Why do so many people talk about bulking and cutting?

So, you're wondering what bulking and cutting is, or maybe why people do it. Well, you've come to the right place. Bulking and cutting is a method gym-goers use in order to build muscle while still managing to stay relatively lean. In the "bulk" phase, you eat a bit more than your maintenance calories(for more information on maintenance calories, click here), causing you to gain some weight. If you're doing it properly and hitting the gym at the same time, a lot of this weight will be muscle, but you won't be able to keep some fat from forming. After your bulk, it's common for people to go into the "cutting" phase, where you will eat below your maintenance calories, causing you to lose that fat. If you're doing it properly, you will manage to lose a lot of the fat, while retaining most of the muscle gained during the bulk phase.

Let's dive a little more into each phase.

Bulking

Alright, we got the basics down, but lets go further into it. There are different styles of bulking, mostly coming down to a "clean" bulk, and a "dirty" bulk. In a clean bulk, you're typically consuming just a little more(typically 300-500 calories) than your maintenance, and almost only gaining muscle. In a dirty bulk, you're basically just eating about everything you can find, sometimes not even worrying about tracking calories, and putting on a lot of muscle, yes, but just as much fat. There's a lot of discourse about which method is better, but it all depends on your particular goals.

Cutting

Cutting is similar to bulking, in that there are multiple ways to go about it. Typically, it's recommended to eat in a slight calorie deficit(300-500 calories), slowly shedding that fat, keeping the majority of the muscle. Some choose to go the more aggressive route, eating way less than their maintenance, losing the fat more quickly, but it's much harder to keep the strength and muscle you gained in that bulk phase.

Is it necessary?

Now I know you're probably tired of me saying this, but once again, it all depends on your goals. If you choose to go the bodybuilder route, then bulking and cutting is an essential tool to reach your ideal physique. It takes patience, and a lot of time, but it will get you where you want to be. If you simply want to remain active and healthy, not really caring about building the crazy physique of a body builder, then it's not necessary. You can eat around your maintenance calories, hit the gym, and you will see progress in strength, albeit a bit more slowly.

Progress in any health and fitness journey will be slow, there's no way of getting around that. This is a commitment you have to stick to for years. Consistency is key. If you only show up once a week, then you won't see the results you want. Stick to it, remember your goals, and you can become the person you want to be. It isn't easy, but it is simple.

Full disclosure, "It isn't easy, but it is simple," is a phrase typically said by @HigherUpWellness on tiktok. I suggest watching his content for even more tips and great insights, and I absolutely love the phrase.