Everything you need to know- How to Build Muscle Without Bulking Up

Jeremy jscholten@glanbia.net
2025-09-14T16:18:00+01:00

By Dr. Crionna Tobin, PhD, Optimum Nutrition, Head of Nutrition & Education

Key Learnings

What is Bulking: Bulking refers to a phase in which individuals consume a surplus of calories in order to gain muscle mass.

Do You Need to Bulk? It may be quicker but no, you do not need to bulk. A small calorie surplus combined with adequate protein and regular monitoring can help you gain weight without unwanted body fat. Check out our protein calculator to understand your calorie and protein requirements for bulking.

Training Tips for Building Muscle Without Bulk: Focus on strength training combined with progressive overload. Cardiovascular exercise can help you manage the smaller calorie surplus.

The Role of Rest and Recovery: The majority of muscle growth occurs during rest, not during workouts. Adequate rest and recovery are essential for effective muscle repair and growth.

Females and Bulking Up: Myth Busting: Contrary to popular belief, consuming a high-protein diet alone, through whole foods and supplements, will not lead to excessive muscle growth or a “bulky” physique in females.

In this article, we’ll explore what it means to bulk, whether or not you actually need to bulk to build muscle, and provide you with tips on how to achieve your muscle-building goals without gaining excess weight.

What is Bulking?

Bulking refers to a phase in which individuals consume a surplus of calories in order to gain muscle mass. The traditional approach to bulking involves consuming a significant amount of calories, often well above your maintenance level. This typically means eating more protein, carbohydrates and fats to meet the increased caloric needs. This traditional approach to bulking has its drawbacks. One of the main concerns is the potential for gaining excess body fat along with muscle mass. The surplus of calories can lead to unwanted weight gain, making it difficult to achieve the lean and toned physique that many individuals desire. Bulking can be a challenging phase for those who are more focused on building muscle mass without the bulk, with some individuals preferring a more gradual approach.

Do You Need to Bulk?

The answer is no, you do not have to gain muscle in the traditional way. Simply, to build muscle effectively, your body needs more energy than it burns in a day – this is known as a calorie surplus. However, the key to increasing muscle mass without significant fat gain lies in managing the size of this surplus:

Small Calorie Surplus: A small to moderate calorie surplus, typically around 250 to 500 extra calories per day¹, can be sufficient for most people to support muscle growth without excessive fat gain. This controlled approach ensures that your body has the extra energy it needs for muscle repair and growth, but not too much at once that it stores any excess as body fat. Check out our protein calculator to understand your calorie and protein requirements for bulking.

Protein: Protein is essential for building muscle because it aids in the growth and repair of muscle². Without an adequate protein intake, your muscles won’t have the building blocks they need to thrive. Aim for a daily protein intake of 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight³, depending on your activity level and goals.

Sources: Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, tofu, legumes, and protein supplements.

Quality of Calories: Equally important is the quality of these extra calories. Opt for nutrient-dense foods that provide the building blocks for muscle growth – like lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Meals such as porridge with fruit, honey, and a scoop of Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein are an excellent breakfast option to start your day with. Avoid highly processed foods that offer little in terms of nutrients. For example, an excess of energy from polyunsaturated fats found in avocados, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, is more likely to promote gains in muscle mass compared to a surplus from saturated fats, such as fatty meats and processed foods, in healthy adults⁴.

Regular Monitoring: It’s essential to monitor your progress regularly. Keep an eye on changes in your body composition, not just your weight. This will help you adjust your calorie intake and training regimen to ensure you’re gaining muscle and not excessive fat. As a rule of thumb, a weight increase of about 0.5 kilograms per week is a good aim.

Training Tips for Building Muscle Without Bulk

Focus on Strength Training: Strength training exercises, such as weightlifting, are essential for building muscle without adding excessive bulk. Incorporate compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses into your workouts to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

Importance of Progressive Overload: Progressive overload is the gradual increase in intensity, volume, or duration of your workouts over time. This principle is crucial for stimulating muscle growth without bulking up. Aim to progressively increase the weight, reps, or sets in your strength training routine to challenge your muscles and promote lean muscle gain.

Include Cardiovascular Training: Walking, running, cycling, swimming, and hiking are examples of cardio training to help you manage a smaller calorie surplus. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate cardio each week.

The Role of Rest and Recovery

The actual process of muscle growth occurs not during the workout, but during rest periods. The repair and rebuilding of your muscle fibres happens during rest periods, leading to muscle growth. Without adequate rest, these fibres cannot repair effectively, which may hinder muscle growth.

Active Recovery: Active recovery involves engaging in low-intensity exercise during rest days. Activities like walking, yoga, or light cycling can help improve blood circulation, helping you to recover for your next training session. Active recovery can also help in maintaining mobility and reducing muscle stiffness without putting excessive stress on the muscles.

Nutrition During Recovery: Nutrition plays a significant role in recovery. Consuming the right nutrients, especially protein, during the recovery phase after a resistance training session aids in muscle repair and growth.

Females and Bulking Up: Myth Busting

Contrary to popular belief, consuming a high-protein diet alone, through whole foods and supplements, will not lead to excessive muscle growth or a “bulky” physique in females. The process of building substantial muscle mass requires a combination of adequate protein intake and consistent resistance training, which stimulates muscle fibres to grow. While women typically produce less testosterone than men, a key hormone responsible for muscle growth, they still have the ability to build muscle through a combination of structured resistance training, combined with a calorie surplus and adequate protein intake. The amount of muscle growth will depend on individual genetics, training intensity, and overall nutrition.

Conclusion

Building muscle mass without adding bulk requires a balanced approach of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. With the right plan, achieving muscle-building goals in a healthy and sustainable way is possible.

References

1. Slater et al., (2019) Is an energy surplus required to maximise skeletal muscle hypertrophy associated with resistance training. Frontiers in Nutrition, vol 6, doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131

2. Kerksick, C. M., et al., (2018). ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 15(1), 28.

3. Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. (2018) How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 15, 10.

4. Rosqvist, F., et al., (2014) Overfeeding polyunsaturated and saturated fat causes distinct effects on liver and visceral fat accumulation in humans. Diabetes. 63:2356–68.

5. Davies, R. W., et al., (2018). The Effect of Whey Protein Supplementation on the Temporal Recovery of Muscle Function Following Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 10(2), 221.