Muscle Growth: 5 Ways to Bulk Up This Christmas

Want more muscle? Well, the holidays are nearly here and that means one thing: it’s time to bulk up! It’s not uncommon for people to let themselves go a little bit during the holiday season. A lot of us eat and drink more than we should and take a lot of naps. But there’s no reason why you can’t make your fitness goals a priority! 

We’re soon going to be getting into the holiday spirit and want to give you some tips on how to maximize your bulk this Xmas. Up for this? Then follow on for Muscle Growth: 5 Ways to Bulk Up This Christmas!

1. Eat Big for Muscle

This is a simple one, but it’s also the most important. To bulk up properly, you need to eat plenty of food. Just like at Christmas dinner, you’ll want to make sure your plate has a good balance of protein, carbs and fat. The more muscle mass you build, the more energy you’ll need from these macronutrients.

Be sure you get enough calories each day by eating plenty of good quality protein sources such as lean meat (chicken breast), eggs and fish. Carbohydrates should make up around half of your daily diet.

When snacking between meals, eating healthy always beats stuffing yourself full with junk food whenever possible! Try to keep an eye on what foods you’re consuming throughout the day so that there isn’t any extra junk sneaking its way into your diet.

2. Go Heavy

This is the most important component of your Christmas bulking program. While there are many ways to get big at the gym, including bodyweight and compound movements, nothing compares with nice, heavy sets of barbell squats or deadlifts.

When you’re eating in a calorie surplus this Christmas season (and when you’re not), heavy lifting is going to help make up for it. Lifting heavy is the best way to maximize your muscle-building efforts. Pick a weight that challenges your muscles so they can grow in response to this challenge. 

The best way to make progress on your bulk is by lifting 85% of your one rep max for most sets. This is known as progressive overload, and it’s an essential part of any muscle-building routine.

3. Don’t Shy Away from Rest Days

When you’re bulking, it might seem like every day will be a big day at the gym. While it’s all well and good to maintain a regular training routine while you bulk, having rest days is equally as important as nutrition and training. 

When you train, your body’s energy is diverted from repairing muscle damage to building more muscle. As a result, if you train too much in one session or too often within a week, then your body will not be able to repair itself properly, leading to injury or over training syndrome (OTS).

This is why you should never shy away from taking rest days in between your workouts. Make sure to listen to your body – if something feels wrong or if you feel burned out after a workout, take some time off and then focus on getting back into shape again.

4. Pack on Muscle Mass with Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are a great way to get some extra protein into your diet and can be made even more delicious with some simple additions. 

There are endless options when it comes to buying protein powder – you can make your own smoothies at home or buy pre-made versions at supermarkets and supplement shops near you. You’ll find many different brands online that offer discounts during the Christmas sales period!

5. Get Enough Sleep

Sure it’s cliche to say, but it’s essential you’re getting enough sleep during your bulk cycle. Sleep helps promote recovery, allowing your muscles to grow bigger and stronger. If you don’t get enough rest, your muscles won’t be able to repair themselves and your gains will suffer.

Sleep also plays an important role in hormone production – it helps regulate cortisol levels (which is possibly what causes a lot of people to retain water), as well as testosterone, insulin, growth hormone and more.

Once you have a good grasp of these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to bulk up quickly and effectively. The key is to stick with the plan, lift heavy and eat plenty of protein and rest. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be when you know what works!

Bulk up this festive season with stacking SARMs and combos that suit all performance levels. Keen to keep building muscle this Christmas? Which exercises help you pack on muscle quickest? Let us know in the comments below and on FacebookTwitter & Instagram!

Jennifer Dawson

Jennifer Dawson is an experienced freelance writer who specializes in food and nutrition. Working in fitness marketing previously gave her a good feel for the industry and since going freelance she has been able to explore her preferred topic areas such as diet types, nutrition and food. Outside of work, Jen enjoys traveling, swimming and spending time with her young family.

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