WHAT IS A DIRTY BULK?

Have you ever encountered somebody that can eat whatever they want, eat a lot, and somehow manage to stay super skinny? Those people need to learn how to dirty bulk. It’s not a tactic that I would say is for everybody, but there is a method to the madness!

What is a dirty bulk?

A dirty bulk is simply eating anything, often junk food, to get your calories up. People who eat ice cream, pop tarts, drink soda, etc., all for the calories in hopes that it will help them gain weight are essentially dirty bulking. The two “phases” of dieting that people follow are “cutting” where they eat in a caloric deficit to lose weight and “bulking” where they eat in a caloric surplus to gain weight. A “dirty bulk” is simply utilizing junk food to help make sure that you are in a caloric surplus. If you eat a lot and the scale isn’t reflecting weight gain…then you’re not eating enough. It’s as simple as that and some “dirty” foods might be needed to guarantee that caloric surplus so that you see it on the scale.

What is an example of dirty bulking?

This is a way that also allows you to enjoy junk food as part of achieving your goals. This is a way to eat a lot of calorically dense foods so you can achieve a high caloric total without having to eat as much volume of food. An example of smart dirty bulking would be increasing your whole milk consumption and adding 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter with meals. Whole milk is very calorically dense, has plenty of protein, and a good macronutrient ratio. Peanut butter tastes great alongside a glass of milk and is very calorically dense due to its high fat content. There are a lot of dirty bulking tips that I can cover in the future, but this is just one example of how you can easily increase your protein and calorie content on the day to help you gain weight.

What are the downsides of dirty bulking?

Anytime you eat a lot of less than nutritious foods you can open yourself up to health issues. Eating a lot of junk can lead to blood sugar issues, cholesterol issues, and unwanted fat gain. If you’re just eating a lot of whatever you want then you’re going to have a bad time. At the very least you’ll have digestive issues. Check this out though…there is a way to “dirty bulk” that you can avoid the negatives.

How would I do it?

Pick and choose the foods that you will add to your otherwise healthy diet. I mentioned increasing whole milk consumption. If you can digest whole milk then this is a great way to increase your protein and calories to help you grow. I mentioned peanut butter or almond butter as they will both increase your fat intake. You can also drink liquid carbs from rice milk or even Gatorade, etc., to help boost your carb intake without having to shovel down a ton of rice or something. You’re using junk foods to hit goals…not just eating junk. Pop Tarts are easy foods to eat that pack a punch when it comes to calories. Eating them alongside a protein shake post workout is not a bad plan. Using them as fuel pre-workout is also not a bad idea.

The key point here is this: you should eat a balanced and nutritious diet then use calorically dense “junk” foods to reach macronutrient and calorie goals. You shouldn’t just eat junk and claim you’re dirty bulking. You’re just binge eating junk food, hurting your health, and not in much of a better position to make progress. You should be selective with the junk food that you choose and it should fit a goal. Eating a lot of pop tarts for calories to grow is silly…eating 2 pop tarts per day to hit your carbohydrate goal is good to go. Eating fast food for every meal will probably give you heart problems, having it a few times a week for the calorie surge is not a bad thing! So just make sure that you have a reason behind the junk and you’re not just simply eating bullshit just because.

It all comes down to having a plan. Junk can be part of the plan and you’ll make progress. If your entire plan is to just eat as much junk food as possible then you’re going to have a hard time. So, yes dirty bulking has a place in your arsenal of dieting tools…and now you understand that it’s not simply about eating junk food, but incorporate calorically dense and easy to eat junk foods to hit your calorie and/or macronutrient goals!