Grow That Muscle: Build A Quality Body

GTM

  • Bodybuilding
  • Exercises
    • Arm Workouts
    • Back Workouts
    • Chest Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
  • Online Training
  • Custom Workout Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
  • Store
    • Bands
    • Myo Ball

The Big Lie Of Bulking

December 29, 2020

Man On The Dreamer Bulk

Swole, Jacked, Buff…Or FAT?

“You sure you need that fourteenth piece of pizza bro?”

“Dude – I’m BULKING!”

How many times have you heard the concept of having to bulk first, and then cut in order to look good?

On paper it makes sense – you eat big, lift big, get big. You become a raw powerhouse during the bulking phase and shed the fat during your cut.

The reality?

Most dudes end up looking like the Michelin Man during their “bulking phase”.

Don’t go on that perma-bulk

Look, I’m not making this up. You look around the internet and you’ll see plenty of guys bragging about their “dirty bulk” and how they’ll “get shredded in summer” (which they never do).

I’m also not telling you this acting like I’ve never done it. I’ve been there myself multiple times.

I first used this method to bulk up from being 6’3 160 lbs to 206 lbs in about a years time.

The problem was that I turned into a chubby marshmallow, not the Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalike I was hoping for.

My diet consisted of endless amounts of pizza, Mcdonald’s dollar menu items, and pretty much any other high calorie food you could imagine.

You Need To Stop Chasing Numbers On The Scale…

Literally all I cared about was if that number on the scale was going up. As long as I weighed more than I did last time I was happy.

Weight means absolutely nothing. Pictured below is me at 210 lbs on the Michelin Man diet, compared to me at around 190 lbs on the “I want to look good” diet.

See the difference? I ACTUALLY thought I looked good and was getting “jacked” in the left picture. Even though I was nearly 20 lbs lighter in the right picture I looked way better. My arms and legs even measured bigger.

This is proof of just how deceiving the scale can be.

If you want to look good, the answer is not just shoving whatever shitty food you can down your throat, and justifying it with the excuse of “bulking“.

And that’s exactly what it is. An excuse.

It’s an excuse to be lazy. An excuse to eat like shit. An excuse to look like shit.

It’s easy to believe that eating another piece of pizza is actually healthy for you when you’re buying into the bulking lie.

Let The Mirror Do The Talking…

If you celebrate when looking at your gains on the scale, but feel like shit when you look in the mirror you’ve got a problem.

The mirror doesn’t lie. The scale does.

Don’t forget why you are working out in the first place. I bet it’s one of two reasons.

Be healthy. Look awesome.

Eating garbage food with zero regard for your health accomplishes neither of these goals, yet for some reason it’s the go-to strategy for younger guys looking to gain muscle.

Ok, So How Do I Bulk Properly Then?

“Easton, you’re sitting here making me feel bad for eating all of this pizza, but what do you propose is the right way to bulk then?”

Want the simple answer?

Eat real food. Lots of it.

Food like eggs, steak, beef, chicken, fish, rice, vegetables…

You know this already. It’s not a secret. There really are no secrets in the bodybuilding world.

You more than likely understand the basics of diet and you don’t need me to break down the importance of protein, carbs, fats, etc…

You need to get honest and just start eating real food.

Does it come prepackaged? Is it loaded with sugar? Do you order it through a drive through? Does it come in a square box covered in cheese and pepperoni?

NOT real food.

I’ll be honest – you can also get fat eating these foods. It’s a LOT harder to do it though.

You’ve probably heard of the dieting concept of “If It Fits Your Macros”.

If not, the kindergarten explanation is that your body requires a certain number of calories and macronutrients in order to sustain itself.

If you go over on calories, you gain weight. If you’re under, you lose weight. You build or lose muscle depending on your macronutrient intake.

This means that you can eat pretty much whatever you want (so long as it fits your daily limits) and still reach your fitness goals.

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal right?

It is. If you have insane discipline and incredibly strong willpower.

If you’re able to eat every single meal, counting every single calorie and macronutrient then it works.

The problem is that, again, it becomes an excuse to eat junk and be lazy.

I focus on living my life and enjoying it – not spending so much of my precious time counting calories.

Let me be crystal clear on that. I enjoy life. I recommend you do the same.

I’m not saying to never again eat these foods. Just don’t shovel them down your throat while lying to yourself about the reality.

When you’re eating real, whole foods it’s very easy to reach your appropriate macronutrient goals without overeating and getting fat.

The other thing is that real food doesn’t have to be boring. There are so many ways to cook healthy, real food that will get you jacked.

You want to get big? Eat lots of real food, cut out the garbage, cut out the sugar, get in the gym, and watch the MIRROR – not the scale.

It really is just common sense but with all of the “bro-science” on the internet, it’s easy to fall prey to the bullshit.

It’s your choice, you can join in on the Internet “look how much I weigh” circle jerk, get fat, and destroy your health…

Or you can eat real food and look great. I think I know which one you’ll pick! 😉

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Nutrition

Train Intensely With Banded Bench Press

June 3, 2020

Increase your power and velocity now with banded bench press for greater chest gains.

We all know how to make an exercise more difficult: add weight to the bar. But what if we cut the weight in half and added resistance bands? What you get is an exercise that puts constant tension on your muscles (growth!) and challenges your central nervous system (CNS).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Chest Workouts, Exercises Tagged With: bench press, resistance band

Why Your Ab Workouts Are Too Easy

May 26, 2020

If you’ve been doing every ab exercise known to man and still don’t have a 6 pack, I’ve written this article for you. If your ab workouts are too easy, keep reading…

A lot of us start working out to see results, which includes getting a six pack. Counting our macros, running around the block fifty times and saying no to donuts are all things you’ve had to do to get that six pack you’re after.

But what if after all this time, your ab workouts are getting easier and easier? After a while it may just seem like cardio to you.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Exercises, Bodybuilding Tagged With: ab workouts

Foam Roller Guide To Rolling Your Back

April 15, 2020

Massaging sore muscles has been a thing forever, then came myofascial release. Foam rollers have become an essential tool in fascia release, aiding in recovery and blood circulation. Foam rolling may also relieve your back pain if you do it right.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding Tagged With: foam roller, foam roller lower back pain

Feeder Leg Workout: 20 Rep Squats

April 12, 2020

Eddie Hall squatting 700lbs

In the context of the gym, suffering through a workout means growth. If you really want to reach that next level, you’re going to have to push yourself. There’s no way around it, it’s a fact of training. 20 rep squats are the answer if you want tree trunk size legs.

You’ve heard of Feeder workouts for chest, but have you heard of Feeder workouts for legs? Probably not and there’s a reason why.

It’s really fucking hard.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Leg Workouts, Bodybuilding, Exercises Tagged With: 20 rep squats, squats for leg growth

Best Stretches For Your Chest Workout

January 30, 2020

Stretching before working out has proven performance results and that’s something you should do before working out. Stretching your chest has proven performance benefits, and you’re only missing out….

…..but most people don’t warm up and jump right in. Injury prevention should be #1 when you’re lifting. Since if you injure yourself, you can’t lift. Seems pretty straight forward.

In this article I’m going to go over stretches that are best performed before your chest workout to get the best out of it.

What’s Involved With Chest Pressing?

Let’s break the topic down, which will then funnel into the individual stretches.

During chest pressing movements (eg bench press, dumbbell etc press), several muscles are used simultaneously, namely your pectorals (chest, duh), triceps, and deltoids (shoulders).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding Tagged With: bench press injury, best chest stretches, chest stretches, chest workout stretches, pain when benching, resistance band pull apart, resistance band pull apart chest

Basketball-sized Shoulders: Here’s how to get ’em

October 13, 2019

So, you want boulder shoulders huh? You press, you flail, you lateral raise and still nothing. “Where’s my shoulders??” you scream. You want bigger, boulder shoulders? This is your guide to bigger and wider shoulders with the best shoulder workouts. Keep reading.

Let’s take it back to basics.

Your shoulder is comprised of 3 “heads”. Just like your triceps have three, and biceps two, you shoulder has three different heads. There’s the front delt (used in many pressing movements), side or lateral delt (used in lateral raises) and the rear delt (used in many back exercises).

Shoulder muscle anatomy
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding, Arm Workouts Tagged With: basketball shoulders, best shoulder workouts, boulder shoulders

Effective Workouts for Seniors and Older Adults

May 14, 2019

Age is just a number, isn’t it? As you age, your joints and muscles become more brittle and more prone to injury. What’s the best course of action? Exercise of course! Workouts for seniors and aging adults are important to help you lubricate your joints and help with joint-related pain.

As you age, cartilage naturally deteriorates. Bone mass also decreases, increasing the risk of breakage. It’s a natural process of life that happens to all adults as they age. Muscle mass decreases which also results in reduced strength.

In this article I’ll go over the common issues you’ll have as you age and the best workouts to help improve mobility and overall strength. Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you have to feel like it either!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Exercises Tagged With: workouts for older adults, workouts for seniors

Best Bodybuilding Books You’re Missing Out On

February 17, 2019

It’s 2020 and not many people read books, nevermind books about bodybuilding. There’s so much information out there that people don’t take advantage of. There’s a million Bodybuilding.com articles about chest exercises, but how many books have they published? If you’re not reading books, you’re missing out on golden era information. Solidified pillars of information about bodybuilding have stood the test of time.

News Flash! Human musculature hasn’t changed in the last 50 years, so fortunately bicep curls still work your biceps. You don’t need the latest workouts from Mens Health magazines. Back workouts haven’t changed much, just pick up some heavy weight and row it.

Today I’m going to go over the best bodybuilding books money can buy right now so YOU can benefit the most and build a quality body.

The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised

Okay, if you haven’t heard of this book then you must have been living underneath a rock.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bodybuilding Tagged With: best bodybuilding books, bodybuilding books

Cannabis And Bodybuilding: What You Need To Know

January 29, 2019

With many states and provinces legalizing the consumption of cannabis (marijuana), the rise of use among bodybuilders and casual gym goers is increasing. There’s less social stigma around use because of research showing positive benefits of cannabis use.

Certain extracts of the plant, such as CBD oil, helps treat chronic pain, lowers chronic pain and can allow you to sleep much easier.

We all remember that scene in Pumping Iron where Arnold Schwarzenegger is smoking a joint and eating fried chicken.

Arnold Schwarzenegger smoking a marijuana joint in Pumping Iron
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Supplements Tagged With: cannabis bodybuilding, marijuana bodybuilding, testosterone weightlifting

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next Page »
Easton

Hi, I’m Easton. I’m a former fat guy turned fit, personal trainer. It wasn’t easy and it was an uphill struggle every day. I’m here to show you the best way to build muscle and efficiently grow your body.
Read More

Top Posts & Pages

  • Why I Put Salt in My Preworkout and Why You Should Too
    Why I Put Salt in My Preworkout and Why You Should Too
  • Yates Row: How To Grow A Wider Back
    Yates Row: How To Grow A Wider Back
  • The Truth About Rich Piana's Feeder Workouts
    The Truth About Rich Piana's Feeder Workouts
  • How To Make Your Own Pre-Workout
    How To Make Your Own Pre-Workout
  • The Ultimate Bodybuilder's Guide to Fast Food [2020 Edition]
    The Ultimate Bodybuilder's Guide to Fast Food [2020 Edition]
  • The Best Damn Feeder Workouts for Chest
    The Best Damn Feeder Workouts for Chest

Random Product

Shop

GrowThatMuscle.com does not provide medical advice, treatment or diagnosis. Copyright 2020 GrowThatMuscle.com | All Rights Reserved · Log in