at the end of a workout.\u00a0 However, machines should not be used as the primary means to add bulk since free weights are much better at accomplishing this.\u00a0 Free weights allow your muscles the maximum range of motion and recruit the most muscle fibers.\u00a0 The free weight movements you\u2019ll want to do include presses, deadlifts, squats, rows, and curls.\u00a0 Machine-based exercises are fine to do at the end of a workout, but make sure that you\u2019re not throwing them in right before the tough, compound movements.<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #9. Letting the scale dictate your diet<\/strong><\/p>\n

When your main goal is to add weight, putting on extra pounds can become addicting.\u00a0 It can become so addicting in fact that some people will weigh themselves every hour.\u00a0 When this becomes the case, you may snack and overeat throughout the day just to see the scale go up.\u00a0 And the major problem with this is that you will also put on a great deal of body fat too when you\u2019re eating just to add weight.\u00a0 After all, your body can only add so much muscle mass before the rest starts turning into fat.\u00a0 So instead of focusing solely on weight gain, you should be focusing on what your image looks like in the mirror.\u00a0 But make sure not to get carried away with checking yourself out!<\/p>\n

Bulking Up Mistake #10. Working out too frequently<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since bodybuilders love adding mass, they tend to overdo the training and don\u2019t give their muscles enough of a break in between workouts.\u00a0 When this happens, no amount of dieting, sleep, etc. will help your muscles recover.\u00a0 Muscles need time to fully heal in between sessions since they get broken down during workouts.\u00a0 Assuming you\u2019re workout out hard enough, a muscle group will need about 3 days to recover; possibly longer if the muscles are still sore.\u00a0 So always make sure to give your body adequate rest before hitting the gym again.<\/p>\n

Here's some interesting bulking polls you can check out on the EliteFitness.com forums.<\/p>\n

\"Bulk\"\"\u00a0 Poll: Your Favorite Bulking Up Ratios of Protein, Carbs, and Fat <\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Poll: Tren or Deca with Testosterone for bulking up?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Poll: What is your waist size when bulking up?<\/a><\/p>\n

And here are some discussion threads about bulking on the EliteFitness.com forums.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 When bulking up do you take in more protein or carbs?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Bulking! <\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Experts: Why separate bulking up and cutting up cycles?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Advice on bulking up phase<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Bulking Up Carb Question<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0 Bulking Supplements! What are the must haves to bulk up?<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The off-season means it\u2019s time to start packing on serious mass, bulking up, and eating like crazy.\u00a0 Unfortunately, many bodybuilders make lots of mistakes in the bulk up stage that will end up costing them big-time when the summer comes back around.\u00a0 These bulking up mistakes could even make you lose lots of progress!\u00a0 Obviously […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":42548,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":2,"sum_votes":3},"yoast_head":"\nBulking Up The Top 10 Mistakes Bodybuilders Make When They Bulk Up - 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