bulking

Bulking means eating more than you burn, on purpose, to build muscle and strength. It’s usually followed by cutting: eating less to lose the fat that came along for the ride.

What bulking means

Merriam-Webster defines bulk up as gaining weight, especially by becoming more muscular. In gym slang it’s shortened to “bulking” or being “on a bulk,” and it’s treated as a season: you bulk for a few months, then you cut. People announce it the way others announce a diet, usually with a lot of food photos.

• Clean bulk: eating more, but mostly the same healthy foods.
• Dirty bulk: eating more of anything, pizza and all. It’s the jokey version, and the one with the most memes.
• Cutting: the opposite phase, eating less to get lean while keeping muscle.

Examples

• “I’m bulking, so yes, I will have the second burrito.”
• “He’s been on a dirty bulk since October.”
• “Bulk season’s over. Cutting starts Monday.”

Where it came from

“Bulk” has meant size or mass for centuries. Merriam-Webster’s earliest record of “bulk up” in the sense of gaining weight is from 1979. The bulk-and-cut cycle comes from competitive bodybuilding, where athletes build size in the off-season and lean out before a show.

These are slang terms, not diet advice. Anyone changing how they eat for training, especially teenagers, should talk to a doctor or a registered dietitian.

Related terms

• Big back: someone who loves to eat, sometimes used for bulkers.
• Gains: muscle and strength progress.
• Swole: very muscular.
• Natty: natural, no steroids.

See more terms like this in our gym slang guide.