When aiming to improve body composition, two strategies dominate the conversation: bulking and body recomposition (recomping). Understanding the physiological mechanisms, advantages, drawbacks, and practical considerations of each approach is essential for selecting the method that aligns with your goals, training experience, and lifestyle.
This article explores the science-backed principles behind bulking and recomping, helping you determine which is best for optimizing your physique.
What is Bulking?
Definition and Goal
Bulking refers to a phase where the primary goal is to gain muscle mass. It involves consuming a caloric surplus, which provides the energy necessary for muscle growth and recovery. The surplus also often leads to some fat gain, which is generally accepted as part of the trade-off.
How Bulking Works
Bulking leverages the anabolic environment created by excess calories and resistance training. Energy surplus enhances muscle protein synthesis (MPS), provided training volume and intensity are sufficient. This process is mediated by mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, a central pathway in muscle hypertrophy (Baar & Esser, 1999).
Types of Bulking
There are two primary approaches: clean bulking and dirty bulking. Clean bulking involves a controlled surplus (typically 250–500 kcal/day), emphasizing nutrient-dense foods to minimize fat gain. Dirty bulking, by contrast, involves a larger, less regulated surplus and often includes high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, resulting in faster weight gain and typically more fat accumulation (Slater & Phillips, 2011).
What is Recomping?
Definition and Goal
Body recomposition is the process of simultaneously building muscle and losing fat. Unlike bulking, recomping requires a nuanced approach to nutrition and training, often involving a maintenance or slight deficit in caloric intake.
How Recomping Works
Recomping depends on nutrient timing, high protein intake, and resistance training. The body utilizes fat stores to support energy needs while protein supports muscle repair and growth. This dual effect is most efficient in beginners, detrained individuals, or those returning from a break, due to heightened sensitivity to training stimuli (Stokes et al., 2015).
Population Suitability
Recomping is especially effective for:
- Novices (due to neural adaptations and rapid muscle response)
- Overweight individuals (who have energy reserves to support muscle growth)
- Those returning after a training layoff (muscle memory enhances gains)
Comparing Muscle Gain Rates
Studies indicate that under optimal bulking conditions, trained individuals can gain approximately 0.25 to 0.5 pounds of muscle per week (Phillips & Winett, 2010). Conversely, recomping yields slower gains, often in the range of 0.1 to 0.25 pounds per week depending on the training level and diet adherence (Longland et al., 2016).
For example, a 2016 study by Longland et al. showed that even in a 40% caloric deficit, subjects were able to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously with high protein intake (~2.4g/kg) and intense resistance training. While effective, this process is generally slower than bulking when the aim is pure muscle growth.
Comparing Fat Gain and Loss
Bulking typically involves some fat gain as a side effect of a calorie surplus. In clean bulks, this is minimized to 0.5–1 pound per month, but in dirty bulks, it can exceed 2 pounds per month (Slater & Phillips, 2011). Recomping, on the other hand, seeks to reduce fat mass or at least maintain it while building lean mass, especially when energy balance is managed tightly.
A 2018 review by Helms et al. emphasized that trained athletes can maintain or even reduce fat mass while increasing lean body mass with high protein intakes (>2.3 g/kg) during a caloric deficit, reinforcing the viability of recomping for advanced lifters.
Nutritional Considerations
Protein Intake
Protein is paramount in both strategies, but especially critical in recomping. The recommended intake is:
- Bulking: 1.6–2.2 g/kg of body weight (Morton et al., 2018)
- Recomping: 2.3–3.1 g/kg of lean body mass (Helms et al., 2018)
Higher protein supports MPS and preserves muscle during a deficit. For recomping, distributing protein evenly across meals (every 3–4 hours) is also important for maximizing MPS.
Caloric Balance
- Bulking: Caloric surplus of ~250–500 kcal/day
- Recomping: Maintenance or slight deficit (~250 kcal/day)
Caloric balance is the biggest differentiator. Recomping requires precision and adjustment, often needing tracking tools like MyFitnessPal to ensure accuracy.
Nutrient Timing
Nutrient timing plays a more critical role in recomping. Consuming protein and carbs around workouts can support performance and recovery (Ivy & Portman, 2004). In bulking, while timing is less critical, post-workout nutrition still supports optimal recovery and glycogen replenishment.
Training Variables
Training protocols differ slightly between strategies but both rely on progressive overload and resistance training volume.
Volume and Intensity
- Bulking: Emphasize hypertrophy rep ranges (6–12 reps), 10–20 sets per muscle per week
- Recomping: Similar rep ranges but may require slightly higher frequency to stimulate MPS more often without a caloric surplus
Beginners often respond well to full-body training 3x per week. Advanced athletes may benefit from split routines with higher total weekly volume.
Cardio
Cardio is more prevalent in recomping to support fat loss. Moderate-intensity steady-state (MISS) or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be integrated without impairing muscle growth if properly dosed (Wilson et al., 2012).
Psychological and Practical Considerations
Bulking
Pros:
- Faster muscle growth
- Simpler to execute nutritionally
Cons:
- Fat gain is inevitable
- May lead to poor body image or discomfort during fat gain phases
Recomping
Pros:
- Improved aesthetics year-round
- Simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain
Cons:
- Slower progress
- Requires meticulous tracking and discipline
Recomping also demands a higher level of psychological resilience due to slower visible changes, whereas bulking provides faster reinforcement through measurable size gains.
Which Strategy is Right for You?
Beginners
Recomping is ideal. New lifters have the greatest capacity for simultaneous muscle growth and fat loss due to high responsiveness to training stimuli (Stokes et al., 2015).
Intermediate Lifters
A lean bulk is often more appropriate once beginner gains slow. Muscle gain during recomping becomes harder, making dedicated bulking phases more productive.
Advanced Lifters
Advanced lifters benefit most from periodized strategies. Short, strategic bulking and cutting cycles produce better results than extended recomping due to their lower adaptive potential (Helms et al., 2018).
Overweight Individuals
Recomping works well. They can gain muscle while losing fat by using stored adipose tissue to fuel training. High protein intake and structured resistance training are essential.
Athletes or Physique Competitors
Depending on the competition schedule, alternating between bulking and cutting is standard. Off-season bulks improve size, while pre-season cutting enhances definition. Recomping might be used sparingly during maintenance or in transition phases.
Conclusion
Bulking and recomping are effective strategies, each with distinct advantages depending on an individual’s training level, body composition, and goals. Bulking allows for rapid muscle gain but at the cost of added fat. Recomping offers a leaner approach, favoring aesthetics and gradual change. Your decision should consider not only physiology but also lifestyle, mental readiness, and personal preferences. For most beginners and overweight individuals, recomping offers substantial benefits. For intermediates and advanced trainees, alternating between lean bulking and cutting may yield the best long-term physique outcomes.
Key Takeaways Table
References
Baar, K. and Esser, K., 1999. Phosphorylation of p70S6k correlates with increased skeletal muscle mass following resistance exercise. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 276(1), pp.C120-C127.
Helms, E.R., Aragon, A.A. and Fitschen, P.J., 2014. Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11(1), p.20.
Ivy, J.L. and Portman, R.J., 2004. Nutrient timing: The future of sports nutrition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Longland, T.M., Oikawa, S.Y., Mitchell, C.J., Devries, M.C. and Phillips, S.M., 2016. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(3), pp.738-746.
Morton, R.W., Murphy, K.T., McKellar, S.R., Schoenfeld, B.J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A.A., Devries, M.C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J.W. and Phillips, S.M., 2018. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), pp.376-384.
Phillips, S.M. and Winett, R.A., 2010. Uncomplicated resistance training and health-related outcomes: evidence for a public health mandate. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9(4), pp.208-213.
Slater, G. and Phillips, S.M., 2011. Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), pp.S67-S77.
Stokes, T., Hector, A.J., Morton, R.W., McGlory, C. and Phillips, S.M., 2015. Recent perspectives regarding the role of dietary protein for the promotion of muscle hypertrophy with resistance exercise training. Nutrients, 7(1), pp.7644-7672.
Wilson, J.M., Marin, P.J., Rhea, M.R., Wilson, S.M., Loenneke, J.P. and Anderson, J.C., 2012. Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), pp.2293-2307.
image sources
- Bulking and cutting: Julia Larson / Pexels
