The only thing that drives people to the gym is to achieve their endless goals but one of them remains constant either to lose weight and get lean or to gain weight and bulk, some people can’t decide between bulky vs lean so they stay in the grey area and fails to achieve either one.
You can achieve either by setting your workout routine and diet. The basic definition of both these terms would be, lean muscle equals more defined muscles and athletic. Bulk muscle means adding size to your muscle that makes you look muscular.
No different muscle
If you’re thinking that lean muscle or bulk muscle are two different things then no, all muscles are lean muscle. Let us understand this statement with an example…
Two friends go to the gym. A and B have the same workout routine and diet after a month friend C meets them that has zero knowledge about muscle and workout for him friend A has a lean body and friend B has a bulky body. Why is that, even though their workout and diet were the same?
The results were different because Friend A had less body fat percentage which enabled an extra 10 lbs muscle to show making him look toned and lean while friend B has a high body fat percentage so the extra 10 lbs muscle gets covered by the fat that in turn make him look bulky. So in the end it was all about body fat percentage.
Next time you decide between bulky vs lean, remember it’s not about the muscle it is about the absence of body fat percentage that will decide if you have a lean muscle body or bulky body.
Different body types and muscle build that’s easy for them
Before we get into bulky vs lean…These body types are a great way to understand should you aim for lean or bulk and how easily you can achieve your goal.
- Endomorphs
Endomorphs are people that have a large frame and it’s easy for them to put muscle on easily. They also put on fat easily due to slow metabolism that makes bulking an ideal choice for them and if they decide they want to have a lean body they can but it would be a challenging task.
2. Ectomorphs
They have slight frames and they are skinny. They have a fast metabolism that makes it difficult for them to put on fat or muscle in short, they have trouble gaining weight. So aiming for a lean body would be a good choice for them because for bulk their metabolism would act as a huge hurdle.
3. Mesomorphs
In this body, the type person has a medium frame, broad shoulder, and small waist. This category is in the middle. This category won’t have the problem of fast or slow metabolism so they can aim for both body types bulky or lean, doesn’t matter.
What is lean muscle?
Lean muscle means that the muscle cell doesn’t have a high body fat percentage around it or in it, hence making them visible to naked eyes. To achieve lean muscle you have to focus on your calories intake because the primary goal for most people is to achieve lean mass without putting on weight so being in a calories deficit will help you reduce body fat percentage that in turn will help you achieve your lean body mass goal.
What is bulk muscle?
Bulk muscle can be easily characterized just imagine a big guy with bloated muscle that adds overall mass to their appearance making them look big. The bulk body is easy to identify due to size than a lean body that is why most people prefer to aim for a bulky body because that makes them attractive.
Bulky vs lean
Bulky vs lean, huh … both of them has their advantage and disadvantages. First, let us look at the advantages of having a lean body.
Advantages of lean mass body
- Flexibility – When you’re body fat is low and have lean muscle the strain on your joints will be reduced and this will make your body more flexible and that will have a positive impact on your day-to-day life. If you’re looking to learn new skills such as martial arts, or dance… flexibility will come in handy.
- Freedom in training – The only way to achieve a bulky body is through rigorous strength training but when it comes to lean body different type of activities gets unlocked for you like calisthenics, yoga, or polymetric circuits.
- Low body fat – When you have lean body fat you’ll have less visceral fat and overall body fat that is a must when you aim for a lean body, it will also improve the quality of your life and improve your health which in turn will reduce the risk of some diseases.
Limitation of lean body
- Reduction in strength – To achieve lean body mass you have to be on calories deficit diet so you can’t aim to increase your strength due to the lack of energy required. So your strength will be less when compared to someone with a bulky body.
- Issue while in calories deficit – Some time being in calories deficit can cause some health problems after a workout or may feel low on energy, dizziness, in addition losing body fat in short duration can compromise your immune system making you vulnerable to some diseases.
Advantages of bulky body
- Strength – When you have a bulky body, improved strength comes naturally because to gain a bulky body you have to go through intensive strength training that will improve your stamina and strength.
- Protect your bones – Extra muscle acts as a layer of protection on your bone and other underlying structure. It will also protect your tissues from any external damage.
Limitation of bulky body
- Dirty bulking – Dirty bulking is a process of gaining fat through unhealthy means such as overeating or the use of steroids that can have a negative effect on your health. Overeating can lead you to have elevated cholesterol levels and it can increase the risk of heart disease.
- Same routine – There aren’t many exercises when it comes to bulking and doing the same set and reps with just an increase in weight day in day out will bore you.
Now deciding the winner between bulky vs lean will fall onto your own choice because some people want to be lean and some want to be bulky so between bulky vs lean there is no clear winner.
How to get lean muscle?
- low-intensity training – Lean muscle takes time it grows over time aiding your body to increase its overall strength. You have to include cardio exercises like jumping rope or cycling into your workout because that will help you lose fat and when you lose fat you also lose energy so you can look forward to repetitive low-intensity training.
- Diet – The more weight you lose the leaner your body will get, so to achieve that you have to stay on calories deficit diet that also helps you meet your workout goals. The important thing when creating a diet plan to get lean is to avoid adding any sugary or fatty food into your diet. Try to stay as close to eating natural food as you can that will help you avoid preservatives, flavors, and artificial sugar.
How to get a bulky body?
- High-intensity workout – When it comes to bulking, it’s the opposite of getting lean. In order to get a bulky body, you have to concentrate on a high-intensity workout with low repetitions this is also known as ‘overloading’. Make sure do have a spotter with you when doing high-intensity training because spotter will help protect the lifter during heavy weight lifting from potential injury they will also help in increasing the effectiveness of the workout.
- Split-workout routine – In bulking workout routine you will focus a lot on isolation exercise so to manage to hit every body part create a split-workout routine.
- Protein intake – When bulking your protein intake should be high so that it can support your training try setting up protein intake high while losing fat.
Final words
So bulky vs lean, who is the winner?… Targeting lean or bulky muscle doesn’t matter they both originate from the same area of the body only difference is in their appearance and growth. It is just the amount of muscle you build and the amount of fat that is responsible for the illusion of you having a bulky or lean body. Bulky ve lean is a matter of personal opinion both have their advantages and disadvantages you have to pick which is best suitable for you according to your goal.
Doesn’t matter bulky vs lean… To create an accurate diet and training plan best suitable for your body seek professional help.