“You work hard, and what does life serve you? A shame sandwich with a side order of shit! Don’t be a don’ter be a do’er!” –Johnny Wu (Ken Jeong), Pain & Gain.
Recently I went through a rather extended period of bulking (18 months of attempted mass gain). It was towards the end of this period where I peaked at 106kgs (233 pounds) and around 14% body fat.
The fact that I had never been at this weight before and that my body fat was at a much higher level than I was comfortable with meant I was feeling pretty terrible most of the time. I didn’t feel like doing much and all it seemed like I did was eat, train and prepare meals!
I thought I would write this post as I have just recently started cutting down and the changes I have felt are amazing. So here it is the top 10 reasons you and I should get ripped!
1) Energy Levels
When you first start bulking it feels great. You have all these new nutrients in your body, you have energy to burn and you start to feel strongerthan ever! Then somewhere along the way as you try and get your calories in and ensure you don’t go catabolic your body fat starts to rise.. So your weight is going up and you are eating a sH*& load of food including those energy sapping carbs which turn you into a lethargic, sad soft man (or maybe even woman)!
On the flip side when you start cutting your body fat down and adjusting your calories to put yourself in a deficit to burn fat things start to look a little brighter! Less carbs means less energy being sucked into your digestive system and less of an insulin response to your meals. As a matter of fact I think I am getter more energetic as we speak. Must be this green tea..
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2) Aesthetics
Lets face it. No one wants to go to the beach if they aren’t feeling like they are in good shape. You look better and feel more alpha when you are ripped end of story.
I have also noticed an increase in training intensity since my latest cutting phase as I start to see my body lean out. I am hoping this will maybe even translate into some sneaky gains!
3) Bank Balance
Bulking is hard work and lets face it you have to spend a sh%$ load of money on food to get it done. You aren’t going to see results just by drinking protein shakes or taking the latest BCAA caps.
Now don’t get me wrong you need to eat plenty of good quality whole foods when you are cutting to but the shear volume of food is less and can save you a fair amount of cash if you do it right.
4) Your Love Life
Whether you are single or in a relationship give just about any lady the choice and she will take the shredded you at 5% bf any day of the week over the not so hard, bloated you that only has the outline of your once present six pack.
5) Your Wardrobe
The shirts don’t fit! The jeans are too tight! These are common problems during the bulking phase and make you sound like a little B(*&^.
It is science, not all of those gains are going to fit in those jeans. This is also a poor time to invest in new clothes as as soon as you start cutting you will look like you are wearing your big brothers hand me downs..
6) Your Mother
Your mum although she loves you isn’t likely to want to see you become some sort of MASS MONSTER! And as your body fat rises the chances that your mum will squeeze your cheeks and say “That’s my chubby cheek boy” also increases…
7) Your Heart
Well you don’t have to have a degree in medicine to realise that the bigger you are the more work your heart has to do. It is also a fact that increased body fat (especially around your waist) puts you at an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. So put the burger down. Do it.
8) Your Job
The fact that you have more energy and will result in an increased productivity at work and the new leaner you will probably make a better impression on your boss and give you a chance at moving your career in the right direction.
9) Those gains
As your body fat % lowers and your weight gets closer to your lean body mass it has been shown that your body’s testosterone levels increase. When you stop shredding and go ahead with a lean bulk or maintenance phase you are much more likely to get some extra gains that you would have missed out on if you weren’t as lean.
10) It’s the Circle of Life
No, not the lion king. It is the circle of bodybuilding life though. If you don’t shred at some stage you go in to the dangerous world of the permabulk and instead of being mistaken for a bodybuilder you may get mistaken for Kevin Smith…
So that is my top 10, are there any you think should be included? Leave a comment and let me know below.
*This post originally appeared on RickJamesFitness.com
Ryan is a former college wrestler and fitness fanatic who specializes in supplements for building muscle. He has written for online publications like TheAthleticBuild.com and FitnessTopFives. He is also an expert lawn mower and has been known to slay apple pie with little regard for his own safety. Hit him up on Linkedin below so he feels the love.