Essay About Bulking Gains And Muscle Mass

Bulking In Weight Training
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It seems that whenever someone writes an article about bulking (a diet program
geared towards gaining muscle mass), it is directed either to ectomorphs or mesomorphs,
but completely ignores endomorphs. Why does this matter? Because the common
strategies for gaining muscle mass written for ectomorphs or mesomorphs are not optimal
for endomorphs. This is due to physiological and metabolic differences between these
three phenotypes.
The simplistic distinction between the three different phenotypes when it comes to
body composition changes is:
Ð* EctomorphЖnaturally skinny and has a hard time gaining weight (both muscle
and fat).
Ð* MesomorphЖnaturally built and has the tendency to gain weight easy but can
also lose weight fairly easy.
Ð* EndomorphЖnaturally heavy and has an easy time gaining weight (more so fat
than muscle) and a hard time losing it.
If an endomorph was to follow the same “hardgainer” diet that is prescribed to an
ectomorph they would definitely gain weight, but it would be a lot of fat. Endomorphs
need to find a dietary balance that allows them to gain strength and lean mass without
adding a ton of fat.
I would also like to state that I do not like the term “bulking” diet. Some
bodybuilders feel that they need to eat everything in sight to gain weight while bulking. I
do not agree with that approach. Instead, I prefer to call a diet geared towards gaining
muscle a “lean mass” diet. Ones body weight can be divided into two basic groups, fat
mass and lean mass. Fat mass includes ones body fat stores (adipose tissue) while lean
mass includes skeletal muscle, bone, and other organs.
When a bodybuilder eats a hypercaloric diet, their goal is not just to gain weight,
which could be both fat and lean mass, but rather to gain LEAN MASS. The strategies
outlined in this book will help endomorphs gain lean mass, not fat mass.
I want to note that throughout this book when I talk about endomorphs I am
referring to a persons natural phenotype and genetic make-up, not someone who is
overweight or obese simply due to years of a sedentary lifestyle and overeating. This
book will discuss the physiological and metabolic causes underlying why some people
gain fat easier than others and key dietary and exercise strategies endomorphs can
incorporate to keep their bulking gains LEAN.
The term phenotype is defined as “The observable physical or biochemical
characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental
influences.” (dictionary.com). Ones body type/structure can be placed in three
phenotypes:
Ð* EctomorphЖNaturally skinny, narrow bone structure, has a hard time gaining
weight
Ð* MesomorphЖNaturally built, broad shoulders, can gain or lose weight relatively
equally
Ð* EndomorphЖNaturally heavy, wide bone structure, gains weight easily
There is a clear visible physical distinction between the three phenotypes, but what is not
visible and often ignored is the biochemical and metabolic differences between the three
phenotypes.
Im sure everyone has a friend that seems to have the ability to eat endless
amounts of junk food and never gain an ounce of fat. On the other hand, you may feel
like you gain fat just from smelling cake or pizza. Why is your friend able to pig out and
not add weight while you gain weight so easily? It all comes down to the biochemical
make-up of your body.
Ones biochemical make-up refers to the cumulative sum of all of its metabolic
processes. Examples of such processes in reference to gaining fat include:
Ð* LipolysisЖThe release of fat in the form of fatty acids from adipose tissue (fat
cells).
Ð* LipogenesisЖThe storage of fatty acids and accumulation of fat in adipose tissue.
Ð* De Novo LipogenesisЖThe formation of fat from non-fat sources, specifically
acetyl CoA (i.e. carbohydrates).
Ð* Fat OxidationЖThe burning of fatty acids to obtain energy.
These four processes are all involved in regulating fat loss and gaining fat and are
controlled by a host of other processes, which all work together to maintain a balance of
homeostasis.
In order to create a diet that allows an endomorph to gain lean mass while keeping
fat gains to a minimum, one must understand the principle metabolic reasons that cause
endomorphs to gain fat: insulin sensitivity and nutrient partitioning.
In order for a cell to acquire nutrients to use in energy