Eating more food is essential to gaining muscle mass, also known as bulking. Meal prepping can help if you find putting together meals difficult or you just don’t like to eat a lot of food in one sitting.
If you’re in a muscle gain phase, a bulking meal prep primes you for achieving your fitness goals. Just for you, we’ve outlined the bulking meal prep blueprint for maximum muscle gains. Let’s get into it.
What is bulking?
Bulking is a bodybuilding or fitness phase where a person intentionally consumes more calories than they burn to gain muscle mass. The goal is to increase weight, typically focusing on gaining muscle and minimal fat. While bulking, people also prioritize lifting heavier weights and following a progressive resistance training program to foster muscle gains.
How to figure out your calorie and macros for bulking
Determining your calories
To know how many calories you’ll eat daily during a bulking phase, the first thing to do is find your maintenance calories. To do this, you can use an online calorie calculator. Just google “calorie calculator” and select one of the options.
A calorie calculator requires input of information such as age, weight, height, and activity level. This information helps the tool appropriately estimate how many calories one should eat to maintain weight.
When you learn your maintenance calories, you can add more calories to be in a surplus (500 is ideal). That’s how you know how many calories you should eat while bulking.
Determining your macros
Your macronutrient intake will likely determine your body composition. Protein is the most important macronutrient in muscle gain, so you want to make sure you’re eating enough.
A paper published in Nutrients Journal said that 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is the ideal protein intake range for maximizing muscle growth.
Carbohydrates could make up 25-30 % of your total food intake, and the same would work for fats. Fats, however, are the most calorie-dense macronutrient. If eating a lot of food is difficult, you can prioritize fats over carbs. Still, carbs are important because they provide fuel for your workouts. The idea is to adjust fat and carb intake based on your current needs and what works for you.
What are the benefits of meal prepping?
Meal prepping, especially while bulking, offers several benefits that can help you stay on track with your nutrition and fitness goals. Here are some of them:
Consistent caloric and macronutrient intake
When bulking, you must consistently eat a calorie surplus. Meal prepping allows you to accurately measure your food to hit your calorie and macronutrient targets. Pre-planned meals also prevent you from accidentally falling short on calories or going overboard, which can lead to unnecessary fat gain.
Time efficiency
Meal prepping saves time during the week by reducing the need to cook multiple times in one day. You can prepare meals in bulk once or twice a week or once a day, freeing up time to focus on other activities.
Cost-effectiveness
Buying ingredients in bulk and cooking at home is usually healthier and more affordable than eating out frequently. Meal prepping can help you avoid impulse purchases or fast food, which might be less nutritious and expensive. If you are prepping meals, you can also budget your meals and control your grocery shopping.
How often should you meal prep?
How often you should meal prep depends on what works best for your schedule and your taste. If you value eating fresh food, you can meal prep every day. It still saves time because you don’t have to cook before each meal.
It’s more popular to meal prep weekly or twice a week. This works better if you have a busier schedule and can hardly cook daily.
Clean vs dirty bulk when meal-prepping
Typically, a “clean” bulk prioritizes whole, nutrient-dense foods. A dirty bulk, on the other hand, also involves processed, less nutritious, and calorie-dense foods. During dirty bulking, people simply try to ingest enough calories without much regard for where the calories come from.
A clean bulk is healthier, but it may also be more difficult. You likely have to cook more and pay more attention to your food sources. A dirty bulk is appealing because it allows you to eat from different sources and does not require stringent meal prepping.
However, if you want to minimize fat gain and ensure good health, especially in the long run, whole, nutrient-dense foods are the best bulking foods.
Tips for making meal prepping easy
Plan your meals ahead of time
Sit down at the start of each week and map out your meals. This can help you organize your grocery list, ensuring you buy exactly what you need without waste.
Invest in quality containers
High-quality containers keep food fresher longer and make portioning meals easier. Look for BPA-free, airtight containers with compartments for separating ingredients.
Cook in bulk
Prepare large portions of proteins, grains, and vegetables in advance. For example, grilling several chicken breasts or baking multiple sweet potatoes will give you enough food for several meals, saving time in the kitchen.
Use simple recipes
Stick to recipes with few ingredients that can be customized easily. A base of rice, chicken, and vegetables can be seasoned differently or combined with sauces to keep things interesting without adding complexity.
Frequently asked questions
How long do prepped meals last?
When stored properly, prepped meals typically last three to five days in the refrigerator. To extend shelf life, you can freeze meals, which will keep for up to three months.
Is three meals good for bulking?
Three meals can work for bulking, but you may need to add snacks or shakes between meals to hit your calorie and macro goals. The key is ensuring you meet your total daily intake, whether through three meals or more frequent eating.
Should you eat every two hours for bulking?
Eating every two hours isn’t necessary for bulking, but frequent meals or snacks can help some people hit their calorie surplus without feeling overly full. Choose a meal frequency that feels comfortable and sustainable for you.
