Above is a picture of Lee Priest, believe it or not it’s the same guy in both pictures, clearly Lee was an advocate for dirty bulking. Both clean and dirty bulking require a calorie surplus but the type of foods and the extent of the calorie surplus are much different.

Dirty bulking is where you eat a lot of calorie dense foods such as pizza, fries, burgers, hot dogs and ice cream in a desperate fight to gain muscle. Dirty bulking is often used by ectomorphs and hardgainers, although dirty bulking tends to add a lot more weight faster, the majority of it is fat. Most people who “dirty bulk” are only concerned with meeting their daily protein needs, they don’t care how much carbohydrate and fat they eat as long as they are in a calorie surplus and are getting enough protein.

Clean bulking is where the majority of your calories (+80%) come from clean foods such as whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats. Since clean foods are less calories dense, a clean bulk requires higher quantities of food and a higher meal frequency. Clean bulking takes time, you may only gain 1 or 2 pounds a month but you will gain minimal fat as opposed to dirty bulking. People who “clean bulk” carefully calculate the amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates they require on a daily basis.

Heres why you should clean bulk:

Vitamins & Minerals

A clean bulk emphasizes non-processed healthy foods over junk food. By eating lean meats, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and an array of vegetables, you ensure you are getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Most food consumed while on a dirty bulk are calorie dense and nutritionally scarce foods. A diet based on processed foods is low in minerals and vitamins. A multi vitamins isn’t magic either, getting vitamins and minerals through fruits and vegetable assures a higher absorption rate.

Heart Health

A clean bulk encourages the consumption of healthy unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, fish oil and fats from nut sources. Some studies have shown that these kinds of fats can actually lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintain HDL (good) cholesterol. Unsaturated fats also encourage heart health and promote healthy skin and hormone production.

A dirty bulk is naturally high in saturated fats, these kinds of fats are a major health risks. These foods also contain dietary cholesterol. Saturated fats cause high levels of blood cholesterol therefore increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke, saturated fat give fats a bad reputation. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of saturated fats you eat to less than 7 percent of total daily calories. Dirty bulks are also naturally high in trans fats, you can learn more about fats here.

Minimal Fat Gain

A clean bulk requires a you to count calories so that you are in no more than a 500 calorie surplus. Having a diet built on lean meat, complex carbohydrate and healthy fats will minimize any fat gain.

Dirty bulking however rarely accounts for calories, protein is usually the only concern. Some days you could be in a 1000, 500 or 1500 calorie surplus. Without counting calories you will never know and this usually results in a large weight gain over time.

Less Fat To Lose

When cutting season comes around, less time will be needed to lose fat. A clean bulk usually results in a 75% muscle gain and a 25% fat gain, a dirty bulk will result a 50% fat gain and a 50% muscle gain. The results will vary from person to person depending on genetics and activity levels. So when you need to look lean for the beach it will take a matter of weeks as opposed to months.

Dirty Bulking Adds Fat Cells Which You Can Never Lose

Your body can only store so much fat in its current fat cells, once they are full, the body creates new fat cells. You can still lose body fat, but it’s much harder to stay lean with the more fat cells you have. If you have been lean your whole life it’s easy to stay lean, if you were 300lb and you lose 120lb once your diet starts to slip you will start to gain fat quickly.

Won’t Screw Up Insulin Sensitivity

Clean bulks emphasize complex, whole grain carbohydrates which maintain stable blood sugar and insulin levels.

Dirty bulks however contain processed carbohydrates such as white bread, pizza dough and potato chips. These types of carbohydrates cause unstable blood sugar levels and regular spikes in insulin. Feeling lethargic and sleepy are not uncommon. Insulin sensitivity is reduced and you may be at risk or developing type II diabetes.

by extremebodyfit

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